Who is the most famous character in ancient Greek myths? Hellenic mythology
ABDER - son of Hermes, friend of Hercules
AUGIAS - son of Helios, king of Elis
AGENOR - King of Sidon
AGLAVRA - daughter of Kekrop
AGLAYA - one of the graces
ADMET - King Fer, friend of Hercules
ADMETA - daughter of Eurystheus, priestess of the goddess Hera
HADES - god of the underworld (among the ancient Romans PLUTO)
ACID - son of Semetis, lover of Galatea
ACRISIA - king of Argos, father of Danae
ALKESTIS - daughter of King Iolcus Pelia, wife of Admet
ALKIDS - the name of Hercules given to him at birth
ALKION - one of the seven daughters of Atlas
ALCMENE - daughter of the Mycenaean king Electryon, mother of Hercules
AMALTHEA - the goat who suckled Zeus with her milk
AMPHITRYON - Greek hero, husband of Alcmene
AMPHITRITE - one of the daughters of Nereus, wife of the god of the seas Poseidon
ANGEUS - Greek hero, participant in the campaign of the Argonauts
ANDROGEUS - son of the Cretan king Minos, killed by the Athenians
ANDROMEDA - daughter of the king of Ethiopia Cepheus and Cassiopeia, wife of Perseus
ANTEUS - son of the earth goddess Gaia and the god of the seas Poseidon
ANTHEA - wife of King Pret of Tiryns
ANTIOPE - Amazon
APOLLO (PHEBUS) - god of sunlight, patron of the arts, son of Zeus
APOP - in ancient Egyptian mythology a monstrous serpent, the enemy of the Sun god Ra
ARGOS - shipbuilder who built the ship "Argo"
ARGUS - mythological standing monster that guarded Io
ARES - in ancient Greek mythology, the god of war, the son of Zeus and Hera (among the ancient Romans MARS)
ARIADNE - daughter of the Cretan king Minos, beloved of Theseus, later the wife of the god Dionysus
ARKAD - son of Zeus and Callisto
ARTEMIS - goddess of the hunt, daughter of Zeus and Latona, sister of Apollo
ASCLEPIA (ESCULAPIUS) - son of Apollo and Coronis, a skilled healer
ASTEROPE - one of the seven daughters of Atlas
ATA - goddess of lies and deceit
ATAMANT - King Orkhomenes, son of the wind god Aeolus
ATLAS (ATLANT) - a titan holding the entire celestial sphere on its shoulders
ATHENA - goddess of war and victory, as well as wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts (among the ancient Romans MINERVA)
APHRODITE - goddess of love and beauty (among the ancient Romans VENUS)
AHELOY - river god
ACHILLES - Greek hero, son of King Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis
BELLER - Corinthian killed by Hippo
BELLEROPHON (HIPPONOUS) - son of King Glaucus of Corinth, one of the greatest heroes of Greece
BOREAS - god of the winds
VENUS (see APHRODITE)
VESTA (see HESTIA)
GALATEA - one of the Nereids, beloved Akida
GANIMED - a beautiful young man, the son of the Dardanian king Troy, kidnapped by Zeus
HARMONY - daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, wife of the founder of Thebes, Cadmus
HEBE - the forever young beautiful daughter of Zeus and Hera
HECATE - patroness of night evil spirits, witchcraft
HELIOS - god of the sun
HELIADS - daughters of the god Helios
GELLA - daughter of Atamant and the goddess of clouds and clouds Nephele
HERA - wife of Zeus
GERION - a terrible giant who had three heads, three bodies, six arms and six legs
HERCULES - one of the greatest heroes of Greece, the son of Zeus and Alcmene
HERMES - in Greek micrology, the messenger of the Olympic gods, the patron of shepherds and travelers, the god of trade and profit, the son of Zeus and Maya (among the ancient Romans MERCURY)
GERSE - daughter of Cecrops
HESION - wife of Prometheus
HESPERIDES - daughters of Atlas
HESTIA - daughter of Kronos, goddess of the hearth (among the ancient Romans VESTA)
HEPHAESTUS - in Greek mythology, the god of fire, patron of blacksmithing, son of Zeus and Hera (among the ancient Romans VULCAN)
GAIA - goddess of the Earth, from whom the mountains and seas, the first generation of gods, cyclops and giants originated
HYADES - daughters of Atlas who raised Dionysus
GIAS - brother Hyades, who died tragically during a lion hunt
GYLAS - squire of Hercules
Gill - son of Hercules
HYMENEUS - god of marriage
HIMEROT - god of passionate love
HYPERION - titan, father of Helios
HYPNOS - god of sleep
HIPPOCONT - brother of Tiidareus, who expelled him from Sparta
HIPPONOI (see VELLEROPHON)
GYPSIPYLA - queen of the island of Lemnos
GLAUK - king of Corinth, father of Bellerophon
GLAVK - soothsayer
GRANI - goddess of old age
DANAE - daughter of King Acrisius of Argos, mother of Perseus
DAR DAN - son of Zeus and daughter of Atlas Electra
DAPHNE - nymph
DEUCALION - son of Prometheus
DAEDALUS - unsurpassed sculptor, painter, architect
DEIMOS (Horror) - son of the god of war Ares
DEMETRA - goddess of fertility and patroness of agriculture
DEANIRA - wife of Hercules
DIKE - goddess of justice, daughter of Zeus and Themis
DICTIS - a fisherman who found a box with Danae and Perseus in the sea
DIOMEDES - Thracian king
DIONE - nymph, mother of Aphrodite
DIONYSUS - god of viticulture and winemaking, son of Zeus and Semele
EURYSTHES - king of Argos, son of Stenel
EURYTHUS - father of Iphitus, friend of Hercules
EURYTHION - the giant killed by Hercules
