The Principal Gods

URANUS – was a primal Greek god, symbolization the sky. They are coming from the egg
and split into two the father heaven and mother earth. Uranus and Gaea had many children;
the twelve Titans, three Cyclopes, and three Hecatoncheires. Hating his children, Uranus
banished them to tartarus,. Gaea was infuriated and created a diamond sickle, which she
gave to cronus, one of the Titans. Cronus found his father and castrated him in his sleep;
from the blood that fell on the earth, the Erinnyes, the Giants and the meliads were born;
while from the sperm that fell into the sea, Aphrodite was born. Thus ended the reign of
Uranus, and Cronus became the new ruler of the universe.

GAEA – was a primal Greek goddess, one of the deities that governed the universe before
the Titans. She symbolized the Earth, and was the mother of everything. According to one
version, Gaea, along with Chaos and Eros, coexisted during the creation of the world.
Another version has it that the three of them were born out of the Cosmic Egg, which itself
was created out of nothingness. Hesiod then tells us that from the union of Gaea and Chaos
– and supported by Eros – Uranus was born. Gaea and Uranus gave birth to the Giants, the
Titans, Oceanus and the whole world. At that point, Uranus decided to stop Gaea from
creating anything else and sent his children inside her; Gaea was infuriated and allied with
one of her Titan sons, Cronus, managing to overthrow Uranus. However, due to the cruelty
of Cronus and his determination to remain on the throne, Gaea assisted Zeus in
overthrowing Cronus, which marked the end of the age of the Titans.

CRONUS – was the ruling Titan who came to power by castrating his father Uranus. His
wife was Rhea, while their offspring were the first of the Olynpians. To ensure his safety,
Cronus ate each of the children as they were born. This worked until Rhea, unhappy at the
loss of her children, tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, instead of Zeus. When he gerw
up, Zeus revolted against Cronus and the other Titans, defeating them and banishing them
to Tartarus in the underworld. Cronus managed to escape to Italy, where he ruled as Saturn.
The period of his rule was said to be a golden age on earth, honored by the Saturnalia
feast. A festival was also held in Athens, honouring Cronus; it was called kronia and it took
place on the twelfth day of the month Hekatombaion.

Rhea – was one of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and Gaea. She was the sister and wife of
Cronus, also a Titan. She was responsible for the way things flow in the kingdom of Cronus
(her name means ‘that which flows’). Rhea and Cronus had six children; Hestia, Hades,
Demeter, Poseidon, Hera and Zeus. Cronus afraid that he would be overthrown by his
children just like he had done with his father, he decided to swallow all of them. However, he
was tricked by Rhea, who managed to save Zeus from his father. When Zeus grew up, he
force his father to disgorge his siblings and eventually overthrew him. Although Rhea was
considered the “mother of gods”, similarly to Gaea and Cybele, she did not have strong cult
and many followers. She had a temple in Crete the place in which she hide Zeus to save
from his father. In art, she started appearing in the fourth century BC; however, she was
often depicted with characteristics similar to those used for Cybele, thus making the two
goddesses indistinguishable. Rhea was often placed on city gates, the best known example
being that at the city of Mycenae, where two stone lions guarded the gates.

Oceanus – was an ancient Greek god. According to one version, he was born by the union
of the primal gods Chaos and Gaea, sanctified by god Eros. Another version has it that he
was one of the twelve Titans, thus a son of Gaea and Uranus. Oceanus was married to his
sister, Tethys, with whom he had numerous children, called Oceanids. These were the
lesser gods and goddesses of the rivers, the sea, and the springs. In fact, Oceanus and
Tethys were so fertile that the overproduction of the aqueous elements of nature would
cause floods; so, they divorced to stop this from happening. The couple was not involved in
the Titanomachy against Zeus, so the latter let them continue their reign in their watery
kingdom. In ancient Greek art, Oceanus was depicted having bull horns and the tail of the
serpentine fish instead of legs. He was later considered as a simple sea god or the
personification of the sea. Oceanus is also called Ocean, Oceanos.

Tethys – was one of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and Gaea. She was married to her
brother, oceanus and gave birth to the river gods, who lived in the rivers that were then
known to the Greeks, such as the Nile and Alpheus; and to three thousand water
goddesses, called Oceanids. Despite being the mother of so many deities in the Greek
mythology, Tethys was not actively worshipped. During the Titanomachy, she raised Hera as
her stepchild, brought to her by Rhea. According to one myth, Hera did not like that Callisto
and Arcas were placed in the heavens by being turned into the constellations Ursa Major
and Ursa Minor, so she asked Tethys to do something about it. To appease Hera, Tethys
denied the constellations from being able to touch the sea and fall below the horizon;
instead, they were forever doomed to circle the sky.

Coeus – was one of the titans, son of Cronus and Gaea. His name means questioning,
while the respective roman deity was Polus, the celestial axis around which the heaven
revolve. Based on his Greek name, it has been suggested that Coeus may have also been
the Titan of inquisitive minds and intellect. Coeus also represented one the four pillar that
hold the heaven sand the earth apart. He was the pillar of the north, while the other three
pillars were personified by his brothers Hyperion, Iapetus and Crius. The four brothers
played an important role in dethroning their father, Uranus; as they were located in the four
corners of the earth, they held Uranus in place while their brother Cronus castrated him with
the diamond sickle that their mother Gaea had given him. Although Coeus does not have an
active role in Ancient Greek religion, he was important through his children, Leto and
asteria, whom he had with his wife and sister, Phoebe. Leto was one of Zeus’ lovers and
gave birth to the twin Olympians, Artemis and Apollo. During the Titanomachy, Coeus tried
to stop Zeus and the other Olympians; failing, he and the rest of the Titans were banished to
the Underworld. Trying to escape, Coeus broke his chains but was forced to stay by
Cerberus, the guardian of the underworld. Coeus is also called Polus, koios.
Phoebe – was one of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and Gaea. She was married to her
brother Coeus, with whom she had Asteria (the starry one) and Leto. The Olympians Apollo
and Artemis, twin siblings were the children of Leto; thus, they were often referred to as
phoebus and Phoebe respectively, tking their alternative names from their grandmother.
Phoebe was associated with the moon and the Oracle of Delphi, and was considered to be
the goddess of prophecy. In the Titanomachy, the War between the Titans and the Olympian
gods which resulted in the defeat of the former, Phoebe did not participate and therefore,
she was spared imprisonment in Tartarus. Phoebe is also called Phoibe.

Hera – was Zeus’ wife and sister and raised by the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was
the supreme goddess, patron of marriage and childbirth, having a special interest in
protecting married women. Her sacred animals were the cow and the peacock and she
favored the city of Argos. Zeus initially courted Hera, but after many unsuccessful attempts,
he resorted to trickery. He took the form of a disheveled cuckoo; Hera feeling sorry for the
bird, held it to her breast to keep it warm. Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking
advantage of Hera’s surprise, he raped her. Hera then married him to cover her shame; her
marriage was turbulent and they often clashed. Occasionally, Zeus treated the other gods
with particular harshness; Hera took advantage of that and asked them to join her in a
revolt. They all accepted and set the plan in motion; Hera drugged Zeus and then the others
bound him to a couch. At that stage, however, they began to argue over what the next step
should be. Briareus, one of the Hecatoncheires, overheard the arguments; still full of
gratitude to Zeus for saving him and his brothers from a dragon, Briareus sneaked in and
quickly untied the knots that held Zeus In place. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed
his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized
Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night, but none of the
other gods dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up, so the following morning, he
agreed to release her if she swore never to rebel again. She had little choice but to agree.
While she never again rebelled, she often interfered with Zeus’s plans and she was often
able to outwit him.

Zeus – was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He overthrew his father
Cronus and then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades, in order to decide who
would succeed their father on the throne. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme
ruler of the gods as well as lord of the sky and rain. His weapon was thunderbolt which he
hurled at those who displeased or defied him, especially liars and oath breakers. He was
married to Hera but often tested her patience as he was infamous for his many affairs.
Zeus, the presiding deity of the universe, ruler of the skies and the earth was regarded by
Greeks as the god of all natural phenomena on the sky; personification of the laws of
nature; the ruler of the state and finally, the father of gods and men. Using his shield the
Aegis, Zeus could create all natural phenomena related to the air and the sky, such as
storms, tempests and intense darkness. At his command, mighty thunders would flash and
lightnings would roll, wreaking havoc; or the skies would open to rejuvenate the earth with
life-giving water. As the personification of the operations of nature, he represented the grand
laws of unchanging and harmonious order, by which both the natural and the spiritual world
were governed. He was the god of regulated time as marked by the changing season and
the regular succession of day and night, in contrast of what his father Cronus represented
before him; absolute time, eternity. As the ruler of the state, he was the source of kingly
power, the upholder of all institutions connected to the state, and the friend and patron of
princes, whom he guarded and assisted with his advice and counsel. He was also the
protector of the people and watched over the welfare of the whole community. As the father
of the gods, Zeus as curtained that each deity perform their individual duty, punished their
misdeeds, settled their deputes and acted towards them on all occasions as their all-
knowing counselor and mighty friend. As the father of men, he took a paternal interest in the
actions and well- being of mortals. He watched over them with tender solicitude, rewarding
truth, charity, and fairness while severely punishing perjury and cruelty. Even the poorest
and most forlorn wanderer could find a powerful advocate in Zeus, for him as a wise and
merciful paternal figure demanded that the wealthy inhabitants of the earth be attentive to
the needs of their less fortunate fellow citizens.

Poseidon – is the god of the sea and protector of all aquatic features. Brother of Zeus and
Hades after the overthrow of their father, Cronus he drew lots with them to share the
universe. He ended up becoming lord of the sea. He was widely worshipped by seamen. He
married Aphrodite, one of the grand daughters of the Titans Oceanus. At one point he
desired Demeter. To deter him, Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that
the world had ever seen. So, in an effort to impress her, Poseidon created the first horse. In
some accounts, his first attempts were not successful and created a variety of other animals
in his quest; thus, by the time horse was created, his passion for Demeter had diminished.
His weapon was a trident with which he could make the earth shake, causing earthquakes
and shatter any object. He was second to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He was
considered by Greeks to have a difficult quarrelsome personality. Combined with his greed,
he had a series of disputes with other gods during his various attempts to take over the
cities they were patrons of. Poseidon is also called Neptune.

Demeter - was the goddess of corn, grain and the harvest. She was the daughter of Cronus
and Rhea. It was believed that Demeter made the crops grow each year; thus the first loaf
of bread made from the annual harvest was offered to her. She was the goddess of the
earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural
products, poppy narcissus and the crane. Demeter was intimately associated with the
seasons. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the
underworld. In her anger at her daughter’s loss, Demeter laid a curse on the world that
caused plants to wither and die and the land to become desolate. Zeus alarm for the barren
earth, sought for Persephone return. However she had eaten while in the underworld,
Hades had a claim on her. Therefore, it was decreed that Persephone would spend four
months each year in the underworld. During these months Demeter would grieve for her
daughter’s absence, withdrawing her gift from the world, creating winter. Her return brought
the spring. Demeter was also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were
huge festivals held every five years and very important events for many centuries. Yet, little
is known about them as those attending were sworn to secrecy. It is thought that the central
tenet around which the Mysteries revolved was that just like grain returns every spring after
harvest and the winter lull, so does the human soul after the death of the body, reincarnated
in the next life.

Iapetus – was a Titan, son of Uranus and Gaea and father of Atlas, Prometheus,
Epimetheus and Menoetius. His name derives from the Greek word meaning to pierce
usually with a spear; therefore Iapetus may have been considered as the god of
craftsmanship, although other sources site him as the god of mortality. Iapetus was also
considered the personification of one of the four pillars that holds the heavens and the earth
apart, a role that he later bequeathed to his son, Atlas. He represented the pillar of the west,
the other three being represented by his brother’s crius, Coeus and Hyperion. The four
brothers actively played a role in the dethroning their father, Uranus; as they were all in the
four corners of the earth; they held Uranus firmly in place while their brother Cronus
castrated him sickle. Iapetus’ sons were thought to have been the ancestors of humans,
and that they had some detrimental qualities that not only led to their own demise, but they
also passed them down to humans. So, although Prometheus was clever, he bequeathed
scheming to mankind; Epimetheus guileless as he was passed down stupidity; Atlas being
powerful and patient, gave excessive daring; finally Menoetius an arrogant personality
bequeathed violence. Iapetus is also called Japetus, Iapetos.

Atlas – was one of the Titans, son of Iapetus and Clymene and brother of Prometheus,
Epimetheus and Menoetius. During the Titanomachy the War between the Titans and the
Olympian gods, Atlas and his brother Menoetius sided with the Titans, while Prometheus
and Epimetheus helped the Olympan gods. Atlas was the leader n the battle; however being
n the losing side Zeus condemned him to eternally stand on the western side of Gaea (the
earth) holding Uranus (the sky) on his shoulders. Therefore the contemporary depiction of
Atlas holding the earth on his shoulders is a misconception. He was the Titan god of
astronomy and navigation and he was married to his sister, Phoebe. He had numerous
children including the Hesperides, the Hyades, Hyas, the Pleiades, Calypso, Dione and
Maera. He was associated with the Atlas Mountain in northwest Africa. According to the
later myth, when Perseus went to that region, a giant named Atlas tried to drive him away.
So, Perseus revealved Medusa’s head which he had already killed, thus turning Atlas into
stone (the Atlas mountains themselves)> in the myth of the twelve Labors Heracles, the
demigod was sent to bring the golden apples from Hera’s garden, tended by the Hesperides
and guarded by the dragon Ladon. Heracles asked Atlas to bring the apples to him; during
that time, he would replace him in holding up the sky. Atlas went and brought the apples to
Heracles; he then attempted to trick him into holding the skies forever. However, Heracles
managed to evade the trick and left with the apples.

Dione – was a titan goddess in Greek mythology, most probably a daughter of Oceanus
and Tethys and thus, an Oceanid. According to some sources, she was the first wife of Zeus
with whom she had a daughter, the goddess Aphrodite. She was an Oracle and was
worshipped alongside Zeus at the earliest Oracle in Greece that was located at Dodona.
She made an appearance in Homer’s Iliad, when her daughter was wounded and she tried
to heal her. The priestesses and prophetesses at her shrine In Dodona were called
Peleiades or Doves, which was the sacred bird of her daughter, Aphrodite. There was also
other Dione, a nymph and the daughter of Atlas. She became the wife of the king Tantalus
and they had two sons, Pelops and Broteas, and a daughter, Niobe.

Hebe – was the goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera. She served nectar and
ambrosia to the Olympian and later married Heracles, with whom she had two children,
Alexiares and Anicetus. Her name comes from the Greek word for youth, and it was
believed that she had the ability to restore youth. When lolaus, Heracles’ charioteer, was
about to fight against Eurystheus, he asked Hebe to become young again for one day. Hebe
was reluctant initially but Themis the goddess of justice told her that it would be fair to do it.
Thus, lolaus’ wish was granted and he emerged victorious. She lost her job as a cupbearer
of the gods, when she tripped and her dress came undone, thus exposing her breasts.
Apollo fired her and she was replaced by Ganymede, Zeus’ lover and protégé. Hebe is also
called Juventas, Ganymeda.

Hestia – was the goddess of the hearth, family and domestic life. She was not worshipped
publicly, which is evident by the lack of temples and shrines attributed to her; this comes in
contrast to Roman equivalent goddess Vesta, who represented the public hearth. Her name
meant both a house and a hearth, symbolizing the home and its resident. She also
represented the coalition and relationship between the colonies and the mother cities. She
was Zeus’ sister, but although initially she was included in the Olympian gods, she was later
replaced by Dionysus. She took a vow to remain a virgin, refusing to give in to the callings
of Poseidon and Apoll; once, she was almost raped by Priapus, a lesser god of fertility, but
was saved thanks to the braying of a mule.

Apollo – was the son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis. He was the god of music,
and he is often depicted playing a golden lyre. He was also known as the Archer, far
shooting with a silver bow; the god of healing, giving the science of medicine to man; the
god of light; and the god of truth. One of Apollo’s most important daily task was to harness
his four horse chariot, in order to move the sun across the sky. Apollo was an Oracular god,
as he was the prophetic deity in the Oracle in Delphi. People from all over the known world
traveled there to learn what the future held to them, through his priestess Pythia. The god
was also worshipped in the island of Delos, which was initially dedicated to his twin sister
Artemis. In relation to the rituals and practices that took place in Delos and Delphi, it could
be said that there were two completely distinct cults in honour of Apollo. As already
mentioned, Apollo was also considered as the god of healing and medicine, either through
himself or through his son Asclepius. At the same time, he could also bring fourth disease
and plague with his arrows; it was considered that a god that can caused disease is also
able to prevent it. He was born on Delos, where his mother Leto sought refuge; Hera having
realized that Leto was impregnated by her husband Zeus, banned Leto from giving birth on
land. So, Leto managed to go to Delos, which had recently been formed, and therefore, was
not considered a real island yet. The inhabitants of the island, along with Artemis who had
been born a day earlier, helped Leto give birth to Apollo. Leto then promised the Delians
that Apollo would always favour them having helped her. His holy tree was the laurel, and
his holy animal was the dolphin. Apollo is also called Phoebus, Apollon.

