Greek Heroes

Achilles
Achilles was a Greek hero, most famous for his part in the Trojan War. He
was the son of Thetis and Peleus, the king of Myrmidons.

POSEIDON and ZEUS were in love with Thetis, but Prometheus warned
them of a prophecy that said that the son of Thetis would become greater
than his father. This led to the Olympian gods leaving, and Thetis went on
to marry Peleus.

When he was born, Thetis dipped Achilles in the river Styx to make him
immortal. She held him by the heel as she dipped him in, and because his
heel did not touch the water, it was the only part of him that could be
harmed. In some versions of that story, she covered Achilles in ambrosia –
the food of the gods – and put him on top of a fire in order to burn away his
immortality.

Achilles commanded fifty ships which contained fifty Myrmidons each

during the start of the Trojan war. However, at first because of a mistake
they landed in Mysia which was then ruled by Telephus who was wounded
by Achilles. He was told that only Achilles could heal him, and in return,
Telephus guided them to Troy.

When Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaeans, enslaved a woman called

Chryseis, her father – who was a priest of APOLLO – begged the god to
help him. Apollo sent a plague down to the Greeks. Agamemnon agreed to
return the girl, but only in exchange for Achilles by handing over his prize –
a woman named Briseis. Achilles was furious at this dishonour and
retreated from battle. His friend Patroclus went on his stead.
Hector killed Patroclus in a battle which enraged Achilles. Killing Hector
was not enough for Achilles so he dragged his dead body with his chariot
during the funeral games held for Patroclus. However, Hector’s brother
shot an arrow (said to be guided by Apollo) to his heel instantly killing
Achilles. This is where the term “Achille’s heel” comes from.

Roles and Responsibilities of Achilles

 He was said to be the greatest warrior of Homer’s Illiad.
 He killed Hector and dragged him in his chariot.

Appearance and Personality of Achilles

 He was said to be supremely handsome and had supernatural
strength.
 He was also said to be extremely loyal and sacrifice for his friends and
family but he was vengeful and easily angered when he did not get
what he wants.

Facts about Achilles

 He was predicted to die a hero in a battle.
 He was burned by his mother, dipped in a river of styx, dressed with
ambrosia and was given a shield and a sword forged by
 Hephaestus as per request of her mother.
 He retreated from the Trojan war when Agamemnon took Briseis, his
wife in replacement of Chryseis.
 He returned to the battlefield when he heard that his friend, Patroclus
died.
 He was killed by Paris by shooting an arrow to his heel (guided by
Apollo).
 He killed Hector and dragged him in the chariot despite the latter’s
plea to be buried in their land, he was ignored by Achilles and threw
him in the heaps of garbage. In some sources Hector returned him to
his land.
 His mother was pursued by Zeus and Poseidon but they were warned
by Prometheus that Thetis would bore a son that will be greater than
his father.
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, also known as the King of Macedonia, was a famous
Greek king who came to the throne in the year 336BC. He is widely
regarded as being one of the most successful military commanders in all of
history and was responsible for changing the face of the ancient world. See
the fact file below for more facts about Alexander the Great:

 Alexander the Great’s real name is Alexander III of Macedon.

 He was born in July 356BC in Pella, the ancient capital city of
Macedonia. His exact birth date is unknown as the Ancient Greeks
followed their own calendar. Alexander the Great was born in the
Greek month of Hekatombaion.
 Alexander the Great became King of Macedonia in 336BC at the age
of 20. His father, King Philip II was assassinated, leaving the throne
for his son Alexander to take.
 When Alexander took the throne he ordered for all of his rivals to the
throne to be killed to ensure no-one would try to take his new position.
 During his lifetime, Alexander the Great was also known as the
Pharaoh of Egypt, the King of Persia and the King of Asia as a result
of his conquests.
 Alexander the Great was taught by the famous philosopher Aristotle
between the age of 13 to 16 years old.
 When Alexander took to the throne in Greece he commanded the
Greek army to continue his father’s legacy and try to take control of
the Persian Empire. The army was successful and after 10 years of
battles, Alexander overthrew the King of Persia (Darius III) and took
on his title.
 The Battle of Gaugamela (now in Northern Iraq) is one of Alexander
the Great’s most famous battles.
 In 326BC, Alexander the Great invaded India, declaring that he
wanted to conquer the entire world (the Ancient Greeks thought that
India was the end of the Earth). However, many people died and his
army decided to turn back.
 Alexander the Great founded more than 70 cities in the ancient world.
He named more than 20 of them ‘Alexandria’ after himself.
 In total, Alexander the Great led his army 11,000 miles and created an
Empire that covered over 20 million square miles.
  He was named Alexander ‘the Great’ because he and his army had
never been defeated.
 Alexander the Great was married three times during his life: a girl
called Roxana whom he loved and then two Persian princesses
named Stateira and Parysatis whom he married for political reasons.
He also had a harem of women.
 It’s thought that Alexander the Great produced two heirs in the form of
two sons although this fact has never been confirmed.
 His invasion techniques were so successful that military academies
around the world still teach some of his tactics.
 It’s believed that Alexander the Great died of fever in Babylon in June
323BC. He died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II and was 32 years
old.
 Even today, historians are still unsure as to what exactly caused
Alexander the Great’s death. Some think that he may have been
poisoned whereas others think he may have developed typhoid or
malaria.
 After his death, Alexander the Great’s body was placed in a gold
sarcophagus filled with honey, which was then placed in a gold casket

Bellerophon
Perseus is not the only one to ride the winged horse, PEGASUS.

Bellerophon (Bellerophontes) is also granted the right to ride the magical

steed. Though prophecies and divine intervention abound in this man’s life,
he still meets a tragic end due to his careless arrogance.

In Corinth before it is called Corinth, Bellerophon is born a demi god

to POSEIDON and Eurynome. His mother is no ordinary mortal,
as ATHENA has tutored her to match wit and wisdom with the gods.
Eurynome’s husband, Glaucus, assumes that the child is his and rears him
as his own son.

It is of little wonder that Bellerophon is fond of horses, both of his fathers

have significant association with them. Poseidon gives humanity the first
horse, and Glaucus makes his horses more vicious in battle by feeding
them human flesh. From childhood Bellerophon dreams of riding the
legendary Pegasus, and it becomes his first quest.

The young lad makes several valiant efforts, but the winged horse always
eludes him and he looks for help. The seer Polyeidus advises him to spend
the night in a temple of Athena.

Bellerophon dreams of the GODDESS giving him a golden bridle and

awakens to find that she has actually given him such a gift. He immediately
and appropriately makes a sacrifice to Athena and Poseidon before
seeking out Pegasus. He finds the wondrous horse grazing in a meadow
and is finally able to ride him.

King Pittheus of Troezen was so impressed by Bellerophon’s conquest of

Pegasus that he gives him his daughter’s hand in marriage. It is a happy
moment for the hero, but it is only the beginning of a series of misfortunes
that he cannot seem to escape. Before the wedding takes place,
Bellerophon accidentally kills a man who turns out to be his brother. After
he is banished, he goes to Argos to be pardoned for his crime by King
Proetus. Bellerophon receives the king’s blessing, but more trouble stirs
while he is enjoying the king’s hospitality.

The king’s wife, Anteia, falls in love with Bellerophon. When he rebuffs her
attempts to seduce him, she tells Proetus that Bellerophon has made
unwanted advances toward her. This puts the king in a very awkward
position. He must address the insult, but he does not want to violate the
rules of hospitality. It is common knowledge that Zeus was very hostile
toward those who broke the bond between host and guest. Instead of
incurring the wrath of the god of gods or letting Bellerophon go unpunished,
Proetus asks him to deliver a letter to his father-in-law, the king of Lycia.
Since Lycia was so far away and the letter was of some urgency, he
reasoned that Bellerophon could make it there in no time at all on the back
of Pegasus.

