Characters from Greek mythology. Heroes of Greek mythology. Historical sources of Greek myths

Ancient Greece is one of the richest sources of myths about the gods, ordinary people And
the mortal heroes who protected them. Over the centuries, these stories have been created
poets, historians and simply "witnesses" of the legendary deeds of fearless heroes,
having the powers of demigods.

Hercules, the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, was famous for special honor among the heroes.
Alcmene. The most famous myth of all can be considered a cycle of 12 exploits,
which the son of Zeus performed alone, being in the service of King Eurystheus. Even
in the celestial constellation you can see the constellation Hercules.

Achilles is one of the bravest Greek heroes who undertook a campaign against
Troy led by Agamemnon. Stories about him are always full of courage and
courage. No wonder he is one of the key figures in the writings of the Iliad, where he
given more honor than any other warrior.

He was described not only as an intelligent and brave king, but also as
great speaker. He was the main key figure in the story "The Odyssey".
His adventures and return to his wife Penelope found an echo in the hearts
many people.

Perseus was no less a key figure in ancient Greek mythology. He
is described as the winner of the monster Gorgon Medusa, and the savior of the beautiful
princess Andromeda.

Theseus can be called the most famous character in all of Greek mythology. He
most often appears not only in the Iliad, but also in the Odyssey.

Jason is the leader of the Argonauts who went to search for the golden fleece in Colchis.
This task was given to him by his father's brother Pelius in order to destroy him, but it
brought him eternal glory.

Hector in ancient Greek mythology appears before us not only as a prince
Troy, but also the great commander who died at the hands of Achilles. He is placed on a par with
many heroes of that time.

Ergin is the son of Poseidon, and one of the Argonauts who set off for the Golden Fleece.

Talai is another of the Argonauts. Honest, fair, smart and reliable -
as described by Homer in his Odyssey.

Orpheus was not so much a hero as a singer and musician. However, his
the image can be "meet" in many paintings of that time.

Agamemnon- one of the main heroes of the ancient Greek national epic, the son of the Mycenaean king Atreus and Aeropa, the leader of the Greek army during the Trojan War.

Amphitryon- the son of the king of Tiryns Alkey and the daughter of Pelop Astidamia, the grandson of Perseus. Amphitryon took part in the war against the teleboys who lived on the island of Taphos, which was waged by his uncle, the Mycenaean king Electrion.

Achilles- in Greek mythology, one of the greatest heroes, the son of King Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons and the sea goddess Thetis, the grandson of Aeacus, main character Iliad.

ajax- the name of two participants in the Trojan War; both fought near Troy as applicants for the hand of Helen. In the Iliad, they often appear side by side and are compared to two mighty lions or bulls.

Bellerophon- one of the main characters of the older generation, the son of the Corinthian king Glaucus (according to other sources, the god Poseidon), the grandson of Sisyphus. Bellerophon's original name is Hippo.

Hector- one of the main characters of the Trojan War. The hero was the son of Hecuba and Priam, the king of Troy. According to legend, he killed the first Greek who set foot on the land of Troy.

Hercules- national hero of the Greeks. Son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Gifted with mighty strength, he performed the most difficult work on earth and accomplished great feats. Having atoned for his sins, he ascended Olympus and achieved immortality.

Diomedes- the son of the Aetolian king Tydeus and the daughter of Adrasta Deipyla. Together with Adrast he took part in the campaign and the ruin of Thebes. As one of Helen's suitors, Diomedes subsequently fought near Troy, leading a militia on 80 ships.

Meleager- the hero of Aetolia, the son of the Calydonian king Oineus and Alfea, the husband of Cleopatra. Member of the campaign of the Argonauts. Meleager was most famous for his participation in the Calydonian hunt.

Menelaus- King of Sparta, son of Atreus and Aeropa, husband of Helen, younger brother of Agamemnon. Menelaus, with the help of Agamemnon, gathered friendly kings for the Ilion campaign, and he himself put up sixty ships.

Odysseus- "angry", king of the island of Ithaca, son of Laertes and Anticlea, husband of Penelope. Odysseus is the famous hero of the Trojan War, also famous for his wanderings and adventures.

Orpheus- the famous Thracian singer, the son of the river god Eagra and the muse Calliope, the husband of the nymph Eurydice, who set trees and rocks in motion with his songs.

Patroclus- the son of one of the Argonauts Menetius, a relative and ally of Achilles in the Trojan War. As a boy, he killed his friend during a dice game, for which his father sent him to Peleus in Phthia, where he was brought up with Achilles.

Peleus- the son of the king of Aegina Aeacus and Endeida, the husband of Antigone. For the murder of his half-brother Phocus, who defeated Peleus in athletic exercises, he was expelled by his father and retired to Phthia.

Pelops- the king and national hero of Phrygia, and then the Peloponnese. Son of Tantalus and the nymph Euryanassa. Pelops grew up on Olympus in the company of the gods and was the favorite of Poseidon.

Perseus- the son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of the king of Argos Acrisius. Slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and savior of Andromeda from the dragon's claims.

Talphibius- a messenger, a Spartan, together with Eurybatus was the herald of Agamemnon, carrying out his instructions. Talthybius, together with Odysseus and Menelaus, gathered an army for the Trojan War.

Teucer- the son of Telamon and the daughter of the Trojan king Hesion. The best archer in the Greek army near Troy, where more than thirty defenders of Ilion fell from his hand.

Theseus- the son of the Athenian king Aeneas and Ethera. He became famous for a number of exploits, like Hercules; kidnapped Helena with Peyrifoy.