Artemis – was the goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural
environment. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo. She was born
on the island of Ortygia (Delos), where Leto had found shelter after being hunted by the
lawful wife Zeus, Hera. As soon as Artemis was born, she helped her mother give birth to
her twin Brother, thereby becoming the protector of childbirth and labour. She asked her
father to grant her eternal chastity and virginity, and never gave in to any potential lovers;
devoted to hunting and nature, she rejected marriage and love. She was the protector of
nature and the hunt; both wild and tame animals were under her protection. She also
protected the agriculture and animal herding. Artemis appeared in a number of myths. In the
myth of Actaeon, he was a hunting companion of Artemis; at some point, he saw the
goddess naked bathing in a spring and tried to rape her. As a punishment, Artemis
transformed him into a stag and his hounds killed him. In the myth of Orion which has
various versions, Orion was also a hunting companion of Artemis and the only person to
have won her heart. However, he was accidentally killed either by the goddess or by a
scorpion which was sent by Gaea. In another myth, Callisto was one of the followers of
Artemis and thus she had remained a virgin. Zeus , however, changing his form to resemble
Artemis, managed to seduce and rape her, impregnating her. Callisto gave birth to Arcas,
but later, she was transformed into a bear either by Hera or Artemis. Arcas almost killed his
mother, but Zeus stopped him and placed Callisto in the heavens as a constellation.
According to other sources, both Callisto and Arcas were turned into the Ursa Minor and the
Ursa Major constellations.

Hephaestus – was the Greek god of blacksmiths, sculptors, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes;
thus, he is symbolized with a hammer, an anvil and a pair of tongs. According to Homer’s
epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, he was the son of Zeus and Hera. However, Hesiod
informs us that Hera bore Hephaestus alone. According to an account, after Hephaestus
was born, Hera threw him from Olympus because he was crippled; he fell into the ocean
and was raised by Thetis and Eurynome. Another myth has it that he once tried to protect
his mother from Zeus’ advances and as a result, the father of the Gods flung him down from
Olympus, which caused his physical disability; he fell on the island of lemnos where he
became a master craftsman. He was later accepted back to Olympus and became the
craftsman of the gods, creating majestic armors, brother, Ares, he devised a plan with which
he humiliated both lovers to the other gods. Hephaestus is also called Vulcan.

Ares – was the god of war and son of Zeus and Hera. He represented the raw violence and
untamed acts that occoured in wartime, in contrast to Athena, who was a symbol of tactical
strategy and military planning. He was disliked by both his parents. Whenever Ares
appeared in a myth, he was depicted as a violent personality, who faced humiliation through
his defeats more than once. In the Iliad, it is mentioned that Zeus hated him more than
anyone else; Ares was also on losing side of the Trojan War, favouring the Trojans. He was
the lover of his sister, Aphrodite, who was married to Hephaestus. When the latter found out
about the affair, he devised a plan and managed to humiliate both of them. The union of
Ares and Aphrodite resulted in the birth of eight children, including Eros, god of love. There
were few temples attributed to Ares in Ancient Greece. Sacrifices would usually be made to
him when an army would march to war; Spartans would make sacrifices to Enyalius,
another lesser god and son of Ares and Enyo. However, the name was also used as a by
name for Ares. When Ares went to war, he was followed by his companions, Deimos (terror)
nd Phobos (fear), who was the product of his union with Aphrodite. Eris, goddess of discord
and sister of Deimos and Phobos, often accompanied them in war.

Hades – was the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. After the overthrow of their father, Cronus,
he drew lots with them to share the universe. He drew poorly, which resulted in becoming
lord of the underworld and ruler of

The dead. Nevertheless, he was not considered to be death itself, as this was a different
god, called Thanatos. Greedy like his brother Poseidon, he was mainly interested in
increasing his subjects, and anyone whose deeds resulted in people dying was favoured by
him. The Erinnyes (the furies) were welcomed guests in his kingdom. The Greeks were not
keen on uttering his name, afraid of causing some kind of reaction that would end up with
them dead sooner. Instead, they decided to give him another name, Plouton, deriving from
the Greek word for wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. Thus, Hades
also became the god of wealth. Although an Olympian, Hades preferred the Underworldand
rarely his kingdom. His weapon was a pitchfork, which he use to create earthquakes, similar
to the way Poseidon used his trident. He also had a helmet of invisibility, which he had
received as a gift from the Cyclopes, in order to use it during the clash of Titans. He was
married to Persephone, daughter of Demeter, whom Hades abducted and carried down to
the Underworld. Hades is also called Pluto, Dis Pater, Orcus, Plouton.

Eileithyia – was a goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of Zeus and Hera, and
represented childbirth. She was born in the cave of Knossos, Crete and became the main
place of worship for goddess. The goddess was also worshipped in Olympia, which is
attested by the discovery of a shrine attributed to her while other shrines have also been
found in Tegea, Argos and Aigion; icons of the goddess were also found in Athens. Her
name was also mentioned in a fragment from Knossos written in Linear B.

Aphrodite - was the goddess of love, desire and beauty. Apart from her natural beauty, she
also had a magical girdle that compelled everyone to desire her. There are two accounts of
her birth. According to one, she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, the mother goddess
worshipped at the Oracles of Dodona. However, the other account, which is more prevalent,
informs us that she arose from the sea on a giant scallop, after Cronus castrated Uranus
and tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then walked to the shore of Cyprus.
In a different version of the myth, she was born near the island of Cythera, hence her
epithet “Cytherea”. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus; however, she had an affair with
her brother Ares, god of war. When Hephaestus found out about the affair, he devised a
plan and manage to humiliate his ife and her lover to the other Olympians. Her holy tree
was the myrtle while her holy birds were the dove, the swan and the sparrow. Aphrodite
represented sex, affection, and the attraction that binds people together.

Hermes – was the Greek god of commerce, son of Zeus and Maia. Quick acting and
cunning, he was able to move swiftly between the world of man and the world of gods,
acting as a messenger of the gods and the link between the mortal of Olympians. He was
the protector of travelers, thieves and athletes. He occasionally tricked the other gods for
his own amusement or in an effort to protect humans. With the ability to move freely
between worlds, he also served as guide of the soul of the dead to the underworld and the
afterlife. When Hermes was born, he jump out of his crib, stole apollo’s cattle and then went
back to his crib playing innocent. However, Apollo figured it out, grabbed Hermes and went
to Zeus to complain. The father of gods simply laughed and didn’t punish Hermes. To
apologies, Hermes gave Apollo the lyre which he had just invented. Hermes appeared in
many other myths; in the Odyssey, Odysseus was instructed by the god to chew a magic
herb with which he would be able to avoid circe’s power and not be transformed to animals
like his companions; in the myth of Pandora, when the gods provided a trait to her, Hermes
gave her the ability to lie and seduce with her words.

Maia – is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, is the daughter of Atlas and
Pleione the Oceanid and is the oldest of the seven Pleiades. They were born on Mount
Cyllene in Arcadia and are sometimes called mountain nymphs, oreads; Simonides of Ceos
sang of “mountain Maia” (Maiados oureias)” of the lovely black eyes.” Because they were
daughters of Atlas, they were also called Atlantides.

Leto – she was the daughter of titans Phoebe and Coeus. Zeus love her, but when she was
about to bear a child he abandoned her, afraid of Hera. All countries and islands, afraid fo
the same reason, refused to receive her and give her a place where her child could be born.
On and on she wandered in desperation until she reached a bit of land which was floating
on the sea. It had no foundation but was tossed hither and thither by waves and winds. It
was called Delos and besides being of all islands the most insecure it was rocky and
barren. But when Leto set foot on it and asked for refuge, the little isle welcomed her gladly,
and that moment four lofty pillars rose from the bottom of the sea and held it firmly anchored
forever. There letos children were born, Artemis and Phoebus Apollo; and after in after
years Apollos glorious temple stood there, visited by men from all over the world. The
barren rock was called “the heaven-built isle”, and from being the most despised it became
the most renowned of islands.

Persephone – was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and the queen of the underworld.
She was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld, infuriating her mother who made
the crops wither and the earth barren. Zeus intervened and tried to bring Persephone back
to the world of the living; however, Persephone ate the seeds of a pomegranate that Hades
had given to her, binding her to him for one third of the year. Thus, it was decided that
Persephone spend four months in the underworld and eight months on earth with his
mother. The period in the underworld corresponded to the winter season, during which
Demeter would make the soil barren due to her grief, while her return marked the start of
the spring. She was also given a number of epithets; she was often called Kore (the
maiden) and Kore Soteira (the savior maiden); Hagne (the pure); Aristi Cthonia (the best
chthonic); and Despoina (the mistress of the house).

Athena – was the goddess of war the female counter part of Zeus, no mother bore her. She
sprang from head, full grown and clothed in armor. She was Zeus favorite child. According
to homer’s account in Iliad, Athena was a fierce and ruthless warriors. In Odyssey, she was
angry and unforgiving. In the course of the Trojan War, she struck Ajax with madness known
for protecting civilized life, she was the goddess of the city. According to some source,
Athena was praised for her compassion and generosity. Athena was a patron of the Arts
and Craft especially when it comes to spinning and weaving. In later poetry, Athena
embodied wisdom and rational thought. She served as a guardian of Athens where the
pantheon served as her temple. Zeus trusted her to wield the aegis and his thunderbolt. Her
most important festival was the panathenaea which was celebrated annually at Athens. She
is referred to in poetry as “grey-eyed”. The owl was her bird and the olive tree was her
favorite tree. She turned the weaver ARACHINE into banspidet after the mortal woman
insulted Athena and the Olympian Gods. Athena reared Erichonius, son of Hephaestus. He
was half man and half serpent. Athena was one of the three virgin goddess. She invented
the flute, but she never played it.

DECENDANTS OF PROMETHEUS
Prometheus – was one of the Titans, son of Iapetus (also a Titan) and Clymene, an
Oceanid. His brothers were Epimetheus, Atlas and Menoetius. The name derives from the
Greek word meaning ‘forethought’. During the Titanomachy, the was between the titans and
the Olympian gods, Prometheus sided with Zeus, helping to overthrow the old gods. Siding
with the winning side, Prometheus avoided being punished with the rest of the Titans and
was therefore not sent to Tartarus, the Underworld. In all accounts, Prometheus was
presented to be the protector and benefactor of mankind. In an event called Trick at
Mecone, he tricked Zeus by asking him to choose between two offerings; beef hidden inside
an ox’s stomach (something pleasing hidden inside a repelling exterior) or bones wrapped
in glistening fat (something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior). Zeus chose the latter
and hence, a precedent was created in what humans could sacrifice from that moment; so,
they kept the meat for themselves and sacrificed bones to the gods. As a result of the trick
at Mecone, Zeus was infuriated and decided to hide fire from mortals as punishment.
Prometheus in an effort to help humanity again, managed to steal fire back and give it to
humans. More enraged the father of gods asked Hephaestus to create Pandora, the first
woman who according to Hesiod would bring troubles to mankind. He also punished
Prometheus from having him chained to a rock, where an eagle ate his liver during the day,
and the liver was regenerated during night due to Prometheus’ immortality. He was later
saved by the demigod Hercules. Prometheus is also called Promitheas.

Epimetheus – was one of the Titans, son of Iapetus and clymene. He was the brother of
Prometheus, SAtlas and Menoetius. His name is derived from the Greek word meaning
‘afterthought’, which is antonym of his brother’s name, Prometheus, meaning ‘forethought’.
In this context, Epimetheus appeared as a foolish character, while Prometheus was the
clever one. Prometheus and Epimetheus were told to distribute characteristics to the newly
created animals. Epimetheus started giving a positive trait to every animal but lacking
foresight, he realized that he had distributed all traits without having any left to give to man.
So, Prometheus gave mankind the civilizing arts and fire. Epimetheus received Pandora as
a gift from the gods; a human created by the gods specifically to punish the humans. The
marriage of Epimetheus and Pandora is not explicit in any source but only implied; from
their union, Pyrrha, their daughter was born. Pandora was given a jar which contained all
evils of humanity; curious to see what was inside, she opened it and all evils were released
into the world. Shocked, she closed it as soon as she could but only hope remained trapped
inside. Epimetheus is also called Epimitheas.

Pandora – was the first human woman in Greek mythology. She was created by the gods
Hephaestus and Athena, following the instructions of Zeus who wanted to punish
Prometheus for stealing the fire from thr gods to give it to humans. After Prometheus stole
the fire and humans gratefully accepted the gift, Zeus decided to give humans gift that
would balance their acquisition of fire. He asked Hephaestus to create the first woman who
would endowed with numerous seducing gifts that would plague humanity from then on.
Athena dressed Pandora in a beautiful silvery gown, a veil and a crown and taught her
weaving. Other gods also contributed to Pandora’s creation, by endowing her with such gifts
as deceitful nature and speech of lies. However, the natural gifts of Pandora were not the
problem for humanity. The gods also offered her a jar that held within numerous evils,
diseases and other pains. With the jar in hand, Pandora was given to Epimetheus,
Prometheus’ brother, who accepted the divine gift despite his brother’s warnings. One day,
out of curiosity and not of malice, Pandora opened the life of the jar, releasing all evils into
the world. Shocked by what had happened, she quickly tried to put the lid back, only
managing to trap Hope in it. This is how the Ancient Greeks believed there was evil in the
world. The event of releasing the evils into the world marks the end of the so-called Golden
Age of Man in the world, and the beginning of the Silver Age. Pandora is also called
Anesidora.

Deucalion - in Greek mythology, Deucalion was the son of Prometheus and either
Clymene, Hestione or Pronoia. He was in the region of Archaea, Greece and reined in the
area of Phthia. According to the myth, Zeus decided to end the Bronze Age, because he
was taken aback by Lycaon, kinf of Arcadia, who sacrificed a boy in the name of the father
of gods. So, he decided to start a torrential rain that would flood the whole world, in order to
clean it from the wrongs of humans. Prometheus gave a warning to Deucalion, and the
latter built a chest, in which he and his wife Pyrrha would be able to survive. The flood
lasted for nine days and the couple was the only two surviving humans. They then decided
to ask the oracle of Themis on how to repopulate the earth; the oracle told them to throw the
bones of their mother behind their shoulder. Deucalion and Pyrrha decoded the mother as
being Gaea, the mother of all, and her bones as rocks. So, they threw rocks behind their
shoulders and they transformed into people. Deucalion and Pyrrha also had two children,
Hellen and Protogenea. Other sources mention Pandora the second and Thyia as being
their children as well. The myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha is a version of the Biblical Flood,
as well as the Sumerian Flood that is mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh; Deucalion thus is
the Greek counterpart of the Biblical Noah and the Sumerian Utnapishtim.

Pyrrha – was the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora in Greek mythology and the wife of
Deucalion. When Zeus, king of the gods, decided it was time to end the Bronze Age of Man,
he decided to flood the earth by creating the great deluge. Prometheus, father of Deucalion,
had foreseen what was about to happen, so he warned his son to create an ark, in which he
and his wife could find refuge. In the ark, Deucalion and Pyrrha survived the flood and were
the only two people that survived. When the waters receded, the ark landed on Mount
Parnassus, which was the only spot that has not destroyed by the waters. Yet, Deucalion
and Pyrrha had to repopulate the earth. So, Deucalion asked an oracle of the goddess
Themis for advice, who told him to throw the bones of his mother behind his shoulder.
Deucalion and Pyrrha believed that my “mother”, the oracle meant Mother Gaea, and by
“bones”, it meant rocks. Deucalion and Pyrrha took some rocks and threw them behind their
shoulder; as soon as the rocks touched the ground, they started changing shape and
formed humans. The rocks Deucalion had thrown became men, while those thrown by
Pyrrha became women. Deucalion and Pyrrha also had their own children; three sons,
Hellen, Amphictyon, Orestheus; and three daughter, Protogeneia, Pandora II, and Thyia.
Helen – hellen, in Greek mythology, was the person from which all Hellenes (Greeks) were
descended. He was the son of Deucalion and Pyrrha and his brother was Amphictyon. He
had three sons, from whom the Greek tribes originated; Aeolus was the progenitor of the
Aeolians; Dorus, progenitor of the Dorians; and Xuthus, through his own sons Achaeus and
Ion, the progenitor of the Achaeans and the Ionians respectively.

Aeolus – was a name given to three mythical characters but their myths are deeply
intertwined in such a fashion that the characters are often difficult to tell apart. However, the
most famous of them was the son of Hippotes that is mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey as the
keeper of the Winds; in this myth, Aeolus gave Odysseus a closed bag that contained all
winds, but for the gentle West Wind that would take him home. However, Odysseus’
companions, thinking the bag contained riches, opened the bag and the winds escaped,
blowing the ship in all directions and thus extending their voyage back home. Aeolus was
later considered to have been a god rather than a mortal as depicted in the Odyssey. He
had twelve children, six sons and six Daughters. Another Aeolus was the son of Hellen and
Orseis and ruler of Aeolia. He married Enarete, with whom he had numerous children,
including Sisyphus, Athamas, Cretheus, and Salmoneus. Finally, the third character with the
same name was the son of Poseidon and Arne, and was often indistinguishable from the
first Aeolus, keeper of the winds.

Nephele – nephele was a cloud nymph in Greek mythology, who played an important role in
the story of Phrixus and Helle. It was also the name of the cloud that Zeus made in the
image of Hera, in order to see if Ixion, who was secretly in love with the goddess, would
succumb to temptation; Ixion failed to restrain himself and after his union with Nephele, the
Centaurs were born. Nephele became the wife of Athamas, and had two children, Phrixus
and Helle. However, Athamas abandoned Nephele and married Ino, who had little love for
her stepchildren. To get rid of them, Ino roasted all of the seeds in the town, so they
wouldn’t grow; the desperate farmers sent men to an oracle to find out what was happening,
but Ino bribed the men, who said that the oracle demanded that Phrixus be sacrificed. Just
before the sacrifice, however, Nephele sent a flying golden ram that saved Phrixus and
Helle. Nephele asked her children not to look down on thr ram; Helle foolishly disregarded
the advice, and upon looking don to earth. She lost her balance and fell into the sea called
Hellespont, named after her. Phrixus managed to reach the mythical area of Colchis, where
he was welcomed by King Aeetes; he married Aeetes’ daughter, and in return, Phrixus gave
him the Golden Fleece of the ram, which later became the object of desire for Jason and
the Argonauts.

