Download 1. Zeus/Jupiter was the most powerful of the gods

1. Zeus/Jupiter was the most powerful of the gods. Should he have to bring order,
he would hurl a thunderbolt.
2. Hera/Juno was the wife of Zeus, and thus, the Queen. Hera was the goddess of
marriage, children, and the home
3. Poseidon/Neptune, the lord of the sea, was the brother of Zeus
4. Hades/Pluto, another brother of Zeus, was the lord of the underworld.
5. Ares/Mars, Zeus' son, was the god of war. He tall and handsome but cruel and
vain. Ares could not bear to suffer pain.
6. Hermes/Mercury was Zeus' son and the messenger of the gods. Hermes was noted
for his pranks as well as for his speed.
7. Apollo/Apollo was Zeus' son and god of the sun, light and music.
8. Artemis/Diana was goddess of the hunt
9. Athena/Minerva, for whom Athens was named, was the goddess of wisdom.
10.Hestia/Vesta was the goddess of hearth and home, and Hera's sister
11.Demeter was the goddess of the harvest, and Hera's other sister. Persephone was
Demeter's daughter, and the Greek's reasons for the seasons.
12.Aphrodite/Venus was the goddess of love and beauty
13.Hephaestus/Vulcan was the son of Zeus and Hera, god of fire and forge, and the
husband of Aphrodite.
14.Pandora was the very first woman, formed out of clay by the gods. Zeus ordered
Hephaestus to create her. Then Zeus sent Pandora down to earth to marry
Epimetheus.
15.Heracles/Hercules was another of Zeus' sons. He was half man, half god, and very
strong.
16.Eros/Cupid was the god of love. He had a bow and arrow to shoot people and make
them fall in love.
17.Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope. He was the most famous musician in all
of Greece. The story of Eurydice and Orpheus is a famous love story.
18.Pegasus was a winged horse
19.Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to the underworld.
20.The Minotaur was a mythical creature, half man/half beast, that lived in the
center of a huge maze.
21. The Muses were the 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnomosyne. They made such
beautiful music with their singing that it brought joy to everyone who heard them.
The Muses were patrons of the arts and sciences.
Zeus/Jupiter
Zeus had two brothers and three sisters. When their father died, the boys divided
the world up between themselves. Zeus took all of the heavens, Poseidon took the
sea, and Hades took the underworld. Each was quite content with their selection.
Zeus had a very jealous wife named Hera. He also had a whole bunch of kids. Zeus was
very fond of all his children. Each of his children had special magical powers.
The Greeks had great fun telling stories about this magical family who ruled the
heavens. The Greeks truly believed that Zeus, Hera, and all the gods were real. They
believed the gods could help or hinder them. Many of the myths the ancient Greeks
told were stories about how the gods helped or hindered each other, and helped or
hindered mortal man.
Zeus was very special. The king of gods was an elected position. When the gods voted
Zeus to be the king, Zeus remained king forever. No one tried to vote him out of
office, because Zeus was the most powerful god of all. Zeus had many powers. He
could throw lightning bolts. His horse, Pegasus, carried his lightning bolts for him.
Zeus could throw his voice, and sound like anybody. He could shape shift, and look like
anybody. In fact, he was so good at shape shifting that he could shape shift into the
form of an animals. Zeus had a quick temper, a big sense of humor, and lots of
girlfriends.
Zeus was not afraid of anything, except Hera, his wife.
Hera/Juno
Hera was the Queen of the gods, and the goddess of marriage.
She was one of Zeus' three sisters. She was also his wife. She was very jealous. She
kept a close eye on Zeus. Hera was rarely nice to the many children Zeus had by
other mothers. There are many myths about Hera's jealously, anger, and revenge.
Other myths talk about Hera's servant, Argus. Argus had 100 bright eyes all over his
body. He was a great guard because he never closed more than half his eyes at one
time!
Poseidon/Neptune
Poseidon was the Lord of the Sea. His brothers were Zeus and Hades. Poseidon was a
good looking fellow. He had deep blue eyes and streaming green hair. He was also
moody and restless, and always on the move.
