Were the Olympics created to showcase warrior skills?

There are many myths and theories surrounding the origin of the ancient Olympic Games and why they were created. One theory, which is quite a popular one, is that Greeks were warriors by trade, and once their domination of land was largely secured, the need for war and battle was no longer necessary. To exercise these physical needs, which no longer had a natural outlet, the ancient Greek city-states started building gymnasiums, stadiums and training centers.

Continuing the tradition of physical excellence

The physical aesthetic of strength and a muscular build continued because this was the physical manifestation of warriors, and warriors were revered. Since warriors essentially no longer had a job, and their work no longer defined their status, the physical power of a warrior became the new aesthetic – and this was one that could be achieved by almost anyone with enough dedication and effort.

And now, since there were no wars to fight, games were created as a place for men to demonstrate their physical strength, prowess, and skill. These competitions were open to anyone who could afford the training, and each Greek city-state would elect a representative to send to compete. This was an incredible honor as it gave the chosen participant the opportunity to bring attention to his hometown.

Was Hercules responsible for the Olympics?

The most popular myth as to the origin of the ancient Olympic Games is that Heracles was the creator of the games. He built the first Olympic stadium to honor his father, Zeus, after Heracles completed a trying assignment of 12 labors. According to legend, Heracles walked in a straight line for 400 strides and declared this distance a “stadium” or “stage.” This is why the modern stadium is the distance of 400 meters in circumference.

The synthesis of religion and the Olympics

The Olympic Games quickly became a nationally important contest, reaching their height of popularity on the 5th and 6th centuries BC. As is the case with most of Greek life, the Olympics became a fundamentally religious declaration of importance, a way of honoring the gods, as well as the abundance of good life that the Greeks owed to these deities.

The number of games and events grew from just a few to twenty at their height of popularity, and the contests and celebrations were spread over several days. The winners of each event were highly regarded, awarded prizes, and immortalized in poems and statues.

The Olympic Games gradually declined in importance as the Romans gained power in Greece and eventually brought to a halt after the final games in 393AD. The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894, and the first modern Olympic Games were revived and held in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

Participation in the Olympic Games is still an incredible honor, bringing recognition to an athlete’s home nation, and participation has grown to include almost every country from around the world. The original Olympic Games were held every four years, and that is a tradition that continues through today’s modern Olympic Games.

Back to Mythology Madness Articles

The art of Ancient Greece is universally recognized as being divided into four periods: Geometric, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic. However, in reality, there is no sharp difference marking the transition of one period to another. Instead, the styles blend and merge, together creating an aesthetic that is understood and widely recognized as one artistic movement.

Inspired by religion and mythology

Life in ancient Greece was heavily dominated by religion, influenced by mythology and the belief of the presence of a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Subsequently, Greek art in all of its forms is dedicated to honoring the gods and telling their stories.

In ancient Greece, gods were tangible figures that had shape, substance, and a well-known look. All Ancient Greeks knew what Zeus, the king of the gods, looked like, although nobody had ever seen him first hand. The same was true of all the major deities; they had a recognizable human form, complete with tokens and talismans that were often the source of their power.

The ancient Greeks could tell which god or goddess was pictured on a vase or in a sculpture just by looking at the representation. But part of the point of art is to transcend time and space, so clues, usually in the form of the specific god’s symbol, are usually painted or sculpted into every work of art.

The mythological stories told through pottery

Pottery was an integral source of art, and one that permeated life on a daily basis. Pottery was meant to be used, not merely displayed, which is why there is little remaining pottery and it is often badly damaged. Most of the pottery that survived into modern day includes drinking jugs, used for storing wine and water, as well as mixing bowls, which were used to prepare food. There are almost no remaining plates or cups because these were the pieces attracting the most wear and tear. Funeral urns and wine jugs that were presented as trophies are the exception to the daily use rule, and they are more plentifully preserved than some other pieces.

In early pottery, the designs were largely geometric and abstract. The pieces were made from clay that was left to harden, painted, and then fired in a kiln – using much the same process as is used today. Black, white, red and yellow were the most commonly available dyes, and these are the colors that will be seen most frequently. In later periods, stories of Greek history, mythology and religion were told on pieces of pottery. This was a way to reinforce their belief system and honor previous periods of history.