EUROPE - daughter of King Agenor of Sidon, beloved of Zeus
EUTERPE - muse of lyric poetry
EUPHROSYNE - one of the Charites (Graces)
HELENA - daughter of Zeus and Leda, wife of Menelaus, because of whose abduction by Paris the Trojan War began
ECHIDNA - a monster, half-woman, half-snake
ZEUS - ruler of Heaven and Earth, thunderer, supreme god among the ancient Greeks (among the ancient Romans JUPITER)
ZET - son of the wind god Boreas, participant in the Argonauts' campaign
ID - cousin of Castor and Pollux, killer of Castor
ICARUS - son of Daedalus, who died because he came too close to the Sun
ICARIUS - a resident of Attica who was the first to grow grapes and make wine
IMHOTEP - Ancient Egyptian physician and architect
INO - daughter of the founder of Thebes Cadmus and Harmonia, wife of King Orkhomenes Adamant, stepmother of Phrixus and Hella
IO - daughter of the river god Inachus, the first king of Argolis, beloved of Zeus
IOBAT - Lycian king, father of Anthea
IOLA - daughter of Bvrit
IOLAI - nephew of Hercules, son of Iphicles
Hippolytus - the son of the Athenian king Theseus and Hippolyta, slandered by his stepmother Phaedra
Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons
IRIDA - messenger of the gods
ISIS - ancient Egyptian goddess, great-granddaughter of the sun god Ra
IPHICLES - brother of Hercules, son of Amphitryon and Alcmene
IPHITUS - friend of Hercules, killed by him in a fit of madness
KADM - son of the Sidonian king Agekor, founder of Thebes
KALAID - son of the wind god Boreas, participant in the Argonauts' campaign
CALLIOPE - muse of epic poetry
CALLISTO - daughter of the Arcadian king Lycaon, beloved of Zeus
KALKHANT - soothsayer
CASSIOPEIA - Queen of Ethiopia, wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda
CASTOR - son of Leda and the Spartan king Tindareus, brother of Pollux
KARPO - ora of summer, one of the goddesses who were in charge of the change of seasons
KEKROP - half-man, half-snake, founder of Athens
KELENO - one of the daughters of Atlas
KERVER (CERBERUS) - a three-headed dog with a snake tail, who guarded the souls of the dead in the underworld of Hades
KEPHEI (see CEPHEI)
KIKN - Phaeton's friend, who turned into a snow-white swan
KILIK - son of the Sidonian king Agenor
CLYMENE - daughter of the sea goddess Thetis, wife of Helios, mother of Phaethon
CLIO - the muse of history
CLYTEMNESTRA - daughter of Leda and the Spartan king Tyndareus, wife of Agamemnon
CAPRICORN - son of Epianus, childhood friend of Zeus
KOPREI - the messenger of Bvrystheus, who conveyed orders to Hercules
CORONIDA - beloved of Apollo, mother of Asclepius (Aesculapius)
CREON - Theban king, father of Megara, the first wife of Hercules
KRONOS - titan, son of Uranus and Gaia. Having overthrown his father, he became the supreme god. In turn he was overthrown by his son Zeus
LAOMEDONT - King of Troy
LATONA (SUMMER) - Titanide, beloved of Zeus, mother of Apollo and Artemis
LEARCH - son of Atamant and Ino, killed by his father in a fit of madness
LEDA - wife of the Spartan king Tyndareus, mother of Helen, Clytemnestra, Castor and Pollux
LYCAON - king of Arcadia, father of Callisto
LYCURGUS - Thracian king who insulted Dionysus and was blinded by Zeus as punishment
LIN - music teacher of Hercules, brother of Orpheus
LINKEUS - cousin of Castor and Pollux, distinguished by extraordinary vigilance
LICHAS - Hercules' messenger
MAYA - daughter of Atlas, lover of Zeus, mother of Hermes
MARDUK - patron god of Babylon, supreme deity of the Babylonian pantheon
MARS (see ARES)
MEG ARA - daughter of the Theban king Creon, first wife of Hercules
MEDEA - sorceress, daughter of the king of Colchis Eeta, wife of Jason, later the wife of the Athenian king Aegeus
MEDUSA GORGON - the only mortal of the three Gorgon sisters - winged female monsters with snakes instead of hair; the gaze of the Gorgons turned all living things into stone
MELANIPPA - Amazon, Hippolyta's assistant
MELIKERT - son of King Atamant and the sorceress Ino
MELPOMENE - muse of tragedy
MERCURY (see HERMES)
MEROPE - daughter of Atlas
METIS - goddess of wisdom, mother of Pallas Athena (among the ancient Romans METIS)
MIMAS - a giant struck by the arrow of Hercules during the battle of the gods with the giants
MINOS - Cretan king, son of Zeus and Europa
MINOTAUR - a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, who lived in the Labyrinth, was killed by Theseus
Mnemosyne - goddess of memory and memories
PUG - a Greek hero who understood the language of birds and guessed the future, a participant in the campaign of the Argonauts
NEPTUNE (see POSEIDON)
NEREIDS - fifty daughters of Nereus
NEREUS - sea god, soothsayer
NESS - a centaur who tried to kidnap Deianira, the wife of Hercules, and was killed by him
NEPHEL - goddess of clouds and clouds, mother of Frixus and Hella
NIKTA - goddess of the night
NOT - god of the southern humid wind
NUT - the ancient Egyptian goddess of the Sky
OVERON - in Scandinavian mythology, the king of the elves, a character in William Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
OINEUS - king of Calydon, father of Meleager - friend of Hercules and Deianira - his wife
