Investing like a Greek God
Lessons from Mythology.
Markets are chaos, but chaos leaves clues. The Greeks knew it, their myths weren’t just stories — they were survival guides.
How does Greek mythology apply to investing?
ZEUS ⚡️
Zeus is the equivalent of the tight-aggressive poker player. He ruled not by chasing every whim, but by choosing when to act. In the same manner, great investors don’t rush — they wait and focus their energies. They understand that discipline is strength and randomness is not a strategy. In other words — they understand the value of waiting for a fat pitch.
ATHENA 🦬
Athena is the goddess of wisdom and she prizes clarity over speed. In investing knowing what to ignore is a superpower. Wisdom is proceeding with caution and foresight, not impulse. Wisdom is thinking long term when others get lost in the day to day.
HADES ☠️
Hades is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld. He conveys the acceptance of death as a part of life and teaches that death should be practiced daily.
Memento Mori.
Death and destruction are also part of markets — cycles too. Companies go bankrupt, wiping out owners. Cycles turn, destroying value in the process.
It’s like financial natural selection — where capital destruction drives value creation. To succeed in markets, learn to accept death and to profit from destruction.
APOLLO 💡
Apollo ruled light, truth, and foresight. He was the god of prophecy, seeing what others couldn’t. Apollo’s investing lessons are that clarity beats complexity. Seek truth, not hype.
The best investors see the world as it is — not as they wish it to be. Be data dependent, not personally biased — let reason rule you.
PROMETHEUS 🔥
Prometheus was an innovator, he gave fire to humans — but suffered from it. Innovation can lead to progress and breakthroughs, but it comes with big risks. Investing in bold ideas means getting burned sometimes. You need courage and a long enough timeline to let fire become light.
Learn from Prometheus: know when to bring the fire and when to let others do it for you.
ANTINOOS 🗿
When Emperor Hadrian lost Antinoos to the Nile, grief turned into worship. He built temples, statues, even a city in the boy’s name. Antinoos became a god — not for his deeds, but for how deeply he was idolised.
We fall in love with stocks, founders, stories. The more you idealise, the harder it is to see flaws.
Hadrian’s devotion was human. In markets it can be fatal. Don’t idolise — analyse.
NARCISSUS 🪞
Narcissus was a hunter from Thespiae known for his beauty — but he fell in love with himself. That’s where the term Narcissism comes from.
In investing, the most important thing to deal with is the self, the ego. Do not become obsessed with your own reflection — your status, your short-term wins, how you are better than the rest. That will be your downfall.
Narcissus wasn’t a god — he was a mere mortal, like you. So approach investing as one.
ULYSSES ⛵️
The story of Ulysses, as told in Homer’s Odyssey, is one of battling both the gods and himself.
When dealing with the gods there are things out of your control — it’s not up to you. It’t the same with markets; focus on the knowable and controllable — find ways to protect yourself from the rest.
So learn from Ulysses — make wise decisions, learn from mistakes, respect the gods and think long term.
Philo 🦉
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