BSEE 33 REVIEWER

12 Olympians

Zeus (King of the Gods)

Domain: Sky, Thunder, Law, Justice

Abilities:

 Master of the sky and weather, controlling thunder and lightning.

 Possesses the ability to shape-shift.

 Wields the thunderbolt, a powerful weapon.

Characteristics:

 Known as Jupiter

 Ruler of Mount Olympus and the gods.

 Known for his leadership, wisdom, and authority.

 Often seen as just but sometimes vengeful and capricious.

Hera (Queen of the Gods)

Domain: Marriage, Family, Fertility

Abilities:

 Protector of marriage and women.

 Known for her ability to punish and exact revenge on Zeus' lovers and

illegitimate children.
  She can also grant fertility and influence childbirth.

Characteristics:

 Known as Juno

 Powerful, proud, and often vengeful, particularly towards Zeus’ lovers and

offspring.

 Strong-willed and often seen as jealous or vindictive.

Poseidon (God of the Sea)

Domain: The Sea, Earthquakes, Horses

Abilities:

 Controls the seas, oceans, and all bodies of water.

 Can cause earthquakes and floods.

 Wields the trident, a powerful three-pronged spear.

 Creates and tames horses.

Characteristics:

 Also known as Neptune

 Temperamental and often portrayed as violent or easily angered.

 Known for his power and might, but also his mood swings and unpredictability.

Athena (Goddess of Wisdom and War)

Domain: Wisdom, Strategy, War, Handicrafts

Abilities:
  Goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and crafts.

 Skilled in creating and promoting knowledge, intelligence, and fair battle tactics.

 Wields the Aegis, a protective shield.

Characteristics:

 Also known as Minerva

 Calm, rational, and a protector of cities, especially Athens.

 Often portrayed as a virgin warrior goddess.

 Known for her fairness and wisdom in battle, in contrast to Ares' chaotic war.

Apollo (God of the Sun, Music, and Prophecy)

Domain: Sun, Music, Poetry, Medicine, Prophecy

Abilities:

 Controls the sun (often described as driving the chariot of the sun across the

sky).

 Master of the lyre (musical instrument) and the arts of music and poetry.

 Can bring both healing and disease.

 Known for his prophetic powers, especially at Delphi.

Characteristics:

 Also known as Sol

 Associated with beauty, youth, and the arts.

 Often depicted as calm, rational, and artistic.

Artemis (Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt)

Domain: The Hunt, Moon, Wilderness, Childbirth

Abilities:

 Goddess of the hunt, wild animals, the moon, and protector of young women.

 Skilled in archery, she is often depicted with a bow and arrow.

 Can control the moon and is a symbol of purity.

Characteristics:

 Also known as Diana

 Independent, fierce, and often seen as a protector of women and children.

 She is often depicted as chaste and untamable.

Ares (God of War)

Domain: War, Bloodshed, Violence

Abilities:

 God of war and battle, particularly in its chaotic and violent form.

 Skilled in combat and the leader of armies in battle.

Characteristics:

 Also known as Mars

 Aggressive, passionate, and often associated with bloodshed.

 Unlike Athena, who represents strategic warfare, Ares embodies the chaotic,

brutal side of conflict.

Aphrodite (Goddess of Love and Beauty)

Domain: Love, Beauty, Desire, Fertility

Abilities:

 Goddess of love, beauty, and sexual desire.

 Has the power to make gods and mortals fall in love.

 Can inspire romantic and passionate feelings.

Characteristics:

 Also known as Venus

 Beautiful, charming, and seductive.

 Known for her ability to manipulate both gods and mortals with her allure.

Hephaestus (God of Fire and Craftsmanship)

Domain: Fire, Metalworking, Sculpture, Craftsmanship

Abilities:

 Master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods.

 Creates powerful weapons and tools, including Zeus' thunderbolt.

 Controls fire and metallurgy.

Characteristics:

 Known as Vulcan

 Often depicted as physically imperfect (lame or disabled), but highly skilled in

craftsmanship.
  Known for his work with metal and his association with the forge.

Hermes (God of Thieves, Commerce, and Messenger of the Gods)

Domain: Thieves, Commerce, Travel, Messenger

Abilities:

 Messenger of the gods, especially Zeus.

 Can travel freely between the mortal and divine worlds.

 Known for his cunning, trickery, and ability to steal.

Characteristics:

 Known as Mercury

 Witty, fast, and clever.

 Often depicted with winged sandals and a caduceus (staff with two intertwined

snakes).

Hades (God of the Underworld)

Domain: Underworld, Death, the Dead, Wealth

Abilities:

 God of the Underworld, ruling over the souls of the dead.

 Controls the gates to the afterlife and determines the fate of souls.

 Associated with wealth, particularly precious metals and gems found beneath the

earth.

Characteristics:
  Also known as Pluto

 Often seen as grim, stern, and unmoving, but not evil; his domain is simply the final

resting place for mortals.

 Often depicted as cold and unyielding, but also fair in his judgments.

Hestia (Goddess of the Hearth and Home)

Domain: Hearth, Family, Domestic Life

Abilities:

 Goddess of the hearth, home, and family.

 Protector of the sacred fire and the family unit.

Characteristics:

 Known as Vesta

 Calm, peaceful, and nurturing.

 Unlike other Olympians, she does not engage in battles or grand adventures but

focuses on maintaining domestic harmony.

STORIES OF CREATION

Uranus and Gaia had many offspring one of them is Cronus. But Cronus, fearing that

his children would overthrow him, swallowed them at birth. Rhea, in secret, saved one—Zeus.

When Zeus grew up, he forced Cronus to regurgitate his siblings—Hestia, Hera, Demeter,

Poseidon, and Hades. This led to the Titanomachy, a great war between the Titans and the
Olympian gods. Zeus and his siblings emerged victorious, establishing themselves as the

new rulers of the cosmos.