Anthamas – Athamas was a king of the region of Boeotia in Greek mythology, son of
Aeolus and Enarete. He had three wives; the goddess Nephele; the daughter of Cadmus,
Ino; and Themisto. With Nephele he had three daughter, the twins Phrixus and Helle, and
Makistos. He and Ino had two children, Learchus and Melicertes. Ino hated the children
from her husband’s first marriage and especially thw twins, so she devised a plot to kill
them. She collected all crop seeds from the town, and roasted them; the farmers, seeing
that their crops wouldn’t grow, sent people to ask an oracle foe a solution. Ino bribed the
messengers to say that the oracle asked for the sacrifice of the twins. Athamas had no other
choices but agree with the sacrifice, but just before the children were killed, a flying ram
that was sent by Nephele saved Phrixus and Helle. The ram flew day and night; at some
point, Helle looked down despite her mother’s warning, and fell from the ram; she died at
the sea now called Hellespont, which was named after her. Phrixus survived the whole flight
and went to Colchis, where the King Aeetes welcomed him. Phrixus gave the ram’s Golden
Fleece as a gift, which later became the object for Jason and the Argonauts. Meanwhile,
back in Boeotia, Ino helped raise her nephew, the god Dionysus, which triggered Hera’s
jealousy. The queen of gods inflicted madness upon Athamas, who slew his son Learchus,
while Ino and Melicertes fell into the sea in a desperate attempt to evade the maddened
king. After he recovered and full of guilt for his son’s death, Athamas fled Boeotia and went
to Phthiotis, where he married Themisto. The couple had a number of children, but soon
afterwards, Athamas return to Ino. Themisto wanted to make revenge by killing Ino’s
children, so she dressed them in black clothes, while her own were dressed in white. Ino
switched the clothes without Themisto knowing, who ended up killing her own children.

Ino - Ino was a queen of Thebes in Greek mythology, the Daughter of Cadmus and
Harmonia. She was the second wife king Athamas, with whom she had two children,
Learches and Melicertes. Her sisters were Agave, and Semele, who was the mother of the
god Dionysus. Ino hated Athamas’ children from his first marriage with the goddess
Nephele, especially the twins Phrixus and Helle. So, she devised a plot to kill them. She
collected all crop seeds from the region and roasted them. The farmers, seeing that their
crops wouldn’t grow and afraid of famine, sent messengers to a nearby oracle for advice.
Ino bribed the messengers to say that the oracle demanded the sacrifice of the twins.
Athamas reluctantly agreed, and everything was prepared for the sacrifice. However, just
before the children were killed, their natural mother Nephele sent a flying golden ram to
save them. Phrixus and Helle were told never to look down while flying on the ram, but at
some point, Helle ignored her mother’s advice and fell to her death. The patch of sea where
Helle died later took her name and has been called Hellespont since then. Phrixus survived
the flight and reached Colchis, were the King Aeetes welcomed him; Phrixus, grateful for
the hospitality, gave the Golden Fleece of the ram as a gift to the king, which would later be
the object of desire for Jason and the Argonauts. Ino helped raise her nephew Dionysus,
causing Hera’s jealousy. Hera caused Athamas to get mad, thus killing one of his sons,
Learches; Ino, in an attempt to escape, took her other son Melicertes, and together fell into
the sea. Due to this event, Ino was later deified and was worshipped as the goddess
Leucothea, while Melicertes became the god Palaemon. Athamas regained his sanity and
fled and later married Themisto with whom he had number of children. When he returned to
Ino, he caused Themisto’s jealousy, who devised a plot to kill Ino’s children. She dressed
Ino’s children in black and her own in white, and paid to have the children in black killed.
However, Ino had switched the clothes among the children, and Themisto’s children were
killed instead.
Themisto – Themisto was the daughter of Hypseus in Greek mythology, the third wife of the
king of Boeotia, athamas. She and Athamas had four children,, Leucon, Erythrius,
Schoeneus, and Ptous. Athamas fled Boeotia after he had killed one of his sons during a fit
of madness inflicted by the goddess Hera; his second wife Ino and their other son
Melicertes had escaped from his madness by throwing themselves into the sea and were
considered dead. So, Athamas went to Phthiotis where he met Themisto and married her.
After he realized that Ino was still live, he went back to her, causing Themisto’s jealousy
who devised a plot to have Ino’s children killed. She had never seen Ino, and when they
met, she thought Ino was a servant at the court. So, she told her to dress Themisto’s
children in white and Ino’s in black. Themisto then paid assassins to kill the children dressed
in black. However, Ino had switched the clothing of the children and eventually it was
Themisto’s children that were killed. As soon as she found out, Themisto committed suicide.

Phrixus – Phrixus was the son of King Athamas of Boeotia and Nephele, a minor goddess.
He had a twin sister mnamed Helle; both of them were hated by their stepmother Ino. Who
made a scheme to get rid of them. She took all crops seeds in the region and roasted them,
so that they wouldn’t grow. When the farmers went into despair for not being able to grow
their crops, they decided to ask the oracle for advice. Ino bribed the men who were sent to
the oracle and told them to say that the oracle asked for the sacrifice of Phrixus and Helle.
As the twins were about to be sacrificed, their mother sent a flying, golden ram to save
them. During the flight, though, Helle looked towards the earth, lost her balance and fell into
the sea below, where she drowned; since then, that particularly area has been called
Hellespont (sea of Helle). Phrixus continued flying eventually reached Colchis, where he
was kindly accepted by King Aeetes, and gave his daughter as his bride. Grateful, Phrixus
sacrificed the ram to Zeus and offered the Golden Fleece to Aeetes, who took it and placed
it in a garden to be guarded by a never-sleeping dragon. This Golden Fleece was the object
of desire for Jason, who later organized the Argonautic Expedition to retrieve it. Phrixus is
also called Phryxus, Phrixos.

Helle – Helle was a mortal in Greek mythology, who played an important part in the myth of
Jason and the Argonauts, along with her brother Phrixus. She was the daughter of
Athamas, King of Boeotia, and Nephele a cloud nymph. She was the consort of the god
Poseidon, with whom she had two children, Almops and Paeon. Both siblings were hated by
their stepmother Ino, who devised a plan to kill them. She destroyed the crops of the area,
and when the locals asked an oracle for help, she bribed the messenger to say that the
gods asked for Phrixus to be sacrificed. However, the twins’ mother sent a flying golden ram
to rescue her children. While on the air, Helle lost her grasp and fell into the sea, which was
named Hellespont after her. Phrixus managed to reach mythical land of Colchis where he
was accepted by King Aeetes; to show his gratitude, Phrixus gifted the golden fleece of the
ram to the King, which later became the artifact of desire for Jason and the Argonauts. Helle
is also called Athamantis.
Schoenues – was the name of several individuals: Schoenues, a Boeotian King, the son of
Athamas and Themisto. He may have emigrated to Arcadia, where a village Schoenous and
a river Schoenues flowing by it were believed to haved been named after him, and where
his children were believed to have originated from. He was the father of Atalanta and also of
the Arcadian Clymenus. Schoenues, a son of Autonous and Hippodamia. When his brother
Anthus was killed bytheir father’s horses, Zeus and Apollo pitied Schoenues and
transformed him into a bird. Schoenues, a man who reared Orestes from whose home
Orestes directed to Argos to avenge the death of his father on Clytaemnestra.

Atalanta - Atalanta’s parentage is uncertain. Her parents may have been King Iasus and
Clymene. She came into the world in the “undesirable state” of being female. As a result,
her father had her carried into the woods and left to die. However, a bear found her and
adopted her. As she grew older she began to spend time with hunters and was soon the
best amongst them. She loved hunting and the outdoors and had no use for a man in her
life. She also received an oracle that her marriage would end in disaster. She had no
compunction in defending her virginity when the centaurs Rhoecus and hylaeus attempted
to rape her she quickly killed them with her arrows. She wished to join the Argonauts, but
Jason thought it was ill-fated to have a woman among the crew, fearing problems might
occur, similar to those during the boar hunt. Her shooting skills allowed her to draw first
blood during the Calydonian Boar Hunt. Her contribution to the hunt was marred when a
quarrel over giving her a trophy of the hunt resulted in the death of Meleager and his uncles.

Sisyphus – Sisyphus was the king of Ephyra (Corinth) in Greek mythology. He was the son
of King Aelous of Thessaly and Enarete. He founded Ephyra, which he ruled over as its first
king. His spouse was the nymph Merope, with whom he had four children; Glaucus,
Ornytion, Almus, and Thersander.Although Sisyphus helped its city become a commercial
hub and invested in navigation, he was a sly and deceitful person. In numerous occasions,
he violated the Xenia, the concept of hospitality and generosity shown to travellers and
guests, by killing them, so he could prove that he was a ruthless king. These violations
made him fall in the eyes of Zeus, who was in charge of promoting the Xenia. Another time
that Sisyphus infuriated Zeus when he told the river god Asopus where his daughter Aegina
was - Zeus had previously kidnapped her. In return, Asopus created a spring to flow on the
Acropolis of Corinth.The now furious father of gods decided to punish Sisyphus for good.
He asked Thanatos personification of death, to take him and chain him in the Underworld.
When Thanatos went to Sisyphus, the king asked how the chains actually
worked; Thanatos agreed, but Sisyphus swiftly managed to chain Thanatos instead. With
Death now in chains, no mortal could die and go to the Underworld. After a while, the
situation aggravated, and the god of war Ares, unhappy that his wars were no longer
interesting as no one died, released Thanatos. He then trapped Sisyphus and gave him
to Thanatos too.

Glaucus – Glaucus was a mortal in Greek mythology, who became immortal by eating a
magical herb and turned into a prophetic god of the sea. It is uncertain who his parents
were; the sources disagree and have him be a son of Polybus and Euboea, Anthedon
and Alcyone, or Poseidon and a Naiad nymph. He was a fisherman, who one day came
across a magical herb; he realized that this herb would bring dead fish back to life, so he
decided to eat it himself. As a result, he became immortal but at the same time, he started
getting fish-like features, like fins and a fish tail. So, he ended up living in the sea, where the
major deities Oceanus and Tethys accepted him in their realm. They taught him the art of
prophecy, who later became the teacher of Apollo. As a former fisherman, he became the
protector of fishermen and gave advice to anyone who was lost in the sea.
When Glaucus met the nymph Scylla, he fell in love with her, but she did not like him. So,
he asked the witch Circe to brew a love potion. However, Circe fell in love with Glaucus,
only to receive his scorn instead. Enraged, Circe made a poison which she poured into the
pool where Scylla bathed, transforming her into a monster.

Euroynome – Eurynome was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans
Oceanus and Tethys, hence an Oceanid. She was the third wife of Zeus, with whom she
had the three Charites, goddesses of grace. When Hephaestus was thrown off Mount
Olympus by his mother Hera for being crippled, Eurynome and Thetis caught him and
raised him. Eurynome may also have been a goddess of pasturelands. She was also often
linked to another Eurynome, who was an early Queen of the Titans alongside her
husband, Ophion. This couple fought against Cronus and Rhea and lost the throne to them.

Bellerophon – Bellerophon provides a lesson in the proper relationship between a

mortal hero and the gods. When he was young he honored the gods and won their favor,
but eventually his pride got the better of him and led to his down Bellerophon fall. was the
son of Poseidon and Eurynome, wife of Glaucus. He was raised by Glaucus who
thought Bellerophon was his own son. Considering that both a Poseidon and Glaucus were
interested in horses, it is not surprising that q Bellerophon uested after Pegasus. After
many failures, he asked the seer Polyeidus for help. Following Polyeidus' instructions, he
spent the night in a temple of Athena. There, he had a dream that the goddess offered him
a magical, golden bridle. He awoke and found the bridle he dreamt about in his hands. He
sensibly made a sacrifice to both Athena and Poseidon afterwards, he went to the
meadow Pegasus was grazing at, and was able to bridle and tame the horse without
difficulty. Triumphant in his success, he went to King Pittheus and received permission to
marry his daughter Aethra. However, before the marriage, he accidentally killed a man,
possibly one of his brothers, and was banished.

Salmoneus - Salmoneus was a king from Greek mythology, but rather than for his kingly
status, Salmoneus is much more famous for being an inmate of Tartarus, the hell pit of
Greek mythology. Salmoneus is named as one of the sons of King Aeolus of Thessally and
Queen Enarate. Brothers to Salmoneus were said to include Aethlius, Athamas, Cretheus,
Deioneus, Perieres, and Sisyphus, whilst sisters included Alcyone, Calyce, Peisidice and
Permide. When of age Salmoneus and a number of companions left Thessaly and travelled
to the Peloponesse, to the region of Pisatis, a region that would later develop into Elis. Here
Salmoneus created a new kingdom called Salmonia. Salmoneus would wed twice first to
Alcidice, daughter of King Aleus of Arcadia, and then after her death, to Sidero. Alcidice
would give birth to a single daughter for King Salmoneus, a princess called Tryo. Tyro was
said to be wed to her uncle Cretheus, and gave birth to three sons, Aeson, Amythain and
Pheres, as well as two sons to Poseidon, Pelias and Neleus.
There was a great hatred between the sons of Aeolus though, and Sisyphus especially
hated Salmoneus, and when an oracle told Sisyphus, that if he wed Tyro, and had sons by
her, then these sons would kill Salmoneus. Somehow, Sisyphus arranged to wed Tyro, and
indeed she bore him two sons, but when Tyro learned of the prophecy, she killed these two
sons so that her father Salmoneus would not be harmed. This act of infanticide only saved
Salmoneus for a short while, for Salmoneus was well known as being an impious king.
Salmoneus refused to undertake the sacrifices and festivals expected of him to honour the
gods, and worse still Salmoneus even made fun of Zeus and the other gods. Salmoneus
would order his subjects to refer to him as Zeus, and then would mimic the thunder and
lightning of the god, by driving a chariot over a bridge of brass, to imitate the sound, and
having torches thrown into the air to match the flashes.
It was never good to anger a god, and Zeus was amongst the quickest to anger, so when
he observed the mimicry of Salmoneus, Zeus threw down a thunderbolt killing the king.
The kingdom of Salmonia would eventually fall under the command of Neleus, the
grandson of Salmoneus. The deceased Salmoneus was transported to the underworld, and
in Tartarus was subject to eternal punishment for his hubris. The form of the punishment of
Salmoneus in Tartarus was not as explicit as that of Ixion, Sisyphus or Tantalus, although
Aeneas was said to have observed the former king’s punishment.

Poseidon - is the god of the sea and protector of all aquatic features. Brother of Zeus and
Hades after the overthrow of their father, Cronus he drew lots with them to share the
universe. He ended up becoming lord of the sea. He was widely worshipped by seamen. He
married Aphrodite, one of the grand daughters of the Titans Oceanus. At one point he
desired Demeter. To deter him, Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that
the world had ever seen. So, in an effort to impress her, Poseidon created the first horse. In
some accounts, his first attempts were not successful and created a variety of other animals
in his quest; thus, by the time horse was created, his passion for Demeter had diminished.
His weapon was a trident with which he could make the earth shake, causing earthquakes
and shatter any object. He was second to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He was
considered by Greeks to have a difficult quarrelsome personality. Combined with his greed,
he had a series of disputes with other gods during his various attempts to take over the
cities they were patrons of. Poseidon is also called Neptune.

Tyro - was the daughter of Salmoneus in Greek mythology, wife of Cretheus. She was the
mother of the twins Pelias and Neleus, by Poseidon, and of Aeson, Pheres and Amythaon,
by Cretheus.Tyro married Cretheus, but she had fallen in love with Enipeus, a river god,
who ignored her. One day, Poseidon, having lusted for Tyro, transformed into Enipeus and
appeared in front of her. They slept together and as a result, Tyro became pregnant with the
twin boys Pelias and Neleus. Tyro left her sons on a mountain to die, but they were rescued
by a shepherd who raised them as his own. When the twins grew up, they found their
mother and killed her stepmother Sidero, who mistreated Tyro.
Afterwards, Tyro married Sisyphus, with whom he had two children. A prophecy said that
these two children would kill their grandfather, Salmoneus, so Tyro killed them to save her
father.

