The Quest of the golden Fleece

Hamilton’s account of the Golden Fleece comes from Apollonius of Rhodes, a Greek poet from about 300
b.c. Athamas, a king, gets tired of his first wife, Nephele, and marries a second, Ino. Ino wants Nephele’s son, Phrixus, out of
the way so her own son can inherit the throne. Hermes sends a flying golden ram to rescue Phrixus and his sister, Helle, who
falls off the ram and dies. Phrixus safely reaches the land of Colchis, where he sacrifices the ram to Zeus and gives its skin—
the Golden Fleece—to Colchis’s king, Aetes.

Meanwhile, a man named Pelias has usurped the throne of Phrixus’s uncle, a Greek king. Jason, the deposed king’s
son, grows up and returns to reclaim the throne. En route to Pelias’s kingdom, Jason loses a sandal. Pelias is afraid when he
sees Jason approach, as an oracle has told him that he will be overthrown by a stranger wearing only one sandal. The wicked
Pelias pretends to acquiesce but says that the gods have told him that the Golden Fleece must be retrieved for the kingdom
first. This is a lie—Pelias assumes that anyone sent on that dangerous journey will never come back. Jason, intrigued by the
challenge, assembles a remarkable group of heroes to help him, including Hercules, Theseus, Peleus, and Orpheus. Their
ship is named the Argo, so the group is called the Argonauts.

The Argonauts face many challenges on the way to Colchis. They first meet the fierce women of Lemnos, who have
killed their men, but find them atypically kind. Hercules leaves the crew, and the Argonauts meet an oracle, Phineus. The
sons of Boreas, the North Wind, help Phineus by driving off some terrible Harpies who foul his food whenever he tries to
eat. Phineus gives the Argonauts information that helps them pass safely through their next challenge—the Symplegades,
gigantic rocks that smash together when a ship sail through them. After narrowly avoiding conflict with the Amazons, bloody
women warriors, and passing by the chained Prometheus, the Argonauts finally arrive at Colchis.

Though more trials await here, Hera and Aphrodite help Jason. Like Pelias, Aetes pretends to want to give Jason the
Fleece but first demands that he complete two tasks that are designed to kill him. Aphrodite sends Cupid to make Aetes’s
daughter, a witch named Medea, fall in love with Jason and help him through the tasks. The first challenge is to yoke two
fierce magical bulls with hooves of bronze and breath of fire, and Medea gives Jason an ointment that makes him invincible.
The second task is to use the bulls to plow a field and sow it with dragon’s teeth, which causes armed men to spring up from
the earth and attack Jason. Medea tells him that if he throws a rock in the middle of the armed men, they will attack each
other, not him. After Jason’s success, Aetes plots to kill the Argonauts at night, but Medea again intercedes, warning Jason
and enabling him to steal the Fleece by putting its guardian serpent to sleep. Medea joins the Argonauts and flees back to
Greece. On the way home, she commits the ultimate act of love for Jason: to help evade the ship’s pursuers, she kills her
own brother, Apsyrtus.

On the way home, the Argonauts pass more challenges, including safely navigating Scylla, the dreaded rock;
Charybdis, the whirlpool; and Talus, the giant bronze man. Upon returning, Jason finds that Pelias has killed his father and
that his mother has died of sadness. Jason and Medea plot revenge—Medea convinces Pelias’s daughters that they will
restore Pelias to youth if they kill him, chop him up, and put the pieces into her magic pot. Out of love for their father, they
slice him to bits, but Medea leaves the city, taking her magic pot with her after first restoring Jason’s father to life.

Medea and Jason have two children, but Jason leaves out of personal ambition to marry the daughter of the king of
Corinth, who banishes Medea and her children. Infuriated by the unsympathetic Jason, Medea enacts a terrible revenge,
sending her two sons with a beautiful magic robe as a gift for Jason’s new bride. When the girl dons the robe, it bursts into
flame, consuming her and the king as he rushes to her. Medea then kills the two sons she had with Jason and flies away on a
magic chariot. This tragic final chapter in the story of Jason and Medea is the subject of Euripides’ play, Medea.

Characters:

 Hera: Queen of the gods and goddesses  Iris: Messenger of the gods
 Aphrodite: Goddess of love  Cupid: God of Love (Lust)
 Athamas is the Greek king at the beginning of the story who put his wife, Nephele, away because he had become
tired of her. He then married Princess Ino.
  Phrixus was the heir to the throne of Athamas. However, he was sacrificed because his stepmother, Princess Ino,
had deceived everyone in a complex plot to think that his sacrifice would stop the drought.
 Jason is Phrixus' uncle and Pelias' nephew. He was sent way by Pelias, but returned when fully grown to claim the
throne; the main person who led the quest to find the Golden Fleece — the first hero in Europe who undertook a
great journey.
 Helle is the daughter of King Anthamas and Queen Nephele. She fell into a strait that separates Europe an Asia as
she and her brother, Phrixus, were crossing it to escape the horrors that Princess Ino had orchestrated and those
that were to come. The straight is named The Sea of Helle or the Hellespont.
 Hercules is the greatest of all heroes. He went to help Jason in the quest of the Golden Fleece, until his armor
bearer, Hylas, was taken underwater.
 Orpheus is the master musician. He participated in the attaining the Golden Fleece.
 Castor and Pollux are brothers. They contributed in finding the Golden Fleece.
 Hypsiple is the main leader among the female island-country. She along with the other women took the island,
Lemnos, killed all of the men except for her own father who they spared by sending him off to sea with limited
supplies.
 Pelias is the king of Greece who held the throne before he was confronted by Jason and killed by Medea.
 Hylas is Hercules' armor-bearer. When he went to get water, a water nymph delighted in him and took him
underwater never to be seen again.
 The Harpies are "frightful flying creatures with hooked beaks and claws who always [leave] behind them a
loathsome stench, sickening to all living creatures" (Mythology 164).
 Apollo blessed
 Phineus with the gift of prophecy. Phineus told the people on the Argo the dangers that laid ahead. In return, the
Argonauts would supply him with food and defense against against the Harpies.
 The Amazons are warrior women — daughters of Ares and a sweet water nymph.
 Princess Medea is the woman Cupid shot an arrow into to make her fall in love with Jason. Her dark magic played a
huge factor as to why events always fell in Jason's favor in.
 King Aetes is the King of Colchis — he owned the Golden Fleece.
 Apsyrtus is the son of King AEtes and he is Medea's brother. He was the leader of the army to defeat the
Argonauts.
 Talus was the last man from the Bronze Age alive. He was made of all bronze except for his ankle. His powerfulness
is the reason why the Argonauts did not stop at the island he was on.

Four Great Adventures

1. Phaëthon
Phaëthon is the son of the sun god, Phoebus. Doubtful that THE DEMI-GOD PHAETHON
Phoebus is really his father, Phaëthon travels to the sun god’s
palace for proof. After determining that Phoebus is his father, Parents Helius and Clymene
Phaëthon asks Phoebus if he can drive his chariot. Phoebus warns
him that the chariot is too dangerous for a mortal to drive, but God of The failed sun
Phaëthon insists. Phaëthon quickly loses control of the fiery,
spirited horses, and the chariot plummets to earth, setting fire to Slain by Zeus
everything. Jupiter strikes Phaëthon dead with a lightning bolt to
stop his dangerous path. Phaëthon is mourned by some, but also Home Merope in Ethiopia
seen as an example of what happens to mortals who think they can
do what the gods do. Constellation Auriga
Characters:

 Phaethon: The son of Helios, the sun god, and  Clymene: The nymph and mother of Phaethon
Clymene, a nymph. Phaethon's name means and the Heliades.
"shining" or "radiant one" in Greek.  Cycnus: A relative and possibly lover of
 Helios: The Greek sun god and Phaethon's Phaethon. After Phaethon's disastrous attempt
father. to drive his father's chariot, Apollo transformed
Cycnus into a swan.

2. Pegasus and Bellerophon

A beautiful and strong youth, Bellerophon wants more than anything to possess the winged horse Pegasus. He
sleeps in Athena’s temple one night, and upon waking finds a golden bridle that enables him to tame the horse.
Bellerophon rejects the infatuated wife of a king named Proetus, who accuses him of wrongdoing and sends him on
a quest with the intent to kill him. He kills the Chimera, a monster with a lion’s head, goat’s body, and serpent’s tail;
defeats the fierce Solymi warriors and the Amazons; but he finally goes too far by trying to use Pegasus to fly up to
Olympus. The wise Pegasus bucks Bellerophon, who spends the rest of his days a lonely wanderer while Pegasus
becomes the pride of Zeus’s stables.

Characters:

 Pegasus is one of the two main characters in this myth. He is the beautiful white winged stallion that was
created when the blood of Medusa (after she was killed by Perseus) made contact with the ocean. He throws
Bellerophon off his back when he tries to ride him up to Olympus. In some myths he flies on without
Bellerophon and he flies so high that he becomes a constellation. In other myths, he becomes Zeus's lightning
bolt messenger.
 Bellerophon is the hero in this myth. He tames Pegasus with the golden bridle given to him by Athena. He rides
Pegasus to save the people of Asia Minor from the monster Chimera. As a result, Iobates gives him half of his
kingdom and his daughter's hand in marriage. He thinks too highly of himself and tries to fly up to Olympus on
Pegasus's back. The wise horse throws him off his back and Bellerophon is thrown into another country where
he lives out the rest of his days a beggar. (Only in some myths, there are variations.)
 Athena is the Hellenistic Goddess of wisdom, war, and battle strategy. Her symbols are the owl and the olive
branch. She gives Bellerophon the golden bridle that he uses to tame Pegasus.
 Chimera is the fire breathing monster defeated by Pegasus and Bellerophon. It has the head of a lion, a goat,
and a dragon. It also has the tail of a venomous snake that can kill with one bite. In some myths, it has dragon
wings, and all four legs are those of goats.
 Zeus is the father of the Hellenistic Gods. His symbols are the lightning bolt and the bull. In some myths he
zaps Bellerophon out of the sky and makes Pegasus his lightning bolt messenger. Zeus is commonly spoken of
in many myths. His wife is Hera mother of the gods.