Poseidon was very powerful. He could raise his hand and a new island would appear!
The Greeks were terrified of Poseidon. All the Greeks, but especially those who lived
in coastal towns, brought special gifts to the temple for Poseidon, to keep him happy.
He had many wives. But his main wife was not jealous, so Poseidon did not have the
problems at home that Zeus did.
Hades/Pluto
Hades had a seat on Mount Olympus, the magical mountain on which all the main gods,
the Olympians, lived.
But Hades did not live on Mount Olympus. When the three sons of Cronos divided up
the world, Zeus took the sky, Poseidon took the sea, and Hades took the underworld.
Zeus became the king of the gods. Poseidon married happily. Hades was content, living
in the Underworld.
Hades was NOT the lord of death. His job was to run the Underworld. He was a good
ruler. Parts of the Underworld were very nice, like the Elysian Fields, where heroes
dwelled after they died. Parts were not so nice. Those were for people who were not
so nice during their lifetime.
You might think Hades would be terribly lonely, surrounded by the souls of the dead.
His brother Zeus visited now and then, as did his nephews Apollo, Hermes, and Ares.
Hades came up to the surface, if he needed to be on Mount Olympus for a meeting of
the gods or something. But Hades preferred to stay in the Underworld.
Hades had an invisible helmet, which he liked very much. He had a golden chariot,
which was his pride and joy. He had his faithful companion, his three-headed dog,
Cerberus. That was all he needed. At least, that was all he needed until he saw the
lovely Persephone.
Demeter was the sister of Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. She was the goddess of
agriculture. Her daughter was Persephone.
Ares/Mars
Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera. Ares was vain and self-centered. He was tall,
handsome, and just plain mean. Eris, the spirit of disagreement, traveled with him.
They carried with them Pain, Panic, Famine, and Oblivion.
Neither of his parents were very fond of him. It was difficult to like Ares. Ares did
not care who won or lost a battle. He just liked to see bloodshed. Most of the other
gods stayed as far away as possible from Ares. He only caused trouble.
When the ancient Romans first heard the many Greek myths about the war god Ares,
they thought Ares was the best! The ancient Romans pretended that Ares had always
been a Roman god. The only thing the Romans changed about Ares was his name. The
Romans called him the war god Mars.
Hermes/Mercury
The ancient Greeks loved tall tales. Definitely, some of the marvelous myths about
the mischievous Hermes qualify as tall tales!
Hermes was the youngest son of Zeus, king of the gods. Hermes was born
mischievous. Even as a baby, Zeus could tell that Hermes was going to be a whole lot
of fun to have around.
Zeus wanted Hermes to grow up and have an important job in the world of the Greek
gods. Hermes grew up to become the messenger of the gods. He was fast on his feet,
so messages moved rapidly. Things were always going on in the mythical world. The
job of messenger to the gods allowed Hermes to have the inside scoop on just about
everything. It is no wonder that there are probably more myths that include Hermes
than any other god.
The other gods trusted Hermes. He had a true warmth. He was playful enough to be
interesting. He was also very bright and very loyal.
Apollo/Apollo
Apollo and Artemis were twins. They were children of Zeus and Leto. The twins
adored their mother.
Apollo was usually gentle unless someone was bothering his mother. He was very
protective.
When the ancient Romans heard the many Greek myths about Apollo, they loved
them! This time, they did not even change the god's name.
Artemis/Diana
Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Apollo's twin sister. Artemis was very
different from her brother. Artemis was cold and pitiless. The only thing she loved
besides her family were her floppy-eared dogs.
Artemis was the goddess of the hunt.
Athena/Minerva
Athena was born directly out of Zeus' brain. She did not have a mother. Her father
was the mighty Zeus. Zeus loved all his children, but if he had to pick a favorite, it
would probably have been Athena, the goddess of wisdom.
She was a powerful force, and one of the 12 deities who held a seat on Mount
Olympus.
