The Poem of Aqhat - found in Ugarit Syria, Baal and El allow Danel and Danatiya to have son Aqhat;
Koshar-wa-Khasis gives him a bow intended for goddess Anat, whose henchman Yatpan kills him;
Aqhat's sister Paghat avenges him
The Poem of Baal - dragon sea god Yam and irrigation god Ashtar battle for earth; sun goddess Shapash
warns Ashtar; rain god Ball, son of chief god El defeats Yam with help of two thunderbolts made by
Koshar-wa-Khasis; war goddess Anat helps Baal win approval of palace from mother of gods Asherat;
Baal destroys Yam and allows windows in his palace; Baal has relations with a heifer and goes to
underworld to fight death god Mot; Ashtar took Baal's throne on earth; Anat and sun god Shapash
rescue Baal
Tuatha De Danann Group ("peoples of the goddess Danu") : defeated older deities but were overrun by the
Milesians, forerunners of the Irish
Dagda : Irish "good god"; had never-empty cauldron, never-barren fruit tree, two pigs,
and self-playing harp
Gobniu
Lug : identified with Mercury; sole survivor of triplets; father of Ulster hero Cu Chulainn
Matronae : the three mothers
Festivals
Samain : new years; November 1; celebrated marriage of Dagda to Morrigan (queen of demons) or
Boann (Boyne)
Beltire : May 1; fires burned for Belenus, god of sheep and cattle
Brigit : Dagda's daughter; identified with Minerva; goddess of poetry, crafts, prophesy, and fertility
Esus : "master" god of Gaul
Druids : Celtic priests
Ulster Cycle (sagas about
Deirdre [daughter of King Conchobar's storyteller Felim destined to be beautiful and bring death;
she is raised by Lavarcham in woods; falls in love with Conchobar's nephew Naisi and flees to
Alba with his brothers; they are persuaded to return and Usnech's sons are killed and Deirdre
commits suicide],
Cu Chulainn [son of sun god Lugh, Cu Chulainn kills hound but takes its place until owner gets
new one; trained by woman warrior Scathach; subdues Aoife and has son Conlaoch by her;
Conlaoch returns later and kills many but is killed by Cu; Cu fights army of Queen Maeve;
seduced by sea god Mananaan's wife Fand; Queen Medb of Cruachain creates imaginary
host whom Cu fights to exhaustion and dies tied to pillar; wife Emer dies with him],
King Conchobar, Medb and Ailill, Fergus, Cu Roi, Finnabair, Noisi, Emer, Bricriu Poison-tongue,
Cathbad the Druid, Etain, Da Derga, Mac Datho, Conaire, and Conall Cernach;
Cattle-Raid of Cooley [Cu Chulainn deters army of Queen Maeve while Red Branch warriors of
Ulster awaken; duels and kills foster brother Ferdiad])
Set murdered his brother King Osiris, but Horus, the hawk-headed son of Osiris and his sister-wife Isis,
took power back from his usurping uncle; Isis and her sister Nephthys buried all 14 pieces of Osiris
except the phallus; pharaohs ruled on earth as Horus and would rule in Underworld as Osiris
Anubis was the jackal-headed protector of the dead, and weighed the hearts of the dead on a balance
against a feather
Heliopolitan Ennead
Atum : merged with Re as Re-Atum; creator; lived in Nun (primordial waters of chaos); appears as
Khepri at dawn and Re at noon
Osiris : god of fertility; embodiment of the dead; resurrected king
Set : brother of Osiris; murdered Osiris but was defeated by Horace
Isis : sister and wife of Osiris
Nephthys : sister of Isis and Osiris
Shu : god of the air; created by Atum alone
Tefnut : goddess of moisture; sister and wife of Shu
Nut : goddess of the sky; daughter of Shu and Tefnut
Geb : god of the earth; son of Shu and Tefnut
Four couples of Hermopolis
Nu and Naunet : depth
Huh and Hauhet : infinity
Kuk and Kauket : darkness
Amon and Amaunet : invisibility
Regional development
Buto, Lower Egypt : Horus, Hather
Ombus, Upper Egypt : Set
Heliopolis : Ra
Memphis : Ptah
Thebes : Amon-Re
Abydos : Osiris
Theban Triad
Amon-Re : king of the gods; means "The Hidden One"; painted blue to indicate invisibility; Amon
cult suppressed by Akhenaton
Mut : a goddess
