THE HERO 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.
Somehow, they managed to arrive safely to the
island of Seriphos, where Polydectes ruled. The
king's brother, Dictys, who was a fisherman,
caught the chest in his net and pulled it to
shore, freeing Danae and her son. Perseus grew
up to become a strong young man. Polydectes
heard about Danae and asked her in marriage,
but she rejected him. If it wasn't for Perseus,
Polydectes would have married Danae by force;
so the king decided to create a plan to get rid of
the young man.
Polydectes pretended to marry the daughter of
his friend. Everybody had to bring a wedding
present, including Perseus. However, Perseus,
being poor, had not brought anything, and
Polydectes pretended to be furious. After a
heated discussion, Perseus said he would bring
him anything the king would ask; so Polydectes
asked for the head of the Gorgon Medusa.
Perseus set forth on his adventure; he
wandered for days, searching for the Gorgons
lair. One night, in an unknown country he
realized how hopeless things were. Medusa was
a horrible creature, who had snakes growing
out of her head instead of hair, and a terrifying
gaze that literary petrified anyone who would
look into her eyes. In his despair, a tall woman
and a young man with winged sandals appeared
and introduced themselves as goddess Athena
and god Hermes. Hermes said that they were all
siblings as Perseus was in fact the son of Zeus,
so they would help him in his quest; so Hermes
offered him his winged sandals and the sickle
that was used by Cronus to castrate Uranus;
while Athena gave him her shield, so that
Perseus would not have to look straight into
Medusa's eyes. They also gave him further
information on how to find the lair of Medusa.
So Perseus went to the cave of the Graeae, who
would lead him further in his adventure. The
Graeae were three women who shared a single
eye among them. So, when one of them was
about to give the eye to one of the others,
Perseus grabbed it and blackmailed them to aid
him. So, the Graeae informed him that he
should find the Nymphs of the North to get the
Cap of Darkness which would make him
invisible, as well as a magic bag.
After getting these two items, Perseus
eventually went to the lair of Medusa and her
sisters, whom he found sleeping. He wore the
Cap of Darkness, and unseen managed to kill
Medusa using the sickle; he then used the
shield to carry the head and place it into the
magic bag, for even though it was dead, the
head still have the potential to turn someone
into stone. Medusa's sisters woke up and
attacked Perseus, but he flew away using his
winged sandals.
On his way back to Seriphus, he had many
adventures; in one of them, he came across the
Titan Atlas, who was condemned to carry the
heavens on his shoulders. To release him of his
pain, Perseus turned him into stone using
Medusa's head, so that he would no longer feel
the weight of his burden.
Later on, he saw what looked like a statue
chained to a rock, so he went to investigate. He
saw that it was not a statue, but a woman, and
asked her why she was chained to the rock. "My
name is Andromeda", she replied, "and I have
been punished because of my vain mother. She
boasted that I was more beautiful than the
Nereids. Poseidon was angered and said that I
must be sacrificed to a sea monster," she said.
Even as she spoke a monster rose from the sea.
Perseus pulled Medusa's head out of the bag;
the sea monster turned to stone and crumbled
to pieces. Perseus cut Andromeda's chains and
took her to her father, King Cepheus of
Phoenicia. When Perseus asked Andromeda's
hand in marriage, Cepheus gladly agreed. So,
Perseus and Andromeda set off for Seriphus.
Acrisius and therefore, the prophecy became
true; after mourning, Perseus and Andromeda
set off again.
When they arrived at Seriphus, the first person
they met was Dictys, the fisherman who had
brought Danae and Perseus ashore many years
ago. Dictys told them how Polydectes had never
really married, but since Danae wouldn't marry
Polydectes, he forced her to be his
handmaiden. Perseus was furious, so he asked
Dictys to take care of Andromeda, in order to
avenge for his mother's mistreatment.
Perseus stormed to the palace, walked in and
said, "Let all who are my friends shield their
eyes!" So saying he raised Medusa's head and
Polydectes and his courtiers were immediately
turned to stone. Perseus and Andromeda lived
happily for many years and their descendants
became great kings, the greatest of them all
being Heracles, the strongest man in the world.
On the way they stopped at Larisa, so Perseus
could compete in some games that were held at
that time; however, when he threw a discus, it
hit an old man who instantly died. The man was
The hero Theseus
Eventually, Perseus was killed by Dionysus. To
be immortalized, Perseus and Andromeda were
turned into stars and would live together in the
sky.
Once, there was a young boy named Theseus.
Nobody knew who his father was, for both King
Aegeus of Athens and Poseidon had been fond
of his mother Aethra. Right before Theseus was
born, Aegeus said to Aethra, "If we shall have a
son, then when he becomes of age, tell him to
lift this rock and take my sword and sandals."
Aegeus then hid both his sword and his sandals
under a large boulder and set sail for Athens.
Aethra and her father begged Theseus to go to
Athens by sea, for horrible robbers and bandits
inhabited the road, but Theseus was bold and
went overland. After a few miles, he met a large
man with a shiny club. "I am Periphetes, the
cudgel man, and I'm going to bash your head
with this club," he said. "That's a mighty fine
club you have there," replied Theseus.