OCEANIDS - daughters of the Ocean
OMPHALA - Lydian queen who had Hercules as her slave
ORION - brave hunter
ORPHEUS - son of the river god Eager and the muse Calliope, famous musician and singer
ORFO - two-headed dog, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna
ORY - goddesses who were in charge of the change of seasons
OSIRIS - in ancient Egyptian mythology, the god of dying and resurrecting nature, brother and husband of Isis, father of Horus, patron and judge of the dead
PALLANT - a giant defeated by Athena, from whom she skinned and covered her shield with this skin
PANDORA - a woman made by Hephaestus on the orders of Zeus from clay in order to punish people, the wife of Epimetheus - the brother of Prometheus
PANDROSA - daughter of Cecrops, the first king of Athens
PEGASUS - winged horse
PELEUS - Greek hero, father of Achilles
PELIUS - King Iolcus, father of Alcestis
PENEUS - river god, father of Daphne
PERIPHETUS - a terrible giant, son of Hephaestus, killed by Theseus
PERSEUS - Greek hero, son of Zeus and Danae
PERSEPHONE - daughter of the fertility goddess Demeter and Zeus, wife of the ruler of the underworld Hades (among the ancient Romans PROSERPINE)
PYRRA - wife of Deucalion
PITTHEY - king of Argolis
PYTHIA - prophetess of the god Apollo in Delphi
PYTHON - a monstrous serpent that pursued Latona, was killed by Apollo
PLEIADES - seven daughters of Atlas, sisters of the Hyades
PLUTO (see HADES)
POLYHYMNIA - muse of sacred hymns
POLYDEUCK (POLLUX) - son of Zeus and Leda, brother of Castor
POLYDEKTES - king of the island Serif, who sheltered Danae and Perseus
POLYID - soothsayer
POLYPHEMUS - Cyclops, son of Poseidon, in love with Galatea
POLYPHEMUS - lapith, husband of Hercules' sister, participant in the Argonauts' campaign
POSEIDON - god of the seas, brother of Zeus (among the ancient Romans NEPTUNE)
PRET - king of Tiryns
PRIAM - Trojan king
PROMETHEUS - the titan who gave people fire
RA - the sun god of the ancient Egyptians
RADAMANTHUS - son of Zeus and Europa
REZIA - daughter of the Baghdad caliph, faithful wife of Huon
RHEA - wife of Kronos
SARPEDON - son of Zeus and Europa
SATURN (see KRONOS)
SELENA - goddess of the moon
SEMELE - daughter of the Theban king Cadmus, beloved of Zeus, mother of Dionysus
SEMETIS - mother of Akidas, lover of Galatea
SILENUS - the wise teacher of Dionysus, depicted as a drunken old man
SINNID - a terrible robber defeated by Theseus
SKIRON - a cruel robber defeated by Theseus
SOKHMET - daughter of Ra, had the head of a Lioness, the personification of the fire element
STENEL - father of Eurystheus
STENO - one of the Gorgons
SCYLLA - one of two terrible monsters that lived on both sides of a narrow strait and killed sailors passing between them
TAYGETUS - son of Zeus and Maya, brother of Hermes
TAL - nephew of Daedalus, killed by him out of envy
THALIA - the muse of comedy
TALLO - ora of spring
TALOS - a copper giant given by Zeus to Minos
THANATOS - god of death
THEIA - eldest daughter of Uranus, mother of Helios, Selene and Eos
TELAMON - faithful friend of Hercules, participant in the Argonauts' campaign
TERPSICHORE - muse of dancing
THESENE - Greek hero, son of the Athenian king Aegeus and the Trizen princess Etra, killed the Minotaur
TESTIUS - Estolian king, father of Leda
TEPHYS - titanide, wife of the Ocean
TYNDAREUS - Spartan hero, husband of Leda
TIRESIAS - soothsayer
TITANIA - in Scandinavian mythology, the wife of Oberon, a character in W. Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
TITON - brother of the Trojan king Priam
TYPHON - a hundred-headed monster, the product of Gaia and Tartarus
TOT - the ancient Egyptian god of the moon
TRIPTOLEMOUS - the first farmer who initiated people into the secrets of agriculture
TRITON - son of the ruler of the seas Poseidon
TROY - Dardanian king, father of Ganymede
URANUS - god of Heaven, husband of Gaia, father of the Titans, Cyclops and hundred-armed giants; was overthrown by his son Kronos
URANIA - muse of astronomy
PHAETON - son of Helios and Klymene, hero of a tragic myth
PHEBE - titanide
PHAEDRA - the wife of the Athenian king Theseus, who fell in love with her stepson Hippolytus and slandered him
THEMIS - goddess of justice, mother of Prometheus
PHOENIX - son of the Sidonian king Agenor
THETIS - sea goddess, mother of Achilles
FIAMAT - among the ancient Babylonians, a monster from which all troubles stemmed
PHILOCTETES - friend of Hercules, who received his bow and arrows as a reward for setting fire to the funeral pyre
PHINEUS - king of Thrace, soothsayer, blinded by Apollo for revealing to people the secrets of Zeus
FOBOS (Fear) - son of the god of war Ares
FRIKS - son of Atamant and Nephele, goddess of clouds and clouds
CHALKIOPE - daughter of the king of Colchis Eeta, wife of Phrixus
CHARYBDA - one of the monsters that lived on both sides of the narrow strait and killed sailors passing by
CHARON - the carrier of dead souls across the River Styx in the underworld of Hades
CHIMERA - a three-headed monster, the product of Typhon and Echidna
CHIRO - a wise centaur, teacher of the famous Greek heroes Theseus, Achilles, Jason, etc.
