Umnqumo wawuwuphawu lwayo yonke iMedithera ezikhathini zasendulo. Kanye nesihlahla se-oki, siwumuthi ohlonishwa kakhulu ezinganekwaneni zamaGreki. Ngokuthakazelisayo, amaGreki ayesebenzisa iminqumo njengomthombo oyinhloko wamafutha. Inyama yayiwukudla kwamaqaba ngakho yayibhekwa njengengenampilo.
Izinganekwane zamaGreki zichaza umsuka womuthi womnqumo e-Athene kanje. U-Athena uyindodakazi kaZeus (unkulunkulu ophakeme wezinganekwane zamaGreki) noMetis, owayefanekisela ubuqili nokuhlakanipha. U-Athena wayengunkulunkulukazi wempi onezici zakhe zaziyimikhonto, isigqoko nesihlangu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Athena wayebhekwa njengonkulunkulukazi wobulungisa nokuhlakanipha, umvikeli wobuciko nezincwadi. Isilwane sakhe esingcwele kwakuyisikhova, futhi isihlahla somnqumo sasingolunye lwezimpawu zakhe eziphawulekayo. Isizathu esenza unkulunkulukazi akhethe umnqumo njengophawu lwakhe sichazwe kule nganekwane elandelayo:
EGrisi, isihlahla somnqumo sifanekisela ukuthula nokuchuma, kanye novuko nethemba. Lokhu kufakazelwa izenzakalo ezenzeka ngemva kokushiswa kwe-Athene inkosi yasePheresiya uXerxes ekhulwini lesi-5 BC. UXerxes washisa lonke idolobha lase-Acropolis, kanye nezihlahla zomnqumo zase-Athene ezazineminyaka eyikhulu ubudala. Nokho, lapho abase-Athene bengena edolobheni elishisiwe, umuthi womnqumo wawusuvele usuqalile igatsha elisha, elifanekisela ukululama nokuvuselelwa ngokushesha lapho ubhekene nobunzima.
I-Hercules, enye yamaqhawe ezinganekwane ezidume kakhulu, nayo ihlotshaniswa nesihlahla somnqumo. Naphezu kweminyaka yakhe encane kakhulu, u-Hercules wakwazi ukunqoba ibhubesi uChitaeron kuphela ngosizo lwezandla zakhe kanye nenduku yomuthi womnqumo. Le ndaba yayikhazimulisa umnqumo njengomthombo wamandla nomzabalazo.
Umuthi womnqumo, njengoba ungcwele, wawuvame ukusetshenziswa njengomnikelo konkulunkulu babantu abafayo. Lokhu kuchazwe kahle endabeni kaTheseus, iqhawe lesizwe lase-Attica. UTheusus wayeyindodana yenkosi yase-Aegean yase-Attica, owathatha uhambo olungenakubalwa kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe. Enye yazo kwaba ukungqubuzana neMinotaur esiqhingini saseKrethe. Ngaphambi kwempi, u-Theseus wacela no-Apollo ukuvikelwa.
Ukuzala kwakungenye imfanelo yomuthi womnqumo. U-Athena ungunkulunkulukazi wenzalo futhi uphawu lwakhe lwalungesinye sezihlahla ezitshalwa kakhulu eGrisi, izithelo zazo zondla ama-Hellenes amakhulu eminyaka. Ngakho, labo ababefuna ukwandisa ukuvunda kwezindawo zabo babefuna umnqumo.
Ubudlelwano phakathi komphakathi wamaGreki asendulo kanye nesihlahla somnqumo babushube kakhulu. Umnqumo wawufanekisela amandla, ukunqoba, ubuhle, ukuhlakanipha, impilo, inzalo futhi wawungumnikelo ongcwele. Amafutha omnqumo wangempela ayebhekwa njengento enenani eliphakeme futhi anikezwa abawinile emiqhudelwaneni njengomklomelo.