Trophonius- originally a chthonic deity, identical with Zeus the Underground. According to popular belief, Trophonius was the son of Apollo or Zeus, the brother of Agamed, the pet of the goddess of the earth - Demeter.

Phoroneus- the founder of the Argos state, the son of the river god Inach and the Hamadryad Melia. He was honored as a national hero; sacrifices were made at his grave.

Frasimede- the son of the Pylos king Nestor, who arrived with his father and brother Antiloch near Ilion. He commanded fifteen ships and took part in many battles.

Oedipus- the son of the Finnish king Lai and Jocasta. He killed his father and married his mother without knowing it. When the crime was discovered, Jocasta hanged herself, and Oedipus blinded himself. Died pursued by Erinyes.

Aeneas- the son of Anchises and Aphrodite, a relative of Priam, the hero of the Trojan War. Aeneas, like Achilles among the Greeks, is the son of a beautiful goddess, a favorite of the gods; in battles he was defended by Aphrodite and Apollo.

Jason- the son of Aison, on behalf of Pelias, went from Thessaly for the Golden Fleece to Colchis, for which he equipped the campaign of the Argonauts.

Kronos, in ancient Greek mythology, was one of the titans, born from the marriage of the sky god Uranus and the earth goddess Gaia. He succumbed to the persuasion of his mother and castrated his father Uranus in order to stop the endless birth of his children.

To avoid repeating the fate of his father, Kronos began to swallow all his offspring. But in the end, his wife could not stand such an attitude towards their offspring and let him swallow a stone instead of a newborn.

Rhea hid her son, Zeus, on the island of Crete, where he grew up, fed by the divine goat Amalthea. He was guarded by kuretes - warriors who drowned out the cry of Zeus with blows to the shields so that Kronos would not hear.

Having matured, Zeus overthrew his father from the throne, forced him to rip out his brothers and sisters from the womb, and after a long war took his place on the bright Olympus, among the host of gods. So Kronos was punished for his betrayal.

In Roman mythology, Kronos (Chroos - "time") is known as Saturn - a symbol of inexorable time. IN Ancient Rome festivities were dedicated to the god Kronos - saturnalia, during which all rich people changed their duties with their servants and fun began, accompanied by abundant libations. In Roman mythology, Kronos (Chroos - "time") is known as Saturn - a symbol of inexorable time. In ancient Rome, festivities were dedicated to the god Kronos - saturnalia, during which all rich people changed their duties with their servants and fun began, accompanied by abundant libations.

Rhea("Ρέα", in ancient myth-making Greek goddess, one of the Titanides, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, the wife of Kronos and the mother of the Olympic deities: Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter and Hera (Hesiod, Theogony, 135). Kronos, fearing that one of his children would deprive him of power, devoured them immediately after birth. Rhea, on the advice of her parents, saved Zeus. Instead of a born son, she planted a swaddled stone, which Kronos swallowed, and secretly from her father Rhea sent her son to Crete, to Mount Dikta. When Zeus grew up, Rhea attached her son to Kronos as a butler, and he was able to mix an emetic potion into his father's cup, freeing his brothers and sisters. According to one version of the myth, Rhea deceived Kronos at the birth of Poseidon. She hid her son among the grazing sheep, and gave Kronos the foal to swallow, referring to the fact that it was she who gave birth to him (Pausanias, VIII 8, 2).

The cult of Rhea was considered one of the very ancient, but was not very common in Greece itself. In Crete and Asia Minor, she mingled with the Asian goddess of nature and fertility, Cybele, and her worship came to a more prominent plane. Especially in Crete, the legend about the birth of Zeus in the grotto of Mount Ida, which enjoyed special reverence, was localized, as evidenced by the large number of dedications, partly very ancient, found in it. In Crete, the tomb of Zeus was also shown. The priests of Rhea were here called Curetes and identified with the Corybantes, the priests of the great Phrygian mother Cybele. Rhea entrusted them with the preservation of the baby Zeus; clattering with their weapons, the curets drowned out his crying so that Kronos could not hear the child. Rhea was depicted in a matronal type, usually with a crown of city walls on her head, or in a veil, mostly sitting on a throne, near which sit the lions dedicated to her. Its attribute was the tympanum (an ancient musical percussion instrument, the forerunner of the timpani). In the period of late antiquity, Rhea was identified with the Phrygian Great Mother of the gods and received the name Rhea-Cybele, whose cult was distinguished by an orgiastic character.

Zeus, Diy ("bright sky"), in Greek mythology, the supreme deity, the son of the titans Kronos and Rhea. The almighty father of the gods, the lord of the winds and clouds, rain, thunder and lightning caused storms and hurricanes with a blow of the scepter, but he could also calm the forces of nature and clear the sky of clouds. Kronos, fearing to be overthrown by his children, swallowed all the older brothers and sisters of Zeus immediately after their birth, but Rhea, along with her youngest son, gave Kropos a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, and the baby was secretly taken out and raised on the island of Crete.

