Seventh post: Interview an Expert

I am interviewing Richard Martin a Greek Mythology expert at Stanford University. What made you want to be an expert in Greek Mythology?  I was always interested at 10,11,12 years old before you even and read books about in and learn somethings about Greek and Latin and found it to be more fun. What is your most favorite myth? Uhhm I have many favorites but my favorites would have to be when Ulysses coming home after the Trojan War and Hermes being related to him and Athena's.  Are there still people that believe in Greek mythology? Actually there are not just in Greece but other places in the world.There are groups called neo-pagens and they meet up talk about and worship the gods, and make sacrifices. Which god do you think had the most influence in Greek Mythology, and Why?  Zeus because he is the king of the gods because of thunder and lightning and threatening to turn them into something. Hades maybe because he can threaten stuff too. Do you think there are some gods or beasts that has been taken from another religion or myths in Greek Mythology? Which? Yeah, well not particular gods but the story pattern. The beginning of the world the earth and sky, Kronos and Rhea and Zeus and his family. Scholars have found in the middle eastern countries but the names have changed other than that no. It is hard to say that the Greeks had borrowed from others.                                                                       He is right about that he was interested in Greek Mythology before I started liking it. I just started liking it this year. I found it interesting that Ulysses is related to Hermes (the god of messengers, thieves, travelers, and merchants). I was happy there was someone else who likes the myth of Athena. I did not know for sure that there were people who still believed in all of this. I sort of thought there were people who believed all of this stuff exsisted and still continues to exsiste. I also did not know people still made sacrifices to or worshiped the gods. I sort of thought that Zeus would have the most influence on Greek Mythology because he is the king of the gods. But I really did not expect he would say Hades may influence Greek Mythology. I did not really know that the story pattern is what was copied in the myths. I think that he is a very intellegent person who knows a multitude of thing about Greek Mythology.