Neleus - was the son of Poseidon and Tyro in Greek mythology, and twin brother
of Pelias. Tyro was the wife of Cretheus, but was secretely in love with the river god
Enipeus. However, Enipeus rejected her. Poseidon, having fallen for Tyro, took the form of
Enipeus and seduced Tyro; after sleeping together, Tyro became pregnant and gave birth to
the twin brothers, Neleus and Pelias. Tyro abandoned the two babies on a mountain to die,
but a maid found them and raised them. When Neleus and Pelias reached adulthood, they
sought their mother, who at the time was being mistreated by their stepmother, Sidero.
Sidero tried to evade them by hiding into a temple of Hera, but Pelias found her and killed
her anyway; this is how he received the hatred of the goddess. The two brothers then
fought for the throne, and Neleus lost; he was banished to Messenia, where he became the
king of Pylos. He married Chloris, with whom he had four children; Pero, Periclymenus,
Alastor, and Nestor. At a later time, Heracles asked Neleus to release him from a blood-
debt; after being refused, Heracles killed Neleus and his sons except Nestor. Nestor - was
the son of Neleus and Chloris in Greek mythology, and king of the city of Pylos. He was
married to Eurydice (different to the wife of Orpheus) or Anaxibia, and had numerous
children, including Peisistratus, Thrasymedes and Pisidice. He took part in the Argonautic
Expedition and helped Jason retrieve the Golden Fleece from the land of Colchis. He was
also one of the hunters of the Calydonian Boar. Along with his two sons, he participated in
the Trojan War, on the side of the Achaeans. Although he was already at a very old age and
did not actively fight in the war, he often spoke to reconciliate the Greeks, such as
when Agamemnon and Achilles had a dispute. After the end of the war, Nestor and his
remaining troops did not take part in the sack of Troy, but left for Pylos.
There, Nestor received Telemachus as a guest, asking for his father Odysseus’ fate. Homer
portrayed Nestor in two conflicting ways. On one hand, he was seen as a wise man who
was frequently asked for advice; on the other hand, however, his advice was often
considered anachronistic for that time and sometimes led to disasters. For example, he was
the one to advise Patroclus on how to act, leading to the young man's death. In any case,
though, his expertise was never doubted and was in fact praised.

Cretheus - king and of Iolcus, the son of Aeolus (son of Hellen) and Enarete. Brother of
Salmoneus. Husband of Tyro. Father of Aeson, Amythaon, Hippolyta and Pheres. When he
discovered that his wife Tyro had borne the twins Neleus and Pelias to Poseidon he
abandoned her. In other accounts he married her, adopted the twins and fathered Aeson,
Amythaon and Pheres. Another version says that Sidero was the second wife of Salmoneus
and Hence tyro’s stepmother. In some reference, referred to as Cretheus.
Aeson – was the son of Cretheus and Tyro. He had two other brothers Pheres and
amythaon. Aeson was the father of Jason and Promachus with Polymele, the daughter of
Autholycus. Other sources say the mother of his children was Alcimede or Amphinome.
Aeson’s mother Tyro had two other sons, Neleus and Pelias with the sea of god Poseidon.

Pelias - was the king of Iolcus in Greek mythology, son of the god Poseidon and Tyro. He
was married either to Anaxibia or Phylomache; with his wife, they had a number of children,
including Acastus, Pisidice, Alcestis, Pelopia, Hippothoe and Antinoe. Poseidon fell in love
with Tyro, who was interested in the river god Enipeus. So, Poseidon disguised himself as
Enipeus and slept with Tyro; she was impregnated and gave birth to Pelias and Neleus,
who were left by Tyro to die on a mountain. However, a herdsman found the infants and
raised them. When Pelias and Neleus reached adulthood, they searched for their mother,
and then killed her stepmother who had been mistreating her for years. Pelias wanted to
rule over Thessaly; so he banished his brother Neleus and his half-brother Pheres, while he
imprisoned his other half-brother Aeson. While imprisoned, Aeson got married and had a
number of children, including the famous Jason, whom he managed to disguise and send
away, in fear that Pelias might kill him as a rightful heir of the throne. Pelias was consumed
with fear that someone might overthrow him, especially after he received a prophecy from
an oracle to beware of a man wearing one sandal. Years later, he organized the Olympics
in Iolcus. Jason decided to participate, and he set forth to Iolcus, but lost one of his sandals
on his way there. He eventually reached Iolcus, where he was announced as the man with
one sandal. Peleus, overcome with fear, tried to devise a plan against him. He
asked Jason what he would do if he met the man who would destroy him; Jason replied
that he would tell the man to fetch the Golden Fleece. So, Peleus gave Jason the task of
finding the Golden Fleece , which could be found in Colchis, in a garden belonging to
King Aeetes and guarded by a never-sleeping dragon. Jason gathered a party of heroes,
collectively called the Argonauts, and they all set sail on Jason's ship, the Argo. They
successfully managed to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to Pelias . When they
returned, Pelias refused to give his throne to Jason, so Medea, the daughter of King Aeetes
who fell in love with Jason and followed him, made a plan to have Pelias killed by his
daughters. She said she could give the youth back to anyone by cutting them up and boiling
them. The daughters believed her after seeing a demonstration with an old ram; excited,
they cut their father to pieces and threw him in a pot. Of course, Pelias did not come back to
life. An alternative version of the story has it that Medea cut the father of Jason into pieces,
and indeed brought him back to life at a much younger age. She then promised she would
do the same for Pelias, but after his daughters killed him, she simply ignored them.
Because of this, Medea and Jason were banished from Iolcus, as murderers.

Jason - was a hero in Greek mythology, the leader of the Argonautic Expedition in the quest
of retrieving the Golden Fleece. He was the son of the king of Iolcus, Aeson, but it is not
certain who his mother was; various names appear in different sources as his mother. When
Jason was still a baby, his half-uncle Pelias, vying for the throne of Aeson, killed all of
Aeson's children, and overthrew Aeson; however, he failed to kill Jason. The baby was sent
to the centaur Chiron, who nurtured him to adulthood. Pelias, in the meantime, consulted an
oracle that told him to be careful of a man with one sandal. Jason, a grown man, returned to
Iolcus to attend some games held by Pelias in honour of the god Poseidon; during his
travel, he lost one of his sandals in the river Anauros while helping a disguised Hera to
cross. Hera secretly blessed Jason at that point. Jason appeared in front of Pelias, asking
for the throne as the rightful heir of Aeson, but Pelias gave him the quest to bring
the Golden Fleece in order to step down from the throne. Jason started creating a party
of heroes, who were collectively called the Argonauts, after the name of Jason's ship, Argo.
The Golden Fleece was located in the mythical region of Colchis that would take a long time
to reach. After the Argonauts set sail, they first reached the island of Lemnos. There, all the
women of the island had killed their husbands after a curse that had been afflicted on them
by the goddess Aphrodite, because she was not properly worshipped. The
Argonauts stayed for a while there, sleeping with the women of the island and creating a
new race, called Minyans. Their next stop after Lemnos was the land of the Doliones, where
they were warmly greeted. They were told there were supplies to be found beyond Bear
Mountain, where a mythical race of giants called Gegeines lived. While the Argonauts were
looking for supplies, the Gegeines attacked the ship;Heracles, who participated in the
expedition, managed to kill many of them before the rest of the Argonauts came and
pushed the giants back. At night, they set sail but a mistake caused them to land back on
the island, where the Doliones, thinking they were enemies, attacked them; in the battle that
followed, many Doliones were killed. In the following day, the remorseful Argonauts held
funerals for the slain. They then went to Thrace, where the kingdom of King Phineus was
being plagued by the Harpies. These monster were sent by Zeus to steal food every
day. Jason helped the king and killed the Harpies on their next attack. Phineus , grateful
for Jason's help, told the Argonauts where Colchis lay and how to pass through the
Symplegades, the Clashing Rocks. These were huge rock cliffs that would move and crush
anything that passed between them. Phineus told Jason to release a dove and see if it
would make it through, an omen for what would happen to the ship. The dove successfully
passed, losing only a few tail feathers; so, when the ship travelled through the rocks, only
minor damages were caused at the stern of the ship.

Pheres - In Greek mythology, Pheres Ancient Greek son of Cretheus and Tyro and brother
of Aeson and Amythaon, was the founder of Pherae in Thessaly. He fled there
from Iolcus after his half-brother, Pelias, seized the throne. He married Periclymene,
daughter of Minyas, and became the father of Admetus, Lycurgus, Eidomene (wife
of Amythaon or Bias) and Periopis (possible mother of Patroclus). Of them Admetus was
the husband of the famous Alcestis, who died in his stead and was rescued by Heracles,
while Pheres, despite his old age, would not do the same for his son.
In Aeschylus' Eumenides Pheres is mentioned by the Chorus of Erinyes of Clytemnestra.
The Erinyes were the avengers for the mother-blood Orestes spilled by ordering of Apollo.
The Chorus leader argues with Apollo over the just sentence Athena and her panel of
judges are about to speak.
Admetus - In Greek mythology, Admetus was the king of Pherae in the region of Thessaly,
son of Pheres. He participated in the Argonautic Expedition. He was a fair and hospitable
king; when Apollo was forced to serve under a mortal because of killing Delphyne, he chose
to serve as Admetus’ herdsman. The god later helped him win over Alcestis, princess
of Iolcus daughter of Pelias . Pelias ran a contest to choose the best suitor for his daughter;
the task was to yoke a boar and a lion to a chariot. With Apollo ’s help, Admetus succeeded
and married Alcestis. When the Fates decided it was time for Admetus to
die, Apollo intoxicated them and made them agree to keep him alive, as long as someone
else would take his place. To this, Alcestis agreed to take her husband’s place, and was
escorted by Thatanos, god of death, to the Underworld. Later, when Heracles had
undertaken the Twelve Labours, Admetus treated him very kindly; the demigod repaid
for Admetus’ hospitality, by going to the Underworld and fighting with Thatanos. Thus, he
managed to bring Alcestis back from the dead to her husband.

Alcestis - Alcestis was a princess in Greek mythology, renowned for the love she had for
her husband. She was the daughter of the king of lolcus, Pelias, and Anaxibia. Alcestis was
fair and beautiful, and many asked to marry her. Her father issued a competition, saying that
the person who would be able to yoke a lion and a bore to a chariot would be allowed to
marry Alcestis. In the end, it was King Admetus who managed to do this, helped by the
god Apollo, who was forced to serve him as punishment for
killing Delphyne. Admetus married Alcestis, but forgetting to sacrifice to Artemis, the
goddess sent snakes on his bed. Apollo managed to trick the Fates and made them
promise that if anyone was willing to take Admetus’ place in the underworld,
Admetus would be allowed to live. Admetus ’ parents refusing to exchange places with him,
it was Alcestis who asked to die in place of her husband. Later, Heracles, grateful
for Admetus’ hospitality, went to the underworld and managed to bring Alcestis back from
the dead. Alcestis is also called Alkestis.

Antilochus - In Greek mythology, Antilochus (Greek: Antílokhos) was the son of Nestor,
king of Pylos, and was one of the Acheans in the Trojan War. He was distinguished for his
beauty, swiftness of foot, and skill as a charioteer. Though the youngest among the Greek
princes, he commanded the Pylians in the war and performed many deeds of valour. He
was a favorite of the gods and a friend of Achilles, to whom he was commissioned to
announce the death of Patroclus. When his father Nestor was attacked by Memnon,
Antilochus sacrificed himself to save him. thus fulfilling an oracle which had warned to
"beware of an Ethiopian." Antilochus' death was avenged by Achilles, who drove the Trojans
back to the gates, where he is killed by Paris. In later accounts, he was slain by Hector or
by Paris in the temple of the Thymbraean Apollo together with Achilles. His ashes, along
with those of Achilles and Patroclus, were enshrined in a mound on the promontory
of Sigeion, where the inhabitants of Ilium offered sacrifice to the dead heroes. In
the Odyssey, the three friends are represented as united in the underworld and walking
together in the Asphodel Meadows. According to Pausanias, they dwell together on the
island of Leuke. Among the Trojans he killed were Melanippus, Ablerus, Atymnius, Phalces,
and Thoon, although Hyginus records that he only killed two TrojansAt the funeral games of
Patroclus, Antilochus finished second in the chariot race and third in the foot race.
Antilochus left behind in Messenia a son Paeon, whose descendants were among
the Neleidae expelled from Messenia, by the descendants of Heracles.

Ancestors of Persus and Hercules

Zeus – was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He overthrew his father
Cronus and then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades, in order to decide who
would succeed their father on the throne. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme
ruler of the gods as well as lord of the sky and rain. His weapon was thunderbolt which he
hurled at those who displeased or defied him, especially liars and oath breakers. He was
married to Hera but often tested her patience as he was infamous for his many affairs.
Zeus, the presiding deity of the universe, ruler of the skies and the earth was regarded by
Greeks as the god of all natural phenomena on the sky; personification of the laws of
nature; the ruler of the state and finally, the father of gods and men. Using his shield the
Aegis, Zeus could create all natural phenomena related to the air and the sky, such as
storms, tempests and intense darkness. At his command, mighty thunders would flash and
lightnings would roll, wreaking havoc; or the skies would open to rejuvenate the earth with
life-giving water. As the personification of the operations of nature, he represented the grand
laws of unchanging and harmonious order, by which both the natural and the spiritual world
were governed. He was the god of regulated time as marked by the changing season and
the regular succession of day and night, in contrast of what his father Cronus represented
before him; absolute time, eternity. As the ruler of the state, he was the source of kingly
power, the upholder of all institutions connected to the state, and the friend and patron of
princes, whom he guarded and assisted with his advice and counsel. He was also the
protector of the people and watched over the welfare of the whole community. As the father
of the gods, Zeus as curtained that each deity perform their individual duty, punished their
misdeeds, settled their deputes and acted towards them on all occasions as their all-
knowing counselor and mighty friend. As the father of men, he took a paternal interest in the
actions and well- being of mortals. He watched over them with tender solicitude, rewarding
truth, charity, and fairness while severely punishing perjury and cruelty. Even the poorest
and most forlorn wanderer could find a powerful advocate in Zeus, for him as a wise and
merciful paternal figure demanded that the wealthy inhabitants of the earth be attentive to
the needs of their less fortunate fellow citizens.

Io - was the princess of Argos, who Zeus fell in love with. To try to keep Hera from noticing,
he covered the world with a thick blanket of clouds. However, as soon as Hera saw that,
she immediately became suspicious. She came down from Mount Olympus and began
dispersing the clouds. Zeus did some quick thinking and changed Io's form from a lovely
maiden; so, as the clouds dispersed, Hera found Zeus standing next to a white heifer. He
then swore that he had never seen the cow before and that it had just sprang right out of the
earth. Seeing right through this, Hera faked liking the cow so much that she wanted to have
it as a present. As turning such a reasonable request down would have given the whole
thing away, Zeus presented her with the cow. She sent the cow away and arranged Argus
Panoptes to watch over it. Since Argus had a hundred eyes and could have some of them
sleep while keeping others awake, he made for a fine watchman.
Desperate, Zeus sent Hermes to fetch Io. Disguised as a shepherd, Hermes had to employ
all his skill as a musician and storyteller to gain Argus' confidence and lull him to sleep.
Once asleep, Hermes killed Argus; later, Hera took his eyes and set them into the tail of her
favorite bird, the peacock. While Io was now free, Hera sent the mother of all gadflies to
sting the still bovine Io. The ghost of Argus pursued her as well. This pushed her towards
madness and in her efforts to escape, she wandered the world. During her journeys, she
came across Prometheus while chained, who gave her hope. He predicted that although
she would have to wander for many years, she would eventually be changed back into
human form and would bear a child. He predicted that a descendant of this child would be a
great hero and would set him free; his predictions came true. Because of her journeys,
many geographical features were named after her, including the Ionian Sea, and the
Bosporus (which means ford of the cow). She eventually reached the Nile
where Zeus restored her human form. She bore Epaphus and eleven generations later, her
descendant Heracles would set Prometheus free.
Epaphus - was the son of Zeus and Io; his name, meaning "touch", shows the way he was
born - that is, by Zeus' touch. He was born either on the island of Euboea, or in Egypt, on
the river Nile. When he grew up, he became the king of Egypt. Moreover, he was
considered to have been the founder of the city of Memphis, Egypt; his wife was also called
Memphis and the two of them had a daughter, Libya.
Poseidon - is the god of the sea and protector of all aquatic features. Brother
of Zeus and Hades, after the overthrow of their father, Cronus, he drew lots with them to
share the universe. He ended up becoming lord of the sea. He was widely worshipped by
seamen. He married Amphitrite, one of the granddaughters of the Titan Oceanus. At one
point he desired Demeter. To deter him, Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful
animal that the world had ever seen. So, in an effort to impress her,Poseidon created the
first horse. In some accounts, his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of
other animals in his quest; thus, by the time the horse was created, his passion
for Demeter had diminished. His weapon was a trident, with which he could make the earth
shake, causing earthquakes, and shatter any object. He was second to Zeus in power
amongst the gods. He was considered by Greeks to have a difficult quarrelsome
personality. Combined with his greed, he had a series of disputes with other gods during his
various attempts to take over the cities they were patrons of.
Lybia - was one of the mythic outlands that encircled the familiar Greek world of the
Hellenes and their "foreign" neighbors. Personified as an individual, Libya was the daughter
of Epaphus—King of Egypt, and the son of Zeus and Io—and Memphis. Libya was ravished
by the god Poseidon to whom she bore twin sons, Belus and Agenor. Some sources name
a third son, named Lelex.