HUON - knight of Charlemagne, an example of a faithful spouse
CEPHEI - king of Ethiopia, father of Ariadne
SHU - son of the sun god Ra
EAGR - river god, father of Orpheus
EURYALE - one of the Gorgons
EURYDICE - nymph, wife of Orpheus
EGEI - Athenian king, father of Theseus
ELECTRA - daughter of Atlas, lover of Zeus, mother of Dardanus and Jasion
ELECTRYON - Mycenaean king, father of Alcmene, grandfather of Hercules
ENDYMION - a beautiful young man, Selena’s lover, immersed in eternal sleep
Enceladus - the giant that Athena overwhelmed with the island of Sicily
ENYUO - goddess who sows murder throughout the world, companion of the god of war Ares
EOL - god of the winds
EOS - goddess of the dawn
Epaf - cousin of Phaethon, son of Zeus
EPIAN - father of Capricorn
EPIMETHEUS - brother of Prometheus
ERATO - muse of love songs
ERIGONA - daughter of Icarius
ERIDA - goddess of discord, companion of the god of war Ares
ERICHTHONIUS - son of Hephaestus and Gaia, second king of Athens
EROS (EROT) - god of love, son of Aphrodite
ESCULAPIUS (see ASCLEPIA)
ESON - King Iolka, father of Jason
EET - king of Colchis, son of Helios
JUNO (see HERA)
JUPITER (see ZEUS)
JANUS - god of time
IAPETUS - Titan, father of Atlas
YASION - son of Zeus and Electra
JASON - Greek hero, leader of the Argonauts' campaign
This is due to the fact that the gods constantly interfered in the lives of ordinary people - a god could fall in love with a woman, and a goddess could give birth to a child from a simple Greek. As a result of such love unions, Greeks were born who were called heroes.
Features of Greek heroes
The heroes lived among other people, but their fate was different from the usual; dangers and difficulties constantly arose on their way. Heroes helped people by defeating monsters that could attack them, and could also teach people something new and unusual.
Some heroes subsequently their exploits were accepted on Olympus and became immortal, and some continued their earthly life. Many myths about such heroes were kept in the memory of the Greeks and other peoples, their fame became immortal, their exploits were sung in songs and poems. The most famous and powerful heroes are Hercules and Perseus.
Myths about Hercules
The life story of the hero Hercules begins with the fact that he was born from the god Zeus and the earthly woman Alcmene. Zeus's wife Hades hated him from birth, because she did not want to forgive his mother for her love for Zeus and for the fact that her husband fell in love with Alcmene.
When the hero was still very young, Hera sent snakes that were supposed to kill him. When the snakes attacked him, Hercules woke up and strangled them. Soon everyone learned that the tiny son of Alcmene managed to defeat two deadly snakes.
Twelve Labors of Hercules
Hercules is famous for his twelve labors, all of which were very difficult and dangerous for his life. Thus, Hercules had to free the cowardly king Eurystheus, his relative.
First, he had to fight a lion, a huge monster that was devastating the surroundings of the city of Nemea. Hercules struck him with his club, and when the lion fell to the ground, he strangled him.
Then Hercules had to defeat the Lernaean hydra, which had nine heads and the body of a snake. The next feat of Hercules was helping the son of the sun god - Augeas. The hero managed to clear the king's barnyard, where there were a hundred bulls, he broke the walls of the yard and let the water of two rivers flow into the gap.
He also managed to subjugate the guardian of the underworld - the dog Cerberus, and brought Eurystheus to his king. But the twelve labors of Hercules are considered the most famous and difficult. His task was to get three golden apples from the gardens of Atlas, who held the vault of heaven on his shoulders.
He fought with Antaeus, the son of the goddess Gaia and the god of the seas Poseidon. During the battle, Hercules' powers were constantly drained when Antaeus constantly renewed his strength from his mother - the earth. But Hercules still managed to defeat his opponent, lifting him above the Earth.
His participation in the battle of the gods with the giants, in which the hero managed to save the gods from death, is also considered a great feat. So he became an immortal god and settled on Olympus.
Hero Perseus
Perseus was also the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Danae. The adventures of Perseus began when he was still small, as his grandfather was predicted that he would die at the hands of his grandson.
Danae's father threw Perseus and his mother into the sea, locking them in a wooden box. Thanks to the strength of Persian, he and Danae managed to escape.
The hero grew into a powerful and strong warrior. Polydectes wanted to destroy him, and therefore sent him to the ends of the earth, where the gorgons lived.
Famous heroes of the ancient world
Agamemnon is one of the main characters of the ancient Greek epic, the son of the Mycenaean king Atreus and Aeropa, the leader of the Greek army during the Trojan War.
