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Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Oct 11, 2015 14:25:38 GMT -5
Legends and Myths famous from ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks told stories about their gods. These stories are called myths (short for mythology, or stories about gods.) Stories about the ancient Greek gods are still told today. Each storyteller told the stories in their own way, but whatever power and personality a god had was consistent from story to story. For example, Zeus was the king of all the gods, and only Zeus could throw lightning bolts. The magical world of the ancient Greek gods was a world full of bickering and fights and wars and compromise and fear and fun and punishment and love. Many myths were based on the fact that gods, like mortal men, could be punished or rewarded for their actions. For more, go to: www.greekmythology.com/Myths/myths.html
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Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Oct 11, 2015 14:31:36 GMT -5
Adventures of Perseus Perseus' life was a very interesting one, full of adventures. He was the son of the god Zeus and Danae. His reputation and character quickly turned him into a local hero of Argos (a place in Peloponese, Greece). Arcisius, Perseus' grandfather, had asked an oracle if he would ever have any kids; the answer he got was shocking and led him to live in a life of paranoia. He was told that his daughter would have a son that would eventually kill him. Arcisius, driven by the force of fear, had his daughter Danae jailed in an underground cave with brass walls. Nevertheless, the mighty Zeus, who had an eye for beauty and a way with women few dared to compete, had already spotted the beautiful maiden. He transformed into a shower of golden rain and entered the cave where Danae was held. Through their union, Danae gave birth to a baby boy, that she managed to keep secret for some time.
It wasn't long, though, that her angry father found out about the baby. He refused to believe that Zeus had anything to do with it, so he condemned Danae's nurse to death, as he believed that she orchestrated this affair. He thought about killing his grandson himself, but his guilt would not let him. Desperately seeking a solution that would pose no danger to his life, he made up his mind. He had a wooden ark built for his daughter and his grandson, and he immediately ordered the two of them to be placed in it and to be set adrift at sea.
Days and nights passed, Danae and her baby barely alive. Eventually, the wooden ark washed up on the island of Seriphos. There, a fisherman named Dictes, who was the brother of Polydectes, the ruler of the island, found it. He kindly took in young Perseus and his mother and shared his home with them. During this time, Perseus grew into a strong and brave man blessed with many talents, undoubtedly the result of a god's grace. However, Polydectes fell in love with Danae, and Perseus, wanting to protect her, kept his mother under guard at all times. So, Polydectes devised a plan; he invited some friends for dinner, and asked them what gift they would bring him if he was ever to ask for one. Perseus answered that if it was necessary, he would bring the head of Medusa, the Gorgon, to him; Medusa was a fearsome monster, who turned to stone anyone who would be unlucky to stare her in the eyes. The King agreed and asked Perseus to bring him the head of the Medusa, otherwise, he would take his mother by force.
Perseus set forth on his adventure to get Medusa's head. The Gods, of course, who loved to intervene in the affairs of mortals, would not leave Perseus helpless. Both Athena and Hermes set out to help Perseus with this challenge. With his intelligence and wit, Perseus managed to trick the nymphs. They gave him winged sandals, so he could fly above the ground; a bag, so he could carry the head of the Medusa; and the helmet of Hades, which would make him invisible. Using the winged sandals, Perseus flew above Medusa, looking only at her reflection using the shiny shield that Athena had given him. Invisible thanks to Hades' helmet, Perseus cut Medusa's head off, placed it in the bag and set for home.
On his way home, he met Andromeda whom he rescued from a sea monster. They quickly fell in love and decided to get married. However, Andromeda's uncle, who wanted her for himself, disagreed and plotted to murder Perseus. Having Medusa's head gave Perseus a great advantage. He took out the head and as soon as Andromeda's uncle look at it, he turned into stone. When Perseus arrived home, he did the same with Polydectes, who was harassing Perseus' mother.
What happened to Arcisius, Perseus' grandfather, though? Upon hearing of Perseus' achievements, he fled far away, but that wasn't enough to escape his fate. Much, he attended at a games ceremony in the city of Larissa, which was arranged by King Tentamides. Perseus participated in the event; when it was his turn to throw the discus, it slipped from his hand and hit his grandfather on the head, killing him. When Perseus found out he had killed his grandfather, he was deeply saddened and he buried him with honour.
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Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Oct 11, 2015 15:03:19 GMT -5
Amalthea's Horn
When Rhea gave birth to Zeus, she put him in a cave, located at Mount Ida in the island of Crete. In this way, his father Cronus would be unable to find him and swallow him, which he had done with his previous children. There, it was the goat Amalthea (Amaltheia) that nourished Zeus with her milk until he was grown up. One day, as young Zeus played with Amalthea, he accidentally broke off her horn. To make up for it and as a sign of gratitude, Zeus blessed the broken horn, so that its owner would find everything they desired in it. It became known as the Horn of Amalthea or the Cornucopia, an eternal symbol of abundance. When Amalthea died, Zeus used her hide to create his thunder-shield (the Aegis). Amalthea's Horn Is also called cornucopia, cornucopia, horn of plenty, keras Amaltheias, Amaltheia, Amalthea.
Argonauts
The Argonauts were a number of heroes who participated in the Argonautic Expedition, setting sail for the mythical land of Colchis under the command of their leader Jason, in order to find the legendary Golden Fleece. The story unravels years before the Trojan War, when King Cretheus of Iolcus died and Pelias usurped the throne from his half-brother Aeson. However, he was told of a prophecy, according to which a descendant of Aeolus would seek revenge for his acts. Killing every possible descendant of Aeolus, Pelias spared his half-brother and incarcerated him. Aeson married Alcimede, who gave birth to Jason; faking her newborn's death to trick Pelias, Alcimede managed to hide her son in an area near Mount Pelion, where the centaur Chiron raised and nurtured him. As a young man, Jason returned to Iolcus under Hera's command. He attended a sacrifice to Poseidon where Pelias and other kings were present, and his uncle recognised him. Unable to kill him in front of so many guests, Pelias told him to fetch the Golden Fleece which was hanging from a tree somewhere in the far-away land of Colchis. This venture sounded impossible as the Fleece was guarded by a never-sleeping dragon. In fact, Pelias was so certain the mission would fail that he swore he would give up the throne if Jason returned with the Golden Fleece. Over 80 brave companions signed up for the journey Jason set out to complete. The expedition eventually succeeded, helped by Hera, and Jason returned with his companions to Iolcus, bringing along the Golden Fleece.
Birth of Athena
Zeus came to lust after Metis, and chased her in his direct way. Metis tried to escape, going so far as to change her form many times; she changed into various creatures such as hawks, fish, and serpents. However, Zeus was both determined and equally proficient at changing form. He continued his pursuit until she relented. An oracle of Gaea then prophesied that Metis' first child would be a girl and that her second child would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus, similarly to what had happened to his father and grandfather. Zeus took this warning to heart. When he next saw Metis, he initially flattered her and put her at her ease. Then, with Metis' guards down, Zeus opened his mouth and swallowed her and her unborn child. This was the end of Metis, but also the beginning of Zeus' wisdom. After a time, Zeus developed an unbearable headache, which made him scream out of pain so loudly it could be heard throughout the earth. The other gods came to see what the problem was. Hermes realized what needed to be done and directed Hephaestus to take a wedge and split open Zeus's skull. Out of the skull sprang Athena, fully grown and in a full set of armour. Due to the way of her birth, she became the goddess of intelligence and wisdom.
Creation of Man by Prometheus
Prometheus and Epimetheus, two Titans, were spared imprisonment in Tartarus after the Titanomachy, the War between the Titans and the Olympians, because they had not fought alongside the other Titans. Instead, they were given the task of creating man. Prometheus shaped man out of mud, and Athena breathed life into his clay figure. Prometheus assigned Epimetheus with the task of giving the creatures of the earth their various qualities, such as swiftness, cunning, strength, fur, wings. Unfortunately, by the time he got to man, Epimetheus had given all the good qualities out and there were none left for man. So Prometheus decided to make man stand upright just like the gods did and to give them fire. Prometheus loved man more than the Olympians, who had banished most of his family to Tartarus. So when Zeus decreed that man must sacrifice a portion of each food to the gods, Prometheus decided to trick Zeus. He created two piles, one with bones wrapped in juicy fat, and another with the finest meat hidden inside a hide. He then asked Zeus to choose one of the piles; Zeus, unaware, chose the bones and since he had given his word, was forced to accept the bones as his share for future sacrifices. In his anger over the trick, he took fire away from man. However, Prometheus lit a torch from the sun and brought it back again to man. Zeus was enraged that man again had fire. He decided to inflict a terrible punishment on both man and Prometheus.
To punish man, Zeus had Hephaestus create a mortal of stunning beauty. The gods gave the mortal many gifts of wealth. He then had Hermes give the mortal a deceptive heart and a lying tongue. This creation was Pandora, the first woman. A final gift was a jar which Pandora was forbidden to open. Thus, Zeus sent Pandora to Epimetheus, who had decided to live amongst men. Prometheus had warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Pandora's beauty was too great; so, he let her stay. Eventually, Pandora's curiosity about the forbidden jar overwhelmed her; she opened it, releasing all evils upon the earth. Only one thing was left in the jar when Pandora managed to close the lid again - hope.
Zeus was angry at Prometheus for three things: being tricked on sacrifices, stealing fire for man, and for refusing to tell Zeus which of Zeus's children would dethrone him. Zeus commanded his servants, Force and Violence, to seize Prometheus, take him to the Caucasus Mountains, and chain him to a rock with unbreakable, diamond chains. There, he was tormented day and night by a giant eagle tearing at his liver. Zeus gave Prometheus two ways out of this torment. He could tell Zeus who the mother of the child that would dethrone him was. Or meet two conditions: first, that an immortal must volunteer to die for Prometheus. And second, that a mortal must kill the eagle and unchain him. Eventually, Chiron the Centaur agreed to die for him and Heracles killed the eagle and unbound him.
Gigantomachy
The Gigantomachy was probably the most important battle that happened in Greek mythology. It was a fight between the Giants or Gigantes, sons of Gaea and Uranus, and the Olympian gods who were trying to overthrow the old religion and establish themselves as the new rulers of the cosmos. According to the most detailed source for this battle, what started the war was the Giant Alcyoneus stealing the cattle of god Helios. A prophecy had it that the Giants would only be defeated if a mortal was to help the gods. To protect her children, Gaea tried to find a plant that would shield the Giants from any harm; however, Zeus stopped Eos (Dawn), Selene (Moon) and Helios (Sun) from shining, and took every single plant for himself. When the battle began, Heracles fought Alcyoneus; however, the Giant would not die as long as he stepped on the soil of his homeland. With Athena's advice, Heracles dragged Alcyoneus away from his homeland, and killed him. The other Giants had similar fates; Dionysus killed Eurytus; Athena buried Enceladus under Sicily; Hermes killed Hippolytus; and so on. Many of the Giants were buried under islands. In fact, it was believed that the earthquakes and the volcanic eruptions were caused when the Giants moved in their tombs.
Labours of Heracles
The Twelve Labours of Heracles were a number of tasks that the mythical hero Heracles was told to complete by King Eurystheus. It all started when Hera, who loathed Heracles for he was a living example of her husband's infidelities, drove the hero mad, making him kill his wife Megara and his children. When he realised what he had done, he deeply regretted it and went to the Oracle of Delphi to ask for penance. There, he was told to serve Eurystheus, king of Tiryns, for twelve years; if he completed all tasks he would be given, he would become immortal. Although Heracles did not like this as he considered Eurystheus to be a lesser person than himself, he decided to follow the Oracle's advice. When he arrived in Tiryns, Eurystheus initially asked Heracles to perform ten labours. These ten labours were:
to kill the Nemean Lion, to kill the Lernaean Hydra, to capture the Ceryneian Hind, to capture the Erymanthian Boar, to clean the stables of Augeas in one day, to kill the Stymphalian Birds, to capture the Cretan Bull, to steal the Mares of Diomedes, to steal the girdle of the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, and, to steal the cattle of the monster Geryon.
Labour one: slaying the Nemean Lion
The Nemean lion was a terrible monster that roamed in the region of Nemea, capturing women as hostages and luring brave men to save them. When someone entered the lion's den and tried to free the woman, she would turn into the lion and eat the warrior alive. When Heracles arrived in a town of the region, he met a boy who asked him to kill the lion. He also told him that if Heracles killed the lion within a month, a lion would be sacrificed to Zeus; otherwise, the boy would sacrifice himself. Heracles eventually found the lion roaming, and shot many arrows against it. Only then did he realise that the lion's skin was impenetrable, and that his arrows would be of no use. So, he decided to follow it to its den. There, he blocked one of the two entrances to the cave and entered through the other. Fumbling in the dark, Heracles managed to find the lion; he stun it with his club and then he strangled it with his bare hands. After he had killed it, he thought of taking the impenetrable skin of the lion and use it as an armour. So, he managed to skin it with the help of the goddess Athena, who advised him to use the lion's claw to remove the pelt. Wearing the lion skin, Heracles entered the city on the thirtieth day. Upon seeing him, Eurystheus was initially horrified, for he feared the lion was roaming in the streets of the city.
Labour two: slaying the Lernaean Hydra
The Lernaean Hydra was a fearsome monster that lived in the swamp of the lake Lerna. It had been specifically raised by Hera to kill Heracles. The Hydra had nine heads, one of which was immortal and the rest were mortal. The swamp was covered in a poisonous mist, so upon his arrival, Heracles put a cloth on his mouth and nose. To lure the Hydra out of its lair, the hero shot flaming arrows, achieving his intent. However, when he chopped one of the Hydra's heads, he realised in horror that two new heads would spring back. At that point, the hero felt hopeless, so he asked for the help of his nephew, Iolaus. Iolaus, probably advised by the goddess Athena who favoured the hero, thought of an idea and put it in action; as soon as Heracles would chop one of the monster's heads, Iolaus would cauterise the stump with a firebrand. The plan was successful; no more heads would appear. Hera, angry that her side was losing the battle, sent a huge crab to distract Heracles, which he simply squashed under his foot. When it was time for the immortal head to be cut off, Heracles took a golden sword that Athena gave him, and using the same technique, the two heroes managed to kill the monster. Before Heracles left, he dipped his arrows in the poisonous blood of the Hydra, one of which he later used to kill the centaur Nessus; this would later become Heracles' doom, as the hero died due to the Shirt of Nessus which was smeared in the centaur's blood containing some of Hydra's poison. Hera turned her slain monster into the constellation of the same name, while she transformed the crab into the constellation Cancer. Eurystheus did not count the success of killing the hydra as one of the labours, using as an excuse the fact that Heracles was helped by Iolaus.
Labour three: capturing the Ceryneian Hind
In their effort to mark an end to Heracles' successes, Eurystheus and Hera decided that the next task Heracles should do would be to capture the Ceryneian Hind. This was a sacred deer belonging to the goddess Artemis, and had golden antlers and hooves of bronze. It was believed that it was so fast that it could outrun a flying arrow. Heracles made a real effort to track the animal. When he saw it, he followed it for a whole year through the lands of Greece, Thrace, Istria and the land of Hyperboreans. According to one version of the myth, he managed to capture the hind while it was sleeping. On his way back, Artemis and her twin brother Apollo appeared in front of Heracles. This task was given by Eurystheus, thinking that Heracles would cause the anger of the goddess and that she would punish him. However, when she appeared in front of him, Heracles asked for forgiveness, explaining to her that this was part of his penance for killing his wife and children. He also told her he would return the hind to her as soon as he showed it to Eurystheus. Artemis accepted his apology and let him go. When he returned to the king's court, Eurystheus told Heracles that the animal now belonged to him. Not forgetting his promise to the goddess, Heracles tricked Eurystheus by telling him he should take the animal himself and bring it to the palace. When Eurystheus came out to take the deer, the hero let it go and the animal ran back to Artemis. Heracles simply replied to Eurystheus that he was not been quick enough.
Labour four: capturing the Erymanthian Boar
The Erymanthian Boar was a giant animal living on Mount Erymanthos, which was dedicated to the goddess Artemis as well. Eurystheus thought that capturing this beast would be the perfect task that would lead to the hero's death. Heracles set forth on his journey to the mountain, but decided to stop by his friend's place, Pholus, a kind centaur. After eating together, Heracles asked his friend to open a jug of wine that he had, which attracted the other centaurs to Pholus' dwelling. Not knowing that wine was supposed to be watered down before being consumed, the centaurs quickly became drunk and attacked Heracles. The hero killed most of them by shooting his poisonous arrows against them; the centaurs that remained fled to Chiron's cave. Pholus did not understand why these arrows were so lethal. Out of curiosity, he picked one up but it fell on his foot and poisoned him as well. Another version has it that one of the arrows mistakenly hit Chiron as well; although Chiron, being immortal, did not die, he could still feel an insufferable pain. Not able to withstand it, the wise centaur asked to be rid of the pain, exchanging his immortality as well as take the place of the Titan Prometheus, who was bound on the top of a mountain and his liver was being eaten daily by an eagle. Zeus accepted the exchange. Heracles then killed the eagle with one of his arrows, stopping the torture for Chiron. Chiron advised Heracles how to catch the Erymanthian Boar; he told him that it would be very easy if the hero lured the boar into thick snow. Heracles followed Chiron's advice and captured the boar in no time. He then returned to Eurystheus, who upon seeing the creature was so scared that he hid himself in a large jar and asked Heracles to get rid of the animal.
Labour five: cleaning the stables of Augeas
King Augeas of Elis had a large number of cattle in his stables. All of them were blessed with perfect health and immortality, and being so lively, created a huge amount of dung. The stables of Augeas had never been cleaned in thirty years, and Eurystheus asked Heracles to clean them within a day. This task was set to stain Heracles' reputation as it was quite humiliating. When Heracles reached Augeas' court, he asked for one tenth of the cattle if he managed to clean the stables in a day; the king agreed. The hero managed to complete the task by diverting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to pass through the stables and wash them out. Augeas refused to pay Heracles, and the hero took him to court, where he managed to win his claim, backed by Augeas' son, Phyleus. However, Phyleus and Heracles were both banished by Augeas before the court had ruled. Furious, Heracles returned to Elis, killed Augeas and handed the throne to Phyleus. This is when he was said to have founded the Olympic Games. Although Heracles was successful, Eurystheus did not count it as a success, saying that it was the rivers that had done the work for him, and that he accepted payment for it.
Labour six: slaying the Stymphalian Birds
Eurystheus' next task to Heracles was to kill the Stymphalian birds, large flying monsters that ate humans with their bronze beaks; their wings were made of metallic feathers that could be thrown against their prey, while their dung was highly poisonous. They belonged to the god of war, Ares, and lived in the area of the lake Stymphalia, where they destroyed all the surrounding area and the towns. Heracles was unable to go too deep into the swamp as he would eventually drown. Athena helped him by providing him with a rattle; the sound the rattle produced scared the birds and made them fly from their hiding place. While in the air, they were an easy target for Heracles, who shot many of them down with his poisonous arrows. The remaining birds flew away to plague other lands; in fact, they were later encountered by the Argonauts.
Labour seven: capturing the Cretan Bull
The seventh task Eurystheus gave to Heracles was to capture the Cretan Bull. This was a legendary creature that wreaked havoc on the island of Crete, destroying crops and land. After getting permission from King Minos, Heracles managed to catch the bull with his bare hands and sent it back to Eurystheus' court. Upon seeing the creature, Eurystheus hid in his jar and decided to sacrifice the animal to Hera. The goddess rejected the offer, as this would glorify Heracles' success even more. Instead, the animal was left free and went to the area of Marathon, getting the name Marathonian Bull. It was later caught by Theseus and was sacrificed to Athena and Apollo.