Different myths describe the creation of humans. One popular version involves the

Titan Prometheus, who fashioned humans from clay. He also defied Zeus by stealing fire

from the gods to give to humanity, symbolizing the gift of knowledge and enlightenment. As

punishment, Zeus created Pandora the first woman, who brought misfortune to mankind by

opening a forbidden box.

The name "Prometheus" means "forethought," signifying his ability to plan ahead

and consider the consequences of actions.

The name "Epimetheus" means "afterthought," suggesting a lack of foresight and a

tendency to act without considering the consequences.

Another significant tale involves a great flood sent by Zeus to cleanse the earth of

human wickedness. Deucalion and Pyrrha, the only survivors, repopulated the earth by

throwing stones behind them, which turned into people. Greek creation myths offer rich

narratives about the origins of the universe, the gods, and humanity, emphasizing the

interconnectedness of existence and the complex relationships among divine and mortal

beings.

PROMETHEUS STORY

Prometheus is a figure in Greek mythology known as a Titan and a cultural hero. He is

most famous for stealing fire from the gods on Mount Olympus and giving it to humanity,

an act that enabled human progress and civilization. This made him a symbol of rebellion

against oppression and the quest for knowledge.

Prometheus asked for a bull to be sacrifice to the gods. The product of the sacrifice

would be split into two piles, one was smaller but contained the best meat covered by the
animals skin and the other pile was bigger but it contained bones and entrails these were

wrapped in fat which made the offering look attractive. The cunning Prometheus would make

him choose the bigger pile while man would have the best part and he was right, realizing that

he had been tricked. Zeus was furious with those who had deceived him and decided to take

the fire out of the hands of humanity. Without the fire mankind started to regress they were

again tormented by darkness and cold and could no longer cook their food. Prometheus

decided to steal the sacred fire and give it back to man. During the night he went to

Olympus and returned with the flame stolen. with the re-establishment of fire dominance

mankind was thriving once more but the glowing flames attracted Zeus attention during the

night. The supreme God decided that Prometheus could not go unpunished given his

insolence he imprisoned him on the rock in the Caucasus to endure eternal punishment

for defying Zeus decision but Prometheus punishment wasn't simply life imprisonment. Zeus

came down to earth and offered him freedom if he hid the knowledge of fire from man but

Prometheus rejected the God's offer and decided to sacrifice himself for his creation.

PANDORA’S STORY

Greek mythology's story of Pandora starts with the Titan Prometheus, who gave

humanity fire as a gift, and it upended Zeus because that fire is truly a sacred fire in Olympus.

Zeus, frustrated by this, chose to punish Prometheus and all of humanity.

Zeus intended for Pandora, the first woman, to be a lovely and alluring gift to humanity in

order to accomplish this. She possessed special qualities from each of the gods: Athena

bestowed wisdom, Hermes bestowed cunning, and Aphrodite bestowed beauty, and

Zeus put in the curiosity in Pandora's heart; it was only her evilness. That is why the

meaning of her name is "the gift of all."

Prometheus warned his brother Epimetheus not to accept gifts from the gods, but Zeus still

sent Pandora to him. Epimetheus married Pandora after having fallen in love with her beauty.

And later on, he realized that he should have listened to his brother.

Zeus gave Pandora a box (or jar) filled with all the world's evils as a wedding present, with

the instruction that she not open it. But eventually, out of curiosity, Pandora opened the box

and let all the illnesses, sorrows, and problems out into the world.

She rapidly closed the box after realizing what she had done, but it was too late. Hope was

the only thing that was still inside. This deed represents the duality of the human experience,

in which hope endures despite hardship. The tale of Pandora serves as a warning against

curiosity and the repercussions of disobedience.

STORIES OF LOVE

“Cupid and Psyche”

There was a king and queen who had three daughters. All of them are lovely but the

youngest, named Psyche, excelled her sisters so greatly. The fame of her beauty was so

great that strangers from neighboring countries came in crowds to enjoy the sight, and looked

on her with amazement. The girl draws so much attention that people neglect to make

offerings to Venus herself. Seeing her temples deserted and a mere mortal enjoying the

adoration due to her, Venus grows enraged.

She summoned her son, Cupid, the god of love. His torch and arrows kindle a

passionate desire in anyone they touch. She told Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with

the ugliest, most unpleasant man he can find. However, Cupid got mesmerized by

Psyche’s beauty and fell in love with her.

 The king consults the oracle of Apollo, who pronounces that Psyche is destined to wed

not a man but a “fierce, barbaric, snake-like monster”. The oracle says that the king must

abandon his daughter on a mountaintop so her bridegroom might claim her.

Abandoned on the peak, Psyche weeps. But then Zephyr, the West Wind, carries her

to a meadow, where she falls asleep. Psyche wakes to see a beautiful forest and flowing

stream, as well as a royal palace standing open and empty.

That night, while she’s sleeping, her “unknown bridegroom” comes to her and then

departs before dawn. She knew even without seeing him, there was no monster or shape in

terror, but the lover and husband she had longed and waited for.

Psyche is so lonely during the day, so her husband agrees to let her sisters visit. But

he warns her that she must not try to discover what he looks like. She assures him that she

will obey, for she would rather die than be without him. Her sisters saw her wealth and were

immediately jealous.

The sisters’ envy torments them. They insist she doesn’t deserve her good fortune.

Visiting Psyche for the third time, they convince her that her husband must be the “monstrous

dragon” of the prophecy. Her sisters instruct Psyche to hide a lamp and a knife in her

bedroom and cut off the monster’s head as it sleeps.

One night, using the lamplight, she sees Cupid with blonde hair, milk-white skin, and

dewy wings. She is overcome with love at the sight of his beauty. As she leans over to kiss

him, oil from her lamp splashes on his shoulder. Cupid leaps out of bed and flies away. She

rushed out after him into the night. She could not see him but she heard his voice speaking to

her. "LOVE CANNOT LIVE WHERE THERE IS NO TRUST."

