1) The Fates
The Fates, also known as the Morai, were perhaps the three most powerful beings in all of Greek mythology. The sisters were completely in control of all life and destiny. Sometimes they were considered to be daughters of the elder goddess Nyx, a primordial goddess of night. In these versions, they often resided along with their siblings, which included beings of disease, vengeance, and other powerful concepts. Other versions are children of Zeus, the king god of Olympus. But no matter their origin, their control over fate made them feared and respected.
The youngest sister of the Fates was Clotho. Clotho represented the moment of birth, and was often considered a goddess of the final month of pregnancy. Clotho held a distaff, a thread spindle on which the other Fates would work. The middle sister is Lachesis, who was in control of the events of one’s life. She spun the thread from Clotho’s distaff, and used her measuring pole to decide how long one’s life would be. The eldest sister was Atropos. She decided when and how one would die. Once she decided on the death, she would cut the string with her shears. Many considered these shears to be cursed. The Fates, respectively, controlled what was, what is, and what will be.
The Fates were feared by all beings, even the gods themselves. The Fates controlled the lives of anyone. Occasionally, Zeus was able to command them, such as when he asked them to revive Pelops. But even Zeus was subject to the whims of the Fates. They were beings that made certain that all life followed their destiny.
2) Titanomachy
The first great war of Greek mythology was the Titanomachy, where the Olympian gods fought their elder generation, the Titans. The Titans were led by Cronos, the Titan of Harvest. Leading the Olympians was Zeus. The two sides fought for control over the earth.
The Titanomachy was rooted in the previous conflict between the Titans and their father, Uranus. Cronos convinced his siblings to help him overthrow their father for his cruelty. When they defeated Uranus, the deposed king cursed the Titans to be overthrown by their children, just as he was. While Cronos ruled for a long time, he eventually grew paranoid about the curse. He began devouring his children whole. His wife, Rhye, hid their youngest child away and tricked Cronos into swallowing a stone instead. Their youngest, Zeus, grew up, and freed his siblings by forcing Cronos to vomit them up.
The war lasted for a decade. The gods only stood a chance once they freed prisoners that Cronos had kept in Tartarus. The Cyclopes were some of these prisoners, and forged Zeus’ lightning bolts. With these weapons, Zeus was able to win the war and take control over the cosmos.
3) Heracles’ Twelve Labors
Many people know of Hercules, the Roman name of the hero Heracles. But not many know about his more grisly origins. As a son of Zeus, Heracles was hated by Queen Hera. Hera was always angry at Zeus’ infidelity, but she could not punish him. So she redirected her vengeance to Zeus’ children. Heracles was named so to help appease Hera, but it had little effect on the Queen Goddess. Hera sent a plague of madness over Heracles. While insane, Heracles killed his wife and children. When he regained his senses, Heracles was forced to atone for his sin by doing ten labors for his enemy, King Eurystheus. If Heracles completed these tasks, his sin would be cleansed and he would be granted godhood.
Heracles’ labors were a variety of tasks issued by the King. He slayed various monsters, like the invincible Nemean lion or the venomous-blooded Lernean Hydra. He also had to retrieve the Underworld guardian Cerberus, the belt of the Queen of the Amazons, and a golden deer of Artemis. But the king discounted two of Heracles’ labors, since Heracles received personal gain from them. Therefore, Heracles had to complete twelve labors.
Heracles finished his labors, and continued to go on various adventures. He often sails with the Argonauts and fights giants alongside the gods. His fame grew until he was considered one of the most ideal heroes in all of Greek mythology. When he eventually died, he was indeed made a god and allowed his own spot on Olympus.
4) Tartarus
Just as Greek mythology is known for its many heroes, there are just as many villains. For all the wicked deeds committed by men and immortals, there were fitting punishments awaiting them in Tartarus, the Greek equivalent of hell.
Tartarus was the home of the worst of the worst. It was extremely deep, with some texts referring to it as being equivalent to the sky. It would take nine days to fall from the heavensto the earth, and it would take nine days to fall from the earth to Tartarus.
Each prisoner of Tartarus was punished in a way befitting their crimes. Tantalus was a king who stole food from the gods and tried to feed the gods his own son. His punishment thus involved food, as he was forever stuck in a pond below a fruit tree. Every time he attempted to eat the fruit, the branches would rise, and when he tried to drink, the water receded. There were many other harsh punishments, such as being tied to a spinning, flaming wheel or having vultures peck out their liver every day.