Khons : a youthful god
New Kingdom Triad : Amon, Ptah, and Re
Apis : holy bull of Osiris
Onurus : warrior god
The 27-day Feast of Opet was the greatest feast in Egypt
The Gods
Titans
Cronus (Saturn) - chief, Zeus's father
Ocean - river encircling Earth
Tethys - Ocean's wife
Hyperion - father of sun, moon, dawn
Mnemosyne - Memory
Themis - Justice
Iapetus - father of Atlas (who holds Earth on shoulders)
Prometheus - gave man fire
12 Gods of Olympus (eat ambrosia, drink nectar)
Zeus (Jupiter) - chief, sky god, Rain-god, cloud-gatherer, used thunderbolt, not
omnipotent, many affairs, used aegis breastplate, eagle and oak sacred to him
Hera (Juno) - Zeus's wife and sister, protector of marriage, jealous, punished those who
had affairs with Zeus, daughter Hithyia (protects childbirth), city was Argos,
cow and peacock sacred to her
Artemis (Diana) - daughter of Zeus and Leta, Apollo's twin, chief huntress, goddess of
nature, harvest and childbirth, protector of youth, moon goddess
Poseidon (Neptune) - god of sea, Zeus's brother, wife was Amphitrite, gave horse to man,
Earth-shaker
Hades (Pluto) - underworld, god of wealth and precious metals, helmet made him
invisible, terrible but just, abducted Persephone (Proserpine) as wife, death itself is
Thanatos (Orcus)
Pallas Athena (Minerva) - sprang from Zeus's head, goddess of Battle, the City,
handicrafts, and agriculture, invented bridle, carried aegis and thunderbolt as Zeus's
favorite child, "gray-eyed", the Maiden, temple was the Parthenon, goddess of wisdom,
city was Athens, olive and owl sacred to her
Phoebus Apollo - son of Zeus and Leto (Latona), born in Delos, lyre musician, Archer-
god, Healer, god of light and truth, oracle at Delphi priestess on tripod answered
questions, killed Python, Mouse-god, sun god is Helios (Hyperion's son), laurel and
dolphin and crow sacred to him
Aphrodite (Venus) - goddess of love, beauty, and laughter, daughter of Zeus and Dione
or born of sea foam at Cythera near Cyprus, wife of Hephaestus, myrtle and dove
sacred to her
Hermes (Mercury) - son of Zeus and Maia (daughter of Atlas), messenger, had winged
sandles and Caduceus magic wand, Master Thief, stole Apollo's cattle at age one day,
god of commerce, Divine Herald, guides dead to underworld, gave Apollo lyre
Ares (Mars) - son of Zeus and Hera who both hated him, god of War, coward in Greek
myths, sister Eris and nephew Strife, born in Thrace, vulture and dog sacred to him
Hephaestus (Vulcan and Mulciber) - god of fire, son of Hera and possibly Zeus, ugly
and lame, thrown out of Olympus, later popular on Earth and Olympus, forges weapons,
furnishings, houses, works under volcanos, wife Aphrodite or Aglaia (a Grace), god of
smiths and handicrafts, important in city
Hestia (Vesta) - Zeus's sister, goddess of Hearth, meal offerings to her, each city had a
public Hearth with eternal fire, Rome's Hearth cared for by 6 vestals (priestesses)
Lesser Gods of Olympus
Eros (Cupid) - love god, Aprodite's son or companion, mischievious, blindfolded,
attended by Anteros (slighted love), Himeros (longing), and Hymen (wedding feast)
Hebe - Youth, daughter of Hera and Zeus, cupbearer, Trojan prince Ganymede abducted
by Zeus's eagle was also a cupbearer
Iris - rainbow, messenger
Graces - Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), Thalia (Good Cheer), daughters of Zeus
and Eurynome (daughter of Ocean ), queens of song, dance to Apollo's lyre
Muses - daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory), born at Mount Pierus in Pieria,
inspired men, dance to lyre
Clio - history
Urania - astronomy
Melpomene - tragedy
Thalia - comedy
Terpsichore - dance
Calliope - epic poetry
Erato - love poetry
Polyhymnia - songs to gods
Euterpe - lyric poetry
Zeus's attendants
Themis - divine justice
Dike - human justice
Nemesis - righteous anger
Aidos - shame
Lesser Gods of the Sea
Nereus - Old Man of the Sea, wife Doris and 50 nymph daughters (Nereids) incl.