The matured Zeus sought to pay off his father. His first wife, the wise Metis ("thought"), the daughter of the Ocean, advised him to give his father a potion, from which he would vomit all swallowed children. Having defeated the Kronos who gave birth to them, Zeus and the brothers divided the world among themselves. Zeus chose the sky, Hades - the underworld of the dead, and Poseidon - the sea. The land and Mount Olympus, where the palace of the gods was located, were decided to be considered common. Over time, the world of Olympians changes and becomes less cruel. Ores, daughters of Zeus from Themis, his second wife, brought order into the life of gods and people, and Charites, daughters from Eurynome, the former mistress of Olympus, brought joy and grace; the goddess Mnemosyne gave birth to Zeus 9 muses. Thus, law, sciences, arts and moral norms have taken their place in human society. Zeus was also the father of famous heroes - Hercules, Dioscuri, Perseus, Sarpedon, glorious kings and sages - Minos, Radamanth and Aeacus. True, Zeus's love affairs with both mortal women and immortal goddesses, which formed the basis of many myths, caused constant antagonism between him and his third wife Hera, the goddess of legal matrimony. Some children of Zeus born out of wedlock, such as Hercules, were severely persecuted by the goddess. In Roman mythology, Zeus corresponds to the omnipotent Jupiter.

Hera(Hera), in Greek mythology, the queen of the gods, the goddess of the air, the patroness of the family and marriage. Hera, the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, raised in the house of Oceanus and Tethys, sister and wife of Zeus, with whom, according to Samos legend, she lived in a secret marriage for 300 years, until he openly declared her his wife and queen of the gods. Zeus honors her highly and communicates his plans to her, although he keeps her on occasion within her subservient position. Hera, mother of Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus, Ilithyia. Differs in imperiousness, cruelty and jealous disposition. Especially in the Iliad, Hera shows quarrelsomeness, stubbornness and jealousy - character traits that have passed into the Iliad, probably from the oldest songs that glorified Hercules. Hera hates and pursues Hercules, as well as all the favorites and children of Zeus from other goddesses, nymphs and mortal women. When Hercules was returning on a ship from Troy, she, with the help of the god of sleep Hypnos, put Zeus to sleep and, through the storm she raised, almost killed the hero. As punishment, Zeus tied the treacherous goddess to the ether with strong golden chains and hung two heavy anvils at her feet. But this does not prevent the goddess from constantly resorting to cunning when she needs to get something from Zeus, against whom she can do nothing by force.

In the struggle for Ilion, she patronizes her beloved Achaeans; the Achaean cities of Argos, Mycenae, Sparta are her favorite places of residence; she hates the Trojans for the Judgment of Paris. The marriage of Hera with Zeus, which originally had an elemental meaning - the connection between heaven and earth, then receives a relation to the civil institution of marriage. As the only legal wife on Olympus, Hera is the patroness of marriages and childbirth. A pomegranate apple, a symbol of marital love, and a cuckoo, a messenger of spring, the pores of love, were dedicated to her. In addition, the peacock and the crow were considered her birds.

The main place of her worship was Argos, where stood a colossal statue of her, made of gold and ivory by Polykleitos, and where the so-called Hereias were celebrated every five years in her honor. In addition to Argos, Hera was also honored in Mycenae, Corinth, Sparta, Samos, Plataea, Sicyon and other cities. Art represents Hera as a tall, slender woman, with a majestic posture, mature beauty, a rounded face, bearing an important expression, a beautiful forehead, thick hair, large, strongly opened "cow" eyes. The most remarkable image of her was the above-mentioned statue of Polikleitos in Argos: here Hera was sitting on a throne with a crown on her head, with a pomegranate in one hand, with a scepter in the other; at the top of the scepter is a cuckoo. Above the long tunic, which left only the neck and arms uncovered, a himation was thrown over, entwined around the camp. In Roman mythology, Hera corresponds to Juno.

Demeter(Δημήτηρ), in Greek mythology, the goddess of fertility and agriculture, civil organization and marriage, daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister and wife of Zeus, from whom she gave birth to Persephone (Hesiod, Theogony, 453, 912-914). One of the most revered Olympian deities. The ancient chthonic origin of Demeter is attested by her name (literally, "mother earth"). Cult references to Demeter: Chloe ("greenery", "sowing"), Carpophora ("giver of fruits"), Thesmophora ("legislator", "organizer"), Sieve ("bread", "flour") indicate the functions of Demeter as goddess of fertility. She is a goddess gracious to people, of a beautiful appearance with hair the color of ripe wheat, an assistant in peasant labors (Homer, Iliad, V 499-501). She fills the farmer's barns with provisions (Hesiod, Opp. 300, 465). They call on Demeter so that the grains come out full-fledged and that the plowing is successful. Demeter taught people plowing and sowing, combining in a sacred marriage on a thrice-plowed field of the island of Crete with the Cretan god of agriculture Jason, and the fruit of this marriage was Plutos, the god of wealth and abundance (Hesiod, Theogony, 969-974).

Hestia-goddess of the virgin hearth, the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, the patroness of unquenchable fire, uniting gods and people. Hestia never returned her advances. Apollo and Poseidon asked for her hands, but she vowed to remain a virgin forever. One day, the drunken god of gardens and fields, Priapus, tried to dishonor her, sleeping, at a festival where all the gods were present. However, at the moment when the patron of voluptuousness and sensual pleasures, Priapus prepared to do his dirty deed, the donkey screamed loudly, Hestia woke up, called for the help of the gods, and Priapus turned in fear and fled.

Poseidon, in ancient Greek mythology, the god of the underwater kingdom. Poseidon was considered the ruler of the seas and oceans. The underwater king was born from the marriage of the goddess of the earth Rhea and the titan Kronos and immediately after birth was swallowed up by his father, who was afraid that they would take away his power over the world. Zeus later freed them all.

Poseidon lived in an underwater palace, among a host of gods obedient to him. Among them was his son Triton, Nereids, Amphitrite's sisters and many others. The god of the seas was equal in beauty to Zeus himself. By sea, he moved in a chariot, which was harnessed to wondrous horses.