Labour eight: stealing the Mares of Diomedes
The Mares of Diomedes were fearsome animals that had been trained to eat human flesh. They were owned by Diomedes, king of Thrace. It was believed that due to their unnatural diet, the horses were seized with madness, uncontrollable and sometimes they even breathed fire. According to one source, Heracles brought a number of young men with him to help him with his task. After they managed to steal the animals, they were all chased by Diomedes and his army. Heracles told his companion Abderus to take care of the horses, while he was fighting Diomedes. Upon his return, Heracles realised that Abderus was devoured by the mares. Overcome with anger, Heracles fed Diomedes to his own horses, and later founded the city of Abdera in memory of his friend. After the horses were fed, they became calm and Heracles seized the opportunity to bind their mouths shut. He brought them back to Eurystheus, who either sacrificed them to Hera or left them roam free, as they had now become permanently calm.
Labour nine: stealing the girdle of Hippolyta
Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus, learned that Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, had been given a girdle as a gift from her father, Ares, and wanted it for herself. So, Eurystheus decided to make this the ninth labour that Heracles would have to complete. Heracles took some friends with him and set sail for the region of Themiscyra, where the Amazons dwelled. On their way there, they stopped at the island of Paros, where the sons of king Minos of Crete killed two of Heracles' friends. Furious, Heracles killed the sons of Minos and demanded that two of the inhabitants replace his dead comrades. Thus, two of Minos' grandsons joined the band, and they all set sail again. After a brief stop at the court of Lycus, a friend of Heracles, they eventually reached the land of the Amazons. Hippolyta had heard of the glorious feats that Heracles had performed, and impressed, she immediately agreed to give her girdle. Heracles asked her to have lunch together on the ship and Hippolyta eagerly followed. At the same time, however, a disguised Hera went to the Amazons and started spreading rumours about Heracles wanting to abduct their queen. The Amazons decided to confront Heracles and rode towards the ship. Upon seeing them, Heracles thought that this had all been set up by Hippolyta and that she had no intention of handing over the girdle; so, he killed her, took the belt and set sail back to Tiryns.
Labour ten: stealing the cattle of Geryon
The tenth labour of Heracles was to steal the cattle of Geryon, who lived on the island of Erytheia, somewhere in the west. Heracles went on his quest, and he first had the cross the desert of Libya. At some point, having been so frustrated at the heat, he shot an arrow at the sun. Helios, the sun god, was so impressed by Heracles' courage, that he decided to help him by offering him his own golden chariot with which he sailed across the sea from west to east every night. Heracles hopped on the chariot and reached Erytheia overnight. There, his first obstacle was the two-headed dog Orthrus, brother of Cerberus, the three-headed dog and guardian of the Underworld. One blow with Heracles' club was enough to kill Orthrus. Eurytion, the herdsman, heard what happened and when he tried to confront Heracles, he was killed in the same way. Geryon immediately grabbed his three shields and three spears, while wearing three helmets and attacked the hero. However, a powerful shot of an arrow from Heracles' bow was enough to pierce Geryon's forehead and sent him to his demise. Bringing the cattle back to Tiryns was another task on its own. According to the Roman version of the story, Heracles took the road over the Aventine Hill where Rome would later be built on. There, a giant named Cacus stole some of the cattle, but they were later retrieved, called out by the animals remaining in the possession of Heracles. As an extra obstacle, Hera sent a gadfly to irritate the animals and scatter them. Heracles managed to get them back within a year. Before he reached Tiryns, though, Hera caused a flood that raised the level of a river so much that it could not be crossed. So, Heracles started piling stones into the river, and bridged the two riverbanks. He eventually reached Tiryns, where the cattle were sacrificed to the goddess.
Upon finishing the tenth labour, Eurystheus told Heracles that he considered two of the labours invalid; the Hydra was not slain by Heracles alone but was helped by Iolaus, while he accepted payment for the cleaning of the Augean Stables. So, two more labours had to be completed. These were: 11. to steal the Hesperidean Apples, 12. to capture Cerberus, guardian of the Underworld.
Labour eleven: stealing the apples from the garden of Hesperides
The Hesperides were nymphs of the sunset that tended a garden somewhere in the far western corner of the world. Heracles managed to capture the Old Man of the Sea, a shape-shifting sea deity, in order to find out the exact location of the garden. During this quest, Heracles also confronted the half-giant Antaeus, who was invincible by drawing power from his mother, Gaea (the earth), as long as he touched it. To kill him, Heracles held him high so his feet wouldn't touch the ground, and crushed him with his hands. There are two versions on how Heracles managed to acquire the apples. One version has it that he reached the Hesperidean Garden, where he killed Ladon, the dragon guardian of the apples, and took the apples. According to another version, he came across Atlas, the Titan god who was condemned to hold the heavens on his shoulders. Atlas was also the father of the Hesperides, and thus had access to the garden at any time. Heracles persuaded Atlas to change places for a while, so that Atlas would fetch some of the apples. Atlas agreed and indeed took some of the apples. However, on his return, he decided he did not want to take the heavens back on his shoulders. Heracles tricked him and he said he would be keeping the heavens but wanted to adjust his cloak first. Atlas agreed to take the heavens back momentarily, but Heracles walked away taking the apples with him.
Labour twelve: capturing Cerberus, guardian of the Underworld
The final labour that Heracles had to complete was to capture Cerberus, the three-headed dog and guardian of the Underworld. Before going to the Underworld, Heracles decided to be initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries, so that he would be taught how to travel alive from the world of the living to the realm of the dead and vice versa. He then went to Tanaerum, where one of the entrances to the Underworld lay, and was helped there by Athena and Hermes. The goddess Hestia also helped him with negotiating with Charon, the boatman that guided the souls over the river Acheron towards the Underworld. Once he reached the Underworld, he met Theseus and Pirithous, the two heroes that had been incarcerated in the Underworld by Hades for attempting to steal Persephone. According to one version of the story, snakes coiled around their legs and then turned into stone. A different version has it that the god of the Underworld feigned hospitality and invited them to a feast. However, the chairs on which the heroes were seated magically caused forgetfulness, thus keeping them there. Heracles pulled Theseus from his chair, managing to save him; however, part of his thigh was stuck to it, thus providing an explanation of the supposedly lean thighs of Athenians. When the hero tried to save Pirithous, though, the earth started trembling; it seems that because he desired Persephone for himself, it was so insulting that he was not allowed to leave. Heracles found Hades and asked him to take Cerberus to the surface. The god agreed on the condition that no weapons should be used to achieve it. Heracles managed to subdue the dog with his hands and brought it on his back to Tiryns. Eurystheus fled in horror into his jar and asked Heracles to take the monster back to the Underworld, releasing him from any other labours.
After the Twelve Labours were complete, Heracles decided to join Jason and the Argonauts in their attempt to obtain the Golden Fleece.
Myth of Er
The Myth of Er is a tale in Greek mythology about a man who died on a battlefield and returned to life nine days later, recounting what happened in the afterlife. The word "myth" was used in the ancient Greek sense, meaning account, rather than the present-day meaning. Er was a man who died during a battle, and along with the souls of the other combatants, he was led to a magnificent place that had four doors; two into and out of the sky, and two into and out of the earth. There were judges who decided which path each soul should follow depending on the life they had led on Earth. The good ones were told to go to the sky, while the bad ones were led into the earth. From the sky exit, souls that appeared clean came out, telling of a place that filled them with incredible feelings. The souls that emerged from the earth exit were dirty and were talking about the misery and the difficulties they faced for punishment of what they had done while alive. Some souls however, those of murderers and other criminals, were not allowed to exit the earth and remained trapped forever. Er was told that he would not be judged and that he should remain there in order to see the whole procedure and report it back to mankind. Seven days later, they were all led to another place where there was the Spindle of Necessity. Necessity or Ananke was a primordial goddess and personification of fate. There, the souls were given a lottery number, and based on that, each of them was told to ask what their next life should be. The first soul, having travelled through the sky in the previous area, decided to become a dictator; when that happened, though, he didn't realise that he was destined to eat his own children because of his actions. Er realised that the souls that had travelled through the sky and had not lived the punishment of the other path, often chose bad things for their next lives, while the opposite happened for the souls that had been punished. Once the souls chose their next life, they were led under the throne of Necessity to the River Lethe (Forgetfulness), where they were told to drink in order to forget their previous lives. That night, when each soul fell asleep, they were sent to new bodies to lead their new lives. Er's soul did not go through all of this and did not drink from the River Lethe, thus remembering everything he had experienced. When he woke up, he returned to his old body which had not decomposed during that period, but he found himself on the funeral pyre that his fellow soldiers had started. They saved him from the flames and he managed to recount his experience in the afterlife.
The myth was used by Socrates to show that the choices people make have an impact on the afterlife, and that those who pretend to be pious but are false in their souls will be eventually punished in the next life.
Seven Against Thebes
The story of Seven Against Thebes is one of the plays that were written by the great tragedian Aeschylus. It is the story of the war the broke out after Oedipus was exiled from the city of Thebes, and his sons Eteocles and Polynices ascended to the throne. The two brothers had initially agreed to share the throne, and rule in an alternating fashion. However, when Eteocles' time finished and it was Polynices' turn to rule, Eteocles refused and exiled his brother. Polynices went to Argos, where he raised an army that was led by seven leaders. These were Tydeus, Capaneus, Adrastus, Hippomedon, Parthenopeus, Amphiaraus, and Polynices himself. During the battle, they were confronted at the seven gates of Thebes by an equal number of defenders, whose names were Melanippus, Polyphontes, Megareus, Hyperbius, Actor, Lasthenes and Eteocles. Just before Eteocles confronted his brother at the seventh gate, he remembered his father's curse that the two brothers would divide the kingdom by the sword. With this in mind, Eteocles exited through the gate to confront his brother. In the following act of the play, a messenger appeared saying that the attackers had been repelled, and the bodies of the two brothers were brought on stage. The story ended there; however, Sophocles wrote the continuation of the story in his tragedy Antigone.
The Creation
In the beginning there was only Chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the unknowable place where death dwells, and Night. All else was empty, silent, endless, dark. Then, Love was born bringing along the beginning of order. From Love emerged Light, followed by Gaea, the earth. Erebus slept with Night, eventually giving birth to Ether, the heavenly light, and to Day, the earthly light. Then, Night alone created Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Nemesis, and all things that dwell in the darkness haunting mankind.
Meanwhile, Gaea alone gave birth to Uranus, the sky. Uranus became Gaea's husband, surrounding her on all sides. Together, they produced the three Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans. However, Uranus was a cruel father and husband. He hated the Hecatoncheires and imprisoned them by pushing them into the hidden places of the earth, Gaea's womb. This angered Gaea and she plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to get her children to attack Uranus. All were too afraid, except the youngest Titan, Cronus.
Gaea and Cronus set up an ambush of Uranus as he lay with Gaea at night. Cronus grabbed his father and castrated him with the sickle, throwing the severed genitals into the ocean. It is unclear as to what happened to Uranus afterwards; he either died, withdrew from the earth, or exiled himself to Italy. As he departed, he promised that Cronus and the Titans would be punished. From the blood that was spilled on the earth due to his castration, emerged the Giants, the Ash Tree Nymphs, and the Erinnyes. From the sea foam that was produced when his genitals fell in the ocean, emerged Aphrodite.
Cronus became the next ruler. He imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires in Tartarus. He married his sister Rhea, and had many children. He ruled for many ages; however, Gaea and Uranus both had prophesied that Cronus would be eventually overthrown by a son. To avoid this, Cronus swallowed all of his children as they were born. Rhea was angry at the treatment of the children and plotted against Cronus. When it was time to give birth to her sixth child, Rhea hid herself, then she left the child to be raised by nymphs. To conceal her act she wrapped a stone in swaddling cloths and passed it off as the baby to Cronus, who swallowed it.
This child was Zeus. He grew into a handsome youth at the island of Crete. He consulted Metis on how to defeat Cronus. She prepared a drink for Cronus designed to make him vomit the other children. Rhea convinced Cronus to accept his son and Zeus was allowed to return to Mount Olympus as Cronus's cupbearer, giving him the opportunity to serve Metis' potion to Cronus. The plan work perfectly and the other five children emerged out of Cronus. As gods, they were unharmed and thankful to their youngest brother, they made him their leader.
Cronus was yet to be defeated though. He and the Titans, except Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Oceanus, fought to retain their power; this led to the War between the Titans and the Olympians called Titanomachy. Atlas became their leader in battle and it looked for some time as though they would win and put the young gods down. However, Zeus was cunning; he went to Tartarus and freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires. Prometheus joined Zeus as well. He returned to battle with his new allies; the Cyclopes provided Zeus with lightning bolts for weapons; the Hecatoncheires were armed with boulders, waiting in an ambush. At the right time, Zeus retreated drawing the Titans into the Hecatoncheires's ambush, who rained down hundreds of boulders with such a fury that the Titans thought the mountains were falling on them. They ran away, leaving Zeus victorious.
Zeus exiled the Titans who had fought against him into Tartarus, with the exception of Atlas, who being the leader of the opposing force, was punished to hold the universe on his shoulders. However, even after this victory, Zeus was not safe. Gaea, angry that her children had been imprisoned, gave birth to her last child, Typhon. Typhon was the deadliest monster in Greek mythology and was known as the "Father of All Monsters". He was so fearsome that most of the gods fled; however, Zeus faced the monster and flinging his lighting bolts was able to kill it. Typhon was buried under Mount Etna in Sicily. Much later, Zeus faced a final challenge set by the Giants. They went so far as to attempt to invade Mount Olympus, piling mountain upon mountain in an effort to reach the top. Nevertheless, the gods had already grown strong, and with the help of Heracles, the Giants were subdued and killed.
The Creation II
Perhaps the most confusing aspect of this myth is the extensive use of names that seem difficult to non-native Greek speakers to pronounce. This sometimes causes frustration and loss of track when trying to establish the continuing relationship between these characters in the birth of the world. So, please be patient and try to associate these names with the characters and events that took place...
It all started when Chaos, Gaea (Earth) and Eros started sleeping with each other, leading to the Gods. So, in Greek mythology, the creation of the world starts with the creation of the different classes of Gods. In this instance, the term 'gods' refers to the characters that ruled the Earth (without necessarily possessing any divine attributes) until the 'real' Gods, the Olympians, came. So after this brief introduction, the next step to examine is the creation of the Gods (which really is the same thing, it's just that when you are interested in the creation of the world, you look at the very beginning of the creation of the Gods, while, to examine the creation of the Gods, you have to look a little deeper).
Hesiod's Theogony is one of the best introductions we have on the creation of the world. According to Hesiod, three major elements took part in the beginning of creation; Chaos, Gaea, and Eros. It is said that Chaos gave birth to Erebos and Night, while Uranus and Oceanus emerged from Gaea. Each child had a specific role, and Uranus' duty was to protect Gaea. Later, the two became a couple and were the first Gods to rule the world. They had twelve children known as the Titans, three known as the Cyclopes, and three Hecatoncheires, the hundred-handed Giants.
The situation from here on however wasn't very peaceful. Uranus was a cruel father, afraid that he might be overthrown by his children; thus, he decided that his children belonged deep inside Gaea, hidden from himself and his kingdom. Gaea, infuriated with this arrangement, agreed at first, but later chose to help her children. She devised a plan to rid her children from their tyrant father, and supplied her youngest child Cronus with a sickle. She then arranged a meeting for the two, in which Cronus cut off his father's genitals. The seed of Uranus which fell into the sea gave birth to Aphrodite, while from his blood were created the Fates, the Giants, and the Meliad nymphs.
Cronus succeeded his father in the throne and married his sister Rhea. He also freed his siblings and shared his kingdom with them. Oceanus was given the responsibility to rule over the sea and rivers, while Hyperion guided the Sun and the stars. When Cronus and Rhea started having their own children, Cronus was possessed by the very same fears that haunted his father. Cronus eventually decided that the best way to deal with this problem was to swallow all his children. Of course, Rhea was very displeased and devised a plan to free her children. She managed to hide her youngest child, Zeus, from Cronus, by tricking him into swallowing a stone wrapped in infant clothes instead of the baby himself.
The great Zeus was brought up by the Nymphs on Mount Dikte in the island of Crete. In order to cover the sound of his crying, the Kouretes danced and clashed their shields. As Zeus entered manhood, he gained the strength few would dare dream of. He overthrew his father, and freed his siblings from his father's stomach, taking the throne and the rule of the universe.
HUMAN RACE
According to the myths, the immortal Gods thought that it would be interesting to create beings similar to them, but mortal, in order to inhabit the earth. As soon as the mortals were created, Zeus, the leader of the Gods, ordered the two sons of the Titan Iapetus, Prometheus and Epimetheus, to give these beings various gifts in the hope that the mortals would evolve into interesting beings, able to amuse the Gods.
So the two brothers started to divide the gifts among themselves in order to give them to the earth's inhabitants. Epimetheus asked his brother to give out the gifts first; he gave the gift of beauty to some animals, agility on other animals, strength in others, and agility and speed to some. However, he left the human race defenseless, with no natural weapons in this new kingdom. Prometheus, who liked the human race, upon realizing what had happened, promptly distributed his own gifts to mankind. He stole reason from Athena, giving it to man. He then stole fire from the gates of Hephaestus, to keep them warm. Prometheus then became the protector of the human race, and shared with it all the knowledge he had.
This new situation angered Zeus, for fire until now had been a gift only reserved for the Gods and he did not want the human race to resemble the Gods. Zeus's next step was to punish Prometheus. And a heavy punishment it was. Zeus chained Prometheus on a peak in the Caucasus, which was believed to be at the end of the world. He had an eagle eat his liver every single day for thirty years. At the end of each day, Prometheus' liver would grow back again, so he would have to suffer all over again. After thirty years, Heracles (Hercules) released Prometheus from his nightmare.
OLYMPIANS
The term Olympians refers to the twelve Gods of Mount Olympus, which is located in the northern central part of Greece. This mountain was believed to be sacred throughout ancient times, and considered the highest point on earth. These Gods that ruled on Mount Olympus, also ruled the lives of all mankind. Each and every single God (or Goddess) had their own character and domain. Gods in mythology were very human like. They had the strengths and weaknesses of mortals (as we know them today). truly made to represent each and every side of human nature. They also supported justice, as seen from their own point of view.
Gods even had children with mortals, which resulted in demigods like Heracles. The most amazing observation is how the traits of the Gods expressed human nature in its complete form. Strength, fear, unfaithfulness, love, admiration, beauty, hunting, farming, education; there was a God for every human activity and expression. These Gods weren't just ideal figures. they were beings with their own limitations. They expressed anger, jealousy and joy, just like humans. Each God ruled their own realm, apart from Zeus, who was omnipotent and ruled all.
The Wanderings of Dionysus
After Dionysus reached adulthood, he decided to wander far and wide, including areas outside of Greece. At the places he visited, he taught people how to cultivate vines, and he initiated them in the mysteries of his cult.
On his way back to his homeplace, Thebes, however, he was spotted by pirates, to whom he appeared as a rich young man; he might even be the son of a king, and certainly looked like his family would pay a substantial amount for his safe return. Happy at their good luck, the pirates seized him and brought him aboard their ship. They then attempted to tie him to the mast, but the ropes simply would not hold. Whenever the rope touched his body, it just fell apart. Dionysus watched calmly, smiling. After many unsuccessful attempts, the helmsman realised that only a god would be responsible for this. He called out that the crew should free Dionysus and beg his forgiveness, but the captain mocked the helmsman as a fool and called for the crew to set sail. The crew raised the sail and caught the wind, but the ship did not move. Looking around, they saw the ship quickly becoming overgrown with vines that held it in place. Dionysus then changed himself into a lion and began to chase the crewmen. To escape, they leaped overboard, but as they did, they were changed to dolphins. Only the helmsman was spared of Dionysus' wrath.