Athena was the patron goddess of the ancient city-state of Athens. That caused a
bit of a problem actually. Both Poseidon and Athena wanted to be the special deity in
charge of Athens. They both felt Athens was an up and coming town. As coastal city,
it made sense for Poseidon to watch over Athens. But Athena felt the Athenian would
need her guidance and wisdom to grow.
To solve this, Athena suggested they have a contest. Both deities would give the town
a present. The townspeople would decide which present was better. When the
townspeople heard about this, they became quite nervous. But Athena only smiled.
And they were reassured that she had a plan.
Poseidon thought it was a great idea. He shoved his trident into the side of the hill.
Water poured out. The townspeople tasted it. It was salt water!
Athena planted an olive tree. It was the first olive tree ever planted. Before the
townspeople could say a thing, Poseidon agreed that Athena's gift was the better
gift. The olive tree would provide food, shelter, and oil for cooking.
That's how Athena became the patron goddess of the one of the most powerful citystates in ancient Greece - the city-state of Athens. Athena's special tree is the olive
tree.
Hestia/Vesta
There are not a lot of myths about Hestia. Her sisters were famous. One of her
sisters was Hera, wife of Zeus, Queen of the Gods, and the goddess of marriage. Her
other sister was Demeter, goddess of agriculture and the harvest.
But Hestia was an important goddess. She was the goddess of hearth and home.
Every day, when the ancient Greek women gathered in the central courtyard of their
homes, to do their sewing and cooking, they knew that Hestia was keeping watch over
them. The women of ancient Greece listened to stories about the other gods. But
they took comfort from Hestia. To them, Hestia was perhaps the most famous of all.
PERSEPHONE & DEMETER
Creation Story: Seasons
Zeus had three sisters. Hera was his wife and sister. Hestia was the goddess of home
and hearth. And his third sister, Demeter, was in charge of the harvest. Her job was
very important. If she was upset, the crops could die. So everyone, gods and mortals,
worked hard to keep her happy. What made her happy was enjoying the company of
her daughter, Persephone.
Persephone was a beautiful young woman, with a smile for everyone. One day, while
picking flowers in the fields, Hades, her uncle, the god of the underworld, noticed
her. Hades fell in love instantly. Hades was normally a gloomy fellow. Persephone’s
beauty had dazzled him. He kidnapped Persephone and hurled his chariot down and
down, into the darkest depths of the underworld.
Locked in a room in the Hall of Hades, Persephone cried and cried. She refused to
speak to Hades. She most certainly refused to eat. Legend said if you ate anything in
Hades, you could never leave. She did not know if the legend was true, but she did not
want to risk it in case someone came to rescue her. Nearly a week went by. Finally,
unable to bear her hunger, Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds.
It seemed her fate was sealed. She would have to live in the Underworld forever.
Meanwhile, back on earth, Zeus was worried about the crops. The people would die if
the crops failed. Then who would worship Zeus? He had to intervene. He sent
Hermes, the messenger, to crack a deal with Hades. When Hermes heard that
Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, he had to think quickly. The deal he
made with Hades was that Persephone would marry Hades, and live as Queen of the
Underworld six months out of each year. However, in the spring, Persephone would
return and live on earth for six months of the year. Persephone agreed. Hades
agreed.
Zeus agreed. And finally, Demeter agreed.
Each spring, Demeter makes sure all the flowers bloom in welcome when her daughter
returns to her. Each fall, when Persephone returns to Hades, Demeter cries and all
the crops die, until spring, when the cycle starts again.
Aphrodite/Venus
Aphrodite was the exception to the Greek God family tree. Some say her parents
were unknown, and that she was born of sea foam. Others, like the poet Homer, say
she was a daughter of Zeus. So, no one knows quite where to place her on the Greek
God family tree.
However she was born, Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty. She was an
essential element of many Greek myths. Aphrodite could be kind or merciless.
When the ancient Romans heard the many Greek myths about Aphrodite, they loved
them! The only thing the Romans changed was her name. The ancient Romans called
this famous goddess Venus.