With the help of a magic trident, Poseidon controlled the deep sea: if there was a storm on the sea, then as soon as he held out the trident in front of him, the enraged sea calmed down.

The ancient Greeks greatly revered this deity and, in order to achieve his location, brought many sacrifices to the underwater ruler, throwing them into the sea. This was very important for the inhabitants of Greece, since their well-being depended on whether merchant ships would pass through the sea. Therefore, before going to sea, travelers threw a sacrifice to Poseidon into the water. In Roman mythology, it corresponds to Neptune.

Hades, Hades, Pluto ("invisible", "terrible"), in Greek mythology, the god of the kingdom of the dead, as well as the kingdom itself. Son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. When the world was divided after the overthrow of his father, Zeus took the sky for himself, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld; the brothers agreed to rule the land together. The second name of Hades was Polydegmon ("recipient of many gifts"), which is associated with the countless shadows of the dead that live in his domain.

The messenger of the gods, Hermes, forwarded the souls of the dead to the ferryman Charon, who transported only those who could pay for the crossing through the underground river Styx. The entrance to the underground kingdom of the dead was guarded by the three-headed dog Kerberos (Cerberus), who did not allow anyone to return to the world of the living.

Like the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks believed that the kingdom of the dead is located in the bowels of the earth, and the entrance to it is in the extreme west (west, sunset are symbols of dying), beyond the Ocean River, washing the earth. The most popular myth about Hades is associated with the abduction of Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of fertility Demeter. Zeus promised him his beautiful daughter without asking her mother's consent. When Hades took the bride away by force, Demeter almost lost her mind from grief, forgot about her duties, and hunger seized the earth.

The dispute between Hades and Demeter over the fate of Persephone was resolved by Zeus. She must spend two thirds of the year with her mother and one third with her husband. Thus, the alternation of the seasons was born. Once Hades fell in love with the nymph Minta or Mint, who was associated with the waters of the realm of the dead. Upon learning of this, Persephone, in a fit of jealousy, turned the nymph into a fragrant plant.

ABDER - son of Hermes, friend of Hercules

AUGIUS - son of Helios, king of Elis

Agenor - King of Sidon

AGLAVRA - daughter of Kekrop

AGLAYA - one of the graces

ADMET - king of Fer, friend of Hercules

ADMETA - daughter of Eurystheus, priestess of the goddess Hera

Hades - the god of the underworld (among the ancient Romans PLUTO)

ACID - son of Semetis, beloved of Galatea

ACRISIA - king of Argos, father of Danae

ALKESTIS - daughter of Tsar Iolk Pelias, wife of Admet

Alkid - the name of Hercules, given to him at birth

Alcyone - one of the seven daughters of Atlas

ALCMENA - daughter of the Mycenaean king Electrion, mother of Hercules

AMALTHEA - the goat who nursed Zeus with her milk

AMPHITRION - Greek hero, husband of Alcmene

AMPHITRITE - one of the daughters of Nereus, the wife of the god of the seas Poseidon

ANGEY - Greek hero, member of the Argonauts campaign

ANDROGEUS - the son of the Cretan king Minos, killed by the Athenians

ANDROMEDA - daughter of the king of Ethiopia Cepheus and Cassiopeia, wife of Perseus

ANTEUS - the son of the goddess of the earth Gaia and the god of the seas Poseidon

ANTEA - the wife of King Tiryns Pretus

Antiope - Amazon

APOLLO (PHEB) - god of sunlight, patron of the arts, son of Zeus

APOP - in ancient Egyptian mythology, a monstrous serpent, the enemy of the sun god Ra

ARGOS - the shipbuilder who built the ship "Argo"

ARGUS - a mythological stout-eyed monster that guarded Io

ARES - in ancient Greek mythology, the god of war, the son of Zeus and Hera (among the ancient Romans, MARS)

ARIADNE - daughter of the Cretan king Minos, beloved of Theseus, later the wife of the god Dionysus

ARCADE - son of Zeus and Callisto

ARTEMIS - goddess of the hunt, daughter of Zeus and Latona, sister of Apollo

ASKLEPIUS (ESCULAP) - the son of Apollo and Coronis, a skilled healer

ASTEROPE - one of the seven daughters of Atlas

ATA - goddess of lies and deceit

ATAMANT - King Orchomenus, son of the god of the winds Eol

ATLAS (ATLANT) - a titan holding the entire celestial sphere on his shoulders

ATHENA - the goddess of war and victory, as well as wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts (among the ancient Romans MINERVA)

APHRODITE - the goddess of love and beauty (the ancient Romans VENUS)

AHELOY - river god

Achilles - Greek hero, son of King Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis

BELLER - Corinthian killed by Hippo

BELLEROPHONT (HIPPONOES) - the son of King Glaucus of Corinth, one of the greatest heroes of Greece

Boreas - god of the winds

VENUS (see APHRODITE)

VESTA (see HESTIA)

GALATEA - one of the Nereids, beloved Akida

Ganymede - a beautiful young man, the son of the Dardanian king Troy, abducted by Zeus

HARMONY - daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, wife of the founder of Thebes Cadmus

HEBA - eternally young beautiful daughter of Zeus and Hera

HEKATE - patroness of night evil spirits, witchcraft

HELIOS - sun god

HELIADS - daughters of the god Helios

GELLA - daughter of Atamant and the goddess of clouds and clouds Nephele

HERA - wife of Zeus

GERION - a terrible giant who had three heads, three bodies, six arms and six legs