Greek sculptures of historical importance

Sculpture was another popular form of art in ancient Greece. Sculptures were usually made of stone (marble or limestone) or bronze. Bronze was a highly prized and expensive material, and thus, generally only families of extreme wealth could commission a statue or sculpture of bronze. Ancient Grecian sculpture carries on the tradition of other forms of art—telling stories of the gods, Greek history, and honoring the gods.

Most of the art in ancient Greece was functional and decorative, not only aesthetically pleasing. Greek art was used to remind people of their beliefs, what was important in life, and above all, to honor the gods to whom they owed so much.

Back to Mythology Madness Articles

From the rooftops I could see quite far, and yet I remained inconspicuous to the average person. Children played their games below, and their loving mothers carefully watched over them. It must be said that within Sparta there is a feeling of security and peace, and were I a citizen of this city-state I’d probably feel the same way, for everywhere one turns there is a muscle-laden bronzed man, clad in light armor and arms. From above I could see everything.

I had been born and bred to be quiet. I moved unseen, unheard, and my strike was swift and deadly. Some may label me as an assassin, but to be an assassin you must kill without moral or ethical attachment. I do not kill in that way. I kill with emotion, with reason, with attachment. I kill because I love those that I slay.

It is a tortuous gift, one such as a mine. Each time I kill I am overcome with a wave of emotions- love, anger, hatred, torment, sadness, and eventually, depression. Each is a stage that I must endure for the greater good. Each is a stage that I must endure for my own sanity.

The guards below had finally turned their backs. I could see hordes of them gravitating towards the city center- something must be going on right now. The soldiers pressed on calmly, as if this was a routine. Surely this did happen often, as all of the guards away from their posts at once could present quite an opportunity for more enterprising types.

A glance towards the city gates to the west confirmed my suspicions: the guards remained at the gates, steadfast in their resolve to ensure that the city remains enclosed and secure. Well, perhaps secure enough.

I placed my hands on the edge of the roof and swung my body over the edge. Now hanging, I placed my feet against the wall and thrust, while at the same time forcing my body to wrap around itself. As I fell I reached out and took hold of a lower ledge, bringing my free-fall to an abrupt halt. Now hidden between two buildings, I let go and fell the remaining few feet to the ground below.

Not a bad way to decent from a building.

People walked past the alleyway that I resided in without noticing me inside. No, what was there to notice about a man dressed as everyone else? Even so, from within the shadows I could render myself almost invisible.

I waited for the right moment to join the Spartan crowd. I could not help but watch the crowd as it passed by- mothers guiding their children, husbands embracing their wives. I continued to watch the crowd until a large group, possibly a large family or group of close friends, came marching past. I joined them unnoticed, and made my way with the crowd until I came to the clearing I was observing from the rooftops a few minutes prior.

The same mothers were there, along with their children, still idly playing and enjoying their lives. There was one child I had been observing in particular – a boy that was 5 or 6 years old at the most – and I had decided that today he would be the one I would choose.

I reached into my pocket and retrieved two circular orbs that had been given to me by a friend of mine in the orient. The orbs themselves were nothing spectacular, but rather it was what they could do that was most interesting. Apparently these orbs, when thrown upon the ground, exploded into a huge cloud of smoke. Enough smoke, apparently, to conceal a man crafty enough to use the distraction to his advantage.

And so I would. I thrust the orbs to the ground, ensuring that each hit approximately ten feet from each other, and rushed into the resulting haze. I grabbed the child and retreated into the crowd, which was now panicking due to the confusion. It was not for a few moments that I heard the cries from the mother. Her calls for her child echoed predominantly throughout the street, and had I not already scaled the walls of the building I was occupying earlier I would surely have been noticed and apprehended.

I set the child down, my left hand covering his mouth. He was afraid- his blue eyes pierced me, as if they knew what was happening next. My right hand reached towards the sheath behind my back and retried my freshly sharpened dagger. He began to breathe heavily, almost hysterically. Tears streamed down the side of his face. He knew he was going to die.

“Fear not child,” I whispered to him, “for in your death you shall find salvation. The Olympians do not waste the life of a boy. You shall find peace in the events of today.”