Achille's mom Thetis and Posidon's wife Amphitrite
Triton - shell trumpeter
Natads - water nymphs
Underworld
Erebus - upper level
Tartarus - lower level
Rivers
Acheron - woe
Cocytus - lamentation
Lethe - forgetfulness
Phlegethon - fire
Styx - unbreakable oath
Charon - old boatman, ferries dead to gates of Tartarus
Cerberus - 3-headed dog who lets no one leave
Judges - Rhadamanthus, Minos, Aeacus
Elysian Fields - where the good are rewarded
Erinyes (Furies) - pursue sinners, inexorable but just, Tisiphone, Megaera,
Alecto
Sleep and Death - brothers, send true dreams via horn gate and false via ivory
gate
Lesser Gods of the Earth
Demeter (Ceres) - goddess of corn, daughter of Cronus and Rhea
Dionysus (Bacchus) - god of the vine
Pan - Hermes's son, part goat, lived in wild thickets and forests, ugly
Silenius - son or brother of Pan, always drunk
Castor - son of Leda and King Tyndareus of Sparta as was Clytemnestra
(Agamemnon's wife)
Pollux - son of Zeus and Leda as was Helen of Troy, Castor was killed by Idas,
avenged by Pollux, brothers shared immortality even though only
Pollux was immortal, protect sailors
Sileni - part horse, part man
Satyrs - part goat, part man
Aeolus - King of Winds, lived at Aeolia, Boreas (North), Zephyr (West), Nortus
(South), Eurus (East)
Centaurs - part horse, part man, Chiron was wisest
Gorgons - dragonlike, look turned men to stone
Graiae - 3 gray sisters with total of one eye
Sirens - voices lured sailors to death
Fates - (Greek Moirae, Roman Parcae)
Clotho - spinner
Lachesis - disposer of lots
Atropos - cut thread of life at death
Additional Roman Gods
The Numina - the Will-Powers
Lares - spirits of ancestors
Penates - gods of storehouses
Saturn - protector of sowers and seed
Ops - Saturn's wife, Harvest Helper
Janus - two-faced, good beginnings and endings, January
Faunus - like Pan, Saturn's grandson
Fauns - Roman satyrs
Quinirus - Romulus as a god
Manes - spirits of good dead in Hades
Lemures - spirits of bad dead in Hades
Camenae - goddesses of springs, cured disease, foretell, became like Muses
Lucina - childbirth
Pomona and Vertumnus - loved each other
Man's Best Friends - Demeter (corn) and Bacchus (wine)
Demeter
temple and secret festival at Eleusis
daughter Persephone abducted by Hades
Demeter's sadness caused famine
tried to make Metaneira's son immortal but stopped in anger when spied upon
Zeus ordered Hades to return Persephone
Persephone ate a pomegranate seed so had to return to Hades 4 monthes/year
when Demeter is sad (winter)
Dionysus (Bacchus)
drama festivals in his honor
born in Thebes to Zeus and Semele
only god with a mortal parent
mom asked to see Zeus as a god which killed her
Dionysus rescued by Zeus and taken to nymphs of Nysa by Hermes
captured by pirates for ransom but turned into lion and killed all except a
helmsman who recognized him as a god
went to underworld and brought dead mom to Olympus
caused mom of King Pentheus of Thebes, who mocked him, to go mad and tear
him to pieces
like wine, Bacchus could bring happiness or madness
Creation
Chaos's children - Night and Erebus
Love born, then Earth formed
Mother Earth (Gaea) and Father Heaven (Ouranos)'s children - monsters, 3 with 100
hands and 50 heads, 3 Cyclopses (one eye), lastly Titans (some good)
Ouranos imprisoned monsters, Gaea convinced Titan Cronus to oppose father
Cronus injured Ouranos and Giants sprung up from blood as did Erinyes (Furies)
Monsters driven from Earth but Erinyes remain until sin gone
Cronus and sister-queen Rhea ruled
Cronus ate 5 children to keep them from overthrowing him but Rhea saved Zeus,
replacing him with a stone
Zeus and Gaea made Cronus disgorge 5 kids who, with Titan Prometheus, battled Cronus
and the other Titans and won, punishing the losers
Zeus opposed by Gaea's last son Typhon monster and rebellion of the Giants but Zeus
with Hercules's help won
Earth a disk divided by Mediterranean and Black (Axine or Unfriendly, later Euxine or
Friendly) Seas and Ocean River
Creation of man
Story 1 - Epimetheus gave all good gifts to animals so brother Prometheus gave
fire to man
Story 2 - gods created golden race, then silver, brass, another, iron, each inferior
to previous and each generation declining
Creation of woman
Zeus angered when Prometheus tricked him into choosing bad part of sacrifice
Story 1 - gods created Pandora, beautiful but evil to men
Story 2 - gods gave Pandora box of plagues which she opened out of curiosity,
Hope only good thing in box