The message in the letter requests that the Lycian king kill Bellerophon. By
the time the king gets around to reading the letter, Bellerophon has been in
his company for nine days. He finds himself in the same dilemma as
Proetus and decides to send the unfortunate lad on an expedition to slay
the unconquerable Chimaera. This is a four-legged hybrid creature made of
a lion (head in the front), a goat (head in the middle of the back), and a
snake (head in the back). Since Bellerophon could attack from above,
dispatching the CHIMAERA was a rather easy task for him. The Lycian
king had no choice but to send him back to Proetus.

Proetus sends Bellerophon on two more deadly expeditions with the same
result. The Solymi are mighty warriors and natural enemies of Proteus’
wife’s people. When Bellerophon conquers them he is sent to confront THE
AMAZONS, warrior women who take after their father, ARES. They, too,
fall to Bellerophon. On his return trip, he is confronted by the army of the
Lycian king at Proetus’ request. When they are all slain, Proetus is once
again impressed. The king becomes convinced that someone who finds
such favor with the gods cannot be the dishonorable house guest that his
wife claims. Proetus gives Bellerophon half his kingdom and his daughter’s
hand in marriage.

What happens next is certain, but how it happens is unclear. It would seem
that Anteia comes to her end either by her own hand because her beloved
is to marry another and her lie will be revealed, ruining her, or Bellerophon
takes her for a ride on Pegasus and drops her from the sky to her death.
Either way the hero is set for life with a beautiful wife, quite a bit of prime
real estate, the favor of THE GODS, and an untarnished reputation for
bravery and courage. His wife bears him two strong sons and two beautiful
daughters, poems are written about his deeds, and he is remembered in
songs throughout Greece. As a king he is loved and respected by his
subjects. No man could possibly ask for more, but evidently, this is not
enough for Bellerophon.

The success he has experienced over the years, as well as the accolades
that come with it, have fed his arrogance and boosted his ego out of
control. His confidence was necessary to defeat his adversaries, but now it
has grown out of the bounds of human containment. Bellerophon forgets
his place in the mortal world and determines that he is made for even
greater things that what he has been given. He believes that he is invincible
with Pegasus, great enough to take whatever he wants.
One day he decides that he will pay the gods a visit, as they are the only
ones who are his equal. It is a blasphemy that no god can tolerate.
Bellerophone sets out for Mt. Olympus on the back of Pegasus, but does
not make it far. Through an agent of Zeus or because the winged horse
knows better, Bellerophon is thrown from his trusty steed and descends to
the ground. Pegasus is welcomed in the beauteous stalls of Olympus
where he is cared for with Zeus’ other horses. When ZEUS needs a
thunderbolt, it is Pegasus who brings him the thunder and lightning.

Bellerophon survives the fall, but he is bitter about his situation.

He is crippled from the fall and shunned by humanity for his disfavor with
the gods. He wanders the world alone and unloved, feasting on his own
soul until he finally dies.

HOME » HEROES » HERACLES

Heracles
Heracles is one of the most recognised and famous of the divine HEROES in Greek mythology.
The son of ZEUS and the mortal woman Alcmene, he was considered the greatest of the heroes,
a symbol of masculinity, sire of a long line of royal clans and the champion of the Olympian
order against terrible monsters.

Heracles was known for his extraordinary strength, courage and cleverness. When his brawn
would not suffice, he would call upon his wits to outsmart the King Augeas of Elis or
tricking ATLAS into taking the weight of the heavens once again. With HERMES, Heracles was
the patron and protector of gymnasia, and he was a playful individual playing games and
entertaining children. He was often portrayed with a lion skin and a club. The most famous
stories of his life were The Twelve Labours of Heracles.

Heracles was born to the mortal woman Alcmene and Zeus, who disguised himself as her
husband Amphitryon home early from the war. Heracles’ existence was proof of Zeus’ illicit
affairs and HERA, his wife, enraged by this conspired against him as revenge for her husband’s
infidelities.
Heracles was born with a mortal twin, Iphicles, whose father was the real Amphitryon. Fearful of
Hera’s revenge, Alcmene exposed Heracles but he was taken to Hera by ATHENA (the protector
of heroes), and Hera not recognising him nursed him out of pity.

With this divine milk, Heracles acquired supernatural powers and Athena returned him back to
his parents who raised him and named him Alcides, and it was only later that he would become
known as Heracles as an attempt to pacify Hera. This attempt did not work, and when Heracles
and Iphicles were eight months old, Hera sent two giant snakes to their chambers. Heracles, even
at a young age, was, able to grab and strangle the snakes.

In Thebes, Heracles married King Creon’s daughter Megara. Hera, still spiteful, induced a fit of
madness in Heracles and he killed his children. After his madness had been cured by hellebore,
he fled, ashamed, to the Oracle, of Delphi. Unfortunately for Heracles, Hera guided the Oracle,
and he was directed to serve his sworn enemy, King Eurystheus for ten years and perform any
task asked of him in repayment for his crime of killing his children.

The Twelve Labours of Heracles

Heracles was given Twelve Labours which would purify him of his sins and grant him
immortality. The Twelve Labours were:

1. Slay the Nemean Lion

2. Kill the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra
3. Capture the Golden Hide of Artemis
4. Capture the Erymanthian Boar
5. Clean the Augean stables in a single day
6. Slay the Stymphalian Birds
7. Capture the Cretan Bull
8. Steal the Mares of Diomedes
9. Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
10. Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon
11. Take the apples of the Hesperides
12. Capture and bring back CERBERUS, the Guardian of the Underworld

After completing this tasks, with help and encounters from numerous prominent figures in Greek
mythology, Heracles joined the Argonauts in a search for the Golden Fleece. Heracles would fall
in love with Princess Iole of Oechalia, her father King Eurytus promised her hand in marriage to
anyone who could beat his sons in an archery contest. Heracles won, but the King abandoned his
commitment, and Heracles advances were spurned by the King and his sons, except for the son
Iphitus. Heracles killed the king and his sons, abducted Iole and Iphitus became Heracles best
friend. However, once again, Hera would drive Heracles mad, and he threw his best friend over
the city wall to his death. To purify himself of this sin Heracles served Queen Omphale of Lydia
for three years dressed in women’s clothes and doing women’s work. Eventually, he was freed
and married his captor, some sources mention a son born to the two of them.
Heracles would go on to be apart of many more adventures and tribulations; his life ended when
he was married to Deianira, who tricked by a former foe of Heracles, accidently poisoned her
husband via a shirt dipped in venom. Since Heracles was a demi-god, he suffered a painful and
slow demise. He would go on to climb Mount Etna where he built his funeral pyre and lay down
with his head resting on his club and Nemean lion’s skin covering him. Eventually, Zeus
enveloped him in a cloud and took him to dwell in the stars amongst the CONSTELLATIONS.

Other Interesting Facts:

 In Rome and the modern West, he is known as Hercules with whom Roman emperors including
Commodus and Maximian would identify themselves with
 The Romans adopted the Greek stories describing Heracles life to their mythology and details of
his cult were adapted in Rome as well, of course, some anecdotal details have been changed and
modified to better support the Roman life and legacy
 In Hesiod’s Theogony, he recorded that Heracles shot and killed the eagle that tortured
Prometheus (the hero who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to mortals), freeing the hero and
Prometheus, in turn, made predictions regarding the future great deeds of Heracles
 Heracles was the only hero in Greek mythology who had cults established all over Greece
dedicated to him, his super feats in overcoming monsters made him a protector of many city
states

s Odysseus
In GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Odysseus is the great-grandson of HERMES,
one of the twelve Olympian Gods. He is the son of Laertes, the king of
Ithaca, and Anticlea and the husband of Penelope and father of a child
named Telemachus.

Known for his leadership skills, wit, and intelligence, Odysseus is most
famous for his ten-year journey had after the Trojan War. It’s during this
time he was involved in a series of adventures and faced many obstacles
as he struggled to return home to his wife and son.

Odysseus’ journey is told in the story “The Odyssey,” a classic story written
by the ancient Greek bard Homer. The rest of Odysseus’ life beyond what’s
told in this tale of his struggles to return back home after the Trojan War is
based on accounts from various sources. Although many details are fairly
consistent.

