The Introduction And Spread Of Greek Myths And Legends In The Late Qing Dynasty And The Republic Of China（1840-1949）

Greek myths and legends are a world-famous mythology system and are widely circulated in China,but Greek myths and legends were introduced to China only after modern times.Why are Greek myths and legends widely circulated among the Chinese people and have such great influence? This paper answers this question by examining the process of introducing Greek myths and legends into China,aiming to analyze the unique charm of Greek myths and legends,and explore the changes in modern Chinese society reflected behind them.This paper divides the process of introducing Greek myths and legends into China during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China into five periods: 1.During the late Qing Dynasty,as China was forced to open its doors,Greek myths and legends were first introduced into China by missionaries;2.The end of the Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China,more Chinese literati "opened their eyes to see the world" and began to translate and introduce Greek myths and legends;3.During the May Fourth Movements,the call for "enlightenment" in modern China reached a peak,and the advocates of new literature carried out the translation of Greek mythology;4.In the middle of the Republic of China,Chinese society entered a relatively stable period,and Greek myths and legends were further disseminated to the public through newspapers and magazines;5.In the end of the Republic of China,The work is basically done.In general,during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China,the introduction and dissemination of Greek myths and legends was closely related to the all-round transformation of Chinese society in all historical stages,showing obvious stage characteristics.Since modern times,China’s social transformation has been accompanied by the socalled "Salvation" and "Enlightenment".The introduction and dissemination of Greek myths and legends mainly belongs to the category of national spiritual enlightenment.Although not the most important,it deeply takes effect.The research of this topic helps us to understand the vitality of Greek myths and legends from one aspect.It has the spirit of humanism itself,which is in line with the spirit of equality and freedom in modern society to a certain extent.Its introduction and dissemination met the spiritual needs of the Chinese who were eager to realize modernization during this period.