The Greek Society Constructed By Greek Mythology

Based on Jan Assmann’s theory of cultural memory,this paper analyzes the factors of mythology in Greek society from Homer’s time to before the classical period.The construction of Greek society in ancient Greek mythology and the interaction between the individual and the collective of the Greeks condensed the cultural memory that belonged exclusively to the Greeks.Mythology,as a prehistory,was created by people of the same or similar beliefs and passed down until it was written.This article will analyze the content of Greek mythological rituals and the relationship between gods and Greek society,the construction of the memory content of Greek historical memory,from "ritual consistency" to"textual consistency",and the discussion of Greek political society "Kanon".Demonstrating that myth is also part of history,showing the instrumental character of myth in the political and social order,confirming that myth exists because of human needs.Myth manifests itself in the time and space of a people as the truth of a higher order.Ancient Greek mythology was first presented in the works of Homer and Hesiod,which were used as quasi-"canons" in Greek society,providing an important reference for the social customs,festivals,and rituals of the Greeks.However,because the "canon" is incomplete and not closed,it also lays hidden dangers for the lock of Greek memory and the "cultural memory" of the nation.The historical memory of the Greeks,led by the Olympian gods,is similarly reflected in the construction of the political system.This article takes the Athenian city-state as an example,from the founding of Tisius to the reform of Christines,analyzes the role of gods,and gradually confirms that it is not so much God that gives to man,but that man uses the gods to seek "legitimacy".When it is fixed and internalized into history that plays the role of the foundation of the nation,it becomes a myth,whether the myth comes from real history or fiction in later generations.By comparing mythology with the changes in Greek society,based on the theory of "cultural memory",it is argued that Greek mythology as an ideological tool reflects the value orientation and social norms of the Greeks.In the process of argumentation,it also leads to the third chapter of this article,which analyzes the confusion caused by the failure to unify the Greek gods.Due to the uncertainty of the original origin of Greek mythology,coupled with the complexity of the beliefs of many Greek city-states,it brought pluralism and political discourse to the Greek society constructed by Greek gods.With the end of the classical era and the decline of Greece,the gods were helpless in the face of the decay of the society they had constructed.Greek philosophers are also looking for a way out.In the end,the confusion of "cultural memory" brought about by the gods gave way to a clear"monotheistic religion".