Group 1 – BSEd English 2A

Members:

Betherlynn Panawan El Jhen Manayon

Kyzia Galela Bernice Disumala

Michelle Duno

Ancient Theories: Rationalism Theory and Etymological Theory on Mythology

Rationalism Theory

Rationalism Theory, also known as the Rationalistic Approach, is a perspective applied to the
study and interpretation of mythology. It seeks to explain myths through rational means, often by
looking for underlying psychological, social, or historical factors.

In the context of mythology, Rationalism Theory posits that myths were created as a primitive
form of logic to explain natural phenomena and the unknown. It suggests that early humans, lacking
scientific understanding, used stories and metaphors to make sense of the world around them.

This approach tends to downplay the supernatural or divine aspects of myths and instead
emphasizes the human elements and motivations behind them.

Rationalism Theory Key Points

 Myths are seen as attempts to explain natural events like thunder, storms, and celestial bodies
through anthropomorphization (giving human characteristics to non-human things) and
supernatural beings.
 Despite fantastical elements, the theory assumes there's a logical core behind myths, reflecting
early humans' efforts to understand cause-and-effect relationships.
 Rationalist interpretations might explain a sun god as representing the sun itself, or a flood myth
as an attempt to explain natural disasters.

Other Key Points and Interpretations

Psychological - Rationalism theorists often interpret myths as expressions of universal human

experiences, fears, desires, and conflicts. They view myths as symbolic representations of the human
psyche, reflecting subconscious drives and emotions.

Sociological - Rationalism theorists emphasize that myths are products of the societies in which they
originated. They argue that myths serve to reinforce cultural norms, values, and social structures,
providing explanations for societal phenomena and justifications for social hierarchy.
Historical - Rationalism theorists analyze myths in their historical context, exploring how they reflect the
beliefs, practices, and events of the past. They may interpret myths as distorted accounts of actual
historical events or as allegories for historical processes.

Limitations of Rationalism Theory

Oversimplified - It can oversimplify the richness and complexity of myths, which often serve diverse
purposes beyond just explanation.

No Context - It risks neglecting the unique social, cultural, and psychological dimensions of different
mythologies.

Superficial - It might overlook the deeper symbolic and metaphorical meanings present in myths.

Etymological Theory

Etymological Theory proposes that myths originate from and can be explained by analyzing the
etymology (history and origin) of the words used in the myths. It suggests that understanding the
meaning of the words themselves unlocks the true meaning and purpose of the myth.

It can be said that words or names that are brought about by stories of myths come from certain
origins.

Though some words or names have their meanings earlier before such stories are told, the
meaning of these words or names change through the stories told.

Etymological Theory Key Points

 The theory prioritizes understanding the original meaning of words used in myths, believing
these meanings hold the key to deciphering the myth's true nature.
 By reconstructing the historical evolution of words, proponents believe they can uncover hidden
metaphors and symbolic meanings embedded within the myth.
 As an example, analyzing the name of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, derived from the word
"aphros" meaning" sea foam,” could point to her mythical birth from the sea.

Limitations of Etymological Theory

Oversimplified - Similar to Rationalism, it can oversimplify the complexity of myths by solely focusing on
word origins, neglecting the broader cultural context and potential evolution of the meaning over time.

Limitations in Knowledge - Reconstructing word origins, especially for ancient languages, can be
challenging and uncertain, leading to potentially inaccurate interpretations.

Neglects Other Aspects - It might overlook the influence of other factors like social structures, rituals,
and historical events on shaping myths.
 Group 1 – BSEd English 2A

Members:

Betherlynn Panawan El Jhen Manayon

Kyzia Galela Bernice Disumala

Michelle Duno

The Greek and Roman Mythology

The Greeks and Their Beliefs

 The Greeks had many gods.

 The Olympian gods resembled the Greeks’ need to be grandiose.
 Because the Olympian gods mirrored the Greeks, they were heavily flawed.
Additionally, the Olympian gods were mostly portrayed as physically strong, beautiful and
intelligent.

The World According to Greeks

 Both good and evil comes from gods.

 Heroes and monsters came from gods.
 This idea influenced all religions that came after.
 Many of the conflicts that are portrayed in the myths are between family members.