Belus - The mythologies of Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt are of course separate
subjects, but the Ancient Greeks would use their own stories to explain the history and
events of the lands south of the Mediterranean. Thus the gods of the Greek pantheon were
used as equivalents of the Egyptian pantheon, and equally as important, the lineage of
kings of Egypt would also play an important role in the history of the Greek people, and one
such king was Belus. The Naiad Io was considered to be one of the three main ancestors of
the Greek peoples (alongside Deucalion and Atlas), and it was in the land south of the
Mediterranean that Io would settle, and give birth to a son of Zeus called Epaphos. Epaphos
would wed the Naiad Memphis, a daughter of the Potamoi Neilos (the Nile). Epaphos would
thus become father to a daughter named Libya, who gave her name to the land of Libya,
which at the time equated to Africa. Libya would become a lover of the Greek god Poseidon,
and thus Libya bore the god twin sons Agenor and Belus. Belus would inherit the kingdom
of Epaphos, thus he became ruler of Africa (for at the time only the land north of the Sahara
was known). Agenor would leave the land and settle in the land that became Phoenicia; and
of course, Agenor became father to Europa and Cadmus. Belus would also become a
father, for he married another daughter of Neilos, a Naiad called Anchinoe. The two most
famous sons of Belus were Danaus and Aegyptus. Agenor is occasionally named not as a
brother of Belus, but as a son of the king and Anchinoe. Cepheus and Phineus are also
later named as sons of Belus in some sources, although this seems to be a later addition to
the myth, for they were previously named as sons of Phoenix, who himself was possibly a
son of Agenor, but also occasionally named son of Belus. There are also occasionally
named daughters of Belus, including Damno, who was potentially wife of Agenor, although
more commonly the wife of Agenor is named Telephassa or Argiope; another daughter was
said to be Thronia, who by Hermes, bore Arabus, who gave his name to Arabia. A third
daughter of Belus is called Lamia, a Queen of Libya, who was a lover of Zeus.

Aegyptus – According to Greek mythology, Aegyptus is a descendant of

the heifer maiden, Io, and the river-god Nilus, and was a king in Egypt. Aegyptos was the
son of Belus and Achiroe, a naiad daughter of Nile. He ruled Arabia and conquered nearby
country ruled by people called Melampodes and called it by his name. Aegyptus fathered
fifty sons, who were all but one murdered by forty nine of the fifty daughters of Aegyptus'
twin brother, Danaus, eponym of the Danaids. A scholium on a line
in Euripides, Hecuba 886, reverses these origins, placing the twin brothers at first in Argolis,
whence Aegyptus was expelled and fled to the land that was named after him. In the more
common version, Aegyptus commanded that his fifty sons marry the fifty Danaides, and
Danaus with his daughters fled to Argos, ruled by Pelasgus[4] or by Gelanor, whom Danaus
replaced. When Aegyptus and his sons arrived to take the Danaides, Danaus relinquished
them, to spare the Argives the pain of a battle; however, he instructed his daughters to kill
their husbands on their wedding night. Forty-nine followed through, but
one, Hypermnestra ("greatly wooed"), refused, because her husband, Lynceus the "lynx-
man", honored her wish to remain a virgin. Danaus was angry with his disobedient daughter
and threw her to the Argive courts. Aphrodite intervened and saved her. Lynceus and
Hypermnestra founded the lineage of Argive kings, a Danaid Dynasty. In some versions,
Lynceus later slew Danaus as revenge for the death of his brothers, and the Danaides were
punished in the underworld by being forced to carry water through a jug with holes, or a
sieve, so that the water always leaked out. The story of Danaus and his daughters, and the
reason for their flight from marriage, provided the theme of Aeschylus.
Danaus - was the twin brother of Aegyptus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is
a foundation legend (or re-foundation legend) of Argos, one of the
foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus. In Homer's Iliad, "Danaans" ("tribe of
Danaus") and "Argives" commonly designate the Greek forces opposed to the Trojans.
Cepheus - In Greek mythology, Cepheus was the name of two kings in Aethiopia,
grandfather and grandson. The better known Cepheus is the son of Agenor and grandson of
the other Cepheus. He was married to Cassiopeia, with whom he had a beautiful
daughter,Andromeda . At some point, his wife committed hubris by boasting that she and
her daughter were more beautiful than the daughters of the sea god Nereus, the Nereids.
This triggered the wrath of god Poseidon, who either flooded the lands of Aethiopia or sent
a terrible sea creature called Cetus to ravage the coasts of the area.
Cepheus and Cassiopeia consulted an oracle on what they should do, and they were
advised to sacrifice their daughter to Cetus in order to appease the god. They
chained Andromeda to a rock close to the sea, but as Cetus drew close, the hero perseus
arrived in time to save her and kill the monster.
Lynceus - was a king of Argos in Greek mythology, one of the fifty sons of Aegyptus.
Aegyptus had a twin brother Danaus, who had fifty daughters collectively known as the
Danaides. Aegyptus said that his sons should marry the Danaides, who fled with their father
to Argos which was then ruled by Pelasgus. When Aegyptus and his sons arrived in Argos,
Danaus agreed to give them his daughters in order to avoid a battle. However, he had
instructed them to kill their husbands on their wedding night. All of them agreed; however,
one of them, Hypermnestra, did not follow through, because her husband Lynceus had
accepted her wish to remain a virgin. Danaus was furious with Hyrpemnestra, but the
goddess Aphrodite managed to save her from her father's wrath. Lynceus then killed
Danaus as revenge for his brothers' death
Hypermnestra - was the daughter of Danaus. Danaus was the twin brother
of Aegyptus and son of Belus. He had fifty daughters, the Danaides, and Aegyptus had fifty
sons. Aegyptus commanded that his sons marry the Danaides and Danaus fled to Argos,
ruled by King Pelasgus. When Aegyptus and his sons arrived to take the Danaides, Danaus
gave them to spare the Argives the pain of a battle. However, he instructed his daughters to
kill their husbands on their wedding night. Forty-nine followed through, but one,
Hypermnestra refused because her husband, Lynceus,[1] honored her wish to remain a
virgin. Danaus was angry with his disobedient daughter and threw her to the Argive
courts. Aphrodite intervened and saved her. Lynceus later killed Danaus as revenge for the
death of his brothers. Lynceus and Hypermnestra then began a dynasty of Argive kings
(the Danaid Dynasty), beginning with Abas. In some versions of the legend, the Danaides
were punished in the underworld by being forced to carry water through a jug with holes, or
a sieve, so the water always leaked out. Hypermnestra, however, went straight to Elysium.
Abas – was the son of Lynceus of the royal family of Argos, and Hypermnestra the last of
danaides. His name derives from a Semitic word for 'father'. Abas
founded of the city of Abae, Phocis,now in modern day central Greece. When he informed
his father death of Danaus, he was rewarded with the shield of his grandfather,which was
sacred to Hera. The fame of his warlike spirit was so great, that even after his death. when
people revolted, whom he had subdued, they were put to flight by the simple act of showing
them his shield. It was from this Abas that the kings of Argos were called by the patronymic
Abantiads.
Acrisius - In Greek mythology, Acrisius was the king of Argos, son of Abas and Agalea and
twin brother of Proetus. When their father died, Acrisius slyly possessed all of the
inheritance and expelled his brother. However, assisted by his father – in –
law lobates, Proetus managed to take his share of the kingdom and became the ruler of the
city of Tiryns. Acrisius had one daughter, Danae; after consulting the Oracle of Delphi, he
found out that he would be killed by his daughter’s son. As his daughter was childless at the
time, Acrisius incarcerated her so as to remain a virgin. However, Zeus, who had fallen in
love with her, sneaked into her cell and impregnated her. Acrisius , enraged that his
daughter now had a child, locked both of them in a chest and threw it into the sea. The
chest washed up on the island of Seriphos, and was found by a fisherman, who took care
of Danae and her son, Perseus. Many years later,Acrisius moved to the city of Larissa and
attended at some funeral games, in which his grandson participated, unbeknown to either of
them. During the games, a bad throw of the discus by Perseus resulted in hittingAcrisius on
the head, causing his grandfather’s instant death, and thus fulfilling the prophecy of the
oracle.
Danae - was the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos and Queen Eurydice, in Greek
mythology.
Acrisius was disappointed that he had no sons to give his throne, and asked an oracle for
help. The answer he got was that his grandson would kill him. At that point, Danae was
childless, and to keep the prophecy from coming true, Acrisius locked her in a tower.
However,Zeus had seen Danae and had grown fond of her; so, during the night, he
appeared to her in the form of golden rain and impregnated her. She gave birth to a baby,
which she named Perseus. When Acrisius found out what had happened, he was infuriated;
however, he did not want to kill his grandson out of fear of the Furies. So, he
locked Danae and Perseus in a chest and threw it at sea. The chest drifted away and
reached the island of Seriphos, where Dictys, a fisherman and the local ruler's brother,
helped the mother and the child. The king of Seriphos, Polydectes, fell in love
with Danae and tried to forcefully marry her. However, Perseus did not let him. Furious, but
also not wanting to outright kill Perseus, Polydectes said that he would stop pursuing his
mother if Perseus would slay Medusa and bring back her head. So it happened,
and Danae was saved. When Perseus reached adulthood, he became a great hero and
managed to accomplish a number of feats. He eventually decided to return to Argos and
see his grandfather, but after finding out about the prophecy, she changed course and went
to Larissa in order to participate in the athletic games that were held there. What he did not
know, though, was that Acrisius also attended the event. While Perseus was throwing the
discus, an accidental misthrow caused the discus to land on his grandfather's head, and
resulting in his instant death. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled.
Cassiopeia - is the name given to several characters in Greek mythology. However, one is
prevalent in the myths of ancient Greeks. Cassiopeia, the queen of Aethiopia, was the wife
of King Cepheus, daughter of Coronus and Zeuxo. Very beautiful and vain, she committed
hubris by saying that she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful that the
daughters of the sea god Nereus, called the Nereids. As a result, Poseidon was infuriated
and sent the sea monster Cetus to plague the coasts of Aethiopia. According to other
sources, he did not send a monster, but caused the lands to flood. Consulting an
oracle, Cepheus and Cassiopeia had to sacrifice Andromeda in order to appease the wrath
of Poseidon; they chained her daughter to a rock next to the sea as a sacrifice to Cetus.
However, Perseus managed to save her and kill the beast; he then married Andromeda.
Unhappy that Cassiopeia was not punished, Poseidon tied her to a chair in the heavens, so
that she would revolve upside down half of the time. This is how the constellation took its
name, resembling the torture chair that was used for Cassiopeia’s punishment.
Perseus - According to the myth, there once was a king named Acrisius , who had a
beautiful daughter named Danae. The Oracle of Apollo told Acrisius that there would come
a day when Danae’s son would kill him; so he locked Danae in a bronze tower so that she
would never marry or have children. The tower had no doors, except for one very small
window. Danae was very sad, until one day, a bright golden light came through the small
window; a man appeared holding a thunderbolt in his hand and although Danae knew he
was a god, she didn't know which one. The man said, "Yes, I am a god and I wish to make
you my wife. I can turn this dark prison into a wonderful, sunny and blooming land." Indeed,
the horrible prison turned into fields as beautiful as the Elysian Fields themselves, but one
day Acrisius saw light coming out of the small window. He told his men to tear down one of
the walls. When he entered, he saw Danae smiling and holding a baby on her lap. This
was Perseus. Acrisius was furious, so he locked Danae and baby Perseus in a large chest
and cast them out to sea.
Andromeda - Andromeda was a princess in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of
King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, who ruled in the region of Aethiopia, which consisted
of the Upper Nile region, along with areas south of the Sahara desert. Her mother boasted
that Andromeda was more beautiful than theNereids , daughters of Nereus and Doris, and
companions of Poseidon; thus, she committed hubris and Poseidon decided to send a sea
monster, Cetus, to ravage the lands of Aethiopia. After consulting an oracle, the king and
queen chained Andromeda to a rock, in order to be sacrificed to the monster. However,
the hero Perseus was nearby and heard of the imminent death of Andromeda; when the
monster emerged from the sea, he managed to kill it, either by slaying it with a knife, or by
exposing it to Medusa’s head and turning it into stone. Thus, Andromeda was
saved. Perseus married her and she followed him on his journey back to Greece. They had
nine children together. After her death, the goddess Athena placed her on the sky as a
constellation, nearby her beloved husband Perseus and her mother Cassiopeia.
Electryon - was the son of Perseus and Andromeda, and king of Tiryns and Mycenae or
Medea in Argolis. He married either Anaxo, daughter of his brother Alcaeus and sister
of Amphitryon, or Eurydice daughter of Pelops. His wife bore him a daughter Alcmena and
many sons (Stratobates, Gorgophonus, Phylonomus, Celaeneus, Amphimachus,
Lysinomus, Chirimachus, Anactor, and Archelaus). Electryon had an illegitimate
son Licymnius by Midea, a Phrygian woman. The six sons of Pterelaus, King of
the Taphians, descended from Electryon's brother Mestor came to Mycenae to claim a
share of kingdom. When Electryon spurned their request, they drove off his cattle;
Electryon's sons battled against them, and all but Licymnius (on one side) and Evenus (on
the other) died. Evenus sold the cattle to Polyxenus of Elis. Amphitryon, Electryon's nephew
and promised in marriage to Alcmena, bought the cattle and returned them to his uncle, but
accidentally killed him as he threw his club at one of the cows. Electryon's
brother Sthenelusseized the throne of Mycenae, charged Amphitryon with murder, and sent
him into exile.
Alcaeus - was a son of Perseus and Andromeda and thus the brother
of Perses, Heleus, Mestor, Sthenelus, Electryon, Cynurus, Gorgophone and Autochthe.
Alcaeus was married either to Astydameia, the daughter of Pelops and Hippodamia,
or Laonome, daughter of Guneus, or else Hipponome, daughter of Menoeceus, by whom he
became the father of Amphitryon, Anaxo and Perimede. Alcaeus, the original name
of Heracles (according to Diodorus Siculus), which was given to him on account of his
descent from Alcaeus, the son of Perseus mentioned above. Alcaeus, a son of Heracles by
a female slave of Iardanus, from whom the dynasty of the Heraclids in Lydia were believed
to be descended.[7] Diodorus Siculus writes that this son of Heracles is named "Cleolaus". a
general of Rhadamanthus, according to Diodorus Siculus, who presented him with the
island of Paros.[11] The Bibliotheca relates that he was a son of Androgeus (the son
of Minos and Pasiphaë) and brother of Sthenelus, and that when Heracles, on his
expedition to fetch the girdle of Ares, which was in the possession of the queen of
the Amazons, arrived at Paros, some of his companions were slain by the sons of Minos.
Heracles, in his anger, slew all the descendants of Minos except Alcaeus and Sthenelus,
whom he took with him, and to whom he afterwards gave the island of Thasus as their
home. son of Margasus and Phyllis, a Carian ally of the Trojans in the Trojan War. He was
killed by Meges.
Alcmene - was the wife of Amphitryon in Greek mythology. The couple had two children,
Iphicles and Laonome; however, she was mainly known for being the mother of the
demigod hero Heracles by the god Zeus. She was the daughter of Electryon and either
Anaxo, Lysidice or Eurydice. Her husband Amphitryon killed her father accidentally, and she
followed him to Thebes, where he was purified by the king of the city, Creon . When
Amphitryon went on an expedition against the Taphians and Teleboans, Zeus, disguised
as Amphitryon, appeared in front of Alcmene and slept with her. The next day, the
real Amphitryon returned , only to hear from his wife that she had seen him the night before
and slept with him. The seer Tiresias then told them what had happened. The union
of Zeus and Alcmene resulted in her being pregnant to Heracles. When the demigod was
about to be born, Zeus announced to all Olympians that a child would be born on that day
that would rule all those near him. After Hera made Zeus swear an oath that this would
indeed happen, she went to the wife of Sthenelus and forced her to give birth to the
baby Eurystheus, even though she was only seven months into her pregnancy. The
goddess then prevented Alcmene from giving birth to Heracles until the next day. There are
two versions of how Alcmene died. According to the first, she was on her way
from Argos to Thebes, and died in Megara. The descendants of Heracles then quarreled
about where to bury her, some insisting to take her body to Argos, and the others
to Thebes in order to be buried with Amphitryon. In the end, the oracle of DElphi was
consnulted and said that she should be buried in Megara. The other version has it that
when she died, she turned to stone.
Amphitryon - was the son of Alcaeus in Greek mythology, king of Tiryns. He was a general
in Thebes, who married Alcmene, daughter of Electryon, king of Mycenae. He accidentally
killed Electryon, and was exiled by Electryon's brother, Sthenelus, along with his wife.
Together, they fled to Thebes, where Amphitryon was purified by the king of the
city, Creon. Alcmene had refused to marry Amphitryon until he avenged the death of her
brothers, so he had gone on an expedition against the Taphians. While
there, Zeus visited Alcmene having taken the form of Amphitryon and slept with
her; Alcmene became pregnant to Heracles. When Amphitryon returned from the
expedition,Alcmene was startled as she told him he visited her the previous night. The
seer Tiresias revealed what Zeus had done. Amphitryon had two children with Alcmene,
Iphicles and Laonome. He died while fighting agains the Minyans.
Hercules - Hercules is best known as the strongest of all mortals, and even stronger than
many gods. He was the deciding factor in the triumphant victory of the Olympians over
the giants. He was the last mortal son of Zeus, and the only man born of a mortal woman to
become a god upon his death. Offsetting his strength was a noticeable lack of intelligence
or wisdom. Once, when the temperature was very high, he pulled his bow out and
threatened to shoot at the sun. This, coupled with strong emotions in one so powerful,
frequently got Heracles in trouble. While his friend and
cousin Theseus ruled Athens, Heracles had trouble ruling him. His pride was easily
offended. He took up grudges easily and never forgot them. His appetites for food, wine,
and women were as massive as his strength. Many of Heracles’ great deeds occurred while
doing penance for stupid acts done in anger or carelessness. It would be easy to
view Heracles as a muscle-bound buffoon. Indeed, many of the Greek comedy playwrights
used his character this way. Even among serious critics, he was often seen as a primitive,
brutal, and violent man. There is much evidence to support this view; his weapon of choice
was a massive club; his customary garment was a lion skin, with the head still attached; he
impiously wounded some of the gods; he threatened a priestess of Apollo at Delphi when
an answer to his questions was not forthcoming. He created most of his own problems.

