Robert Graves tells us "ancient Europe had no gods." The Great Goddess was regarded as eternal and unchanging. Fatherhood held no meaning for these peoples because it was at a later time that they discovered that a man was needed to produce a child. All over the world we can encounter these mother goddesses. The women were considered omnipotent and the priestess of a village was usually the queen. She took lovers for pleasure, not for a father for her children, as the children of a community were considered sacred gifts from the goddess. "Men revered and respected the marvel and power of women and adored the matriarch, her hut or temple being the earliest social center. Thus the first victim of a Greek public sacrifice was to Hestia. Hestia was goddess of the hearth and it is her decree that suppliants must be protected in her name (Graves

the number three and the moon goddess became enlarged to nine when a triad of goddesses symbolized each of the interpretations of the goddess (Graves 12)".

"There is no evidence that, when women were in control, men were denied areas of life in which they might act without female supervision. Men could be trusted to hunt, fish, gather foods, mind flocks and herds, and help defend tribal territory so long as they didn't break matriarchal law (Graves 13)". They were actually treated better than women were eventually treated. The women would often proclaim a male relative as commander-in-chief when she was not up to rule. Considering it is the woman who bears children, it is understandable for her to hand over power at certain intervals in her life. These women loved men and took lovers quite often and the men were pleased when it became apparent that the queen's child was his.

ok over her ocean domain. The nymph goddess, Aphrodite, (whose name was changed from Marianae) was given to Hephaestus, the weapon making blacksmith god (Budapest 5). The goddess's aspect of maid, Artemis, also had to be included in the new patriarchal family so they twinned her to Apollo (who used to be a mouse god). She got to keep her virginity and pride but Apollo's fame was elevated in the association (Budapest 5). In the underworld, a traditional realm of the crone goddess, Hecate, the patriarchs went wild. They knew that this was the seat of power for the matriarchy since the goddess of death could be invoked to plot against the new gods of the patriarchy. They abolished her and placed Persephone as the wife of Hades in the underworld. Persephone gained some influence in this realm, as she was more feared than Hades in Homer's depiction of the underworld in the Odyssey.

In Euripides Medea, the matriarchs are given more elbowroom. "Medea had put her whole life on the line for Jason, helping kill his uncle, Pelias, so that Jason could claim his place on the throne (Harris 740)". Although Jason had vowed to marry her because of her loyalty, he betrays her by marrying a younger, prettier princess. "Medea now has not only Hecate, her personal deity, but also Themis (the goddess of vows) and Zeus (a token patriarch and protector of oaths) on her side (Harris 740)". Medea is also shown to be a woman of the matriarchal ways when she promises Aegeus, king of Athens, that she will help cure his impotence if he will give her sanctuary after she commits her bloody deeds (Euripides 763). This knowledge of fertility herbs links her to the matriarchal goddesses. She then caries out her plans and poisons the princess

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1757
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)