DEMI-GODS
Achilles,Aeacus,Aeneas,Chymene,Cycnus,Dardanus,Dioscuri,Epaphus,Gilgamesh, Helen,Hercules,Lansion,Maui,Minos,Memmon,Orion,Orpheus,Peirithous,Pereus, Rhadamanthus,Sarpedon,Theseus,Tityas,Zetes,Zeethus.
Perseus
by James Hunter
Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Danae's father, King Acrisius, set Danae and her son adrift on the sea
because of a prophecy that Perseus would kill him. The two were taken in by
Polydectes, the king of Seriphus. Polydectes later conceived a passion for
Danae, but was unable to force his attentions on her because Perseus had grown
into a redoubtable protector. To get rid of Perseus, Polydectes sent him on a
quest to bring back the head of the Gorgon Medusa, a snake-haired maiden who turned all who saw
her into stone.
Perseus accomplished his quest with the help of Hermes and Athena. He went first to the Gorgons' sisters, the Graeae, who had only one eye and one tooth which they
shared among themselves. Perseus took the eye and the tooth, and agreed to give
them back only if the Graeae helped him in his quest. They helped him acquire a
pair of winged sandals, a wallet or satchel, and the cap of Hades; the sandals enabled him to fly, the satchel
was to carry the Gorgon's head, and the cap conferred invisibility on its
wearer. Wearing the cap, he approached Medusa, looking only at her reflection in
his shield, and cut off her head.
As he flew back over Africa on his way home, he encountered Atlas; in the course of a struggle, he used the
Gorgon's head to turn Atlas to stone (thereby forming the Atlas Mountains). He
also dripped blood from the head onto the sands of the African desert, giving
birth to the deadly vipers of that region. Later in the journey he saw the
maiden Andromeda
chained naked to a rock by the sea as a sacrifice to a sea monster. He fell in
love with her and bargained with her father, Cepheus, for her hand in marriage if he killed the
monster. He succeeded in slaying the beast, but at the wedding feast Phineus, a
jilted suitor of Andromeda, angrily demanded the bride. In the battle which
followed, Perseus used Medusa's head to turn Phineus and his followers into
stone.
When he returned to Seriphus, he found that Polydectes was still persecuting
Danae. He used the Gorgon's head once again, and turned Polydectes to stone. He
then gave the sandals, satchel and cap to Hermes; he gave the Gorgon's head to
Athene, who emblazoned it upon the aegis which protected her in battle. Finally
he returned to Acrisius' kingdom, where he fulfilled the prophecy by
accidentally killed the king while throwing the discus.
by James Hunter
Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Danae's father, King Acrisius, set Danae and her son adrift on the sea
because of a prophecy that Perseus would kill him. The two were taken in by
Polydectes, the king of Seriphus. Polydectes later conceived a passion for
Danae, but was unable to force his attentions on her because Perseus had grown
into a redoubtable protector. To get rid of Perseus, Polydectes sent him on a
quest to bring back the head of the Gorgon Medusa, a snake-haired maiden who turned all who saw
her into stone.
Perseus accomplished his quest with the help of Hermes and Athena. He went first to the Gorgons' sisters, the Graeae, who had only one eye and one tooth which they
shared among themselves. Perseus took the eye and the tooth, and agreed to give
them back only if the Graeae helped him in his quest. They helped him acquire a
pair of winged sandals, a wallet or satchel, and the cap of Hades; the sandals enabled him to fly, the satchel
was to carry the Gorgon's head, and the cap conferred invisibility on its
wearer. Wearing the cap, he approached Medusa, looking only at her reflection in
his shield, and cut off her head.
As he flew back over Africa on his way home, he encountered Atlas; in the course of a struggle, he used the
Gorgon's head to turn Atlas to stone (thereby forming the Atlas Mountains). He
also dripped blood from the head onto the sands of the African desert, giving
birth to the deadly vipers of that region. Later in the journey he saw the
maiden Andromeda
chained naked to a rock by the sea as a sacrifice to a sea monster. He fell in
love with her and bargained with her father, Cepheus, for her hand in marriage if he killed the
monster. He succeeded in slaying the beast, but at the wedding feast Phineus, a
jilted suitor of Andromeda, angrily demanded the bride. In the battle which
followed, Perseus used Medusa's head to turn Phineus and his followers into
stone.