Punishment of Prometheus - tied to rock for befriending man, wouldn't tell Hermes who
would be mom of child that would overthrow Zeus so an eagle ate his liver daily, finally rescued
by either Chiron the Centaur's death in exchange or by Hercules
Deluge Story - Zeus sent flood to destroy Iron Race but Prometheus saved his family
(Deucalion and wife Pyrrha) in chest on Mt. Parnassus, created more men by throwing stones
Prometheus and Io
Io in form of a heifer talked to Prometheus at Caucasus about woes by Zeus, Zeus had
sent dreams about loving him, then went down under cover of cloud
Hera went to Earth and found him, Zeus turned her to heifer which Hera requested and
put under guard of 100-eyed Argus
Hermes put all 100 eyes to sleep with tale of Pan and Syrinx and killed him
Hera sent gad-fly to torment her
Io wandered for years but reached Nile and restored to human form by Zeus
Had son Epaphus and descendant Hercules, Ionian Sea named for her
Europa
Europa, daughter of King of Sidon, had dream of Asia and nameless continent arguing
for her
Zeus in form of beautiful bull got her to ride him while she was picking flowers
went to Crete and had sons Minos and Rhadamanthus (judges)
Cyclops Polyphemus
Odysseus and 12 men returning from Trojan War landed on Polyphemus's island and went to cave
Cyclopses had one eye, forged thunderbolts, herded goats and sheep
Polyphemos ate 6 men (2 per meal) and closed giant boulder door
Odysseus blinded him with sharpened wooden log and escaped by hanging on belly of rams
in other stories Polyphemus loved sea nymph Galatea but not loved back
Galatea talked to Doris and married prince Acis whom Polyphemus killed in jealousy but became
a river-god
Narcissus
scorned love of maidens
Hera had unjustly punished Echo by only letting her echo others
Echo was ignored by handsome Narcissus
a maiden prayed that Narcissus fall in love with himself and he did
stared at own reflection in pool until death
narcissus flower sprung up in place of body
Hyacinthus - killed accidentally by discus thrown by sorrowful Apollo (possibly blown by jealous west
wind Zephyr) and hyacinth flower sprung up
Adonis
handsome Adonis loved by Aphrodite and Persephone
Zeus awarded him to Aphrodite spring/summer, Persephone autumn/winter
while hunting with Aphrodite was killed by boar
crimson flower sprung up
Cupid and Psyche
Psyche, 1 of 3 sisters, admired for beauty more than was Venus
jealous Venus asked son Cupid to make her fall in love with an ugly man
Cupid fell in love with her instead and no man fell in love with her
Oracle at Delphi told parents to leave her on cliff
Cupid took her to a mansion as his wife but wouldn't let her see him
despite warnings, Psyche saw her sisters who convinced her to take lamp at night and see if
husband was monster
falling wax awoke Cupid and he left
after searching long for Cupid, Psyche went to Venus and became her servant
animals helped her in impossible tasks Venus gave her: ants in sorting seeds, reed in gathering
wool, eagle in filling vase with river water
Cupid escaped his room and took Psyche to Olympus
Jupiter made Psyche immortal which pleased Venus
Pyramus and Thisbe
talked to each other through wall that divided their houses
agreed to meet at night at Tomb of Ninus
Pyramus saw lioness with Thisbe's cloak, thought her dead, and killed himself with his sword
Thisbe saw Pyramus dying and fell on his sword also
Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus was greatest musician and loved Eurydice
she was bitten by viper and died just after marriage
he went to underworld and sang so beautifully Pluto returned her
he looked back too soon and she was snatched back to underworld
Orpheus roamed in sadness until Maenads tore him to pieces
Ceyx and Alcyone
Ceyx (Thessaly king, son of Lucifer) left wife Alcyone (daughter of Aelous) to visit Oracle
died in hurricane as she feared
Juno sent Iris to tell Somnus to tell Alcyone in dream that Ceyx was dead
body washed up to Alcyone on shore
gods turned both to birds
7 days/year sea is peaceful (Halcyon days)
Pygmalion and Galatea
Pygmalion hated women but fell in love with his statue of perfect woman
Venus granted his prayer and turned statue to life
their son Paphos was namesake of Venus's favorite city
Baucis and Philemon
only old Baucis and Philemon showed hospitality to Mercury and Jupiter, disguised as poor
wayfarers
all neighbors were swallowed by water but their hut was turned into a temple and they lived long