In despair, Psyche attempts to drown herself in a river, but out of respect for Cupid, the

river washes her gently onto the bank. Pan, the god of wild things, advises Psyche to try to

win Cupid back.

 Psyche begs Venus for mercy, then Venus gave a lot of tasks to Psyche. Venus

challenges Psyche to prove her devotion by sorting a huge pile of tiny seeds including

poppyseed, lentils, and millet. Psyche is dismayed by the impossible task, but a small ant

sees her distress. He summons an army of ants to carry the seeds into separate piles.

Psyche’s second task is to gather golden fleece from a flock of divine sheep. The

animals are so terrifying that Psyche considers throwing herself into the river again. But a

reed at the riverside speaks and tells her that she can gather wool that the sheep shed

attached to the bushes. Psyche returns with an armload of gold, but Venus is still not

satisfied.

She commands Psyche to gather water from a spring that gushes from a high

cliff. The spring is impossible to access, and fierce snakes lie on the banks. Psyche

despairs, but then Jupiter’s eagle appears and, flying up to the spring, fills the jug for

her. When Psyche brings the water to Venus, the goddess assigns the most fearsome task.

She commands Psyche to travel to the underworld and fetch a beauty ointment from

Proserpina, wife of Hades, god of the underworld.

Psyche found her directions how to get to Proserpina's place. First, through a great

hole in the earth, where she must give the ferry man, Charon, a penny to take her across.

From there, the road led straight to the palace. Cerberus, the three-headed dog, guarded

the doors, but if she gave him a cake, he would be friendly and let her pass.

She finally reached the kingdom of the underworld and Proserpina gave her the box

that contains the beauty ointment.

When she returns, she was unable to resist temptation, she opens the box and

the sleep of Hades overcomes her. She falls to the ground as if dead. Cupid, meanwhile,

longs for Psyche. He leaves his room and finds her beside the road. He wipes the death-like

sleep from her eyes and returns it to the box.

 While Psyche delivers Proserpina’s gift to Venus, Cupid approaches Jupiter to ask for

his help. Jupiter agrees to intercede and calls Mercury, the messenger, to summon the

gods to an assembly. Jupiter proclaims that Cupid shall marry Psyche, and he will make them

equals in status.

Mercury brings Psyche before all the gods, and she drinks a cup of ambrosia that

makes her immortal. So all came to a most happy end. Despite all the obstacles, they found

each other, and that union could never be broken.

“Orpheus and Eurydice”

There has only been one mortal whose skill at playing the lyre compared with the skill

of the god of music, golden Apollo, and that mortal’s name was Orpheus. Now Orpheus had

fallen in love with a nymph called Eurydice. The two of them were madly in love and soon,

they got married in the presence of Hymenaios, the god of marriage himself. However, at this

moment of pure bliss, Hymenaios foretold that their happiness would soon end.

Eurydice was a nymph of uncontested beauty, this great beauty did not go unnoticed. A

minor god named Aristaeus attacked Orpheus and attempted to snatch Eurydice right after

the wedding. The nymph ran into the forest, where a venomous snake bit her. When Orpheus

found her she was lying dead and cold. He lifted her in his arms. He carried her home, his

face wet with tears.

He travelled over land and sea until he came to a dark cave. He made his way through

tunnels that wound to the left and right. He delved into darkness. At last he came to the edge

of an oily, black river, the river of forgetfulness. Suddenly, there came the sound of growling,

then a harsh barking. Out of the shadows the great three-headed dog Cerberus, who guards

the river bank showed up.

 Orpheus lifted his lyre to his shoulder and began to play; and such was the beauty of

his music that the monstrous dog was tamed easily. The beauty of the music floated out

across the water and reached the ears of Charon, the ferryman. Charon then let Orpheus ride

the boat. When they reached the far side, Orpheus, still playing, jumped from the boat and

walked into the shadows.

Orpheus wandered among the souls of the dead until he reached the thrones of Hades

(Pluto) and Persephone, the King and Queen of the Underworld. The gods asked Orpheus

what he was seeking, and Orpheus replied with a song. Orpheus sang about his love for

Eurydice and her tragic death. He then sang about his sorrow and how he wished to get his

wife back. The song of Orpheus was so beautiful and so sad that it convinced the Gods of the

underworld to return him to his wife.

However, there was one simple rule. Orpheus would lead the way out of Hades but he

would not be allowed to look behind him until Eurydice had completely left the underworld.

Ecstatic, Orpheus did not hesitate and accepted the proposition. Orpheus managed to remain

calm and did not look back throughout the whole trip. However, the closer they were getting to

the light of the world of the living, the more enthusiastic and impatient he was getting. When

the first light touched his face, Orpheus immediately turned around to hug his beloved. At that

moment he realized his terrible mistake. He was standing in the world of the living but

Eurydice was still standing in the dark world of the dead. In horror he took a final look at

Eurydice.

Her last word spoken was, “Farewell!” which he could barely hear, and with no further

sound she fell from him again to Hades.

 “Pygmalion and Galatea”

Pygmalion was a master sculptor in ancient city of Greece. All day he sculpted

beautiful statues from huge pieces of rock. In fact, his creations were so wonderful that

whoever saw them were mesmerized by their sheer artistic beauty and exact finish.

Pygmalion himself was a fine and handsome young man. He was liked by all men and

women.

Many women loved him for his great skill and looks. However, Pygmalion never paid

attention to any of these women. He saw so much to blame in women that he came at last to

abhor the sex, and resolved to live unmarried. He was a sculptor, and with his with wonderful

skill he sculpted a beautiful ivory statue which was so life-like that it was difficult to believe

that it was lifeless at the first glance.

The beauty was such that no living woman could compete with it. Indeed the perfect

resemblance of a maiden that seemed to be alive, and only prevented from moving by

modesty. Pygmalion spent hours admiring his creation.

