Influence of Greek Mythology on Modern Society - Essay Example

First of all, the thing we use every day, which is the English language, is greatly influenced by Greek mythology on a lexical level. In particular, a huge number of phraseological units used by speakers on a regular basis come from Greek mythology. For instance, a “Herculean task” refers to a task completion of which requires great efforts. Also, many terms have their roots in Greek mythology. For example, morphine takes its name from the name of Morpheus, the Greek god of sleep; computer viruses called Trojans after the Trojan horse.

The list of examples can be continued almost endlessly. Another good example of how Greek mythology influences today’s culture is the Olympic Games. They took place in Greece every four years and originally were held in honor of Zeus, the god of all Greek gods. These days, the Olympic Games are also held every four years. Apart from this, like in the past, the opening and closing ceremonies and olive leaf crowns are integral components of the modern Olympic Games. Signs of Greek mythology are also used in advertising.

Perhaps, the most well-known instance of the use of images and concepts from Greek myths is the name of the sportswear and shoe company Nike, Inc. named after the Greek goddess of victory Nike (“Business and group,” 1999). A multinational computer hardware and electronics company Asus is named after Pegasus, the winged horse (the first three letters are dropped) (“Business and group,” 1999). Finally, Greek myths are widely used in popular culture and entertainment industry.

There are thousands of movies, musical references, TV shows, video games and much more that adopt themes, storylines, characters etc. from Greek myths. Originally, Ancient Greek religion, as the creation myths show, was female-centered, meaning that it advocated for matriarchy (“Patriarchal mentality,” 2014).