Hephaestus/Vulcan
Hephaestus is the only Olympian who limps. He was the son of Hera and Zeus. Some
say he was born with a limp. Others say Zeus, in a fit of temper, flung him off Mount
Olympus when he was just a baby.
Hephaestus is an interesting Greek god. He is the god of fire and forge. He made
things, like the gods home on Mount Olympus. He married (and was deeply loved) by
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create the first woman out of clay. Hephaestus created
Pandora.
Pandora's Box
Zeus ordered Hephaestus (Aphrodite's husband) to make him a daughter, the first
woman made out of clay. Hephaestus made a beautiful woman and named her Pandora.
Then Zeus sent his new daughter, Pandora, down to earth so that she could marry
Epimetheus, who was a gentle but lonely man. Zeus was not being kind. He was getting
even. Epimetheus and Prometheus were brothers. Zeus was mad at one of the
brothers, Prometheus, for giving people fire without asking Zeus first. Zeus decided
to get even by tricking the other brother into giving people something else they
might or might not want.
Zeus gave Pandora a little box with a big heavy lock on it. He made her promise never
to open the box. He gave the key to Pandora’s husband and told him never to open the
box.
Pandora was very curious. She wanted to see what was inside the box, but Epimetheus
said no. Better not. "You know your father," Epimetheus sighed, referring to Zeus.
"He’s a tricky one."
One day, when Epimetheus lay sleeping, Pandora stole the key and opened the box.
Out flew every kind of disease and sickness, hate and envy, and all the bad things
that people had never experienced before. Pandora slammed the lid closed, but it was
too late. All the bad things were already out of the box. They flew away, out into the
world.
Pandora cried and cried. Epimetheus woke up at the sound of her sobbing. “I opened
the box and all these ugly things flew out,” she cried. “I tried to catch them, but they
all got out.” Pandora opened the box to show him how empty it was. But the box was
not quite empty. One tiny bug flew quickly out before Pandora could slam the lid shut
again.
“Hello, Pandora,” said the bug, hovering just out of reach. “My name is Hope.” With a
nod of thanks for being set free, Hope flew out into the world, a world that now held
Envy, Crime, Hate, and Disease – and also Hope.
Eros/Cupid
Eros was the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. When Eros shot his
little arrows into an unwary victim, that victim fell in love with the very next person
they saw!
Dionysus/ Bacchus
Dionysus was the god of wine and feasting. He actually travelled around teaching
people how to make wine from the grapes that grew in the countryside.
Dionysus was the son of Zeus and the mortal heroine Semele.
Dionysus rescued Ariadne after she had been abandoned by Theseus. Dionysus also
saved his mother from the Underworld, after Zeus showed her his true nature as
storm god and consumed her in lightning.
It was Dionysus who granted Midas the power to turn whatever he touched into gold,
then was kind enough to take the power back when it proved inconvenient.
The Principal Gods Family Tree
(Heaven) Uranus = Gaea (Earth)
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Cronus = Rhea
Coeus = Phoebe
Oceanus = Tethys
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---------------------Leto = Zeus
Iapetus
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Hestia | Poseidon | Demeter=Zeus
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---------------Hades
Zeus = Hera
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Persephone
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| Prometheus |
Athena |
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Atlas
Epimetheus
--------------Apollo Artemis |
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Ares
Hebe
Hephaestus
Zeus=Maia Zeus=Dione
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Hermes
Aphrodite
Greek Myths
Zeus, Hera, and Little Io
Although Zeus loved Hera he had a tendency to disguise himself and marry the mortal
girls in Greece. Because of this Zeus had many wives and children, Hera tormented
each and every one of them, and Zeus could not stop it. On one occasion, to protect
one of his brides, Io, Zeus turned her into a cow, but Hera was not deceived. She
begged Zeus to let her keep the cow for herself and since Zeus could not refuse her,
he agreed. She put the cow under the watchful eye of her most trusted servant,
Argus, who had 100 eyes, and never closed more that half at a time. Zeus could not
bear to see his bride in distress, so he sent Hermes, the most clever of his sons, to
set her free. Hermes dressed up as a Shepherd, and sat down next to Argus. Then he
proceeded to tell a long and dull story. Hermes went on and on, and slowly all 100 eyes
shut. Hermes touched all Argus’ eyes with his magic wand and closed them forever.