Pygmalion’s admiration for his own sculpture turned to love. Oftentimes he laid his

hand upon it as if to assure himself whether it were living or not, and could not, even then,

believe that it was only ivory. He caressed it, and gave it such presents as young girls love

bright shells and polished stones, little birds and flowers of various hues, beads and amber.

Meanwhile, the celebration of goddess Aphrodite was fast approaching and

preparations were well under way. On the day of the festival, while making offerings to

goddess Aphrodite, Pygmalion prayed with all his heart and soul, beseeching the goddess

that she turns his ivory figurine into a real woman.

Goddess Aphrodite understood what the poor man was trying to say. She was curious.

How can a man love a lifeless thing so much? Was it so beautiful that Pygmalion fell in love

with his own creation? So the goddess visited the studio of the sculptor while he was away.
What she saw greatly amazed her. For the sculpture had a perfect likeness to her. In fact, it

would not have been wrong to say that the sculpture was an image of Aphrodite herself.

Goddess Aphrodite was charmed by Pygmalion’s creation. She brought the statue to life.

When Pygmalion returned to his home, he went before Galatea and knelt down before

the woman of his dreams. He looked at her lovingly, with a lover’s ardor. It seemed to him that

Galatea was looking at her lovingly too. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. But no. There

was no mistake this time. Galatea was smiling at him.

He laid his hand upon the limbs; the ivory felt soft to his touch and yielded to his fingers

like the wax of Hymettus. It seemed to be warm. Fearing he may be mistaken, again and

again with a lover’s ardor he touches the object of his hopes. It was indeed alive! Then

Pygmalion realized that the animation of his sculpture was the result of his prayer to Goddess

Aphrodite who knew his desire.

Soon Pygmalion and Galatea were wed, and Pygmalion never forgot to thank

Aphrodite for the gift she had given him. Aphrodite blessed the nuptials she had formed, and

this union between Pygmalion and Galatea produced a son named Paphos, from whom the

city Paphos, sacred to Aphrodite, received its name.

STORIES OF ADVENTURES

Oedipus Rex Story

At the start of the play, the city of Thebes is suffering terribly. Citizens are dying from

plague, crops fail, women are dying in childbirth and their babies are stillborn. A group of

priests comes to the royal palace to ask for help from Oedipus, their king who once saved

them from the tyranny of the terrible Sphinx. Oedipus has already sent his brother-in-

law, Creon, to the oracle of the god Apollo to find out what can be done. (A little background:
before Oedipus arrived in Thebes, the previous king, Laius, was murdered under mysterious

circumstances and the murderer was never found. When Oedipus arrived in Thebes and

saved the city, he was made king and married the widowed queen, Jocasta, sister of Creon.)

Now Creon returns with the oracle's news: for the plague to be lifted from the city, the

murderer of Laius must be discovered and punished. The oracle claims that the murderer is

still living in Thebes.

Oedipus curses the unknown murderer and swears he will find and punish him. He

orders the people of Thebes, under punishment of exile, to give any information they have

about the death of Laius. Oedipus sends for Tiresias, the blind prophet, to help with the

investigation. Tiresias comes, but refuses to tell Oedipus what he has seen in his prophetic

visions. Oedipus accuses Tiresias of playing a part in Laius's death. Tiresias grows angry and

says that Oedipus is the cause of the plague—he is the murderer of Laius. As the argument

escalates, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of plotting with Creon to overthrow him, while Tiresias

hints at other terrible things that Oedipus has done.

Convinced that Creon is plotting to overthrow him, Oedipus declares his intention to

banish or execute his brother-in-law. Jocasta and the chorus believe Creon is innocent and

beg Oedipus to let Creon go. He relents, reluctantly, still convinced of Creon's guilt. Jocasta

tells Oedipus not to put any stock in what prophets and seers say. As an example, she tells

him the prophecy she once received—that Laius, her first husband, would be killed by their

own son. And yet, Laius was killed by strangers, and her own infant son was left to die in the

mountains. But her description of where Laius was killed—a triple-crossroad—worries

Oedipus. It's the same place where Oedipus once fought with several people and killed them,

one of whom fit the description of Laius. He asks that the surviving eyewitness to Laius's

murder be brought to him. He tells Jocasta that oracles have played a big part in his life as
well—he received a prophecy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, which is

why he left Corinth, the city he was raised in, and never returned.

An old messenger arrives from Corinth with the news that Oedipus's father, King

Polybus, has died of old age. This encourages Oedipus. It seems his prophecy might not

come true, but he remains worried because his mother is still alive. The messenger tells him

not to worry—the king and queen of Corinth were not his real parents. The messenger himself

brought Oedipus as a baby to the royal family as a gift after a shepherd found the boy in the

mountains and gave him to the messenger. The shepherd was the same man Oedipus has

already sent for—the eyewitness to Laius's murder. Jocasta begs Oedipus to abandon his

search for his origins, but Oedipus insists he must know the story of his birth. Jocasta cries

out in agony and leaves the stage. The shepherd arrives but doesn't want to tell what he

knows. Only under threat of death does he reveal that he disobeyed the order to kill the infant

son of Laius and Jocasta, and instead gave that baby to the messenger. That baby was

Oedipus, who in fact killed his father Laius and married his mother. Oedipus realizes that he

has fulfilled his awful prophecy. Queen Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus, in a fit of grief,

gouges out his own eyes. Blind and grief-stricken, Oedipus bemoans his fate. Creon, after

consulting an oracle, grants Oedipus's request and banishes him from Thebes.

Odyssey Story

The story begins twenty years after Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War, and ten

years after he began his journey home to Ithaca. We enter the story in medias res – in the

middle of things: Odysseus is trapped on an island with the lovesick goddess Calypso, while

his wife and son suffer the transgressions of the suitors, noble young men who vie for

queen Penelope's hand. The loyal queen has rebuffed their advances for many years,

because she holds out hope that Odysseus may one day return. In the meantime the suitors

have run free in the household, holding noisy parties and draining the resources of the estate.
 The goddess Athena decides to intervene on Odysseus's behalf. She

convinces Zeus to send the messenger god Hermes to disentangle Odysseus from Calypso's

grasp, and she herself flies to Ithaca to give courage and guidance to the helpless young

prince Telemachus. She inspires Telemachus to set sail to Pylos and Sparta in search of

news about Odysseus; his newfound confidence and familial feeling alarms the suitors, who

plot to murder him on his way home. King Nestor of Pylos can't give Telemachus any

information about Odysseus, but King Menelaus of Sparta reports that he learned from the

sea god Proteus that Odysseus is alive on the island Ogygia.

