Lesson 3
Heroes
Greek mythology is littered with heroes of all different kinds. In this lesson, I cover Perseus, Jason and Theseus.
Perseus
Perseus after slaying Medusa
Danaë was the daughter of King of Argos. He asked the oracle if he would have any male heirs. The oracle informed him that the son of his daughter would overthrow him. He thus shut her away in a tower and made sure she could have no children. However, fate cannot be overruled, and with Zeus, she sired a boy.
Unwilling to incur the wrath of Zeus by killing his son, he threw Perseus and Danaë to the sea in a box. By the will of Poseidon at the request of his brother Zeus, the sea calmed and mother and son reached shore alive. The island they washed over on was ruled by Polydectes, who soon fell in love with Danaë. Perseus did not approve so the king sent him off on an outlandish adventure to return the head of the Gorgon Medusa, whose eyes turned people to stone.
Perseus set off on the instruction of Athena. She told him to find the Hesperides. He received the location of these nymphs by bribing the Grey Ladies, who knew everything that could be known. The Hesperides gave him a bag to contain Medusa’s head, a polished shield and Zeus gave him a sword and Hades’ helm of darkness (cap of invisibility).
He set off to Medusa’s cave and using her reflection in his shield, slayed her head as she slept. He escaped the wrath of her two sisters by using the cap of invisibility. On his way home, he came across Andromeda. She was a beautiful princess of Ethiopia, whose mother boasted of her beauty so much that she brought on the wrath of Poseidon. The oracle informed the queen that her beautiful daughter would have to be sacrificed to the sea serpent Cetus, or their nation would be wiped out. He slew the monster and set Andromeda free, then married her. Andromeda is also the name of Nymphadora Tonks' mother, the sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa.
He returned home and turned King Polydectes to stone using the head of Medusa then made his brother king. He then gave his Medusa head as a tribute to Athena. In the end, the father of Danaë was also killed by Perseus and the prophecy was fulfilled.
Unwilling to incur the wrath of Zeus by killing his son, he threw Perseus and Danaë to the sea in a box. By the will of Poseidon at the request of his brother Zeus, the sea calmed and mother and son reached shore alive. The island they washed over on was ruled by Polydectes, who soon fell in love with Danaë. Perseus did not approve so the king sent him off on an outlandish adventure to return the head of the Gorgon Medusa, whose eyes turned people to stone.
Perseus set off on the instruction of Athena. She told him to find the Hesperides. He received the location of these nymphs by bribing the Grey Ladies, who knew everything that could be known. The Hesperides gave him a bag to contain Medusa’s head, a polished shield and Zeus gave him a sword and Hades’ helm of darkness (cap of invisibility).
He set off to Medusa’s cave and using her reflection in his shield, slayed her head as she slept. He escaped the wrath of her two sisters by using the cap of invisibility. On his way home, he came across Andromeda. She was a beautiful princess of Ethiopia, whose mother boasted of her beauty so much that she brought on the wrath of Poseidon. The oracle informed the queen that her beautiful daughter would have to be sacrificed to the sea serpent Cetus, or their nation would be wiped out. He slew the monster and set Andromeda free, then married her. Andromeda is also the name of Nymphadora Tonks' mother, the sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa.
He returned home and turned King Polydectes to stone using the head of Medusa then made his brother king. He then gave his Medusa head as a tribute to Athena. In the end, the father of Danaë was also killed by Perseus and the prophecy was fulfilled.
Jason
Jason acquiring the Golden Fleece
He was the son of King Aeson, the rightful king of the Greek land of Iolcos. However, Aeson’s brother, Pelias, was power-hungry and stole the throne. Pelias killed all the descendants of Aeson, but due to treachery on behalf of Aeson’s wife, Alcimede, he didn’t realise that Jason still lived. Jason was sent to the centaur Chiron for training. The now King Pelias was still fearful and consulted an oracle which told him to beware of the man with one sandal.
One day, the grown up Jason decided to return to his birthplace. Before he could enter, he had to cross a river. He was just about to when an old woman stopped him and begged him to take her across, which he did, even if it would slow him down. The woman turned out to be the goddess Hera, and she blessed him with good fortune. He had lost his sandal in the river as he crossed.
When he entered Iolcos, Pelias was informed and he called Jason to him. He informed the boy that should he want the throne, he should recover the Golden Fleece from the land of Colchis. The Golden Fleece was from a golden ram that Zeus sent to save two of his children a long time ago. It was guarded in Colchis by a dragon.
Jason accepted the quest and gathered a band whom he called the Argonauts and they set off. They faced many difficulties on the way to Colchis. The king of Colchis, Aeetes, was willing to give Jason the fleece if he did certain tasks. He had to sow dragon teeth in a field of fire breathing oxen. These teeth would breed skeleton warriors whom he then had to defeat. After that, he had to capture the fleece from the dragon protecting it.
Disheartened, Jason gave up hope. However, the king’s daughter, Medea, fell in love with Jason and she gave him the herbs and potions necessary to get the fleece. In return, he married her and they ran off together. On their way back, however, after siring 2 children by her, he decided to leave her and marry a princess of Corinth. In revenge, Medea killed his soon-to-be bride and murdered her children (harsh, I know) to hurt him after running off on a chariot given to her by her grandfather, the sun-titan Helios.