3. Otus and Ephialtes

Two Giant brothers—sons of Poseidon—Otus and Ephialtes also exhibit pride in the face of the gods, as they
claim superiority to the gods and manage to kidnap Ares. They also try to kidnap Artemis, who outwits them,
tricking them into killing each other with spears.
Characters:

 Otus and Ephialtes: Twin giant brothers and sons of Poseidon who were known for their pride and ambition. They
tried to prove themselves superior to the gods by kidnapping Ares and attempting to kidnap Artemis
  Artemis: The goddess of the hunt, wild animals, vegetation, and childbirth. She is Apollo's twin sister and is usually
just and good, but demanded a human sacrifice during the Trojan War. In the myth of Otus and Ephialtes, Artemis
tricked the brothers into killing each other.
 Ares: god of war

4. Daedalus

The son of master inventor Daedalus, Icarus is also prideful. The architect of the Labyrinth of Minos in Crete,
Daedalus is imprisoned with his son. He builds wings for their escape but warns Icarus not to fly too high, as the
sun will melt the wings. Icarus does not listen: he flies high, his wings melt, and he plummets to his death in the sea

Characters:

 Daedalus – Father of Icarus; A craftsman and an  King Minos – The powerful ruler of Crete;
architect; He designed the Labyrinth for the Husband of Pasiphae; Fell terribly mad at
Minotaur in Crete; He aided Theseus to escape Daedalus as he learned it was through him that
from the Labyrinth. Theseus had managed to escape from the
 Icarus – Son of Daedalus; He soared up Labyrinth.
exultingly forgetting his father’s words of  Queen Pasiphae– Wife of King Minos.
caution; He drowned in the sea which was later  Minotaur – The half-man, half-bull creature.
named after himself.

 Theseus –The great Athenian hero; Son of King  Princess Ariadne – The daughter of King Minos
Aegeus; Fled to Athens with Ariadne after he and Queen Pasiphae; Fell in love with Theseus;
had battered the monster to death. She asked Daedalus to help Theseus find his way
around the Labyrinth.
 King Caucalus– The king of Sicily; Received
Daedalus with kindness and generosity.

The Great Heroes before Trojan war

A. Perseus

Hamilton draws the story of Perseus from the later writers Ovid and Apollodorus, though it was also widely popular
among the Greeks. One day, the Oracle at Delphi tells King Acrisius of Argos that the future son of his daughter, Danaë,
will kill him. Though Acrisius imprisons Danaë to prevent her from ever getting pregnant, Zeus magically enters the
prison. Danaë gives birth to a son, Perseus. Acrisius locks Danaë and Perseus in a chest and casts it to sea.

Danaë and her son eventually wash up at the home of Dictys, a kind fisherman whose brother, Polydectes, is the
cruel ruler of the area. Polydectes soon wants to get rid of Perseus and marry Danaë, so he comes up with a plan to kill
the young man: he convinces Perseus to go kill Medusa, the horrible Gorgon—an impossible feat for a mortal. The gods
favor Perseus, however: he receives a mirrored shield from Athena, a magic sword from Hermes, and information on
the location of the nymphs of the North—the only ones who know how to kill the Gorgon—from the Graiae, three
supernatural gray sisters with only one eye among them. Perseus craftily steals the eye the Graiae share and refuses to
return it until they help him. He eventually reaches the mystical land of the Hyperborean nymphs, who give him winged
sandals that allow him to fly, a wallet that expands to hold anything, and a cap that makes its wearer invisible. With
these, Hermes’ sword, and Athena’s mirrored shield—which enables him to avoid looking directly at the Gorgons, which
would turns him to stone—he creeps into the Gorgons’ cave while they are sleeping. The two gods point out Medusa,
the only mortal one. While looking at her in the mirror, Perseus chops off her head and puts it in the magic wallet, then
begins to fly home.
 Along the way, he comes upon Andromeda, a princess who has been chained to a rock because her mother,
Cassiopeia, has offended the gods. A sea serpent is about to eat Andromeda, but Perseus cuts off its head and takes
Andromeda as his wife. He returns home to find that Polydectes has driven his mother and Dictys into hiding. Perseus
goes to Polydectes’ palace where all the evil men of the kingdom are gathered. He marches into the meeting and
reveals Medusa’s head, turning all the men to stone. He lives happily ever after but only after unwittingly fulfilling the
prophecy of the Oracle: while participating in a discus-throwing contest, Perseus accidentally hits and kills a spectator,
who is, unbeknownst to him, his grandfather Acrisius.

Characters:

 Zeus: The king of the gods who is also the father  Andromeda: She was going to be killed by a sea
of Perseus. Zues, known for sleeping around, monster as a sacrifice to Poseidon but Perseus
managed to get into Danaes cell by changing saves her and slays the monster. The she marries
himself into gold rain. Then they sleep together Perseus.
and conceived Perseus.  Dictys: The Fisherman who saved Perseus and
 Danae: The Mother of Perseus, who was sent Danae when he found them caught in his nets.
down the river with her new born baby by her Brother to King Polydectes.
father. The two were pulled out of the water by  Polydectes: The King of Seriphos and also the
a fisherman, Dictys. Dictys' brother King brother of the fisherman. He sent Perseus to
Polydectes wanted to marry Danae. retrieve the head of Medusa, assuming he
 Perseus: The main character in this epic, who is would never come back. In the end is turned to
sent to kill Medusa. He received help from stone by Perseus.
Athena and Hermes who gave Perseus a sword,  Athena: Goddess of wisdom who helps Persus
a mirrored shield, and winged sandals, these on his voyage.
gifts were used to escapes Medusas sisters.  Hermes: Messenger of the gods and can
Perseus turned to Atlas for help and when transform between the mortal world and the
denied the guest- friendship bond, Perseus gods world. Also provided Perseus assistance on
turned Atlas into stone. Perseus turned his travels.
Polydectes into stone to save his mother. At the  Graeae: Three old women who shared eye
end of the Epic he gave Athena the head of between all of them. They told Perseus where
Medusa. he would find Medusa.
 Medusa: Medusa was a gorgon, or a hideous  Atlas: After denying to help Perseus get some
monster with snakes for hair. Just by looking at rest and food, he was turned into stone; he was
her she could turn you into stone. Her head was then stuck holding the world on his shoulders.
given to Athena, a god who Medusa had upset in  Poseidon King of the sea who was mad that
a different myth. Andromeda was prettier than all his daughters.
He sent a sea monster to attack and as a result
Andromeda was a sacrifice to calm the King.

B. Theseus

Hamilton’s account of Theseus, the greatest hero of Athens, again draws upon Apollodorus, but it also stitches
together details from other writers, some as early as Sophocles. Theseus is the son of the Athenian king, Aegeus, but he
grows up with his mother in the south. Aegeus has left a sword and pair of shoes under a giant rock and says that when
Theseus gets strong enough to move the rock, he is to be sent to Athens. Theseus reaches maturity, rolls the rock aside,
takes the sword and shoes, and sets out on the journey. The dangerous road to Athens is full of bandits, notably Sciron,
Sinis, and Procrustes, who delight in torturing passersby. Theseus kills the bandits in the same methods they have used
to kill their own victims.
 When Theseus arrives in Athens, the evil Medea senselessly convinces Aegeus, who does not realize the stranger is
his son, to kill him. At the last minute, Aegeus sees the sword and recognizes the boy. Medea escapes to Asia. Theseus
then saves Athens from its obligation to King Minos of Crete. After a son of Minos was killed while a guest in Aegeus’s
household, Minos beat the Athenians in a war, and now, as punishment, every nine years the Athenians had to send
seven girls and seven boys to meet their doom in the Labyrinth of the Minotaur. Theseus offers himself as a victim,
promising his father that if he survives, he will replace his ship’s black sail with a white one for the return journey so
that Aegeus will be able to tell whether his son is alive.

Like Jason, Theseus wins the heart of the enemy king’s daughter, Ariadne, who defies Minos and helps Theseus
escape the Labyrinth with a ball of golden thread that he unwinds as he walks so that he can find his way back. Theseus
finds the Minotaur asleep, beats it to death, and flees to the ship to sail home. Ariadne flees with him, and on the way
home, he abandons her when she goes ashore and a fierce wind blows him out to sea. Ariadne dies, which is perhaps
what makes Theseus forget to lower the black sail and raise the white one. When Aegeus sees the black sail
approaching, he commits suicide by jumping into the sea then named after him—the Aegean.

Theseus becomes king and makes Athens a democracy. He has several minor adventures while king: he helps the
Argives after the War of the Seven against Thebes, when the Thebans refuse to allow the defeated to bury their dead
(see Part Five, Chapter II); he helps Oedipus and his daughters (same chapter); and prevents Hercules from killing
himself after his insanity (see Part Three, Chapter III). Theseus fights the Amazons twice—once attacking them, once
defending their attack on Athens—and marries their queen, Hippolyta (also called Antiope), who bears him his son
Hippolytus. He is one of the Argonauts (see Part Two, Chapter III) and a participant in the Calydonian Hunt (see Part
Three, Chapter IV). He defeats the Centaurs, vicious half-men half-horse beasts, after they kill the bride of his best
friend, Pirithoüs. Theseus helps his friend again, when Pirithoüs foolishly decides to pursue Persephone as his next wife.
Hades outwits them, tricking them into his Chair of Forgetfulness, which makes their minds blank and paralyzes them.
Hercules rescues Theseus, repaying his debt, but Pirithoüs remains there forever.