Greek Mythology Creation Story

In the beginning, there was no earth, sky or sea. There was only confusion, darkness and chaos.
From chaos, emerged Gaia, also called Mother Earth. She gave birth to a son, Uranus, also known as
Father Heaven. Mother Earth and Father Heaven gave birth to many children, and they became the first
parents. Gaia and Uranus had three kinds of children: the monsters (or Hecotonochires), the Cyclopes,
and the Titans.

Coltus, Gyges, and Briareus are the three Hecotonochires sons of Gaia and Uranus. They are first
set of monstrous children and they each had fifty heads and one hundred hands.

On the other hand, Arges, Brontes, and Steropes are the cyclops sons of Gaia and Uranus. They
were big and ugly, and only had one eye in the middle of their foreheads. They were as strong as
earthquakes and tornadoes combined. They are Gaia and Uranus’ second set of children.

Finally, the third set of children are born. The Titans are the first gods that Gaia and Uranus
bore. They are enormous in size and incredible in strength. With six sons (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius,
Hyperion, Iapetus, and, Cronus) and six daughters (Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and
Tethys), they are twelve in all.

Uranus hated his children and locked them away in Tartarus within the Earth. One of his sons,
Cronus, overthrew Uranus with the help of his mother and castrated him, removing his power. Uranus’s
castrated genital was thrown into sea, and became sea foam. From this foam emerged Aphrodite, the
goddess of beauty. After overthrowing his father, Cronus became ruler of heaven and Earth and married
his sister, Rhea. From their union came the Olympian gods.

Power changed Cronus and made him evil. He was so afraid that one of his sons was going to do
to him what he did to his father that he swallowed all of his children immediately after their birth. Rhea
secretly gave birth to her sixth child, Zeus, and gave him to Gaia. When Cronus asked to see the sixth
child, Rhea handed him a rock wrapped in a blanket. Just like her previous children, Cronus swallowed
the rock without hesitation, just as she had planned.

Zeus was safely being raised by Nymphs and shepherds. Eventually Zeus grew up and Rhea, his
mother, told him about what Cronus did to his siblings. Zeus made a promise to his mother that he
would make Cronus pay for what he did.

When Zeus returned to his mother, she disguised him as a servant and concocted a poisonous
potion for him to put into Cronus’ drink. The concoction caused Cronus to vomit up each of his five
children, one by one. Once everyone was freed, the six children decided to battle against Cronus.

The war lasted ten years. Finally, when it ended, Zeus and his siblings were victorious. Now that
the battle was over, the three brothers had to decide who was going to rule the universe. It was decided
that Hades would rule the underworld, Poseidon would rule the sea and Zeus would rule the heaven and
become ruler of all the gods of Mt. Olympus.
Influence of Greeks on Romans

 Greek mythologies during this time came out of the flowering cultural exchange and artistic
innovation during the last era of independent Greek civilization called the Hellenistic period
which met its abrupt end when the Romans came and conquered Greece.
 Although Greece was a captured territory, Romans developed a deep fascination and reverence
towards the Greek culture so much so that they emulated many aspects of it in their own
culture.
 Art was moved in great quantities from Greece to Rome and was widely copied by Roman artists
in sculpture, painting, architecture, and even writing. Furthermore, despite the passing of
leadership from Greece to Rome, the arts of ancient Greece continued to influence artistic
expression from the Roman period to more modern times.

Roman Myth (The Establishment of the Roman Empire)

A long, long time ago, in Alba Longa in Italy, King Numitor lived. He was not king for long
because his younger brother, Amulius, wanted to be king and managed to get the throne. To make sure
that nobody else would take the throne back off him, he had Numitor’s sons killed and made his
daughter, Rhea Silvia, become a Priestess of Vesta meaning she was not allowed to have children so
there was no one who could be king in the future. However, his plan went wrong because Rhea Silvia
had twins with Mars, the Roman God of War as the father. Amulius was scared of Mars, so he did not kill
Rhea Silvia for breaking the rules instead he put her in prison and told a servant to take the twin boys
and leave them in the River.

