Whether mythology should be taught in school is a delicate argument, and many people have taken up one side or the other. Mythology should still be taught in schools, although it should be expanded across various cultures, not just Greek. Teachers should not be focused on one aspect of mythology, as there are plenty of important morals in other cultures’ myths as well. Myths are important parts of literature for many civilizations around the world, and have a style that is different yet similar to normal novels. Also, myths teach about the culture of their time, as well as how people lived and what they believed. Along these lines, I think that other cultures’ myths should also be taught, as ...view middle of the document...
The Greeks had values that were displayed in their novels, some of which are similar to our own. Similarly, “Homer's story of Odysseus' struggle to get home from Troy, The Odyssey (which dates from at least the 8th century BC), was used in the ancient world for moral instruction.” (Worley). Myths were an integral part of society in Ancient Greece. They were the only way people could explain things, so they followed them to an extreme extent.
However, I think mythology from other cultures should be taught alongside Greek myths. In this case, “myths are similar even when they derive from civilizations so widely separated geographically that cultural diffusion seems impossible” (Kromholz). The myths of the world’s civilizations help to relate them to other cultures. They show the similarities and differences between people in different time frames and locations, and how this affected their customs. Also, the mythology of other cultures has been just as important as Greek myths. Similarly, they are important literature that has laid the foundation for modern novels. Mythology was and still is an integral part of society in more places than just Greece.
Some people may claim that myths are false and give false information. To repeat, “[mythology] gives them a deeper understanding of Greek and Roman culture” (Shearer). Mythology teaches about the culture of civilizations, not just their gods. It teaches people how others lived their lives, and the false information they give often ties to ways of life and reasons for certain decisions. Also, false information is not necessarily a bad thing if it is known as such. Some of the information may show how the Greeks tried to...