Argus had been bored to death. Hermes untied the cow, and Io, ran home to her
father. When her father finally recognized her, he was furious at Zeus. Inachos, Io’s
father, rose out of his riverbed and flew at Zeus so fast, that Zeus could only throw
a thunderbolt, and since then the river Inachos in Arcadia has been dry.
Hera was so furious, she sent a deadly gadfly, to chase the cow, Io ran across the
strait that separated Europe and Asia Minor and still being pursued by the fly, found
her way to Egypt where the Egyptians saw the white cow and named her a goddess.
Zeus returned her to her human form, and she became the goddess-queen of Egypt,
and the son she bore to Zeus became King.
Hera, deciding not to allow her faithful servant Argus to be forgotten, took all his
eyes and put them on the tail of a peacock.
Hades (King of the Underworld) & the River Styx
The ancient Greeks believed that people had a soul. Like the ancient Egyptians, they
did believe in life after death, but they did not spend a great deal of time planning
for their life after death. Here’s why:
The Greeks held elaborate funerals to help the soul of the departed find his or her
way to the afterworld. They believed that the god Hermes, the messenger, acted
rather like a host. Hermes led the soul to the shores of the mythical River Styx. The
River Styx supposedly separated the world of the living from the world of the dead.
The deal was you had to cross the River Styx to reach life after death. The Greeks,
true to form, created many a story about the perils of crossing the River Styx. (The
Greeks did so love a good story!)
The ancient Greeks did not expect souls to swim across. Instead, they believed, if
you were good, a ferryman named Charon, waited to take souls across the river on his
boat to the Underworld. The underworld was sometimes called Hades in honor of the
god of the underworld – Hades.
The ferry to the Underworld was not free. The ferry ride cost one Greek coin. The
dead person’s family usually placed a coin on the corpse so that he or she would be
able to pay for the trip. Sometimes they hid the coin under his tongue so that no one
would steal it.
Once souls arrived on the other side of the River Styx, they joined other souls, who
were waiting around until they were reborn into a new body. While waiting for their
turn to be reborn, a soul depended on his or her living family to take care of them by
offering food and wine at special times of the year. Families were glad to do this.
They wanted to make sure the deceased was comfortable during the wait to be
reborn, just as they counted on their family someday to make them just as
comfortable.
Hermes & Apollo
From the day he was born, Zeus knew Hermes was going to be a lot of fun.
Hermes was only a few days old when he climbed out of his crib and went running off
by himself. How that boy could run!
While he was out adventuring, Hermes spotted some cows.
They were Apollo’s cows! Apollo was his big brother.
Hermes thought it would be rather funny to steal Apollo’s
cows.
Hermes had the best idea! He padded the cattle’s feet and
made them walk backwards to confuse the trail.
Apollo would not know which way to look for his missing
cows.
All that work made the baby Hermes very hungry.
He invented fire and cooked one of Apollo’s cows for lunch.
Hermes decided to bring all the cows home in case he got
hungry again. The cows mooed musically as they ambled along.
On the way home, Hermes spotted a tortoise shell.
That gave Hermes an idea!
When he got home, Hermes made the first lyre out of the
tortoise shell and string.
He was playing his new musical instrument
when Apollo found him.
Apollo was furious with Hermes for stealing
his cattle. No one knows what might have
happened if their father had not stepped in.
“BOYS!” thundered Zeus.
To make amends, Hermes gave Apollo his
tortoise shell lyre.
Apollo still carries that tortoise shell lyre, even to this day.
Perseus
Perseus was part god, part man, and an ancient Greek hero. He was the son of an
Argive princess and Zeus, the king of gods. Perseus managed to kill the fearful
Medusa, the Gorgon with the hair of snakes, who could turn men into stones! What a
feat! All Greece cheered and honored him.
On the island of Seriphos lived a young man called Perseus with this mother Danae.