Theseus’s story becomes tragic. He marries Ariadne’s sister, Phaedra, who subsequently falls in love with his son,
Hippolytus. Hippolytus rejects Phaedra, who kills herself and leaves a suicide note accusing Hippolytus of rape. Theseus
curses and exiles Hippolytus, who soon dies. Artemis reveals the truth to Theseus. He then goes to visit his friend, King
Lycomedes, who mysteriously kills him.

Characters:

 Theseus- The Greek hero, and the son of two  King Minos- A king of Crete who takes people to
powerful beings; his father was a king, and his be sacrificed to the Minotaur. He questioned
mother was a princess. Since he was a hero he Theseus' divine parentage which resulted in a
had to have a g-d as a parent, so in Theseus' test that Theseus had passed. He also picked
case he also had Poseidon as a father. Theseus as tribute to the Minotaur which
 King Aegeus- Theseus's mortal father who was allowed Theseus to slay the mighty beast.
also king of Athens during most of the time of  Princess Ariadne- The daughter of King Minos
legends of Theseus. He killed himself when he who fell in love with Theseus, and gave him a
believed that Theseus had died in the Labyrinth. magical clew to help him in the Labyrinth.
 Princess Aethra-Theseus' mother who was the
princess of Trozen. She is the one who helped
Theseus reveal his human father.

C. Hercules

Hamilton draws her story of Hercules mostly from later writers but also borrows from Greek tragedians. Hercules,
born in Thebes, is the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a mortal whom Zeus deceives by disguising himself as her husband.
Hercules’ demi-god status allows him many liberties. He can challenge the gods and often win, as when he offends the
Oracle at Delphi and quarrels with Apollo. He also helps the gods defeat the giants with his superhuman strength;
above all else, he is remembered as the strongest man who ever lived. Only magic can harm him, as he overpowers all
else. His unequalled strength makes up for deficiencies in intelligence and patience—he can be impetuous, emotional,
and careless, and once threatens to shoot an arrow at the sun because it is too hot. Nonetheless, he has boundless
courage and a noble sense of right and wrong.

Hercules’ strength is evident from his infancy. One night, two giant snakes attack him and his half-brother, Iphicles,
in their nursery, but Hercules strangles them both at once. While still a youth he kills the legendary Thespian lion of the
Cithaeron woods, taking its skin as a cloak he always wears thereafter. In his youth he also demonstrates a tragic
weakness that haunts him his entire life—he rashly and unthinkingly kills one of his teachers, not knowing his own
strength. After conquering the warlike Minyans, he marries the princess Megara. He has three children with her, but
then Hera, jealous of Zeus’s infidelity with Hercules’ mother, uses magic to make Hercules go insane and kill his wife and
children. Recovering his sanity and seeing what he has done, he rushes to kill himself, but Theseus convinces him to live.
Knowing he must purify himself, Hercules goes to the Oracle at Delphi for advice. She tells him to visit his cousin,
Eurystheus of Mycenae, who will devise a penance.

Spurred on by Hera, Eurystheus devises a series of twelve impossibly difficult tasks. The first of these Labors of
Hercules is to kill the lion of Nemea, a beast that cannot be harmed by weapons; Hercules chokes it to death. Next, he
must kill the Hydra, a monster with nine heads, one of which is immortal. A new head grows whenever one of the other
heads is chopped off—a problem Hercules solves by burning the neck-stumps and burying the immortal head. In the
third task, Hercules captures the sacred golden-horned stag of Artemis and brings it back alive. The fourth task is to
capture a giant boar. The fifth, cleaning the stables of King Augeas in a day. The king has thousands of cattle whose
manure has not been cleaned in years, so Hercules redirects two rivers to flow through the stable. Athena helps
Hercules with his sixth task, which is to rid the people of Stymphalus of a flock of wild birds that terrorize them.

All the other tasks involve the capture of things extremely resistant to captivity: a beautiful wild bull of Minos; the
flesh-eating horses of Diomedes; the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons; the cattle of Geryon; a three-bodied
monster (it is on the way to fulfill this labor that Hercules balances two giant rocks at Gibraltar and Ceuta, on either side
of the strait between Spain and Morocco). The eleventh task is to steal the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, the
mysterious daughters of Atlas. Journeying to find Atlas, the only one who knows the Hesperides’ location, Hercules
stops to free Prometheus from his chains. Atlas offers to tell Hercules only if he holds up the world—normally Atlas’s job
—while Atlas fetches the Apples for him. Atlas gets the fruit but decides he prefers walking around without the weight
of the world on his shoulders. Hercules tricks him into taking the earth back, saying he needs to be relieved for a
moment to place a pad on his shoulders. Finally, for the twelfth labor, Hercules has to bring Cerberus, the three-headed
dog, up from the underworld. Before leaving Hades, Hercules frees his friend Theseus from the Chair of Forgetfulness.

Hercules undergoes other various adventures after his labors, defeating Antaeus—a wrestler who is invincible as
long as he touches the ground—and rescuing King Laomedon’s daughter, who is being sacrificed to a sea serpent.
Hercules also carelessly kills several others along the way: a boy who accidentally spills water on him and a friend
whose father, King Eurytus, insults him. As punishment for this last murder, Zeus sends Hercules to be a slave to Queen
Omphale of Lydia, who forces him to dress and work as a woman for a year (though some say three years). Despite his
errors, Hercules almost always has a clear sense of right and wrong as well as the need to make things right. On the way
to kill the wicked Diomedes (owner of the flesh-eating horses), Hercules gets drunk at the house of his friend, Admetus,
not knowing that Admetus’ wife has just died. When Hercules learns of his friend’s loss, he feels so bad about his
inadvertent disrespect that he fights and defeats Pluto (Hades) to bring Admetus’s wife back from Hades.

One time, however, Hercules refuses to see the error of his ways, and this leads to his death. Angered that Zeus had
punished him for inadvertently killing King Eurytus’s son, Hercules kills Eurytus and razes his city. One of his captives is a
beautiful girl, Iole. Deianira, Hercules’ wife, feels threatened, and recalls some magic she earlier acquired, when
Hercules shot a centaur named Nessus who insulted Deianira. As Nessus died, he told Deianira to take some of his
blood as a potion to use if her husband ever loved anyone more than her. Deianira secretly rubs some of the potion on
 Hercules’ robe. When he puts the robe on, pain surges through his body. He does not die and must end the agony by
killing himself, building a giant funeral pyre where he burns himself to death. Ascending to Olympus, Hercules
reconciles with Hera and marries her daughter, Hebe.

Characters:

 Hercules: A demigod and one of the most Eurystheus alive. Hercules tricked the boar into
celebrated heroes in Greek mythology. Hercules thick snow to accomplish this.
was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a mortal  Cretan Bull: A fearsome beast that Hercules
woman. He was known for his superhuman captured after gaining permission from Minos,
strength and protected his people from the King of Crete.
monsters and villains.  Diomedes: A Thracian king with man-eating
 Cerberus: A three-headed dog that guarded the mares. Hercules stole the mares with the help of
gates of Hades. Hercules wrestled Cerberus to his lover Abderus.
the ground and kidnapped him for his final  Hera: Zeus's wife who was hostile to the children
challenge. of her husband and mortal mothers. Hera
 Erymanthian boar: A menacing boar that declared war against Hercules from his birth.
Hercules captured and brought to King  Zeus: The ruler of all the gods on Mount
Olympus and Hercules' father.

D. Atalanta

Atalanta is the greatest female hero, mostly for her role in the Calydonian Hunt—a great hunt for a vicious wild
boar Artemis has sent to terrorize the kingdom of a king who forgot to pay her tribute. A large group of heroes hunts
the boar, but it is Atalanta who finally causes its death. She first wounds it, and a warrior named Meleager, who is
hopelessly in love with her, delivers the mortal blow. His love for her, however, results in his death. Meleager’s two
uncles insult Atalanta, so he kills them. In turn, Meleager’s mother destroys him by burning the magical log that
determines the length of his life.

Atalanta has other adventures, most notably beating Peleus, Achilles’s father, in a wrestling match. Some say she is
one of the heroes who search for the Golden Fleece, but that is unlikely. In another story she has vowed never to marry
but has many suitors. To appease them, she agrees to marry anyone who beats her in a race, as she knows she is
unbeatable. However, a young man named Melanion (or

Milanion or Hippomenes) defeats her with his wits. He carries several golden apples in the race and drops them
along the way. Distracted by their beauty, Atalanta loses and marries him. At some point they both offend Zeus and are
turned into lions.