HERCULES - one of the greatest heroes of Greece, the son of Zeus and Alcmene

HERMES - in Greek micrology, the messenger of the Olympic gods, the patron of shepherds and travelers, the god of trade and profit, the son of Zeus and Maya (among the ancient Romans, MERCURY)

GERSE - daughter of Kekrop

Hesione - wife of Prometheus

HESPERIDES - daughters of Atlas

HESTIA - daughter of Kronos, goddess of the hearth (among the ancient Romans VESTA)

Hephaestus - in Greek mythology, the god of fire, the patron of blacksmithing, the son of Zeus and Hera (among the ancient Romans, VOLCANO)

GAYA - the goddess of the Earth, from which mountains and seas originated, the first generation of gods, cyclops and giants

HYADES - daughters of Atlas who raised Dionysus

GIAS - brother of Hyades, who tragically died while hunting lions

GILAS - Hercules' squire

GILL - son of Hercules

HYMENEUS - god of marriage

Himeroth - god of passionate love

HYPERION - Titan, father of Helios

HYPNOS - god of sleep

Hippocontus - brother of Tiidareus, who expelled him from Sparta

HYPPONOES (see VELLEROFONT)

Hypsipyla - queen of the island of Lemnos

GLAVK - king of Corinth, father of Bellerophon

GLAVK - soothsayer

GRANI - goddesses of old age

Danae - daughter of King Argos Acrisius, mother of Perseus

DAR DAN - son of Zeus and daughter of Atlas Electra

Daphne - nymph

Deucalion - son of Prometheus

Daedalus - unsurpassed sculptor, painter, architect

DEIMOS (Horror) - son of the god of war Ares

DEMETRA - the goddess of fertility and the patroness of agriculture

Dejanira - wife of Hercules

DIKE - goddess of justice, daughter of Zeus and Themis

DICTIS - a fisherman who found a box with Danae and Perseus in the sea

DIOMED - Thracian king

Dione - nymph, mother of Aphrodite

Dionysus - god of viticulture and winemaking, son of Zeus and Semele

Eurystheus - king of Argos, son of Stenel

HEBRITO - father of Ifit, friend of Hercules

Eurytion - the giant slain by Hercules

EUROPE - daughter of King Sidon Agenor, beloved of Zeus

EUTERPA - the muse of lyric poetry

Euphrosyne - one of the Charites (Graces)

ELENA - daughter of Zeus and Leda, wife of Menelaus, because of whose abduction by Paris, the Trojan War began

ECHIDNA - monster, half-woman half-snake

ZEUS - the ruler of Heaven and Earth, the thunderer, the supreme god of the ancient Greeks (among the ancient Romans, JUPITER)

ZET - the son of the god of the winds Boreas, a participant in the campaign of the Argonauts

ID - Castor and Pollux's cousin, Castor's killer

IKAR - the son of Daedalus, who died because he got too close to the Sun

Icarius - a resident of Attica, the first to grow grapes and make wine

IMHOTEP - ancient Egyptian physician and architect

INO - daughter of the founder of Thebes Cadmus and Harmony, wife of King Orchomenus Adamant, stepmother of Frix and Gella

IO - daughter of the river god Inach, the first king of Argolis, beloved of Zeus

IOBAT - Lycian king, father of Anthea

IOLA - daughter of Bvrit

IOLAI - nephew of Hercules, son of Iphicles

IPPOLITUS - the son of the Athenian king Theseus and Hippolyta, slandered by his stepmother Fed-roy

Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons

IRIDA - messenger of the gods

Isis - ancient Egyptian goddess, great-granddaughter of the sun god Ra

Iphicles - brother of Hercules, son of Amphitryon and Alcmene

IFIT - friend of Hercules, killed by him in a fit of madness

KADM - the son of the Sidonian king Agekor, the founder of Thebes

KALAID - the son of the god of the winds Boreas, a participant in the campaign of the Argonauts

Calliope - the muse of epic poetry

CALLISTO - daughter of the Arcadian king Lycaon, beloved of Zeus

Kalhant - soothsayer

CASSIOPEIA - Queen of Ethiopia, wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda

CASTOR - son of Leda and the Spartan king Tin-dareus, brother of Pollux

Karpo - ora of summer, one of the goddesses who were in charge of the change of seasons

KEKROP - half man, half snake, founder of Athens

KELENO - one of the daughters of Atlas

KERVER (CERBER) - a three-headed dog with a snake tail, guarding in underworld Hades souls of the dead

KEFEI (see CEFEI)

KICN - Phaeton's friend who turned into a snow-white swan

KILIK - son of the Sidonian king Agenor

KLYMENE - daughter of the sea goddess Thetis, wife of Helios, mother of Phaethon

CLIO - the muse of history

KLYTEMNESTRA - daughter of Leda and the Spartan king Tyndareus, wife of Agamemnon

CAPRICORN - son of Epian, childhood friend of Zeus

KOPREI - the messenger of Bvristhey, who transmitted orders to Hercules

KORONIDA - beloved of Apollo, mother of Asclepius (Aesculapius)

Creon - Theban king, father of Megara, the first wife of Hercules

KRONOS - Titan, son of Uranus and Gaia. Having overthrown his father, he became the supreme god. In turn, he was overthrown by his son Zeus

Laomedont - King of Troy

LATONA (SUMMER) - Titanide, beloved of Zeus, mother of Apollo and Artemis

LEARCH - the son of Atamant and Ino, killed by his father in a fit of madness

LEDA - wife of the Spartan king Tyndareus, mother of Helen, Clytemnestra, Castor and Pollux

