Many centuries ago Greek myths were the only religion for the people living in those times. While passage of time have resulted in blurred images and details, the core elements of all these myths have continued to survive in one form or other. In earlier times it was the Olympians that were prayed to and now these have been replaced by gods.
Studies have revealed that Homeric Hymns and Homer are the source of origin of many Greek myths. It is safe to assume that since these were the first writings of Greek myths, they travelled from mouth to mouth and different interpretations may have resulted in some twists and turns before actually putting it down to paper. Therefore, most probably some information is missing from what we read today about the written words of Greeks myths and legends.
Even though we know these mythical stories aren't exactly the same as they were originally, they still fascinate us. One of the best known creatures of that era is the Cyclops. It was a horrible looking monster who had only one eye, and it was in the middle of his forehead. There were actually three famous Cyclops: Arges, the lightning bolt, Steropes, lightning itself, and Brontes, was thunder. These Cyclops were sons of Uranus and Gaea (Mother Earth), two more Greek mythological creatures.
The god of the skies and first king of the Olympians was Uranus. He and his mother Gaea produced the Titans. In Greek mythology it doesn't matter if mothers and sons produce children. Some historians have trouble dealing with this concept.
Prometheus (the word means 'forethought'), the son of Iapetus is also a very popular Titans. Prometheus became known as the wisest and smartest Titan who had the uncanny capability to predict the future. This also made him one of the most revered Titans. Amongst all the Titans, Prometheus was the only who fought with Zeus in the battle against Cronus.
Cronus was one of the most feared Titans, since he was the one that killed his father, Uranus, to gain power. Cronus married Rhea and together they had several children. However, in an attempt to always retain the power that he had, Cronus ate each of his children while they were being born. Eventually Rhea fooled Cronus into eating a stone instead of one of her children. This child became known as Zeus, who in later years would fight against Cronus with Prometheus, banishing Cronus to the underworld.
Typhoeus had a hundred heads, each breathing fire. He was a dragon and he is the model for a great deal of Greek sculpture and art. This mythological creature was killed by Zeus who is said to have buried him under Mount Etna.
The legends of Greek mythology are endless and will keep you reading for hours. On the other side of the coin there is Roman mythology, which has its own heroes and monsters. Each of these cultures has a fascinating history that is brought to life through these myths and legends, highly influencing art and music to this day.