On his passage through Thrace, he was insulted by King Lycurgus, who bitterly opposed his new religion. Initially, Dionysus retreated into the sea, but he returned, overpowered Lycurgus and imprisoned him in a rocky cave. Dionysus planned to let him reflect and learn from his mistakes. However, Zeus was enraged that a mortal man had insulted a god, so he blinded and then killed Lycurgus.
Dionysus eventually reached Thebes, which was ruled by his cousin Pentheus. However, Pentheus did not know of Dionysus. Dionysus was with a group of his followers, who were naturally singing and dancing loudly, flushed with wine. Pentheus disliked the loud strangers, and ordered his guards to imprison them all. He referred to their leader as a cheating sorcerer from Lydia. When he said this, the blind old prophet Teiresias, who was already dressed as one of Dionysus's followers, gave Pentheus a warning: "The man you reject is a new god. He is Semele's child, whom Zeus rescued. He, along with Demeter, are the greatest upon earth for men." Pentheus, seeing the strange garb Teiresias had on, laughed at him and ordered his guards to continue. The guards soon found out that the ropes fell apart, the latches did not hold, and that there was no way they could imprison Dionysus' followers; so, they brought Dionysus to Pentheus. Dionysus tried to explain at length his worship, but Pentheus listened only to his own anger and insulted Dionysus. Finally, Dionysus gave up and left Pentheus to his doom. Pentheus pursued Dionysus' followers up to the hills where they had fled after escaping from prison. Many of the local women including Pentheus' mother and sister had joined them there. Then, Dionysus appeared to his followers in his most terrible form and drove them mad. To them, Pentheus appeared to be a mountain lion. In a berserk rage they attacked him and Pentheus realised he had insulted a god and would die for it. His mother was the first to reach him, and ripped his head off, while the others tore off his limbs.
Theseus Adventures
Once, there was a young boy named Theseus. Nobody knew who his father was, for both King Aegeus of Athens and Poseidon had been fond of his mother Aethra. Right before Theseus was born, Aegeus said to Aethra, "If we shall have a son, then when he becomes of age, tell him to lift this rock and take my sword and sandals." Aegeus then hid both his sword and his sandals under a large boulder and set sail for Athens. This happened in a small town called Troezen, where Theseus grew into a strong, young man. When Aethra thought it was time, she took Theseus to the large boulder and told him to lift it. Theseus wrapped his mighty arms around the boulder and lifted it with no difficulty at all. Then, he threw the boulder into a nearby forest. Aethra then told him to take the sword and sandals and go to Athens.
Theseus Journeys to Athens
Aethra and her father begged Theseus to go to Athens by sea, for horrible robbers and bandits inhabited the road, but Theseus was bold and went overland. After a few miles, he met a large man with a shiny club. "I am Periphetes, the cudgel man, and I'm going to bash your head with this club," he said. "That's a mighty fine club you have there," replied Theseus. "Pure brass." "I bet it isn't." "Yes it is." "It's just wood wrapped in brass." "Here, look at it to make sure." Periphetes handed the club to Theseus. Theseus hit Periphetes on the side of the head with it. "Not bad," thought Theseus, "not bad at all. I think I'll keep this." Theseus continued on his journey. Not much further, he saw a giant man with a battle axe, standing on the side of the road. "I am Sciron and these are my cliffs. To pass you must wash my feet as a toll!" the man said. "What would happen if I didn't?" replied Theseus. "I will chop off your head with this axe, and don't think that puny little twig you're carrying will save you, you're absolutely...WRONG!!!!" Sciron yelled. So, Theseus sat down and started to wash Sciron's feet. Theseus looked over the side of the cliff, and saw a monstrous turtle at the bottom. That's when her realised that Sciron was the infamous giant that threw people off the cliff for his man-eating turtle. When he took a grasp of Sciron's foot, Theseus jerked aside and hurled Sciron off the cliff. Theseus walked further ahead when he saw a man that looked remarkably like Sciron. The man said, "Could you do me a favor young man? Hold this pine tree down for me." The man's name was Sinis, the pine-bender. Sinis bent a pine tree down and waited for Theseus to hold the tree down with him. Then, Sinis let go, expecting Theseus to be catapulted in the air; however, Theseus held it down. Sinis stooped down to get a better look at the tree, thinking that it had been broken, when Theseus let go of the tree, hitting Sinis in the chin and knocking him unconscious. Theseus then tied Sinis' legs to one bent pine tree, his arms to another. Then, Theseus let go, the trees ripping Sinis in half; vultures screamed with delight. Theseus went on his way again. After a few miles, it got dark. Theseus saw a large house up ahead of him. He decided to ask the owner for a bed for the night, so he walked up to the door and knocked. A man came to the door and said, "Welcome young man. Come in, you look tired. My name is Procrustes. I have a magic bed for you to stay the night on. It is exactly six feet long, but can fit anyone, be they short or tall." Theseus had been warned about a man named Procrustes. His so called "magic" bed did fit anyone, but in an unpleasant way. If a person was too short, Procrustes would chain their arms and legs and stretch them. If they were too tall, he would chop off their legs until they were just right. Procrustes led Theseus into the room where the bed was. Theseus pushed Procrustes onto the bed and chopped off his legs; and just so Procrustes wouldn't feel any pain, he sliced his head off too.
Theseus Recognized
The next morning Theseus reached Athens. It was the largest city he had ever seen. He went to the palace where Aegeus lived. Aegeus had married Medea, who (being a sorceress) had him under her power. With her powers, Medea recognized Theseus and knew that he would try to get rid of her. So she told Aegeus that Theseus had come to kill him and that she would give Theseus poisoned wine. Aegeus, unaware that Theseus was his son, agreed. He invited Theseus to a banquet; however, when Theseus was just about to drink his wine, Aegeus recognized the sword and threw the wine cup to the floor. Theseus and Aegeus were filled with happiness. Medea left in a chariot drawn by dragons.
Theseus Journeys to Minos
Theseus and Aegeus were happy for a long time, but when the time of the spring equinox came, all Athenians were in desperation, as a ship with black sail approached Athens. Theseus begged his father to tell him why the Athenians were sad, but Aegeus said nothing. Theseus went down to the harbor and asked the captain of the black-sailed ship what was happening. The captain told him about how Androgeus, the eldest son of King Minos of Crete, had accidentally been killed in Athens. Minos was very angry. He attacked Athens and demanded that the Athenians pay a yearly tribute of seven young man and seven young women to be fed to the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a monster, half man and half bull, residing in the Labyrinth, a large maze under King Minos' palace. Theseus went back to Aegeus and said, "I will go to Crete as one of the victims and I will slay the Minotaur!" "No, my son," said Aegeus, "you mustn't go. You are my only son. The only heir to the throne." "I must go, father. I must prove that I am a hero." said Theseus. In the end, Aegeus let Theseus go, but made him promise that if he returned back to Athens alive, he should change the black sails to white ones. So, Theseus volunteered to go as one of the fourteen tributes. When Theseus and his companions landed at Crete, Minos was there to welcome them. He asked each of them who they were. When he asked Theseus, he said, "I am Theseus, prince of Athens, son of Poseidon!" "If you were the prince of Athens," Minos said, "wouldn't old Aegeus be your father? To prove you are the son of Poseidon, fetch my ring," he said, throwing it into the sea. Praying to Poseidon, Theseus dived into the water. He saw the nymph Thetis, who gave him the ring and an old crown. Theseus went back to shore holding the ring and the crown; Minos laughed. That night Theseus was visited by Minos' daughter Ariadne. She said to him, "Theseus, I want to help you kill the Minotaur, but promise me to take me with you to Athens afterwards, and make me your queen." Theseus agreed and Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of silk thread, telling him to tie it to the entrance of the Labyrinth, unrolling it as he moved through the tunnels. The string would lead him back to the entrance. The following day, Theseus and his companions were forced into the Labyrinth. Theseus tied the string onto a rock and told everyone to follow him. He led them towards the center of the Labyrinth where the Minotaur was. When they got there, they saw the beast sleeping. Theseus jumped on it and ripped off one of its horns. Theseus started poking with the horn at the Minotaur, who was furious. Then, Theseus ran to a safe distance and threw the horn like a javelin. The horn ripped into the monsters neck and was stuck there. The Minotaur, enraged, charged at Theseus, but fell dead before reaching him. Everyone cheered and Theseus became a hero! They followed the thread back to the entrance of the Labyrinth. Theseus, Ariadne, and the rest of the tributes boarded the black-sailed ship and set sail for Athens. One night, the god Dionysus came to Theseus and said, "You mustn't marry Princess Ariadne, for I have chosen her as my own bride. Leave her on the island of Naxos." Theseus did as the god told him, but he was so sad that he forgot to change the sails. As the ship approached Athens, Aegeus sat on a cliff watching and waiting for Theseus to come; when he saw the black sails, he jumped into the sea. As a result, that fatal stretch of water was named after him and became the Aegean.
Titanomachy
The Titanomachy, in Greek mythology, was the great war that occurred between the Titans, the old generation of Greek gods, and the Olympian gods, led by Zeus. The war lasted for a total of ten years, ending in the defeat of the old pantheon, which was based on Mount Othrys, and the establishment of the new one, based on Mount Olympus.
When the Titans were in power, Uranus was the ruler of the universe. However, he caused the wrath of his wife, Gaea, after incarcerating some of her children, the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires, in the depths of the earth, Tartarus. Gaea decided to take revenge, and created a giant sickle; she then told her children to castrate their father in order to overthrow him. Only Cronus agreed, and after he formed a plot with his mother, he managed to overpower his father and castrate him. From Uranus' blood that fell on the earth, three sets of children were born; the Gigantes, the Erinyes, and the Meliae; while from the blood that fell into the sea, the goddess Aphrodite was born.
Cronus took the throne from his father, but not before Uranus made a prophecy that his son would also be overthrown by his own sons. Afraid that he would lose the reign, Cronus turned into the same tyrant god that his father was; he put his brothers back into Tartarus, and also ate his own children, in an effort to prevent the prophecy from becoming true. However, his wife Rhea tricked him and saved her youngest child, Zeus, from his father's paranoia. She hid Zeus in a cave in Crete, where he was raised by a goat, Amalthea.
When Zeus grew up, he became his father's cupbearer, without revealing his true identity. Helped by Metis, the Titan goddess who later became Zeus' first wife, he gave Cronus a mixture of wine and mustard, causing him to vomit one by one the children he had swallowed. When all of his brothers and sisters were freed, Zeus gathered them and convinced them to start a rebellion against their father.
Thus started the Titanomachy. Zeus released the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes from Tartarus and asked their help against their brother. They all agreed; the Hecatonchires started hurling rocks against the Titans, while the Cyclopes created the famous thunderbolts for their leader, Zeus. Themis and Prometheus were the only Titans that fought on the side of Zeus. When the War ended with the Olympians on the winning side, all Titans except Themis and Prometheus were jailed in Tartarus, and were guarded by the Hecatonchires. Zeus, along with his brothers Poseidon and Hades, divided the universe by drawing straws; Zeus won and became the king of the sky, as well as the ruler of mortals and gods; Poseidon became the ruler of the seas; while Hades, who drew the shortest straw, became the ruler of the Underworld. This was the dawn of a new era in Greek mythology.
Trojan War
The Trojan War is probably one of the most important events that have been narrated in Greek mythology. It was a war that broke out between the Achaeans (the Greeks) and the city of Troy. The best known narration of this event is the epic poem Iliad, written by Homer.
Zeus believed that the number of humans populating the Earth was too high and decided it was time to decrease it. Moreover, as he had various affairs with mortal women and fathered demigod children, he thought it would be good to get rid of them. He formed a plan after he learned of two prophecies; one of them said that he would be dethroned by one of his sons, just like he had done with his own father, Cronus; the other prophecy mentioned that the sea nymph Thetis, for whom Zeus had fallen, would give birth to a son that would surpass his father in glory. So, Zeus decided to marry Thetis to King Peleus.
The god of gods organised a grand feast in celebration of Peleus' and Thetis' marriage, in which all of the gods and important figures were invited, except the goddess of strife, Eris. The goddess was stopped at the door by Hermes, infuriating her. Before she left, she threw her gift amidst the guests; the Apple of Discord, a golden apple on which the words "to the fairest" had been inscribed. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite started quarreling over who should be the one to take the apple, and demanded that Zeus decide on this matter. Zeus knew that if he made a choice, he would cause the anger of the other two that wouldn't be picked, and decided to abstain; instead, he appointed Paris, the young prince of Troy, as the judge. Paris could not make a decision, even after seeing the three goddesses naked, so they started bribing him; Hera said that he would get political power and be the ruler of the continent of Asia; Athena would give him wisdom and great skills in battle; and Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite, and returned to Troy.
Peleus and Thetis had a son, Achilles, for whom two prophecies had been made; one was that he would either lead an uneventful but long life, or a glorious one but he would die young at a battlefield; the other prophecy was that without his help, the city of Troy would never fall. Afraid for her son's life, Thetis decided to grant immortality to him. When he was still an infant, she took him to the River Styx, one of the rivers that ran through the Underworld, and dipped him in the waters, thus making him invulnerable. However, Thetis did not realise that the heel of the boy, from which she was holding him, did not touch the waters and remained mortal; this would later be the doom of Achilles, and is the origin of the modern day phrase "Achilles' heel", signifying a vulnerable point. After the ritual, she dressed him as a girl and hid him at the court of King Lycomedes of Skyros.
Meanwhile, the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, was the daughter of King Tyndareus of Sparta, and many noble suitors had arrived to claim her hand in marriage. Tyndareus did not want to make a choice for fear of causing political tensions, and stalled the decision. One of the suitors, Odysseus, offered to help solve the situation, asking in return for the hand of Penelope; Tyndareus agreed, and Odysseus asked that all suitors swear an oath that they would protect the couple no matter who the groom would be. After the oath was taken, Tyndareus picked Menelaus as his daughter's husband, effectively making him the successor of the Spartan throne through Helen. However, Menelaus caused Aphrodite's wrath, after failing to sacrifice one hundred oxen for her as he had promised; this is why Aphrodite decided to help Paris win Helen's heart. The goddess made a plan and disguised Paris as a diplomatic emissary. He then went to Sparta, where Helen welcomed him, while her husband was away in Crete to bury his uncle. At that point, the god of love, Eros, shot an arrow to her, thus causing her to fall in love with the Trojan prince. The two lovers eloped and left for Troy.
Menelaus returned home and realised what had happened. Along with Odysseus, they went to Troy to get Helen back, but all diplomatic attempts failed. So, Menelaus invoked the Oath of Tyndareus, and, helped by his brother Agamemnon, called all Achaean leaders who had previously been the suitors of Helen to fulfill their oath. They also needed the help of Achilles, as they knew of the prophecy that Troy would only fall with his help. Odysseus, Telamonian Ajax and Phoenix went to Skyros where they knew Achilles was hidden disguised as a woman. There, they either blew a warhorn, on the sound of which Achilles was the only woman that took a spear in hand; or they appeared as merchants selling jewels and weapons, and Achilles was the only woman interested in the latter.
Having Achilles with them, all leaders gathered at the port of Aulis. A sacrifice was made to Apollo, and the god sent an omen; the Achaeans saw a snake appear from the altar that slithered to a bird's nest, where it ate the mother and her nine babies before it was turned to stone. The seer Calchas said that this meant Troy would fall in the tenth year of the war. The Achaeans set sail for Troy, although no one knew the way. By mistake, they arrived in Mysia, ruled by King Telephus; after a battle, during which Achilles wounded the king, the Achaean ships sailed but a storm scattered them. Telephus' wound would not heal, and an oracle told him it would be healed by the person who inflicted it. When Telephus confronted Achilles, he said he did not have any medical knowledge; Odysseus then proposed that the spear that caused the wound might help, so pieces of metal were used and the wound was healed. Telephus then told them how they would reach Troy.
Due to the storm that scattered the fleet, the Achaean leaders eventually gathered in Aulis again eight years later. However, they were unable to set sail because there was no wind. Calchas realised that this was a punishment from the goddess Artemis, who was furious at Agamemnon for killing a sacred deer. Artemis demanded that Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia be sacrificed. Although Agamemnon initially refused, he reluctantly agreed in the end, and tricked his wife Clytemnestra and Iphigenia to go to Aulis, saying that Iphigenia was to marry Achilles. When they arrived to Aulis and understood what was going on, Clytemnestra cursed Agamemnon and was the reason she murdered him after the war was over. Iphigenia gracefully accepted her fate and placed herself on the altar; however, just as Calchas was about to sacrifice her, Artemis substituted the woman for a deer and took her to Tauris where she became the goddess' high priestess. Nevertheless, no one saw what happened on the altar except Calchas, who was bound not to say anything.
The winds picked up again after the sacrifice and the Achaean fleet was finally able to set sail. They made a stop at the island of Tenedos, where Achilles killed the king, who was the son of the god Apollo. Thetis had warned her son not to kill the king, lest he be killed by the god himself. This was also a foretelling of the hero's fate. While on the island, the Greeks sent a diplomatic mission to Troy asking for Helen, but it was refused into the city. So the fleet sailed on its final leg of the journey. When the fleet arrived, they were all reluctant to disembark, as a prophecy said that the first Greek to step on Trojan soil would be the first to die in the war. Finally, Odysseus decided to disembark first; however, he threw his shield on the ground and stepped on it, while Protesilaus who followed him landed on the ground. Thus it was Protesilaus who died first, during a single combat against the Trojan prince Hector.
The siege of Troy lasted nine years, but not being complete, Troy was still able to maintain trade links with other Asian cities, as well as get reinforcements. At the end of the ninth year, the Achaean army mutinied and demanded that they return home, but Achilles eventually convinced them to stay longer. On the tenth year, the priest of Apollo, Chryses, went to Agamemnon and asked for his daughter Chryseis' return, who had been taken as a concubine. Agamemnon refused, and Chryses prayed to Apollo, who inflicted the Greek army with plague. Agamemnon returned Chryseis to her father, but instead took Achilles' concubine for his own. Achilles, infuriated, said he would no longer fight and stayed in his tent. Although the Achaeans initially won a few battles, Achilles' refusal to fight led to a series of defeats, to the point that the Trojans almost set fire to the Greek ships. Then, Patroclus, a close friend of Achilles, took command of the Myrmidon army, but was slain in battle by Hector. Achilles, maddened with grief, swore vengeance; Agamemnon returned the concubine back to him and the two leaders reconciled. The Greek army was again victorious, and Achilles eventually managed to kill Hector; he refused to give Hector's body to the Trojans for burial, and instead, he desecrated it by dragging it with his chariot in front of the city walls. He eventually agreed to return it, after King Priam of Troy pleaded for his son's proper burial.
Achilles later died by a poisonous arrow that Paris shot against him. The arrow was guided by the god Apollo and hit Achilles on his heel, which was the only vulnerable spot of the hero's body. Achilles was burned on a funeral pyre and his bones were mixed with those of his close friend Patroclus. Paris was killed later by Philoctetes, using Heracles' bow. Odysseus devised a plan to end the war for good. He asked that a wooden horse be built that was hollow inside. Soldiers hid in the interior of the horse, which was brought in front of the city gates, saying that it was a gift from the Greeks, showing the withdrawal of the Greek army and the end of the war. The Trojans happily accepted and brought the horse inside the city. They then started feasting and celebrating the victory. During the night, the Greek soldiers went out of the horse and started slaying the drunk Trojans. In the battle that followed, a huge number of soldiers died but eventually, Troy fell. The Greeks burned it and raided it, at the same time committing offences against many gods, by destroying temples and sacred grounds. Although victorious, most heroes and Greek soldiers either never returned home or returned after many adventures, as the gods were infuriated.