Meanwhile, Hermes flies to Ogygia and tells Calypso to let Odysseus go. Odysseus

departs, and sails for seventeen days until he sees the Phaeacian shore; after some

difficulties, he reaches land and falls asleep. The next morning, the Phaeacian

princess Nausicaa finds him on the beach in a pitiable state. She gives him food and clothes

and offers to introduce him to her parents, the king and queen – but she asks that he enter

the city at a distance from her, to ward off uncharitable gossip.

After he spends some time at court, he tells Alcinous and Arete the full story of his

travels. He describes the Cicones, who punished Odysseus's men for recklessness and

greed, and the Lotus Eaters, whose flowers sent his men into a happy stupor. He tells the

king and queen how he blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus, who called on his

father Poseidon to avenge him. He tells them about Aeolus's bag of winds and about the

cannibal Laestrygonians, the witch Circe that turned his men into pigs, the journey to the

kingdom of the dead, the alluring Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis. With each

trial, the crew's death toll rose, and Odysseus's ingenuity grew more desperate. Finally, the

men anchored on the Island of the Sun. The prophet Tiresias warned Odysseus to keep his

crew from harming the Sun God's cattle, but the men killed a few animals when Odysseus

was asleep. When they were once again at sea, Zeus sent down a punitive bolt of lightning
that killed every man except Odysseus, who floated on a makeshift raft to Calypso's island,

where he lived in captivity for seven years.

Here Odysseus finishes his story. The next day, Alcinous sends him home in a

Phaeacian ship loaded with treasure. Athena apprises him of the dire situation in his

household, warns him of the suffering still to come, and disguises him as a ragged beggar.

She sends him to the farm of the loyal swineherd Eumaeus; she also advises Telemachus to

hurry home from Sparta. Father and son reunite and plot their revenge against the suitors.

The next day, Eumaeus and Odysseus come to court. The king's old

dog Argos recognizes him despite his changed appearance, and the

nurse Eurycleia recognizes him by the familiar hunting scar on his knee. Penelope is friendly

to him but does not yet guess his real identity. Some of the suitors mock and abuse Odysseus

in his disguise, but the king exercises great self-restraint and does not respond in kind.

Finally, the despairing queen announces that she will hold an archery contest: she will marry

the man that can use Odysseus's bow to shoot an arrow through a row of axes. But none of

the suitors can even string Odysseus's bow, let alone shoot it.

Odysseus, of course, shoots the arrow with grace and ease. Just then the slaughter

begins. With the help of Athena, the swineherd, and the cowherd, Odysseus and Telemachus

murder the suitors one by one; they also kill the disloyal maids and servants. Soon enough,

Odysseus reunites with Penelope. The suitors' families gather to avenge the murders, but

Zeus orders them to stand down. Odysseus must leave for a brief journey to appease

Poseidon, who still holds a grudge. Nevertheless, Ithaca is once again at peace.

Hercules Story (From section A)

Better-known as Hercules (the Latin version of his Greek name), Heracles was the all-

round action hero of Greek mythology. He was ordered to carry out his famous ‘Twelve
Labours’ as penance for the murder of his own wife and children, while he was in the service

of King Eurystheus, Hercules’ cousin. A few of them are quite famous – Hercules killing the

Nemean lion, or stealing the golden apples of the Hesperides – but others, such as slaying

the Stymphalian birds, are more obscure. Hercules was given twelve years to complete his

twelve labours.

Strangling the Nemean lion. The Nemean lion was a monster, the son of Orthrus and

Echidna. It dwelt in the region known as Nemea, living in a cave and feeding on whatever it

could find, causing havoc and terror throughout the land. The lion’s cave had two entrances.

After failing to kill the fearsome animal with his bow and arrow and his club, Hercules forced

the lion back into its cave, blocked up the other exit, and then strangled it to death. He flayed

the dead animal and wore its skin (with the animal’s head serving as a helmet).

Slaying the Lernaean Hydra. This monster was another of Echidna’s offspring, this time

with Typhon. The Hydra – a snake with several heads (how many differs from telling to telling,

from around five right up to a hundred) – had breath so foul that even that was enough to kill

a man. This time, Hercules’ arrows were successful against the beast, especially when he set

them on fire. He then chopped off the animal’s numerous heads. Thankfully, Hercules was

assisted by Iolaus, his nephew, which was just as well, since beheading the Lernaean Hydra

was a bit like playing whack-a-mole: as soon as a head was lopped off, it immediately grew

back. Together, the two of them used burning brands to seal up the various necks of the beast

so new heads couldn’t pop out.

Capturing the Erymanthian Boar. This creature lived on the snow-capped Mount

Erymanthus, and Hercules caught it by calling to it so it came out of its lair, and then leading it

a merry dance among the snow until, exhausted, the animal collapsed and he was able to

capture it and bring it alive to Mycenae.

 Capturing the Hind of Ceryneia. Next, Hercules had to capture a large female deer that

was ravaging the crops at Oenoe. This creature gave him the runaround, and it was only after

tracking it across vast northern terrains for over a year that he could eventually wound it with

an arrow and then capture it, taking it alive.

Killing the Stymphalian Birds. For this labour, Hercules faced a whole flock of these

birds which lived in Arcadia and were munching away at the crops. Using bronze castanets,

Hercules was able to shoo them out of the bushes and kill them with – you’ve guessed it – his

arrows.