5) Daedalus and Icarus
Many people know the phrase “fly too close to the sun”. With its origins in this Greek myth, it has lasted for centuries, and for good reason. It’s a poignant yet simple tale, that sends a timeless message.
Daedalus was an inventor, hired by King Minos of Crete to build a labyrinth. This labyrinth was built to store the monstrous Minotaur, and Minos did not want the secret of the labyrinth to spread. So Minos had Daedalus imprisoned in a tower, along with his son Icarus. In order to escape, Daedalus built Icarus and himself pairs of fake wings, held together by beeswax.
Daedalus warned Icarus that, if they flew too high, the sun would melt the wax. If they flew too low, the spray from the ocean would dampen the wax. Either way, the wings would break. Then the two leapt from their tower in hopes of gaining their freedom. Icarus was thrilled by his ability to fly, and he went higher and higher. He forgot his father’s warning in the excitement and thrill. Only when the feathers of his wings started to scatter did he remember. Icarus desperately tried to flap his wings, but there was nothing he could do. Icarus fell to the ocean and drowned. Daedalus mourned his son, and honored him by naming the next island Daedalus reached after Icarus.
6) King Midas
King Midas is another compelling story passed down from the older generations. It is a classic case of “be careful what you wish for.” Midas suffered and learned a valuable lesson due to his own greed.
King Midas came across a satyr, and recognized the nature spirit as one of Dionysus’ council. Midas let the satyr stay with him for a week, then returned him to the god of wine. Dionysus was grateful to Midas and granted him one wish. Midas wished for everything he touched to transform into gold. While Dionysus was reluctant to grant Midas this boon, he did so.
Midas was delighted when he could turn things to gold. He transformed all the roses in his garden, and in his joy, he had his servants throw him a feast. But when Midas bit into the food, it too turned to gold. Midas’ daughter came crying to him, upset with how the golden flowers no longer smelled good. Midas comforted his daughter, and she was turned to solid gold. Midas realized that his wish had turned into a curse, and prayed to Dionysus to have his curse removed. Dionysus told Midas that he could wash away the golden touch with moving water. Midas cured himself in a nearby river, turning the banks of the river golden. He had learned to be careful of his own misguided desires.
7) Trojan War
The Trojan War is one of the largest stories to arise from Greek mythology, being heavily featured in both the Odyssey and the Iliad. The Trojan War isn’t even fully contained in those epics. There are tons of smaller stories set within the arc of the Trojan War, containing many famous heroes and even the gods themselves. The Trojan War is a story of romance, arrogance, jealousy, tragedy, and much more.
Helen of Troy was the center of the Trojan War. She was the most beautiful mortal woman alive, and thus she had many potential suitors. With so many suitors, the men were worried that if one of them successfully wooed Helen, the others would attack the victor and separate the couple. In order to avoid this future conflict, all of Helen’s suitors had to agree to be willing to fight in order to protect the legitimate marriage. With this contract among all the suitors, many different kingdoms had now essentially agreed to go to war if it were to protect Helen.
On the opposite Greek side, a prince named Paris was asked to help settle a matter among the gods. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite wanted to know which of them was the most beautiful and fair, so they asked Paris to decide. They each promised him a prize if he chose them, with Aphrodite specifically promising Paris marriage to the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris picked Aphrodite, and so she took Helen from her husband and gave her to Paris. This set up the two sides of the war. There were the Greeks against the Trojans, and Aphrodite against Hera and Athena. With these goddesses at odds, all of Olympus would eventually take sides in this conflict.
The Trojan War includes many other legendary stories. It includes Achilles, the great invincible warrior who fell armies. Achilles lost his love to the war and went on a rage-filled rampage until he was eventually killed. There is also the story of Odysseus, a clever hero who went on a perilous journey after the war was over. Even the famous wooden Trojan horse came from this story, where the Greeks hid inside a sacrificial statue given to the Trojans. The Trojans left the horse unattended, and the Greeks emerged and sacked Troy, finally winning the war.
8) Amazons
The Amazons were a group of warriors that commonly appeared in many Greek myths. They were regarded as common knowledge in ancient Greek society, and known to be a part of the world. The concept of the Amazons has affected even modern stories.