One day, the grown up Jason decided to return to his birthplace. Before he could enter, he had to cross a river. He was just about to when an old woman stopped him and begged him to take her across, which he did, even if it would slow him down. The woman turned out to be the goddess Hera, and she blessed him with good fortune. He had lost his sandal in the river as he crossed.
When he entered Iolcos, Pelias was informed and he called Jason to him. He informed the boy that should he want the throne, he should recover the Golden Fleece from the land of Colchis. The Golden Fleece was from a golden ram that Zeus sent to save two of his children a long time ago. It was guarded in Colchis by a dragon.
Jason accepted the quest and gathered a band whom he called the Argonauts and they set off. They faced many difficulties on the way to Colchis. The king of Colchis, Aeetes, was willing to give Jason the fleece if he did certain tasks. He had to sow dragon teeth in a field of fire breathing oxen. These teeth would breed skeleton warriors whom he then had to defeat. After that, he had to capture the fleece from the dragon protecting it.
Disheartened, Jason gave up hope. However, the king’s daughter, Medea, fell in love with Jason and she gave him the herbs and potions necessary to get the fleece. In return, he married her and they ran off together. On their way back, however, after siring 2 children by her, he decided to leave her and marry a princess of Corinth. In revenge, Medea killed his soon-to-be bride and murdered her children (harsh, I know) to hurt him after running off on a chariot given to her by her grandfather, the sun-titan Helios.
Theseus
Theseus besting the Minotaur
He was the son of Poseidon by a mortal woman, Aethra. He was raised by Aethra’s husband, a king of an island in Greece. The king of Crete, Minos, had a wife, Pasiphaë, who bore a child with a bull. This child head the head of a bull and the body of a man, he was the Minotaur. The Minotaur hungered for humans, so Minos had him locked away in a labyrinth. Every 7 years, 7 human sacrifices were sent from the land of Theseus to be eaten by the bull-man.
One year, Theseus set off to rid his country of the bane of the 7 year sacrifices. At Crete, Minos’ daughter Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and gave him advise as to how to come out alive after slaying the Minotaur. She gave him a piece of string to tie to the door of the entrance and to unravel it as he walked. When he finished slaying the monster, he would follow the string back.
He did this and was victorious, and after slaying Minotaur, he ran off with Ariadne. Later on, Theseus abandoned her on an island where she was then saved by a god and married him.
One year, Theseus set off to rid his country of the bane of the 7 year sacrifices. At Crete, Minos’ daughter Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and gave him advise as to how to come out alive after slaying the Minotaur. She gave him a piece of string to tie to the door of the entrance and to unravel it as he walked. When he finished slaying the monster, he would follow the string back.
He did this and was victorious, and after slaying Minotaur, he ran off with Ariadne. Later on, Theseus abandoned her on an island where she was then saved by a god and married him.
Monsters
Just as it is full of heroes, Greek myth has an abundance of monsters (and not nearly enough heroes to best them!)
Medusa
Once, there were three sister: Medusa, Stheno and Euryale. Medusa had caught the attention of Poseidon and he courted her Unfortunately for her, he decided to court her in the temple of Athena, a huge disgrace to the goddess. Angered, Athena cursed Medusa, and her sisters who helped her enter the temple. They went from being beautiful women to horrible monsters, with hair of snakes and scaly skin. Medusa had the fearsome ability to turn anyone who looked her in the eye to stone.
Cetus
Cetus was an old sea-monster, from the time of the titans. When the queen of Ethiopia boasted that her daughter Andromeda was even more beautiful than the Nereids, Poseidon took great offence, as his wife Amphitrite was a Nereid. To punish the woman, he sent this monster to claim her town.
In an attempt to protect all the people of Ethiopia, the queen offered her daughter in sacrifice. But before the monster could claim her, he was slayed by Perseus.
In an attempt to protect all the people of Ethiopia, the queen offered her daughter in sacrifice. But before the monster could claim her, he was slayed by Perseus.
Minotaur
Minotaur
When Minos was competing with his brothers for the throne of Crete, he prayed to Poseidon to send him a Cretan Bull to sacrifice. Yet when Minos beheld this beauty, he decided not to sacrifice it and he thought Poseidon would not care. Angered, Aphrodite caused his wife, Pasiphaë, to fall in love with the bull, and the result was the Minotaur.
The baby Minotaur had the bull head and the body of a fearsome human. He was nursed by his mum in infancy, but soon grew to be fearsome and monstrous, neither man, nor bull. He began to devour human flesh for sustenance.
Minos, advised by the oracle of Delphi, had his craftsman, Daedalus, build an enormous labyrinth where he stowed away the creature. He received human payment to feed the beast ever 7 years. The Minotaur was eventually slayed by Theseus, son of Poseidon.
Cyclopes
The Cyclopes were a race of giants in Greek mythology that possessed a single eye in the center of their foreheads. They were immune to fire and skilled in working with metals and forges, a great help to the god Hephaestus. The first three Cyclopes were children of Gaia and Ouranos who were imprisoned. Zeus freed them and in repayment of his kindness, they built for him his master lightning bolt, for Poseidon his trident and for Hades his helm of invisibility. The later generations of Cyclopes were the children of Poseidon by various nature spirits, a famous example being Polyphemus.
(NB: one cyclops, many cyclopes)
We've slain the monsters and met the heroes, now let's go test our knowledge here!