This happened in a small town called Troezen,
where Theseus grew into a strong, young man.
When Aethra thought it was time, she took
Theseus to the large boulder and told him to lift
it. Theseus wrapped his mighty arms around the
boulder and lifted it with no difficulty at all.
Then, he threw the boulder into a nearby
forest. Aethra then told him to take the sword
and sandals and go to Athens.
Theseus Journeys to Athens
"Pure brass."
"I bet it isn't."
"Yes it is."
"It's just wood wrapped in brass."
"Here, look at it to make sure."
Periphetes handed the club to Theseus. Theseus
hit Periphetes on the side of the head with it.
"Not bad," thought Theseus, "not bad at all. I
think I'll keep this."
Theseus continued on his journey. Not much
further, he saw a giant man with a battle axe,
standing on the side of the road. "I am Sciron
and these are my cliffs. To pass you must wash
my feet as a toll!" the man said. "What would
happen if I didn't?" replied Theseus. "I will chop
off your head with this axe, and don't think that
puny little twig you're carrying will save you,
you're absolutely...WRONG!!!!" Sciron yelled.
So, Theseus sat down and started to wash
Sciron's feet. Theseus looked over the side of
the cliff, and saw a monstrous turtle at the
bottom. That's when she realized that Sciron
was the infamous giant that threw people off
the cliff for his man-eating turtle. When he took
a grasp of Sciron's foot, Theseus jerked aside
and hurled Sciron off the cliff.
Theseus walked further ahead when he saw a
man that looked remarkably like Sciron. The
man said, "Could you do me a favor young
man? Hold this pine tree down for me." The
man's name was Sinis, the pine-bender. Sinis
bent a pine tree down and waited for Theseus
to hold the tree down with him. Then, Sinis let
go, expecting Theseus to be catapulted in the
air; however, Theseus held it down. Sinis
stooped down to get a better look at the tree,
thinking that it had been broken, when Theseus
let go of the tree, hitting Sinis in the chin and
knocking him unconscious. Theseus then tied
Sinis' legs to one bent pine tree, his arms to
another. Then, Theseus let go, the trees ripping
Sinis in half; vultures screamed with delight.
Theseus went on his way again. After a few
miles, it got dark. Theseus saw a large house up
Theseus Journeys to Minos
Theseus and Aegeus were happy for a long
time, but when the time of the spring equinox
came, all Athenians were in desperation, as a
ship with black sail approached Athens. Theseus
begged his father to tell him why the Athenians
were sad, but Aegeus said nothing.
ahead of him. He decided to ask the owner for a
bed for the night, so he walked up to the door
and knocked. A man came to the door and said,
"Welcome young man. Come in, you look tired.
My name is Procrustes. I have a magic bed for
you to stay the night on. It is exactly six feet
long, but can fit anyone, be they short or tall."
Theseus had been warned about a man named
Procrustes. His so called "magic" bed did fit
anyone, but in an unpleasant way. If a person
was too short, Procrustes would chain their
arms and legs and stretch them. If they were
too tall, he would chop off their legs until they
were just right. Procrustes led Theseus into the
room where the bed was. Theseus pushed
Procrustes onto the bed and chopped off his
legs; and just so Procrustes wouldn't feel any
pain, he sliced his head off too.
Theseus Recognized
The next morning Theseus reached Athens. It
was the largest city he had ever seen. He went
to the palace where Aegeus lived. Aegeus had
married Medea, who (being a sorceress) had
him under her power. With her powers, Medea
recognized Theseus and knew that he would try
to get rid of her. So she told Aegeus that
Theseus had come to kill him and that she
would give Theseus poisoned wine. Aegeus,
unaware that Theseus was his son, agreed. He
invited Theseus to a banquet; however, when
Theseus was just about to drink his wine,
Aegeus recognized the sword and threw the
wine cup to the floor. Theseus and Aegeus were
filled with happiness. Medea left in a chariot
drawn by dragons.
Theseus went down to the harbor and asked
the captain of the black-sailed ship what was
happening. The captain told him about how
Androgeus, the eldest son of King Minos of
Crete, had accidentally been killed in Athens.
Minos was very angry. He attacked Athens and
demanded that the Athenians pay a yearly
tribute of seven young man and seven young
women to be fed to the Minotaur. The
Minotaur was a monster, half man and half bull,
residing in the Labyrinth, a large maze under
King Minos' palace.
Theseus went back to Aegeus and said, "I will go
to Crete as one of the victims and I will slay the
Minotaur!" "No, my son," said Aegeus, "you
mustn't go. You are my only son. The only heir
to the throne." "I must go, father. I must prove
that I am a hero." said Theseus. In the end,
Aegeus let Theseus go, but made him promise
that if he returned back to Athens alive, he
should change the black sails to white ones. So,
Theseus volunteered to go as one of the
fourteen tributes.