The Amazons were a tribe of all female warriors and hunters. No men were allowed in their society; they had brief meetings with men in order to birth a new generation, and all their sons would be returned to their fathers. Every member of the Amazons was physically superior to men— Amazons had the edge in strength, agility, archery, riding, and combat. hey were said to live on the outskirts of the known world but would frequently launch massive military raids into a variety of other countries.
The Amazons rarely seemed to be the center of mythological tales, but they did appear frequently in other stories. They appear with high frequency and little explanation, which implies that they were extremely well known already. The Amazons fought on the side of Troy in the Trojan War. They fought against many heroes, like Bellerophon or Theseus. In some versions of the stories, Heracles fights them too, but in others he simply barters for the treasure he was looking for. Even the god Dionysus is said to have fought them, but he also allied with them to fight against Cronos and the Titans.
9) Sisyphus
Sisyphus is perhaps most famous for his torture in Tartarus, but he had an interesting life too. Sisyphus used his wits to defeat much stronger opponents, and was amazingly wily.
Sisyphus was a king who maintained his stern rule by killing guests and visitors. He even spilled a secret that the gods wanted him to keep. Angered by Sisyphus, Zeus ordered Thanatos, the psychopomp god of death, to chain Sisyphus and bring him to the Underworld. When Sisyphus was approached by Thanatos, Sisyphus asked Thanatos how the chains worked. When Thanatos demonstrated, Sisyphus took advantage of him and chained him up. With Thanatos imprisoned, Sisyphus was able to escape death, and no one on Earth could die. Ares, the god of war, grew angry that his wars no longer held any meaning, so he freed Thanatos. Sisyphus, realizing that the gods were coming for him, told his wife to give him an improper burial. Sisyphus was brought to the Underworld, where he complained to the Queen, Persephone. Persephone was sympathetic to Sisyphus when she learned he wasn’t properly buried, so she allowed him to return to the land of the living once again in order to get a proper burial. But Sisyphus refused to return, until he was dragged back by Hermes.
Sisyphus, now having angered many gods, was sentenced to an eternal punishment befitting his crime. As trying to escape death was a pointless endeavor, his punishment was equally pointless: Sisyphus was to push a boulder up a hill for all eternity. The boulder was cursed to always roll back to the bottom of the hill before Sisyphus could reach the peak. So Sisyphus would spend all eternity trying to roll the boulder up the hill. This punishment is so inspiring to people that it has become a recurring subject of artistic creations.
10) Artemis and her Hunters
The gods seem to take little part in mortal affairs. They affect things from afar, or take on mortal lovers, but they do not often seem to stay around. This is what makes Artemis one of the most unique and interesting goddesses in the pantheon.
While Artemis is the goddess of the moon, her primary domain is archery, hunting, and wildlife. To this end, she does not reside on Olympus like the other gods. She spends her time out in the wild, dedicating herself to the hunt. She has a group of followers who hunt by her side. These followers were primarily women, but she welcomed anyone in if their ideals were aligned. One of these ideals was dedication to the hunt, but another involved romance.
Artemis was a virgin goddess, sworn never to take a lover. Her virginity was considered sacred and divine, so anyone attempting to woo Artemis was met with severe consequences. Artemis would invite mortals to join her hunt if they too swore off romantic love. But if the mortal broke their vows, then Artemis would punish them. A common punishment was being transformed into an animal and hunted.
11) The Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of the few surviving epics from ancient Greece. It is the story of a Trojan war leader, Odysseus. He was known for being a crafty, clever warrior who helped win the war. This story focuses on his return home, which becomes perilous when the gods turn against him. The story has a lot of insight into the mythos and beliefs of ancient Greece, and has been studied for centuries.
Odysseus faces many threats in his attempt to return home to Ithaca. On one island, he and his men are trapped by the human-eating Cyclops Polyphemus. Odysseus needs to blind the Cyclops and trick him in order to escape. On another island, the sorceress Circe transforms Odysseus’ men into pigs. In the ocean, the crew needs to escape being devoured by a monster whirlpool and a multi-headed serpent.
Back in Odysseus’ home country of Ithaca, Odysseus’ wife Penelope faces her own challenges. With the kingdom believing Odysseus is dead, Penelope’s home has been occupied by suitors hoping to become the next king. They become more aggressive each day, and Penelope needs to stall them until her husband returns. Their son Telemachus also journeys to attempt to bring his father back, despite the suitors’ interference.