Childhood and Early Life

Odysseus was born on isle of Ithaca. During his childhood, he displayed
impressive athletic abilities. He enjoyed archery and did very well at it.
Young Odysseus also liked to hunt with his dog, Argos, often going along
with him. He is not a god, but he does have a connection with the gods on
his mother’s side of the family.

While on one hunting trip, Odysseus was gored by a wild boar, an incident
that left a scar. It soon became evident during his early that Odysseus
possessed certain unique abilities and talents, including an ability to solve
problems and outwit opponents.

Odysseus was also known for his speaking abilities. It was often said that
once he spoke, no one could resist him. It was his intelligence that
attracted the attention of ATHENA, a goddess who would become
Odysseus’ protector during the Trojan War and later during his attempts to
return home. She would prove to be a trusted source of advice and
guidance.

Early Adult Years

Before he married Penelope, Odysseus tried to attract the attention of
Helen of Troy, making him one of her many suitors. It was when he was
trying to attract the attention of Helen of Troy, who wasn’t interested
enough to choose him, that he met her cousin, a woman named Penelope.
She would prove to be just as clever and intelligent as he was known to be,
a fact that made the two a perfect match for one another.

Odysseus made a deal with Helen’s father (King Tyndareus) that he would
find a way to prevent Helen’s suitors from battling each other and would
vow to defend the chosen suitor against anyone who would wrong him or
attempt to do him harm (Oath of Tyndareus) if he would help him win over
Penelope. King Tyndareus agreed. Odysseus won approval from
Penelope’s father, Icarius of Lacedaemon, by defeating him a foot race.
Helen married a man named Menelaus and Odysseus married Penelope.

Odysseus became ruler of a group of people who lived on islands not far
from the northwest coast of Greece. These people were called the
Cephallenians. He lived with Penelope in a palace on the island of Ithaca
that he built himself. Even so, Odysseus was not considered a rich man.
Him and his wife had a child named Telemachus. Soon after his birth,
Helen eloped with Paris, which is what ultimately led to the Trojan War.

During the Trojan War

Helen’s husband, Menelaus, invoked the Oath of Tyndareus when his wife
was abducted by Paris, who had been one of the suitors who lost out to
him. Not wanting to leave his wife and young son, Odysseus pretended to
be insane and unfit to help Menelaus.

However, when Palamedes of Euboia came to get Odysseus, he was

suspicious and doubted that Odysseus was truly insane. So, he placed
Odysseus’ young son in front of a plow as a test to see if the boy’s father
had really gone mad. When Odysseus swerved to avoid hitting his son, it
became clear he was faking. Odysseus was then drawn into the Trojan
War.

Odysseus fought in the Trojan War with Achilles. While Odysseus admired
Achilles’ skills as a gallant warrior, the two men did now like each other.
They had an ongoing dispute over what mattered the most, brains or brawn
(strength).

None-the-less, it was Odysseus who was able to convince Achilles,

considered one of the best of the Greek fighters of his time, to leave his
wife and children to fight in the war. The dispute between Odysseus and
Achilles came to an end when the gallant warrior was fatally injured in his
one weak spot, his heel. After Achilles died, Odysseus competed to win his
weapons and other arms.

It was predicted that the battle for Troy would not be won until the bow and
arrows of HERCULES could be obtained. These items were located on an
island called Lemnos. Odysseus and a friend named Diomedes who was
fighting in the war with him sailed to the island. They convinced the
possessor of the bow and arrows, Philoctetes, to come back with them.
The battle continued for many years. At one point, it looked as if the Greeks
were going to lose. In fact, they pretended to sail away in defeat and left a
wooden horse was left behind. However, it was a trick. The large wooden
horse was taken into the city as a victory trophy for having “defeated” the
Greeks. Once the gates to the city were opened to allow the grand gift
inside, Odysseus and the other warriors came out from the inside of the
wooden horse.

The war was over and Odysseus began his journey back home. In some
stories, it’s claimed that Odysseus is the one who came up with the idea of
using the Trojan Horse as a hiding place. As a result of this trick, the
Spartans were defeated and the Greeks were victorious in recapturing the
City of Troy.

Journey Back Home

The Gods were reportedly angry over the fact that the Greeks used trickery
and deceit to win the war rather than win in a “fair” fight. Because of this,
they vowed to make it difficult for Odysseus and his men to return home. It
was the goddess Athena who intervened to help Odysseus get back home.

During his journey home, Odysseus faced many obstacles. While on the
island of Kikones, his first stop, he was given twelve flasks of wine by
Apollo. When he set sail again, Odysseus and his men encountered a
fierce storm.

Odysseus and his crew were eventually carried to the shores of an island
inhabited by a race of people who ate lotus plants that grew on the island,
referred to as the Lotus Eaters. When noticing that his men soon lost all
desire to return home after eating the plants, Odysseus realized it had
something to do with the plants and forced them back on the ship.

Odysseus and his men then made their way to an island called Cyclopes,
inhabited by one-eyed giants. While most of them were peaceful, one of
them was a man-eating Cyclops named POLYPHEMOS. He also
happened to be the son of the god of the sea, Poseidon.
Odysseus was able to tempt the man-eater with enough wine to get him
drunk. He then had his men turn Polyphemos’ staff into a spike. He used it
to blind him so he could escape from the island. Polyphemos asked his
father to help him get back at Odysseus. According to some accounts, this
is really the action that caused Odysseus’ delay in getting home rather than
an act of the gods related to how the Trojan War was fought or the trick
with the wooden horse.

In later adventures, Odysseus was given a flask that contained all of the
winds of the world, except the one he needed to get back home. At one
point, Odysseus and his men were almost home until one of his crewmen
opened the flask and unleashed the winds. The ship was then blown
backwards and Odysseus would have to resume his voyage home.

The determined voyager and his crew members would encounter giants
who pelted them with rocks, which resulted in the loss of many of
Odysseus’ men. The journey back home also involved a meeting with a
sorceress named Circe who turned some of Odysseus’ men into swine.
Odysseus was able to use a gift from Hermes that made him immune to
sorceress’ spells.

While not initially fond of each other, Odysseus and Circe became lovers
and enjoyed a year together. After this period of time, Odysseus decided to
continue on his journey home. Surprisingly, Circe not only let him go
without putting up a fight or attempting trickery, but she offered him some
advice.

She suggested that Odysseus seek guidance from a seer in the underworld
who would be able to give him directions to get home. While going to the
underworld, Odysseus met his own mother and several fallen heroes,
including ACHILLES.

Odysseus was warned by Circe to stay away from THE SIRENS. They are
seductive creatures with heads that made them appear to be women. He
had his men place wax in their ears so they wouldn’t be drawn in by their
singing. And Odysseus was tied to the ship so he could enjoy their singing
without falling under their control.
The Greek hero would face more rough seas and lose several more men.
Odysseus and his men found refuge on an island with herds tended
by HELIOS, the son of the TITAN HYPERION, one of the twelve Titan
children who played a role in overthrowing URANUS, the god who
represented the sky.

Odysseus was warned not to touch his herd of animals. However, his men
were hungry and ate some of the animals. An angry Helios caused
Odysseus’ ship to capsize. All of Odysseus’ men perished, leaving him as
the only survivor.

After drifting at sea for several days, Odysseus washed up on the shores of
an island called Ogygia. It was here that he met the nymph Calypso. He
became enchanted with her and spent seven years in her capture. The two
appeared to live a happy life together during those years.

During their time together, Calypso would have a son by Odysseus named
Nausithous. She grew fond of Odysseus and tried to convince him to stay
with her forever. She tried to convince him to stay by promising him some
appealing perks, including the gifts of eternal youth and immortality.

Despite the tempting offers, Odysseus made the decision to continue his
attempt to find his way back home. Athena once again intervenes on behalf
of Odysseus and asks ZEUSto free him of Calypso’s spell. After the
intervention from Zeus, she set Odysseus free and gives him wine and food
and materials for a raft. Odysseus then resumed his quest to return to his
wife and son in Ithaca.