LYCAON - king of Arcadia, father of Callisto

Lycurgus - Thracian king who insulted Dionysus and was blinded by Zeus as punishment

LIN - music teacher of Hercules, brother of Orpheus

LINKEY - cousin of Castor and Pollux, distinguished by extraordinary vigilance

LICHAS - messenger of Hercules

MAYA - daughter of Atlas, beloved of Zeus, mother of Hermes

MARDUK - the patron god of the city of Babylon, the supreme deity of the Babylonian pantheon

MARS (see ARES)

MEG ARA - daughter of the Theban king Creon, the first wife of Hercules

MEDEIA - sorceress, daughter of the king of Colchis Eeta, wife of Jason, later the wife of the Athenian king Aegeus

MEDUSA GORGON - the only mortal of the three Gorgon sisters - winged female monsters with snakes instead of hair; the look of the Gorgon turned all living things into stone

MELANIPPE - Amazon, assistant to Hippolyta

MELIKERT - the son of King Atamant and the sorceress Ino

MELPOMENE - muse of tragedy

MERCURY (see HERMES)

MEROPE - daughter of Atlas

METIS - the goddess of wisdom, the mother of Pallas Athena (among the ancient Romans METIS)

MIMAS - a giant struck by the arrow of Hercules during the battle of the gods with the giants

MINOS - king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europe

MINOTAUR - a monster with a human body and a bull's head, who lived in the Labyrinth, was killed by Theseus

Mnemosyne - goddess of memory and remembrance

Pug - a Greek hero who understood the language of birds and guessed the future, a participant in the campaign of the Argonauts

NEPTUNE (see POSEIDON)

NEREIDS - fifty daughters of Nereus

NEREI - sea god, soothsayer

NESS - a centaur who tried to kidnap Dejanira, the wife of Hercules, and was killed by him

NEPHELA - goddess of clouds and clouds, mother of Frix and Gella

NIKTA - goddess of the night

NOT - the god of the southern wet wind

NUT - the ancient Egyptian goddess of Heaven

OVERON - in Scandinavian mythology king of the elves, character in W. Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

OYNEUS - king of Calydon, father of Meleager - friend of Hercules and Dejanira - his wife

OCEANIDS - daughters of the Ocean

OMFALA - Lydian queen who enslaved Hercules

ORION - brave hunter

ORPHEUS - the son of the river god Eagra and the muse Calliope, a famous musician and singer

ORFO - a two-headed dog, a product of Typhon and Echidna

Ores - goddesses who were in charge of the change of seasons

OSIRIS - in ancient Egyptian mythology, the god of dying and resurrecting nature, brother and husband of Isis, father of Horus, patron and judge of the dead

PALLANT - a giant defeated by Athena, from whom she took off her skin and covered her shield with this skin

PANDORA - a woman made by Hephaestus on the orders of Zeus from clay in order to punish people, the wife of Epimetheus - the brother of Prometheus

PANDROSA - daughter of Kekrops, the first Athenian king

Pegasus - winged horse

Peleus - Greek hero, father of Achilles

PELIUS - king of Iolk, father of Alcestis

PENEUS - river god, father of Daphne

PERIFET - a terrible giant, son of Hephaestus, killed by Theseus

PERSEUS - Greek hero, son of Zeus and Danae

PERSEPHONE - the daughter of the goddess of fertility Demeter and Zeus, the wife of the ruler of the underworld Hades (among the ancient Romans PROSERPINA)

Pyrrha - Deucalion's wife

Pittheus - king of Argolis

Pythia - the prophetess of the god Apollo in Delphi

PYTHON - the monstrous serpent that pursued Latona is killed by Apollo

PLEIADS - seven daughters of Atlas, sister of Hyades

PLUTO (see HADES)

POLYHYMNIA - the muse of sacred hymns

POLIDEUCUS (POLLUX) - son of Zeus and Leda, brother of Castor

POLYDECT - the king of the island of Serif, who sheltered Danae and Perseus

POLYID - soothsayer

Polyphemus - Cyclops, son of Poseidon, in love with Galatea

POLYPHEM - Lapith, husband of the sister of Hercules, participant in the campaign of the Argonauts

POSEIDON - the god of the seas, the brother of Zeus (among the ancient Romans, NEPTUNE)

PRET - king of Tiryns

PRIAM - Trojan king

PROMETHEUS - the titan who gave people fire

RA - the sun god of the ancient Egyptians

RADAMANT - son of Zeus and Europa

REZIA - daughter of the Caliph of Baghdad, faithful wife of Huon

Rhea - wife of Kronos

Sarpedon - son of Zeus and Europa

SATURN (see KRONOS)

SELENA - Goddess of the Moon

SEMELE - daughter of the Theban king Cadmus, beloved of Zeus, mother of Dionysus

SEMETIS - mother of Acida, lover of Galatea

STRONG - wise teacher Dionysus, depicted as a drunken old man

SINNID - a terrible robber defeated by Theseus

SKIRON - a cruel robber defeated by Theseus

SOHMET - daughter of Ra, had the head of a Lioness, the personification of the fire element

STENEL - father of Eurystheus

STENO - one of the Gorgons

Scylla - one of two terrible monsters that lived on both sides of a narrow strait and killed sailors passing between them

TAIGET - son of Zeus and Maya, brother of Hermes

TAL - nephew of Daedalus, killed by him out of envy

THALIA - the muse of comedy

TALLO - ora of spring

TALOS - a copper giant, presented by Zeus to Minos

THANATOS - god of death

TEIA - the eldest daughter of Uranus, the mother of Helios, Selene and Eos

TELAMON- true friend Hercules, a member of the campaign of the Argonauts

TERPSIKHORA - the muse of dances

TESEN - a Greek hero, the son of the Athenian king Aegeus and the Trizen princess Etra, killed the Minotaur

