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Greek Mythology Timeline

(c. 2000 BCE – c. 146 BCE)

Greek Mythology is the body of stories and beliefs of ancient Greece concerning its gods, heroes, and the origins and nature of the world. Spanning from the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations through the Classical period, it includes tales of Zeus and the Olympians, the Trojan War, and legendary figures like Heracles and Odysseus. These myths shaped Greek religion, art, literature, and culture, and continue to influence Western civilization today. Less

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Origins and Oral Tradition

Oral-poetic tradition of Greek myths begins

1800 BC

The Greek myths were initially propagated in an oral-poetic tradition most likely by Minoan and Mycenaean singers starting in the 18th century BC, passing stories of gods and heroes from generation to generation long before they were ever written down.

Image source: Greek mythology

Oral-poetic tradition of Greek myths begins

Trojan War myths enter Homer's epic tradition

800 BC

The myths of the heroes of the Trojan War and its aftermath became part of the oral tradition of Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which would become the foundational texts of Greek mythology for later generations.

Image source: Homer

Trojan War myths enter Homer's epic tradition

Ancient Literature and Art

Geometric pottery depicts the Epic Cycle and Heracles

800 BC - 701 BC

Geometric designs on pottery of the eighth century BC depict scenes from the Epic Cycle as well as the adventures of Heracles, providing some of the earliest visual evidence of Greek mythological narratives.

Geometric pottery depicts the Trojan cycle

800 BC - 701 BC

Geometric designs on eighth-century BC pottery depict scenes from the Trojan cycle, showing that the great war myth was already a popular subject in visual art during this formative period.

Geometric art predates poetic versions of myths

800 BC

In some cases, the first known representation of a myth in geometric art predates its first known representation in late archaic poetry by several centuries, showing that visual artists preserved mythological traditions independently of poets.

Orphic theogonic poem exists in fifth-century BC

500 BC - 401 BC

One of the scraps known as the Derveni Papyrus now proves that at least in the fifth-century BC a theogonic-cosmogonic poem of Orpheus was in existence, testifying to an alternative mystical tradition alongside mainstream myth.

Image source: Derveni papyrus

Orphic theogonic poem exists in fifth-century BC

Apollonius writes the Argonautica

300 BC - 201 BC

Although Apollonius wrote his poem in the 3rd century BC, the composition of the story of the Argonauts is earlier than the Odyssey, which shows familiarity with the exploits of Jason; the wandering of Odysseus may have been partly founded on it.

Image source: Argonautica

Apollonius writes the Argonautica

Plutarch preserves myths in Roman-era writings

100 AD

Myths are preserved in texts from the time of the Roman Empire by writers such as Plutarch, whose essays and biographies recorded and interpreted many mythological traditions that might otherwise have been lost.

Image source: Plutarch

Plutarch preserves myths in Roman-era writings

Pausanias documents myths of Greece

150 AD

Pausanias, writing under the Roman Empire, traveled Greece recording local legends, cults, and monuments, preserving an invaluable account of mythological traditions tied to specific places across the Greek world.

Image source: Pausanias (geographer)

Pausanias documents myths of Greece

Orphic Hymns collection survives

200 AD

The surviving 2nd-century collection of Orphic Hymns is influenced by the theories of rationalism and the syncretizing trends of its age, blending older mystical traditions with contemporary religious thought.

Image source: Orphic Hymns

Orphic Hymns collection survives

Papyrus portrays Dionysus' punishment of Lycurgus

300 AD

An anonymous papyrus fragment, dated to the third century, vividly portrays Dionysus' punishment of the king of Thrace, Lycurgus, whose recognition of the new god came too late, resulting in horrific penalties that extended into the afterlife.

Image source: Lycurgus (son of Dryas)

Papyrus portrays Dionysus' punishment of Lycurgus

Macrobius writes the Saturnalia

400 AD

The Saturnalia of Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, written in the fifth century, is influenced by the theories of rationalism and syncretizing trends, helping transmit classical mythological lore into late antiquity.