POSEIDON, still angry over the blinding of his son by Odysseus, once
again creates a fierce storm. It’s so powerful that it rocks his raft and
eventually causes it to break apart. A battered and bruised Odysseus
washes up on the shores of the island of Scheria.

Odysseus soon discovers that the island is home to the Phaeacians. He

finds himself being cared for by the daughter of the island’s king, Nausikaa.
He first appears to King Alcinous, her father and the king of the island, as a
beggar in an attempt to win his favor and receive sympathy and a helping
hand getting back home.
He soon reveals himself to be Odysseus. The king likes Odysseus and
wants to see him get back home to his wife and son. He agrees to help him
get home. Odysseus is given a magic ship that can sail itself since he no
longer has a crew. He is finally able to make it all the way home without
any further obstacles or unexpected stops on islands.

Return Home
After being away from home for a decade, Odysseus was little more than a
distant memory for many people there, especially since he was involved
with the Battle of. Yet his wife had remained faithful. Many on Ithaca
assumed Odysseus had died either during the war or at sea when
attempted to return home. Penelope used her wit to keep the potential
suitors away.

The suitors had grown frustrated with Penelope’s efforts to put off making a
decision about who she would marry and came up with a plan to kill her
son. Before making himself known to his wife, Odysseus disguised himself
as a beggar, an idea given to him by Athena.

Athena once again intervenes and advises Odysseus to disguise himself as

a beggar in order to help his wife fight off the suitors and protect his son.
Once disguised as a beggar, Odysseus visits the palace to see what has
been going on since he’s been gone and to determine how to best rid his
wife of those unwanted suitors.

However, Odysseus’ former childhood nurse, Eurycleia, recognizes him by

the scar on his thigh from where he was attacked by a boar was a child. His
dog, Argos, also recognizes him. Unfortunately, Argos soon dies after
Odysseus returns home.

Odysseus reveals himself to his son, Telemachus. He promises to keep his

father’s secret until the situation with the suitors is resolved. Still thinking
him to be nothing more than a beggar, the suitors make fun of Odysseus
and have several laughs at his expense.
Penelope comes up with the idea of holding a contest to determine which
of the suitors she will marry. She declares that she will marry the first man
who is able to string the bow of the bow and arrows that belonged to the
king.

One by one, the suitors attempt to string the bow. Each one fails. Finally,
the beggar asks to be given a chance to attempt to string the bow. The
suitors laugh and tell him to give it a try, thinking he’ll easily fail and they’ll
et a good laugh out of watching him.

“The Beggar” quickly strung the bow, much to the surprise of Penelope and
the suitors. He then revealed his true identity. The suitors soon discovered
that Telemachus had removed all weapons from the wall in advance of the
efforts with the bow and arrow. Odysseus then used the remaining arrows
to take care of the suitors and resume his rightful position with his wife.

Final Years
There are two different accounts of the final years of Odysseus’ remaining
years of life. According to one account of the rest of the Greek hero’s life,
Odysseus lived quietly and happily with his wife for many years after
returning home, surviving until a ripe old age and died peacefully.

There is another story of Odysseus’ final years that has a tragic twist. In a
battle that took place on the island of Ithaca, an older Odysseus was killed
by Telegonos, the son he had with Circe. Ironically, Telegonos was
unaware that the man he had killed was really his father.

Perseus
Perseus was one of the oldest out of all of the Greek mythological heroes.
He is best known in Greek mythology as the slayer of Medusa, one of three
female creatures, or Gorgons, with hair said to be made of poisonous
snakes.

Perseus and his origins on Argos

Perseus was thought to exist several generations before the
famous HERACLES(Hercules). He was born to Danae, his mother, who
was a mortal (meaning that she was not a God). Danae was the daughter
of the king of Argos, King Acrisius. King Acrisius had once sought advice
from the oracle at Delphi because he had been unable to have a son. In
Greek mythology, oracles were like fortune tellers and Acrisius was seeking
information for his future. The oracle told King Acrisius that he would one
day be killed by his daughter’s son.

King Acrisius was determined to keep that from happening, so he decided

to lock up his only daughter, Danae. According to the legend, she was
imprisoned in a bronze enclosure (some versions of the story say that it
was a tall bronze tower, other versions report that it was actually an
underground prison that was open to the sky). His goal was to keep her
from male suitors so that she could not become pregnant.

The myth goes on to say that through the opening in her enclosure, the
great GOD ZEUScame to her in a golden rainfall. From that meeting with
the very amorous Zeus, Danae did become pregnant and had a child while
still imprisoned. That child was the legendary Perseus. Thus, Perseus was
known as a demigod, meaning that he was born of both mortal (his mother,
Danae) and immortal (his father, Zeus) parents. When King Acrisius
realized that his daughter had, in fact, had a child, he feared for his life, but
was unable to take the lives of his daughter and grandson. Instead, he
responded by locking Danae and Perseus in a wooden chest and casting
them out to sea.

Perseus on the Island of Seriphos

Perseus and his mother, Danae experienced calm seas after being cast out
of Argos. The legends say that Zeus played a role in that by speaking to
Poseidon, the God of the sea, so that they may have a calm journey.
Eventually, Danae and Perseus washed up onto the shores of the island of
Seriphos, an Aegean island. There, they were found by a fisherman called
Diktys. He proceeded to help raise Perseus on the island of Seriphos.

Perseus spent many years at Seriphos. He was known there as a young

man with great physical strength as well as great courage. Danae stayed
there as well. She happened to catch the eye of the brother of Diktys, who
was also the King of the island. His name was King Polydectes. The King
wished to court Danae, but Perseus did not want that for his mother and he
therefore became an obstacle for the king.

King Polydectes needed a way to rid himself of Perseus so that he could

get to Danae. Perseus was eventually overheard boasting about his
physical strength, saying that he could single-handedly kill the dreaded
Gorgon Medusa. This was the opportunity that King Polydectes was
looking for. He presented a challenge to Perseus that if he could not make
good on his boast to kill Medusa, then the King would take possession of
his mother.

Perseus and the Graiai

With the challenge from King Polydectes, Perseus was started on a
mission to slay the Gorgon Medusa. Medusa was one of the three
Gorgons, sisters who were known for their hair made of venomous snakes
and who could turn men to stone with just a single look. Medusa was the
only one of the Gorgons who was mortal (meaning that she could be killed).

Perseus first consulted the Gods, who advised him to seek out the Graiai.
The Graiai were actually 3 other sisters of the Gorgons. The myth states
that the Graiai were three old witches who had only one tooth and one eye
between them. Perseus was said to have stolen the eye and would only
return it for information on finding Medusa and also information on finding
the cap of HADES (a cap that made the person invisible when he wore it)
as well as winged sandals to enable him to fly. He also asked for the
kibisis, a special bag that he would use to carry the head of Medusa.

In order to get their eye back, the Graiai gave in and helped Perseus to find
the items he asked for. With those items as well as a sickle given to him by
the God HERMES, Perseus was on his way to attempt to slay Medusa.

Perseus and Medusa

The Gorgon MEDUSA, along with her sisters Sthenno and Euryale, were
said to live at the ends of the Earth beyond the oceans. Perseus was able
to fly to their lair thanks to his flying sandals that he now had.

Using the cap of Hades to render him invisible, he was able to find and
silently slay Medusa with the sickle that he received from Hermes. In
addition to killing Medusa, this event was said to be the birth event
of PEGASUS, the mythological winged horse, and his brother Chrysaor,
who were said to have emerged from the severed neck of Medusa.

Upon slaying Medusa, the other Gorgon sisters were alerted and tried to
subdue Perseus. However, the God Athena assisted Perseus with fleeing
and he was able to escape with the head of Medusa in the kibisis.

Perseus and Andromeda

Perseus was triumphant in his quest to kill the Gorgon Medusa. While on
his journey back to the Island of Seriphos where his mother awaited, he
came across the beautiful Andromeda. The legends say that Andromeda
was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, who were the king and the
queen of Ethiopia.