Amphitryon is the son of the Tirinthian king Alcaeus and the daughter of Pelops Astydamia, the grandson of Perseus. Amphitryon took part in the war against the TV fighters who lived on the island of Taphos, which was waged by his uncle, the Mycenaean king Electryon.
Achilles is one of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, the son of King Peleus, the king of the myrmidons and the sea goddess Thetis, the grandson of Aeacus, the main character of the Iliad.
Ajax is the name of two participants in the Trojan War; both fought at Troy as suitors for Helen's hand. In the Iliad they often appear hand in hand and are compared to two mighty lions or bulls.
Bellerophon is one of the main characters of the older generation, the son of the Corinthian king Glaucus (according to other sources, the god Poseidon), the grandson of Sisyphus. Bellerophon's original name was Hippo.
Hector is one of the main heroes of the Trojan War. The hero was the son of Hecuba and Priam, the king of Troy. According to legend, he killed the first Greek to set foot on the soil of Troy.
Hercules is the national hero of the Greeks. Son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Gifted with mighty strength, he performed the most difficult work on earth and accomplished great feats. Having atoned for his sins, he ascended Olympus and achieved immortality.
Diomedes is the son of the Aetolian king Tydeus and the daughter of Adrasta Deipila. Together with Adrastus, he took part in the campaign and destruction of Thebes. As one of Helen's suitors, Diomedes subsequently fought at Troy, leading a militia on 80 ships.
Meleager is the hero of Aetolia, the son of the Calydonian king Oeneus and Alphea, the husband of Cleopatra. Participant of the Argonauts' campaign. Meleager's greatest fame came from his participation in the Calydonian hunt.
Menelaus is the king of Sparta, the son of Atreus and Aerope, the husband of Helen, the younger brother of Agamemnon. Menelaus, with the help of Agamemnon, gathered friendly kings for the Ilion campaign, and he himself deployed sixty ships.
Odysseus - “angry”, king of the island of Ithaca, son of Laertes and Anticlea, husband of Penelope. Odysseus is a famous hero of the Trojan War, also famous for his wanderings and adventures.
Orpheus is the famous singer of the Thracians, the son of the river god Eager and the muse Calliope, the husband of the nymph Eurydice, who set trees and rocks in motion with his songs.
Patroclus is the son of one of the Argonauts Menoetius, a relative and ally of Achilles in the Trojan War. As a boy, he killed his friend while playing dice, for which his father sent him to Peleus in Phthia, where he was raised with Achilles.
Peleus is the son of the Aeginean king Aeacus and Endeis, the husband of Antigone. For the murder of his half-brother Phocus, who defeated Peleus in athletic exercises, he was expelled by his father and retired to Phthia.
Pelops is the king and national hero of Phrygia, and then the Peloponnese. Son of Tantalus and the nymph Euryanassa. Pelops grew up on Olympus in the company of the gods and was the favorite of Poseidon.
Perseus is the son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. The winner of the Gorgon Medusa and the savior of Andromeda from the claims of the dragon.
Talthybius - a messenger, a Spartan, together with Eurybates, was Agamemnon’s herald, carrying out his instructions. Talthybius, together with Odysseus and Menelaus, gathered an army for the Trojan War.
Teucer is the son of Telamon and the daughter of the Trojan king Hesione. The best archer in the Greek army at Troy, where over thirty defenders of Ilion fell at his hands.
Theseus is the son of the Athenian king Aeneas and Ethera. He became famous for a number of exploits, like Hercules; kidnapped Elena along with Peirifoy.
Trophonius was originally a chthonic deity, identical with Zeus the Underground. According to popular belief, Trophonius was the son of Apollo or Zeus, the brother of Agamedes, and the pet of the earth goddess Demeter.
Phoroneus is the founder of the Argive state, the son of the river god Inachus and the hamadryad Melia. He was revered as a national hero; Sacrifices were performed at his grave.
Thrasimedes is the son of the Pylos king Nestor, who arrived with his father and brother Antilochus near Ilion. He commanded fifteen ships and took part in many battles.
Oedipus is the son of the Finnish king Laius and Jocasta. Killed his father and married his mother without knowing it. When the crime was discovered, Jocasta hanged herself, and Oedipus blinded himself. Died pursued by the Erinyes.
Aeneas is the son of Anchises and Aphrodite, a relative of Priam, a hero of the Trojan War. Aeneas, like Achilles among the Greeks, is the son of a beautiful goddess, the favorite of the gods; in battles he was protected by Aphrodite and Apollo.
Jason, the son of Aison, on behalf of Pelias, set out from Thessaly for the Golden Fleece to Colchis, for which he prepared a campaign for the Argonauts.
(or their descendants) and mortal people. Heroes differed from gods in that they were mortal. More often these were the descendants of a god and a mortal woman, less often - of a goddess and a mortal man. Heroes, as a rule, had exceptional or supernatural physical abilities, creative gifts, etc., but did not have immortality. Heroes were supposed to carry out the will of the gods on earth and bring order and justice into people's lives. With the help of their divine parents, they performed all kinds of feats. Heroes were highly revered, legends about them were passed down from generation to generation.
The heroes of ancient Greek myths were Achilles, Hercules, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, Jason, Hector, Bellerophon, Orpheus, Pelops, Phoroneus, Aeneas.
Let's talk about some of them.
Achilles
Achilles was the bravest of heroes. He took part in the campaign against Troy led by the Mycenaean king Agamemnon.
Achilles. Greek antique bas-relief
Author: Jastrow (2007), from Wikipedia
Achilles was the son of the mortal Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and the sea goddess Thetis.