Characters:

 Atalanta: A skilled huntress and athlete who  A she-bear: A mother-bear who saved Atalanta
became famous for her speed. Her name comes as an infant and nursed and raised her.
from the Greek word atalantos,  Plexippus and Toxeus: Meleager's uncles who
which means "equal in weight". took the hide of the Calydonian boar from
 Hippomenes: Atalanta's husband, who was also Atalanta, which they considered dishonorable
known as Melanion. for a woman to possess.
 Meleager: A hunter who joined the hunt for the  Althaea: Meleager's mother who killed herself
Calydonian boar and wanted to have a child with after her brothers were killed.
Atalanta.  Aphrodite: A goddess who punished
Hippomenes and Atalanta for not properly
 thanking her for her help by making them lust after each other.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:

1. What part of the story were Atalanta found by a hunter?

a) The hunter found her in the top of the bear while she fights against her enemies
b) The hunter found her in the top of the mountain together with the bears
c) The hunter found her on the back of the tree while she afraid of looking to the hunter

2. What was the promise of his father about finding Atalanta’s husband?
a) The man who can bring a golden apple that Atalanta will use in a footrace, he will be merry Atalanta in the
temple of God Aphrodite’s.
b) The man who can beat Atalanta in the footrace he will be merry Atalanta and receive a Golden Apple
c) The man who can beat Atalanta in the footrace he will be merry Atalanta.

3. Hippomenes went to the temple of god Aphrodite’s, and he ask for a favor to beat Atalanta in their footrace. If you
were Atalanta, do you think it’s fair or not?
a) It’s fair because Hippomenes want to be his husband.
b) Not because if he truly loves Atalanta, he must fight fairly.
c) It’s fair because, if Atalanta want to win, she must do her part to win the footrace.

4. Do you think the punishment given to Atalanta and Hippomenes is fair?

a) Yes, they deserve the punishment because they disobey the god
b) Yes, because they commit mistake
c) No, they don’t deserve the punishment, they only do what is right and that is not to recognized the god
and do whatever they want.

5. Hippomenes ask favor to the god Aphrodite’s, what things that God Aphrodite’s gave to him?
a) Apple
b) Golden Apple
c) Apple Gold

The Heroes of the Trojan War

a. The Judgement of Paris

A contest between the three most beautiful goddesses of Olympos--Aphrodite, Hera and Athena--for the prize
of a golden apple addressed "To the Fairest."

The story began with the wedding of Peleus and Thetis which all the gods had been invited to attend except for
Eris, goddess of discord. When Eris appeared at the festivities she was turned away and in her anger cast the
golden apple amongst the assembled goddesses addressed "To the Fairest." Three goddesses laid claim to the
apple--Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. Zeus was asked to mediate and he commanded Hermes to lead the three
goddesses to Paris of Troy to decide the issue. The three goddesses appearing before the shepherd prince, each
offering him gifts for favour. He chose Aphrodite, swayed by her promise to bestow upon him Helene, the most
beautiful woman, for wife. The subsequent abduction of Helene led directly to the Trojan War and the fall of the
city.

Characters:
  Paris: A mortal shepherd and the son of King Priam of Troy. Zeus chooses Paris to settle an argument between the
goddesses by judging who is the most beautiful. being a mortal, was tempted by the promise of love and beauty.
He chose Aphrodite as the winner of the contest, as she promised him the most beautiful woman in the world,
Helen of Sparta. This decision ultimately led to the Trojan War.
 Aphrodite: A goddess who promises Paris the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen.
 Hera: The wife of Zeus and a symbol of marriage, childbirth, and the home. Hera promises Paris land and riches.
 Athena: A goddess who promises Paris victory in battle.
 Helen: The wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris kidnaps Helen, which starts the Trojan War.
The goddesses' jealousy over the outcome of the judgment leads to war among mortals.

b. The Trojan War

The war began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen’s
jilted husband Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve
her. Agamemnon was joined by the Greek heroes Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax, and accompanied by a fleet
of more than a thousand ships from throughout the Hellenic world. They crossed the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor to
lay siege to Troy and demand Helen’s return by Priam, the Trojan king.

The siege, punctuated by battles and skirmishes including the storied deaths of the Trojan prince Hector and
the nearly-invincible Achilles, lasted more than 10 years until the morning the Greek armies retreated from their
camp, leaving a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. After much debate (and unheeded warnings by
Priam’s daughter Cassandra), the Trojans pulled the mysterious gift into the city. When night fell, the horse opened
up and a group of Greek warriors, led by Odysseus, climbed out and sacked the Troy from within.

After the Trojan defeat, the Greeks heroes slowly made their way home. Odysseus took 10 years to make the
arduous and often-interrupted journey home to Ithaca recounted in the “Odyssey.” Helen, whose two successive
Trojan husbands were killed during the war, returned to Sparta to reign with Menelaus. After his death, some
sources say she was exiled to the island of Rhodes, where a vengeful war widow had her hanged.

Characters:

The Greeks

 Achilles: The son of the military man Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis. The most powerful warrior in The Iliad, Achilles
commands the Myrmidons, soldiers from his homeland of Phthia in Greece. Proud and headstrong, he takes offense
easily and reacts with blistering indignation when he perceives that his honor has been slighted. Achilles’ wrath at
Agamemnon for taking his war prize, the maiden Briseis, forms the main subject of The Iliad.
 Agamemnon (also called “Atrides”): King of Mycenae and leader of the Achaean army; brother of King Menelaus of
Sparta. Arrogant and often selfish, Agamemnon provides the Achaeans with strong but sometimes reckless and self-
serving leadership. Like Achilles, he lacks consideration and forethought. Most saliently, his tactless appropriation of
Achilles’ war prize, the maiden Briseis, creates a crisis for the Achaeans, when Achilles, insulted, withdraws from the
war.
 Patroclus: Achilles’ beloved friend, companion, and advisor, Patroclus grew up alongside the great warrior in Phthia,
under the guardianship of Peleus. Devoted to both Achilles and the Achaean cause, Patroclus stands by the enraged
Achilles but also dons Achilles’ terrifying armor in an attempt to hold the Trojans back.
 Odysseus: A fine warrior and the cleverest of the Achaean commanders. Along with Nestor, Odysseus is one of the
Achaeans’ two best public speakers. He helps mediate between Agamemnon and Achilles during their quarrel and often
prevents them from making rash decisions.
 Diomedes (also called “Tydides”): The youngest of the Achaean commanders, Diomedes is bold and sometimes proves
impetuous. After Achilles withdraws from combat, Athena inspires Diomedes with such courage that he actually
wounds two gods, Aphrodite and Ares.
 Great Ajax: An Achaean commander, Great Ajax (sometimes called “Telamonian Ajax” or simply “Ajax”) is the second
mightiest Achaean warrior after Achilles. His extraordinary size and strength help him to wound Hector twice by hitting
him with boulders. He often fights alongside Little Ajax, and the pair is frequently referred to as the “Aeantes.”
 Little Ajax: An Achaean commander, Little Ajax is the son of Oileus (to be distinguished from Great Ajax, the son of
Telamon). He often fights alongside Great Ajax, whose stature and strength complement Little Ajax’s small size and swift
speed. The two together are sometimes called the “Aeantes.”
 Nestor: King of Pylos and the oldest Achaean commander. Although age has taken much of Nestor’s physical strength, it
has left him with great wisdom. He often acts as an advisor to the military commanders, especially Agamemnon. Nestor
and Odysseus are the Achaeans’ most deft and persuasive orators, although Nestor’s speeches are sometimes long-
winded.
 Menelaus: King of Sparta; the younger brother of Agamemnon. While it is the abduction of his wife, Helen, by the
Trojan prince Paris that sparks the Trojan War, Menelaus proves quieter, less imposing, and less arrogant than
Agamemnon. Though he has a stout heart, Menelaus is not among the mightiest Achaean warriors.
 Idomeneus: King of Crete and a respected commander. Idomeneus leads a charge against the Trojans
 Machaon: A healer. Machaon is wounded by Paris
 Calchas: An important soothsayer. Calchas’s identification of the cause of the plague ravaging the Achaean army in Book
1 leads inadvertently to the rift between Agamemnon and Achilles that occupies the first nineteen books of The Iliad.
 Peleus: Achilles’ father and the grandson of Zeus. Although his name often appears in the epic, Peleus never appears in
person. Priam powerfully invokes the memory of Peleus when he convinces Achilles to return Hector’s corpse to the
Trojans
 Phoenix: A kindly old warrior, Phoenix helped raise Achilles while he himself was still a young man. Achilles deeply loves
and trusts Phoenix, and Phoenix mediates between him and Agamemnon during their quarrel.
 The Myrmidons: The soldiers under Achilles’ command, hailing from Achilles’ homeland, Phthia.

The Trojans

 Hector: A son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, making love to Helen while others fight for him, thus
Hector is the mightiest warrior in the Trojan army. He earning both Hector’s and Helen’s scorn.
mirrors Achilles in some of his flaws, but his  Helen: Reputed to be the most beautiful woman in
bloodlust is not so great as that of Achilles. He is the ancient world, Helen was stolen from her
devoted to his wife, Andromache, and son, Astyanax, husband, Menelaus, and taken to Troy by Paris. She
but resents his brother Paris for bringing war upon loathes herself now for the misery that she has
their family and city. caused so many Trojan and Achaean men. Although
 Priam: King of Troy and husband of Hecuba, Priam is her contempt extends to Paris as well, she continues
the father of fifty Trojan warriors, including Hector to stay with him.
and Paris. Though too old to fight, he has earned the  Aeneas: A Trojan nobleman, the son of Aphrodite,
respect of both the Trojans and the Achaeans by and a mighty warrior. The Romans believed that
virtue of his level-headed, wise, and benevolent rule. Aeneas later founded their city (he is the protagonist
He treats Helen kindly, though he laments the war of Virgil’s masterpiece the Aeneid).
that her beauty has sparked.  Andromache: Hector’s loving wife, Andromache begs
 Hecuba: Queen of Troy, wife of Priam, and mother of Hector to withdraw from the war and save himself
Hector and Paris. before the Achaeans kill him.
 Paris (also known as “Alexander”): A son of Priam  Astyanax: Hector and Andromache’s infant son.
and Hecuba and brother of Hector. Paris’s abduction  Polydamas: A young Trojan commander, Polydamas
of the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, sparked the sometimes figures as a foil for Hector, proving cool-
Trojan War. Paris is self-centered and often unmanly. headed and prudent when Hector charges ahead.
He fights effectively with a bow and arrow (never Polydamas gives the Trojans sound advice, but
with the more manly sword or spear) but often lacks Hector seldom acts on it.
the spirit for battle and prefers to sit in his room
 Glaucus: A powerful Trojan warrior, Glaucus nearly  Dolon: A Trojan sent to spy on the Achaean camp
fights a duel with Diomedes. The men’s exchange of  Pandarus: A Trojan archer. Pandarus’s shot at
armor after they realize that their families are friends Menelaus, breaks the temporary truce between the
illustrates the value that ancients placed on kinship two sides.
and camaraderie.  Antenor: A Trojan nobleman, advisor to King Priam,
 Agenor: A Trojan warrior who attempts to fight and father of many Trojan warriors. Antenor argues
Achilles. Agenor delays Achilles long enough for the that Helen should be returned to Menelaus in order
Trojan army to flee inside Troy’s walls. to end the war, but Paris refuses to give her up.

