Greek Immortality?

Question

Being immortal doesnt make sence..

Like in Greece, they say Zeus is immortal, but he still grew.

Like Hercules, he was going to grow if he remained immortal, and then, all of the sudden, stop growing and turn immortal?

What?

How does this work if you still age?

Answer 1

Immortality in Greek mythology means existence that progesses in time but does not decay. The age (by it young or old) of the gods and goddesses was merely an appearance, what the gods and goddesses really looked like was mysterious and beyond a mortal's ability to comprehend. When Zeus revealed his true nature to the mortal Semele, she was consumed by his radiance. Hercules was a demi-god, not a god, who was made immortal by Zeus after his death.

Answer 2

There is no logic to it. The Greeks simply followed their traditional ideas about the appearance of the gods -- of varying apparent ages.

So Artemis was always a girl of around 12-13, Eros a child of 6-7, Hermes and Apollo were youths still not yet old enough to have grown a beard 16-17, Hera and Aphrodite were women of the bridal age 14-16 (in greek tradition), etc.

Others like Zeus and Poseidon were mature, mid 30's perhaps (the statues of them look much like King Leonidas in the 300 movie).

Also there were old, immortal gods like the three wrinkled Fates, Nereus the old man of the sea, and Charon ferryman of the dead.

In one case, there was even a man, Tithonus who was made immortal when he married Eos. goddess of the Dawn. But she forgot to request eternal youth as well, and Tithonus shrivelled up with old age -- but because he was now immortal never died.

You get strange family combinations as well. There is a little comedy by a Greek writer Lucian between the ever-youthful Hermes and his older-looking, bearded son Pan. Hermes complains that he could not have fathered a son who looks so much older than himself!

Answer 3

Some Gods who are born naturally (some are born out of the sea or pop out of their father's decapitated head, etc...) are babies when they are born, therefore will grow to a certain age, then remain in that state for the rest of time.
Hercules was not a God. He was a Hero. A Hero was Half mortal- half immortal. He had immortal blood, which means he could (and did) die, before he bacame immortal after his death.

Answer 4

Greek gods were representations of certain concepts, as in general Athena was god of wisdom, Poseidon of the sea, etc. So they had to resemble to that concept, to match the picture. So, for example Zeus, as ruler of all gods, couldn't have been a young boy - he needed to show his strength and maturity. And so on
Another aspect of Olympic Gods' existence is that they weren't that far away from humanity. They were not invulnerable to human passion (anger, love, they were jealous, cheated on each other, etc.) and they could be hurt (see Homer's works Iliad and Odyssey). They were also subjects to greater forces of the universe , like fate -or at least they couldn't control it.
So if you get my point gods had many human characteristics (like aging and birth and others, but also distinguished from people by certain other characteristics like immortality, which was just a fact - no explanation needed (religion)
Lastly, immortality was also to be given to heroes or great people.
So we can think immortality as a higher level of being- not too far away from mankind.

Answer 5

It's not Zeus' immortality that doesn't make sense, the way he looks because really if he was a god he'd look better.

damn those Greek people we're good in everything except portraying and imagining, and if you want another thing that doesn't make sense is that at a period of his life he was raised by a goat, a goat?? Give me a break!!! It would be less fishy if you said a Lion or a Wolf.

Answer 6

As far as Greek immortality goes it doesn't have to make sense as it is pure myth. Christian immortality makkes more sense. God was is and always will be. Our immortal souls don't necassarily grow but learn so it is less of a change until our bodies die and there is no chance left for change.

Answer 7

I would guess that kind of immortality is sort of inborn-you were born immortal, therefore you grow to adulthood and then once you're old enough you stop. At least that was always my theory. To be honest, they never really explained that bit.

Good question.

Answer 8

These tales are there to teach you life lessons. ( I believe in them, as I am Pagan) You are to take the lessons and not worry so much about the logic of it, but basically it is like this, if you were all powerful and were going to live forever, would you do it in diapers or as a man (or woman)? Aphrodite and Diana were never children. They emerged as full grown women from Zeus (no mother, either).

Answer 9

Myths and fairy tales are illogical, says Max Luthi

People has created them to make anything they don't understand in the world , easier to comprehend, and therefore to decrease the constant fear of the unknown "outside".
Don't look for a logic in the myth

Besides, they say the gods drink ambrosia, a magic drink to keep them young forever.

Answer 10

This is all mythology like in that Christian book. It never happened, it never will ..... forgettaboutit!!!