When he returned to Seriphus, he found that Polydectes was still persecuting
Danae. He used the Gorgon's head once again, and turned Polydectes to stone. He
then gave the sandals, satchel and cap to Hermes; he gave the Gorgon's head to
Athene, who emblazoned it upon the aegis which protected her in battle. Finally
he returned to Acrisius' kingdom, where he fulfilled the prophecy by
accidentally killed the king while throwing the discus.
Greek Mythology Hercules - The Mortal Who Became a God
By Randy
Wilson
When Hercules was born to Alcmene, she named him Herakles. But in Roman,
Herakles is pronounced Hercules, which is the name we use for Hercules to this
day. Hercules in Greek mythology is a great figure of valor and muscle strength.
Hercules bravery earned him a place among the gods. After he left the mortal
world, he found a position on Mount Olympus, the gods' dwelling place.
Zeus, the King of the gods was an unfaithful husband. He had a weakness for
worldly pleasures. He fell in love with Alcmene, the wife of Amphitryon. In a
short time, Alcmene conceived Hercules. This angered Hera and she tried to kill
Hercules. Hercules survived his first fatal assault with a miracle.
When Hercules reached adulthood he became a famous warrior. He also fell in
love with a beautiful woman called Megara. Megara became the mother of Hercules'
children and together they made a happy family. However, things were to be
different. Hera took a vow to irritate Hercules during his lifetime. She tricked
Hercules into a wild rage. In his rage, the mortal god Hercules killed his
family. This was exactly what Hera wanted!
When Hercules returned to his normal state of mind, he saw things were beyond
remedy. He prayed to Apollo to get rid of his crime. Apollo was the sun god who
could read into the future. We find in Greek Mythology that Hercules requested
his advice. Apollo assigned him ten important tasks (later it was turned to
twelve) as the way of purifying his soul.
The Delphic oracle sent him to Tiryns where the king Eurystheus ruled.
Hercules was expected to serve him as laborer for twelve years of his life.
However, the difficult service was not fruitless. Apollo promised him
immortality. He was to become a god. However, the great Hercules of greek
mythology had one problem, Hera. She actually kept her promise to make Hercules'
life as wretched as she could. Nevertheless, with the assistance of Hermes and
Athena, Hercules pulled off his term of twelve years with excellence. In
addition, he became the greatest mortal on the earth to become a god.
Hercules In Greek Mythology - What Made Him So Special?
The honorable penance of Hercules and his eventual success is what makes him
so special. His success brought him immortality, which would have been
unthinkable for ordinary mortals. Hercules' first task was to peel off the skin
of the horrifying Nemean Lion after capturing one. His next task was to kill The
Lernean Hydra. The Lernean Hydra was a serpent with nine heads, which never
gave peace to the lives of those around it. The third task for him was to bring
a Hind (a sacred red deer) from Ceryneia to the king. The deer was the pet of
Diana, the Moon goddess.
The fourth task for Hercules was to bring a live Erymanthian Boar. It was
very dangerous to men and animals living around the mountain Erymanthus. Then
Hercules was asked to clean up King Augeas' stables in one day. Are you thinking
what is so great about it? King Augeas had an awesome amount of cattle of cows,
bulls, goats, sheep and horses. Hercules proposed to King Augeas that he would
clean the stable only if he rewarded Hercules with a tenth of his cattle.
After this success, Eurystheus was planning to make something tougher for
Hercules. He commanded Hercules to force out an enormous flock of birds, which
assembled at a lake near the town of Stymphalos. Goddess Athena helped him with
a pair of bronze krotala, an item similiar to castanets. The Cretan Bull was an
easy task for Hercules. Hercules wrestled the bull, and then delivered it back
to King Eurystheus.