Cassiopeia had bragged about Andromeda’s beauty, saying that she was
more beautiful than the Nereids. The Nereids were sea nymphs, or female
spirits of the sea. Poseidon, being the God of the sea, was angered by the
boasting of Cassiopeia. Out of his anger, POSEIDON sent a great flood to
Ethiopia. He also sent a sea monster to wreak havoc on the territory. It was
said that the only way to appease Poseidon was to offer up Andromeda as
a sacrifice to the sea monster, and so that was done. Andromeda was kept
chained to a rock by the sea monster, which is where she was first seen by
Perseus as he journeyed back from Medusa’s lair.

Perseus immediately fell in love with Andromeda. In order to marry her, he

offered a trade to Cepheus, the King. He would slay the sea monster that
was terrorizing the kingdom and in return would take Andromeda’s hand in
marriage. The king accepted the deal. Perseus easily slayed the sea
monster using the weapon that he carried in his kibisis: the slain head of
the Gorgon Medusa. One look at Medusa and the sea monster was turned
to stone.
The head of Medusa also brought about another casualty.

Phineus, who was the brother of King Cepheus, also wanted to marry
Andromeda and claimed that she had been promised to him. He decided to
claim Andromeda for himself and stood in the way of her union with
Perseus. Perseus again used Medusa’s head to defeat his competition,
turning Phineus to stone just as he did the sea monster.

Return to Seriphos
After his victorious defeat of Medusa and his marriage to Andromeda,
Perseus continued back to Seriphos where his mother awaited. Upon his
return, he quickly learned that King Polydectes had been abusive to his
mother Danae while he was away on his quest.

Infuriated, Perseus brought the head of Medusa to the king, but instead of
just giving the severed head to Polydectes, he again used it as a weapon
against his foe. Showing the king the head of Medusa gave him the same
fate as Poseidon’s sea monster and Phineus. This, in turn, made Diktys,
the fisherman who raised Perseus, the new king since he was the brother
of Polydectes.

Finally, Perseus would be rid of Medusa’s head when he presented it as a

gift to the God ATHENA.

Perseus and the Oracle’s Prophecy

The myths say that Perseus eventually returned to Argos with Danae and
Andromeda. King Acrisius had gone to Larissa in Greece, probably to avoid
Perseus. However, Perseus went to Larissa in search of his grandfather.
Perseus was, of course, known as a great athlete with tremendous
strength. Upon arriving at Larissa, he found that there were funeral games
being held there. He joined in the games and participated in a discus
throwing event. As fate would have it, Perseus threw a discus which went
off track and into the crowd. The discus hit and immediately killed King
Acrisius, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the oracle at Delphi so many years
before this event.

Perseus, King of Mycenae

After causing the prophesized death of his grandfather Acrisius, Perseus
was noted to be ashamed to take the kingdom for his own. Instead, he
offered the kingdom of Argos to Megapenthes who was his uncle and the
ruler of Tiryns. In exchange, Perseus would become the ruler of Tiryns.

From there, it is said that Perseus went on to form the Kingdom of

Mycenae. The legends vary on this part of his life, just as there are
variations to the other stories of his life. A popular story is that he did take
up residence there as King along with Andromeda. After years of ruling
over the kingdom of Mycenae, he died of old age.

Since he was a loyal servant to the Greek mythological Gods, he was

placed in the skies among the skies along with Andromeda and Cassiopeia
and has remained there forever.

Facts About Perseus

In Greek mythology, various old texts are used as references along with
centuries old artifacts and drawings. Many variations of the old stories have
been told. For example, in one version of the story of Perseus, the oracle’s
prophecy was fulfilled when Perseus showed Medusa’s head to Acrisius to
prove that he had actually slain her. This, of course, would have killed
Acrisius and still fulfilled the prophecy.

There are variations in the other stories of Perseus, as well as in all of

Greek mythology. Since there are differing texts and stories, it is important
to note the parts of the legends that are fairly consistent. Those are noted
here for a “quick facts” reference:

• Perseus was the son of Danae and had a mortal father, Danaos, but was
believed to actually be the son of Danae and Zeus.
• Perseus was one of the oldest of the Greek heroes, predating Heracles
(Hercules) by three generations.
• Since Zeus was thought to have fathered both Perseus and Heracles, that
made Perseus the great grandfather of Heracles . . . but also his half-
brother!
• King Acrisius was afraid of his fate because an oracle said he would be
killed at the hands of his future grandson (which would turn out to be
Perseus).
• To prevent having a grandson, Perseus imprisoned his own daughter,
Danae in a bronze enclosure (either a tower or an underground enclosure).
• The God Zeus fathered Perseus when he had relations with Danae even
though she was locked away.
• King Acrisius sent Danae and Perseus away at sea locked in a chest out
of fear for the oracle’s prophecy.
• Perseus was raised by a fisherman, Diktys, on the island of Seriphos,
where he was eventually challenged by the King of Seriphos to slay the
Gorgon Medusa.
• Perseus stole the eye of the three Graiai in order to convince them to give
the location of Medusa as well as items used to slay her: the invisibility cap
of Hades, the kibisis to carry her head, and winged sandals to enable him
to fly.
• After killing the Gorgon Medusa and escaping from her two immortal
sisters, he found Andromeda on the journey back.
• He eventually wed Andromeda after rescuing her and slaying Poseidon’s
sea monster. He also had to kill Phineus, another suitor of Andromeda, in
the process.
• Upon returning to Seriphos, Perseus found out that his mother, Danae,
was forced to hide from the King of Seriphos because of his abuse of her.
Perseus presented Medusa’s head to him, killing him with her stare. This
resulted in Diktys, the fisherman who raised Perseus, becoming the new
king.
• Although there are differing stories as to how it happens, the oracle’s
prophecy is eventually fulfilled by the death of King Acrisius at the hands of
Perseus after he returns to Argos and then to Larissa, either by accidentally
striking him with a discus or by showing him Medusa’s head to prove that
he had slain her.
• Perseus eventually reigns over Mycenae with Andromeda and dies of old
age (at least in one version of the myth)!
• Perseus has been falsely associated as being a rider of Pegasus, the
winged horse. It was a Greek hero, Bellerophon, who tamed and used
Pegasus in battle. The association of Perseus with Pegasus involves the
beheading of Medusa which set forth the first appearance of Pegasus.

Theseus
Not many heroes are best known for their use of silk thread to escape a
crisis, but it is true of Theseus. The Greek demi-god is known for feats of
strength but is even better remembered for divine intelligence and wisdom.
He had many great triumphs as a young man, but he died a king in exile
filled with despair.

Early Life
Theseus grew up with his mother, Aethra. She was the daughter of
Pittheus, the king of Troezen. Theseus had two fathers. One father was
Aegeus, King of Athens, who visited Troezen after consulting the Oracle at
Delphi about finding an heir. He married Aethra then left her behind, telling
her that if she had a child and if that child could move a boulder and
retrieve the sword and sandals he had buried underneath, then she should
send that child to Athens. Theseus’ other father was POSEIDON, the god
of the sea, who joined Aethra for a seaside walk on her wedding night.

When Theseus grew up, he easily picked up the large boulder and found
his father’s items, so his mother gave him directions to Athens. Rather than
take the safer sea route, he chose to take the land route even though he
knew there would be multiple dangers ahead. Along the road he had to
fight six battles. He defeated four bandits, one monster pig and one giant,
winning every battle through strength and cunning.

When Theseus arrived at Athens, he did not reveal himself to his father.
His father had married the sorceress MEDEA. She recognized Theseus
and wanted to kill him. First, she sent him on a dangerous quest to capture
the Marathonian bull. When he was successful, she gave him poisoned
wine. Medea’s husband knew of her plan. However at the last moment,
Aegeus saw Theseus had the sword and sandals he had buried and
knocked the cup from his hand. Medea fled to Asia. Aegeus welcomed
Theseus and named him as heir to the throne.
Battle with the Minotaur
Sometime later came Theseus’ greatest challenge. Every seven years King
Minos of Crete forced Athens to send seven courageous young men and
seven beautiful young women to sacrifice to the MINOTAUR, a half-man,
half-bull creature that lived in a complicated maze under Minos’ castle. This
tribute was to prevent Minos starting a war after Minos’ son, Androgens,
was killed in Athens by unknown assassins during the games. Theseus
volunteered to be one of the men, promising to kill the Minotaur and end
the brutal tradition. Aegeus was heartbroken, but made Theseus promise to
change the ship’s flags from black to white before he returned to show that
he had succeeded.