There are several legends about the childhood of Achilles. One of them is as follows: Thetis, wanting to make her son immortal, immersed him in the waters of the Styx (according to another version - in the fire), so that only one heel by which she held him remained vulnerable; hence the saying “Achilles’ heel” that exists to this day. This saying refers to someone's weak side.
As a child, Achilles was called Pirrisius ("Ice"), but when fire burned his lips, he was called Achilles ("lipless").
Achilles was raised by the centaur Chiron.
Chiron teaches Achilles how to play the lyre
Another teacher of Achilles was Phoenix, a friend of his father Peleus. The centaur Chiron restored Phoenix's sight, which was taken from him by his father, who was falsely accused by his concubine.
Achilles joined the campaign against Troy at the head of 50 or even 60 ships, taking with him his tutor Phoenix and childhood friend Patroclus.
Achilles bandages the hand of Patroclus (image on the bowl)
The first shield of Achilles was made by Hephaestus; this scene is also depicted on vases.
During the long siege of Ilium, Achilles repeatedly launched raids on various neighboring cities. According to the existing version, he wandered the Scythian land for five years in search of Iphigenia.
Achilles is the main character of Homer's Iliad.
Having defeated many enemies, Achilles in the last battle reached the Scaean Gate of Ilion, but here an arrow shot from the bow of Paris by the hand of Apollo himself struck him in the heel, and the hero died.
Death of Achilles
But there are also later legends about the death of Achilles: he appeared in the temple of Apollo in Thimbra, near Troy, to marry Polyxena, the youngest daughter of Priam, where he was killed by Paris and Deiphobus.
Greek writer of the first half of the 2nd century AD. e. Ptolemy Hephaestion narrates that Achilles was killed by Helen or Penthesilea, after which Thetis resurrected him, he killed Penthesilea and returned to Hades (the god of the underworld of the dead).
The Greeks erected a mausoleum for Achilles on the banks of the Hellespont, and here, in order to pacify the shadow of the hero, they sacrificed Polyxena to him. According to Homer's story, Ajax Telamonides and Odysseus Laertides argued for the armor of Achilles. Agamemnon awarded them to the latter. In the Odyssey, Achilles is in the underworld, where Odysseus meets him.
Achilles was buried in a golden amphora, which Dionysus gave to Thetis.
Hercules
A. Canova “Hercules”
Author: LuciusCommons – foto scattata da me., from Wikipedia
Hercules is the son of the god Zeus and Alcmene, the daughter of the Mycenaean king.
Numerous myths have been created about Hercules; the most famous is the cycle of tales about the 12 labors performed by Hercules when he was in the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.
The cult of Hercules was very popular in Greece, from where it spread to Italy, where it is known by the name of Hercules.
The constellation Hercules is located in the northern hemisphere of the sky.
Zeus took the form of Amphitryon (Alcmene's husband), stopped the sun, and their night lasted three days. On the night he was due to be born, Hera made Zeus swear that today's newborn would be the supreme king. Hercules was from the Perseid family, but Hera delayed the birth of his mother, and his cousin Eurystheus was born first (premature). Zeus made an agreement with Hera that Hercules would not be under the power of Eurystheus all his life: after ten labors performed on behalf of Eurystheus, Hercules would not only be freed from his power, but would even receive immortality.
Athena tricks Hera into breastfeeding Hercules: after tasting this milk, Hercules becomes immortal. The baby hurts the goddess, and she tears him from her breast; the splashing stream of milk turns into the Milky Way. Hera turned out to be the adoptive mother of Hercules.
In his youth, Hercules accidentally killed Linus, the brother of Orpheus, with a lyre, so he was forced to retire to the wooded Kytheron, into exile. There, two nymphs appear to him (Depravity and Virtue), who offer him a choice between the easy road of pleasures and the thorny path of labors and exploits. Virtue convinced Hercules to follow his own path.
Annibale Carracci "The Choice of Hercules"
12 labors of Hercules
1. Strangulation of the Nemean Lion
2. Killing the Lernaean Hydra
3. Extermination of Stymphalian birds
4. Capture of the Kerynean fallow deer
5. Taming the Erymanthian boar and the battle with the centaurs
6. Cleaning the Augean stables.
7. Taming the Cretan bull
8. Theft of Diomedes' horses, victory over King Diomedes (who threw strangers to be devoured by his horses)
9. The theft of the belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
10. The abduction of the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon
11. The theft of golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides
12. Taming the guard of Hades - the dog Cerberus
Antoine Bourdelle "Hercules and the Stymphalian Birds"
Stymphalian birds are birds of prey that lived near the Arcadian city of Stymphalus. They had copper beaks, wings and claws. They attacked people and animals. Their most formidable weapons were feathers, which the birds scattered on the ground like arrows. They devoured crops in the area or ate people.
Hercules performed many other feats: with the consent of Zeus, he freed one of the titans - Prometheus, to whom the centaur Chiron gave his gift of immortality for the sake of freedom from torment.
G. Füger “Prometheus brings fire to people”
During his tenth labor, he places the Pillars of Hercules on the sides of Gibraltar.
Pillars of Hercules - Rock of Gibraltar (foreground) and North African Mountains (background)
Author: Hansvandervliet – own work, from Wikipedia
Participated in the campaign of the Argonauts. He defeated the king of Elis, Augeas, and established the Olympic Games. At the Olympic Games he won in pankration. Some authors describe the struggle of Hercules with Zeus himself - their competition ended in a draw. Established an Olympic stadium length of 600 of his feet. While running, he covered stages without taking a breath. He accomplished many other feats.