Cleaning out the Augean Stables. This is one of the more famous labours of Hercules.

Eurystheus wanted to humiliate him by making him perform such drudgery. Augius owned

substantial herds, but he didn’t bother to have the dung cleared out of the stables. Hercules

completed this menial – and doubtless very smelly – task, but insisted on a wage for doing so.

Capturing the Cretan Bull. This creature also turns up in another famous myth,

involving Theseus and the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a man with the head of a bull: the

product of a rather twisted coupling between Pasiphaë, King Minos’ wife, and a ferocious bull

that Poseidon had brought out of the sea so that Minos could sacrifice it to him. However,

Minos was so taken by the bull that he sacrificed a different animal and hoped Poseidon

wouldn’t notice.

But Poseidon wasn’t fooled, and to punish Minos for his deceit he made the bull so

savage that it was a menace to Minos, and Pasiphaë, Minos’ wife, desired the bull – lying with

it and conceiving the famous Minotaur, a man with the head of a bull. Hercules travelled to

Crete and Minos gave him his blessing in his quest to capture the bull. Hercules then took the

bull to Hera, who freed it.

Stealing the Mares of Diomedes. Accounts vary for this labour, but the general plot

sees Hercules having to bring the four mares belonging to Diomedes, the King of Thrace,
alive to Eurystheus. But although Hercules managed to free the horses from the bronze

mangers in which they were kept, bound fast with iron chains, in some versions Hercules fed

Diomedes to his own horses, which devoured human flesh.

Capturing the Girdle of Queen Hippolyta. Eurystheus’ daughter Admete gave Hercules

this challenge: capture the girdle worn by Hippolyta, the fearsome Amazon warrior. Hercules

travelled to the land of the Amazons and persuaded Hippolyta to give him the girdle, but Hera

sowed division between the two parties and Hercules ended up killing Hippolyta.

The Cattle of Geryon. This adventure could form the basis of an epic in itself. Tasked

with travelling to the island of Erythia, where a man named Geryon owned a huge herd of

cattle, Hercules had to cross the Libyan desert and, growing sick of the heat, threatened to

shoot the sun, until Helios lent the hero his Cup of the Sun, which Hercules used to cross the

ocean.

But when the waves threatened to capsize the vessel, Hercules aimed his bow at

Oceanus, who, also fearful of being shot at, stopped making the waves rise up around the

Cup, allowing Hercules to make it safely to the island. Once there, our hero gathered up the

vast herds, slew the shepherd guarding them, and killed Geryon with his arrows. On his way

back to north Africa, he inspired a further legend, erecting two columns (the rocks of Gibraltar

and Ceusa) which became known as the ‘Pillars of Hercules’.

Fetching the dog Cerberus from the Underworld. No epic adventure story from

classical antiquity would be complete without a descent into the Underworld. For his next

labour, Hercules had to travel there to find Cerberus, the three-headed dog. Pluto, the god of

the Underworld, agreed to give Cerberus to Hercules, if he could train the dog without using a

weapon.
 Hercules eventually managed this, and brought the dog back up to the land of the living

with him. After he had shown Cerberus to Eurystheus to prove he had completed the task, he

returned the dog to Pluto.

Stealing the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. The last of Hercules’ twelve labours is

also one of the more famous, even though it sounds essentially like the ancient Greek version

of scrumping apples (or oranges, as the case may well have been). The Garden of the

Hesperides belonged to Hera, who put them under guard, the guard being a fearsome dragon

with a hundred heads (yet another monster that was one of Echidna’s offspring). Hercules

tricked Atlas into retrieving some of the golden apples for him, while he offered to help

shoulder Atlas’ burden (shouldering the heavens). When Atlas came back, he declined to take

back the heavens onto his own shoulders, but Hercules was having none of this.

He tricked Atlas by initially agreeing to the request, but asking that Atlas take the

heavens back onto his shoulders for just a moment while Heracles adjusted his cloak (or

added a cushion behind his head). Atlas, clearly not the brightest of Titans, agreed,

whereupon Heracles strolled off with the apples Atlas had retrieved for him.

In some accounts, however, Hercules didn’t require Atlas’ help and slew the dragon

and made off with the golden apples himself.

Hercules (From section B)

Heracles – or Hercules as he has been more popularly known ever since the Roman

times – was the greatest of all Greek heroes, “one who surpassed all men of whom memory

from the beginning of time has brought down an account.” A half-god of superhuman strength

and violent passions, Heracles was the epitome of bravery and masculinity in the ancient

world and the most notable champion of the Olympian order, which he staunchly protected

from various chthonic monsters and earthly villains. Even though his short temper and lack of
composure did cause both him and quite a few innocent mortals undeserved trouble, the

magnitude of his labors was of such an order that it earned him the prize of immortality. The

protagonist of hundreds of myths – the chronology of which is impossible to figure out –

Heracles is undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures in all of Greek mythology.

Hercules Birth and Childhood

A demigod sired by Zeus, Heracles showed immense promise ever since birth: he

strangled two snakes sent by Hera in his cradle. He had the very best teachers in his

childhood, and by the time he reached his teenage years, he had already outdone all of them

in both stature and strength.

Hercules Origins

As is almost typical in the case of heroes, Heracles was the product of a union of a

mortal woman (Alcmene) and a god (Zeus). In Heracles’ case, even his mother was of a

noteworthy parentage: Alcmene was the granddaughter of Perseus, possibly Greece’s

greatest hero before Heracles.

Hercules Birth

Disguised as her husband Amphitryon, Zeus slept with Alcmene on the same night that

Amphitryon himself did. Nine months later, Alcmene gave birth to twin sons: Iphicles to her

husband and Heracles to Zeus. Angry at Zeus’ infidelity – and not knowing which of

Alcmene's boys was Zeus’ – Hera secretly put two snakes in the twins’ cradle; Iphicles started

crying at the very sight, but Heracles strangled them in an instant. Now, it was suddenly

obvious who was the god and who the mortal of the two.