When Theseus arrived in Crete, King Minos’ daughter Ariadne fell in love
with him and promised to help him escape the labyrinth if he agreed to take
her with him and marry her. He agreed. Ariadne brought him a ball of silk
thread, a sword and instructions from the maze’s creator DAEDALUS –
once in the maze go straight and down, never to the left or right.

Theseus and the Athenians entered the labyrinth and tied the end of the
thread near the door, letting out the string as they walked. They continued
straight until they found the sleeping Minotaur in the center. Theseus
attacked and a terrible battle ensued until the Minotaur was killed. They
then followed the thread back to the door and were able to board the ship
with the waiting Ariadne before King Minos knew what had happened.

That night Theseus had a dream – likely sent by the god DIONYSUS –
saying he had to leave Ariadne behind because Fate had another path for
her. In the morning, Theseus left her weeping on the Island of Naxos and
sailed to Athens. Heartbroken, perhaps cursed by Ariadne, Theseus forgot
to change the ship’s flags from black to white.

His father, seeing the black flags on the approaching ship, ASSUMED
THESEUS WAS DEAD. Aegeus threw himself off the cliffs and into the sea
to his death. The sea east of Greece is still called the Aegean Sea.

Ariadne would later marry Dionysus.

King of Athens
Theseus became King of Athens after his father’s death. He led the people
well and united the people around Athens. He is credited as a creator of
democracy because he gave up some of his powers to the Assembly. He
continued to have adventures.

During one of his adventures, he travelled to the Underworld with his friend
Pirithous, who was pursuing Persephone. Both friends sat on rocks to rest
and found that they could not move. Theseus remained there for many
months until he was rescued by his cousin HERACLES, who was in the
Underworld on his 12th task. Pirithous had been led away by Furies in the
meantime and was not rescued.

On another adventure with Heracles, he set out to rescue

the AMAZON Queen Hippolyta’s girdle. After the quest, Theseus married
her and they had a son named Hippolytus. When Hippolytus was a young
man, he caused a fit of jealousy between the
goddesses APHRODITE and ARTEMIS.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, caused Phaedra, who was Theseus’

second wife and Ariadne’s younger sister, to fall in love with her stepson.
Phaedra killed herself and left a note blaming Hippolytus’ bad treatment of
her for her actions.

When Theseus saw the note, he called on his father Poseidon to take
revenge on Hippolytus. A sea monster frightened the horses of Hippolytus’
chariot so that he was thrown from it, got tangled in the reins and dragged.
Then Artemis let Theseus know he had been deceived and he ran to find
his son, who died in his arms.

Due to his despair over losing his wife and his son, Theseus quickly lost
popularity and the support of his people. He fled Athens for the Island of
Skyros, where the king feared Theseus was plotting to overthrow him and
pushed him off a cliff and into the sea to this death.

After His Death

Some ancient Greeks believed Theseus was a historical king of Athens.
During the Persian Wars from 499 to 449 B.C., Greek soldiers reported
seeing Theseus’ ghost on the battlefield and believed it helped lead them to
victory. In 476 B.C., the Athenian Kimon is said to have found and returned
Theseus’ bones to Athens and then built a shrine that also served as a
sanctuary for the defenseless.

The ship Theseus used to sail to Crete was also believed to have been
preserved in the city harbor until about 300 B.C. As wooden boards rotted
they were replaced to keep the ship afloat. In time, people questioned
whether any of the boards could have been from the original ship, which
led to a question philosophers debate called the Ship of Theseus Paradox:
“Is an object that has had all of its parts replaced still the original object?”

Quick Facts about Theseus

— Semigod (demigod) with two fathers, including the sea god Poseidon
— Defeated the Minotaur
— King of Athens credited with development of democracy
— Lost his throne after the death of his wife and son
— Aegean Sea is named for his human father
— Frequently depicted in ancient and Romantic art
— Experienced six tasks on his journey to Athens
— Some believed him to be based on a historic kin

Daedalus
Daedalus was well known as a genius inventor in Greek mythology and he
is both a central part of several myths as well as a side character in a few
others. He is perhaps best known for two things, though – he is both the
architect behind the Labyrinth and the father of the tragic figure, Icarus.

Daedalus and the Labyrinth

To say that Daedalus was a genius is an understatement. He was known
as the best craftsman, the best artist, and the best inventor in all of Greece.
He, along with his sons Icarus and Iapyx, could construct almost anything.
It was due to this fact that Daedalus was called upon by the king of Crete,
Minos.

Through a number of mishaps and god-related incidents, a creature called

the Minotaur had been born on Crete. This creature was half-man, half-bull
and was incredibly dangerous. The danger was so great, in fact, that Minos
commissioned a massive maze, the Labyrinth, to keep the creature locked
away. The story went that Minos forced the king of Athens to send seven
young men and seven young women to be sacrificed to
the MINOTAUR each year as tribute, a process that only ended when
Minos’ own daughter, Ariadne, assisted the hero Theseus in killing the
Minotaur and escaping the maze.

Daedalus and Icarus

After building the Labyrinth, Minos became jealous of the secret of the
maze’s construction. He wanted to make sure that no one else would ever
have access to Daedalus or his inventions. As such, Daedalus was
imprisoned in a tower on Crete along with his son, Icarus.

Being a clever man and inventor, a tower would not be enough to keep
Daedalus locked away. He created two pairs of wings, one for his son and
one for himself. These wings were made with feathers, but were glued
together with wax. The wings would work, with two exceptions – if they flew
too high, the sun would melt the wax, while going too low would soak the
feathers and cause the men to fall.

Though the wings worked, Icarus was too excited when he flew. Depending
on the source, Icarus was either too foolhardy or too afraid when he was
flying. In either case, he forgot his father’s warning and flew too close to the
sun. The wax on the wings melted and Icarus fell into the ocean. While the
island of Icaria would be named for him, Daedalus was never the same.

Daedalus on Sicily
While Icarus may have drowned, Daedalus eventually made his way to
Sicily and into the friendly court of King Cocalus. While he may have been
a bright man, he felt that he had still been favored by the gods in his
escape. One of the first things he did on Sicily was to build a temple to the
god APOLLO and to sacrifice the wings that saved him in the name of the
god.

Unfortunately for Daedalus, Minos realized that his inventor had escaped
and searched across the Greek world for him. Minos knew that Daedalus
could not resist a challenge, so he asked all that he met to run a string
through a sea shell. No one could accomplish this task, of course, until
Minos arrived in Sicily. Cocalus knew that Daedalus would be able to solve
the riddle, and thus Minos found out that his lost inventor was in Sicily. All
was not lost for Daedalus, though, as Cocalus tricked Minos and had him
killed, giving Daedalus his safety and ending the threat of the tyrannical
king.

Daedalus and Perdix

While Minos might have guarded Daedalus’ secrets, he certainly wasn’t as
proud of the accomplishments as Daedalus himself. Later in his life,
Daedalus moved from Sicily to Athens took on his nephew Perdix as his
apprentice. When Perdix managed to invent a saw and a compass with
relative ease, Daedalus flew into a rage. He pushed the younger man off
the Acropolis in Athens, where he would have fallen to his death were it not
for divine intervention. Daedalus was marked with a scar in the shape of a
bird on his shoulder, and ended up fleeing Athens in shame.

After this point, Daedalus disappears from myth as a cautionary tale about
pride and jealousy.

The Tragic Story of Icarus

A Cautionary Tale
A young man named Icarus holds center stage in a very memorable tale
from ancient Greek mythology. Even today, some people recount this story
as a cautionary warning. Overconfidence sometimes produces disastrous
results!
The Son of a Famous Craftsman
Icarus became well known in legends mainly on account of his father,
Daedalus, a master craftsman and skilled artisan. The grandson of a
former Athenian leader, Erechtheus, DAEDALUS developed a reputation
as an ingenious builder.