There are also many legends about the death of Hercules. According to Ptolemy Hephaestion, having reached the age of 50 and finding that he could no longer draw his bow, he threw himself into the fire. Hercules ascended to heaven, was accepted among the gods, and Hera, who had reconciled with him, marries her daughter Hebe, the goddess of eternal youth, to him. Happily lives on Olympus, and his ghost is in Hades.
Hector
The bravest leader of the Trojan army, the main Trojan hero in the Iliad. He was the son of the last Trojan king Priam and Hecuba (the second wife of King Priam). According to other sources, he was the son of Apollo.
Return of Hector's body to Troy
Perseus
Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. He defeated the monster Gorgon Medusa and was the savior of Princess Andromeda. Perseus is mentioned in Homer's Iliad.
A. Canova “Perseus with the head of the gorgon Medusa.” Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
Author: Yucatan - own work, from Wikipedia
Gorgon Medusa is the most famous of the three Gorgon sisters, a monster with a woman's face and snakes instead of hair. Her gaze turned a person to stone.
Andromeda is the daughter of the Ethiopian king Kepheus and Cassiopeia (had divine ancestors). Cassiopeia once boasted that she was superior in beauty to the Nereids (sea deities, the daughters of Nereus and the oceanids Doris, who in appearance resembled Slavic mermaids), the angry goddesses turned to Poseidon with a request for revenge, and he sent a sea monster that threatened the death of Kepheus’ subjects. The oracle of Ammon announced that the wrath of the deity would be tamed only when Cepheus sacrificed Andromeda to the monster, and the inhabitants of the country forced the king to make this sacrifice. Chained to the cliff, Andromeda was left to the mercy of the monster.
Gustave Dore "Andromeda Chained to the Rock"
Perseus saw her in this position. He was struck by her beauty and promised to kill the monster if she agreed to marry him (Perseus). Andromeda's father Cepheus happily agreed to this, and Perseus accomplished his feat by showing the face of the Gorgon Medusa to the monster, thereby turning him into stone.
Perseus and Andromeda
Not wanting to reign in Argos after the accidental murder of his grandfather, Perseus left the throne to his relative Megapenthus, and he himself went to Tiryns (an ancient city on the Peloponnese peninsula). Founded Mycenae. The city got its name due to the fact that Perseus lost the tip (mykes) of his sword in the surrounding area. It is believed that the underground spring of Perseus has been preserved among the ruins of Mycenae.
Andromeda gave birth to Perseus a daughter, Gorgophon, and six sons: Persus, Alcaeus, Sthenelus, Eleus, Mestor and Electryon. The eldest of them, Persian, was considered the ancestor of the Persian people.
The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names have not been forgotten to this day, occupied a special place in mythology, fine art and the life of the ancient Greek people. They were role models and ideals of physical beauty. Legends and poems were written about these brave men; statues were created in honor of the heroes and they were named after the constellations.
Legends and myths of Ancient Greece: heroes of Hellas, gods and monsters
The mythology of ancient Greek society is divided into three parts:
1. Pre-Olympic period - tales of titans and giants. At that time, man felt defenseless against the formidable forces of nature, about which he still knew very little. Therefore, the world around him seemed to him to be chaos, in which there were terrifying uncontrollable forces and entities - titans, giants and monsters. They were generated by the earth as the main active force of nature.
At this time, Cerberus, the chimera, the serpent Typhon, the hundred-armed giants Hecatoncheires, the goddess of vengeance Erinyes, appearing in the guise of terrible old women, and many others appear.
2. Gradually a pantheon of deities of a different nature began to develop. Abstract monsters began to be confronted by humanoid higher powers - the Olympian gods. This is the new, third generation of deities, who entered into battle against the titans and giants and won a victory over them. Not all opponents were imprisoned in the terrible dungeon - Tartarus. Many were included in the new Oceanus, Mnemosyne, Themis, Atlas, Helios, Prometheus, Selene, Eos. Traditionally, there were 12 main deities, but over the centuries their composition was constantly replenished.
3. With the development of ancient Greek society and the rise of economic forces, man's faith in his own strength became increasingly stronger. This bold view of the world gave birth to a new representative of mythology - the hero. He is the conqueror of monsters and at the same time the founder of states. At this time, great feats are accomplished and victories are won over ancient entities. Typhon is killed by Apollo, the hero of ancient Hellas Cadmus founds the famous Thebes on the site of the dragon he killed, Bellerophon destroys the chimera.
Historical sources of Greek myths
We can judge the exploits of heroes and gods from a few written testimonies. The largest of them are the poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey” by the great Homer, “Metamorphoses” by Ovid (they formed the basis of the famous book “Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece” by N. Kuhn), as well as the works of Hesiod.
Around the 5th century BC collectors of tales about the gods and great defenders of Greece appear. The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names we now know, were not forgotten thanks to their painstaking work. These are historians and philosophers Apollodorus of Athens, Heraclides of Pontus, Palephatus and many others.
Origin of Heroes
First, let's find out who this hero is - the hero of Ancient Hellas. The Greeks themselves have several interpretations. This is usually the descendant of some deity and a mortal woman. Hesiod, for example, called heroes whose ancestor was Zeus demigods.