and died together, turning into an oak and a linden tree from same trunk in Phrygia
Endymion - shepherd Endymion loved by Selene (Moon) who put him in immortal sleep forever so she can
caress him at night
Daphne
Apollo chased Daphne, who prefered to be a maiden
as he was about to catch her, her father river-god Peneus turned her into a laurel, which became
Apollo's sacred tree
Alpheus and Arethusa
Arethusa of Ortygia (Syracuse, Sicily) was maiden huntress like Artemis
bathed in spring
river-god Alpheus chased her until Artemis changed her into a spring of water
tunnel created between Greece and Sicily
Arethusa's well in Sicily
Alpheus changed back to river and waters mingled with hers
The Quest of the Golden Fleece
generation before Odysseus
King Athamus put away wife Nephele and married Princess Ino (daughter of King Cadmus of
Thebes)
Ino caused famine and tricked messenger to say oracle demanded sacrifice of Nehele's son Phrixus
Hermes sent a ram to rescue Phrixus and sister Helle
Helle fell to death but Phrixus made it to Colchis
sacrificed ram and gave its Golden Fleece to King Aertes
Phrixus's Uncle Pelias had usurped throne and Pelias's nephew (rightful heir) Jason came to claim
throne
Jason wore one sandal as in profphesy of doom to Pelias
Pelias offered throne if Jason could bring back the Golden Fleece
Hercules, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, Peleus (Achille's dad), and others joined quest
all-women island (had killed all men except Hypsipyle's dad) friendly to Argonauts
Hercule's armor-bearer Hylas abducted by water nymph and Hercules left searching for him
sons of North wind Boreas saved old prophet from bird-like Harpies who had eaten his food (a
punishment from Zeus for foretelling his plans)
on prophet's advice Jason sent dove through Clashing Rocks Symplegades first and was safe so
boat followed
ship passed country of fearsome Amazon women, daughters of Harmony and Ares
Hera asked Aphrodite to make son Cupid make Aertes's magical daughter Medea fall in love with
Jason, which he did on bribe of gold ball
Argonauts reached Aertes who disliked foreigners
required Jason to plow field with fire-breathing bulls and sow corn that turned into armed men and
to kill them, as he had done
Medea, partly on request of a prince Jason had saved, gave Jason one-day invincible powder
Jason completed task and Medea lulled guardian serpent to sleep as Jason took fleece and fled
with her and Argonauts
Medea's brother Apsyrtus or Aertes pursued them but they escaped because Medea killed her
brother
Hera helped cross Scylla rock and Charybdis whirlpool
returned to Greece
Pelias had killed Jason's father, mom died of grief
Medea tricked Pelias's daughters into thinking they could make Pelias young by chopping him up
had 2 sons in Corinth, Medea may have restored Jason's dad and given Jason youth
Jason married daughter of King of Corinth for ambition
Medea cursed her and was exiled by the King of Corinth
Jason blamed exile on Medea's foolishness but she felt forsaken
Medea sent her sons to kill Jason's wife with poisoned coat
she then killed her kids who would have been unsafe in exile and she was carried away by dragon
chariot
Phaethon
Phaethon, son of mortal Clymene and the Sun, came to Sun's palace to ask if he was Sun's son
Sun said yes and swore by Styx to give him anything
wanted to ride Sun's chariot across sky one day
Sun knew danger and tried to disuade but had to agree
Phaethon rode chariot but horses went wild
caught Earth on fire and River Nile hid its head
Zeus saved Earth by killing Phaethon with thunderbolt
fell into river Eridanus and mourned by naiads and Heliades sisters
Pegasus and Bellerophon
King Glaucus of Ephyre (Corinth), son of Sisyphus (who had to roll stone up hill in Hades forever
as Zeus's punishment) fed horses humans to make them fierce but gods caused horses to
eat him
Bellerophon, son of Eurynome and Glaucus or Poseidon, wanted Pegasus, winged horse who had
sprung from Gorgon's blood when Perseus slew her
Athena sent dream and golden bridle
Pegasus accepted Bellerophon and bridle
accidentally killed brother and fled to King Proetus of Argos whose wife falsely accused him
Proetus sent him to King Lycia of Asia with note saying to kill him
fearing Zeus's wrath for inhospitality, Lycia instead sent him on dangerous mission to slay
lion/goat/snake Chimaeva but he did slay it with help of Pegasus
returned to Proetus who made him battle Solymi and the Amazons, finally befriended him