Image source: Macrobius

Macrobius writes the Saturnalia

Classical Criticism and Philosophy

Xenophanes condemns the poets' tales

600 BC - 501 BC

By the 6th century BC, radical philosophers began labeling the poets' tales as blasphemous lies. Xenophanes of Colophon complained that Homer and Hesiod attributed to the gods 'all that is shameful and disgraceful among men; they steal, commit adultery, and deceive one another.'

Image source: Xenophanes

Xenophanes condemns the poets' tales

Euripides mocks old mythological traditions

500 BC - 401 BC

More sportingly, the 5th-century BC tragedian Euripides often played with the old traditions, mocking them and, through the voice of his characters, injecting notes of doubt about the traditional myths.

Image source: Euripides

Euripides mocks old mythological traditions

Rise of philosophy diminishes the role of myth

430 BC - 400 BC

After the rise of philosophy, history, prose and rationalism in the late 5th century BC, the role of myth became less certain, and mythological genealogies gave place to a conception of history which tried to exclude the supernatural, such as the Thucydidean history.

Eromenos assigned to nearly every important god

400 BC

By the end of the fifth-century BC, poets had assigned at least one eromenos, an adolescent boy who was their sexual companion, to every important god except Ares, and to many legendary figures as well.

Enlightenment reaction against Greek myth spreads

1700 - 1799

During the Enlightenment of the 18th century, a reaction against Greek myth spread throughout Europe, even as the myths continued to inspire dramatists and composers across the continent.

Image source: Age of Enlightenment

Enlightenment reaction against Greek myth spreads

Medieval and Renaissance Reception

Benoît de Sainte-Maure writes Roman de Troie

1154 - 1160

Twelfth-century author Benoît de Sainte-Maure described the Trojan War in his Roman de Troie (Romance of Troy, 1154–60), rewriting the standard version he found in Dictys and Dares for a medieval audience.

Joseph of Exeter writes De Bello Troiano

1183

Joseph of Exeter composed De Bello Troiano (On the Trojan War) in 1183, describing the war while rewriting the standard version found in Dictys and Dares, continuing the medieval fascination with Troy.

Chaucer ignites English imagination with Greek myth

1380

The English imagination was fired by Greek mythology starting with Chaucer, whose works drew heavily on classical myth and helped establish a lasting tradition of Greek themes in English literature.

Image source: Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer ignites English imagination with Greek myth

Milton and Shakespeare carry the tradition forward

1590 - 1670

Continuing the English engagement with Greek myth, John Milton and William Shakespeare wove classical allusions and mythological figures throughout their poetry and drama, enriching English literature with ancient themes.

Image source: John Milton

Milton and Shakespeare carry the tradition forward

Handel and Mozart operas draw on Greek myth

1710 - 1791

Although during the Enlightenment reaction against Greek myth spread throughout Europe, the myths continued to provide an important source of raw material for dramatists, including those who wrote the libretti for many of Handel's and Mozart's operas.

Robert Bridges continues the English mythological tradition

1900 - 1930

The English imagination fired by Greek mythology, which began with Chaucer and continued through Shakespeare, reached into the 20th century with poet Robert Bridges, demonstrating the enduring vitality of the classical tradition in English letters.

Image source: Robert Bridges

Robert Bridges continues the English mythological tradition

Modern Scholarship and Revival

Genesis of modern understanding of Greek mythology

1780 - 1800

The genesis of modern understanding of Greek mythology is regarded by some scholars as a double reaction at the end of the eighteenth century against 'the traditional attitude of Christian animosity', in which the Christian reinterpretation of myth as a 'lie' or fable had been retained.

Romanticism sparks enthusiasm for all things Greek

1790 - 1800

By the end of the 18th century, Romanticism initiated a surge of enthusiasm for all things Greek, including Greek mythology, reversing centuries of ambivalence and launching a new era of appreciation.

Image source: Romanticism

Romanticism sparks enthusiasm for all things Greek

Growing German interest in Homer and Greek myth

1795

In Germany, by about 1795, there was a growing interest in Homer and Greek mythology, laying the groundwork for the country's later dominance in classical scholarship and philology.