Iphicles - Brother of Heracles. Although they were twins, only Heracles was an immortal
hero. It was understood that Iphicles was the son of Alcmene and her mortal husband, while
Heracles was the son of Alcmene and Zeus. Iphicles was the father of Heracles' charioteer,
Iolaus, who helped him slay the Hydra.

Ancestor of Archilles
Oceanus - Oceanus was one of the major water gods of Greek mythology. Oceanus was a
powerful god of the Greek pantheon, and from him, ultimately, all of the world’s freshwater
was said to arise. Oceanus came from the generation preceding that of Zeus, for Oceanus
was a Titan god, the son of Ouranos (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). Oceanus was considered to be
the first born of the 12 Titan gods, but was quickly followed by 5 more male Titans and 6
Titanides. Oceanus’ mother, Gaia, started plotting to overthrow Ouranos, for Gaia was
upset about the imprisonment of her children, the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires, within
Tartarus. Eventually, Cronus was convinced to wield an adamantine sickle against his
father, and so when Ouranos next descended from the heavens to mate with Gaia, Cronus
castrated him, whilst the other Titans held their father down. With the victory of Zeus at the
end of the Titanomachy the cosmos was then re-divided amongst Zeus, Hades and
Poseidon; with Poseidon given dominion over the earth’s water. As Oceanus had not gone
against the will of Zeus though, Oceanus was left to rule his own kingdom beyond the
Pillars of Heracles, whilst Poseidon became the ruler of the Mediterranean, although the
Potamoi and Oceanids were considered subservient to the Olympian god.

Tethys - was one of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and Gaea. She was married to her
brother, Oceanus, and gave birth to the river gods, who lived in the rivers that were then
known to the Greeks, such as the Nile and Alpheus; and to three thousand water
goddesses, called Oceanids. Despite being the mother of so many deities in the Greek
mythology, Tethys was not actively worshipped. During the Titanomachy, she
raised Hera as her stepchild, brought to her by Rhea. According to one myth, Hera did not
like that Callisto and Arcas were placed in the heavens by being turned into the
constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, so she asked Tethys to do something about it.
To appease Hera, Tethys denied the constellations from being able to touch the sea and fall
below the horizon; instead, they were forever doomed to circle the sky.
Asopus - in Greek mythology is the name given to four different river gods that protected
four respective rivers in Greece. As with all river gods, they were the sons of the Titans
Oceanus and Tethys. The best known of these river gods were Asopus of the river in Boiotia
and of the one of Sikyonia in the Peloponnese. Most often, the tales for these two river gods
were intertwined and considered the two deities as the same. Their daughters were called
Naiads and were nymphs of the various springs in the areas where the rivers flowed.
Aegina - Aegina was a Naiad nymph; Naiad nymphs being water nymphs who were
normally the offspring of Potamoi (River Gods). The father of Aegina was indeed a river
god, Asopos, the god of the river Asopos in Sicyon. Although not always noted, it was
generally considered that the mother of Aegina was Metope, who herself was a Naiad
nymph, the daughter of Ladon. Asopos was known for fathering 20 beautiful daughters, of
whom he was greatly protective, although this did not stop Zeus having his way with the
likes of Thebe and Plataea, and his brother, Poseidon, also took advantage of Salamis and
Euboia. The protectiveness of Asopos also could not stop the advances of Zeus when it
came to Aegina. Having decided that Aegina would be his next conquest, Zeus transformed
himself in an eagle, just as he did with Ganymede, and flew off with the Naiad nymph in his
clutches. Zeus would fly with Aegina to the island of Oenone.
The abduction of Aegina had actually gone unnoticed by Aposos, but the river god was soon
informed of events by King Sisyphus of Ephyra. Informing on the actions of Zeus was just
one of the indiscretions of Sisyphus which would see him tortured in Tartarus for eternity.
When Aposos travelled towards Oenone to retrieve his daughter, Zeus threw down several
thunderbolts and warning shots, and so Aposos had to return to the Peloponnesus without
his daughter
Aeacus - was the king of the island of Aegina in Greek mythology. He was the son
of Zeus and Aegina, daughter of the river god Asopus. Aegina was brought by Zeus to the
island then called Oenone, in order to save her from her parents' wrath; the island later took
after her name. Aeacus was born on the island, which was not inhabited at the time.
So, Zeus transformed all the ants into men, forming the race of the Myrmidons (the word
deriving from the Greek word for ant). Aeacus became the ruler of the Myrmidons. Another
version has it that the island was inhabited; however, Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, took
the form of Aegina and sent a plague that drove away all of the inhabitants. That's
when Zeus transformed the ants into humans. Aeacus was considered a just and pious
ruler, and was asked to judge over disputes of both men and gods all over Greece. The
inhabitants of Aegina also believed that their ruler had created the cliffs that surrounded the
island, in order to protect it from pirates. When Aeacus died, he went to the Underworld,
where he became one of the three judges, the other two being Minos and Rhadamanthus.
Peleus - was a hero in Greek mythology, son of Aeacus, king of the island of Aegina, and
Endeis, an oread nymph. He was the husband of the nymph Thetis, with whom he fathered
the famous hero Archilles. Along with his brother Telamon, they accidentally killed their half-
brother, Phocus, while hunting, and were forced to flee the island of Aegina, in order to
avoid punishment. When they reached the region of Phthia, Peleus fell in love
with Antigone, the daughter of the region's king Eurytion, with whom he had a daughter,
Polydora. Peleus, Telamon, and Eurytion were all participants in the Argonautic Expedition,
in Jason's quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Sometime later, yet in another hunting
accident, Peleus killed Eurytion and had to flee. Peleus reached Iolcus, where the king's
wife, Astydameia, fell in love with him. Peleus denied her advances, and for
revenge,Astydameia sent a message to Antigone, saying that Peleus would marry her
daughter.Antigone was so bitter that she hanged herself. Astydameia then falsely
accused Peleus of trying to rape her; the king, Acastus, took Peleus into a forest where he
abandoned him just before an attack by centaurs. Peleus was saved by Chiron, a
wise centaur, or Hermes, the messenger god. Peleus escaped, ransacked Iolcus, and killed
both Astydameia and Acastus.
Thetis - was a sea nymph in Greek mythology, or according to some myths, one of
the Nereids, the fifty daughters of the sea god Nereus and Doris. She was courted by
both Zeus and Poseidon, but neither of them married her, out of fear of a prophecy that
said Thetis' son would surpass his father in glory. Instead, she married Peleus, with whom
she had a son, the mythical hero Achilles. Peleus' and Thetis' wedding was the main event
that caused all subsequent events triggering the Trojan War. During the wedding, the
goddess of discord Eris, who had not been invited, threw amidst the guests the Apple of
Discord, on which the words "to the fairest" had been
inscribed.Hera , Aphrodite and Athena started fighting over who should get the
apple; Zeus said that Paris, prince of Troy should make the decision. He picked Aphrodite,
after she told him she would give him the most beautiful woman in the world as a wife. This
woman was Menelaus' wife, Helen. When Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, was thrown
from Olympus either by Hera or Zeus, it was Thetis along with Eurynome that helped him
and placed him on the island of Lemnos. There, he worked for them as a blacksmith.
When Thetis gave birth to her son, Achilles, she decided to make him immortal by dipping
him in the sacred waters of the river Styx, one of the rivers that flowed through the
Underworld. However, when she was dipping him, she did not realise that his heel by which
she held him was not touched by the waters, thus leaving that spot vulnerable. This is how
the modern phrase "Achilles' heel" came to be; this was also the hero's doom, as an arrow
shot by the prince of Troy, Paris, and guided by the god Apollo, hit Achilles' heel during the
Trojan War , killing him. After his death, Thetis took her son's body and collected his ashes
in an urn. She then started commemorative festivals in his honour.
Achilles - was a hero in Greek mythology and one of the main characters that participated
in the Trojan War. He was also the protagonist of Homer’s epic, the Iliad. He was the son
of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and Thetis, a nymph. Both Zeus and Poseidon were in
love with Thetis, however Prometheus warned them of a prophecy that said the son
of Thetis would be greater than his father; so, the two gods decided to withdraw,
and Peleus ended up marrying her. When Achilles was born, his mother wanted to make
him immortal and thus, dipped him in the river Styx. However, she did not realise that his
heel, by which she held him, was not touched by the waters, and so that was the only part
of his body that remained mortal. According to another version, Thetis covered Achilles’
body in ambrosia and put him on top of a fire to burn away his mortality; however, she was
enraged because she was interrupted by Peleus and abandoned them.
When the Trojan War started, Achilles commanded 50 ships, each having 50 Myrmidons.
He also appointed five commanders; Menesthius, Eudorus, Peisander, Phoenix and
Alcimedon. After departing, they landed in Mysia by mistake, which was then ruled
by Telephus. Telephus was wounded in the battle by Achilles, and could not be healed. After
consulting an oracle, he was told that he who inflicted the wound would be able to heal it;
so, Telephus asked Achilles to heal him, and in return he guided them to Troy. The Iliad
starts the narrative of the Trojan War with Agamemnon, leader of the Achaeans, having
acquired a woman called Chryseis as his slave. Her father, being a priest of Apollo, begs
the god to help him, and Apollo sends a plague among the Greeks. Calchas identifies the
source of the problem and Agamemnon reluctantly consents; however, he demands
that Achilles hand over his own prize, another woman called Briseis. Achilles, furious that
he was dishonoured in such a way, withdraws from battle and asks his mother to
convince Zeus to help the Trojans, so that he may prove himself again in the battlefield. The
Trojans manage to repel the Greeks back to the shore; Patroclus, Achilles’ friend,
wearing Achilles’ armor, successfully leads the Myrmidons against the enemy, but is
subsequently killed by Hector, the Trojan prince. Enraged by his friend’s
death, Achilles joins the battle and tracks down Hector, whom he kills in a face to face duel.
He then drags Hector’s lifeless body with his chariot during the funeral games he held
for Patroclus. The death of Achilles is not narrated in the Iliad, although it was predicted
by Hector with his dying breath. Paris, the brother of Hector, managed to kill the hero with
an arrow that landed on Achilles’ heel, the only vulnerable part of his body. The arrow was
poisoned and some sources say that it was guided by the god Apollo. Achilles was
cremated and his ashes were mingled with those of Patroclus

The House of Troy

Teucer - Teucer was a prince of the Grecian Salamis island, for Teucer was the son of King
Telamon and Queen Hesione. Being a son of Telamon made Teucer half-brother to
Telamonian Ajax (Ajax the Greater); Ajax being the son of Telamon’s first wife, Periboea.
Teucer was often referred to as illegitimate, or “bastard” Teucer, simply because he was not
born to Telamon’s first wife. Telamon himself was a named hero for he was named as
a Calydonian Hunter and also an Argonaut, alongside his brother Peleus. Telamon thought
was also a companion of Heracles, and fought alongside Heracles during the first siege of
Troy. It was for his part in fighting alongside Heracles that Telamon was given Hesione as a
wife, for Hesione was a daughter of King Laomedon of Troy, the Trojan king being killed by
Heracles. This of course means that King Priam of Troy was Teucer’s uncle, whilst the
children of Priam, including Hector and Paris, were Teucer’s cousins. Teucer’s name only
becomes famous in Greek mythology because of his presence at Troy amongst the
Achaean forces. The former Suitors of Helen had been obliged by the Oath of Tyndareus to
gather their armies together in order that Helen could be retrieved from Troy. Teucer is not
mentioned as a Suitor of Helen though by either Hesiod or Hyginius, although his name
does appear in the Bibliotheca(Pseudo-Apollodorus); Teucer’s half-brother Ajax though was
named by all three as a Suitor. Ajax therefore brought 12 ships from Salamis to Troy, and
Teucer was a commander of these troops. Teucer was often named as the greatest archer
amongst the assembled Greek forces, although Philoctetes, when he re-joined the war,
might have this title, and also Odysseus was more than competent with the bow. Ajax and
Teucer would work in tandem during the Trojan War for Teucer would unleash his arrows
from behind the mighty shield of Ajax. Arrow after arrow would find its mark amongst the
Trojan ranks but every time that Teucer would fire at Hector, the mightiest of all the Trojan
defenders, his arrow would be deflected. For unknown to Teucer, Apollo was at that time
protecting hector from death. Hector would indeed at one point injure the shooting arm of
Teucer, preventing more damage being done to the Trojan defences, at least in the short
term. Agamemnon was ecstatic about having the skill of Teucer upon his side, and promised
Teucer great riches when the city of Troy fell.

Dardanus - Dardanus was a founding king of Greek mythology, a king of Arcadia before the
Great Flood, and the man who would subsequently settle in the Troad (the Biga
peninsula). The Deluge, or Great Flood, was sent by Zeus to rid the earth of the impious
and quarrelsome generation of man that now inhabited it. At the time Dardanus, alongside
his elder brother Iasion, were kings of Arcadia. Dardanus and Iasion were sons of Zeus and
the Pleiad Electra, thus grandsons of the Titan Atlas, the first king of Arcadia in some
mythological tales. Some ancient writers would also state that Harmonia was a sister of
Dardanus. Dardanus would marry Chryse, the daughter of Pallas, and grand-daughter of
King Lycaon. Some say that Chryse brought with her the famous Palladium as part of her
dowry, although this is just one version of the myth. Dardanus and Chryse would have two
sons, Idaeus and Deimas. When the Great Flood came, the surviving Arcadians retreated to
the mountains, and Dardanus and Iasion decided to build a boat and set sail upon the flood
waters. Whilst Idaeus decided to go with his father, Deimas remained behind, and would
become king of those who stayed. There is no mention of Chryse, and the supposition is
that by this time she had died. Dardanus and Idaeus would leave Samothrace and arrived in
Asia Minor near to the city of Abydos. The newcomers were welcomed to the land by King
Teucer, and so enamoured with Dardanus was Teucer that he gave his daughter Batea in
marriage. Teucer would then give to Dardanus land from his kingdom. At the foot of the
Idaean Mountains (Mount Ida), named for Idaeus, Dardanus would build a new settlement,
a city named for himself. The new settlement prospered, and Dardanus set about
expanding his territory waging war against his neighbours, and creating a wider area known
as Dardania. Dardanus and Batea would become parents to a number of children; a son
Ilus, who died young, a daughter Idaea, who would become a wife of Phineus, another son
Zacynthus, who was the first to settle upon the island of Zacynthos, and a heir to Dardanus,
Erichthonius. Via Erichthonius, Dardanus would become ancestor to many of the most
famous individuals of the Troad, including Tros, Ganymede, Laomadon and Priam. The
name of Dardanus lives on today for the Dardenelles are named after the mythological king.
The narrow straits separating Asia and Europe were once known as Hellespont, a name
which is also linked to Greek mythology, for Helle fell whilst riding the Golden Ram to
Colchis.

Batea - the daughter or (less commonly) the aunt of King Teucer. Her father was the ruler of
a tribe known as the Teucrians (Teucri). The Teucrians inhabited the area of northwest Asia
Minor later called the Troad (Troas), and the term is sometimes used as another name for
the Trojans. .Batea married King Dardanus, son of Zeus and Electra, whom Teucer named
as his heir. Batea gave her name to a hill in the Troad, mentioned in the Iliad,] as well as to
the town of Bateia. By Dardanus, Batea was the mother of Ilus, Erichthonius, Zacynthus,
and Idaea (future wife of Phineus). Greek mythology also recounts Arisbe of Crete, a
daughter of Teucer, as the wife of Dardanus, so Arisbe and Batea are usually assumed to
be the same person.