 Sarpedon: One of Zeus’s sons. Sarpedon’s fate seems intertwined with the gods’ quibbles, calling attention to the
unclear nature of the gods’ relationship to Fate.
 Chryseis: Chryses’ daughter, a priest of Apollo in a Trojan-allied town.
 Briseis: A war prize of Achilles. When Agamemnon is forced to return Chryseis to her father, he appropriates Briseis as
compensation, sparking Achilles’ great rage.
 Chryses: A priest of Apollo in a Trojan-allied town; the father of Chryseis, whom Agamemnon takes as a war prize.

The Gods and Immortals

 Zeus: King of the gods and husband of Hera, Zeus  Aphrodite: Goddess of love and daughter of Zeus,
claims neutrality in the mortals’ conflict and often Aphrodite is married to Hephaestus but maintains a
tries to keep the other gods from participating in it. romantic relationship with Ares. She supports Paris
However, he throws his weight behind the Trojan and the Trojans throughout the war, though she
side for much of the battle after the sulking Achilles proves somewhat ineffectual in battle.
has his mother, Thetis, ask the god to do so.  Poseidon: The brother of Zeus and god of the sea.
 Hera: Queen of the gods and Zeus’s wife, Hera is a Poseidon holds a long-standing grudge against the
conniving, headstrong woman. She often goes Trojans because they never paid him for helping
behind Zeus’s back in matters on which they them to build their city. He therefore supports the
disagree, working with Athena to crush the Trojans, Achaeans in the war.
whom she passionately hates.  Hephaestus: God of fire and husband of Aphrodite,
 Athena: The goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, Hephaestus is the gods’ metalsmith and is known as
and the womanly arts; Zeus’s daughter. Like Hera, the lame or crippled god. Although the text doesn’t
Athena passionately hates the Trojans and often make clear his sympathies in the mortals’ struggle,
gives the Achaeans valuable aid. he helps the Achaeans by forging a new set of armor
 Thetis: A sea-nymph and the devoted mother of for Achilles and by rescuing Achilles during his fight
Achilles, Thetis gets Zeus to help the Trojans and with a river god.
punish the Achaeans at the request of her angry son.  Artemis: Goddess of the hunt, daughter of Zeus, and
When Achilles finally rejoins the battle, she twin sister of Apollo. Artemis supports the Trojans in
commissions Hephaestus to design him a new suit of the war.
armor.  Ares: God of war and lover of Aphrodite, Ares
 Apollo: A son of Zeus and twin brother of the generally supports the Trojans in the war.
goddess Artemis, Apollo is god of the sun and the  Hermes: The messenger of the gods. Hermes escorts
arts, particularly music. He supports the Trojans and Priam to Achilles’ tent
often intervenes in the war on their behalf.  Iris: Zeus’s messenger.

c. The Fall of Troy

The fall of troy is the conclusion of the trojan war, a decade long conflict between the Greeks or the Achaeans
and the trojan. The fall of troy marked the end of the war but left lasting consequences for both the victorious
Greek for whom many suffered on their return home. And the surviving trojans.
GREEK CHARACTERS

 Odysseus: The willy warrior of Ithaca and the  Neoptolemus: son of Achilles. One of the brutal
mastermind behind the trojan horse. Greek warriors during the city’s fall
 Menelaus: king of Sparta and the husband of  Ajax the lesser: a Greek warrior infamous for his
Helen cruelty.
 Agamemnon: the leader of Greek  Sinon: The Greek soldier who stayed behind to
trick the trojans.

TROJAN CHARACTERS

 Priam: the king of troy  Aeneas: the son of Aphrodite., a trojan hero and
 Hector: oldest son of Priam and Hecuba one of the few survivors.
 Hecuba: the queen of troy, wife of Priam  Cassandra: daughter of Priam, she warned that
 Paris: prince of troy troy will fall but she was ignored.
 Andromache: wife of hector.
Other key figures:
● Helen ● Hector’s son ● PHILOCTETES

Gods and Divine Influence:

● Athena ● Aphrodite ● Poseidon

TROJAN HORSE These is the bow and arrow of Hercules, a mythological

weapon. The bow become vital to the Greek army at troy.
The trojan horse used by Greeks to enter the
independent city of troy and win the war. The Greeks
constructed a huge wooden horse and hid a selected
force of men inside including Odysseus.
PALLADIUM OR PALLADION
ISLAND OF LEMNOS
This is a cult image of great antiquity on which the safety
This island is uninhabited but dun sa story na the quest of
of troy was said to depend on the wooden statue of
golden fleece, it was inhabited by women only. The island
Pallas Athena.
of Lemnos is where Philoctetes was left by the Greeks as
he was bitten by a serpent. PYRE

Pyre, also known as funeral pyre, it is a structure usually

made from wood for burning a body part of a funeral rite
or execution. It is like a form of cremation.
BOW AND ARROW

The saga of war between Greeks and trojans are continuing and lasted for almost a decade. Dito sa Fall of Troy, namatay
na dito si Hector. And Achilles knew, as his mother told him that his own death was near. Ang kwento jan why may prophecy
na kay Achilles is na foretold na ang death nya, so may choices sya na magkakaroon sya ng uneventful life or die young but
achieve eternal glory. So basically, he chose the latter, which he knows that he would die young in the trojan war, but he
would be remembered forever as one of the greatest warriors.

d. The Adventures of Odysseus

 Ten years have passed since the fall of Troy, and the Greek hero Odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in Ithaca.
A large and rowdy mob of suitors who have overrun Odysseus’s palace and pillaged his land continue to court his wife,
Penelope. She has remained faithful to Odysseus. Prince Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, wants desperately to throw them out
but does not have the confidence or experience to fight them. One of the suitors, Antinous, plans to assassinate the young
prince, eliminating the only opposition to their dominion over the palace.

Unknown to the suitors, Odysseus is still alive. The beautiful nymph Calypso, possessed by love for him, has imprisoned
him on her island, Ogygia. He longs to return to his wife and son, but he has no ship or crew to help him escape. While the
gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus debate Odysseus’s future, Athena, Odysseus’s strongest supporter among the gods,
resolves to help Telemachus. Disguised as a friend of the prince’s grandfather, Laertes, she convinces the prince to call a
meeting of the assembly at which he reproaches the suitors. Athena also prepares him for a great journey to Pylos and
Sparta, where the kings Nestor and Menelaus, Odysseus’s companions during the war, inform him that Odysseus is alive and
trapped on Calypso’s Island. Telemachus makes plans to return home, while, back in Ithaca, Antinous and the other suitors
prepare an ambush to kill him when he reaches port.

On Mount Olympus, Zeus sends Hermes to rescue Odysseus from Calypso. Hermes persuades Calypso to let Odysseus
build a ship and leave. The homesick hero sets sail, but when Poseidon, god of the sea, finds him sailing home, he sends a
storm to wreck Odysseus’s ship. Poseidon has harbored a bitter grudge against Odysseus since the hero blinded his son, the
Cyclops Polyphemus, earlier in his travels. Athena intervenes to save Odysseus from Poseidon’s wrath, and the beleaguered
king lands at Scheria, home of the Phaeacians. Nausicaa, the Phaeacian princess, shows him to the royal palace, and
Odysseus receives a warm welcome from the king and queen. When he identifies himself as Odysseus, his hosts, who have
heard of his exploits at Troy, are stunned. They promise to give him safe passage to Ithaca, but first they beg to hear the
story of his adventures.

Odysseus spends the night describing the fantastic chain of events leading up to his arrival on Calypso’s island. He
recounts his trip to the Land of the Lotus Eaters, his battle with Polyphemus the Cyclops, his love affair with the witch-
goddess Circe, his temptation by the deadly Sirens, his journey into Hades to consult the prophet Tiresias, and his fight with
the sea monster Scylla. When he finishes his story, the Phaeacians return Odysseus to Ithaca, where he seeks out the hut of
his faithful swineherd, Eumaeus. Though Athena has disguised Odysseus as a beggar, Eumaeus warmly receives and
nourishes him in the hut. He soon encounters Telemachus, who has returned from Pylos and Sparta despite the suitors’
ambush, and reveals to him his true identity. Odysseus and Telemachus devise a plan to massacre the suitors and regain
control of Ithaca.