Comparative philology establishes the science of myth

1800 - 1899

The development of comparative philology in the 19th century, together with ethnological discoveries in the 20th century, established the science of myth, transforming the study of Greek mythology into a rigorous academic discipline.

Image source: Comparative mythology

Comparative philology establishes the science of myth

Thomas Bulfinch champions classical myths in America

1850 - 1899

American authors of the 19th century, such as Thomas Bulfinch, held that the study of the classical myths was essential to the understanding of English and American literature, making the myths accessible to general readers.

Image source: Thomas Bulfinch

Thomas Bulfinch champions classical myths in America

Nathaniel Hawthorne retells Greek myths

1850 - 1899

Nathaniel Hawthorne, like fellow American author Thomas Bulfinch, held that the study of the classical myths was essential to understanding English and American literature, retelling the myths for young readers in works such as A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys.

Image source: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne retells Greek myths

Schliemann discovers the Mycenaean civilization

1870 - 1890

The discovery of the Mycenaean civilization by the German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in the nineteenth century helped explain many existing questions about Homer's epics and provided archaeological evidence for many mythological details about gods and heroes.

Image source: Heinrich Schliemann

Schliemann discovers the Mycenaean civilization

Tylor publishes Primitive Culture

1871

In 1871 Edward Burnett Tylor published his Primitive Culture, in which he applied the comparative method and tried to explain the origin and evolution of religion, profoundly influencing the anthropological study of myth.

Image source: Edward Burnett Tylor

Tylor publishes Primitive Culture

Major nineteenth-century discovery in ancient history claimed

1891

In 1891, a scholar claimed that 'the most important discovery which has been made during the nineteenth century concerning the ancient history of mankind' had been achieved, reflecting the era's excitement over advances in understanding humanity's mythological past.

Steuding publishes Griechische und römische Götter - und Heldensage

1897

About 100 years after the German revival of interest, enthusiasm for Greek mythology was still alive when Hermann Steuding published his book Griechische und römische Götter- und Heldensage in 1897, a popular handbook of Greek and Roman divine and heroic legend.

Evans discovers the Minoan civilization in Crete

1900 - 1931

The discovery of the Minoan civilization in Crete by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans in the twentieth century helped explain questions about Homer's epics and provided archaeological evidence for many of the mythological details about gods and heroes.

Image source: Arthur Evans

Evans discovers the Minoan civilization in Crete

Ethnological discoveries complete the science of myth

1900 - 1999

Together with the development of comparative philology in the 19th century, ethnological discoveries in the 20th century established the science of myth, giving scholars new tools to interpret Greek mythology within a global framework.

Segal analyzes Campbell's archetype-based interpretation

1990

Segal (1990) concludes that 'to interpret a myth Campbell simply identifies the archetypes in it,' summarizing Joseph Campbell's influential approach to mythological analysis and its reception among modern scholars.

Burkert notes heroes never have fixed final form

2002

Burkert (2002) notes that 'the roster of heroes, again in contrast to the gods, is never given fixed and final form,' highlighting the fluid and evolving nature of heroic myth in the Greek tradition.

Burkert describes Heracles as sacrificer and voracious eater

2002

According to Burkert (2002), Heracles is portrayed as a sacrificer, mentioned as a founder of altars, and imagined as a voracious eater himself; it is in this role that he appears in comedy, illustrating the god-hero's complex cultural functions.

Image source: Heracles

Burkert describes Heracles as sacrificer and voracious eater

Key Facts

  1. The Twelve Olympians, led by Zeus, ruled from Mount Olympus after defeating the Titans in the Titanomachy.
  2. Hesiod's 'Theogony' (c. 700 BCE) is one of the earliest written sources systematically describing the origins of the Greek gods.
  3. Homer's epics, the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey' (c. 8th century BCE), are foundational texts featuring myths of the Trojan War and heroic journeys.
  4. Greek myths explained natural phenomena, human origins, and religious rituals, serving as both entertainment and moral instruction.
  5. Roman mythology heavily borrowed from Greek mythology, preserving many myths under new names such as Jupiter (Zeus) and Venus (Aphrodite).

Source

This Greek Mythology timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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