The Trojan War marked the end of the Heroic Age of Man, according to Hesiodus, and the transition of the world to the Iron Age. Zeus' attempt to depopulate the earth and kill a number of demigods and heroes proved successful.
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Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Oct 11, 2015 20:33:42 GMT -5
Zeus's Lovers
Zeus, the father of gods and men, had a number of consorts before and after his marriage to Hera. His first lover was Metis, a Titan goddess and mother of Athena. He later married Themis, Titan goddess of tradition, with whom he had six children; the three Horai (Hours) and the three Moirai (Fates); according to some myths, the three Nymphai (Nymphs) were also children of Zeus and Themis. Afterwards, he was interested in Demeter but she resisted him. His third wife was Mnemosyne, who gave birth to the nine Muses. He was involved with Leto shortly before his marriage to Hera, and had Apollo and Artemis with her. Even after his marriage to Hera, he continued sleeping with both goddesses and mortals. The following is an indicative list of characters that Zeus consorted with: Europa Io Semele Ganymede Callisto Dione Persephone Nemesis Thaleia Alkmene Danae More: Hera, Metis, Themis, Demeter, Mnemosyne, Leto, Europa, Io, Semele, Ganymede, Callisto, Dione, Persephone, Nemesis
Europa
Europa was initially a Cretan moon goddess, who was incorporated into the Greek mythology as a virgin Phoenician princess. She was the daughter of the King Agenor of Sidon and Europe was named after her. She had an affair with Zeus, which Hera never learned about and therefore, never tried to pursue Europa to punish her.
One night, Europa dreamed of two continents, which had taken the forms of women, arguing over her. Asia maintained that since Europa had been born in Asia, she belonged to her. The other continent, which was nameless, said that her birth was not important and that Zeus would give Europa to her. Disturbed by the dream, Europa woke up in the early hours and did not go back to sleep. She summoned her companions, who were all daughters of nobility and of her age. It was a beautiful day and they went off gathering flowers by the sea. Zeus noticed this charming group, particularly Europa, who was the prettiest of the maidens. According to some sources, Eros induced him into action with one of his arrows, although Zeus never really needed much persuasion. In any case, Zeus appeared to the group in the form of a white bull, one that was more beautiful than any other; a bull that smelled of flowers and lowed beautifully; a bull so obviously gentle that all the maidens rushed to stroke and pet it. The bull laid down in front of Europa and she slid onto its back. Instantly, the bull charged off, plunging into the sea, and began to swim rapidly from the shore. Europa saw that a procession had joined them, Nereids riding dolphins, Triton blowing his horn, even Poseidon. From this, she realized that the bull must be a god and she pleaded to pity her. Zeus spoke to her and explained his love. He took her to Crete, where he had been raised, and promised her that she would bear him many famous sons. Her sons included Minos and Rhadamanthus.
Io
Io was the princess of Argos, who Zeus fell in love with.
To try to keep Hera from noticing, he covered the world with a thick blanket of clouds. However, as soon as Hera saw that, she immediately became suspicious. She came down from Mount Olympus and began dispersing the clouds. Zeus did some quick thinking and changed Io's form from a lovely maiden; so, as the clouds dispersed, Hera found Zeus standing next to a white heifer. He then swore that he had never seen the cow before and that it had just sprang right out of the earth. Seeing right through this, Hera faked liking the cow so much that she wanted to have it as a present. As turning such a reasonable request down would have given the whole thing away, Zeus presented her with the cow. She sent the cow away and arranged Argus Panoptes to watch over it. Since Argus had a hundred eyes and could have some of them sleep while keeping others awake, he made for a fine watchman. Desperate, Zeus sent Hermes to fetch Io. Disguised as a shepherd, Hermes had to employ all his skill as a musician and storyteller to gain Argus' confidence and lull him to sleep. Once asleep, Hermes killed Argus; later, Hera took his eyes and set them into the tail of her favorite bird, the peathingy. While Io was now free, Hera sent the mother of all gadflies to sting the still bovine Io. The ghost of Argus pursued her as well. This pushed her towards madness and in her efforts to escape, she wandered the world. During her journeys, she came across Prometheus while chained, who gave her hope. He predicted that although she would have to wander for many years, she would eventually be changed back into human form and would bear a child. He predicted that a descendant of this child would be a great hero and would set him free; his predictions came true. Because of her journeys, many geographical features were named after her, including the Ionian Sea, and the Bosporus (which means ford of the cow). She eventually reached the Nile where Zeus restored her human form. She bore Epaphus and eleven generations later, her descendant Heracles would set Prometheus free.
Semele
Semele was a princess of Thebes in Greek mythology, daughter of the hero Cadmus and Harmonia. She was the only mortal to become the parent of a god.
Zeus fell in love with Semele while watching her sacrifice a bull on his altar and visited her many times afterwards. When Semele became pregnant, Hera found out and jealous of her husband's affair, set out a plan to punish Semele. Hera appeared in a different form to Semele and they became friends; Semele later confided to the goddess about her affair with Zeus, but Hera made her doubt about it. So, Semele decided to ask Zeus to grant her a wish, and he took an oath on the river Styx that he would give her anything. She asked that he appear to her in all his glory; Zeus was forced to comply. However, mortals could not look upon Zeus without bursting into flames, which is what happened to Semele. Zeus managed to save the unborn baby by sewing it inside his thigh; a few months later, god Dionysus was born, who managed to save his mother from the Underworld and brought her to Mount Olympus, where she became the goddess Thyone.
Ganymede
Ganymede was a Trojan prince in Greek mythology, known for his beauty. He was the son of the king Tros of Dardania, after whom Troy took its name, and Callirrhoe.
According to a myth, Zeus turned into an eagle and abducted Ganymede, bringing him to Mount Olympus. To compensate his father, Zeus offered him the best horses possible, and told him that his son would now be immortal and serve as a cupbearer for the gods, as well as a lover for him. Tros was relieved that his son would have such an honourable position. Almost all gods were content with Ganymede, except for Hera, who felt jealousy. Zeus eventually turned Ganymede into the constellation Aquarius (the water-bearer) in the sky.
Callisto
Callisto was a nymph, daughter of Lycaon, King of Arcadia. She was transformed into a bear and turned into a constellation. She was one of Artemis hunting attendants.
She was a follower of goddess Artemis, and therefore, she must have taken a vow of chastity. However, Zeus saw her and fell in love with her; to lure her, he turned into Artemis and eventually took advantage of her. Callisto bore a son, Arcas. After this, she was turned into a bear, either by Zeus while trying to hide his misdeeds, by Hera out of jealousy, or by Artemis out of anger that she broke her vow of chastity. Not content with Callisto's fate as a bear, Hera continued to work against her to get Artemis to think she was a normal bear and slay her. Zeus came to the rescue turning her into the constellation Arctos, the Great Bear, also known as Ursa Major. At Zeus' direction, Hermes saved Arcas from the womb and took him to be raised by Maia. She was joined in the skies with her son, who became the nearby constellation Arctophylax, the Little Bear, also known as Ursa Minor. Continuing to hold a grudge, Hera persuaded Tethys and Oceanus to forbid Callisto from entering their realm, the ocean. As a result, Callisto must perpetually circle the Northern Star and never set over the horizon.
Dione
Dione was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, most probably a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys and thus, an Oceanid.
According to some sources, she was the first wife of Zeus, with whom she had a daughter, the goddess Aphrodite. She was an oracle and was worshipped alongside Zeus at the earliest Oracle in Greece that was located at Dodona. She made an appearance in Homer's Iliad, when her daughter was wounded and she tried to heal her. The priestesses and prophetesses at her shrine in Dodona were called Peleiades or the Doves, which was the sacred bird of her daughter, Aphrodite.
There was also another Dione, a nymph and the daughter of Atlas. She became the wife of king Tantalus, and they had two sons, Pelops and Broteas, and a daughter, Niobe.
Persephone
Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and the queen of the underworld.
She was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld, infuriating her mother who made the crops wither and the earth barren. Zeus intervened and tried to bring Persephone back to the world of the living; however, Persephone ate the seeds of a pomegranate that Hades had given to her, binding her to him for one third of the year. Thus, it was decided that Persephone spend four months in the underworld and eight months on earth with her mother. The period in the underworld corresponded to the winter season, during which Demeter would make the soils barren due to her grief, while her return marked the start of the spring. She was also given a number of epithets; she was often called Kore (the maiden) and Kore Soteira (the saviour maiden); Hagne (the pure); Aristi Cthonia (the best cthonic); and Despoina (the mistress of the house).
Nemesis
Nemesis was the goddess of divine retribution and revenge, who would show her wrath to any human being that would commit hubris, i.e. arrogance before the gods. She was considered a remorseless goddess.
Nemesis was widely used in the Greek tragedies and various other literary works, being the deity that would give what was due to the protagonist. She was often called "Goddess of Rhamnous", an isolated place in Attica, where a temple was attributed to her. It was believed that she was the daughter of the primordial god Oceanus. According to Hesiod, though, she was a child of Erebus and Nyx. One myth concerning Nemesis is that of Narcissus. He was a young man who was very arrogant and disdained those who loved him. Nemesis led him to a pool, where he saw his reflection and fell in love with it. Unable to abandon his reflection, he died there. According to another myth, Nemesis created an egg, from which two sets of twins hatched; one set was Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, and the other was the Dioscuri.
Danae
Danae was the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos and Queen Eurydice, in Greek mythology.
Acrisius was disappointed that he had no sons to give his throne, and asked an oracle for help. The answer he got was that his grandson would kill him. At that point, Danae was childless, and to keep the prophecy from coming true, Acrisius locked her in a tower. However, Zeus had seen Danae and had grown fond of her; so, during the night, he appeared to her in the form of golden rain and impregnated her. She gave birth to a baby, which she named Perseus. When Acrisius found out what had happened, he was infuriated; however, he did not want to kill his grandson out of fear of the Furies. So, he locked Danae and Perseus in a chest and threw it at sea. The chest drifted away and reached the island of Seriphos, where Dictys, a fisherman and the local ruler's brother, helped the mother and the child. The king of Seriphos, Polydectes, fell in love with Danae and tried to forcefully marry her. However, Perseus did not let him. Furious, but also not wanting to outright kill Perseus, Polydectes said that he would stop pursuing his mother if Perseus would slay Medusa and bring back his head. So it happened, and Danae was saved. When Perseus reached adulthood, he became a great hero and managed to fulfill a number of feats. He eventually decided to return to Argos and see his grandfather, but after finding out about the prophecy, he changed course and went to Larissa in order to participate in the athletic games that were held there. What he did not know, though, was that Acrisius also attended the event. While Perseus was throwing the discus, an accidental misthrow caused the discus to land on his grandfather's head, and resulting in his instant death. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled.
Hera
Hera was Zeus' wife and sister, and was raised by the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was the supreme goddess, patron of marriage and childbirth, having a special interest in protecting married women. Her sacred animals were the cow and the peathingy, and she favoured the city of Argos.
Zeus initially courted Hera, but after many unsuccessful attempts, he resorted to trickery. He took the form of a disheveled cuckoo; Hera, feeling sorry for the bird, held it to her breast to keep it warm. Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of Hera's surprise, he raped her. Hera then married him to cover her shame; their marriage was turbulent and they often clashed. Occassionally, Zeus treated the other gods with particular harshness; Hera took advantage of that and asked them to join her in a revolt. They all accepted and set the plan in motion; Hera drugged Zeus, and then, the others bound him to a couch. At that stage, however, they began to argue over what the next step should be. Briareus, one of the Hecatoncheires, overheard the arguments; still full of gratitude to Zeus for saving him and his brothers from a dragon, Briareus sneaked in and quickly untied the knots that held Zeus in place. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night, but none of the other gods dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up, so the following morning, he agreed to release her if she swore never to rebel again. She had little choice but to agree. While she never again rebelled, she often interfered with Zeus's plans and she was often able to outwit him.
Metis
Metis was one of the Titans, a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys; therefore, she was considered an Oceanid. She was the first wife of Zeus, and became the goddess of wisdom, prudence and deep thought.
According to a prophecy, Metis would bear two children, the first being Athena, while the second one, a son, would be so powerful that would overthrow Zeus. Zeus, afraid of this, tricked Metis into turning herself into a fly, and swallowed her. However, Metis was already pregnant to Athena, and, inside Zeus' stomach, she started creating a helmet for her daughter. Zeus was in such pain that he asked Hephaestus to hit his head with an axe; as soon as his head was opened, Athena jumped out fully grown and clad in armour. It is often said that Athena had no mother and she was born out of Zeus alone; this doesn't necessarily conflict with this account, as the ancient Greeks believed that children were descendants of the fathers, while mothers did not contribute to the creation of their children.
Themis
Themis was one of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and Gaea. She was the human-like representation of the natural and moral order. The name derives from the Greek word meaning that which is current and contemporary. According to Hesiod, she was the second wife of Zeus, a marriage that helped the supreme Olympian to stabilise his power over all gods and humans. Her other name is often called Justice. Themis also represents the law and undisputed order, the divine right. She was the goddess that created the divine laws that govern everything and are even above gods themselves. In general, Themis had three subsistences; goddess of natural order, which manifested through the Hores (the Hours), meaning the seasonal and never-ceasing rotation of time; goddess of moral order, manifested through Eunomia (fair order), Deke (trial) and Erene (peace), which were the utmost characteristics of the society, and through the Moires, which represented the destiny of every human being; and finally, goddess of prophecy, shown through the Nymphs, as well as the virgin Astraea. Initially, Themis substituted her mother in the Oracle of Delphi, having inherited the ability to foresee events from her; however, when Apollo was born, Themis cared so much for him that she eventually offered the Oracle to him.
Demeter
Demeter was the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. It was believed that Demeter made the crops grow each year; thus the first loaf of bread made from the annual harvest was offered to her. She was the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane.
Demeter was intimately associated with the seasons. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the underworld. In her anger at her daughter's loss, Demeter laid a curse on the world that caused plants to wither and die, and the land to become desolate. Zeus, alarmed for the barren earth, sought for Persephone's return. However, because she had eaten while in the underworld, Hades had a claim on her. Therefore, it was decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Demeter would grieve for her daughter's absence, withdrawing her gifts from the world, creating winter. Her return brought the spring. Demeter was also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were huge festivals held every five years and very important events for many centuries. Yet, little is known about them as those attending were sworn to secrecy. It is thought that the central tenet around which the Mysteries revolved was that just like grain returns every spring after its harvest and the winter lull, so does the human soul after the death of the body, reincarnated in a next life.
Demeter Is also called Ceres, Sito, Thesmophoros.
Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne was one of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and Gaea, and goddess of memory. She was also occassionally referred to as Mneme; however, this was the name of another goddess. She was the oracular goddess of the underground oracle of Trophonios in the region of Boeotia.
Zeus slept with Mnemosyne for nine consecutive days, eventually leading to the birth of the nine Muses. In Hesiod's Theogony, the kings and poets were inspired by Mnemosyne and the Muses, thus getting their extraordinary abilities in speech and using powerful words. The name Mnemosyne was also used for a river in the Underworld, Hades, which flowed parallel to the river of Lethe (which means forgetfulness). Usually, the souls of the dead would drink water from Lethe, so that they would forget their past lives when they would be reincarnated. However, the souls of the novices were told to drink water from Mnemosyne. This myth may have been part of a small mystic religion or be tied to Orphic poetry.
Leto
Leto was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. She was an early and favourite lover of Zeus.
Zeus married Hera while Leto was pregnant. While the pregnancy started before the marriage, Hera was still jealous of Leto. For the duration of Leto's pregnancy, Hera created problems. She pushed Leto out of Olympus. As Leto wandered on the earth, no person would let her stay in their home for fear Hera would be offended. On top of that, Hera had the dragon Python chase her. Zeus saved her by sending the North Wind, Boreas, to carry her out to sea. Finally, the desolate, rocky island of Delos, which had nothing to lose, accepted her. The other goddesses gathered there to help Leto during the labour. Hera stayed away and managed to detain Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, but Iris eventually succeeded in bringing her to the island. Leto first gave birth to Artemis, and after another nine days of labour, to Apollo. Still fleeing Hera's wrath, she went to Lycia. The peasants tried to prevent her from drinking from their well, so she turned them into frogs. Although Leto's problems continued for a little more, she now had two fast growing children, both of whom became powerful archers, to protect her. Only four days old, Apollo managed to kill Python. Then, the Euboean giant Tityus tried to rape Leto, but was killed by the children. As they grew into their full power, the twins wanted to avenge Leto's honour as well as to protect her safety. Niobe boasted that she was more deserving of adulation then Leto, because she had given birth to seven sons and seven daughters. The twins replied to this by slaying all but one of Niobe's children. As the mother of two powerful gods, Leto returned to Zeus's favour despite Hera's disapproval. After Apollo killed the Cyclopes, Leto was able to persuade Zeus to lighten his punishment. She spent much of her time hunting with Artemis. She sided with the Trojans during the war and helped heal Aeneas from his battle wounds.
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Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Oct 11, 2015 21:20:18 GMT -5
Minos
Minos was a mythical king in the island of Crete, the son of Zeus and Europa. He was famous for creating a successful code of laws; in fact, it was so grand that after his death, Minos became one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld. During his rule, Crete became a naval superpower and had an excellent educational system. Minos is best known for his role in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. When Minos' son, Androgeos, went to Athens, he died while fighting a bull. Minos went to Athens to avenge his son's death, and having Zeus by his side, managed to install a capital tax on the Athenians; every nine years, seven boys and seven girls from Athens would be sent to Crete to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, a mythical creature that was held in the Labyrinth, a maze under the palace of Minos. Eventually, the hero Theseus managed to kill the Minotaur with the help of Minos' daughter Ariadne.
Triton
Triton was a merman in Greek mythology, messenger god of the sea and son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He had a conch shell which he used as a trumpet in order to tame the waves to his volition. Gradually, the name Triton started being used to describe a class of creatures similar to mermaids and of either sex, who served as followers of other sea deities. Tritons were considered to be the trumpeters of the sea. Sometimes, they were also considered the equivalent of satyrs in marine environments.
Delphyne
Delphyne is a female dragon in Greek mythology. Her mother was Gaea who gave her the task of guarding the oracle of Delphi. She was often accompanied by a male dragon, either Python or Typhon. Due to the different accounts and sources, she was sometimes mixed with Echidna, the mother of all monsters, who was half woman and half snake. In another source, Delphyne was appointed with guarding the sinews of Zeus, who were stolen by Typhon, and she was eventually slain by Apollo.
Medusa
Medusa was a monster, one of the Gorgon sisters and daughter of Phorkys and Keto, the children of Gaea (Earth) and Oceanus (Ocean). She had the face of an ugly woman with snakes instead of hair; anyone who looked into her eyes was immediately turned to stone. Her sisters were Sthenno and Euryale, but Medusa was the only mortal of the three.
She was originally a golden-haired, fair maiden, who, as a priestess of Athena, was devoted to a life of celibacy; however, after being wooed by Poseidon and falling for him, she forgot her vows and married him. For this offence, she was punished by the goddess in a most terrible manner. Each wavy lock of the beautiful hair that had charmed her husband was changed into a venomous snake; her once gentle, love-inspiring eyes turned into blood-shot, furious orbs, which excited fear and disgust in the mind of the onlooker; whilst her former roseate hue and milk-white skin assumed a loathsome greenish tinge. Seeing herself transformed into such a repulsive creature, Medusa fled her home, never to return. Wandering about, abhorred, dreaded, and shunned by the rest of the world, she turned into a character worthy of her outer appearance. In her despair, she fled to Africa, where, while wandering restlessly from place to place, young snakes dropped from her hair; that is how, according to the ancient Greeks, Africa became a hotbed of venomous reptiles. With the curse of Athena upon her, she turned into stone whomever she gazed upon, till at last, after a life of nameless misery, deliverance came to her in the shape of death, at the hands of Perseus.