Bellerophon became arrogant and tried to fly to Olympus but Pegasus threw him and made him
wander on foot
Pegasus went to Zeus's stables and delivers thunderbolt
Otus and Ephialtes
twin giants Otus and Ephialtes, sons of Poseidon and Iphimedia or Canace, imprisoned Ares but
Hermes helped him escape
Zeus wanted to kill them but Poseidon promised to keep them in line
Otus wanted Hera but decided first to pursue Artemis for Ephialtes
Artemis turned into hind in woods of Naxos island and tricked them into throwing weapons at
each other, each slaying his beloved brother
Daedalus
Daedalus designed Labyrinth for Minotaur in Crete
Minos suspected he helped Athenians escape so imprisoned him in Labyrinth
built wings for him and son Icarus to fly out
despite warnings son flew too high and fell into water
Daedalus arrived in Sicily
Minos found him by offering contest of passing thread through intricate shell, knowing only
Daedalus could (by using ant to crawl through it), but Minos was killed
Perseus
King Acrisius of Argos feared daughter Danae and later her son Perseus because oracle said his
grandson would kill him, so he shut them in underground bronze house and then sent them to
sea in a chest
fisherman Dictys on island opened chest and let them live with him and his wife
King Polydectes later wanted Danae but to get rid of Perseus
Polydectes told Perseus how much he wanted head of Gorgon Medusa, and Perseus promised to
get it as wedding present
Medusa only mortal of 3 sisters, looking at her turns one to stone
oracle told him to go to Selli in land of acorns who told him only that gods protected him
Hermes took Perseus to Gray Women who told him where nymphs of North were when he
kidnapped their one shared eye
Hermes gave him sword and Athena gave a mirror shield
Athena told which was Medusa and Perseus looked in mirror-shield, cut off her head, and put it in
magic wallet
Queen Cassiopeia had been arrogant towards gods so daughter Andromeda was required as
sacrifice to be eaten by serpent
Perseus slew serpent and took Andromeda as wife and returned to island
Dictys's wife was dead, Dictys and Danae hid in temple
Perseus went to Polydectes's banquet and showed Medusa's head, turning all to stone
returned to Greece to reconcile with Acrisius, who had been driven from his city
Perseus's discus in athletic contest of King of Larissa in North accidentally hit and killed Acrisius
Perseus's son Electryon was Hercules's granddad
Athena given Medusa's head and bore it on aegis
Theseus
son of King Aegeus of Athens but raised by mom until old enough to roll away stone to get dad's
sword and go to Athens
went by land because more dangerous and wanted to be hero like cousin Hercules
killed bandits as they killed others: kicked Sciron into sea, Sinis fastened to pine trees, Procrustes
fit to table length
Aegeus didn't know Theseus was son so gave him Medea's poison but found out just in time and
dashed cup away before Theseus drank
Aegeus had sent Minos of Crete's son Androgeus on fatal expedition against a bull and Mino
captured Athens and demanded 7 maidens and 7 youths every 9 years to feed Minotaur
bull/man
Poseidon had given Minos the Minotaur to sacrifice but instead kept it in Daedalus-designed
Labyrinth, Poseidon punished him by making the Minotaur's mom Pasiphae fall in love
with him
Theseus volunteered to be sacrifice but planned to kill Minotaur
Minos's daughter Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and told him to string thread from entrance to
retrace steps and escape, in exchange he would marry her
Theseus killed Minotaur with his fists
on way back he either deserted Ariadne on island or she died accidentally
forgot to give sign of his success by replacing black sail with white so sad Aegeus jumped into
sea, now named Aegean Sea
Theseus became king and established democracy
victorious Thebans of the Seven Against Thebes refused to bury enemy so Theseus made them
only Theseus received outcast Oedipus and protected his daughters
fought Amazons and took one back, Antiope or Hippolyta, and had son Hippolyta
Amazons invaded Attica near Athens but were defeated
went on Argo with Jason and on the Calydonian boar hunt
saved rash friend Piritheus's life, who had stolen his cattle but surrendered, many times, Piritheus
was King of Lapithae
helped defeat drunk Centaur horse/men at Piritheus's wedding
after wife died Piritheus wanted to abduct Persephone
Theseus kidnapped young Helen but later she was rescued by her brothers Caster and Pollux