The eighth task was to bring the Man-Eating Horses of Diomedes. It was
followed by the battle against the Amazonian female army to get the belt of
Hippolyte, the queen. The tenth labor was an awesome one. Hercules had to go
around the world, to bring the cattle of the Monster Geryon. It had three heads
and three sets of legs all attached at the waist.
The tricky assignment was the eleventh one. Eurystheus asked Hercules to get
the Apples of the Hesperides. These were the golden apples gifted by Hera to
Zeus. These apples were strictly guarded by a hundred-headed dragon, named
Ladon, and also by Hesperides, daughters of Atlas. The other obstacle was that
Hercules had no idea where these apples of Hesperides were located. Eventually,
Hercules found the location from Nereus whom he seized until Nereus gave him the
location of the apples of Hesperides.
Then Hercules found out through Prometheus, whom Hercules had helped, that he
would have to have Atlas retrieve the apples. Hercules agreed to hold the sky
and the earth while Atlas retrieved the apples. When Atlas returned with the
apples, he told Hercules that if he would hold the sky and earth for the rest of
time, that he would take them to Eurystheus himself. But Hercules fooled Atlas
by asking him to hold the earth until he padded his shoulders. Atlas took
Hercules place holding the earth, and Hercules picked up the apples and ran.
After making the great Hercules do all sorts of unbelievable errands,
Eurystheus made sure that he did not succeed the last time. So, he ordered
Hercules to abduct Cerberus, the underworld beast. Did you ever hear a living
man visiting the Hades? However, Greek mythology tells us Hercules was no
ordinary man. He was a hero.
He eventually did complete all the tasks, purified his soul and rescued the
princess of Troy from a ravenous sea-monster. He also facilitated Zeus to beat
the Giants in a great battle for the control of Olympus. He married again, to
the charming Deianira. She presented him a cloak, which was coated with what she
mistakenly thought to be a magic love potion. She was told that the balm would
make the person love her forever.
Ironically, it was poison, which burned Hercules skin. Hercules, not being
able to endure the pain asked his friends to kindle a fire. Then Hercules placed
himself on the fire to be burned up alive. But the gods looked down, and Zeus
thought that Hercules had suffered enough. So he asked Hera to end her anger
toward Hercules, which she did. Then Hercules was brought to Olympus in Athena's
chariot by Zeus' request.
This Greek mortal Hercules is undoubtedly the greatest hero of Greek
Mythology. Hercules is still considered to be the perfect mythical
character.
© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/37435
By Randy
Wilson
When Hercules was born to Alcmene, she named him Herakles. But in Roman,
Herakles is pronounced Hercules, which is the name we use for Hercules to this
day. Hercules in Greek mythology is a great figure of valor and muscle strength.
Hercules bravery earned him a place among the gods. After he left the mortal
world, he found a position on Mount Olympus, the gods' dwelling place.
Zeus, the King of the gods was an unfaithful husband. He had a weakness for
worldly pleasures. He fell in love with Alcmene, the wife of Amphitryon. In a
short time, Alcmene conceived Hercules. This angered Hera and she tried to kill
Hercules. Hercules survived his first fatal assault with a miracle.
When Hercules reached adulthood he became a famous warrior. He also fell in
love with a beautiful woman called Megara. Megara became the mother of Hercules'
children and together they made a happy family. However, things were to be
different. Hera took a vow to irritate Hercules during his lifetime. She tricked
Hercules into a wild rage. In his rage, the mortal god Hercules killed his
family. This was exactly what Hera wanted!
When Hercules returned to his normal state of mind, he saw things were beyond
remedy. He prayed to Apollo to get rid of his crime. Apollo was the sun god who
could read into the future. We find in Greek Mythology that Hercules requested
his advice. Apollo assigned him ten important tasks (later it was turned to
twelve) as the way of purifying his soul.
The Delphic oracle sent him to Tiryns where the king Eurystheus ruled.
Hercules was expected to serve him as laborer for twelve years of his life.