Pegasus
Pegasus was a flying horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as white coloured.
His father was Poseidon and his mother was the Gorgon Medusa; he was born along with his brother Chrysaor when Medusa was decapitated by Perseus. Pegasus was captured and tamed by the Greek hero Bellerophon and helped him in his fights against the Chimera and the Amazons. Later, Bellerophon continued riding Pegasus on their way to Mount Olympus, but Zeus dismounted him on the way; Pegasus continued on the journey and reached Olympus.
Gorgons
The Gorgons were three monsters in Greek mythology, daughters of Echidna and Typhon, the mother and father of all monsters respectively. Their names were Stheno, Euryale, and the most famous of them, Medusa. Although the first two were immortal, Medusa was not. Weirdly, Medusa was also not considered the child of Echidna and Typhon, but of Phorkys and Keto. Their faces were ugly and their hair was replaced by snakes; anyone who would gaze into their eyes would be turned to stone instantly.
Argus Panoptes
Argus Panoptes or Argos was a hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology.
He was a giant, the son of Arestor, whose name "Panoptes" meant "the all-seeing one". He was a servant of Hera; one of the tasks that were given to him was to slay the fearsome monster Echidna, wife of Typhon, which he successfully completed. However, his main task, at Hera's request, was to guard Io, a nymph that Zeus was involved with. Zeus, in his efforts to approach Io, told Hermes to disguise himself as a shepherd and make Argus go to sleep. As soon as he fell asleep, Hermes killed him with a stone.
Centaur
Centaurs are half-human, half-horse creatures in Greek mythology. They have the body of a horse and the torso, head and arms of a man. They were considered to be the children of Ixion, king of the Lapiths, and Nephele, a cloud made in the image of Hera. According to a different myth, however, they were all born from the union of a single Centaurus with the Magnesian mares.
One of the best known centaurs is Chiron or Cheiron, a wise centaur. Although most centaurs were depicted as lustful and wild, Chiron was a notable exception; modest and civilised, he was known for his medicinal skills and teaching abilities. He lived on Mount Pelion in Thessaly and was the tutor of a number of Greek mythical characters such as Achilles and Aesculapius. He was immortal; however, he was accidentally wounded by Heracles with an arrow treated with the blood of the monster Hydra, causing him insufferable pains. So, when Heracles asked his father to free Prometheus and Zeus demanded that someone must be sacrificed, Chiron volunteered and died, both to free Prometheus and himself from the pain.
Cerberus
Cerberus was a three-headed dog that guarded the entrance of the Underworld, allowing the dead to enter but letting none out. He was the son of Typhon and Echidna. Apart from his three heads, he also had a serpent's tail, a mane of snakes and the claws of a lion.
Cerberus was the twelfth and final labour that was given to Heracles by King Eurystheus. Heracles had to capture the three-headed dog without using any weapons. After learning how the enter the Underworld, and assisted by some of the gods, he managed to go to the Underworld and find Hades to ask for his permission to take Cerberus to the surface. Hades agreed under the condition that Heracles must not use any weapons. Heracles eventually managed to overpower Cerberus and brought him to Eurystheus, successfully completing his twelve labours.
Hecatoncheires
The Hecatoncheires were giant creatures in Greek mythology. Their name means "hundred - handed ones", and apart from a hundred hands of unfathomable strength, they also had fifty heads. They were children of the Titans Uranus and Gaea; they were three, Briareus or Aegaeon (the vigorous or the sea goat), Cottus (the striker or the furious) and Gyges (the big-limbed). The natural forces that were represented by the Hecatoncheires were the earthquakes and the huge sea waves.
Uranus, their father, threw them into Gaea's womb, which infuriated her; thus, this started her plotting towards the overthrow of her husband. She helped her son Cronus defeat his father, but when he came into power, he also imprisoned them in Tartarus. During the Titanomachy, the War between the Titans and the Olympians, Gaea sided with Zeus and told him to free the Cyclopes as they would be worthy allies; thanks to their help, the Titans were overthrown and Zeus made them the guards of Tartarus.
Nessus
Nessus was a centaur in Greek mythology, who was killed by Heracles and this eventually led to the hero's demise. He was the son of Centaurus, who was the father of all creatures known as the centaurs.
Nessus is well known for his part in the story of the Shirt of Nessus. He was a ferryman, and one day, he had to carry Deianeira, wife of Heracles, across the river. After they crossed the river, Nessus tried to have sex with her, but Heracles watching from the other riverbank, shot an arrow straight into Nessus' chest. Before he drew his final breath, Nessus told Deianeira that his blood would ensure that her husband would be faithful to her in eternity. Deianeira believed him and collected some of the centaur's blood. Years later, Heracles fell in love with Iole, and Deianeira, afraid that he might abandon her, dipped a shirt or tunic into the centaur's blood and gave it to him as he was leaving for a gathering. After he left, she accidentally spilled some of the blood on the floor, where it started fuming. She then realised that it was in fact poison and tried to stop Heracles from wearing the shirt. However, the hero had already worn it and his flesh had started burning; in deep pain, he threw himself in a funeral pyre and died.
Silenus
Silenus was a companion of the god of wine Dionysus in Greek mythology. He was much older than the satyrs, followers of the god, and had the characteristics of a horse rather than a goat. A group of Dionysus' followers was also named Sileni (plural), their most notable characteristic being that they were drunk. Eventually, the word was used as a name of the teacher and close companion of the god.
Silenus was always drunk and was either supported by satyrs or on a donkey. While drunk, it was believed that he acquired arcane knowledge and was able to predict the future. According to a myth, King Midas of Phrygia managed to catch Silenus when he was drunk by a fountain in order to learn his secrets. A different version has it that Silenus was lost in the region of Phrygia, and was eventually found by peasants who took him to the king. Midas welcomed him and treated him kindly, and Dionysus, wanting to repay for the kindness he showed towards Silenus, told him he would give him a reward; Midas asked for the ability to turn everything he touched into gold.
Talos
Talos was a giant bronze man in Greek mythology, who protected Europa in Crete from pirates.
According to one version, Talos was forged by the blacksmith god, Hephaestus, who gifted him to King Minos of Crete. Talos had a single vein, through which ichor, the divine blood of the Olympians, flowed. This vein was plugged by just one bronze nail. When Jason and the Argonauts reached Crete after having retrieved the Golden Fleece, they came across Talos, who started hurling giant rocks against the ship, being the guardian of the island. Medea, who was on board, managed to trick Talos and removed the nail that plugged Talos' vein; the ichor ran out, and Talos died.
Talos Is also called Talon.
Acrisius
In Greek mythology, Acrisius was the king of Argos, son of Abas and Aglaea and twin brother of Proetus.
When their father died, Acrisius slyly possessed all of the inheritance and expelled his brother. However, assisted by his father – in – law Iobates, Proetus managed to take his share of the kingdom and became the ruler of the city of Tiryns. Acrisius had one daughter, Danae; after consulting the Oracle of Delphi, he found out that he would be killed by his daughter’s son. As his daughter was childless at the time, Acrisius incarcerated her so as to remain a virgin. However, Zeus, who had fallen in love with her, sneaked into her cell and impregnated her. Acrisius, enraged that his daughter now had a child, locked both of them in a chest and threw it into the sea. The chest washed up on the island of Seriphos, and was found by a fisherman, who took care of Danae and her son, Perseus. Many years later, Acrisius moved to the city of Larissa and attended at some funeral games, in which his grandson participated, unbeknown to either of them. During the games, a bad throw of the discus by Perseus resulted in hitting Acrisius on the head, causing his grandfather’s instant death, and thus fulfilling the prophecy of the oracle.
Arachne
Arachne in Greek mythology was a weaver who challenged Athena and was consequently transformed into a spider. There are three versions of the myth.
One version has it that she was a shepherd’s daughter that was particularly skilled at weaving. Boasting about her skill, she infuriated Athena, who appeared and contested her. Athena weaved four scenes in which the gods punished those humans that considered themselves equal to gods and committed hubris; Arachne, on the other hand, weaved scenes in which gods abused humans. Arachne’s work was clearly better than Athena’s; the goddess even more enraged due to what the weaving depicted, threw Hecate’s potion onto Arachne, transforming her into a spider and condemning her to weave for eternity.
In a different version, at the challenge, Athena weaved the contest between herself and Poseidon over who the patron saint of Athens would be, while Arachne did a depiction of Zeus’ advances to various mortal women. Athena realised how skilled Arachne was, but wanted to teach her to be more humble and respect the gods. Touching Arachne’s forehead, the woman was filled with shame and hung herself. Athena brought her back to life and turned her into a spider, in order to let her weave all the time.
In the final version of the myth, Zeus was the judge in the contest between Arachne and Athena, and whoever lost would not be allowed to touch a spindle or the loom again. Athena won in this version, and Arachne was devastated that she could no longer weave. Out of pity, Athena transformed her into a spider, so she could continue weaving without having to break her oath.
Andromeda
Andromeda was a princess in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, who ruled in the region of Aethiopia, which consisted of the Upper Nile region, along with areas south of the Sahara desert.
Her mother boasted that Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, daughters of Nereus and Doris, and companions of Poseidon; thus, she committed hubris and Poseidon decided to send a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage the lands of Aethiopia. After consulting an oracle, the king and queen chained Andromeda to a rock, in order to be sacrificed to the monster. However, the hero Perseus was nearby and heard of the imminent death of Andromeda; when the monster emerged from the sea, he managed to kill it, either by slaying it with a knife, or by exposing it to Medusa’s head and turning it into stone. Thus, Andromeda was saved. Perseus married her and she followed him on his journey back to Greece. They had nine children together. After her death, the goddess Athena placed her on the sky as a constellation, nearby her beloved husband Perseus and her mother Cassiopeia.
Althaea
In Greek mythology, Althaea was the daughter of King Thestius and Eurythemis, and wife of the king of Calydon, Oeneus. She had seven children, called Meleager, Melanippe, Toxeus, Thyreus, Clymenus, Deianeira and Gorge.
She had an important role in the myth of her son Meleager; when he was born, the Fates appeared in the palace, saying that Meleager would die as soon as the last piece of wood in the hearth was consumed. Upon hearing it, Althaea removed that brand and buried it under the palace. Many years later, Oeneus did a sacrifice to all gods but forgot Artemis, who was infuriated; as revenge, she sent an unnaturally large boar to ravage the Calydonian lands. Meleager managed to kill the boar with the help of Atalanta and his mother’s brothers, but gave the skin of the boar as a prize to Atalanta. His uncles were angry and stole it from her, which caused Meleager’s fury and killed them. When Althaea found out, she burned the brand that was kept under the palace, causing her son’s death. After that, she ended her life with a dagger.
Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae or Argos (different names of the same region), son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope. His brother was Menelaus, who was married to Helen, the main characters that participated in the events leading to the Trojan War. He was married to Clytemnestra, and had four children; Iphigenia, Orestes, Chrysothemis and Electra, also known as Laod**e.
When Agamemnon and Menelaus were still young, they were forced to flee Mycenae, as their cousin Aegisthus forcibly took possession of the throne, an act that culminated after a long-time clash between their fathers. Agamemnon and Menelaus found refuge in Sparta, in the court of King Tyndareus, and they later married Tyndareus’ daughters, Clytemnestra and Helen respectively. After Tyndareus’ death, Menelaus became king, while Agamemnon managed to retake the throne of Mycenae, exiling Aegisthus and his father. Later, the prince of Troy, Paris, assisted by Aphrodite, abducted Helen, Menelaus’ wife, and went back to Troy. Agamemnon agreed to help his brother to take her back and declared war on Troy. However, as the ships were ready to set sail, Agamemnon’s army infuriated the goddess Artemis, who sent a number of misfortunes against them. The prophet Calchas realised that Artemis’ fury would only be appeased by the sacrifice of Agamemnon’s daughter Iphigenia. This part of the myth has different versions, as to whether Iphigenia accepted her fate or she was tricked thinking she would be married to Achilles. In the end, she was sacrificed; however, there are alternatives to this part as well. Some sources say that she was sacrificed, while in others, Artemis replaced her with a deer and took her to the region of Tauris in the Crimean Peninsula. Agamemnon never found out. After the end of the war, Agamemnon returned home, where Clytemnestra had started an affair with Aegisthus. The two of them plotted against Agamemnon and killed him, thus Aegisthus becoming the ruler of Mycenae again. Orestes, Agamemnon’s son, later avenged his father’s death by killing the two lovers; however, this caused the wrath of the Erinyes, because he committed matricide.
Menelaus
Menelaus was a king of Sparta in Greek mythology, husband of Helen. He was one of the main characters involved in the Trojan War. His parents were Atreus and Aerope, while his brother was Agamemnon who ruled over the city of Mycenae.
When Menelaus and Agamemnon were still young, their father clashed with his brother Thyestes, as to who would be the king of Mycenae. In the end, Thyestes emerged victorious, helped by his son Aegisthus who murdered Atreus. The murder of their father made Menelaus and Agamemnon flee from the city and seek refuge in the courts of nearby regions. Some time later, when they thought everything had been prepared for an attack, the two brothers returned to Mycenae, and helped by King Tyndareus of Sparta, dethroned Thyestes and Agamemnon became the new ruler. Tyndareus had a step-daughter called Helen, and many suitors had arrived at the court of Sparta to ask her in marriage. They all offered gifts to Tyndareus, who did not accept any of them, nor did they drive them away, for fear of causing a diplomatic episode. The cunning Odysseus stepped in and told Tyndareus of his plan to solve the issue. All of the suitors had to give a vow to protect the future husband of Helen in any dispute, and they would then draw lots to determine the lucky person to marry her. So it happened and Menelaus drew the lucky straw. Menelaus and Helen got married and ascended to the throne of Sparta when Tyndareus and his wife Leda decided to step down. The couple had a daughter called Hermione, and some other accounts also mentioned three sons; Aithiolas, Maraphius and Pleisthenes. Later, during the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the goddess of strife Eris, angry for not being invited, threw a golden apple with the inscription "to the fairest one" amidst the guests. Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena quarreled over who should get the apple and asked the prince of Troy, Paris, to be the judge. The three goddesses offered him glorious gifts, but in the end the prince gave the apple to Aphrodite, who had promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Thus, Aphrodite helped him kidnap Helen (other versions say they eloped). Infuriated, Menelaus invoked the oath that had been taken by all the suitors of Helen, and assisted by his brother, set sail for Troy, thus setting in motion the events that culminated in the Trojan War. After the end of the war, there are different versions of what happened when the couple reunited. They all say, though, that Menelaus initially wanted to kill Helen for leaving him for Paris; he changed his mind though when he saw her weeping in sorrow, or shredding her robes thus uncovering her beautiful body for him to see. Once back in Sparta, the life of the couple was strained by the events of the war. Menelaus kept thinking of the lives lost during those years, while he also regretted that they did not have a male heir.
Aerope
Aerope was the daughter of Catreus in Greek mythology, who ruled over Crete, and granddaughter of Minos. She had three siblings; Clymene, Apemosyne, and Althaemenes.
Catreus found his daughter having sex with a slave, and commanded that she be drowned. However, Nauplius, who was given the task of killing her, spared her life; she fled and went to Mycenae, where she married Atreus. Aerope and Atreus were the parents of Agamemnon and Menelaus, the famous protagonists of the Trojan War. Other accounts have it that she married Pleisthenes, and that he was the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. It was suggested that Aerope initially married Pleisthenes, and that later, she married Atreus, who adopted the children of her first marriage. Aerope secretly had an affair with Thyestes, brother of Atreus. The two brothers vied for the throne of their father, Pelops, so they initially killed their half-brother Chrysippus. Their rivalry continued, and Aerope tried to help her lover, by stealing a golden lamb from Atreus and giving it to him. In this way, Thyestes became the ruler of Mycenae. Aerope and Thyestes had two sons, Tantalus and Pleisthenes, who were later killed by Atreus and fed to Thyestes.
Admetus
In Greek mythology, Admetus was the king of Pherae in the region of Thessaly, son of Pheres. He participated in the Argonautic Expedition.
He was a fair and hospitable king; when Apollo was forced to serve under a mortal because of killing Delphyne, he chose to serve as Admetus’ herdsman. The god later helped him win over Alcestis, princess of Iolcus, daughter of Pelias. Pelias ran a contest to choose the best suitor for his daughter; the task was to yoke a boar and a lion to a chariot. With Apollo’s help, Admetus succeeded and married Alcestis. When the Fates decided it was time for Admetus to die, Apollo intoxicated them and made them agree to keep him alive, as long as someone else would take his place. To this, Alcestis agreed to take her husband’s place, and was escorted by Thanatos, god of death, to the Underworld. Later, when Heracles had undertaken the Twelve Labours, Admetus treated him very kindly; the demigod repaid for Admetus’ hospitality, by going to the Underworld and fighting with Thanatos. Thus, he managed to bring Alcestis back from the dead to her husband.
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and his mother, Jocasta.
Oedipus, king of Thebes, unknowingly married his mother Jocasta, and had four children, Antigone, Ismene, Polynices and Eteocles. According to the most popular version of the story, after the death of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynices ascended to the throne and would take turns reigning over Thebes. However, Polynices, forced out of the throne by his brother, commanded an army against his brother, and in the battle that followed, both brothers died. Antigone then pleaded to Creon, the successor to the throne, to bury Polynices; Creon did not allow it as Polynices was considered a traitor. As a result, Antigone buried her brother by herself, leading to her arrest. In the end, Antigone was incarcerated in a tomb. Creon later had a change of heart and went to the tomb in order to release her, only to find her hanged; Creon’s son, who was in love with Antigone, also committed suicide after learning the news, and Queen Eurydice, Creon’s wife, did the same not bearing to see her husband allow such acts.
Athamas
Athamas was a king of the region of Boeotia in Greek mythology, son of Aeolus and Enarete. He had three wives; the goddess Nephele; the daughter of Cadmus, Ino; and Themisto. With Nephele he had three children, the twins Phrixus and Helle, and Makistos. He and Ino had two children, Learchus and Melicertes.
Ino hated the children from her husband's first marriage, and especially the twins, so she devised a plot to kill them. She collected all crop seeds from the town, and roasted them; the farmers, seeing that their crops wouldn't grow, sent people to ask an oracle for a solution. Ino bribed the messengers to say that the oracle asked for the sacrifice of the twins. Athamas had no other choice but agree with the sacrifice, but just before the children were killed, a flying golden ram that was sent by Nephele saved Phrixus and Helle. The ram flew day and night; at some point, Helle looked down despite her mother's warning, and fell from the ram; she died at the sea now called Hellespont, which was named after her. Phrixus survived the whole flight and went to Colchis, where the king Aeetes welcomed him. Phrixus gave the ram's golden fleece as a gift, which later became the object of desire for Jason and the Argonauts. Meanwhile, back in Boeotia, Ino helped raise her nephew, the god Dionysus,which triggered Hera's jealousy. The queen of gods inflicted madness upon Athamas, who slew his son Learchus, while Ino and Melicertes fell into the sea in a desperate attempt to evade the maddened king. After he recovered and full of guilt for his son's death, Athamas fled Boeotia and went to Phthiotis, where he married Themisto. The couple had a number of children, but soon afterwards, Athamas returned to Ino. Themisto wanted to take revenge by killing Ino's children, so she dressed them in black clothes, while her own were dressed in white. Ino switched the clothes without Themisto knowing, who ended up killing her own children.