Erichthonius - was an early king of ancient Athens in Greek mythology, and it was believed
that he was autochthonous (born of the soil). According to the
myth, Athena visited Hephaestus' workshop to ask for weapons. However, the smith god
tried to seduce the virgin goddess, who fled in disgust. Hephaestus chased her and
managed to catch her, in order to rape her. Athena resisted and during the
struggle, Hephaestus' semen fell onto Athena's thigh. The goddess took some wool to wipe
it away and threw it on the ground. Out of that semen, Erichthonius was
born. Athena decided to raise him secretly and hid him in a box. The goddess gave the box
to the daughters of King Cecrops of Athens, and told them to keep the box shut. However,
two of them, Aglaurus and Herse, curious to see what was inside, opened it and saw the
infant Erichthonius wrapped around a snake. Driven in madness due to the sight, the two
sisters along with the third, Pandrosus, fled and fell off the Acropolis to their deaths.
When Erichthonius reached adulthood, he drove the usurper Amphictyon out of the throne,
and became the new leader of Athens. He was married to the naiad Praxithea, with whom
he had a son, Pandion the First. Throughout his reign, Erichthonius was protected
by Athena, for whom he created the Panathenaic Festival. It was also believed that he
invented the four - horse chariot, and after his death, Zeus was so impressed that he
transformed him into a constellation, the Charioteer (Auriga).
Tros – was a ruler of troy and the son of Erichthonius by Astyoche (daughter of the river
god Simoeis) or of Ilus I, from whom he inherited the throne. Tros was the father of three
sons: Ilus, Assaracus and Ganymede and lastly a daughter, Cleopatra. He is
the eponym of Troy, also named Ilion for his son Ilus. Tros's wife was said to be Callirrhoe,
daughter of the river god Scamander, or Acallaris, daughter of Eumedes.
When Zeus abducted Ganymedes, Tros grieved for his son. Sympathetic, Zeus
sent Hermes with two horses so swift they could run over water. Hermes also assured Tros
that Ganymede was immortal and would be the cupbearer of the gods, a position of great
distinction. In variant versions, Ganymede is son of Laomedon son of Ilus son of
Tros; however, others call him son of Ilus, [9] Erichthonius or Assaracus. It was from Tros that
the Dardanians were called Trojans and the land named the Troad.
Ilus - The king of Phyrgia had also been advised by an Oracle to give Ilus an additional
prize of a cow; and the king told Ilus that he should build a new city where the cow came to
rest. This idea has much in keeping with Cadmus and the founding of Thebes.
Laomedon - was a king of Troy in Greek mythology, son of Ilus and grandson of Tros. He
was the father of a number of children, including Podarces, who was later better known
as Priam, and Hesione. His uncle was Ganymede, who was kidnapped by Zeus and
became the cupbearer of the gods on Mount Olympus; to compensate for the
kidnapping, Zeus had gifted numerous horses to Laomedon's grandfather, Tros. After
offending Zeus, the gods Apollo and POseidon were told to serve Laomedon by building the
walls of Troy. Laomedon told the gods he would reward them generously, a promise he did
not keep in the end. The gods, angry, sent a plague and a sea monster to destroy the city.
After being advised by an oracle, Laomedon planned on sacrificing his daughter Hesione to
the sea monster. Heracles, on his way back from the land of the Amazons, told him he
would save her, if he were given the horses Zeus had previously offered after the
kidnapping of Ganymede. Laomedon agreed and Heracles killed the monster. The king did
not keep his promise again, and Heracles punished him by killing all of his sons,
except Podarces, who was taken with Hesione to Greece.
Priam - was the king of Troy in Greek mythology, at the time the Greeks launched an attack
against the city, known as the Trojan War. His father was the Trojan king Laomedon. When
he was born,Priam was given the name Podarces. When Heracles was trying to kill
him, Podarces managed to save himself by giving the demigod a golden veil that was made
by his sister, Hesione. After this event, Podarces changed his name to Priam. Towards the
end of the Trojan War, when Achilles had already killed Priam's son, Hector, and had
desecrated the body by tying it on his chariot, Priam appeared in front of the
Greek hero and pleaded to give him his son's body back, so that it can be
buried. Achilles initially refused to give it back; Priam broke in tears and told Achilles to pity
him, as he had suffered more than anyone else on the earth. Achilles was eventually
persuaded to return the body to the Trojans, and agreed to a nine-day truce between the
two sides, so that there could be a proper burial and funeral games. Following the fall
of Troy, Priam was killed by Achilles' son, Neoptolemus, as he was seeking refuge on the
altar of Zeus. Neoptolemus caught Priam, brought him to the altar and killed him there.
Hecuba - was the queen of Troy in Greek mythology, wife of King Priam and mother to
nineteen children, the most famous of them being Hector, Paris and Cassandra. She was
the daughter of King Dymas of Phrygia and the Naiad Euagora. Other alternatives are also
given by various sources around who her parents were. Hecuba made a few appearances
in the Homeric epic Iliad, which accounts the events of the Trojan War. Following her
son Hector's advice, she offered a gown from Alexander's treasure to the goddess Athena,
praying for help. She also tried to stop Hector from dueling with Achilles; her pleads were
not heard, though, and Hector met his doom during that fight. In another text, she was
mentioned as being the mother of Troilus, after consorting with the god Apollo. A prophecy
said that if Troilus would become twenty years old, then Troy would not fall; however, he
was slain by Achilles, thus dooming the fate of the city as well. Hecuba is also called
Hecabe, hecube.
Hector - was a prince of Troy in Greek mythology, son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba.
His wife was Andromache and they had a son, Scamandrius or Astyanax. Hector was
considered the greatest warrior of Troy, but he did not approve of the war that had started
between the Greeks and the Trojans. During the Trojan War, he was the leader of the
Trojan army. It was prophesied that the first Greek who would land on Trojan soil would
die. Odysseus, cunning as he was, threw his shield on the soil and landed on it. Therefore,
the next person who stepped off the ship was Protesilaus and was killed in a duel
with Hector, fulfilling the prophecy. Hector later proposed that a truce be called between the
two sides, and a duel should decide the result of the war. Ajax was the Greek hero who
stepped forward and duelled Hector. However, the duel ended in a stalemate after a whole
day of fighting, and the two heroes exchanged gifts, admiring each other's strength and
skills. The last fight that Hector gave was against Achilles. However, when he
saw Achilles and while he was ready to fight him, he suddenly was overcome with fear and
started running. Achilles chased him, and Hector finally decided to battle his fear and
stopped running, after seeing the goddess Athena in the form of his brother Deiphobus.
Achilled threw a spear against Hector, who managed to evade it. However, when he turned
to get a spear from his brother, he saw no one there, and realised that he was about to die.
With the last amount of courage he had, he drew his sword; after a fierce duel between the
two heroes, Hector died. Achiles, enraged that Hector had killed his friend Patroclus, then
dragged Hector's body with his chariot, outside the Trojan gates for twelve days, before he
finally accepted to give it to the Trojans, so they could bury him properly.
Deiphobus - son of Priam and Hecuba. He was a prince of Troy, and the greatest of
Priam's sons after Hector and Paris. Deiphobus killed four men of fame in the Trojan War .
Deiphobus, along with his brother Helenus, led a group of soldiers at the siege of the newly
constructed Argive wall and killed many, and wounded the Achaean hero Meriones. As
Hector was fleeing Achilles, Athena took the shape of Deiphobus and goaded Hector to
make a stand and fight. Hector, thinking it was his brother, listened and threw his spear at
Achilles. When the spear missed, Hector turned around to ask his brother for another spear,
but "Deiphobus" had vanished. He then looked around for him but he was nowhere to be
seen. It was then Hector knew the gods had deceived and forsaken him, and he met his
fate at the hand of Achilles. Some accounts hold that it was Deiphobus and Paris who
ambushed and killed Achilles while luring him to their sister Polyxena. After the death of
Paris, Deiphobus was given Helen as a bride for his deeds in the war, defeating the bid of
his other brother, Helenus. Some accounts say the marriage was by force. When the Trojan
Horse was in the city, Deiphobus accompanied Helen as she walked around the horse,
calling out the names of the Greeks within in the voices of their wives, because she did not
want to look like she was helping them. Menelaus and Odysseus had to hold the men inside
back from responding. During the sack of Troy, Deiphobus was slain by either Odysseus or
Menelaus, and his body was mutilated. Some accounts say it was Helen who killed him, or
that she celebrated his death. Most accounts seem to indicate that, unlike her other two
husbands, Helen didn't love Deiphobus and decided she would rather return to Menelaus.
In Virgil's Aeneid, Deiphobus, horribly mutilated during the sack of Troy, appears
to Aeneas in the Underworld. He tells him the story of his death, which entails Helen's
betrayal in signaling Menelaus to Deiphobus's bedchamber. While with Aeneas, he begs the
gods for revenge against the Greeks.
Paris - was the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, who eloped with Helen,
queen of Sparta, thus causing the events that led to the Trojan War. Before he was
born, Hecuab saw a dream in which her child was a flaming torch. The explanation to the
dream that was given by the seer Aesacus was that the yet unborn child would be the doom
of Troy. Aesacus also said on the day of Paris' birth that a child born of royals that day
should be killed in order to save the kingdom. However, Priam and Hecuba could not kill
their baby son, and instead gave the baby to a herdsman so that he would do the deed. The
herdsman, also unable to kill the baby, left him to die on Mount Ida, but the boy was saved
by drinking milk from a female bear. When the herdsman returned nine days later, he found
the baby still alive and took him back to Troy. While growing up, Paris met the
nymph Oenone, and they became lovers; after he left her for Helen, Oenone told him that
she would be happy to treat all of his injuries, small or serious, whenever he was wounded.
Years later, a magnificent ceremony took place on Mount Olympus for the marriage
of Peleus and Thetis. Major and minor deities had been invited, except Eris, the goddess of
strife. In retribution, Eris decided to cause havoc, by throwing the Golden Apple of Discord
amidst the goddesses, which was inscribed with the words "To the
fairest". Hera, Athena and Aphrodite started quarreling over who should get the apple, and
asked Zeus to decide. The king of the gods, knowing that his decision would bring upon him
the wrath of the two discontent goddesses that would not be picked, decided to abstain.
Instead, he appointed Paris to be the judge. Paris asked the three goddesses to remove
their clothes, but even so, he was unable to select the most beautiful of them, as they were
all equal in beauty. That's when the goddesses decided to bribe him. Hera told him that if he
picked her, she would appoint him ruler of all Europe and Asia. Athena told him he would be
endowed with battle skills, wisdom and swordsmanship. Aphrodite said she would give him
the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite. The most beautiful woman in
the world was Helen, queen of Sparta and wife to King Menelaus. Paris either
stole Helen from Menelaus aided by Aphrodite, or Helen had already fallen for him and
eloped together. After this event, Menelaus invoked the Oath of Tyndareus; this oath had
been taken by all prospective suitors of Helen when she was still single, swearing that they
would all protect whomever Helen would choose as her husband. As a result, the expedition
to Troy was planned and the Greek forces sailed towards the western coast of Asia, thus
starting the Trojan War. Paris was considered unskilled in battle and a coward. He preferred
to use a bow and arrow, which was not the weapon choice of the brave and the heroes. At
some point during the war, Achilles ' death was caused by an arrow that hit him on his heel;
some sources claim it was Paris' shot helped by Apollo, while others claim it
was Apollo transformed into Paris. Paris was eventually mortally wounded by Philoctetes; at
that point,Helen tried to find Oenone, who had promised to heal any wounds that he would
suffer. However, the nymph, still angry that Paris had abandoned her for Helen, refused to
give any help. Paris died that same day, and when Oenone heard about it, she threw herself
in the same funeral pyre out of grief. Helen was then forced to marry Paris' brother,
Deiphobus, who was killed byMenelaus after Troy fell.
Assaracus - was the second son of Tros, King of Dardania. He inherited the throne when
his elder brother Ilus preferred to reign instead over his newly founded city of Ilium (which
also became known as Troy). He married Hieromneme, daughter of Simoeis; others say his
wife was Clytodora, daughter of Laomedon.[1] Assaracus' son and heir was Capys. He was
also a brother of Ganymede.
Capys - was a name attributed to three individuals:
 king of Dardania during the Iliad and Aeneid. He was a son
of Assaracus and Hieromneme (daughter of Simois), and father of Anchises by his
wife Themiste, sister of Laomedon and daughter of Ilus and Eurydice and so
grandfather of Aeneas. He, or a different Capys, founded the city of Capua.
 The Trojan who warned not to bring the Trojan horse into the city.
 Mythological king of Alba Longa and descendant of Aeneas. Said to have reigned
from 963 to 935 BC.

Anchises - was the son of Capys and Themiste in Greek mythology, father of Aeneas. He
was better known as a lover of the goddess Aphrodite, who appeared in front of him
disguised as a Phrygian princess. She then seduced him into lovemaking for two
weeks. Aphrodite became pregnant with Aeneas , and she appeared in front
of Anchises with the newborn, revealing her true identity. She then told him not to boast of
their affair to anyone; he did not listen to her, and Zeus hurled a thunderbolt against him,
either scorching him or crippling him. He later married Eriopis, with whom he had at least
one daughter,Hippodameia . During Troy's fall at the end of the Trojan War, his
son Aeneas helped him escape as he was no longer able to walk after Zeus' punishment.
Aphrodite - was the goddess of love, desire and beauty. Apart from her natural beauty, she
also had a magical girdle that compelled everyone to desire her. There are two accounts of
her birth. According to one, she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, the mother goddess
worshipped at the Oracle of Dodona. However, the other account, which is more prevalent,
informs us that she arose from the sea on a giant scallop,
after Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then
walked to the shore of Cyprus. In a different version of the myth, she was born near the
island of Cythera, hence her epithet "Cytherea". Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus;
however, she had an affair with her brother Ares, god of war. When Hephaestus found out
about the affair, he devised a plan and managed to humiliate his wife and her lover to the
other Olympians. Her holy tree was the myrtle, while her holy birds were the dove, the
swan, and the sparrow. Aphrodite represented sex, affection, and the attraction that binds
people together. Aphrodite is also called Venus, Afrodite.
Aeneas - was a Trojan hero in Greek mythology, son of the prince Anchises and the
goddess Aphrodite. He is more extensively mentioned in Roman mythology, and is seen as
an ancestor of Remus and Romulus, founders of Rome. Aphrodite made all Greek gods fall
in love with mortal women, and Zeus, to punish her, made her fall in love with Anchises,
who was a herdsman near Mount Ida. aphrodite appeared in front of him, and the herdsman
was smitten by her beauty. After sleeping together, Aphrodite revealed her true identity to
him, who feared for any consequences that might afflict him. Aphrodite reassured him that
there would be no problem as long as he kept it a secret. She also told him that she would
give birth to Aeneas. In the Iliad, Aeneas was the leader of the Trojan Dardanians, and the
main lieutenant of Hector. Aphrodite protected him throughout the war, and was also helped
by Apollo, and even Poseidon who normally favoured the Greeks. In Roman literature,
mainly the Aeneid written by Virgil, he was one of the few Trojans not killed during
the Trojan War. He travelled to Italy, where he settled in the region where Rome would later
be built by his descendants, Remus and Romulus.
The Family of Helen Troy
Aeolus - Aeolus was a name given to three mythical characters, but their myths are deeply
intertwined in such a fashion that the characters are often difficult to tell apart.
However, the most famous of them was the son of Hippotes that is mentioned in Homer's
Odyssey as the Keeper of the Winds; in this myth, Aeolus gave Odysseus a closed bag that
contained all winds, but for the gentle West Wind that would take him home.
However, Odysseus' companions, thinking the bag contained riches, opened the bag and
the winds escaped, blowing the ship in all directions and thus extending their voyage back
home. Aeolus was later considered to have been a god rather than a mortal as depicted in
the Odyssey. He had twelve children, six sons and six daughters.Another Aeolus was the
son of Hellen and Orseis, and ruler of Aeolia. He married Enarete, with whom he had
numerous children, including Sisyphus, Athamas, Cretheus, and Salmoneus. Finally, the
third character with the same name was the son of Poseidon and Arne, and was often
indistinguishable from the first Aeolus, keeper of the winds.
Perieres – was a king of Messene, an ancient polis in southern Peloponnese. His
parentage and offspring varies across ancient authors; in most sources, however, he was a
son of Aeolus and Enarete and husband of Gorgophone, daughter of Perseus. According to
Tzetzes, Perieres was a son of Cynortas, king of Sparta, and father of Oebalus, who, in
turn, became by Gorgophone father of Tyndareus and Icarius. The Bibliotheca mentions two
different versions of Perieres' lineage, without deciding between them,he could be a son
of Cynortas, husband of Gorgophone and father of Tyndareus, Icarius, Aphareus and
Leucippus, or he could be a son of Aeolus and father of only two sons by Gorgophone,
Aphareus and Leucippus. In this case Tyndareus and Icarius, along with Hippocoon and
Arene, would be sons of Oebalus, son of another Perieres, son of Cynortas, their mother
being the nymph Bateiae. Finally, according to Pausanias Gorgophone, the daughter of
Perseus, was one of the first women who married twice. She first married Perieres, king of
Messene, son of Aeolus and Enarete, and had by him two sons, Leucippus and Aphareus.
After Perieres' death she married Oebalus, king of Sparta, son of Cynortas, and had by him
Tyndareus, Icarius and Arene, who in turn married Aphareus, his half-brother. Finally, in
Pausanias' account, Hippocoon was Oebalus' eldest natural son, his mother being Batea
(or, according to scholiasts on Euripides and Homer, Hippocoon's mother was called
Nicostrate.
Deion - name attributed to the following individuals:

 son of Aeolus, king of Phocis, and father of Cephalus, Actor,

Aenetus, Phylacus and Asterodia.
 father of Dia and father-in-law-to-be of Ixion, Deioneus was pushed by him into a bed
of flaming coals so that Ixion wouldn't have to pay the bride price.[2] Also known
as Eioneus.
 son of Eurytus the Oechalian. He married Perigune, daughter of Sinis, whose father
was killed by Theseus.
 one of the sons of Heracles and Megara.