went to Hades with Piritheus but Hades put them in Chair of Forgetfulness and later Hercules
could rescue only Theseus
Hippolytus was raised in same region dad was and avoided women
Theseus married Ariadne's sister Phaedra who fell in love with stepson Hippolytus who refused
her nurses's pleas to love her
Phaedra committed suicide but left note accusing Hippolytus of violence
Theseus banished son and son was killed when chariot crashed after Poseidon fulfilled dad's curse
by sending a sea monster to attack chariot
Artemis told Theseus his son was not guilty but it was Aphrodite's fault
son brought back and died in his arms
King Lycomedes later killed Theseus for some reason
Athens honored Theseus and his tomb is sanctuary for poor and helpless
Hercules
brave and strong but not smart
helped gods defeat Giants
threatened to steal oracle's tripod when it didn't answer him said he would fight Apollo
strong emotions, deserted Argonauts in grief when his armor-bearer Hylas killed
born to Zeus and Alcides, Amphitryon's wife, with half-brother Iphicles
two snakes attacked brothers in crib before they were a year old but Hercules strangled them,
snakes had been sent by Hera
Teiresias (blind prophet) said he would be famous
unintentionally killed his music teacher
at 18 killed Thespian lion in Cithaeron woods and wore its skin thereafter
conquered Minyans who plagued Thebans and was given Princess Megara as wife
Hera made him go mad and he killed his wife and 3 sons
Amphitryon told him what happened, cousin Theseus saved him from suicide
oracle at Delphi told him to be purified by performing labors for King Eurystheus of Mycenae
12 Labors of Hercules
killed lion of Nemea
killed 9-headed Hydra of Lerna (1 immortal head buried, other 8 grew 2 when 1 cut off
but used nephew Iolaus's brand on severed necks)
captured golden horned stag in Cerynitia sacred to Artemis
captured great boar on Mt. Erymanthus
cleaned Augean stables in a day by diverting 2 rivers
drove away Stymphalus birds, helped by Athena
captured Minos's bull in Crete
stole man-eating mares of King Diomedes of Thrace
captured girdle of Hippolyta the Amazon
stole cattle of 3-bodied monster in Erythia, set up Gibraltar and Ceuta pillars as memorial
tricked Atlas into getting Golden Apples of his sons the Hesperides
captured Cerberus from underworld and freed Theseus from Chair of Forgetfulness
killed Giant wrestler Antaeus, immortal on ground, by lifting and strangling him
fought river-god Achelous (in form of bull) for Deianira (his daughter) as wife, broke off his horn
King Laomedon had cheated Apollo and Poseidon of wages for building walls of Troy so a
monster was sent to devous his daughter, Hercules rescued her in return for Zeus's horses owned
by Laomedon but he wouldn't give them to Hercules so Hercules conquered the city, killed the king,
and gave the daughter to his friend Telamon of Salamis
freed Prometheus on way to Atlas
carelessly killed servant boy and exiled self as punishment
killed son of King Eurytus, who had insulted him, as penance was slave of Queen Omphale of
Lydia who made him do women's work
Apollo, a slave of Admetus as punishment for kiling Zeus's Cyclopses in revenge for death of his
son Aesculaplus, told Admetus he could get a substitute to die for him, and his wife Alcestis agreed
Admetus told Hercules when he came to visit that no one important had died, Hercules got drunk
but was ashamed when he learned Admetus's wife died
to make amends, Hercules wrestled Death and brought Alcestis back from dead
Hercules killed King Eurytus and sent captured maidens, including beleved Iole (Eurytus's
daughter) to wife Deianira
Deianira sent him a coat with what she thought was a love potion from the blood of a ferryman
Hercules had slain (Centaur Nessus)
was actually poison and nearly killed Hercules but he killed the one who had delivered it, Deianira
killed herself when she found out, and finally Hercules killed himself in a pyre, giving box and arrows
to Philoctetes
taken to heaven, reconciled with Hera, married Hera's daughter Hebe
Atalanta
Atalanta's dad, wanting a son, left her in mountains, raised by bear and later by kindly hunters
Artemis punished King Oeneus by sending terrible bear, King called for heros to hunt it
in Calydonian boar hunt, Oeneus's son Meleager fell in love with Atalanta and insisted she be
allowed on hunt
3 men killed, then Atalanta's arrow hit boar and Meleager killed it but gave prize skin to Atalanta