Attis
In Greek mythology, Attis was the consort of the goddess Cybele. Originally a deity in the region of Phrygia, the cult of Attis and Cybele eventually spread to Greece. According to the cult, the origins of Attis were linked to the figure Agdistis.
Agdistis was a daemon that possessed both male and female reproductive organs, which instilled fear in the Olympian gods. So, they plotted to kill the daemon; after Agdistis was brought to sleep with a sleeping potion given by Dionysus, the god tied Agdistis' foot to his own male genitalia with a rope. When Agdistis woke up and stood, he castrated himself; the blood from his genitals fell onto the earth, which was fertilised, and an almond tree grew. At some later point, Nana, daughter of the river god Sangarius, picked up almonds from the tree and kept them in her bosom. The almonds disappeared and Nana became pregnant with Attis. Attis was beautiful and when he grew up, Agdistis fell in love with him. However, Attis was to marry the daughter of the king of Pessinus. During the wedding, Agditis appeared in front of the guests and drove everyone mad. Both Attis and the king castrated themselves, while the bride cut off her breasts. Agditis quickly repented, and asked Zeus to keep Attis' body intact, so that it would not decompose at all.
Cecrops
Cecrops or Cecrops I was the mythical founder and king of Athens in Greek mythology. His reign lasted for fifty years. It was believed that he was the one who taught the citizens of Athens of the secrets of marriage, reading, writing and ceremonial burial.
He was one of the first people to believe in Zeus as the god of gods and started erecting statues to the Olympians, as well as performing sacrifices. He also outlawed the sacrifice of living creatures to the gods. It was during his reign that the competition between the two patron saints of the city took place. The two saints were Athena and Poseidon, and in order to settle their dispute once and for all, they were asked to give a gift to the Athenians. Athena offered them an olive tree, while Poseidon struck a rock on the Acropolis with his trident creating a salt sea. Cecrops judged that Athena should become the patron saint of Athens. Cecrops had three daughters; Herse, Pandrosus and Aglaurus, whom Cecrops later married. He also had a son, Erysichthon. When Athena visited the blacksmith god Hephaestus to ask for weapons, he tried to seduce her. She tried to repel him, but his semen fell on her thigh, which Athena wiped away and threw it to the ground. Where it fell, Erichthonius was born, and Athena kept him secret in a box. She gave the box to the three daughters of Cecrops and told them not to open the box. Curious, the three daughters opened it and saw the infant wrapped around a serpent. Driven mad by what they saw, they fell off the Acropolis.
Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia or Cassiepeia is the name given to several characters in Greek mythology. However, one is prevalent in the myths of ancient Greeks.
Cassiopeia, the queen of Aethiopia, was the wife of King Cepheus, daughter of Coronus and Zeuxo. Very beautiful and vain, she committed hubris by saying that she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful that the daughters of the sea god Nereus, called the Nereids. As a result, Poseidon was infuriated and sent the sea monster Cetus to plague the coasts of Aethiopia. According to other sources, he did not send a monster, but caused the lands to flood. Consulting an oracle, Cepheus and Cassiopeia had to sacrifice Andromeda in order to appease the wrath of Poseidon; they chained her daughter to a rock next to the sea as a sacrifice to Cetus. However, Perseus managed to save her and kill the beast; he then married Andromeda. Unhappy that Cassiopeia was not punished, Poseidon tied her to a chair in the heavens, so that she would revolve upside down half of the time. This is how the constellation took its name, resembling the torture chair that was used for Cassiopeia's punishment.
Cassiopeia Is also called Cassiepeia, Kassiope, Kassiopeia, Kassiepeia.
Cassandra
Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, lords of Troy, in Greek mythology. She was also known as Alexandra.
According to one myth, god Apollo gave her the gift of foretelling the future and then tried to sleep with her. However, she rejected him and to punish her, he cursed her so that no one would ever believe her prophecies. A different version has it that Cassandra initially consented to sleeping with the god in exchange for the ability to foresee the future, only to break her promise after she received the gift. After being cursed, she was met with disbelief by her family and by the Trojans. She foretold that Paris, her brother, would bring about a war that would destroy their city, if he went to Sparta. Her brother did not believe her, and upon his return from Sparta with Menelaus' wife, Helen, Cassandra attacked her for the pain that was about to be caused. She also foretold that Troy would fall by a clever machination of the Greeks, the Trojan Horse, in which they would hide; her fellow citizens did not listen to her words, thus causing the end of the city. After the fall of Troy, she was taken by Agamemnon back to his home; despite Cassandra's warnings about the plots of Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, he went back home where he was murdered by his wife and her lover, Aegisthus. When she died, her soul was sent to the Elysian Fields, a place in the Underworld where the worthy souls rested.
Cassandra Is also called Kassandra, Alexandra.
Aegeus
Aegeus was the founder of the city of Athens in Greek mythology, and king of the city.
After failing to produce a male heir to the throne with his first two wives, he went to the Oracle of Delphi, where he was given a particularly cryptic prophecy. Seeking someone to explain it, he reached Troezen, where King Pittheus, understanding what the prophecy meant, forced his daughter Aethra upon him. After their union, Aethra also bedded Poseidon and became pregnant to Theseus. Aegeus, deciding to return to Athens, buried his armour and weapons, and told Aethra that once his son grew up, he should bring them back to him in Athens. In Athens, Aegeus married Medea, who had fled from Jason, and had a son together, named Medus. Later, the prince of Crete, Androgeus, visiting Athens, was killed in a contest with Aegeus, enraging King Minos who declared war on Athens. However, a peace treaty was signed under the term that seven men and seven women from Athens would be sent to Crete in regular intervals to be fed to the Minotaur. When Theseus grew up, he went to Athens where he was acknowledged by his father; soon, though, he volunteered to be sent to Crete as one of the tributes, in order to slay the Minotaur, which he successfully did. However, on the way back, he forgot to change his ship’s black sails to white, as he had told his father he would do if he succeeded; as a result, Aegeus, seeing the black sails and thinking his son was slain by the Minotaur, jumped into the sea and drowned. Since then, the sea became known as the Aegean.
Aegeus Is also called Aegeas.
Cephalus
Cephalus was a figure in Greek mythology, son of the ruler of Phocis, Deion, and Diomede.
He was married to Procris, daughter of the king of Athens Erectheus and Praxithea. However, he was kidnapped by the goddess of dawn, Eos, and they became lovers. Cephalus never stopped loving Procris, though, which caused the discontent of Eos and eventually, she returned him to his wife. Eight years had passed when Eos let Cephalus go back to his wife; so, he decided to return in disguise and seduced Procris. She was ashamed, and went to hunt with Artemis in the forest. After returning, she brought back two gifts, a javelin that never missed, and Laelaps, a hunting dog that always caught its prey. Procris was happy that her husband returned to her, but she wondered how faithful he was to her. So, when he went to a mountaintop to invoke Nephele, she followed him. Cephalus heard a noise and not knowing it was his wife following, he threw the javelin thinking it was an animal. Procris was mortally wounded and just before she died, she asked Cephalus never to marry Eos. Cephalus, distraught, exiled himself. After wandering for a long time, he ended up in an island where he eventually married his second wife and became the ruler of the area. The island was named after him as Cephallenia or Cephalonia. However, he never managed to recover from the death of Procris and committed suicide by falling from a cliff into the sea.
Cephalus Is also called Kephalos.
Clytemnestra
In Greek mythology, Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae or Argos. She was the daughter of Tyndareus and Leda, rulers of Sparta, and sister of Castor, Polydeuces, and Helen.
When her sister Helen and wife of Agamemnon's brother, Menelaus, was abducted by Paris and was taken to Troy, Agamemnon decided to help his brother and bring his wife back, thus starting the Trojan War. Before the army left for Troy, Agamemnon was forced to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia, as he had caused the wrath of Artemis. While he was away, Clytemnestra started an affair with Aegisthus, with whom she plotted against her husband. Clytemnestra was angry with her husband, both because of her daughter's sacrifice, as well as because Agamemnon had killed her first husband and taken her by force. Upon his return from Troy, Agamemnon was welcomed by his wife. When he went to take a bath, Clytemnestra threw a net on him and stabbed him. Agamemnon's concubine, Cassandra, who was outside the palace, had foreseen the plot, but as she was cursed by the god Apollo, no one believed her and she reluctantly accepted her fate and was slain. Aegisthus and Clytemnestra took the rule of Mycenae for seven years, until Orestes, the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, returned and killed his mother and her lover as revenge for his father's death.
Electra
Electra was the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra of Mycenae in Greek mythology.
She was the sister of Iphigenia and Chrysothemis, as well as Orestes, with whom they planned the murder of their mother and her lover Aegisthus, seeking revenge for the murder of their father. When Agamemnon returned from the Trojan War along with his consort Cassandra, he was murdered by his wife and her lover, who was also his cousin. Clytemnestra was furious at her husband for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia to Artemis before his departure to Troy, while another reason may have been the possible murder of her first husband by Agamemnon. So, she killed both Agamemnon and Cassandra upon their arrival, even though Cassandra had warned of this ill fate. Electra and Orestes sought refuge in Athens, and when Orestes was 20 years old, he consulted the Oracle of Delphi; there, he was told to take revenge for his father's death. Along with his sister, they went back to Mycenae and plotted against their mother and Aegisthus. With the help of his cousin and best friend, Pylades, Orestes managed to kill his mother and her lover; before her death though, Clytemnestra cursed Orestes and as a result, the Furies or Erinyes chased him, as it was their duty to punish anyone commiting matricide or other similar violent acts. Electra, instead, was not haunted by the Erinyes. Electra Is also called Elektra.
Helen
Helen or Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Leda in Greek mythology, although her putative father was Tyndareus. A twin sister of Clytemnestra, she also had the twin brothers Castor and Pollux, also known as the Dioscuri. She was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the known world.
Initially she was abducted by the hero Theseus, who left her in the protection of his mother Aethra while he was away adventuring. During that time, Athens was invaded by the Spartan army led by Castor and Pollux, taking Helen back and capturing Aethra instead. Later, a number of suitors tried to win her hand, eventually Menelaus being the victor. All suitors, though, were bound by an oath to assist, in case Helen would be abducted in the future. Her marriage to Menelaus, king of Sparta, saw her ascend to the throne of the city as a queen. They had a daughter, Hermione, and three sons, Aethiolas, Maraphius and Pleisthenes. The marriage of Helen and Menelaus marked the beginning of the end for the age of heroes, which was Zeus' decision and was brought upon with the culmination of events to the Trojan War. Paris, the prince of Troy, was visiting Sparta for the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the ceremony being organised by Zeus himself. However, Eris, the goddess of discord was not invited, angering her. Thus, she dropped a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides on which the words "To the fairest" were engraved. Hera, Athena and Aphrodite claimed to be the fairest of all, and demanded the apple. Zeus, trying to calm them, asked Paris to make a judgment. The goddesses offered the young prince various gifts, and Paris eventually chose Aphrodite, who had told him she would give him the most beautiful woman in the world. Hence, Helen was abducted by Paris and brought to Troy. Other accounts say that she went there by her own accord, and that she and Paris had eloped. When Menelaus realised what had happened, he asked all the suitors to help him bring his wife back, as they had sworn initially. This is how the Trojan War started. In some accounts, Helen was thought to prosper in the city of Troy and be a treacherous woman, but in other stories, she was considered to be in constant gloom and sorrow. There are also different stories about her fate. After she returned to Sparta, Menelaus tried to kill her for her treachery, however she disrobed and her beauty weakened Menelaus and made him drop his sword. In another version, she was thought to have gone to Mount Olympus, while yet a different account says she eventually went to the Underworld to spend eternity with Achilles.
Helen Is also called Helen of Troy, Helen of Sparta.
Hermione
Hermione was the only child of King Menelaus of Sparta and Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology.
Her grandfather Tyndareus gave her hand in marriage to Orestes, before the Trojan War started. However, during the war, her father told the son of Achilles, Neoptolemus, that he would give him his daughter as a wife. The various sources conflict as to who she was betrothed to, but it seems that both events happened; it may be that Menelaus did not know of his daughter's marriage to Orestes when he promised her to Neoptolemus. After the war, Neoptolemus claimed Hermione as his wife. Soon afterwards, Hermione started quarreling with Andromache, widow of the prince of Troy, Hector, and the concubine of Neoptolemus. Hermione believed that Andromache cast spells, so that she would not get pregnant. She asked Menelaus to kill Andromache, but he refused. As a result, Hermione fled with her cousin Orestes. She married him and had a son named Tisamenus. No further details exist as to what happened to her.
Medea
Medea was the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis in Greek mythology, and wife of the mythical hero Jason.
Medea met her husband when Jason and the Argonauts arrived in Colchis to claim the famous Golden Fleece from the king. She fell in love with him and told him she would help him in his quest, under the condition that he would take her with him. Jason accepted and when he presented himself in front of the king, Aeetes agreed to give him the fleece if he passed a number of tasks.
The first task Jason had to complete was to yoke fire-breathing oxen and plough a field with them. To help him, Medea gave him an ointment to apply on himself and his weapons, in order to protect them from the flames. Secondly, he had to take dragon teeth and sow them in the field he had ploughed. No sooner had he sowed them than an army of warriors sprang up. Having been told by Medea, though, Jason was not surprised; he threw a rock amidst the army, and the warriors, not knowing who had thrown the rock, started fighting each other and killed themselves. The third and final task was to kill the sleepless guardian dragon of the Golden Fleece. Medea provided the sleeping herbs with which the dragon fell asleep and Jason then slew him and retrieved the Golden Fleece. After taking the fleece and sailing away, Jason and Medea were pursued by her father. To slow him down, Medea killed her brother Absyrtus, dismembered him and threw the body parts at sea; her father stopped to gather all the pieces and give his son a proper burial. On the way home, they stopped at Circe's island, Medea's aunt and goddess of magic, in order to absolve Medea of her sin. They then went near Crete, where Talos, a giant bronze man, guarded the island and threw stones against any ship that approached. Talos had a single vein, through which the blood of the gods, called ichor, flowed. Medea managed to remove the nail which kept the ichor inside, and Talos bled out and died. Landing on Crete, they found out that Jason's father, Aeson, was very ill and old, and Jason asked Medea to help; what she did was to remove the blood of Aeson, infuse it with magical herbs and put it back into his body, reinvigorating him. Returning to Iolcus, King Pelias' daughters asked Medea to do the same for their father. As Pelias was refusing to give the throne to Jason, Medea thought of making his daughters kill him. She told them that she could restore life by cutting a person in pieces and boiling the parts with herbs. So, the daughters killed their father and threw the body parts in a pot. Thus, this was the ending of a master plan that the goddess Hera had conceived to kill Pelias for being disobedient; it was her who made Jason fall in love with Medea, knowing that she had the power to kill Pelias in the future. After Pelias' murder, Jason and Medea went to Corinth and had a number of children. Although the myth has different endings, the best known is that Jason abandoned his wife to marry Glauce, the king's daughter. Medea, enraged, sent a dress and a coronet covered in poison, causing the deaths of both Glauce and her father. She then killed her children, and fled to Athens on a golden chariot sent by her grandfather, the god Helios. Afterwards, she went to Thebes where she healed Heracles from a curse that Hera had inflicted on him. Returning to Athens, she married Aegeus, with whom she had a son, Medus. However, some time later, Theseus, Aegeus' long-lost son, came back to Athens, but father and son did not recognise each other. Medea, though, realised who the newcomer was, and wanting to ensure the kingdom would pass to her own son, tried to poison Theseus. At the very last minute, Aegeus recognised his son by a sword he carried and knocked the cup before Theseus drank the poison. Finally, there are two versions as to where Medea and her son went after that event. According to one source, she went to modern day Iran, and lived with the locals, who changed their name to the Medes. Another version is that she returned to her homeland, Colchis, where the throne had been usurped by her uncle, Perses. Angry, she killed her uncle and restored her father to the throne.
Narcissus
Narcissus was a hunter in Greek mythology, son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope.
He was a very beautiful young man, and many fell in love with him. However, he only showed them disdain and contempt. One day, while he was hunting in the woods, the Oread nymph Echo spotted him and immediately fell for him. When Narcissus sensed that someone was following him, Echo eventually revealed herself and tried to hug him. However, he pushed her off and told her not to disturb him. Echo, in despair, roamed around the woods for the rest of her life, and wilted away until all it remained of her was an echo sound. Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and revenge, learned what had happened and decided to punish Narcissus for his behaviour. She led him to a pool; there, the man saw his reflection in the water and fell in love with it. Although he did not realise in the beginning that it was just a reflection, when he understood it, he fell in despair that his love could not materialise and committed suicide.
Pandora
Pandora was the first human woman in Greek mythology. She was created by the gods Hephaestus and Athena, following the instructions of Zeus, who wanted to punish Prometheus for stealing the fire from the gods to give it to humans.
After Prometheus stole the fire and humans gratefully accepted the gift, Zeus decided to give humans a gift that would balance their acquisition of fire. He asked Hephaestus to create the first woman, who would be endowed with numerous seducing gifts that would plague humanity from then on. Athena dressed Pandora in a beautiful silvery gown, a veil and a crown, and taught her weaving. Other gods also contributed to Pandora's creation, by endowing her with such gifts as deceitful nature and a speech of lies. However, the natural gifts of Pandora were not the problem for humanity. The gods also offered her a jar that held within numerous evils, diseases and other pains. With the jar in hand, Pandora was given to Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother, who accepted the divine gift despite his brother's warnings. One day, out of curiosity and not of malice, Pandora opened the lid of the jar, releasing all evils into the world. Shocked by what had happened, she quickly tried to put the lid back, only managing to trap Hope in it. This is how the ancient Greeks believed there was evil in the world. The event of releasing the evils into the world marks the end of the so-called Golden Age of Man in the world, and the beginning of the Silver Age.
Pandora Is also called Anesidora.
Orpheus
Orpheus was a musician, poet and prophet in Greek mythology. His parents were the king of Thrace Oeagrus and the muse Calliope. He was considered the best musician and poet of all, and he perfected the lyre. It was the god Apollo who taught Orpheus how to play the lyre when he was an adolescent. According to a source, his music had the ability to charm the animals and make the trees dance. It is also said that he took part in the Argonautic Expedition, playing the lyre on the way. If it weren't for him, the Argonauts would never be able to avoid the beautiful songs of the Sirens.
The most famous story about Orpheus is that of him and his wife Eurydice. Eurydice was having a stroll, when a satyr tried to rape her. She tried to avoid him, but she fell into a nest of vipers and she was fatally bitten. Orpheus found his wife's body and due to his grief, started singing the most mournful songs. The nymphs and the gods started weeping upon hearing Orpheus' songs, and advised him to go to the Underworld and bring his wife back. Orpheus indeed followed their advice and met with the god of the Underworld Hades and his wife Persephone. He pleaded to let him take his wife back, and after singing to them, their hearts were softened so much that they agreed. However, they told him not to look back until they had reached the surface. They started walking towards the surface; when Orpheus reached the opening of the cave with his wife following, he looked back, anxious to see if Eurydice was behind him. As she had not yet reached the opening though, she disappeared back into the Underworld forever. Orpheus, during the end of his life, worshipped no gods except the sun, whom he called Apollo. One day, he went to pay tribute to the sun near the oracle of Dionysus, where he was caught by the Maenads, and was killed for being an infidel to the god Dionysus.
Eurydice
Eurydice was a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the daughters of the god Apollo. She was married to Orpheus, a legendary musician and poet.