12) Zeus and Hera
Zeus and Hera are the true power couple on Olympus. As the King and Queen, they embody the ideals of the gods and of Greek society. One of Zeus’ domains is hospitality, and Hera is the goddess of marriage and family. Despite these values, their relationship is filled with infidelity, strife, and conflict.
Zeus is notorious for lusting after mortal women. He will transform himself or them if it serves his desires. He has shape-shifted into their husbands, wild animals, and even a golden rain. While Zeus has no problem sleeping around with the wives of kings, he also holds these kings to high standards. Kings need to treat their guests well by feeding and entertaining them. To harm a guest is to earn the wrath of Zeus. Tartarus is filled with kings who, in life, stole from and murdered their guests.
Just as Zeus held mortals to the principles of hospitality, Hera held them to the principles of family. Men who cheated on their wives or abandoned their families would need to be weary of her wrath. But Hera was not only upset with cheaters. As Zeus frequently had children with mortal women, Hera would regularly try to dispose of them. She could not punish her husband, the king of the gods, so she got her satisfaction by attempting to kill the demigod children of Zeus. Perhaps her most famous grudge was against Heracles.
13) Atlas’ Burden
Atlas is depicted very commonly in modern art, and his image is well-known, although slightly confused. He is visualized as lifting the earth on his shoulders, but his origin is a bit different.
Atlas was one of the Titans, and helped Cronos overthrow their father, Uranus. Uranus was the embodiment of the sky, and was wounded after this encounter with his children. Uranus needed to be held up to keep him from crashing into the earth, Gaea. When the Titans lost the war, Atlas was punished by being forced to carry the sky, therefore keeping his mother and father apart. The curse of carrying the sky was that it was the heaviest burden imaginable, yet it could never be dropped. Instead, the only way Atlas could be freed from his hold was to have someone else willingly take on the burden.
In one of Heracles' labors, the hero needed to retrieve a golden apple from the mountain where Atlas stood. Heracles needed to pass by a dragon wrapped around the apple tree, but wasn’t able to. Atlas, having helped raise the dragon, offered to retrieve the apple for Heracles. Heracles took on the weight of the sky, and Atlas grabbed an apple. Atlas, in an attempt to gain his freedom, offered to bring the apple back for Heracles. Heracles, realizing he was about to be trapped, thought quickly. He agreed, but asked that Atlas briefly hold the sky so Heracles could adjust his cape. When Atlas held the sky, Heracles fled, leaving Atlas to lift the sky for the rest of eternity.
14) The Furies
The Furies were a group of monsters, three sisters with barbed whips and ragged wings. There are many Greek monsters, but the Furies were interesting due to the roles they played in Greek life.
The Furies were servants of the gods and mortals. One of their main purposes was to punish oathbreakers. They were also said to have listened to any complaint mortals brought to them, no matter who it was. They would then endlessly pursue whomever the mortal complained about. The Furies were said to be vengeance personified. They even served the gods when they felt certain mortals needed punishing.
Eventually, the role of the Furies was changed. A prince was tasked by the gods to kill his mother, who had in turn murdered her husband. Killing a family member was a great sin, and the prince was partially justified when he killed his mother. Yet as she died, the queen cursed her son for also committing matricide. The Furies endlessly pursued the prince, until Athena came to his aid. She gathered a group of people to listen to his story and pass judgment on his innocence. She defended him, while the Furies attempted to incriminate him. This practice was carried on in Athens from that day forward, and it became the Athenian judicial system. The Furies were changed to serve the courts and act as the prosecution.
15) Hermes the Trickster God
Many gods and heroes in Greek mythology are known for their great feats of strength. Hermes separates himself from these traditional stories by using his wits. Hermes was born a mortal, but used trickery and smarts to gain a name for himself and eventually rise to godly status. Even as a god, Hermes does not represent traditionally godly things. Hermes is a god of trickery, thieves, messengers, travelers, and anyone who uses the roads.
As a newborn, Hermes immediately got up to trickery. He stole sacred cattle from Apollo, so the sun/music god went after Hermes. But Hermes charmed Apollo with an instrument he had just invented. Apollo traded Hermes for the instrument and let baby Hermes go scott-free.
Hermes continues to use his wit in any story he is involved in. In another tale, a maiden was guarded by Argus, a giant with hundreds of eyes. The giant slept by closing a few eyes at a time, so he was able to keep watch constantly. Hermes told the giant a boring story for so long that Argus fell asleep, allowing Hermes to kill him.
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