TESTIUS - king of Estonia, father of Leda

TEPHIA - Titanide, wife of the Ocean

TYNDAREUS - Spartan hero, husband of Leda

Tiresias - soothsayer

TITANIA - in Scandinavian mythology, the wife of Oberon, a character in W. Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

TITON - brother of the Trojan king Priam

Typhon - a hundred-headed monster, the offspring of Gaia and Tartarus

THOT - the ancient Egyptian god of the moon

TRIPTOLEM - the first farmer who initiated people into the secrets of agriculture

TRITON - the son of the ruler of the seas Poseidon

Troy - king of Dardan, father of Ganymede

URANUS - the god of Heaven, the husband of Gaia, the father of the titans, cyclops and hundred-armed giants; was overthrown by his son Kronos

URANIA - the muse of astronomy

PHAETON - the son of Helios and Clymene, the hero of a tragic myth

FEBA - titanide

PHEDRA - the wife of the Athenian king Theseus, who fell in love with her stepson Hippolytus and slandered him

Themis - goddess of justice, mother of Prometheus

PHOENIX - son of the Sidonian king Agenor

Thetis - sea goddess, mother of Achilles

FIAMAT - the ancient Babylonians have a monster from which all troubles stemmed

PHILOCTETES - friend of Hercules who received his bow and arrows as a reward for setting fire to the funeral pyre

PHINEUS - the king of Thrace, a soothsayer blinded by Apollo for revealing to people the secrets of Zeus

PHOBOS (Fear) - the son of the god of war Ares

FRIX - the son of Atamant and Nephele, the goddess of clouds and clouds

CHALKIOPE - daughter of the king of Colchis Eeta, wife of Frix

CHARIBDA - one of the monsters that lived on both sides of the narrow strait and killed sailors passing by

HARON - carrier dead souls across the river Styx in the underworld of Hades

Chimera - a three-headed monster, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna

CHIRON is a wise centaur, a teacher of the famous Greek heroes Theseus, Achilles, Jason and others.

HYUON - a knight of Charlemagne, an example of a faithful spouse

CEPHEI - king of Ethiopia, father of Ariadne

SHU - son of the sun god Ra

EAGR - river god, father of Orpheus

Euryale - one of the Gorgons

Eurydice - nymph, wife of Orpheus

EGEI - king of Athens, father of Theseus

ELEKTRA - daughter of Atlas, beloved of Zeus, mother of Dardanus and Jason

ELECTRION - Mycenaean king, father of Alcmene, grandfather of Hercules

ENDYMION - a beautiful young man, beloved of Selena, immersed in eternal sleep

ENCELADUS - the giant whom Athena filled up with the island of Sicily

ENIO - the goddess who sows murder in the world, the companion of the god of war Ares

EOL - god of the winds

EOS - goddess of the dawn

EPAF - Phaethon's cousin, son of Zeus

Epian - father of Capricorn

Epimetheus - brother of Prometheus

ERATO - the muse of love songs

Erigone - daughter of Ikaria

ERIDA - goddess of discord, companion of the god of war Ares

Erichthonius - son of Hephaestus and Gaia, second king of Athens

EROS (EROT) - god of love, son of Aphrodite

Aesculapius (see ASCLEPIUS)

ESON - king of Iolk, father of Jason

EET - king of Colchis, son of Helios

JUNO (see HERA)

JUPITER (see ZEUS)

Janus - god of time

IAPET - titan, father of Atlas

YASION - son of Zeus and Electra

Jason - Greek hero, leader of the Argonauts campaign

In ancient Greek mythology, there was a class of characters called "heroes". Heroes differed from the gods in that they were mortal. More often they were the descendants of a god and a mortal woman, less often - a goddess and a mortal man. Heroes, as a rule, possessed exceptional or supernatural physical abilities, creative talents, etc., but did not possess immortality.

Achilles (Achilles)

The son of the mortal Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and the sea goddess Thetis. During the long siege of Ilion, Achilles repeatedly launched raids on various neighboring cities. Achilles is the main character in Homer's Iliad. Achilles joined the campaign against Troy at the head of 50 or even 60 ships, taking with him his tutor Phoenix and childhood friend Patroclus. Having slain many enemies, Achilles in the last battle reached the Skean gates of Ilion, but here an arrow shot from the bow of Paris by the hand of Apollo himself hit him in the heel, and the hero died. Achilles was buried in a golden amphora, which Dionysus presented to Thetis.

Son of the god Zeus and Alcmene, daughter of the Mycenaean king. Numerous myths have been created about Hercules, the most famous is the cycle of legends about 12 exploits performed by Hercules when he was in the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.

There are also many legends about the death of Hercules. According to Ptolemy Hephaestion, having reached the age of 50 and finding that he could no longer draw his bow, he threw himself into the fire. Hercules ascended to heaven, was accepted among the gods, and Hera, reconciled with him, marries her daughter Hebe, the goddess of eternal youth, to him. Happily lives on Olympus, and his ghost is in Hades.

Odysseus

The son of Laertes and Anticlea, the husband of Penelope, the grandson of Autolycus and the father of Telemachus, who became famous as a participant in the Trojan War, was an intelligent and quirky orator. One of the key characters in the Iliad, the protagonist of the Odyssey.

Perseus

Son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. He defeated the monster Gorgon Medusa, was the savior of the princess Andromeda. Perseus is mentioned in Homer's Iliad.