The King; Polydictes wanted Danae to marry him. He was a cruel, wicked tyrant and
she didn't want to. Polydictes was convinced that it was Perseus' fault and if he could
get rid of Perseus then there would not be a problem.
Polydictes invited all of the young men of Seriphos to a banquet. They all arrived with
beautiful gifts, except Perseus who had nothing to give. Perseus was upset and went
away saying that he would bring a better gift than all of the others. Polydictes set
Perseus a task: to bring Medusa's head. Now Medusa had hair made of serpents.
Anyone who looked at her was turned to stone.
Athene realised what Polydictes had done and helped Perseus by giving him a very
shiny shield. Hermes helped him by giving him a very sharp sword. They told him to go
to the home of the grey sisters.
When Perseus arrived at the home of the grey sisters he watched them for a while.
He saw that they only had one eye and one tooth between them. He crept up and as
they passed the eye from one to the other he snatched it from them. He threatened
to keep it if they did not tell him where to find Medusa.
And so he learned the secret. As he approached the land the Nymphs who lived there
gave him a cap which hid him from Medusa's sisters, shoes of swiftness with which to
escape and a special bag to put the head in.
Perseus crept up to Medusa, looked at her reflection through his shield and cut her
head off. He put her head in the bag and took it back to the palace. As he pulled the
head out of the bag he turned all of the court to stone and freed his mother.
Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope (one of the muses.) It was no wonder that
Orpheus was a gifted musician, with such talented musical parents. Orpheus was more
than gifted. His music was magical. When he played the lyre, as his father taught him,
his songs could cast spells and soothe savage beasts.
Orpheus loved his wife, Eurydice. When she died, he traveled into the Underworld.
He begged his great uncle Hades to allow his wife to come back to earth. Ever a soft
touch, Hades agreed. There was one condition, though. Hades agreed to let Eurydice
follow her husband back to earth and life. But, during the trip, Orpheus had to
promise not to look back until both he and his wife were safely back on earth.
But Orpheus was worried. He was afraid that perhaps his wife might need his help - it
was a very scary trip back to the surface. He worried that perhaps Hades would not
send her after all. To reassure himself that all was fine, he risked a quick look behind
him, and lost his wife forever.
Orpheus was a beautiful musician who loved a nymph called Eurydice. They married
and were very happy. Eurydice spent hours wandering and playing in the fields and
woodlands. One day she trod on a deadly snake and died. She went to the underworld.
Orpheus was so unhappy, he would not eat or drink and his friends thought that he
must die. He took his lyre and went to visit Hades the god of the underworld, to plead
for her life. He played his lyre and charmed Charon the ferry man into crossing the
river Styx.
Orpheus played his lyre to charm Hades, and eventually Hades relented and told him
that Eurydice could follow him out of Hades, but only if he did not look back and see
her. Orpheus made his way carefully and slowly back to Charon, but then with only a
tiny way to go he looked back. As he did so Eurydice faded, she was pulled back into
Hades...gone forever. A very unhappy Orpheus journeyed back over the river to come
out of Hades. He had lost his true love forever.
The Story Of Narcissus:
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Narcissus. He was the son of a god and he
was very, very handsome. Many women fell in love with him, but he turned them away.
One of the women who loved Narcissus was a nymph called Echo. Echo could not speak
properly - she could only repeat what was said to her, so she couldn't tell Narcissus
that she loved him. One day, when Narcissus was walking in the woods with some
friends, he became separated from them. He called out "Is anyone here?" Echo
replied "Here, Here". Echo stepped forward with open arms, wanting to cuddle him.
But Narcissus refused to accept Echo's love. Echo was so upset that she left and hid
in a cave, until nothing was left of her, except her voice.
The Maiden, a goddess, found out about this, and she was very angry. She made
Narcissus fall in love with himself. When Narcissus looked at his reflection in a pond
one day, he fell in love. He stayed on that spot forever, until he died one day. Where
he died a flower grew, and that flower is called a Narcissus.