After their marriage, Eurydice was pursued by Aristaeus; in her effort to evade him, she stepped on a snake, she was bitten and died. Orpheus, devastated, started playing such a mournful melody on his lyre that the nymphs and gods wept in pain; they advised him to search for Eurydice in the Underworld and bring her back. Passing through the Gates of the Underworld, his singing and his melody touched even the hearts of the God of the Underworld, Hades, and his wife, Persephone. Even the Furies could not withhold their tears. So, he was allowed to take Eurydice back to the surface. He was told however to walk in front of her and not look at her until both of them had reached the daylight. On their way back, though, Orpheus was wondering whether Hades had tricked him. So, when he reached the top and had just stepped into the daylight, he turned his head; as Eurydice had not yet reached the surface, she immediately disappeared back in the Underworld. When Orpheus was killed by the Maenads, he was once again reunited with his betrothed.
Helle
Helle was a mortal in Greek mythology, who played an important part in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, along with her twin brother Phrixus. She was the daughter of Athamas, king of Boeotia, and Nephele, a cloud nymph. She was the consort of the god Poseidon, with whom she had two children, Almops and Paeon.
Both siblings were hated by their stepmother Ino, who devised a plan to kill them. She destroyed the crops of the area, and when the locals asked an oracle for help, she bribed the messengers to say that the gods asked for Phrixus to be sacrificed. However, the twins' mother sent a flying golden ram to rescue her children. While on the air, Helle lost her grasp and fell into the sea, which was named Hellespont after her. Phrixus managed to reach the mythical land of Colchis where he was accepted by King Aeetes; to show his gratitude, Phrixus gifted the golden fleece of the ram to the king, which later became the artifact of desire for Jason and the Argonauts.
Helle Is also called Athamantis.
Hippolyta
Hippolyta was the queen of the tribe of the Amazons in Greek mythology. She played a significant role in the Twelve Labours of Heracles. She was the daughter of the god of war, Ares, who had given her a magical girdle as a gift.
Retrieving the girdle of Hippolyta was the ninth labour the demigod Heracles was assigned to by his adversary, king Eurystheus. The king asked the hero to bring the object back and give it to his daughter, Admeta. According to the most popular version of the myth, when Heracles appeared in front of Hippolyta, she was so enchanted by him that she gladly gave him the girdle while visiting him on his ship. However, the goddess Hera took the form of an Amazon and appeared among the warrior women, saying that Heracles had the intention of abducting their queen. Enraged, the Amazons attacked the ship and in the ensuing battle, Heracles killed Hippolyta and took the girdle. He then sailed away leaving the Amazons behind.
Iphigenia
Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology.
While the Greek army was preparing to set sail for Troy during the Trojan War, Agamemnon caused the anger of the goddess Artemis, because he killed a sacred deer. So, she decided to stop all winds, and the ships would not be able to sail. The seer Calchas realised what the problem was, and informed Agamemnon that to appease the goddess, Agamemnon had to sacrifice Iphigenia to her. Reluctant at first, Agamemnon was forced to agree in the end. He lied to his daughter and his wife by saying that Iphigenia was to marry Achillles before they left. The mother and daughter happily went to the port of Aulis, only to find out the horrible truth. Achilles, unaware that his name was used in a lie, tried to prevent the sacrifice, but Iphigenia utterly decided to sacrifice herself in honour and of her own volition. The most popular version of what happened afterwards is that on the moment of the sacrifice, the goddess Artemis substituted Iphigenia for a deer, but Calchas who was the only witness remained silent. Iphigenia was then brought by Artemis to the city of Tauris where she became the goddess' priestess. Years later, after Orestes, Iphigenia's brother, had killed his mother and her lover Aegisthus, he was hunted by the Erinyes for committing matricide. He was then advised to go to Tauris, take the carved wooden image of Artemis and bring it back to Athens. In Tauris, where he went with his friend Pylades, he was taken captive by the locals, and the two men were brought before Iphigenia. Although initially the two siblings did not recognise each other, they finally realised the truth and managed to escape the city. They then returned to Greece, where Iphigenia continued to serve Artemis as a priestess in her temple.
Orion
Orion was a hunter in Greek mythology. There are various stories about his birth as well as the way he died.
According to the oldest version, he was the son of the god Poseidon and Euryale, daughter of King Minos of Crete. Thanks to his father, Orion had the ability to walk on water, which is how he reached the island of Chios. There, after drinking too much, he made sexual advances to Merope, the daughter of the local king. King Oenopion had him blinded and removed from the island. Blind Orion reached the island of Lemnos, which was the place where god Hephaestus had his forge. Helped by Hephaestus and his servant Cedalion, Orion reached the East where the sun god Helios restored his eyesight. He then went to Crete and hunted with the huntress goddess Artemis and her mother Leto; he was so enthusiastic that he declared he would kill every animal in the world. Gaea, the goddess of the Earth, got angry and sent a giant scorpion which successfully killed Orion. Upon hearing the news, Artemis and Leto asked from Zeus to put their fellow hunter on the skies; Zeus agreed and turned Orion into a constellation, as well as the Scorpion that killed him.
A different version of Orion's death has it that he fell in love with Artemis; the goddess was also very much in fond of him. However, her twin brother Apollo was quite against this love affair, though, and devised a plan. One day, while Orion was swimming in a lake with his head barely visible, Apollo went to his sister and challenged her skills as an archer. To prove him wrong, he told her to shoot at Orion's head, whom Artemis barely recognised, as there was a considerable distance between them. Artemis hit the target, unknowingly killing her lover.
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Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Oct 11, 2015 21:32:31 GMT -5
Achilles
Achilles was a hero in Greek mythology and one of the main characters that participated in the Trojan War. He was also the protagonist of Homer’s epic, the Iliad. He was the son of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and Thetis, a nymph.
Both Zeus and Poseidon were in love with Thetis, however Prometheus warned them of a prophecy that said the son of Thetis would be greater than his father; so, the two gods decided to withdraw, and Peleus ended up marrying her. When Achilles was born, his mother wanted to make him immortal and thus, dipped him in the river Styx. However, she did not realise that his heel, by which she held him, was not touched by the waters, and so that was the only part of his body that remained mortal. According to another version, Thetis covered Achilles’ body in ambrosia and put him on top of a fire to burn away his mortality; however, she was enraged because she was interrupted by Peleus and abandoned them. When the Trojan War started, Achilles commanded 50 ships, each having 50 Myrmidons. He also appointed five commanders; Menesthius, Eudorus, Peisander, Phoenix and Alcimedon. After departing, they landed in Mysia by mistake, which was then ruled by Telephus. Telephus was wounded in the battle by Achilles, and could not be healed. After consulting an oracle, he was told that he who inflicted the wound would be able to heal it; so, Telephus asked Achilles to heal him, and in return he guided them to Troy. The Iliad starts the narrative of the Trojan War with Agamemnon, leader of the Achaeans, having acquired a woman called Chryseis as his slave. Her father, being a priest of Apollo, begs the god to help him, and Apollo sends a plague among the Greeks. Calchas identifies the source of the problem and Agamemnon reluctantly consents; however, he demands that Achilles hand over his own prize, another woman called Briseis. Achilles, furious that he was dishonoured in such a way, withdraws from battle and asks his mother to convince Zeus to help the Trojans, so that he may prove himself again in the battlefield. The Trojans manage to repel the Greeks back to the shore; Patroclus, Achilles’ friend, wearing Achilles’ armor, successfully leads the Myrmidons against the enemy, but is subsequently killed by Hector, the Trojan prince. Enraged by his friend’s death, Achilles joins the battle and tracks down Hector, whom he kills in a face to face duel. He then drags Hector’s lifeless body with his chariot during the funeral games he held for Patroclus. The death of Achilles is not narrated in the Iliad, although it was predicted by Hector with his dying breath. Paris, the brother of Hector, managed to kill the hero with an arrow that landed on Achilles’ heel, the only vulnerable part of his body. The arrow was poisoned and some sources say that it was guided by the god Apollo. Achilles was cremated and his ashes were mingled with those of Patroclus.
Achilles Is also called Achilleas, Achilleus.
Atlanta
Atlanta's parentage is uncertain. Her parents may have been King Iasus and Clymene.
She came into the world in the "undesirable state" of being female. As a result, her father had her carried into the woods and left to die. However, a bear found her and adopted her. As she grew older she began to spend time with hunters and was soon the best amongst them. She loved hunting and the outdoors and had no use for a man in her life. She also received an oracle that her marriage would end in disaster. She had no compunction in defending her virginity. When the centaurs Rhoecus and Hylaeus attempted to rape her, she quickly killed them with her arrows. She wished to join the Argonauts, but Jason thought it was ill-fated to have a woman among the crew, fearing problems might occur, similar to those during the boar hunt. Her shooting skills allowed her to draw first blood during the Calydonian Boar Hunt. Her contribution to the hunt was marred when a quarrel over giving her a trophy of the hunt resulted in the death of Meleager and his uncles. At the funeral games honoring Pelias, Atlanta entered the wrestling contests. There, she gained more fame by scoring a victory over Peleus. She achieved enough that her father forgave her for not being a son and allowed her to return home. Once there, he attempted to fulfill his fatherly obligations by finding her a husband. For her to simply refuse might arouse dangerous resentment. Instead she proposed a test. The successful suitor would have to beat her in a foot race. Losing suitors would be beheaded by her. As Atlanta was one of the fastest mortals this appeared to ensure her maidenhood. For quite some time this worked. Some say that she evened the odds by wearing armor while she ran. Others say that she gave the suitors a head start of half the distance. In any case the heads stacked up. Melanion fell in love with her. He knew that he was not fast enough to win the race. So he did what many frustrated lovers had done; he prayed to Aphrodite for help. Aphrodite had a weakness for lovers and a concern about those that rejected romance to the degree that Atlanta did. Aphrodite presented Melanion with three golden apples and a plan. In return, Melanion was to sacrifice to Aphrodite. Melanion then ran his race with Atlanta carrying the apples with him. When Atlanta caught up to him he tossed the first apple at her feet. The sight of the magic golden apple was irresistible to Atlanta. She stopped to pick it up confident that she could make up the time. Soon enough she was once again passing Melanion. He threw the second apple, this time further to the side. Again, she lost time retrieving the apple. As she again caught up the finish line was near and chasing the third thrown apple cost her the race. Despite her resistance, marriage seemed to suit Atlanta. Melanion's happiness and joy was so great he completely forgot his obligations to sacrifice to Aphrodite. As usual when messing up with the gods payback was severe. Aphrodite waited until Melanion and Atlanta were passing a shrine to a god, possibly Zeus. She then hit them with overwhelming desire. Melanion took Atlanta into the shrine and lay with her. At that point, the infuriated god turned them both into lions. This was regarded by the Greeks as particularly poetic as they believed that lions could mate only with leopards. There is one other mystery concerning Atlanta. Somehow, despite her vaunted virginity, she had a son - Parthenopaeus. The father is uncertain. Melanion and Meleager have both been suggested, but both of them were with Atlanta only briefly. Aris has also been put forward as the father. Out of embarrassment, she left the child exposed on a mountain. He was found and raised, eventually becoming a hero in his own right.
Atlanta Is also called Atalanta.
Bellerophon
Bellerophon provides a lesson in the proper relationship between a mortal hero and the gods.
When he was young he honored the gods and won their favor, but eventually his pride got the better of him and led to his downfall. Bellerophon was the son of Poseidon and Eurynome, wife of Glaucus. He was raised by Glaucus who thought Bellerophon was his own son. Considering that both Poseidon and Glaucus were interested in horses, it is not surprising that Bellerophon quested after Pegasus. After many failures, he asked the seer Polyeidus for help. Following Polyeidus' instructions, he spent the night in a temple of Athena. There, he had a dream that the goddess offered him a magical, golden bridle. He awoke and found the bridle he dreamt about in his hands. He sensibly made a sacrifice to both Athena and Poseidon. Afterwards, he went to the meadow Pegasus was grazing at, and was able to bridle and tame the horse without difficulty. Triumphant in his success, he went to King Pittheus and received permission to marry his daughter Aethra. However, before the marriage, he accidentally killed a man, possibly one of his brothers, and was banished. He went to King Proetus to be excused for his crime. The king pardoned him, but during his stay at Proetus's house, the King's wife, Stheneboea, attempted to seduce him. As an honorable man Bellerophon rejected her advances. This infuriated Stheneboea who then falsely accused him of attempting to seduce her. Greatly upset, Proetus wanted to be rid of Bellerophon without having to accuse him publicly. He was also concerned about harming a house guest, as this was an offence to the gods. So, he sent Bellerophon to deliver a sealed message to his wife's father, King Iobates. Arriving on Pegasus, Bellerophon was warmly received and settled in as Iobates' house guest. Iobates unsealed and read the message thus learning of Stheneboea's accusations against Bellerophon. This left Iobates in the same predicament of acting against a guest that had troubled Proetus. Iobates' solution was to ask Bellerophon to undertake a series of heroic, but deadly tasks. However, Bellerophon's courage and skill as an archer, combined with Pegasus' help, allowed him to prevail. In addition, his parentage, his sacrifices, and his acts of honour gave him the favour of the gods. His first task was to kill the terrible Chimaera. Succeeding, he was sent to conquer the neighbouring Solymi tribe, which was Iobates' traditional enemy. When he defeated them, the King sent him to fight the Amazons. He was again victorious. In desperation, Iobates led an ambush against Bellerophon using his entire army; the army was killed to the last man. At this point, Iobates had the wisdom to notice that something was very wrong. He realized that the gods favoured Bellerophon and that this favor would not have been given to a dishonorable house guest. Iobates succeed in making amends by giving Bellerophon half his kingdom, including the best farmlands and his daughter Philonoe in marriage. There are two stories concerning the fate of Stheneboea. One says that Bellerophon extracted revenge by taking her for a ride on Pegasus, then shoving her off to fall to her death. In the other version, Stheneboea hears that Bellerophon has married her sister. She knows that this means her slander would be revealed and chose to kill herself. It appeared that Bellerophon would live happily ever after. His glorious deeds were widely sung. He was happily married. Philonoe bore him two sons, Isander and Hippolochus, and two daughters, Laodameia and Deidameia. As a king his subjects loved and honored him. However, this was not enough for Bellerophon. In his arrogance, he decided that he could ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus and visit the gods. Zeus quickly put an end to his trip by sending the gadfly to sting Pegasus and dismount Bellerophon. He survived his fall, but was crippled. He spent the rest of his life wandering the earth. No man would help him because of his offense to the gods. He died alone with no one to record his fate.
Dioscuri
In Greek mythology, the Dioscuri were the twin brothers Castor and Pollux (also called Polydeuces). Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers. Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, was the father of Castor (hence a mortal), while Zeus was the father of Pollux (a demigod). Some sources say that they were born from an egg, along with their twin sisters Helen and Clytemnestra.
The myth has it that Leda was seduced by Zeus, who had taken the form of a swan. However, there are different versions as to whether the twins were both mortals, both immortals, or Castor was mortal and Pollux was a demigod. The twins participated in the Argonautic Expedition, helping Jason retrieve the Golden Fleece. Upon their return to Greece, they also aided Jason in taking revenge for the treachery of Pelias, king of Iolcus, by destroying the city. They also took part in the hunt of the Calydonian Boar. Later, when their sister Helen was abducted by Theseus, king of Attica, they attacked his kingdom. They freed their sister and abducted Theseus' mother Aethra in revenge, who served as a slave for Helen. Castor and Pollux fell in love with Phoebe and Hilaeira, nieces of Leucippus, who were known as the Leucippides and who were already the consorts of the Dioscuri's cousins, Lynceus and Idas. The twins abducted the Leucippides and brought them back to Sparta, thus starting a family feud. The cousins attacked the region of Arcadia and managed to claim a herd of cattle from the Dioscuri, who were enraged. Some time later, the cousins visited their uncle's palace; the Dioscuri, Helen, and Paris were present at the time. The Dioscuri thought it was a good opportunity to take their cattle back and left for their cousins' home. Lynceus and Idas left some time later, leaving Helen and Paris alone, which eventually led to the Trojan War. The cousins caught the Dioscuri while attempting to steal the herd; Castor was mortally wounded by Idas, while Pollux killed Lynceus. As Idas approached to kill Pollux though, Zeus threw a thudnerbolt against him, thus saving his son's life. Pollux then asked his father to grant half of his immortality to his brother. Hence, they transformed into the constellation Gemini, able to travel back and forth between Olympus and Hades.
Dioscuri Is also called Gemini, Castores, Dioskouri, Dioskuri, Castor, Polydeuces, Polydeukis, Pollux, Tyndaridae, Tyndarids.
Heracles | Hercules
Heracles (or Hercules) is best known as the strongest of all mortals, and even stronger than many gods. He was the deciding factor in the triumphant victory of the Olympians over the giants. He was the last mortal son of Zeus, and the only man born of a mortal woman to become a god upon his death.
Offsetting his strength was a noticeable lack of intelligence or wisdom. Once, when the temperature was very high, he pulled his bow out and threatened to shoot at the sun. This, coupled with strong emotions in one so powerful, frequently got Heracles in trouble. While his friend and cousin Theseus ruled Athens, Heracles had trouble ruling himself. His pride was easily offended. He took up grudges easily and never forgot them. His appetites for food, wine, and women were as massive as his strength. Many of Heracles' great deeds occurred while doing penance for stupid acts done in anger or carelessness. It would be easy to view Heracles as a muscle-bound buffoon. Indeed, many of the Greek comedy playwrights used his character this way. Even among serious critics, he was often seen as a primitive, brutal, and violent man. There is much evidence to support this view; his weapon of choice was a massive club; his customary garment was a lion skin, with the head still attached; he impiously wounded some of the gods; he threatened a priestess of Apollo at Delphi when an answer to his questions was not forthcoming. He created most of his own problems. However, viewing Heracles as simply a strong buffoon is unfair. He may have held grudges, but he would also do anything to help a friend. Once his anger passed, he was the most critical judge of his own actions. He was too strong for anyone to force a punishment on him. That he willing did severe penance shows a fundamental sense of justice. During his punishments he showed patience, fortitude and endurance that were as heroic as his strength. Terrible things happened to him because of Hera's hatred, a hatred that he was not responsible for. That he persevered through it all was a moral victory beyond simple strength. The view of Heracles shifted considerable over time. The early view focused on how badly he managed despite his obvious gifts. As time passed the focus shifted to his virtues. The Romans valued him highly as he best fit their idea of a hero. He eventually had a fair sized cult that worshiped him as a god.
Heracles Is also called Hercules.
Jason
Jason was a hero in Greek mythology, the leader of the Argonautic Expedition in the quest of retrieving the Golden Fleece. He was the son of the king of Iolcus, Aeson, but it is not certain who his mother was; various names appear in different sources as his mother.
