Below is a sample Refutation from the “Refutation and Confirmation” exercise of the Progymnasmata.
Myths are stories which are meant to explain why things are the way they are. Myths give context to our lives, explain natural phenomena, define our cultural customs, and often religious worship. This is equally true for the ancient Greeks as it is for Christians today and throughout history. This being said, the pagan myths are not literally true (even if they have some truth in them or communicate some true ideas). Christianity, contrariwise, is the myth that is true. Christianity explains who we are, where we come from, why we are here, what we are supposed to do with ourselves, and where this life is leading. Christianity is the true myth and this is most notably proven by the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth which was witnessed by many people. Christianity can be demonstrated to be literally true while also maintaining the mythical quality of providing answers to the ultimate questions of life. The Greek myths are not like the true myth because they contain obvious falsehoods, they denigrate the divine, and are offer inexpedient advice concerning virtue and vice,
In the story Perseus the Gorgon-Slayer (as retold by Roger Lancelyn Green) we read a tale of Zeus impregnating a woman named Danae in hopes of creating a hero who would be able to save the gods from a prophesied destruction. Danae had been locked in a tower because her father, King Acrisius, received a prophecy that her future son would be his doom. Zeus was not deterred by these measures. When Acrisius found his plan had been foiled he locked his daughter and grandson in a wooden chest and threw them into the sea. The mother and child survived and Perseus grew up under the protection of Dictys; brother to king Polydectes. Polydectes desired to marry Danae but because of his cruelty she refused and Perseus kept her safe from his advances. Polydectes played upon Perseus’ pride and tricked him into going to claim the head of Medusa, the Gorgon, thinking that he would die in the attempt. Nevertheless, Perseus, given divine aid by Athena and others, was able to overcome the challenge and claimed the head of Medusa. Perseus was then able to use this mythical head to defeat his enemies, turning them to stone by shining its gaze upon them.
Entertaining though the story surely is it should not be believed as though it were true. For one, the story is deeply implausible since it suggests the existence of creatures for which no evidence exists. The story tells us that Perseus “saw three terrible sisters lying asleep in the sun with the snake which grew instead of hair writhing about the head of Medusa, and the dragon-scales which covered her sisters’ heads. They had white tusks like pigs and hands of brass; and great golden wings grew from their shoulders” (Green 93). Such creatures, while enjoyable to imagine for the sake of an exciting story, do not comport with common human experience nor have any such skeletons ever been found in the fossil record to support their past existence. The very presence of such fanciful creatures places the entirety of the story in a dubious light.
Another reason the story should be regarded as a false tale is because it contains offensive claims about the divine realm. The story tells us, “But Zeus visited Danae in a shower of golden rain, and spoke with her out of a shining mist” (Green 88). Zeus is said to impregnate Danae without concern about the affects this will have upon her circumstances and without any consent from her. Add to this the fact that Zeus’ action is, in itself, an adultery against his own marriage bed. As Socrates once told Euthyphro, surely such actions are not properly ascribed to deity. In fact this is not only a reason to doubt the truth of this particular story but to doubt the truth of all the Greek myths concerning their gods. God should be understood as the highest good and above such petty and human-like sins. To wrap the realm of divine things in the garment of human imperfection is to make light of the truth that God is the very standard of moral goodness.
Finally this story ought to be disregarded because it praises various vices as though they were virtues and rewards recklessness as though it were genuine prudence and courage. Perseus, in his arrogance, allows himself to be taunted by King Polydectes into doing something dangerous without need. When Perseus boasted that he would “bring a finer present” for the king than any of the king's other guests the king replied, “That cannot be…unless you bring me the Gorgon’s Head!” (Green 90) The boast itself was impetuous, the agreement to the challenge was utterly reckless. The fact that Perseus was successful in the quest does not negate the fact that entered into a very dangerous situation for no other reason than his own pride and vanity. This is not true courage. Further, his actions left his mother unguarded and unprotected from King Polydectes. Perseus abandoned his responsibility because he was afraid of being labeled a coward. If this story is believed to be true then it sets forward an example of recklessness and vice to be lauded as though it were virtue. For this reason the story ought to be rejected as inexpedient. The presentation of Perseus as a hero is exceedingly faulty and if believed would lead young men towards similar rash actions.
In truth these objections against the story merely scratch the surface of its many ills. More examples of its fanciful exaggerations, denigrations of deity, and lauding of vice as if virtue could be heaped up for examination. But why belabor points already sufficiently made? Nothing could make the Greek myths stand out as more evidently false than setting them next to the truth of Christianity. Where the Greek myths are unintelligible the Christian myth is perspicuous. Where the Greek myths contain the bizarre and unheard of, offering no explanation, the Christian story places its miracles in believable contexts and offers good reasons for their occurrence. Where no evidence supports the claims of the gods and their stories, countless people saw Jesus heal the blind and sick, make the lame walk, and even raise the dead. Christ himself was seen risen from the dead by hundreds of eye-witnesses. Between the false myth and true myth there is really no comparison.