## TL;DR

Greek mythology is a vast collection of stories about gods, heroes, and the nature of the world. Olympians: Zeus (sky, king), Hera (marriage), Poseidon (sea), Hades (underworld), Athena (wisdom), Apollo (sun/arts), Artemis (hunt), Ares (war), Aphrodite (love), Hephaestus (forge), Hermes (messenger). Heroes: Heracles (12 labors), Odysseus (Odyssey), Perseus (Medusa), Theseus (Minotaur).

## Core Explanation

Creation: Chaos → Gaia (Earth) → Uranus (Sky) → Titans → Olympians (Titanomachy). Pandora's Box: all evils released, only Hope remained. Trojan War: golden apple ('for the fairest') → Paris chooses Aphrodite → Helen → war. Sisyphus: punished to roll boulder up hill eternally — absurdist hero (Camus). Oedipus: kills father, marries mother — fate inescapable. Myths explain natural phenomena and teach moral lessons.

## Further Reading

- [Mythology (Edith Hamilton)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/edith-hamilton/mythology/9780316438520/)