When Jason was still a baby, his half-uncle Pelias, vying for the throne of Aeson, killed all of Aeson's children, and overthrew Aeson; however, he failed to kill Jason. The baby was sent to the centaur Chiron, who nurtured him to adulthood. Pelias, in the meantime, consulted an oracle that told him to be careful of a man with one sandal. Jason, a grown man, returned to Iolcus to attend some games held by Pelias in honour of the god Poseidon; during his travel, he lost one of his sandals in the river Anauros while helping a disguised Hera to cross. Hera secretly blessed Jason at that point. Jason appeared in front of Pelias, asking for the throne as the rightful heir of Aeson, but Pelias gave him the quest to bring the Golden Fleece in order to step down from the throne. Jason started creating a party of heroes, who were collectively called the Argonauts, after the name of Jason's ship, Argo. The Golden Fleece was located in the mythical region of Colchis that would take a long time to reach. After the Argonauts set sail, they first reached the island of Lemnos. There, all the women of the island had killed their husbands after a curse that had been afflicted on them by the goddess Aphrodite, because she was not properly worshipped. The Argonauts stayed for a while there, sleeping with the women of the island and creating a new race, called Minyans. Their next stop after Lemnos was the land of the Doliones, where they were warmly greeted. They were told there were supplies to be found beyond Bear Mountain, where a mythical race of giants called Gegeines lived. While the Argonauts were looking for supplies, the Gegeines attacked the ship; Heracles, who participated in the expedition, managed to kill many of them before the rest of the Argonauts came and pushed the giants back. At night, they set sail but a mistake caused them to land back on the island, where the Doliones, thinking they were enemies, attacked them; in the battle that followed, many Doliones were killed. In the following day, the remorseful Argonauts held funerals for the slain. They then went to Thrace, where the kingdom of King Phineus was being plagued by the Harpies. These monsters were sent by Zeus to steal food every day. Jason helped the king and killed the Harpies on their next attack. Phineus, grateful for Jason's help, told the Argonauts where Colchis lay and how to pass through the Symplegades, the Clashing Rocks. These were huge rock cliffs that would move and crush anything that passed between them. Phineus told Jason to release a dove and see if it would make it through, an omen for what would happen to the ship. The dove successfully passed, losing only a few tail feathers; so, when the ship travelled through the rocks, only minor damages were caused at the stern of the ship. Jason and the Argonauts eventually reached Colchis, where they were welcomed by King Aeetes. The Golden Fleece was in the possession of the king, gifted to him by Phrixus when he arrived there on a flying golden ram. Aeetes said he would give the fleece to Jason if he successfully completed three tasks. Jason despared by his quests. Hera, favouring him, convinced Aphrodite and Eros to make Medea, Aeetes' daughter, to fall in love with Jason and help him in the tasks. The first task was to plow a field using Khalkotauroi, fire-breathing oxen; Medea gave Jason an ointment that protected him from the fire. The second task was to sow dragon's teeth in the field, causing an army of stone warriors to appear. Jason was forewarned by Medea, and following her advice, threw a rock into the army. The soldiers, not knowing who had thrown the rock, killed each other. The third task was to take the Golden Fleece from a sleepless dragon. A sleeping potion, provided by Medea, was enough for Jason to overcome the dragon and take the Golden Fleece. After retrieving the fleece, Jason and the Argonauts left, and Medea joined them. Aeetes tried to follow them, but Medea killed her brother and threw his pieces into the sea, causing Aeetes to stop and retrieve them. Zeus, angry at Medea's act of killing her brother, caused a number of storms on their way back. To redeem themselves, they stopped at the island of Aeaea, where the nymph Circe lived to be purified. They then went on. On their voyage, they also met the Sirens that caused ships to crash onto the reefs, as their captivating voices mesmerised the crews; Orpheus, however, played the lyre and completely covered their voices, thus managing to evade the ill fate. Near Crete, they met Talos, a giant bronze man, who guarded the island and threw stones at anyone approaching. Medea cast a spell on him and they managed to remove the plug that kept Talos' ichor (the divine blood) in his single vein. Thus, he bled to death. The Argonauts eventually managed to return to their home. Jason found his father Aeson at a very old age, and asked Medea to transfer some of his life to his father. Medea gave a few more years to Aeson, without removing them from Jason, but by infusing Aeson's blood with magical herbs. Pelias' daughters asked her to do the same for their father; Medea tricked them into killing him instead. As a result, Pelias' son exiled Jason and Medea. The couple went to Corinth, where Jason fell in love and was engaged with Creusa. Medea, infuriated, confronted Jason, but he ignored her. As a revenge, Medea killed Creusa by giving her a dress that stuck on her and put her on fire; her father Creon was also burned trying to save his daughter. Medea then killed her sons that she had with Jason, fearing he would kill them as retaliation. She then abandoned Jason, flying to Athens on a dragon chariot sent by her grandfather, the sun god Helios. Years later, Jason managed to reclaim the throne of Iolcus with the help of his friend, Peleus. However, he remained lonely, having lost the favour of Hera after breaking his vows to Medea. He died while sleeping under the stern of his ship Argo, which having rotten fell on him.
Jason Is also called Iason.
Odysseus
Odysseus was a legendary hero in Greek mythology, king of the island of Ithaca and the main protagonist of Homer's epic, the Odyssey. He was also a prominent character in the other surviving Homeric epic, the Iliad. He was the son of Laertes and Anticlea, and is well known as an eloquent speaker, ingenious and cunning.
Before the Trojan War started, Odysseus was one of the suitors that wanted to marry Helen, step-daughter of king Tyndareus of Sparta. However, the suitors were many and there didn't seem to be a way to solve who the husband would be. Odysseus told Tyndareus that he would provide a solution if he helped him marry Tyndareus' niece, Penelope. Tyndareus agreed and Odysseus proposed to draw straws. Before that, though, he made everyone swear an oath that they would all support the husband and wife in any ill fate that they might face in the future. As a result, Menelaus drew the lucky straw, while Odysseus married Penelope. After Helen's abduction by Prince Priam of Troy, all suitors were summoned to help Menelaus in his quest to bring her back. Odysseus did not want to join the expedition, for an oracle had informed him that if he participated, it would take him a long time to return home. So, he decided to feign madness by harnessing a donkey and an ox to a plough and sowing salt on a field. Palamedes did not believe that Odysseus was actually mad, so he put Odysseus' baby boy Telemachus in front of the plough; Odysseus immediately changed course, thus exposing his plan. For this reason, Odysseus always had a grudge against Palamedes since then. After Odysseus' plan was foiled, they all tried to recruit the hero Achilles, as an oracle said that the Trojan War would be won only if Achilles joined. Before they reached the island of Scyros where Achilles lived, his mother Thetis disguised him as a woman, because of another prophecy that said Achilles would either live a long, peaceful life, or have a glorious death while young. Odysseus made a plan to find out who Achilles was, among the women; he laid various weapons on a table, and Achilles was the only one who showed real interest in them. Odysseus then sounded a battle horn, and Achilles instinctively picked up a weapon ready to fight. As a result, Achilles joined in. After the Greeks reached Troy and the war started, Odysseus played a particularly influential role as a strategist and advisor. He was the main character who maintained the morale of the Greeks in a high level, and managed to prevent Agamemnon from withdrawing from the war. He also managed to appease Achilles' rage when Patroclus was slain. However, holding a grudge against Palamedes, it seems that Odysseus played a role in his demise; some versions say that Odysseus made a plan to expose Palamedes as a traitor and was stoned to death. According to another version, Odysseus and Diomedes told Palamedes to descend a well because of a treasure that was supposedly hidden there; when Palamedes reached the bottom of the well, the two men buried him inside. Odysseus was most famous in the war for his contribution to create the Trojan Horse, a huge wooden horse that was supposed to be a gift to the Trojans by the retreating Greeks. The Trojans accepted the gift joyfully and started celebrating around it. When the night fell and everyone was drunk, the Greek warriors, who had hidden in the hollow body of the horse, revealed themselves and slew the Trojans, winning the war. After the Trojan War, Odysseus made a ten-year journey to reach his home, Ithaca; his adventures were recounted in the epic Odyssey. On his way home, storms led Odysseus' ships to the island of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who started eating the crew of the ships. Odysseus managed to trick Polyphemus and along with his companions, blinded the Cyclops. Before they left, though, he did the mistake of revealing his identity to Polyphemus, who then told his father, the god Poseidon; this had a major impact on the hero's travel, as the god sent rough seas throughout the journey. The ships then reached the island of the god of winds, Aeolus, who put all winds except the west wind in a bag and gave the bag to Odysseus. As a result, the west wind blew the ships all the way to Ithaca. However, just before they reached the shore, Odysseus' companions took the bag of winds from Odysseus, and thinking it contained gold, opened it and released all of the winds. The ships were blown away from the island, back to where they had started. Aeolus did not accept to help them again, and they left. They went to the island of the Laestrygonians, a cannibalistic tribe that ate all of the crew, except that of Odysseus' ship. They quickly left the island and reached that of the witch Circe. She turned Odysseus' companions into pigs, but Odysseus, who had been given a magical herb by Hermes, resisted her witchcraft. Circe fell in love with Odysseus and transformed the pigs back into men. After they stayed on the island for one year, they left to continue their voyage. They reached the western edge of the world, where Odysseus took advice from the spirit of the prophet Teiresias, and later encountered his mother's spirit, who told him that back home, his wife Penelope was being surrounded by potential suitors. They then returned to Circe's island, who advised them on how to continue; they managed to avoid the Sirens, as well as the monsters Scylla and Charybdis. In the island of Thrinacia, Odysseus disregarded the advice of Teiresias and Circe, and caught the cattle of the sun god Helios. Helios, enraged, demanded that Zeus punish them, or he would make the sun shine in the Underworld. Zeus obliged by causing a shipwreck in which only Odysseus survived. He reached the island of Ogygia, where the witch Calypso kept him captive for seven years, before Hermes intervened and released the hero. Odysseus then reached the island of the Phaeacians (the modern day island of Corfu), who helped him reach his destination. He reached Ithaca late at night, and he was disguised by Athena as a beggar in order to learn what had happened during his absence. Penelope, his wife, had just announced that she would marry the person who was able to string his husband's bow and then shoot an arrow through twelve axe shafts. She knew that this was impossible to do for everyone except her husband. None of the suitors managed to do it, but Odysseus still in disguise completed the challenge and revealed himself; helped by his son Telemachus, he slew the suitors. Penelope did not believe that it was her husband but instead a god in disguise. To believe him, she asked him to move their bed to another room. Odysseus said that this was impossible, as he had made the bed and knew that one of the legs was a living olive tree. Years later, the son of Odysseus and Circe, Telegonus, reached adulthood and wanted to meet his father. He went to Ithaca, but as he reached the shore, he killed some sheep as he was hungry. Odysseus went and fought with him, not knowing who the other person was. Odysseus was eventually killed by Telegonus. Telegonus took Penelope and Telemachus to the island of Circe, where she made them immortal. The two sons then married each other's mothers.
Odysseus Is also called Ulysses, Ulixes, Olysseus, Oulixeus, Oulixes.
Peleus
Peleus was a hero in Greek mythology, son of Aeacus, king of the island of Aegina, and Endeis, an oread nymph. He was the husband of the nymph Thetis, with whom he fathered the famous hero Achilles.
Along with his brother Telamon, they accidentally killed their half-brother, Phocus, while hunting, and were forced to flee the island of Aegina, in order to avoid punishment. When they reached the region of Phthia, Peleus fell in love with Antigone, the daughter of the region's king Eurytion, with whom he had a daughter, Polydora. Peleus, Telamon, and Eurytion were all participants in the Argonautic Expedition, in Jason's quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Some time later, yet in another hunting accident, Peleus killed Eurytion and had to flee. Peleus reached Iolcus, where the king's wife, Astydameia, fell in love with him. Peleus denied her advances, and for revenge, Astydameia sent a message to Antigone, saying that Peleus would marry her daughter. Antigone was so bitter that she hanged herself. Astydameia then falsely accused Peleus of trying to rape her; the king, Acastus, took Peleus into a forest where he abandoned him just before an attack by centaurs. Peleus was saved by Chiron, a wise centaur, or Hermes, the messenger god. Peleus escaped, ransacked Iolcus, and killed both Astydameia and Acastus. Later, Peleus met Thetis, a sea nymph who was able to change form. Aided by Proteus, Peleus managed to win her heart. Their marriage was a grand event that was attended by most Olympian gods. However, the goddess of strife, Eris, was not invited; angry that she was scorned, Eris dropped the Apple of Discord among the guests, a golden apple that had an inscription reading "To the fairest". Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite started arguing over who should be the one to receive the apple, and told Zeus to decide. Zeus, reluctant to give an answer, said that the best person to decide was Paris, prince of Troy, who was also attending the wedding. After being bribed by the goddesses, Paris eventually picked Aphrodite, who had promised him she would give him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. This was the event that eventually culminated in the Trojan War. Peleus and Thetis had seven sons, but the six of them died when they were born. Only one son survived, who was named Achilles. Thetis decided to make Achilles invulnerable by dipping him in the River Styx; however, she did not realise that his heel, the part from which she was holding him, was not touched by the river waters, and was thus left vulnerable. This later became Achilles' doom, as a poisonous arrow shot by Paris and guided by Apollo during the Trojan War hit him in his heel and killed him.
Perseus
According to the myth, there once was a king named Acrisius, who had a beautiful daughter named Danae. The Oracle of Apollo told Acrisius that there would come a day when Danae's son would kill him; so he locked Danae in a bronze tower so that she would never marry or have children. The tower had no doors, except for one very small window. Danae was very sad, until one day, a bright golden light came through the small window; a man appeared holding a thunderbolt in his hand and although Danae knew he was a god, she didn't know which one. The man said, "Yes, I am a god and I wish to make you my wife. I can turn this dark prison into a wonderful, sunny and blooming land." Indeed, the horrible prison turned into fields as beautiful as the Elysian Fields themselves, but one day Acrisius saw light coming out of the small window. He told his men to tear down one of the walls. When he entered, he saw Danae smiling and holding a baby on her lap. This was Perseus. Acrisius was furious, so he locked Danae and baby Perseus in a large chest and cast them out to sea. Somehow, they managed to arrive safely to the island of Seriphos, where Polydectes ruled. The king's brother, Dictys, who was a fisherman, caught the chest in his net and pulled it to shore, freeing Danae and her son. Perseus grew up to become a strong young man. Polydectes heard about Danae and asked her in marriage, but she rejected him. If it wasn't for Perseus, Polydectes would have married Danae by force; so the king decided to create a plan to get rid of the young man. Polydectes pretended to marry the daughter of his friend. Everybody had to bring a wedding present, including Perseus. However, Perseus, being poor, had not brought anything, and Polydectes pretended to be furious. After a heated discussion, Perseus said he would bring him anything the king would ask; so Polydectes asked for the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Perseus set forth on his adventure; he wandered for days, searching for the Gorgons lair. One night, in an unknown country he realized how hopeless things were. Medusa was a horrible creature, who had snakes growing out of her head instead of hair, and a terrifying gaze that literary petrified anyone who would look into her eyes. In his despair, a tall woman and a young man with winged sandals appeared and introduced themselves as goddess Athena and god Hermes. Hermes said that they were all siblings as Perseus was in fact the son of Zeus, so they would help him in his quest; so Hermes offered him his winged sandals and the sickle that was used by Cronus to castrate Uranus; while Athena gave him her shield, so that Perseus would not have to look straight into Medusa's eyes. They also gave him further information on how to find the lair of Medusa. So Perseus went to the cave of the Graeae, who would lead him further in his adventure. The Graeae were three women who shared a single eye among them. So, when one of them was about to give the eye to one of the others, Perseus grabbed it and blackmailed them to aid him. So, the Graeae informed him that he should find the Nymphs of the North to get the Cap of Darkness which would make him invisible, as well as a magic bag. After getting these two items, Perseus eventually went to the lair of Medusa and her sisters, whom he found sleeping. He wore the Cap of Darkness, and unseen managed to kill Medusa using the sickle; he then used the shield to carry the head and place it into the magic bag, for even though it was dead, the head still have the potential to turn someone into stone. Medusa's sisters woke up and attacked Perseus, but he flew away using his winged sandals. On his way back to Seriphus, he had many adventures; in one of them, he came across the Titan Atlas, who was condemned to carry the heavens on his shoulders. To release him of his pain, Perseus turned him into stone using Medusa's head, so that he would no longer feel the weight of his burden. Later on, he saw what looked like a statue chained to a rock, so he went to investigate. He saw that it was not a statue, but a woman, and asked her why she was chained to the rock. "My name is Andromeda", she replied, "and I have been punished because of my vain mother. She boasted that I was more beautiful than the Nereids. Poseidon was angered and said that I must be sacrificed to a sea monster," she said. Even as she spoke a monster rose from the sea. Perseus pulled Medusa's head out of the bag; the sea monster turned to stone and crumbled to pieces. Perseus cut Andromeda's chains and took her to her father, King Cepheus of Phoenicia. When Perseus asked Andromeda's hand in marriage, Cepheus gladly agreed. So, Perseus and Andromeda set off for Seriphus. On the way they stopped at Larisa, so Perseus could compete in some games that were held at that time; however, when he threw a discus, it hit an old man who instantly died. The man was Acrisius and therefore, the prophecy became true; after mourning, Perseus and Andromeda set off again. When they arrived at Seriphus, the first person they met was Dictys, the fisherman who had brought Danae and Perseus ashore many years ago. Dictys told them how Polydectes had never really married, but since Danae wouldn't marry Polydectes, he forced her to be his handmaiden. Perseus was furious, so he asked Dictys to take care of Andromeda, in order to avenge for his mother's mistreatment. Perseus stormed to the palace, walked in and said, "Let all who are my friends shield their eyes!" So saying he raised Medusa's head and Polydectes and his courtiers were immediately turned to stone. Perseus and Andromeda lived happily for many years and their descendants became great kings, the greatest of them all being Heracles, the strongest man in the world. Eventually, Perseus was killed by Dionysus. To be immortalised, Perseus and Andromeda were turned into stars and would live together in the sky.
Theseus
Theseus was a Greek hero in Greek mythology. While having all the qualities of a traditional hero, such as strength and courage, he was also intelligent and wise.
His early adventures benefited the city and region of Athens, helping in the consolidation of the Athenian power through shrewd political maneuvering. He also led the Athenian army on a number of victorious campaigns. He was also credited as the founder of democracy, voluntarily transferring many of his powers as king over to an elected assembly. He gained a reputation for helping the poor and oppressed. His shedding of power also made it easier for him to continue going on adventures after his rule. "Not without Theseus" became a popular Athenian saying, reflecting the belief he should be included in any important undertaking. While growing up, he looked up to his older cousin Heracles. Theseus and Heracles later saved each other's lives; Heracles through his strength; Theseus through his wisdom. In middle age, his wisdom deserted him. He began going on foolish adventures, and making bad decisions. His efforts to produce an heir for the throne led to more problems. The people of Athens grew tired of the turmoil he produced. Eventually, he died in exile. The city did not bother to bring his body home. Generations passed without much thought being given to Theseus. Then, during the Persian wars, Athenian soldiers reported seeing the ghost of Theseus and came to believe that he was responsible for their victories. The Athenian general Kimon received a command from the Oracle at Delphi to find Theseus' bones and return them to Athens. He did so, and he was reburied in a magnificent tomb that also served as a sanctuary for the defenseless.
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Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Oct 12, 2015 8:34:23 GMT -5
Midas' Golden Touch
Silenius the Satyr, drunken companion of Dionysus, once fell asleep in the mountains of Phrygia, and was captured by the pesants living there. These pesants brought a chained Silenius before King Midas. Midas, recognising the satyr, released him immediately and brought him the city's shrine ot Dionysus. Greatful to have his friend back, Dionysus agreed to grant Midas anything he desired. Midas asked the god to grant him the ability to trun anything that he touched into gold. Diolysus asked Midas if this is what he really wanted, and upon Midas' assurances, granted his wish. Midas happily returned to his palace, touch everything he passed and turning it instantly into gold. Midas was insanely happy at first, but as time went on he became hungry. Reaching for an apple he tried to take a bite, but instead of a juicy apple his lips were met with an apple of gold. He dropped the apple, and attempted to take a sip of wine, but the moment his lips touched the wine it to turned into gold. Spitting out the metalic liquid Midas saw the folly of his wish and begged Dionysus to take back the "gift" he had been given. Assured that the king had learned his lesson, Dionysus told Midas to wash himself in the waters Pactolus. Midas rushed to the river and washed himself, and was returned to normal.
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