Amulius did not know that when the servant came to the River he felt sorry for the boys, and let
them float down the river in their basket where he hoped they would be rescued. The boys were saved
when a wolf found them and took them to safety where she protected and cared for them. The wolf
looked after the twins until a shepherd came one day and took them home to be looked after by him
and his wife. They called the boys Romulus and Remus. The shepherd and his wife cared for the two
boys as if they were their own sons and Romulus and Remus became shepherds like their father.

One day, Romulus and Remus met some of the king’s shepherds and the men got into a fight.
Remus was caught and taken back to King Amulius, who did not know who he was. Meanwhile, Romulus
decided to go and rescue Remus. He travelled to Alba Longa, killed the king and saved his brother. The
people of the city were not angry with the boys because they found out who they were. Instead, they
wanted to crown them both as kings but the boys did not want to be kings because they wanted to build
their own city somewhere else. So they went in search of a place.

They eventually found a place but they argued about on which hill the city should be built.
Romulus wanted Palatine Hill but Remus wanted Aventine Hill so they decided to wait for a sign from
the gods to tell them which hill they should use. The sign from the gods was a group of birds but each
brother believed they had won so the problem was not solved. Romulus decided to start building a wall
around Palatine Hill, but Remus was jealous and started a fight where Remus was killed. Romulus was
now free to build his city. He made himself king and named the city ‘Rome’ after himself. This was the
start of one of the most powerful cities in the world for the next thousand years.
 Character Analyzation

NAME ORIGIN DESIRE FEAR INSTINCTS NEEDS

GREEK: She is the Fertility, Destruction of Nurturing life, Reverence from
Gaia/Gaea primordial growth, the Earth, fostering living beings,
ROMAN: goddess of the balance in the imbalance in biodiversity, protection of her
Terra Earth, natural world. ecosystems. maintaining domains.
representing the equilibrium.
physical
embodiment of
the planet.
GREEK: He is the Dominion over Revolts or Enveloping the Obedience from
Uranus primordial god of the sky, order disruptions Earth, the celestial
ROMAN: the sky, and he is and harmony in within his regulating bodies,
Caelus also the husband the celestial domain. celestial acknowledgment
of Gaia/Terra. realm. phenomena. of his authority.

GREEK: He is one of the To maintain his Being His instincts To prevent the
Cronus Titans, the power and overthrown by are driven by a fulfilment of the
ROMAN: primordial deities authority over his children, need of prophecy by any
Saturn who ruled the the cosmos, threats to his control, means necessary,
cosmos before stability, and reign and the dominance,
Zeus/Jupiter. The prosperity for stability of the and self-
youngest son of himself and his universe. preservation.
Uranus/Caelus realm.
and Gaia/Terra.
GREEK: She is one of the To protect her She fears for Maternal Safeguard her
Rhea Titans, daughter children from the safety of instincts drives children’s lives,
ROMAN: of Uranus/Caelus Cronus/Saturn’ her children. her to seek ensure their well-
Cybele/Opis and Gaia/Terra, s tyranny and ways to being, and
the sister-wife of fulfil her protect her possibly challenge
Cronus/Saturn. maternal children, even Cronus/Saturn’s’
duties. if it means authority.
defying
Cronus/Saturn
.
GREEK: Son of Power, control, Losing his Leadership, Admiration,
Zeus Cronus/Saturn maintaining power or protection of respect,
ROMAN: and Rhea/Cybele, order. being his family and obedience from
Jupiter he is the king of overthrown. realm. other gods and
the gods and mortals.
ruler of Mount
Olympus.

