The Greatest Heroes before the Trojan War

The definition of hero (from Merrian-Webster)

1 a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with
great strength or ability;
b: an illustrious warrior;
c: a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities;
d: one that shows great courage.
2 a: the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work;
b: the central figure in an event, period, or movement.
I. Perseus
Perseus
Grandson to ing !crisius of !rgos
"on of #ana$ who was visited by %eus in the form of golden rain and gave
birth to &erseus
'(iled with #ana$ to a small island
Given a task by &olytectes, the ruler of the island who wishes to kill him
and marry his mother
Perseuss quest (to kill Medusa)
Given a sword by )ermes and a bron*e shield by !thena
&laying trick on the three G+!'!' , who have only one eye and one tooth
+eaching the nymphs of the ,orth and asking for direction of -edusa
+ewarded with sandals, a magic wallet and a cap
Great qui!ment of "illin# Medusa
)ermes.s sword
!then.s shield
/inged sandals from the nymphs of the ,orth
! magic wallet from the nymphs of the ,orth
! cap from the nymphs of the ,orth
Perseuss heroi$ deeds
illing -edusa, the mortal one of three Gorgons, with the weapons he was
offered by )ermes and !thena
&erseus saved !ndromeda by killing the sea serpent in 'thiopia.
!fter &erseus returned to the country ruled by &olytectes, &erseus held up
the head of -edusa. 0hen &olydectes and his guest were turn into stone.
&erseus participated a contest of discus throwing and accidentally killed
!crisius, his grandfather, by discus.
II. Her$ules
Her$ules
"on of %eus and !lcmena
'ight months old kills the "erpents.
,ot intelligent, but brave, confident
0old by !lcides, the priestess, to perform twelve labors in order to make
himself immortal
)ercules ascended to 1lympus and lived among the gods.
Her$uless t%el&e labors
1. 0o kill the lion of ,emea
2. 0o kill a creature with nine heads called )ydra
2. 0o bring back alive a stag with horns of gold and sacred to !rtemis
3. 0o capture a great boar
4. 0o clean the !ugean stables in a single day
5. 0o drive away the "tymphalian birds
6. 0o go to 7rete and fetch from there the beautiful savage bull
8. 0o get the man9eating mares of ing #iomedes of 0hrace
:. 0o bring back the cattle of )ippolyta
1;. 0o bring back the cattle of Geryon
11. 0o bring back the Golden !pples of the )esperides
12. 0o bring 7erberus up from )ades
III. Theseus
Theseus
0he great !thenian hero
0he son of !egeus
0aking a <ourney to find father 9 !egeus
Theseuss heroi$ deeds
illed -inotaur which was a creature that was part man and part bull. =t
dwelt at the center of the >abyrinth, which was an elaborate ma*e9like
construction built for ing -inos of 7rete and designed by the architect
#aedalus and his son =carus who were ordered to build it to hold the
-inotaur.
!fter killing -inotaur, 0heseus took his trip back to his father. ?ut he
forgot to change the color of this sail from black to white. /hen his father
saw the black sail, he <umped into the sea and was killed.
-arried !riadne.s sister &haedra and therefore drew terrible misfortunes on
her and on himself and on his son )ippolytus