When Odysseus arrives at the palace the next day, still disguised as a beggar, he endures abuse and insults from the
suitors. The only person who recognizes him is his old nurse, Eurycleia, but she swears not to disclose his secret. Penelope
takes an interest in this strange beggar, suspecting that he might be her long-lost husband. Quite crafty herself, Penelope
organizes an archery contest the following day and promises to marry any man who can string Odysseus’s great bow and fire
an arrow through a row of twelve axes—a feat that only Odysseus has ever been able to accomplish. At the contest, each
suitor tries to string the bow and fails. Odysseus steps up to the bow and, with little effort, fires an arrow through all twelve
axes. He then turns the bow on the suitors. He and Telemachus, assisted by a few faithful servants, kill every last suitor.

Odysseus reveals himself to the entire palace and reunites with his loving Penelope. He travels to the outskirts of Ithaca
to see his aging father, Laertes. They come under attack from the vengeful family members of the dead suitors, but Laertes,
reinvigorated by his son’s return, successfully kills Antinous’s father and puts a stop to the attack. Zeus dispatches Athena to
restore peace. With his power secure and his family reunited, Odysseus’s long ordeal comes to an end.

Characters:

 Odysseus”: The protagonist of The Odyssey. Odysseus fought among the other Greek heroes at Troy and now
struggles to return to his kingdom in Ithaca. Odysseus is the husband of Queen Penelope and the father of Prince
Telemachus. Though a strong and courageous warrior, he is most renowned for his cunning. He is a favorite of the
 goddess Athena, who often sends him divine aid, but a bitter enemy of Poseidon, who frustrates his journey at
every turn.
 Telemachus: Odysseus’s son. An infant when Odysseus left for Troy, Telemachus is about twenty at the beginning of
the story. He is a natural obstacle to the suitors desperately courting his mother, but despite his courage and good
heart, he initially lacks the poise and confidence to oppose them. His maturation, especially during his trip to Pylos
and Sparta in Books 3 and 4, provides a subplot to the epic. Athena often assists him.
 Penelope: Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. Penelope spends her days in the palace pining for the
husband who left for Troy twenty years earlier and never returned. Homer portrays her as sometimes flighty and
excitable but also clever and steadfastly true to her husband.
 Athena: Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, and the womanly arts. Athena assists
Odysseus and Telemachus with divine powers throughout the epic, and she speaks up for them in the councils of
the gods on Mount Olympus. She often appears in disguise as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus.
 Calypso: The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her island-home of Ogygia.
Calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until Hermes, the messenger god, persuades her to let him go.
 Circe: The beautiful witch-goddess who transforms Odysseus’s crew into swine when he lands on her island. With
the help of Hermes, Odysseus resists Circe’s powers and then becomes her lover, living in luxury at her side for a
year.
 Poseidon: God of the sea. As the suitors are Odysseus’s mortal antagonists, Poseidon is his divine antagonist. He
despises Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, and constantly hampers his journey home.
Ironically, Poseidon is the patron of the seafaring Phaeacians, who ultimately help to return Odysseus to Ithaca.
 Zeus: King of gods and men, who mediates the disputes of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is occasionally
depicted as weighing men’s fates in his scales. He sometimes helps Odysseus or permits Athena to do the same.
 Antinous: The most arrogant of Penelope’s suitors. Antinous leads the campaign to have Telemachus killed. Unlike
the other suitors, he is never portrayed sympathetically, and he is the first to die when Odysseus returns.
 Eurymachus: A manipulative, deceitful suitor. Eurymachus’s charisma and duplicity allow him to exert some
influence over the other suitors.
 Amphinomus: Among the dozens of suitors, the only decent man seeking Penelope’s hand in marriage.
Amphinomus sometimes speaks up for Odysseus and Telemachus, but he is killed like the rest of the suitors in the
final fight.
 Eumaeus: The loyal shepherd who, along with the cowherd Philoetius, helps Odysseus reclaim his throne after his
return to Ithaca. Even though he does not know that the vagabond who appears at his hut is Odysseus, Eumaeus
gives the man food and shelter.
 Eurycleia: The aged and loyal servant who nursed Odysseus and Telemachus when they were babies. Eurycleia is
well informed about palace intrigues and serves as confidante to her masters. She keeps Telemachus’s journey
secret from Penelope, and she later keeps Odysseus’s identity a secret after she recognizes a scar on his leg.
 Melanthius: The brother of Melantho. Melanthius is a treacherous and opportunistic goatherd who supports the
suitors, especially Eurymachus, and abuses the beggar who appears in Odysseus’s palace, not realizing that the
man is Odysseus himself.
 Melantho: Sister of Melanthius and maidservant in Odysseus’s palace. Like her brother, Melantho abuses the
beggar in the palace, not knowing that the man is Odysseus. She is having an affair with Eurymachus.
 Polyphemus: One of the Cyclops (uncivilized one-eyed giants) whose island Odysseus comes to soon after leaving
Troy. Polyphemus imprisons Odysseus and his crew and tries to eat them, but Odysseus blinds him through a clever
ruse and manages to escape. In doing so, however, Odysseus angers, Polyphemus’s father, Poseidon.
 Laertes: Odysseus’s aging father, who resides on a farm in Ithaca. In despair and physical decline, Laertes regains
his spirit when Odysseus returns and eventually kills Antinous’s father.
 Tiresias: A Theban prophet who inhabits the underworld. Tiresias meets Odysseus when Odysseus journeys to the
underworld. He shows Odysseus how to get back to Ithaca and allows Odysseus to communicate with the other
souls in Hades.
 Nestor: King of Pylos and a former warrior in the Trojan War. Like Odysseus, Nestor is known as a clever speaker.
Telemachus visits him to ask about his father, but Nestor knows little of Odysseus’s whereabouts.
 Menelaus: King of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, and husband of Helen, he helped lead the Greeks in the Trojan
War. He offers Telemachus assistance in his quest to find Odysseus when Telemachus visits him.
 Helen: Wife of Menelaus and queen of Sparta. Helen’s abduction from Sparta by the Trojans sparked the Trojan
War. Her beauty is without parallel, but she is criticized for giving in to her Trojan captors and thereby costing many
Greek men their lives. She offers Telemachus assistance in his quest to find his father.
 Agamemnon: Former king of Mycenae, brother of Menelaus, and commander of the Achaean forces at Troy.
Odysseus encounters Agamemnon’s spirit in Hades. Agamemnon was murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her
lover, Aegisthus, upon his return from the war. He was later avenged by his son Orestes. Their story is constantly
repeated in The Odyssey to offer an inverted image of the fortunes of Odysseus and Telemachus.
 Nausicaa: The beautiful daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of the Phaeacians. Nausicaa discovers
Odysseus on the beach at Scheria and, out of budding affection for him, ensures his warm reception at her parents’
palace.
 Alcinous: King of the Phaeacians, who offers Odysseus hospitality in his island kingdom of Scheria. Alcinous hears
the story of Odysseus’s wanderings and provides him with safe passage back to Ithaca.
 Arete: Queen of the Phaeacians, wife of Alcinous, and mother of Nausicaa. Arete is intelligent and influential.
Nausicaa tells Odysseus to make his appeal for assistance to Arete.

The Great Families of Mythology

a. The House of Atreus

Tantalus and Niobe

The gods favor Tantalus, a son of Zeus, but he returns their favor by killing his son Pelops, cooking him, and serving
him at a banquet for the gods. No clear reason is given for this action, but it seems rooted in overwhelming contempt for
the gods. Tantalus is punished by being placed in a pool in Hades. When he stoops to drink from the pool, the water drains
away then reappears when he stands. Likewise, the fruit over his head is always just beyond his reach.

The gods bring Pelops back to life, and he lives a happy and relatively uneventful life. With Poseidon's favor, Pelops
wins a dangerous chariot race and the hand of a princess. They have two sons, Atreus and Thyestes, who turn out badly.
Atreus kills his brother's children when he discovers Thyestes had an affair with his wife. Atreus serves the children to
Thyestes as food, then tortures Thyestes by revealing the source of the meat.

Pelops's sister Niobe also suffers. She has a happy marriage until she begins displaying signs of her father's
arrogance. She demands that the people of Thebes worship her instead of Leto, claiming she has seven children while Leto

only had two. Unfortunately for Niobe, Leto's two children are the gods Artemis and Apollo, who kill Niobe's children in
retaliation. In her grief, Niobe turns to stone, still wet with tears.

Agamemnon and His Children

 Atreus's sons, Agamemnon and Menelaus, lead the Greek armies to the Trojan War. When Agamemnon returns
from the war, his wife's lover, Aegisthus, kills him. Agamemnon's son, Orestes, then kills Aegisthus. Later versions of the
story have Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, orchestrating his death as revenge for his killing their daughter Iphigenia
before the war, driven to the act by an army demanding a sacrifice to give them winds to move their ships. In these versions,
Clytemnestra takes Agamemnon and his captive, Priam's daughter Cassandra, into their home and closes the door. She
emerges with Agamemnon's blood on her hands and clothes, with Aegisthus beside her.

Clytemnestra and Aegisthus rule the country, while her other children, Electra and Orestes, mull their mother's
actions and wonder how to right their family's wrongs. Orestes is sent away as a child, but as an adult he keenly feels the
conflict between his urge to avenge his father and the shame of killing his mother. He returns to his sister Electra with his
friend Pylades. They go to Clytemnestra's palace where Orestes kills Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, then he wanders the earth
ridden with guilt. Orestes eventually finds absolution for his years of suffering by going to Athens and appealing to Athena.
The Furies acquit him and lift the curse from the House of Atreus.