As I drew my dagger I entered my period of hyper-awareness: the mother still cried for her child, the crowd still screamed and scurried about like a bunch of chickens with their heads chopped off, and the boy was still crying. His years touched my hand, and I could feel the swell in my eyes.

I thrust down. The deed was done. The mother still cried, and the crowd still moved, only now the boy did not fret. His torment had ended, while the torment that would soon plague this city was just beginning.

I climbed to my feet, fearing in the back of my mind that I would collapse due to some injury I had not yet realized I sustained. I gazed as far as I could see in every direction before I came to the frightening realization that I had absolutely no idea where I was. In fact, I could hardly recall anything. The last memory I had was of saying goodbye to my brother in Alissos. How much time had passed since then?

I wandered amongst the dead, searching for a sign, hoping to know it when I came upon it. In the distance I heard a man crying out to Zeus. I followed his pleas and approached him with caution. He had been impaled with a spear straight through his belly and left for dead. The trauma and chaos of battle had a firm grip on him. Every attempt I made to get his attention was in vain. Against my better judgment I crept closer, and eventually I was inches away from his heaving body, hovering right above him. His eyes looked everywhere except towards me. When his gaze did cross mine it was as if he was looking straight through me. I concluded that he must be departing to the afterlife, and no longer aware of the mortal world. Respectfully, I left him to his fate.

With no direction to speak of, I resumed my wandering path, knowing fully well what would happen to me if discovered by the Trojans. Just as I began contemplating my own demise, as if out of thin air, a large man with a wild beard appeared before me. I reached for my sword, and a wave of regret washed over me as I realized that in my haste and confusion I had neglected to retrieve it.

“That will not be necessary, Nicholas”, he spoke in an unsettling voice. Hearing my name aloud caused me to realize how close I had come to forgetting it.

“Who are you?” I implored.

“Who I am is far less consequential than what I am”.

He then casually strode past me towards the doomed Trojan who had since begun sobbing. Then from beneath his robe he unsheathed a terrible sword and before it even appeared to be in motion the man’s head lay on the ground. The silence was deafening. My paralysis returned as he turned towards me and smiled.

“Come now, Nicholas, you’ve toiled long enough”, he stated in a matter of fact tone, almost mocking my inability to move. It was not until he produced his grim upside-down torch that the true horror of my predicament set in. Almost involuntarily, I then followed Thornatos into the darkness.

Back to Ancient Greek Mythology Fanfiction

Mythology

Hector was the son of Priam, and Hecuba, the King and Queen of Troy during the Trojan War. Being the noble man that he was, Hector did not approve of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. After an inconclusive duel (that would have ended the war) between his brother Paris and the king of Ancient Sparta, Menelaus, an archer named Pandarus wounded Menelaus with a surprise arrow attack, causing the Trojan War to carry on.

After a heavy Greek attack and despite his wife Andromache’s pleads, Hector decided to launch a counter-attack. Although Hector knew that Troy and the house of Priam would inevitably be conquered, he was also informed by his divinely inspired brother Helenus that he was not yet fated to die. After emerging from the gates, he challenged any one of the Greek warriors to single combat. After much hesitation, Ajax accepted the challenge and the two battled for the entire day with neither ever becoming victorious. They ended up commending each other’s valor and Hector even gave Ajax his sword, while Ajax in turn gave Hector his girdle.

The bloody battles ensued once again in the days following, and then Patroclus, the closest companion of the infamous Achilles, disguised himself in the armor of Achilles and headed into battle, where he was eventually killed by Hector. Hector then took the armor for himself. Shortly after, a fierce battle for the body of Patroclus began, which the Greeks ended up winning. Upon discovering the body of his comrade, Achilles became enraged, and vowed to avenge his death.

