Final answer:
The ancient Greeks used mythology to explain weather, seasons, and natural disasters. These myths were part of an oral tradition, serving as an educational system that provided a sense of history and moral guidance. They attributed natural phenomena to the acts of gods, as reflected in stories of deities like Demeter and heroes whose virtues they sought to emulate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ancient Greeks explained weather, seasons, and natural disasters predominantly through mythology. They had a rich tradition of myths, which were tales imbued with various elements to make them memorable and easily transmitted through oral tradition. This method of storytelling included using rhyme and meter.
These myths, such as those organized by poets like Homer and Hesiod, served as an encyclopedia for the Greeks and laid the foundation of their educational system, providing a sense of history, moral exemplars, and guidance for various aspects of life. For instance, Greeks attributed the change of seasons to the myth of Demeter and Persephone, where Persephone's annual descent into the underworld to be with Hades results in Demeter causing winter out of her grief, until Persephone returns, bringing about spring.
With respect to natural disasters, the Greeks would often interpret these as acts of the gods, a way for the deities to display their pleasure or displeasure with human actions. These stories and cultural practices highlighted the Greek virtue of arete, which encouraged individuals to excel in all aspects of life and to emulate the virtues displayed by the gods and heroes in these myths.