It takes more than one generation to create a truly invincible warrior and defender. Hercules is the thirtieth in the line of descendants of the main one and all the power of the previous heroes of his family was concentrated in him.
In Homer, this is a strong and brave warrior or a person of noble birth with famous ancestors.
Modern etymologists also interpret the meaning of the word in question differently, highlighting the common one - the function of a protector.
Heroes of Ancient Hellas often have a similar biography. Many of them did not know their father's name, were raised either by one mother, or were adopted children. All of them, in the end, set off to accomplish feats.
Heroes are called upon to carry out the will of the Olympian gods and grant protection to people. They bring order and justice to earth. There is also a contradiction in them. On the one hand, they are endowed with superhuman strength, but on the other, they are deprived of immortality. The gods themselves sometimes try to correct this injustice. Thetis stabs Achilles' son to death, trying to make him immortal. The goddess Demeter, in gratitude to the Athenian king, puts his son Demophon in the fire to burn out everything mortal in him. Usually these attempts end in failure due to the intervention of parents who fear for the lives of their children.
The fate of the hero is usually tragic. Unable to live forever, he tries to immortalize himself in people's memory through his exploits. He is often persecuted by unkind gods. Hercules tries to destroy Hera, Odysseus is pursued by the wrath of Poseidon.
Heroes of Ancient Hellas: list of names and exploits
The first defender of people was the titan Prometheus. He is conventionally called a hero because he is not a man or a demigod, but a real deity. According to Hesiod, it was he who created the first people, sculpting them from clay or earth, and patronized them, protecting them from the tyranny of other gods.
Bellerophon is one of the first heroes of the older generation. As a gift from the Olympian gods, he received the wonderful winged horse Pegasus, with the help of which he defeated the terrible fire-breathing chimera.
Theseus is a hero who lived before the great Trojan War. Its origins are unusual. He is a descendant of many gods, and his ancestors were even wise half-snake-half-humans. The hero has two fathers at once - King Aegeus and Poseidon. Before his greatest feat - the victory over the monstrous Minotaur - he managed to accomplish many good deeds: he destroyed the robbers lying in wait for travelers on the Athens road, and killed the monster - the Crommion pig. Also, Theseus, together with Hercules, participated in the campaign against the Amazons.
Achilles is the greatest hero of Hellas, the son of King Peleus and the goddess of the sea, Thetis. Wanting to make her son invulnerable, she put him in the oven of Hephaestus (according to other versions, in or boiling water). He was destined to die in the Trojan War, but before that he would accomplish many feats on the battlefield. His mother tried to hide him with the ruler Lycomedes, dressing him in women's clothing and passing him off as one of the king's daughters. But the cunning Odysseus, sent to search for Achilles, was able to expose him. The hero was forced to accept his fate and went to the Trojan War. On it he accomplished many feats. His mere appearance on the battlefield put his enemies to flight. Achilles was killed by Paris with an arrow from a bow, which was directed by the god Apollo. It hit the only vulnerable spot on the hero’s body - the heel. Achilles was revered. Temples were built in his honor in Sparta and Elis.
The life stories of some heroes are so interesting and tragic that they are worth telling about them separately.
Perseus
The heroes of Ancient Hellas, their exploits and life stories are known to many. One of the most popular representatives of the great defenders of antiquity is Perseus. He performed several feats that forever glorified his name: he cut off the head and saved the beautiful Andromeda from a sea monster.
To do this, he had to get the helmet of Ares, which makes anyone invisible, and the sandals of Hermes, which give the ability to fly. Athena, the hero's patroness, gave him a sword and a magic bag in which he could hide his severed head, because even looking at a dead Gorgon turned any living creature into stone. After the death of Perseus and his wife Andromeda, they were both placed in the sky by the gods and turned into constellations.
Odysseus
The heroes of ancient Hellas were not only unusually strong and courageous. Many of them were distinguished by their wisdom. The most cunning of them was Odysseus. More than once his sharp mind saved the hero and his companions. Homer dedicated his famous “Odyssey” to the many-year journey of the king of Ithaca home.
The Greatest of the Greeks
The hero of Hellas (Ancient Greece), whose myths are most famous, is Hercules. and a descendant of Perseus, he accomplished many feats and became famous for centuries. All his life he was haunted by Hera's hatred. Under the influence of the madness she sent, he killed his children and two sons of his brother Iphicles.
The hero's death came prematurely. Wearing a poisoned cloak sent by his wife Deianira, who thought it was laced with a love potion, Hercules realized that he was dying. He ordered the funeral pyre to be prepared and climbed onto it. At the moment of death, the son of Zeus - the main character of Greek myths - was ascended to Olympus, where he became one of the gods.
Ancient Greek demigods and mythical characters in modern art
The heroes of Ancient Hellas, pictures of which can be seen in the article, have always been considered examples of physical strength and health. There is not a single form of art in which plots from Greek mythology have not been used. And today they do not lose popularity. Films such as “Clash of the Titans” and “Wrath of the Titans,” in which Perseus is the main character, aroused great interest among viewers. A magnificent film of the same name is dedicated to Odysseus (directed by Andrei Konchalovsky). "Troy" told about the exploits and death of Achilles.
A huge number of films, TV series and cartoons have been shot about the great Hercules.
Conclusion
The heroes of Ancient Hellas are still wonderful examples of masculinity, self-sacrifice and devotion. Not all of them are ideal, and many of them have negative traits - vanity, pride, lust for power. But they always stood up to defend Greece if the country or its people were in danger.