Achilles went on a rampage killing several Trojans on his quest to find Hector. Once Hector realized that Achilles was near, he became overwhelmed with fear and fled, and Achilles chased him throughout the city of Troy. Eventually, Hector overcame his fear and confronted Achilles, and asked that his body be returned to Priam for a proper burial, to which Achilles refused. After a couple missed spear attacks by Achilles, Hector drew his sword. Achilles then realized that Hector was wearing his own armor, which he had taken from Patroclus, and then plunged his spear into the weak spot at the throat, creating the wound that slowly killed Hector. As Hector died, he begged Achilles to not desecrate his body, but Achilles responded by instead divulging in detail exactly what he would do to his body. Once he was dead, Achilles cut slits in each of Hector’s heels and removed Hector’s girdle, which he received from Ajax, and slid it through the slits he made. He then fastened it to his chariot and drug Hector’s body through the dust all the way back to Danaan camp. When king Priam appeared in person to request the body of his son be returned, Achilles obliged out of respect. Hector is remembered in the last lines of the Iliad, and is referred to as “the tamer of horses”.

Hector in Popular Culture:

• The character of Hector was played by Eric Bana in the 2004 blockbuster, Troy, and also by Harry Andrews in the 1956 film, Helen of Troy.

• The Jack of Diamonds bears the likeness of Hector in French playing cards.

• Heavy Metal band Manowar has a song about the death of Hector on their album The Triumph of Steel.

Back to Ancient Greek Heroes

The similarities that they do share, however, are a result of Greco-Roman relations as early as the 8th century BC, when Italian tribes came into direct contact with the Greeks who had settled in Southern Italy and Sicily. The Italians were influenced by many aspects of Greek culture, such as the alphabet, coinage, as well as some of their gods. The next big Greco-Roman clash was during the conquest of Greece and other Hellenistic countries in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. At the time, Roman civilization was still in its infancy, and was nothing like the empire that it would go on to become. In fact, most Romans were peasants, and viewed the Hellenistic lifestyle as far more comfortable and luxurious than their own. They soon adopted several other Greek elements such as statues, mosaics on the floors, and the practice of dining while reclined.

While there are notable similarities between the Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Romans, the differences are vast. First of all, the term “Ancient Greeks” usually refers to the people of Greece from 750 BC (the archaic period) to 146 BC. While “Ancient Romans” are historically considered the inhabitants of Rome from the 9th century BC all the way up until the 5th century AD. Although both civilizations began around relatively the same time period, the Greeks are actually the older of the two. The Greek Dark Age goes back as far as 1150 BC, and there is evidence of Greek civilizations even before then. On the other hand, the Roman Empire lasted for 12 centuries, while the lifespan of Ancient Greece (from the archaic period) was considerably shorter.

Even though the Ancient Greeks shared many gods with the Romans, they often had different names for them. For instance, the god of beauty was known to the Greeks as Aphrodite, while the Romans called her Venus. Similarly, the Greeks had Poseidon, while the Roman equivalent was Neptune. Some gods had common names between the two cultures, such as Apollo.

In ancient Rome, having social prominence often afforded one special rights, while this was not the case in Greece. People born into prominent Greek families generally were not entitled to any additional societal benefits, and were not given any extra power within the government. They were divided into four social classes based on wealth, but it was possible for people to change social class if they earned more money. In Sparta, all men who completed their education were given the title of equal. Slaves in ancient Greece had no political power, but were allowed to have families and even own land. In Rome, political power and social status were kindred forces. The voting system consisted of tribes of voters, and the tribes were made up of citizens of the same social class. The tribes of the lowest classes were often very big and few, while the tribes of higher classes were small and abundant. Voting would commence until the majority of the tribes had voted, often resulting in many of the lower class citizens being disregarded.

Another key difference was language. While the people of Ancient Greece spoke Greek, the Romans spoke Latin. Eventually, after increased contact with Greece, Roman nobility and scholars began adopting Greek as a second language.

Back to Mythology Madness Articles

Many stories surround the sexual exploits of Achilles, with both men and women. There was great speculation regarding Achilles’ close relationship with Patroclus, who was killed during the Trojan War. Achilles pursued a prince of Troy, Troilus, who hid from Achilles in Apollo’s temple. Achilles desecrated the temple by beheading the boy inside, earning him the rage of Apollo. It is said that Apollo guided the arrow that struck Achilles in the heel, the only mortal spot on Achilles’ body, which has led to the reference of the “Achilles heel” as a weakness.

Mythology

Achilles was born in Farsala to the king of the Myrmidons, Peleus, and his immortal wife Thetis, a sea nymph. He was sent to Mt. Pelion where he was raised by a centaur named Chiron.

