Archetypes of Greek Mythology

This work deals with characteristics of Greek mythology and tries to define a myth and to describe the differences between myths and fairy tales. It focuses on an origin and a history of myths, on gods and on heroes. My work also examines a concept of collective unconscious and archetypes, that appears in antique mythology (especially the archetype of a hero). Based on these findings, this work forms characteristic features of heroes, that are applied on the Greek heroes Odysseus and Achilles. Their life stories prove they deserve to be considered as archetypes of heroes. A survey, that deals with a concept of heroism according to contemporary young people, is also part of the work. It reflects not just the teenagers' image of a hero, but it examines their knowledge of Greek mythology, too