The Hero’s Path
The hero’s path involves three parts.
Separation – How he leaves his parents
and the land of his birth.
Initiation – The journey and the adventures
that prove his status as a hero.
Return – How he is reunites with his family
and the land of his birth.
Perseus’ Separation
 Perseus is separated from his homeland
when the king of Argos put baby
Perseus and his mother Danae in a box
and threw them into the ocean.
Initiation
 To prove his strength, courage, and
intelligence, Perseus tricks the the three
sisters (Hags) into telling him where the
Gorgon Medusa lives. Perseus kills
Medusa (with the help of the gods
Athena, Hermes and Hades).
Return
 On his return to Seriphus, Perseus
saves Andromeda and defeats the sea
monster. He also has to fight off
Andromeda’s suitors at his wedding.
Theseus’ Separation
 Theseus leaves the land of his birth to
travel to Athens where his father rules.
Initiation
On his way to Athens, Theseus pursues
bad guys such as Procrustes, and
defeats them.
Theseus’ most famous adventure involves
the Minotaur and the labyrinth. You can
fill in the details that involve Ariadne, a
ball of yarn, and the goddess Athena.
Return
Theseus’ return was a sad one. When his
father sees that the sail is still black, he
kills himself because he thinks Theseus
is dead.
Jason’s Separation
 Jason leaves the kingdom of Thessaly to
pursue the golden fleece and take the
crown from his uncle.
Initiation
 Jason voyages to the land of Colchis to find
the golden fleece.
 1. One of Jason’s sailors drowns and
Heracles leaves because he is depressed.
 2. Jason’s men pursue the Harpies.
 3. His ship is attacked by deadly birds with
feathers made of arrows.
 4. Clashing Rocks – Jason sent a dove
through the rocks and the rocks clashed
into each other trying to get the doves.
Initiation Continued
 5. Jason has to yoke the fire breathing
bulls.
 6. Plow the field with the teeth of the
dragon.
 7. Jason has to kill the army of warriors
that grow from the teeth. He tricks the
warriors into killing each other.
Return
Jason is forced to take Medea to Thessaly,
where defeats his uncle but never
marries Media.
Heracles’Separation
Heracles is separated from his family
because he kills his wife and children
afterHera makes him insane. Then Hera
sends Heracles to perform twelve labors.
Initiation
 For his initiation, Heracles has to
perform Twelve Labors:
 Labor #1
 The Nemean Lion – Heracles kills the tough
skinned lion by strangling it.
 Labor #2
 The Hydra – He cuts off all the heads and
burns them so they won’t grow back, and he
buries the middle head.
Initiation Continued
 Labor #3 – The Arcadian Stag – The
stag it (hurts it) and when it slows down,
he catches it.
 Labor #4 – The Boar of Erymanthus –
He captures the boar in a big net and
takes it to his cousin alive.
Initiation Continued
 Labor #5 – The Augean Stables –
 Labor #6 – Kill the Man-Eating Birds –
He made a big noise and when the birds
flew into the air, he shot them down.
 Labor #7 – Capture the Cretan Bull – He
uses his strength and skills to capture it.
 Labor #8 – The Horses of Diomedes –
He fixed it so the horses ate Diomedes.
Initiation Continued
 Labor #9 – Bring back the Girdle of
Hippolyta – Even though Hippolyta was
willing to give him the girdle, Hera tricked
the Amazons into going to war with
Heracles and he had to kill Hippolyta for
the girdle.
 Labor #11 – Get the golden apples -
Return