Narcissus was a beautiful looking boy. He had long, flowing, blond hair, beautiful,
bright, blue eyes and even, white teeth. Many young ladies fell in love with him
including the nymph; Echo.
Nymphs were lively spirits who lived near streams and lakes and protected trees in
the forest. Echo had upset the Queen of the Gods; Hera. As a punishment Hera made
Echo unable to speak except to repeat the last three words of the person she was
talking to.
Poor Echo fell in love with Narcissus but could never tell him how she felt. Narcissus
teased her and she ran away with tears pouring down her face. Aphrodite, the
goddess of love saw what happened and decided to punish Narcissus. As he came to a
pool of water Narcissus saw his reflection and fell in love with the vision he saw...it
was of course his own reflection.
Poor Narcissus watched his own reflection, every time he tried to touch the face of
the vision he loved it broke up on the shimmering surface of the water. Narcissus
stopped eating, lost his beautiful looks and pined for his love. Eventually he faded
away and died.
Aphrodite took pity on him and made a flower grow in his place on the bank of the
lake. Narcissus flowers can be found to this day growing wherever you can find water
and trees.
The Story Of Echo:
Hera, the Queen of Mt. Olympus, cast a spell over her servant Echo for talking too
much. As a punishment, Echo could henceforth only repeat what someone else said.
Poor Echo! She was in love with handsome Narcissus, and yearned to tell him so! One
day Echo saw Narcissus admiring himself in a clear pond. Looking at his reflection, he
vainly said to the face in the water, "I love you."
Echo repeated, "I love you," and meant it. But Narcissus thought it was his reflection
that spoke and stood gazing at himself until he died and Hermes led him away to the
Land of the Dead. Echo pined for him till she, too, faded away. All that was left of
her was her voice that can still be heard in certain hollow places, senselessly
repeating the words of others.
Eros and psyche
One day on Mount Olympus, Aphrodite decided she had become fed up with the
beauty of Psyche, the maiden. Psyche was very beautiful and was often complimented
for her beauty. Aphrodite wanted to set her straight. So she called her son, Eros,
to shoot one of his arrows, which poisoned immortal and mortal alike with love, at
Psyche, while she was sleeping. "What is the point of shooting an arrow at her when
she is asleep?" asked Eros.
"When she wakes up," replied Aphrodite "I will be sure to supply her with someone
like the castle dwarf, or maybe a donkey. Yes, that's a possibility."
"That is a cruel trick," said Eros.
"It is meant to be cruel. Now go and obey your mother," replied Aphrodite.
When Eros was above the sleeping Psyche, he took out an arrow and prepared to
shoot it. But he accidentally poked himself with the arrow, and all of a sudden Psyche
was the most valuable and wonderful thing the earth had ever created. He loved
Psyche more than anyone or anything in the world. He flew back to Mount Olympus,
leaving Psyche unaffected.
Aphrodite was furious at Eros for not complying with her orders. The fight that
followed was one of the worst Olympus, or for that matter, the world, had ever seen.
While Eros was sulking, no one fell in love and Aphrodite began to wither. So
eventually Aphrodite saw that Eros must have his way. "What is it you wish?" she
asked him.
"The girl," replied Eros.
"You shall have her," said Aphrodite.
So Aphrodite had Zephyr, the west wind, come and bring Psyche to Eros. But
Eros could not be seen by Psyche for a little while after their marriage. When
Psyche's sisters visited her, they convinced Psyche that her invisible husband was a
monster. Psyche, curious, brought a candle into her husband's bedchamber and
looked at him. It was Eros, the god of love. In her shock, Psyche let a drop of candle
wax drip from the candle. Eros awoke with a start and became very angry with
Psyche. "Yes, I am love itself, and I cannot live where I am not believed." Then Eros
left.
But eventually Eros forgave Psyche and invited her back to live with him, and
Psyche was made immortal upon Eros' request. Psyche is now the goddess of the soul,
and that is where we get the prefix "pysch-", as in psycho, psychology, and
psychiatrist.
The Trojan Horse
There was a huge battle between the warriors of Greece and the people of Troy.