Hera’s Curse

Interestingly enough, the sending of the snakes was not the first misdeed of Hera

against Heracles – and it would certainly not be the last. Namely, just before Heracles’ birth,

Hera had persuaded Zeus to promise that the next child to be born in the House of Perseus
would become a High King – and the following one his servant. Truth be told, it wasn’t that

difficult for Hera to convince the Supreme God to make such an oath since that next-to-be-

born child should have been Heracles. However, once Zeus gave his word, Hera ordered

Eileithyia to delay Heracles’ coming to the world until Eurystheus’ premature birth – an event

which would eventually lead to Heracles’ celebrated labors.

Heracles’ Mentors

Heracles had a number of mentors. His father Amphitryon taught him to drive a chariot;

Autolycus, Odysseus’ grandfather, tutored him in wrestling; Eurytus, the king of Oechalia,

instructed Heracles in archery; Castor, the mortal Dioscuri twin, trained Heracles in fencing

and Harpalycus of Phanotè, a fearsome son of Hermes, in boxing. He acquired the art of

writing and learned the secrets of literature from Linus, a Muse’s son, who may have as well

taught Heracles the lyre; others say that Heracles’ music-teacher had been, in fact,

Eumolpus, the son of Philammon. Either way, Heracles’ education was entrusted to the best

of the best; even as a child, Heracles outdid them all.

Heracles’ adventures started in the eighteenth year of his life when he killed the Lion of

Cithaeron; an exceptional specimen of manhood and virility, by the time he was nineteen, he

had already fathered more than fifty children and bested a whole army!

The Lion of Cithaeron

The Lion of Mount Cithaeron preyed on the flocks of both Amphitryon and Thespius,

the king of Thespiae; while staying with the latter, Heracles killed the beast after hunting it

ferociously for fifty days straight. Having vanquished the lion, Heracles dressed himself in his

skin and ever since then wore the lion’s scalp as his helmet.

Amazed at the boy’s power and determination – and wishing that all of his daughters

should have a child by him – night by night, Thespius managed to send each of his fifty
daughters to Heracles’ bed. Thinking that his bedfellow was always one and the same,

Heracles had intercourse with all of them and fathered at least a child to each.

The Heralds of Erginus

Coming back triumphantly from the hunt, Heracles encountered the heralds of Erginus,

sent by the Minyan king to collect the annual Theban tribute of one hundred cows. After

learning of their intentions, Heracles – as one of our sources tells us – “cut off their ears and

noses and hands, and having fastened them by ropes from their necks, he told them to carry

that tribute to Erginus and the Minyans.” Furious, Erginus gathered the Minyan army and

marched against Thebes – but instead found his death at the hands of Heracles, who

afterward compelled the Minyans to pay double the original tribute to the Thebans.

Heracles’ Madness

Out of a profound sense of gratitude, Creon, the Theban king, gave Heracles his eldest

daughter Megara, with whom Heracles had at least two and as many as eight children. Either

way, after being struck with madness by the jealous Hera, Heracles killed them all. To purify

himself from this horrible sin, he was instructed by the Delphic oracle to serve Eurystheus, the

king of Tiryns, for the next twelve years of his life and carry out all of the tasks he would be

imposed with. Initially ten, these would eventually become the famous Twelve Labors of

Heracles.

The Twelve Labors of Heracles

Heracles is most famous for a cycle of twelve labors he did while serving his cousin

Eurystheus; here these are only listed; you can read more about each of them in the relevant

article (Labours of Heracles).

The Initial Ten Labors

Eurystheus’ original ten tasks for Heracles were the following ones:
1. To kill the Nemean Lion: First, Apollo sent Hercules to the hills of Nemea to kill a lion that

was terrorizing the people of the region. (Some storytellers say that Zeus had fathered this

magical beast as well.) Hercules trapped the lion in its cave and strangled it. For the rest of

his life, he wore the animal’s pelt as a cloak.

2. To kill the Lernaean Hydra: Second, Hercules traveled to the city of Lerna to slay the

nine-headed Hydra—a poisonous, snake-like creature who lived underwater, guarding the

entrance to the Underworld. For this task, Hercules had the help of his nephew Iolaus. He cut

off each of the monster’s heads while Iolaus burned each wound with a torch. This way, the

pair kept the heads from growing back.

3. To capture the Ceryneian Hind: Next, Hercules set off to capture the sacred pet of the

goddess Diana: a red deer, or hind, with golden antlers and bronze hooves. Eurystheus had

chosen this task for his rival because he believed that Diana would kill anyone she caught

trying to steal her pet; however, once Hercules explained his situation to the goddess, she

allowed him to go on his way without punishment

4. To capture the Erymanthian Boar: Fourth, Hercules used a giant net to snare the

terrifying, man-eating wild boar of Mount Erymanthus.

5. To clean the stables of Augeas in one day: Hercules’ fifth task was supposed to be

humiliating as well as impossible: cleaning all the manure out of King Augeas’ enormous

stables in a single day. However, Hercules completed the job easily, flooding the barn by

diverting two nearby rivers.

6. To kill the Stymphalian Birds: Hercules’ sixth task was straightforward: Travel to the town

of Stymphalos and drive away the huge flock of carnivorous birds that had taken up residence

in its trees. This time, it was the goddess Athena who came to the hero’s aid: She gave him a

pair of magical bronze krotala, or noisemakers, forged by the god Hephaistos. Hercules used

these tools to frighten the birds away.

7. To capture the Cretan Bull: Next, Hercules went to Crete to capture a rampaging bull that

had impregnated the wife of the island’s king. (She later gave birth to the Minotaur, a creature

with a man’s body and a bull’s head.) Hercules drove the bull back to Eurystheus, who

released it into the streets of Marathon.

8. To steal the Mares of Diomedes: Hercules’ eighth challenge was to capture the four man-

eating horses of the Thracian king Diomedes. He brought them to Eurystheus, who dedicated

the horses to Hera and set them free.