An ancient story by Statius claims that Thetis dipped Achilles in the river Styx, trying to make him immortal. The story goes on to tell that she forgot to dip the heel she had been holding him by, making it the only spot on his body vulnerable to attack. Another version of the story relates that Thetis covered the child in the godly ambrosia and placed him in the fire to let the flames destroy his mortal aspects, but was interrupted by Peleus, who was enraged and removed him from the fire, leaving a mortal spot on Achilles’ heel.

While Achilles was young, Calchas foretold that Troy could not be defeated without the help of Achilles. Thetis, however, knew her son was doomed to an early death if he fought in the war, so she hid him in the court of Lycomedes, disguised as a girl. His son Pyrrhus was born of Achilles’ affair with Lycomedes’ daughter, Deidameia. Achilles identity was eventually discovered, and he went to Troy and led many of the Myrmidons in battle.

In one of the Trojan towns captured by Achilles, Lyrnessus, he took the woman Briseis as a war prize. The leader of the Greek forces, Agamemnon, took the lady Chryseis as his war prize, but an oracle of Apollo forced him to surrender his prize. He took Briseis away from Achilles to console himself, enraging Achilles and causing him to withdraw from the war. This confrontation with Agamemnon begins Homer’s epic poem iliad.

With Achilles withdrawl from battle, the Trojans began gaining ground against the Greek forces. The Greek commander was blamed for making Achilles mad, which in turn was causing the Achaeans to lose ground to the Trojans. He sent Odysseus to try to bribe Achilles with gifts in exchange for his return to battle. Achilles refused and urged them to return to Greece. The Greeks offered their most ferocious warrior many gifts to try to encourage him to return to battle.

Achilles finally relented and agreed to help the Achaean forces, but still refused to personally appear in battle. He prayed to his mother that the Trojans could be defeated, although by this time the Greeks were teetering on the edge of destruction at the hands of the Trojans. Achilles gave Patroclus his armor and allowed the boy to lead the Greek troops in battle against the Trojan forces. Patroclus and his men were able to push back the Trojans, but the Trojan leader Hector mistook Patroclus for Achilles and killed him, stripping him of the armor.

In a rage, Achilles returned to battle and became a killing machine, seeking to exact revenge upon Hector. He was bolstered by a magnificent new set of armor his mother had obtained from Hephaestus.

At one point Zeus had to have Achilles restrained to prevent him from taking on the city of Troy singlehandedly. Achilles finally found Hector, who had to be persuaded by Athena to fight Achilles rather than run from him. Achilles killed Hector, then mutilated the body by dragging it behind a chariot for nine days. The Iliad closes with Hector’s funeral, which takes place shortly before the fall of Troy.

Despite his prowess as a warrior, Achilles’ affinity for young boys is perhaps what finally led to his demise. He had made many advances toward a Trojan boy named Troilus, and became aggressive in his pursuits of the boy. Troilus ran to the temple of Apollo and hid inside, trying to escape Achilles’ advances. Achilles was furious about being spurned by Troilus and beheaded him inside the temple.

Troilus was killed just prior to his twentieth birthday, and myths told that should Troilus have lived past his twentieth birthday, Troy would have been invincible. Apollo was enraged by the desecration of his temple, and swore revenge against Achilles.

Achilles was finally killed by an arrow, which struck his heel, the only vulnerable place on Achilles’ body. Paris was the one who loosed the arrow, but many believe it was guided to its fatal mark by Apollo.

Following his death, Odysseus and Ajax competed for Achilles’ armor by telling why they were the bravest warriors, and therefore the most deserving of it. When Odysseus won the competition, Ajax lost his mind and went mad. After killing many sheep, believing them to be Greek soldiers, he killed himself.

Achilles in Pop Culture

• Achilles has been portrayed on stage in the production of Paris, a musical based upon the Trojan War, and in William Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida.

• Many actors have portrayed Achilles in film, most recently by Brad Pitt in Troy. Joe Montana played Achilles in the made-for-television movie Helen of Troy.

• Other films featuring Achilles include: 1955’s Ulysses, Helen of Troy starring Stanley Baker, Something About Zeus, and Fury of Achilles released in 1962.