GREEK: Sister and wife of Loyalty, fidelity, Her husband's Protecting Respect,
Hera Zeus/Jupiter, she maintaining her infidelity, marriage, acknowledgment
ROMAN: is the queen of status as losing her punishing of her authority,
Juno the gods. queen. position. infidelity. fidelity from her
husband.
GREEK: The goddess of Loves, Rejection, loss She is driven Worship and
Aphrodite love, beauty, and adoration, and of beauty, or by desire for reverence from
ROMAN: desire. She is passion. She the absence of connection, mortals, as well as
Venus born from the sea seeks to inspire love and pleasure, and the fulfilment of
foam after desire and admiration. harmony in her own desires
Uranus/Caelus’ foster romantic relationships. for love and
severed genitals connections. companionship.
were cast into
the sea.
GREEK: Brother of the Control of the Losing his Creating Recognition of his
Poseidon king of the gods, sea, respect dominion over storms, power, offerings
ROMAN: Poseidon is the from other the sea or causing from sailors and
Neptune god of the sea gods and being earthquakes, coastal
and earthquakes. mortals. overshadowed protecting sea communities.
by Zeus. creatures.
GREEK: Daughter of Wisdom, Being Strategizing, Recognition of her
Athena Zeus/Jupiter, she strategy, victory outwitted or advising wisdom,
ROMAN: is the goddess of in battle. defeated in heroes, reverence from
Minerva wisdom, strategic battle. promoting scholars and
warfare, and civilization and warriors.
crafts. crafts.
GREEK: Son of Glory in battle, Defeat, Inciting Admiration for his
Aries Zeus/Jupiter and domination, humiliation. conflict, prowess, offerings
ROMAN: Hera/Juno, he is and bloodshed. joining battles, of war spoils.
Mars the god of war, revelling in
bloodshed, and chaos.
violence.
Romulus According to Romulus Romulus fears Leadership, Recognition as the
legend, Romulus desires to failure, territorial founder of Rome,
and Remus were found a great betrayal, and expansion, and loyalty from his
twin brothers city and the loss of his the followers, and the
born to the Vestal establish newfound establishment establishment of a
Virgin Rhea Silvia himself as its power. of laws and stable and
and the god Mars ruler. institutions. prosperous city-
(or in some state.
versions,
Hercules). They
were abandoned
as infants and
raised by a she-
wolf and later by
a shepherd.
Desires: Romulus
desires to found a
 great city and
establish himself
as its ruler.
Remus Remus, like his Remus shares Remus may Similar to Recognition for
brother Romulus, his brother's fear being Romulus, his role in the
was born to Rhea desire to found overshadowed Remus likely city's foundation,
Silvia and either a great city but by his brother possesses a sense of
Mars or Hercules. may have or being leadership purpose and
He was conflicting marginalized qualities and a belonging within
abandoned as an ambitions or in the desire to the community,
infant and raised different ideas establishment shape the and validation of
alongside about how to of the new destiny of his contributions.
Romulus. achieve this city. their people.
goal.
Numitor Numitor is the Numitor desires He fears the Numitor's Numitor needs
rightful king of to reclaim his wrath of his instincts are support from
Alba Longa, the throne and brother rooted in the allies, the loyalty
grandfather of restore stability Amulius and preservation of his subjects,
Romulus and to Alba Longa. the loss of his of his lineage and assistance in
Remus, and the remaining and the overthrowing
brother of family. welfare of his Amulius.
Amulius. people.
Amulius Amulius is the Amulius desires He fears Amulius's Amulius needs to
usurper king of to maintain his rebellion from instincts are maintain control
Alba Longa and grip on power his subjects, driven by self- over Alba Longa,
the brother of and eliminate the return of preservation secure alliances,
Numitor. any threats to Numitor, and and the and neutralize any
his rule. the potential consolidation potential rivals.
rise of of his
Romulus and authority.
Remus.
Rhea Silvia Rhea Silvia is the Rhea Silvia She fears the Rhea Silvia's She needs
daughter of desires wrath of instincts are assistance in
Numitor and the freedom from Amulius and rooted in rescuing her sons,
mother of captivity and the fate of her maternal assurance of their
Romulus and the safety of twin sons protection and safety, and
Remus. her sons. after they are the eventual
abandoned. preservation recognition of
of her lineage. their divine
lineage.
Faustulus Faustulus is the Faustulus He fears Faustulus's Faustulus needs
shepherd who desires to discovery by instincts are to keep the twins
finds and raises protect and Amulius and driven by safe, provide for
Romulus and raise the the compassion, their upbringing,
Remus after they abandoned consequences loyalty, and a and ensure their
are abandoned. twins as his of raising the sense of duty eventual destiny
own sons. rightful heirs to care for the as leaders of
to the throne. helpless Rome.
infants.