Iphigenia Among the Taurians

One version of Iphigenia's sacrifice allows Iphigenia to escape, replaced by a deer on the sacrificial altar. Artemis
takes Iphigenia to the land of the Taurians (now the Crimea) and makes her a priestess in her temple, where Iphigenia must
help carry out the sacrifice of prisoners and others sent to her.

After many years, Orestes and his friend Pylades come to the temple, sent by Apollo's oracle to fetch the image of
Artemis there. Iphigenia is afraid she will have to sacrifice these two new arrivals when she learns of them, but in talking to
them she discovers one of them is Orestes and that her parents are dead. She takes the image of Artemis to the sea on the
pretext of purifying it before the Greek visitors are sacrificed. This ruse allows her to get herself and the image to her
brother's ship, but the Taurian king, Thoas, pursues them. Athena intervenes and stops the king, allowing the ship's safe
passage.

Characters:

 Tantalus: Son of Zeus and a mortal woman  Pelops: Son of Tantalus; killed by his father and
(nymph Plouto); a favorite of Zeus and the other served to the gods; he wasn't eaten, but
gods; was jealous, because he wasn't a god; restored by the gods
serves his son to the gods; punished for eternity
by the gods

 Atreus: The king of Mycenae, Atreus was the father of Agamemnon and the elder brother of Thyestes. Atreus and
Thyestes murdered their half-brother Chrysippus to keep the throne, Oldest of Pelops' kids; kills his brother
Thyestes' kids, cooks them and serves them to Thyestes, because Thyestes has an affair with his wife
 Thyestes: Jealous; Atreus's younger brother who quarreled with Atreus over who would be king, has an affair with
Atreus' wife; eats his kids

 Agamemnon: Great soldier; son of Atreus;  Pylades: A Phocian prince and cousin of Orestes
married to Clytemnestra; sacrifices his daughter  Clytemnestra: The mother of Orestes, married
Iphegenia, because there was no wind for the to Agamemnon; kills her husband after he
ship to move; is killed by his wife and her lover returned from the Trojan War with Cassandra;
(Aegisthus) in his dining room; dishonorable has an affair with Aegisthus.
death  Helen: Queen of Sparta; married to Menelaus
 Aegisthus: Son of Thyestes; has an affair with  Iphigenia: Daughter of
Clytemnestra; kills Agmemnon Agamemnon/Clytemnestra; sacrificed by
 Menelaus: King of Sparta; son of Atreus; married Agamemnon
to Helen  Orestes: Son of Agamemnon/Clytemnestra;
 Electra: Daughter of Agamemnon/Clytemnestra must avenge his father, because he feels guilty;
 the Furies pursue him; he seeks atonement; breaks the curse of the House of Atreus

b. The Royal House of Thebes

Cadmus and His Children

Cadmus is Europa's brother, who is sent to look for her after Zeus assumes the form of a bull and kidnaps
her. Cadmus consults Apollo at Delphi, and the god advises him to give up the search and go found a city on the
spot where he sees a heifer resting. Cadmus does this and slays a dragon. He sows the dragon's teeth, and an army
springs forth. All but five of the armed men kill each other, and these five help Cadmus build his city: Thebes.
Cadmus marries Aphrodite's and Ares's daughter Harmonia, and they have four daughters and one son.

The daughters include Semele, Dionysus's mother, and Ino, whose threat to Phrixus leads to the Quest of
the Golden Fleece. Ino becomes a sea-goddess after her husband, Melicertes, kills their son in a fit of madness.
Dionysus drives the third daughter, Agave, to a similar madness, and she kills her son believing he is a lion.
Autonoe, the fourth daughter, loses her son Actaeon after he accidentally sees Artemis bathing in the forest.
Artemis changes him into a stag, and he is killed by his own dogs. These misfortunes lead Cadmus and Harmonia to
leave Thebes for the distant land of Illyria, but the gods change them into serpents shortly after they reach their
new home.

Oedipus

King Laius is Cadmus's grandson. He and his wife, Jocasta, have a son, but Apollo's oracle tells Laius he is
destined to die at his son's hands. Laius has the child's feet bound and sends him to a mountainside to die. Years
later, Laius dies at the hands of a stranger while traveling outside Thebes. Word reaches the city that the king has
been killed by robbers, but Thebes has a larger problem. A monster called the Sphinx—half lion, half woman—is
devouring travelers around the city when they are unable to answer her riddle. Thebes closes its gates, and a
famine is imminent.

A traveler named Oedipus arrives from Corinth, where he was raised by King Polybus. Oedipus learns from
Apollo's oracle that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother, so Oedipus leaves Corinth and decides to
seek out the Sphinx. He answers her riddle correctly, and the Sphinx kills herself. Thebes celebrates Oedipus for
ridding them of the Sphinx; he marries Jocasta, becomes king, and they have two sons.

Years later, Thebes is beset by plague and famine. Jocasta's brother Creon consults the oracle and finds
that the plague will end when Laius's killer is punished. Oedipus consults the blind prophet Teiresias who does not
want to answer Oedipus because Teiresias says, "You are yourself the murderer you seek." Oedipus and Jocasta
recount the events surrounding Laius's death and Oedipus's arrival in Thebes. A messenger and a servant confirm
their worst fears. Instead of leaving him to die, Laius's servant took Oedipus to Corinth as an infant, and Oedipus
killed Laius on the road when Laius struck him and tried to force him from the path. Jocasta kills herself, and
Oedipus puts out his own eyes, unable to face the world.

Antigone

Oedipus relinquishes the throne but remains in Thebes as his children grow into adulthood. Creon
becomes king and, after years of kindness to Oedipus, exiles him from the city. Oedipus's older daughter, Antigone,
goes with him as a guide, and his younger daughter, Ismene, stays in Thebes to manage her father's interests there.
With Oedipus gone, his sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, fight for the throne. The younger Eteocles succeeds, and
Polyneices flees to Argos to assemble an army against Thebes.

Oedipus and Antigone settle near Athens, where King Theseus welcomes him. Oedipus dies peacefully
there, comforted by Theseus, Apollo's oracle, Antigone, and Ismene. After their father dies, Antigone and Ismene
 return to Thebes and find their brothers preparing for war with each other. Polyneices has assembled six allies to
help him conquer the seven gates of the city. Teiresias tells Creon the city can be saved if Creon sacrifices his son
Menoeceus, but Creon refuses. Menoeceus wants to prove his bravery, so he sneaks out to the battle and is killed
immediately.

Neither side has an advantage in the fighting, so the armies decide to let the two brothers fight one-on-
one to decide a winner. They kill each other, deciding nothing, so the battle resumes. Thebes wins the fight in the
end, but Creon refuses to allow burials for those who fought against the city, leaving Polyneices and his allies as
food "for beasts and birds." Antigone and Ismene are horrified by this ruling, and Antigone goes to bury her brother
anyway. Creon puts Antigone to death for her disobedience. Antigone stops Ismene from joining her by telling
Creon that Ismene had nothing to do with the burial. Antigone is remembered for honoring a higher justice, and
Ismene disappears from history.

The Seven Against Thebes

Although Antigone buries Polyneices, five of the chieftains allied with him are not given proper burial. The
sixth ally, Adrastus, goes to Theseus in Athens and asks him to convince Creon to allow the burials. Theseus refuses
at first, but his mother, Aethra, convinces him that refusing to bury the dead violates Greece's highest laws.
Theseus puts the matter to a vote in Athens. The assembly decides to send Creon a message asking him to allow
the burials.

Creon ignores the Athenians' message, so the Athenians march against Thebes. The Thebans panic at
being conquered, but Theseus assures them that he only wants to respect the dead. Theseus prepares the bodies,
and they are cremated on a pyre. Once this is done, the Athenians leave Thebes. The mothers of the dead find
peace with the burials, but 10 years later, the sons of the men who died at Thebes return and level the city.

Characters:

Cadmus and His Children

 Pentheus: The king of Thebes, grandson of  Oedipus: The great-great grandson of Cadmus,
Cadmus, and first cousin of Dionysus. Pentheus who was a product of an ancestral curse passed
is a military man, a law and order preserver, and down from Cadmus.
a stern patriarch.  Polydorus: The youngest and only male child of
 Dionysus: The son of Zeus and Semele, the Cadmus and Harmonia. Polydorus was the father
daughter of Cadmus. of Labdacus.
 Agenor: The king of Tyre and father of Cadmus  Ino: One of the daughters of Cadmus and
and Europa. Harmonia.
 Europa: The daughter of Agenor and the king of  Cadmus: later took as his wife Harmonia,
Phoenicia, which is modern-day Lebanon. daughter of the divinities Ares and Aphrodite, by
 Semele: The daughter of Cadmus and the King whom he had a son, Polydorus, and four
of Thebes. Semele was destined to marry daughters, Ino, Autonoë, Agave, and Semele.
Athamus, but instead set her sights on Jupiter,  Agave: One of the daughters of Cadmus and
the King of the Gods. Harmonia.
 Autonoe: One of the daughters of Cadmus and
Harmonia.
Oedipus the King

 Oedipus King of Thebes. As a young man, he the Sphinx and destroying the monster. He now
saved the city of Thebes by solving the riddle of
 sets about finding the murderer of the former  A Messenger from Corinth A man bringing news
king Laius to save Thebes from plague. of the royal family to Oedipus.
 Creon The second-in-command in Thebes,  A Shepherd A herder from the nearby
brother-in-law of Oedipus. He is Oedipus' mountains, who once served in the house of
trusted advisor, selected to go to the oracle at Laius.
Delphi to seek the Apollo's advice in saving the  A Messenger A man who comes from the palace
city from plague. to announce the death of the queen and the
 Tiresias A blind prophet who has guided the blinding of Oedipus.
kings of Thebes with his advice and counsel.  Antigone and Ismene Oedipus' young
 Jocasta Queen of Thebes, wife of Oedipus. She daughters.
was the widow of Thebes' former king, Laius,  Chorus A group of Theban elders, and their
and married Oedipus when he saved the city Leader, who comment on the events of the
from the Sphinx. drama and react to its tragic progression.