Tyndareus - was a king of Sparta in Greek mythology, son of Oebalus and Gorgophone. He
was the husband of Leda, with whom he had a number of children,
including Castor, Clytemnestra, Timandra, Phoebe and Philonoe. Castor had a twin brother
named Pollux, and Clytemnestra had a twin sister named Helen, better known as Helen of
Troy; however, the father of Pollux and Helen was Zeus and not Tyndareus, as the god
appeared in the form of a swan in front of Leda, and consummated with her on the same
night that she was impregnated by Tyndareus. Tyndareus was exiled by his brother
Hippocoon, who took the throne of Sparta by force; Heracles later
helped Tyndareus reclaim the throne and killed the usurper and his
sons. Tyndareus welcomed the brothers Agamemnon and Menelaus who had been exiled
by Thyestes from Mycenae; Agamemnon eventually married Clytemnestra, while Menelaus
married Helen. All of them played important parts in the events that preceded and followed
the Trojan War
Leda - .was a princess in Greek mythology, daughter of the king of Aetolia, Thestius. She
was the wife of King Tyndareus of Sparta. When Zeus saw her, he fell in love with her. He
transformed into a swan and appeared in front of her; he seduced her and slept with her. On
that night, Leda also lay with her husband. As a result, she became impregnated by
both Zeus and TYndareus. From two eggs, two sets of twins were born; the first set
was Helen and Clytemnestra; and the other was Castor and Pollux. In the various myths, it
is inconsistent who were the children of Zeus and who were of Tyndareus. All myths agree
though that Pollux was immortal, and that Helen was Zeus' daughter. Leda's other children
byTyndareus were Timandra, Phoebe and Philonoe.
Clytemnestra - Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae or Argos. She
was the daughter of Tyndareus and Leda, rulers of Sparta, and sister
of Castor, Polydeuces, and Helen. When her sister Helen and wife ofAgamemnon's
brother, Menelaus, was abducted by Paris and was taken to Troy, Agamemnon decided to
help his brother and bring his wife back, thus starting the Trojan War. Before the army left
for Troy, Agamemnon was forced to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia, as he had caused the
wrath of Artemis. While he was away, Clytemnestra started an affair with Aegisthus, with
whom she plotted against her husband. Clytemnestra was angry with her husband, both
because of her daughter's sacrifice, as well as because Agamemnon had killed her first
husband and taken her by force. Upon his return from Troy, Agamemnon was welcomed by
his wife. When he went to take a bath, Clytemnestra threw a net on him and stabbed
him. Agamemnon's concubine, Cassandra, who was outside the palace, had foreseen the
plot, but as she was cursed by the god Apollo, no one believed her and she reluctantly
accepted her fate and was slain. Aegisthus and Clytemnestra took the rule of Mycenae for
seven years, until Orestes, the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, returned and killed
his mother and her lover as revenge for his father's death.
Castor - Castor and Pollux, or Kastor and Polydeukes in Ancient Greek, were twin sons of
Queen Leda of Sparta; Leda being the wife of King Tyndareus. The story of the brothers
birth though is not a simple one. Queen Leda was one of the most beautiful mortals of the
day, and such beauty would not go unnoticed by Zeus sitting upon his throne on Mount
Olympus. Desiring Leda, Zeus transformed himself into a beautiful swan, and descended to
Sparta. There he lay with the Spartan queen, and managed to make Leda pregnant. The
same evening, Leda also slept with Tyndareus, and the combined actions of Zeus and
Tyndareus would bring forth four offspring. The four children born to Leda were the two
brothers Castor and Pollux, and two sisters, Helen and Clytemnestra; Castor and
Clytemnestra were considered to be the children of King Tyndareus, whilst Pollux and Helen
were the offspring of Zeus.As the pair of twin brothers were inseparable they were given a
joint name, and in Greek mythology they were referred to as the Dioscuri (Dioskouroi), and
in Rome they were Gemini. Helen would alter become famous when she was abducted by
Paris, and given the title of Helen of Troy, whilst Clytemnestra would marry King
Agamemnon. The brothers though would have their own stories written about them;
although the timeline of these stories is somewhat elastic.

Helen – Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Leda in Greek mythology, although
her putative father was Tyndareus. A twin sister of Clytemnestra, she also had the twin
brothers Castor and Pollux, also known as the Dioscuri. She was considered to be the most
beautiful woman in the known world. Initially she was abducted by the hero. Theseus, who
left her in the protection of his mother Aethra while he was away adventuring. During that
time, Athens was invaded by the Spartan army led by Castor and Pollux, taking Helen back
and capturing Aethra instead. Later, a number of suitors tried to win her hand,
eventually Menelaus being the victor. All suitors, though, were bound by an oath to assist, in
case Helen would be abducted in the future. Her marriage to Menelaus, king of Sparta, saw
her ascend to the throne of the city as a queen. They had a daughter, Hermione, and three
sons, Aethiolas, Maraphius and Pleisthenes. The marriage of Helen and Menelaus marked
the beginning of the end for the age of heroes, which was Zeus' decision and was brought
upon with the culmination of events to the Trojan War

Pollux - .Roman name of Polydeuces, one of the Dioscuri or Hero Twins. Polydeuces was
considered godly enough to be admitted to the divine court on Mount Olympus, while his
brother was sent to Hades as a mere mortal. But Polydeuces could not bear eternal
separation, so the gods allowed the twins to remain together forever, spending half the year
in the Underworld and the other half on Olympus. It is under his Roman name that
Polydeuces is memorialized together with his brother as the constellation Castor and Pollux

Icarius – Icarus was the son of the famous craftsman Daedalus in Greek mythology. His
father was the creator of the Labyrinth, a huge maze located under the court of
King Minos of Crete, where the Minotaur, a half-man half-bull creature lived. In order for the
secret of the Labyrinth to be kept, Minos had then imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in a
tower above his palace. Daedalus managed to create two sets of wings for himself and his
son, that were made of feathers glued together with wax. He taught Icarus how to fly and
warned him not to fly too high, which would cause the wax to melt, nor too low, which would
cause the feathers to get wet with sea water. Together, they flew out of the tower towards
freedom. However, Icarus soon forgot his father's warnings, and started flying higher and
higher, until the wax started melting under the scorching sun. His wings dissolved and he
fell into the sea and drowned. The area of the sea where he fell took the name Icarian Sea
after him, while a nearby island was named Icaria.

Penelope - was the wife of the hero Odysseus in Greek mythology. She was the daughter
of Icarius and Periboea. When the suitors for the hand of Helen were gathered at the court
of Tyndareus, Odysseus realised that the odds were very slim that he would
become Helen's future husband. So, he advised the king to call for an oath, the Oath
of Tyndareus, according to which all suitors would protect the groom and the bride no
matter what the outcome would be. In exchange, Odysseus asked help to marry Penelope.
When Helen was kidnapped (or eloped, according to some accounts) by Paris of Troy, the
Oath of Tydareus was invoked and everyone was summoned to fight against the
Trojans; Penelope had just given birth to Odysseus' son, Telemachus, but Odysseus was
forced to leave in order to honour his pledge. The Trojan War lasted ten years, and it
took Odysseus another ten to reach his homeland, Ithaca. When he arrived, he disguised
himself as a beggar, to test whether his wife had remained faithful to him.
Cephalus - was a figure in Greek mythology, son of the ruler of Phocis, Deion, and
Diomede. He was married to Procris, daughter of the king of Athens Erectheus
andPraxithea . However, he was kidnapped by the goddess of dawn, Eos, and they became
lovers. Cephalus never stopped loving Procris, though, which caused the discontent
of Eos and eventually, she returned him to his wife. Eight years had passed when Eos
let Cephalus go back to his wife; so, he decided to return in disguise and seduced Procris
Eos. She was ashamed, and went to hunt with Artemis in the forest. After returning, she
brought back two gifts, a javelin that never missed, and Laelaps, a hunting dog that always
caught its prey. Procris was happy that her husband returned to her, but she wondered how
faithful he was to her. So, when he went to a mountaintop to invoke Nephele, she followed
him. Cephalus heard a noise and not knowing it was his wife following, he threw the javelin
thinking it was an animal. Procris was mortally wounded and just before she died, she
asked Cephalus never to marry Eos. Cephalus, distraught, exiled himself. After wandering
for a long time, he ended up in an island where he eventually married his second wife and
became the ruler of the area. The island was named after him as Cephallenia or
Cephalonia. However, he never managed to recover from the death of Procris and
committed suicide by falling from a cliff into the sea.
Procria – was the daughter of the king Athens, Erichtheus and Queen Praxithea. She had
two sister, Creusa and Orithyia. She married Cephalus, son of Deioneus. According to one
source, Cephalus decided to test his wife’s love for him and left his home for eight years.
When he returned, he disguised himself and then managed to seduce his wife. The couple
reconciled but Procris was afraid that her husband had an affair as he always left to go
hunting. One of Cephalus’ servants also told Procris that on his hunts, Cephalus would call
out to Nephele. So, one day that Cephalus went hunting again, Procris followed him in the
woods. There she heard him call out to Nephele and she immediately jumped out of her
hiding place. However, Cephalus, startled, thought that it was an animal attacking him and
shot her with an arrow, killing her.
Arcesius - was the son of either Zeus or Cephalus, and king in Ithaca. According
to scholia on the Odyssey, Arcesius' parents were Zeus and Euryodeia;[1] Ovid also writes of
Arcesius as a son of Zeus.[2] Other sources make him a son of Cephalus. Aristotle in his lost
work The State of the Ithacians cited a myth according to which Cephalus was instructed by
an oracle to mate with the first female being he should encounter if he wanted to have
offspring; Cephalus mated with a she-bear, who then transformed into a human woman and
bore him a son, Arcesius.[3] Hyginus makes Arcesius a son of Cephalus and Procris,[4] while
Eustathius and the exegetical scholia to the Iliad report a version according to which
Arcesius was a grandson of Cephalus through Cillus or Celeus. [5] Zeus made Arcesius' line
one of "only sons": his only son was Laertes, whose only son was Odysseus, whose only
son was Telemachus.[6] Arcesius's wife (and thus mother of Laertes) was Chalcomedusa,
[7]
whose origins are not mentioned further, but whose very name, chalcos ("copper")
and medousa ("guardian" or "protectress"), identifies her as the protector of Bronze
Age metal-working technology. Of another Arcesius, an architect, Vitruvius (vii, introduction)
notes: "Arcesius, on the Corinthian order proportions, and on the Ionic order temple
of Aesculapius at Tralles, which it is said that he built with his own hands.
Laertes - was a mythical figure in Greek mythology, son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. He
was married to Anticlea, daughter of the thief Autolycus; they had two children, Ctimene and
the famous hero Odyseus. Laertes participated in the Argonautic Expedition,
helping Jason retrieve the Golden Fleece from the far-away land of Colchis, and he also
helped in the hunt of the Calydonian Boar. He was the king of the Cephallenians, and his
rule extended over the island of Ithaca and its surrounding ones. While Odysseus was away
participating in the Trojan War, Laertes never visited Odysseus' home; his wife died of grief
for the absence of her son, and Laertes was in a miserable state. When Odysseus returned
home, he first killed the suitors that surrounded his loyal wife Penelope, and then went to
see his father. He found Laertes old and tired, and initially he kept his true identity from
him. Laertes asked the man if he had any news of his son, and was extremely disappointed
when the stranger said no. At that point, Odysseus revealed who he truly was by recounting
all the trees he had been given by Laertes when he was young. After the reunion, father and
son went back to Odysseus' home to repel the families of the dead suitors. The
goddess Athena instilled vigour into Laertes, so he could help Odysseus; he then killed
Eupeithes, the father of Antinous.
Odysseus - was a legendary hero in Greek mythology, king of the island of Ithaca and the
main protagonist of Homer's epic, the Odyssey. He was also a prominent character in the
other surviving Homeric epic, the Iliad. He was the son of Laeres and Anticlea, and is well
known as an eloquent speaker, ingenious and cunning. Before the Trojan
War started, Odysseus was one of the suitors that wanted to marry Helen, step-daughter of
king Tyndareus of Sparta. However, the suitors were many and there didn't seem to be a
way to solve who the husband would be. Odysseus told Tyndareus that he would provide a
solution if he helped him marry Ttyndareus' niece, Penelope. Tyndareus agreed
and Odysseus proposed to draw straws. Before that, though, he made everyone swear an
oath that they would all support the husband and wife in any ill fate that they might face in
the future. As a result, Menelaus drew the lucky straw, while Odysseus married Penelope.
After Helen's abduction by Prince Paris of Troy, all suitors were summoned to
help Menelaus in his quest to bring her back. Odysseus did not want to join the expedition,
for an oracle had informed him that if he participated, it would take him a long time to return
home. So, he decided to feign madness by harnessing a donkey and an ox to a plough and
sowing salt on a field.Palamedes did not believe that Odysseus was actually mad, so he
put Odysseus' baby boy Telemachus in front of the plough; Odysseus immediately changed
course, thus exposing his plan. For this reason, Odysseus always had a grudge
against Palamedes since then. After Odysseus' plan was foiled, they all tried to recruit
the hero Achilles, as an oracle said that the Trojan War would be won only if Achilles joined.
Before they reached the island of Scyros where Achilles lived, his mother Thetis disguised
him as a woman, because of another prophecy that said achilles would either live a long,
peaceful life, or have a glorious death while young. Odysseus made a plan to find out
who Acilles was, among the women; he laid various weapons on a table, and Acilles was
the only one who showed real interest in them. Odysseus then sounded a battle horn,
and Achilles instinctively picked up a weapon ready to fight. As a result, Achilles joined in.
After the Greeks reached Troy and the war started, Odysseus played a particularly
influential role as a strategist and advisor. He was the main character who maintained the
morale of the Greeks in a high level, and managed to prevent Agamemnon from
withdrawing from the war. He also managed to appease Achilkles' rage when Patroclus was
slain. However, holding a grudge against Palamedes, it seems that Odysseus played a role
in his demise; some versions say that Odysseus made a plan to expose Palamedes as a
traitor and was stoned to death. According to another version, Odysseus and Diomedes
told Palamedes to descend a well because of a treasure that was supposedly hidden there;
when Palamedes reached the bottom of the well, the two men buried him inside.
Odysseus was most famous in the war for his contribution to create the Trojan Horse, a
huge wooden horse that was supposed to be a gift to the Trojans by the retreating Greeks.
The Trojans accepted the gift joyfully and started celebrating around it. When the night fell
and everyone was drunk, the Greek warriors, who had hidden in the hollow body of the
horse, revealed themselves and slew the Trojans, winning the war. After the Trojan
War, Odysseus made a ten-year journey to reach his home, Ithaca; his adventures were
recounted in the epic Odyssey. On his way home, storms led Odysseus' ships to the island
of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who started eating the crew of the ships. Odysseus managed
to trick Polyphemus and along with his companions, blinded the Cyclops. Before they left,
though, he did the mistake of revealing his identity to Polyphemus, who then told his father,
the god Poseidon; this had a major impact on the hero's travel, as the god sent rough seas
throughout the journey. The ships then reached the island of the god of winds, Aeolus, who
put all winds except the west wind in a bag and gave the bag to Odysseus. As a result, the
west wind blew the ships all the way to Ithaca. However, just before they reached the
shore, Odysseus' companions took the bag of winds from Odysseus, and thinking it
contained gold, opened it and released all of the winds. The ships were blown away from
the island, back to where they had started. Aeolus did not accept to help them again, and
they left. They went to the island of the Laestrygonians, a cannibalistic tribe that ate all of
the crew, except that of Odysseus' ship. They quickly left the island and reached that of the
witch Circe. She turned Odysseus' companions into pigs, but Odysseus, who had been
given a magical herb by Hermes, resisted her witchcraft. Circe fell in love
with Odysseus and transformed the pigs back into men. After they stayed on the island for
one year, they left to continue their voyage. They reached the western edge of the world,
where odysseus took advice from the spirit of the prophet Teiresias, and later encountered
his mother's spirit, who told him that back home, his wife Penelope was being surrounded
by potential suitors. They then returned to Circe's island, who advised them on how to
continue; they managed to avoid the Sirens, as well as the monters Scylla and Charybdis.
In the island of Thrinacia, Odysseus disregarded the advice of Teiresias and Circe, and
caught the cattle of the sun god Helios. Helios, enraged, demanded that Zeus punish them,
or he would make the sun shine in the Underworld. Zeus obliged by causing a shipwreck in
which only Odysseus survived. He reached the island of Ogygia, where the
witch Calypso kept him captive for seven years, before Hermes intervened and released
the hero. Odysseus then reached the island of the Phaeacians (the modern day island of
Corfu), who helped him reach his destination. He reached Ithaca late at night, and he was
disguised by Athena as a beggar in order to learn what had happened during his
absence. Penelope, his wife, had just announced that she would marry the person who was
able to string his husband's bow and then shoot an arrow through twelve axe shafts. She
knew that this was impossible to do for everyone except her husband. None of the suitors
managed to do it, but Odysseus still in disguise completed the challenge and revealed
himself; helped by his son Telemachus, he slew the suitors. Penelope did not believe that it
was her husband but instead a god in disguise. To believe him, she asked him to move their
bed to another room. Odysseus said that this was impossible, as he had made the bed and
knew that one of the legs was a living olive tree. Years later, the son
of Odysseus and Circe, Telegonus, reached adulthood and wanted to meet his father. He
went to Ithaca, but as he reached the shore, he killed some sheep as he was
hungry. Odysseus went and fought with him, not knowing who the other person
was. Odysseus was eventually killed
by Telegonus. Telegonus took Penelope and Telemachus to the island of Circe, where she
made them immortal. The two sons then married each other's mothers.
Telemachus - was the son of Odysseus and Penelope in Greek mythology. The first four
books of the Homeric epic Odyssey recount the efforts of Telemachus to find any news of
his father's fate. His father had left to fight in the Trojan War when Telemachus was still an
infant. Advised by the goddess Athena, Telemachus went to Nestor , who started telling him
stories about his father's feats. He then visited Sparta and the court of Menelaus and Helen.
The royal couple told Telemachus more stories about Odysseus, and filling in more of the
gaps around the hero. Telemachus eventually reached the house of Eumaeus, a herdsman,
who at the time hosted Odysseus in disguise. After Athena's advice, Odysseus revealed
himself to his son, and they then started forming a plan to get rid of the suitors that had
been trying to win Penelope's hand. Telemachus and a disguised odysseus returned
to Ithaca; Telemachus then told his mother to organise a contest for the suitors; whoever
would be able to string the bow of her husband and shoot an arrow through the holes of
twelve axeheads, would become her new husband. Telemachus was the first to try, and
although he would have managed it, Odysseus told him not to. The suitors then
unsuccessfully attempted to perform the task. In the end, Odysseus revealed himself and
along with his son, killed all of the suitors.