Introduction

There are many different kinds of cultures in the world - different beliefs, different
religions, dfferent faiths. All of these came into existence at different times, with
different degrees of popularity, and huge differences in the number of followers.
This paper aims to tackle two of the popular beliefs: Greek mythology, which is one
of the oldest religions but has died along the way, and Christianity, younger and
more popular with millions of followers.
Are they really that different from each other? Are there similarities between the
stories of Greek gods and saints? How much of an impact do these stories have on
people then and now? With these questions in mind, we will take a look at the
specific stories and information about the Saint, Theodosius and Greek god
Hyperion.
The Christian St. Theodosius
St. Theodosius, the Cenobiarch, was a monk, abbot, and saint. He was born in
Garissus, Cappadocia (modern Turkey), in 423 AD. His parents were Proheresius and
Eulogia.
He was inspired to try to be like Abraham by leaving his parents, friends, relatives
and everything else for the love of the Lord. He undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
and met with the famed St. Simeon Stylites.
He was named the head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. He had
many visitors and pilgrims who distracted and deprived him of his solitude, so he
departed to live as a hermit near the neighboring desert mountain in a cave.
He established a monastery, which was divided among the various nationalities of
the monks. He used his influence as cenobiarch to oppose the spread of the
heretical doctrines of Eutychianism but Emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518), who was
sympathetic to the Eutychians, exiled him. Though he was recalled by Emperor
Justin soon after Anastasius' death, St. Theodosius spent his last years in poor
health and died near Jerusalem, at about 105 years old.
The Greek God Hyperion
Hyperion is the Titan god of light. His name means "watcher from above" or "he who
goes above" from the greek words hyper and in. He is one of the sons
of Ouranos the Heaven and Gaia the Earth. His brothers were Kronos, Koios, Iapetos,
Krios and Okeanos, and his sisters were Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoibe and
Tethys. Each one of them discovered things beneficial to mankind.
Hyperion is the father of the lights of heaven, namely, great Helios the Sun and
clear Selene the Moon and Eos the Dawn. His sister, Theia, was the lady of
the aither and the shining blue of the sky. He is also the primal god who first
ordered the cycles of sun, moon and dawn, establishing the regular rhythm of days
and months. Hyperion is one of the four Titan brothers who conspired with Kronos
in the slicing of their father Ouranos with a sickle made by their mother. They then
threw him into Tartarus.
Hyperion, with his brothers Krios, Koios and Iapetos, is posted at the four pillars
which held the sky or universe aloft. He and his brothers were also viewed by some
as the ancient gods responsible for the creation of man.
Titans were deposed by Zeus and the other Olympians and cast into the pit
of Tartarus. They were eventually released from the pit through the clemency of
Zeus.

Conclusion
Greek mythology and Christianity are very different from each other based on each
story. Saint Theodosius went for living a simple life and love for God and people
while Hyperion and his brothers were motivated by power and revenge.
From this, it can be said that Greek mythology and Christianity motivate their
believers in different ways. The former shows what should not be done, while the
latter leads by example. They also differ, on the most basic level, in that Greeks
have many gods, while Christians only have one. This puts focus on the lessons that
we can learn from them.
The Greek gods are more human in their personalities and motivations. Their
followers would do well to learn from the mistakes of, not only their gods, but also of
the demigods and heroes, like Hercules, Perseus, Odyssey, Jason, etc.
The Christian God, on the other hand, represents divine perfection, which all
believers should achieve to become. This is shown through the struggles of the
saints and prophets and even God's own Son, Jesus Christ, and His mother, Mary.
However, despite the vast differences between the two, they have similar effects
and impacts on people. They both try to show their followers how to make the most
of their lives and they both try to lead the people to some sort of ideal state of
being.
This said, no matter what motivates us - role models or bad examples - it is but part
of human existence that we believe in something bigger than us, be they one God
or many gods.