Did the ancient Greeks believe their mythology occurred during their current time period, or in the past? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Did the ancient Greeks believe their mythology occurred during their current time period, or in the past?

by penguincowgirl

For example, when the story of Achilles was told, was it presented as "one day in history" or "long, long ago"?

jelvinjs7

More can be said, but /u/UndercoverClassicist addresses that topic in this thread:

When did the Greek myths "happen" from the perspective of the ancient Greeks? Did the stories about heroes like Jason and Perseus happen in their ancient past, or did they believe these things were ongoing around them in real time?