During Icarus’ early childhood, his family resided in the City of Athens, a
very beautiful place. Athenians enjoyed a rich cultural life. Magnificent
buildings, lovely works of art and a variety of attractive hand-made goods
enabled many people in Athens to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Daedalus
and his family prospered there.

Life As Exiles
Daedalus had already acquired fame as a skilled inventor, when one of his
nephews joined his household. The young man, known as “Talos” (or
“Perdix”), showed great promise as a craftsman, also. He apparently
possessed more talent then Icarus.

At first, Daedalus took great pride in his nephew’s accomplishments. Yet as

more people began to appreciate Talos’ abilities, Daedalus slowly grew
jealous. He perhaps feared his nephew might one day surpass him as an
inventor. Daedalus finally committed a terrible deed: he pushed the young
man from a great height, killing him. As a result of this crime, Daedalus had
to leave Athens and flee into exile. His son Icarus accompanied him.

A Labyrinth
The pair set out in a boat and sailed across the blue waters of the
Mediterranean Sea. They received an invitation to join the court of King
Minos of Crete. The ruler lived in a splendid palace on the lovely Island of
Crete.

King Minos welcomed Icarus and his father to his kingdom. Daedalus had
acquired fame as a builder. King Minos asked him to construct an elaborate
labyrinth beneath his palace. A “labyrinth” is basically a maze of
passageways and tunnels. The structure built by Daedalus involved so
much complexity, anyone entering would have enormous difficulty finding a
way out.

A Dark Secret
King Minos required the labyrinth for a sinister reason. The king used the
labyrinth as a prison for the Minotaur, a fearsome creature.
The MINOTAUR possessed the head of bull and the body of a man. Queen
Pasiphae of Crete had given birth to the Minotaur after he husband, King
Minos, offended the sea god Poseidon. Guilt-ridden and afraid, King Minos
wanted to keep the Minotaur hidden away inside the Labyrinth and out of
public view.

As it happened, the Minotaur would have a great impact on the lives of both
Daedalus and Icarus. Events unfolded in an unexpected manner. The
father and son would eventually find themselves fleeing for their lives!

A Love Story

At seven year intervals, the people of Crete sent fourteen captives from
Athens into the Labyrinth for the Minotaur to eat. Finally, an Athenian hero
named Theseus volunteered to join the group of victims, hoping to destroy
the Minotaur. When the brave young man arrived in Crete, King Minos’
daughter, Ariadne, fell madly in love with him. She begged Daedalus to
help her find a way to help save Theseus from certain death in the
Labyrinth.

Daedalus came up with an ingenious idea. HE GAVE ARIADNE A BALL

OF STRING to give to Theseus. As the young man walked through the
maze, he unwound the string behind him. He fought and killed the Minotaur
and succeeded in returning alive through the confusing Labyrinth by
following the trail of string.

Escaping a Prison
King Minos felt Daedalus had betrayed his trust. He ordered his guards to
imprison both Daedalus and Icarus in a high tower above the palace.
Daedalus feared for their lives. He devised a plan to escape with Icarus. He
wanted to leave Crete and journey to the distant Island of Sicily.

An ingenious craftsman, Daedalus built two sets of wings, one for himself
and the other for his son. He fashioned them out of feathers and wax. As
he put the wings on Icarus, he instructed the young man to fly carefully
beside him. He warned him heat would melt the wax, so they must not
travel close to the sun.

A Story of Hubris

The ancient Greeks called foolish arrogance or overconfidence “HUBRIS”.

Unfortunately, Icarus became a model for this character flaw.

The father and son took off from the tower and began flying over the sea
towards Sicily in their man-made wings. Despite Daedalus’ warning, Icarus
soared higher and higher. Apparently, he believed his wings gave him god-
like powers. The wax inevitably melted. Foolish Icarus plummeted into the
sea. He drowned and never reached Sicily.

Jason
Jason: A Different Type of Greek Hero
Jason’s Story

There are many heroes, foes, and gods in Greek mythology. Some of the
most recognized names are ZEUS and HERA. Of course, there is
also HADES, the god in charge of the underworld. Perhaps one of the most
famous figures in Greek mythology is Hercules (or HERACLES as he was
known by Greeks), but there are more tales to be told such as Jason’s.
Jason’s story is one with many twists and turns, and it spans over decades.
One could say his story starts at birth, but the truth is that Jason’s journey
was actually part of Hera’s plan to seek revenge against his uncle.

Who is Jason’s Uncle?

Jason’s uncle was not one to be trifled with. His name was Pelias, and he
is the reason why Jason did not grow up as royalty. His father was the
lawful king of Iolcus, but Pelias wanted the throne and usurped it from his
brother.

Pelias was so evil that he did not bat an eye when he threw his brother into
prison. Jason’s fate was not looking too good since all this was happening
while he was still an infant. Pelias was going to have him murdered to
preserve the throne for himself.

Jason’s mother decided to fake her son’s death to save his life during the
overthrow of the king. Pelias believed Jason’s mother and did not search
for the infant who was being wrapped in a bundle and abandoned in the
wilderness. Jason was placed in a cave, and it turned out to be the home of
Chiron the CENTAUR.

Chiron, a Father Figure

Centaurs like Chiron were regarded as wild beasts who mostly got drunk
and were quick to anger; in short, they were quite uncivilized, but Chiron
was not like that. Chiron was regarded as a kind and civilized centaur. He
was an intelligent creature who understood medicine, nature, astrology,
combat, and the art of healing among other things.

Chiron was known as a nurturer and tutor, especially to young heroes. It

was not hard for Chiron to become attached to Jason who became one of
the many heroes who trained under him. Other heroes who trained with
Chiron included Ajax, Theseus, and Achilles, just to name a few.

Jason learned a lot from Chiron that he would later use to fulfill Hera’s
revenge against his Uncle.
Why was Hera so Angry With Jason’s Uncle?

One trait that many of the gods in GREEK MYTHOLOGY had in common
was pettiness. Hera, the Queen of all the heavens, hated King Pelias
because he chose to honor all the GODS when he took the throne but
omitted her. She considered this an insult worth his death, but this had to
be done carefully. This hatred provoked her to focus her attention on
Jason.

She needed a true hero to exact her revenge on King Pelias. To do that,
she had to guide Jason’s fate. For example, Hera was behind Jason ending
up with Chiron where he received a proper hero’s training.

Jason grew up, and Hera made sure that he had the heart of a true hero
before bestowing all of her divine aid to him. Jason did leave Chiron’s care
and set off to reclaim his throne. At this point, Hera decided to test the
young hero. On his way to his kingdom, Jason came across an old woman
who asked for help crossing the stream. It was up to him to continue his
course and pay her no mind or help the old lady.

The heart of the hero shined because he did not worry about his quest
when he saw that this old woman needed his help. Jason carried her on his
back and crossed the stream with her. Not long after this, he began to feel
like he would not be able to complete the task because the old woman was
heavier than he imagined.

The old woman was actually Hera in disguise. Now, some wrote that she
revealed herself to Jason while others wrote that she never revealed
herself to her savior. Still, he had passed her test, and Hera vowed to help
Jason and his endeavors from then on.

It should be noted that Jason lost his sandal during the stream crossing,
which may sound insignificant, but an oracle spoke to King Pelias and
warned him that a stranger with a single sandal would be dangerous to
him.
Jason continued on his journey but now with the full support of the Queen
of Olympus, even if he was not aware of this.

Jason’s Quest to Reclaim his Throne

Jason finally arrived to Iolcus, the land that was rightfully his, and found his
uncle Pelias still in control while his father still imprisoned. King Pelias was
quick to notice that he was missing a sandal and cunningly invited him to
dine with him. Jason let his guard down and simply talked to the king. Of
course, Jason was an honest man and informed the king of his intentions.
He was there to reclaim his throne, and that was it.

King Pelias asked if he was truly sure that he could lead a kingdom having
no experience. Jason said he was sure that he could handle whatever
situation was presented to him. The king asked him about the kinds of
dilemmas that rulers of kingdoms find themselves in. One thing that King
Pelias asked his nephew was how he would get rid of a person who was
giving him trouble without killing him.