Oedipus at Colonus

 Oedipus Former king of Thebes, now a blind  Creon King of Thebes, brother-in-law of
beggar who wanders from place to place. Oedipus. Responsible for Oedipus' exile, Creon is
Considered a pariah because of his sins, Oedipus now interested in returning the former king to
suffers abuse and rejection everywhere he goes. Thebes to avoid a curse.

 Antigone Daughter of Oedipus. She leads her  Polynices Son of Oedipus, brother of Antigone
blind father on his travels and serves his needs. and Ismene. Driven out of Thebes after a power
struggle with his brother Eteocles and Creon, he
 A Citizen of Colonus A passer-by who notices is an exile like his father, and plans to take
Oedipus and Antigone trespassing on sacred Thebes by force.
ground.
 A Messenger A man who tells the elders of the
 Ismene Daughter of Oedipus, sister of Antigone. city of Oedipus' death.
She lives in Thebes and brings her father and
sister news while they stay in Colonus.  Chorus A group of elders of Colonus who
confront Oedipus and comment on the
 Theseus King of Athens. He acts as Oedipus' ally unfolding events in the play.
by protecting him in Colonus and witnesses his
death.

Antigone

 Antigone Daughter of Oedipus. She defies a civil  Creon King of Thebes, brother-in-law of
law forbidding the burial of Polynices, her Oedipus, uncle of Polynices, Antigone, and
brother, in order to uphold the divine law Ismene. His strict order to leave Polynices' body
requiring that the dead be put to rest with unburied and his refusal to admit the possibility
proper rituals. that he is wrong bring about the events of the
tragedy.
 Ismene Sister of Antigone, daughter of Oedipus.
She timidly refuses to join her sister in  Haemon Son of Creon, promised in marriage to
disobeying the civil law, but later wants to join Antigone. He argues calmly for Antigone's
her in death. release, but meets with angry rejection.
  A Sentry Who brings news of the attempted  A Messenger A man who tells of the deaths of
burial of Polynices. Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice.

 Tiresias The blind prophet who advised Laius  Chorus The elders of Thebes and their Leader.
and Oedipus, before Creon. His auguries show They listen loyally to Creon and rebuke
that the gods are angered by Creon's decision to Antigone, but advise the king to change his mind
leave Polynices unburied. when Tiresias warns of the gods' punishment.

 Eurydice Queen of Thebes, wife of Creon. On

hearing of the death of her son, she kills herself.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:

1) What is the main conflict between Cadmus and Ares?

a. A dispute over land ownership c. A disagreement about the founding of

b. A rivalry for the affections of a goddess Thebes
d. A battle over the ownership of a sacred
grove

2) Choose which of the following events are insignificant in Oedipus’s story.

i. Oedipus’s ability to solve the riddle of Sphinx.
ii. Prince Creon is accused of treason and conspiracy.
iii. Eteocles and Polynices agreed to reign Thebes alternately.
iv. The shepherd gave Oedipus's name, which symbolizes swollen feet.

a. i,ii,iii c. ii,iii
b. i, iii d. ii, iii,iv

3) What is the tragic flow (hamartia) that leads to Antigone’s downfall?

a. Hubris (excessive pride) c. Philautia (self love)

b. Akrasia (weakness of will) d. Stasis (conflict)

4) What motivates Abtigone’s decision to bury Polyneices despite Creon’s law?

a. Desire for power c. Revenge against Creon

b. Loyalty to family and honor d. Fear of punishment

5) What is the significance of the story of “Seven Against Thebes”?

a. It is a tale of heroism and bravery c. It is a story about the power of fate and
b. It is a cautionary tale about the dangers of destiny
civil war d. All of the above

c. The Royal House of Athens

Cecrops
Cecrops is the first king of Attica, the country surrounding Athens. In some stories, he is said to
be half human and half dragon. Poseidon and Athena compete to become the protector of Cecrops's city.
Poseidon strikes the Acropolis, Athens's tallest hill, with his trident to create a deep saltwater well.
 Athena gives Athens the olive tree, a staple of culture and agriculture. Cecrops chooses Athena as the
protector, and Poseidon sends a great flood in anger.
In one version of this story, the women of Athens vote for Athena and the men vote for
Poseidon. The women outnumber the men by a single vote. After Poseidon sends the flood, the men
take away the women's right to vote.

Procne and Philomela

Procne and Philomela are Cecrops's sisters. Procne marries Tereus of Thrace. When Tereus goes
to Athens to bring Philomela back to visit her sister, he falls in love with Philomela. Tereus tells Philomela
that Procne is dead and lures her into a sham marriage. When Philomela learns the truth, she threatens
to tell the world about Tereus's treachery. He cuts out her tongue and imprisons her, telling Procne that
Philomela has died.
Unable to speak or write, Philomela has little recourse; however, she weaves her story into a tapestry she sends
to her sister. Procne understands the tapestry at once and goes to Philomela, vowing to make Tereus pay. Procne
kills their son, Itys, and serves his remains to Tereus for dinner. Tereus's shock when he learns what he has eaten
allows the sisters time to flee, but he pursues them. Before he catches them, the gods turn Procne into a
nightingale and Philomela into a swallow. Tereus becomes a large, ugly bird, possibly a hawk.
Procris and Cephalus
Procne and Philomela's niece Procris marries Cephalus, grandson of Aeolus. Shortly after the
wedding, Aurora, goddess of the dawn, kidnaps Cephalus, but he will not betray his wedding vows.
Aurora releases him but warns Cephalus to be sure that Procris has been equally faithful to him.
Cephalus is driven mad with jealousy and suspicion.
Cephalus returns to Procris in disguise as another man and attempts to seduce her. She refuses
firmly for months, but one day she hesitates before her refusal. This is sufficient evidence for Cephalus to
reveal himself and call her "false and shameless." She leaves him immediately, and he realizes his error.
He finds her living alone in the mountains and begs her forgiveness. She eventually takes him back, and
they live happily until Cephalus accidentally kills her while hunting.

Orithyia and Boreas

Procris's sister Orithyia is beloved by Boreas, the North Wind, but her father opposes the match.
He and the people of Athens hate all who come from the north because Tereus came from the north.
Boreas carries Orithyia away while she is out with her sisters. Their sons, Zetes and Calais, join the Quest
of the Golden Fleece.

Creüsa and Ion

Creüsa is a sister of Procris and Orithyia. Apollo abducts her while she is picking flowers and
takes her to a cave. She conceives a child and hates Apollo for not helping her because the pregnancy
could cause her to be killed if she confessed. She conceals her condition and returns to the cave to give
birth, then leaves the baby there to die. She goes back later, curious about what has happened, and finds
no trace of the baby.
She marries a Greek named Xuthus. He is not Athenian, so people think it is no great loss when
the couple are unable to conceive a child. Creüsa consults the oracle at Delphi and finds a boy working in
the temple. They talk, and Creüsa hints at her own misery, but asks the boy, Ion, about himself. He says
Apollo's priestess found him in the temple and raised him as her own.
 Creüsa explains that her husband wants a child, but she is here to ask about the fate of a child
borne to Apollo by her "friend." Ion gently scolds Creüsa for accusing Apollo of villainy. Xuthus enters the
room to announce that Apollo has declared Ion is Xuthus's son. Creüsa is not happy to take in an
unknown child, but the priestess brings Ion's baby clothes. Creüsa realizes that Ion is the baby she left in
the cave. Ion thinks she is crazy until Athena arrives to confirm the story and declare Ion fit to rule
Athens.

Characters:

 Cecrops: The first king of Attica, ancestor of the Royal  Tereus: son of Aries, married to Procne, but falls in
House of Athens, and in some cases a magical half- love with Philomela, became hawk
man, half-dragon creature. Cecrops is said to have  Itys: son of Procne and Tereus
chosen Athena over Poseidon to be the protector of  Procris: always remains faithful to her missing
Athens, was also the great grandfather of Theseus husband, married to Cephalus
 Athena: The goddess of war, good counsel, prudent  Aurora: takes Cephalus away because she falls in
restraint, and practical insight. She is the tutelary love with him
deity of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, and is also  Cephalus: returns home disguised as a stranger &
portrayed as a helper of Perseus and Heracles. repeatedly tries to seduce Procris, ended up killing
 Theseus: The Duke of Athens in Shakespeare's A Procris
Midsummer Night's Dream. He is engaged to marry  Orithyia: one of the sisters of Procris
Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons.  Boreas: north wind, falls in love with Orithyia
 Hippolyta: The Queen of the Amazons in  Erectheus: opposes the marriage of Orithyia
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She is  Socrates: a great teacher in Athens
presented as a strong, powerful woman who attracts  Creusa: captured in a cave
even Oberon, King of the Fairies.  Apollo: rapes Creusa
 Procne & Philomela: Erechtheus's 2 sisters (Cecrops  Xuthus: married Creusa
sisters)  Ion: Creusa’s real son
 Procne kills her son because she sees bad qualities in
him from his father (Tereus) she cuts up her son and
cooks him and serves him to her husband Tereus