• The character Archie in the animated series Class of the Titans is a descendent of Achilles who has inherited the hero’s weak heel.

• In 1976, Led Zeppelin sang Achilles Last Stand.

• Other songs about Achilles include: Achilles Revenge by Warlord, Jag Panzer’s Achilles, Sean O’Loughlin’s piece Achilles’ Wrath, and Manowar’s Achilles, Agony & Ecstasy in Eight Parts.

• Reference is made to Achilles in many other modern songs, including: Ghost by the Indigo Girls, Placebo’s Special K, and Bob Dylan’s Temporary Like Achilles.

• A cruiser with the Royal New Zealand Navy in World War II was named the HMNZS Achilles.

Back to Ancient Greek Heroes

Mythology

Aethra is Perseus’mother, and his fathers were Aegeus and Poseidon. It is said that Aethra and Aegeus were married, and on her wedding night Aethra waded across the sea to Sphairia, to lay with Poseidon. This gave Theseus attributes of both mortal and god.

Upon learning of Aethra’s pregnancy, Aegeus buried his sandals and sword beneath a huge rock. He told Aethra, if she had a son who was brave enough, at the appropriate age the son should retrieve the items as evidence of his royal blood and set out for Athens.

When he came of age, Theseus was told of his lineage by his mother. He retrieved the sandals and sword and set out for Athens. Choosing the inland route, which was the more dangerous way to Athens, Theseus passed by six entrances to the underworld, each one guarded by chthonic monsters disguised as bandits and thieves. He defeated each of the monsters and made it safely to Athens.

Upon reaching Athens, Theseus chose anonymity. He was welcomed by his father, Aegeus, who was suspicious of him and did not recognize him. Aegeus’ wife Medea knew who Theseus was and worried that he would be chosen as king rather than her own son Medus. Medea asked Theseus to capture the Marathonian Bull, a symbol of power on Crete. Theseus was successful, and upon his return to Athens, Medea gave him a glass of poisonous wine. Aegeus recognized the sandals and sword just in time to knock the glass from Theseus’ hand. The two men became close, and Medea was sent into exile.

Following an unsuccessful battle with Crete, King Minos demanded that seven Athenian boys and seven girls would be sent to Crete every nine years, for the Minotaur to devour. Theseus volunteered to kill the Minotaur, and sailed for Crete disguised as one of the children. He left flying a black sail on his ship, and told his father he would return with a white sail if he was successful.

The daughter of King Minos, Ariadne, was in love at first sight with Theseus. Subsequently, she presented him with a ball of string to use, which would help him navigate out of the Labyrinth - where the Minotaur lived. The one condition was that Theseus take Ariadne with him when he returned to Athens. Theseus defeated the Minotaur and left Crete with Ariadne, but abandoned her on the island of Naxos. She cursed him and prayed to the gods that he would forget to change his sail. Theseus sailed into Athens flying the black sail on his ship. Upon seeing it, Aegeus leaped into the sea and killed himself.

Theseus became friends with Zeus’ son Pirithous, and they made an agreement with each other that they would marry daughters of Zeus. Theseus and Pirithous kidnapped Zeus’ daughter Helen, and left her with Theseus’ mother Aethra until Theseus could return to marry her. Pirithous chose Persephone to be his bride, and together they descended into the underworld to kidnap her. They were welcomed by Persephone’s husband, Hades, who was not fooled by them. As the two men sat down to a feast, snakes coiled around their wrists and ankles, binding them to a bench. Heracles managed to rescue Theseus, but Pirithous was doomed to remain in the underworld for eternity. By the time Theseus returned to his mother’s house, Helen and Aethra had been taken to Sparta.

Theseus fathered a son, Acamus, with his first wife, Phaedra. Acamus was inside the horse that was presented to the Trojans as a gift. Eventually, Theseus met his doom after losing popularity in Athens. He was thrown to his death off of a cliff by Lycomedes.

Theseus in Popular Culture

• Many books tell the various adventures of Theseus, including Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun, Mary Renault’s The King Must Die, and its sequel The Bull From the Sea.

• Theseus figures prominently in the William Shakespeare works A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Two Noble Kinsmen.