Jason was eager to give a good answer to prove himself a worthy

successor. He suggested that the person be sent on a quest to obtain the
Golden Fleece. This was a quest that many heroes failed to complete.
Jason’s suggestion paved his own future because it was something that
King Pelias decided to do. He knew that the chances of succeeding were
slim, and he knew that he would likely not return.

Pelias told his nephew that this was to be his quest. A quest that would
make him a hero amongst men and king amongst his people. Jason
thought it through and agreed to the mission.

Jason needed a ship for the expedition and also had to gather heroes to
accompany him. There were many heroes who thought that the journey
was worthy, even though the king did not. One of the heroes who signed up
to voyage with Jason was none other than Heracles (or Hercules).

Hera asked ATHENA, the goddess of crafts, to make sure that Jason’s ship
was worthy of such a voyage, and Athena decided to help.
The entire group of heroes were called the Argonauts, and they set sail as
soon as the ship was completed. The crew went through quite a number of
strange adventures on their way to Colchis, which is the mythical region
where the Golden Fleece was located. For one, they landed on the island
of Lemnos where they found that only women lived as they killed all the
men. This happened after APHRODITE cursed the women for not
worshiping her correctly. The Argonauts stayed for the night but quickly left
the island.

THE ARGONAUTS arrived at a land called Doliones. The people of this

land were kind to them and welcomed them with open arms. It was there
where the crew wanted to gather supplies to continue their voyage, but the
only region where they would find supplies belonged to a race of giants
called Gegeines. Of course, the crew had to battle these giants to gather
enough supplies. Thankfully, Heracles was able to deal with most of these
giants, and the crew helped as well.

Jason set sail shortly after their battle but made a mistake that caused
them to go back to Doliones. This was a regrettable mistake because the
good people of this land, confused by the night, thought Jason and his crew
were enemies. They attacked the crew and many of them perished. The
Argonauts stayed for their funeral before continuing.

Jason finally made it to Thrace where he met King Phineus. This king was
plagued by a curse bestowed upon him by Zeus. The curse involved
the HARPIES, which were bird-like creatures with the heads of women that
prevented the king from eating whenever it was time to eat. The Harpies
would defecate on his food, and the king just could not eat after that. Jason
and his crew helped the king deal with his problem, and the king was so
grateful that he helped them on their expedition.

The king told them where Colchis was and also shared a secret about the
Symplegades, which were stones that crushed any ship that tried to cross.
He told them to devise a diversion that would cause the rocks to crash
while they made their way through, which worked. The ship made it through
this obstacle with nothing more than some repairable damage.
The mythical land of Colchis is finally reached, and Jason finds King
Aeetes. He is the owner of the Golden Fleece and finds that he will not let
go of this treasure as easily as he might have hoped. Still, Aeetes is not an
unreasonable king and decides to give Jason an opportunity to earn the
right to claim the Golden Fleece.

Jason is to perform three tasks for the king. Hera is able to see trouble and
formulates a plan to help Jason. She knows that the king’s tasks are not
meant to be easy; in fact, he assumes that Jason will perish trying to
complete them. Hera asked Aphrodite to intervene on her behalf by making
Medea, the king’s daughter, fall madly in love with Jason. It should be
noted that MEDEA is not one to be trifled with. She, besides being the
king’s beloved daughter, is also an incredibly skilled sorceress.

Medea’s love for Jason guides her to help him on all his tasks. The first
was to plow the field using the Khalkotauroi. These are large oxen with
razor sharp hooves that could kill a man swiftly. If that was not enough, the
oxen were quite wild and breathed fire.

Medea made an ointment for Jason that would protect him from the oxen’s
hooves and their fire. This is how Jason was able to complete his first task,
but his tasks were not done yet. He was asked to sow seeds after
completing his first task, but what he did not know was that these seeds
were dragon teeth. Each seed grew into stone warriors who were bent on
killing Jason. No doubt that Jason was to meet his demise at their hand,
but Medea offered a little advice. She told Jason to throw stones discreetly
at the soldiers and he did. The soldiers were confused as to who struck
them, so they began to fight amongst each other. In the end, these soldiers
killed each other, leaving Jason unharmed.

Jason’s last task was to overcome a dragon that guarded the Golden
Fleece. This brawny, young hero was ready to charge ahead with his
sword, but Medea offered something a little less tiresome. He was smart
enough to stop and listen to Medea, who offered him a sleeping potion.
Jason made the dragon fall asleep, and taking the Golden Fleece was a
piece of cake.
The young hero returned to Iolcus after a long and treacherous journey
where he found his father dying. Medea made a potion to help him regain
his health for a few more years. Jason was able to reclaim his throne as a
triumphant hero. Still, there is no doubt that Jason was a different type of
hero because he overcame his obstacles with the help of Medea and Hera.

A Few Facts About Jason

 Was abandoned at birth

 Father was imprisoned by his brother, Pelias
 Pelias dethroned Jason’s father
 Trained with Chiro the Centeur
 Favored by Hera, Queen of Olympus
 Was part of the Argonauts, along with Heracles (Hercules)
 Tasked with the retrieval of the Golden Fleece
 Tamed fire-breathing onex called Khalkotauroi
 Tricked stone warriors into killing each other
 Retrieved the Golden Fleece by putting a dragon to sleep

Meleager
In Greek mythology, Meleager was a heroic figure from Calydon in Aetolia.
His father was King Oeneus and his mother was Queen Althaea. He had a
number of brothers and sisters, including Toxeus, Thyreus, Clymenus, and
Gorge. According to some versions of his story, his father was actually
Ares, the god of war, with whom his mother had a relationship. Meleager
was married to a woman named Cleopatra, and he had a daughter named
Polydora.

Important facts about Meleager:

 From city of Calydon

 Son of King Oeneus
 Member of the Argonauts
 Central figure in Calydonian boar hunt
When Meleager was seven days old, the Fates visited his mother to tell his
future. Two of the sisters, Clotho and Lachesis, foretold that Meleager
would be brave and accomplish heroic feats. However, the third sister,
Atropos, foretold a darker destiny. She said Meleager’s life wouldn’t last
longer than a brand currently burning in the fireplace. Upon hearing this, his
mother immediately pulled the brand out of the fire, put out the flames, and
hid it away in a chest. This meant that Meleager couldn’t be killed in battle.

When Jason went on his quest for the Golden Fleece, Meleager was one of
the Argonauts that accompanied him. Meleager was known for being
skilled with a javelin. In some versions of Jason’s story, Meleager kills King
Aeetes by throwing a spear at him. Other versions don’t show Meleager
playing such an important role.

The Calydon Boar Hunt

The most famous story involving Meleager as a central figure is about the
Calydonian boar hunt. As king, Meleager’s father, Oeneus, was responsible
for praying to the gods before the crops were planted. One year, the king
offered prayers to Dionysus, the god of the grape harvest, but he neglected
to pray to Artemis, who was the goddess of hunting. Artemis became angry
at her exclusion and sent a giant boar to Calydon. The boar ruined the land
and killed the oxen, making it impossible to plant crops.

Oeneus decreed that a hunt should take place to kill the boar, with whoever
struck the final blow getting the boar’s skin as a prize. Meleager returned to
Calydon along with several other Argonauts to participate in the hunt. Also
taking part was the heroine Atalanta and Meleager’s uncles, Cometes and
Prothous. After an extended battle with the boar, Meleager killed it with his
javelin. Meleager had fallen in love with Atalanta, so he decided to give her
the skin instead of taking it for himself.

Cometes and Prothous disapproved of his decision, believing that a woman

was unworthy of such a prize. Meleager argued with his uncles and killed
them over the dispute. When Althaea learned that her brothers were dead
by her son’s hand, she became consumed by grief. This lead her to take
the brand out of the chest and put it in the fireplace. When the brand was
completely burned, Meleager died. In some versions of the myth, both
Cleopatra and Althaea commit suicide following Meleager’s death.