aitía

Aitia (singular aitía; plural aitiai) is a term in ancient Greek mythology and narrative theory used to designate etiological myths—tales that explain the origin or cause of something in the world, such as a tradition, ritual, place name, or natural phenomenon. The word comes from Greek aitía meaning "cause" or "reason" and is commonly translated as "etiology." In classical literature, aitia function to ground cultural practices in divine or heroic action, linking human life to sacred history.

Aitia are typically concise narratives or embedded explanations within epic, lyric, or prose myth. They aim to account for why something exists rather than to recount past events for their own sake. Common topics include the founding of cities or the gifts of deities, explanations for customs, and natural features. Examples include the founding myth of Athens in which Athena grants the olive tree to the Athenians, explaining both the city’s name and the prominence of olive cultivation; the myth of Demeter and Persephone, which accounts for the seasonal cycle of growth; and the tale of Baucis and Philemon, which presents hospitality as a divine virtue rewarded by the gods.

In scholarship, aitia are used to analyze how ancient Greek culture rationalized and justified its practices and landscapes. The category contrasts with other myth types such as heroic adventures or genealogies and remains a useful lens for studying the explanatory function of myth in antiquity.