When Theseus and his companions landed at
Crete, Minos was there to welcome them. He
asked each of them who they were. When he
asked Theseus, he said, "I am Theseus, prince of
Athens, son of Poseidon!" "If you were the
prince of Athens," Minos said, "wouldn't old
Aegeus be your father? To prove you are the
son of Poseidon, fetch my ring," he said,
throwing it into the sea. Praying to Poseidon,
Theseus dived into the water. He saw the
nymph Thetis, who gave him the ring and an old
crown. Theseus went back to shore holding the
ring and the crown; Minos laughed.
That night Theseus was visited by Minos'
daughter Ariadne. She said to him, "Theseus, I
want to help you kill the Minotaur, but promise
me to take me with you to Athens afterwards,
and make me your queen." Theseus agreed and
Ancient Athens
Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of silk thread,
telling him to tie it to the entrance of the
Labyrinth, unrolling it as he moved through the
tunnels. The string would lead him back to the
entrance.
The following day, Theseus and his companions
were forced into the Labyrinth. Theseus tied the
string onto a rock and told everyone to follow
him. He led them towards the center of the
Labyrinth where the Minotaur was. When they
got there, they saw the beast sleeping. Theseus
jumped on it and ripped off one of its horns.
Theseus started poking with the horn at the
Minotaur, who was furious. Then, Theseus ran
to a safe distance and threw the horn like a
javelin. The horn ripped into the monsters neck
and was stuck there. The Minotaur, enraged,
charged at Theseus, but fell dead before
reaching him. Everyone cheered and Theseus
became a hero! They followed the thread back
to the entrance of the Labyrinth.
Theseus, Ariadne, and the rest of the tributes
boarded the black-sailed ship and set sail for
Athens. One night, the god Dionysus came to
Theseus and said, "You mustn't marry Princess
Ariadne, for I have chosen her as my own bride.
Leave her on the island of Naxos." Theseus did
as the god told him, but he was so sad that he
forgot to change the sails. As the ship
approached Athens, Aegeus sat on a cliff
watching and waiting for Theseus to come;
when he saw the black sails, he jumped into the
sea. As a result, that fatal stretch of water was
named after him and became the Aegean.
Greece: the Sanctuary of Hera
Greece: the Birthplace of Democracy
Brauron
Ancient Corinth
Greece: the Sanctuary of Artemis
Greece: the Home of Bellerophon
Delos
Ancient Olympia
Greece: the Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis
Greece: the Cradle of the Olympic Games
Delphi
Argos
Greece: the Ancient Center of the World
Eleusis
Greece: the Sacred Place of Demeter
Ephesus
Turkey: the Temple of Artemis
Etna
Italy: the Forge of Hephaestus
Mount Olympus
Greece: the Kingdom of the Olympian gods
Nisyros
Greece: the Bed of the Sleeping Giant
Paphos
Cyprus: the Birthplace of Aphrodite
Thebes
Greece: the Birthplace of Heracles
Thespiae
Greece: the Sanctuary of Eros
Meleager
Meleager was the son of King Oeneus of
Calydon and Althaea. Seven days after his birth,
the Fates appeared to foretell his future. Clotho
and Lachesis predicted he would be noble and
brave. Atropos warned him that he would die as
soon as one of the sticks in the fireplace burned
completely. Taking the hint, Althaea pulled the
stick from the fire, put it out, and hid it in a safe
place.
While still young, he came to be regarded as
second only to Heracles in his abilities. He was
the youngest of the Argonauts and according to
some; he killed the Argonauts' chief enemy,
King Aeetes of Colchis.
After he returned from this journey, he married
Cleopatra and had a daughter, Polydora. His
domestic tranquility was brought to an end
when Artemis unleashed a fearsome boar in his
homeland. He naturally took a leading role in
killing the boar during what became known as
the Calydonian Boar Hunt which led to his
death.
There are two versions of Meleager's death;
both start with a quarrel with his uncles over
the prized boar skin. To understand what
happened, it is necessary to know that Althaea
was married to Oeneus to help settle a blood
feud that may have gone on for generations.
While his uncles came to help with the boar,
there still would have been a lot of tension
among them, the Calydonians and Althaea's
brothers.
In the first version the quarrel over the prize led
to a new war between Curetes and Calydon.
This put Meleager in a terrible position, as he
had relatives in both sides. Without his
leadership, Calydon was on the verge of losing.
His wife appealed to him to save the city.
However, while leading Calydon, he killed his
uncles. As a result, his mother cursed him and
possibly burned the last stick the Fates had
spoken of. In any case, the Erinyes then killed
him to revenge for his killing of blood relatives.
The more romantic version of his death starts
with Meleager awarding the prize to Atlanta
because she drew first blood. Awarding the
prize to a woman angered the rest of the
hunting party, but most remained silent.
However, his uncles felt that their position
entitled them to give orders to Meleager. A
quarrel ensued between them and Meleager
killed his uncles. Upon hearing of her brother’s
death by his hands, his mother burned the stick
Fates had spoken of; as a result, Meleager died
and Althaea then killed herself in remorse.
Cleopatra then also committed suicide, driven
by grief.