Theseus

son of the Athenian king Aegeus and Ephra, daughter of the king of Troezen Pettheus. The central figure of Attic mythology and one of the most famous characters in all of Greek mythology. Mentioned already in the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Hector

The bravest leader of the Trojan army, the main Trojan hero in the Iliad. He was the son of the last Trojan king Priam and Hecuba (the second wife of King Priam). According to other sources, he was the son of Apollo. His wife was Andromache. He killed Patroclus, a friend of Achilles, and was himself killed by Achilles, who several times dragged his body around the walls of Troy with his chariot and then gave it to Priam for a ransom.

Bellerophon

Nickname of Hippo. Son of Glaucus and Eurymede (or Poseidon and Eurynome). After he killed the Corinthian Bellaire, he became known as the "killer of Bellaire". In the myths about this, the heroes described quite a few exploits.

Orpheus

The legendary singer and musician - lyre performer, whose name personified the power of art. Son of the Thracian river god Eagra and the muse Calliope. Participated in the campaign of the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece. He did not revere Dionysus, but worshiped the Sun-Apollo, ascending Mount Pangea towards sunrise.

Pelops

Son of Tantalus and Euryanassa (or Dione), brother of Niobe, king and national hero of Phrygia and then Peloponnese. The oldest mention of PELOP is contained in Homer's Iliad.

Phoroneus

Son of Inach and Melia. King of all the Peloponnese, or the second king of Argos. Phoroneus was the first to unite people in society, and the place where they gathered was called the city of Phoronikon, after Hermes translated the languages of people, and discord began between people.

Aeneas

Hero of the Trojan War from the royal family of Dardani. In the Iliad he killed 6 Greeks. According to Gigin's calculations, he killed 28 soldiers in total. Companions of Aeneas in his wanderings, described in Latin by the ancient Roman poet Virgil in the Aeneid.

Jason

Son of King Iolk Aeson and Polymede (Alkimede). A hero, a participant in the Calydonian hunt, the leader of the Argonauts who set off on the Argo ship to Colchis for the Golden Fleece. Mentioned in the Iliad and the Odyssey. According to one version, Jason committed suicide by hanging himself, or he died with Glaucus, or was killed in the sanctuary of Hera in Argos, according to another version, he lived to old age and died under the wreckage of the dilapidated Argo, falling asleep in its shadow.

We can distinguish the following features that allow us to attribute the characters of Greek myths to heroes. First, they are all of divine origin. Prometheus is the son of the titan Iapetus, the cousin of Zeus, his mother is the oceanid Clymene. Perseus is a descendant of Hercules, the son of the Argive princess Danae and Zeus. Theseus, on his mother's side, is descended from Zeus, and his father is Poseidon himself. Orpheus is the son of the Thracian river god Eagra and the muse Calliope. Hercules is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Daedalus is the grandson of the Athenian king Erechtheus and the son of Metion.

Mythology Ancient Greece built on myths about the pantheon of gods, about the life of titans and giants, as well as about the exploits of heroes. In the myths of ancient Greece, the main active force was the Earth, giving rise to everything and giving everything a start.

What was first

So she gave birth to monsters personifying dark power, titans, cyclops, hecatoncheirs - hundred-armed monsters, the many-headed serpent Typhon, the terrible goddesses Erinnia, the bloodthirsty dog Cerberus and the Lernean hydra and three-headed chimeras.

Society developed and these monsters were replaced by the heroes of Ancient Greece. Most of the heroes parents were gods, they were also people. Part of the culture of Greece is the myths about the exploits of these heroes, and some of the names of the heroes of Ancient Greece are well known.

Hercules

Hercules - popular, strong, courageous was the son of the god Zeus and Alcmene, a simple, earthly woman. He became famous for his twelve feats accomplished in his entire life. Zeus gave him immortality for this.

Odysseus

Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, he became famous for his deadly risky journeys from Troy to his homeland. Homer described these exploits in his poem The Odyssey. Odysseus was smart, cunning and strong. He managed to escape not only from the nymph Calypso, but also from the sorceress Kirk.

He managed to defeat the Cyclops by blinding him, he survived a lightning strike, and when he returned to his homeland, he punished all the "suitors" of his wife Penelope.

Perseus

It is impossible not to remember Perseus, if we talk about the names of the heroes of Ancient Greece. The son of Queen Danae and Zeus is Perseus. He accomplished a feat by killing Medusa Gorgon - a winged monster, from the look of which everything turned to stone. He accomplished the next feat when he freed Princess Andromeda from the clutches of the monster.

Achilles

Achilles became famous in the Trojan War. He was the son of the nymph Thetis and King Peleus. When he was a baby, his mother bought him in the waters of the river of the dead. Since then, he has been invulnerable to enemies, with the exception of his heel. Paris, the son of the Trojan king, hit him in this heel with an arrow.

Jason

The ancient Greek hero Jason became famous in Colchis. Jason went for the Golden Fleece to distant Colchis on the Argo ship with a team of brave Argonauts, married Medea, the daughter of the king of this country. They had two sons. Medea killed him and her two sons when Jason was about to marry a second time.

Theseus

The ancient Greek hero Theseus was the son of the sea king Poseidon. He became famous for killing the monster that lived in the Cretan labyrinth - the Minotaur. He got out of the labyrinth thanks to Ariadne, who gave him a ball of thread. In Greece, this hero is considered the founder of Athens.

The names of the heroes of Ancient Greece are also not forgotten thanks to the filmed animated and feature films.