9. To steal the girdle of the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta: The ninth labor was

complicated: stealing an armored belt that belonged to the Amazon queen Hippolyte. At first,

the queen welcomed Hercules and agreed to give him the belt without a fight. However, the

troublemaking Hera disguised herself as an Amazon warrior and spread a rumor that

Hercules intended to kidnap the queen. To protect their leader, the women attacked the hero’s

fleet; then, fearing for his safety, Hercules killed Hippolyte and ripped the belt from her body.

10. To steal the cattle of the monster Geryon: For his 10th labor, Hercules was dispatched

nearly to Africa to steal the cattle of the three-headed, six-legged monster Geryon. Once

again, Hera did all she could to prevent the hero from succeeding, but eventually, he returned

to Mycenae with the cows.

The Final Two Labors

After Heracles completed the last of these ten labors, Eurystheus gave him two more,

since, in his opinion, the second and the fifth one couldn’t accurately count as done by

Heracles himself: the hero killed the Hydra with the help of Iolaus and cleaned the Augean

stables by rerouting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus. The final two labors Heracles was tasked

with were possibly the most dangerous of them all:

11. To steal the Hesperidean Apples: Next, Eurystheus sent Hercules to steal Hera’s

wedding gift to Zeus: a set of golden apples guarded by a group of nymphs known as the
Hesperides. This task was difficult—Hercules needed the help of the titans Prometheus and

Atlas to pull it off—but the hero eventually managed to run away with the apples. After he

showed them to the king, he returned them to the gods’ garden where they belonged.

12. To capture Cerberus, guardian of the Underworld: For his final challenge, Hercules

traveled to Hades to kidnap Cerberus, the vicious three-headed dog that guarded its gates.

Hercules managed to capture Cerberus by using his superhuman strength to wrestle the

monster to the ground. Afterward, the dog returned unharmed to his post at the entrance to

the Underworld.

Heracles’ Other Exploits

Sometimes referred to as Alexikakos – that is, “The Averter of Evil” – Heracles didn’t

take any rest even after completing these twelve labors, which would have surely guaranteed

him immortality by themselves. In fact, some say that he was busy fighting monsters and

villains even in between exhausting exploits, spending basically every spare moment of his

life purging the world of evil – even if often he was the one to decide what is evil and what is

not. It would be impossible to list – let alone describe – all of Heracles’ endeavors and victims

in such a short space – the brief catalog which follows doesn’t do any of them even the

slightest bit of justice.

Killing the Prometheus’ Eagle

On his road to the westernmost end of the world where the golden apples of the

Hesperides grew, Heracles happened upon the chained Prometheus and shot the giant eagle

which had tormented the Titan for centuries; in return, Prometheus gave him instructions on

how to get Atlas on his side and effortlessly fetch the golden apples for his eleventh labor.

Busiris, Emathion, and Antaeus

During this same journey, Heracles killed Busiris, the king of Egypt, and Emathion, the

king of Arabia; afterward, he defeated the giant Antaeus whom he reared and locked in a bear
hug so that he is unable to draw strength from his mother, the Earth – a trait which had

practically made him invincible in the past.

Freeing Theseus from Hades

While trying to capture Cerberus from the Underworld, Heracles came across Theseus

and Pirithous, eternally glued to two seats in Hades because of their misguided attempt to

abduct Persephone; he successfully managed to raise Theseus from his seat and free him,

but he was warned by an earthquake to stop there and leave Pirithous behind him.

Murdering Iphithus and Fighting Apollo

After Eurythius, Heracles’ former trainer in archery, declined to give the hero his

daughter Iole in marriage – even though Heracles had won her hand fair and square in an

archery match – Heracles savagely killed Iphithus, Eurythius’ son and Iole’s brother. Because

of the murder, Heracles was afflicted with a terrible disease, so he went to the Oracle of

Delphi to get some advice on what to do. When he received no answer, he grabbed the tripod

of the Oracle and would have broken it if Apollo hadn’t intervened; a fight broke out between

the two and who knows what would have happened if Zeus hadn’t hurled a thunderbolt to

separate the mighty opponents.

Serving Omphale

Now, Heracles got his answer: once again he was supposed to be someone’s servant

as an act of expiation for the murder of Iphithus. This time, however, he was the slave of a

queen – more specifically the Queen of Lybia, Omphale. While in Omphale’s employ,

Heracles did many courageous feats, ranging from the capture of Cecropes to the annihilation

of Lybia’s fiercest enemies, the Itones.

The Argonauts

About this time, Heracles decided to join the Argonautic expedition. Quite naturally, he

was unanimously elected to be the captain of the journey, but he, nevertheless, decided to
step down in favor of Jason. Soon after finding out that his beloved Hylas had been

kidnapped by nymphs, Heracles left the expedition altogether.

Death and Apotheosis

The Shirt of Nessus

Heracles’ second wife was Deianira, sister of the mighty hero Meleager. Soon after

their marriage, Deianira was sinisterly attacked by the Centaur Nessus, whom Heracles

subsequently killed with his unerring arrows dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernaean

Hydra. With his dying breath, Nessus convinced Deianira to take his blood-covered (and,

thus, poisonous) shirt and use it as a love-charm for whenever she feels as if her husband is

about to be unfaithful. Deianira kept the shirt of Nessus for years before she finally gave it to

Heracles, fearing that he has fallen in love with Iole. However, the moment Heracles had put

on the shirt on himself, the poison started eating up his flesh, causing the mighty hero such

pain that even he was unable to bear it.

The Funeral Pyre

In agony, Heracles built himself a funeral pyre on Mount Oeta and mounted it, waiting

for someone to set it alight. Nobody was willing to, but, fortunately, his friend Poeas happened

to pass by and, after some convincing, agreed to set light to the pyre. In return, he got

Heracles’ bow and arrows. Heracles, on the other hand, was taken up to Olympus, wedded to

Hebe, and turned into a deity.