However, the difficult service was not fruitless. Apollo promised him
immortality. He was to become a god. However, the great Hercules of greek
mythology had one problem, Hera. She actually kept her promise to make Hercules'
life as wretched as she could. Nevertheless, with the assistance of Hermes and
Athena, Hercules pulled off his term of twelve years with excellence. In
addition, he became the greatest mortal on the earth to become a god.
Hercules In Greek Mythology - What Made Him So Special?
The honorable penance of Hercules and his eventual success is what makes him
so special. His success brought him immortality, which would have been
unthinkable for ordinary mortals. Hercules' first task was to peel off the skin
of the horrifying Nemean Lion after capturing one. His next task was to kill The
Lernean Hydra. The Lernean Hydra was a serpent with nine heads, which never
gave peace to the lives of those around it. The third task for him was to bring
a Hind (a sacred red deer) from Ceryneia to the king. The deer was the pet of
Diana, the Moon goddess.
The fourth task for Hercules was to bring a live Erymanthian Boar. It was
very dangerous to men and animals living around the mountain Erymanthus. Then
Hercules was asked to clean up King Augeas' stables in one day. Are you thinking
what is so great about it? King Augeas had an awesome amount of cattle of cows,
bulls, goats, sheep and horses. Hercules proposed to King Augeas that he would
clean the stable only if he rewarded Hercules with a tenth of his cattle.
After this success, Eurystheus was planning to make something tougher for
Hercules. He commanded Hercules to force out an enormous flock of birds, which
assembled at a lake near the town of Stymphalos. Goddess Athena helped him with
a pair of bronze krotala, an item similiar to castanets. The Cretan Bull was an
easy task for Hercules. Hercules wrestled the bull, and then delivered it back
to King Eurystheus.
The eighth task was to bring the Man-Eating Horses of Diomedes. It was
followed by the battle against the Amazonian female army to get the belt of
Hippolyte, the queen. The tenth labor was an awesome one. Hercules had to go
around the world, to bring the cattle of the Monster Geryon. It had three heads
and three sets of legs all attached at the waist.
The tricky assignment was the eleventh one. Eurystheus asked Hercules to get
the Apples of the Hesperides. These were the golden apples gifted by Hera to
Zeus. These apples were strictly guarded by a hundred-headed dragon, named
Ladon, and also by Hesperides, daughters of Atlas. The other obstacle was that
Hercules had no idea where these apples of Hesperides were located. Eventually,
Hercules found the location from Nereus whom he seized until Nereus gave him the
location of the apples of Hesperides.
Then Hercules found out through Prometheus, whom Hercules had helped, that he
would have to have Atlas retrieve the apples. Hercules agreed to hold the sky
and the earth while Atlas retrieved the apples. When Atlas returned with the
apples, he told Hercules that if he would hold the sky and earth for the rest of
time, that he would take them to Eurystheus himself. But Hercules fooled Atlas
by asking him to hold the earth until he padded his shoulders. Atlas took
Hercules place holding the earth, and Hercules picked up the apples and ran.
After making the great Hercules do all sorts of unbelievable errands,
Eurystheus made sure that he did not succeed the last time. So, he ordered
Hercules to abduct Cerberus, the underworld beast. Did you ever hear a living
man visiting the Hades? However, Greek mythology tells us Hercules was no
ordinary man. He was a hero.
He eventually did complete all the tasks, purified his soul and rescued the
princess of Troy from a ravenous sea-monster. He also facilitated Zeus to beat
the Giants in a great battle for the control of Olympus. He married again, to
the charming Deianira. She presented him a cloak, which was coated with what she
mistakenly thought to be a magic love potion. She was told that the balm would
make the person love her forever.
Ironically, it was poison, which burned Hercules skin. Hercules, not being
able to endure the pain asked his friends to kindle a fire. Then Hercules placed
himself on the fire to be burned up alive. But the gods looked down, and Zeus
thought that Hercules had suffered enough. So he asked Hera to end her anger
toward Hercules, which she did. Then Hercules was brought to Olympus in Athena's
chariot by Zeus' request.
This Greek mortal Hercules is undoubtedly the greatest hero of Greek
Mythology. Hercules is still considered to be the perfect mythical
character.
© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/37435