• Alternative views of Theseus are offered in The Cretan Chronicles and in the short story La Casa de Asterion.

• Last of the Amazons by Steven Pressfield is a fictional tale of Theseus’ marriage to Antiope.

Back to Ancient Greek Heroes

Mythology

Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Danae’s father, King Acrisius of Argos, had locked Danae in an underground bronze vault after learning from the Oracle at Delphi that Danae’s son would one day kill the King. Zeus came to Danae’s prison disguised as a shower of gold and impregnated her, which resulted in the birth of Perseus.

Unwilling to draw down the wrath of Zeus by killing his offspring, King Acrisius placed Perseus and Danae into a wooden box and set them out to sea. They landed on the shores of Seriphos, and a fisherman named Dictus raised Perseus there. The king of the island, Polydectes, was Dictus’ brother.

Polydectes fell in love with Danae, but was unable to pursue her due to Perseus’ protectiveness for her. In an attempt to send Perseus away in shame, Polydectes held a banquet requiring each guest to bring a horse as a gift. Perseus did not have a horse, and so promised an alternative gift. Polydectes sent Perseus to bring back the head of the Gorgon Medusa, whose gaze could turn people into stone.

Perseus knew he would need help to slay Medusa, and eventually received a bronze shield from Athena, winged sandals, a purse, and a sword from Hermes, and a cap from Hades that would make the wearer invisible. Perseus was able to persuade the Graeae, sisters to the Gorgons, to help him in his quest by stealing the one eye and one tooth they shared among themselves.

Wearing the invisibility cap, Perseus was able to sneak up on Medusa and behead her.

On his journey home, Perseus visited Ethiopia, which was ruled by King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. The queen had earned the wrath of Poseidon, who unleashed a sea monster named Ceto upon their lands. The Oracle of Ammon predicted there would be no relief from the vicious monster until the King’s daughter Andromeda was exposed to it. Andromeda was bound to a rock on the shore and left to die.

Perseus, using the winged sandals, rescued Andromeda and married her. At the wedding, an argument ensued between Perseus and Phineus, to whom Andromeda had already been promised. Perseus used Medusa’s head to turn Phineus to stone. Andromeda traveled to Argos with her husband where they had a son, Perses.

Meanwhile, Perseus’ mother had been forced to hide from the onslaught of Polydectes. Perseus returned to Seriphos and used Medusa’s head to kill Polydectes. He then made Dictys King of Seriphos.
The gifts Perseus borrowed were returned to their owners, and Medusa’s head was given to Athena to adorn her shield. The prophecy of the Oracle was fulfilled when Perseus was demonstrating the discus and Acrisius walked into the path of one, and was accidentally killed.

Perseus in Popular Culture

• References were made to Perseus as the first whaleman in the novel Moby Dick.

• Perseus’ legend was the basis for Clash of the Titans, which premiered in 1981.

• In the video game The God of War II, actor Harry Hamlin gives Perseus his voice.

Back to Ancient Greek Heroes

Mythology

Odysseus was the son of an Argonaut, Laertes, and his wife Anticleia.

Prior to the Trojan War, and Oracular prophecy told Odysseus that he would be delayed greatly in getting home if he chose to participate in the Trojan War. After the war’s inception, Odysseus tried to feign madness in order to escape going. In an attempt to convince others he was crazy, he harnessed an ox and an donkey to his plow and covered his fields in salt. Palamedes saw through Odysseus’ charade and placed Odysseus’ son in front of the plow. Odysseus veered the plow away from his son and was thus sent off to war. He never forgave Palamedes, and eventually had Palamedes framed as a traitor. As a result, the Greeks stoned Palamedes to death.

Odysseus was a tireless champion of the Greek cause throughout the Trojan War, and was instrumental in convincing Achilles to return to the battle. After Achilles was killed in battle, Odysseus and Telamonian Ajax recovered Achilles’ body and battle armor in the midst of heavy fighting. Achilles’ arms were offered to the bravest Greek, and only Odysseus and Telamonian Ajax dared lay claim to them. After much dispute, Odysseus was rewarded with Achilles’ arms. Humiliated, Ajax committed suicide.