Meleager's chauvinist uncles complained but he killed them
upset at brothers' deathes, Meleager's mom Althea threw a log in fire that fates had said would kill
Meleager, and he did die, mom then hanged self
at Pelias's funeral Atalanta outwrestled Achille's dad Peleus
Atalanta's dad accepted her back
she didn't want to marry and disposed of suitors by beating them in a footrace
Melanion (or Hippomenes) beat her by dropping Aphrodite's irrestible golden apples, which she
had to stop and pick up
they married and had son Parthenopaeus (one of the Seven Against Thebes) before they were
turned into lions
Trojan War
at marriage of King Peleus and sea nymph Thetis shunned Eris (goddess of Discord) threw in
golden apple "for the fairest"
Zeus sent 3 goddesses to be judged by Prince Paris (son of King Priam of Troy) who was herding
sheep
Paris chose Aphrodite's bribe of most beautiful woman in world over Hera's of being lord over
Europe and Asia and Athena's of leading Troy over the Greeks
Helen was most beautiful, daughter of Zeus and Leda, King Tyndareus made all suiters promise to
help her future husband if any wrong done
gave Helen to Menelaus, Agamemnon's brother, and made him King of Sparta
Paris visited Menelaus but kidnapped Helen when Menelaus was gone
all Greek chieftans bound to help attack Troy
Odysseus tried to feign madness by sowing field with salt but didn't run over his son with plow so
messenger knew he was sane and made him go
Achilles's mom sent him to King Lycomedus and disguised him as girl but Odysseus found he
preferred weapons not girls' trinckets, and he confessed and agreed to go
Agamemnon was told by soothsayer Calchas he had to sacrifice daughter Iphigenia to Artemis
(upset about a slain hare) to get favorable winds), and he did this
at Troy Protesilaus was first ashore, brave because it was prophesied that first to shore would be
first to die
King Priam and Queen Hecuba ruled Troy, Achilles (Greek) and Hector (Troy) fated to die
9 years of battle
Greeks carried off Chryseis, daughter of Apollo's priest, for Agamemnon, Apollo shot arrows at
Greeks, Calchus told Greeks to return her, Agamemnon did but took Achilles's Briseis instead
gods divide
for Greeks: Hera, Athena, Poseidon
for Trojans: Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Zeus
Achilles's mom Thetis mad and asked Zeus to help Troy
Zeus sent false dream telling Agamemnon to fight without Achilles
Menelaus and Paris fought alone, Paris lost and fled
Troy would have returned Helen and ended war but Hera and Athena made Lycian archer
Pandarus break the truce and war started again
Greeks Ajax and Diomedes killed many, Diomedes wounded Aeneas, his mom Aphrodite tried to
save him but was wounded herself, Apollo then saved Aeneas
Greeks feared Ares with Hector but Hera helped Diomedes wound Ares and he returned whining
to Olympus
Hector's mom prayed to Athena but was denied
Hector bid farewell to wife Andromache and son Astyanax
Achilles, upset at wrongful stealing of Briseis by Agamemnon, stayed in tent
wise Nestor told Agamemnon to appease Achilles but sending Briseis back along with many
treasures would not appease him
Hera put Zeus to sleep and helped Greeks advance, Ajax threw down Hector but Aeneas saved
him
Zeus awoke but Hera blamed Poseidon
Apollo and Hector led Tory on advance
Achilles's beloved friend Patroclus borrowed his armor and fought to help his countrymen despite
Agamemnon's wrong, led Achiles's men (the Myrmidons), Hector slew Patroclus and took
Achilles's armor
Nestor's son Antilochus told Achilles Patroclus was slain
Achilles vowed to avenge but mom warned that he was fated to die right after Hector, but she
brought him arms made by Hephaestus
river Scamander tried to drown Achilles
Athena took form of Hector's brother Deiphobus to trick him
Achilles pursued Hector 3 times around Troy
Achilles slew Hector with spear into hole in armor at throat
dragged body behind his chariot around Troy
Zeus sent Iris to Priam and told him to ransom Hector's body back
Achilles agreed and declared a 9-day truce for mourning Hector in Troy
burned Hector on big pyre and buried his bones in urn
Fall of Troy
Achilles killed Prince Memnon of Ethiopia who fought with Troy
Paris's arrow hit Achilles in the heel, only vulnerable spot because mom Thetis had held him by
heel when dipping in Styx to make him invincible, Achilles died, put in urn with Patroclus
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