Many other important advances in the war were the work of Odysseus, including persuading Achilles’ son Pyrrhus to fight, and retrieving the poisonous arrows of Heracles. He and Diomedes conspired to steal the Palladium from the city of Troy after learning from Helenus the prophet, who Odysseus had captured, that Troy could not be defeated unless the Palladium had been captured.

As a punishment for his crimes during the Trojan War, Odysseus was cursed to endure a belaboring ten years before he could return home to Ithaca. After departing Troy, Odysseus’ ships stopped in Ismara, where they raided and looted the city. Even though Odysseus urged his men to return to the ships quickly, they did not listen and fell asleep on the beach. They were attacked the next morning by kinsmen of the Ismara, the Ciconians. Odysseus’ men made a hasty retreat but left many men behind.

Odysseus and his men stopped in the land of the Lotus-Eaters, where some of his men went ashore to eat and drink with the inhabitants. The men ceased to care about even going home, and had to be dragged back to the ship against their will by Odysseus.

A scouting party in the territory of the Cyclops revealed a large cave filled with livestock. Odysseus and his men proceed to eat the sheep and cattle, unaware the Cyclops shared the cave. The Cyclops trapped Odysseus and his men inside the cave by blocking the door with a giant boulder. Odysseus gave the Cyclops a bowl of strong wine and introduced himself as “Nobody.” The Cyclops became very sleepy, allowing Odysseus and his men to fashion a spear out of a tree, which they used to blind the Cyclops. In the morning, the men escaped by tying themselves to the bottoms of sheep, which the Cyclops let out of the cave to graze. Only upon sailing away did Odysseus reveal his true identity to the Cyclops, which lay a curse that he should only return home alone and without his ship.

Among Odysseus’ many other adventures on his journey home was his stop in Circe. Her magical potion had put his crew members to sleep, allowing Circe to turn them into pigs. Odysseus had been warned by Hermes, though, about her potions, and had advised Odysseus to take the herb moly to counteract its effects. When Circe could not put Odysseus to sleep, she fell in love with him. Odysseus stayed with her for a year, and they had a son together, named Telegonus. Odysseus also managed to convince Circe to return his men.

After surviving the underworld, the Sirens, and having his ships and his men destroyed by Zeus after they ate Helios’ sacred cattle, Odysseus finally arrived back in Ithaca. He found that his wife Penelope had been faithful to him during his entire absence, and had managed to ward off the suitors who demanded she remarry. While dressed like a beggar, Penelope concocted a contest to win her hand in marriage that only Odysseus could win. After he had won, Athena lifted Odysseus’ disguise and he was reunited with his wife. Odysseus, his son Telemachus, and Eumaeus, together killed the would-be suitors and those who had supported them. Eventually the families of the slain suitors and Odysseus made peace with each other.

Odysseus in Popular Culture

• Odysseus is paralleled in novels bearing the name Ulysses, written by both Lord Tennyson and James Joyce.

• The song Tale of Brave Ulysses by Cream alludes to Odysseus’ experience with the Sirens.

• The hero in the book The Weird Wanderer travels back in time and discovers he is the reincarnation of Odysseus.

• A Japanese-French anime series, Ulysses 31, is a futuristic version of the adventures of Odysseus.

• The Odyssey was recreated by The Simpsons, with Homer Simpson playing the part of Odysseus.

• Many songs make reference to Odysseus, including The Police’s song King of Pain, Suzanne Vega’s song Calypso, Symphony X’s The Odyssey, and composer Cecil Armstrong Gibbs’ second symphony.

• Actors such as Armand Assante and Sean Bean have portrayed Odysseus in the movies The Odyssey and Troy, respectively.

• The video game Age of Mythology features Odysseus as a playable character.

• George Clooney plays Ulysses Everett McGill in O Brother Where Art Thou?, which was based on the Odyssey.

• The character Odie on the cartoon Class of Titans is a descendant of Odysseus, and Desmond Hume’s character on Lost is believed to be partially based on Odysseus.

• A Reenactment of Odysseus’ journey across the Aegean Sea is documented in the German film Unterwegs met Odysseus.

• Lindsay Clarke tells of Odysseus and his journeys in The War at Troy and in The Return from Troy.

Back to Ancient Greek Heroes