Prince Paris from Troy had stolen away the Greek queen; Helen. The Greek warriors
set sail for Troy to fight for their queen.
The battle outside Troy raged for ten years. The men were fed up and wanted to
return to their homes. Athene, goddess of war gave Ulysses the idea for a plan to end
the war. They built a big wooden horse which they put in the middle of their
encampment. Next they pretended to abandon their camp. In reality many soldiers
hid inside the wooden horse.
Once they thought the camp had been abandoned the Trojans went out to check.
They needed to know if the war was really over. They walked through the abandoned
encampment and eventually found the wooden horse. They could not decide what it
was. Some wanted to take it into the city, others thought that it was a gift to Zeus
and feared touching or moving it in case they upset Zeus.
Some Trojans decided to take it back into the city. They called a large group of
troops, attached ropes and pulled it into the city.
A huge celebration started. The city was free from war for the first time in nine
years. Everybody feasted, drank and danced until eventually the merriment was over
and they all went to sleep.
This was the moment that the wooden horse opened a big flap hidden underneath.
Out crept Ulysses and all of his men. They killed the sleeping troops, rescued Queen
Helen, met up with the rest of their army and set sail for home.
The story of the return journey is told in The Odyssey, a collection of poems piecing
together the bits of the story from the many different places where the story took
place.
Daedalus and Icarus
Daedalus was trying to escape punishment after killing his nephew Talos. He escaped
from the king of Athens and travelled to Crete where King Minos welcomed him. He
built wonderful buildings for King Minos and created a labyrinth below the city. King
Minos was pleased with the labyrinth but he did not want anyone to know the way in
or out. He decided that he would imprison Daedalus and Icarus to protect his secret.
They soon got fed up and decided to try and escape again. Daedalus made frames and
fastened feathers to them. They learned to fly and prepared to escape. Daedalus
told Icarus not to go high, to keep right away from the sun.
They climbed up onto the windowsill, leapt into the air, started to fly and soared away
into the clouds. They went up and down, twisted and turned. Icarus got so excited
that he left his father. he went higher and higher. His father shouted for him to
come down.
The sun saw Icarus getting close. He turned his rays onto Icarus. Icarus tried to get
back down, but too late. The sun melted the wax that held the feathers in place and
Icarus' wings fell apart. He fell to the ground and died.
Danae
In Greek mythology, Danaë was a daughter of King Acrisius of Argos and Eurydice.
She was the mother of Perseus by Zeus. She was sometimes credited with founding
the city of Ardea in Latium.
Disappointed by his lack of male heirs, Acrisius asked an oracle if this would change.
The oracle told him to go to the Earth's end where he would be killed by his
daughter's son. She was childless and, meaning to keep her so, he shut her up in a
bronze tower or cave. But Zeus came to her in the form of golden rain, and
impregnated her. Soon after, their child Perseus was born.
None too happy, but unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods by killing his
offspring, Acrisius cast the two into the sea in a wooden chest. The sea was calmed
by Poseidon at the request of Zeus and the pair survived. They washed ashore on the
island of Seriphos, where they were taken in by Dictys - the brother of King
Polydectes - who raised the boy to manhood.
Later, after Perseus killed Medusa and rescued Andromeda, the oracle's prophecy
came true.
He started for Argos, but learning of the prophecy instead went to Larissa, where
athletic games were being held. By chance, an aging Acrisius was there and Perseus
accidentally struck him on the head with his javelin (or discus), fulfilling the
prophecy. Too shamed to return to Argos he then gave the kingdom to Megapenthes,
son of Proetus (Acrisius' brother) and took over his kingdom of Tiryns, also founding
Mycenae and Midea there.
Another version states that, angry that his grandfather tried to kill him and his
mother, Perseus returned home and challenged Acrisius in his court. He took out
Medusa's head from a sack and turned Acrisius and his court to stone.
Theseus and the Minotaur
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a king named Minos. King Minos lived on a lovely
island called Crete. King Minos had a powerful navy, a beautiful daughter, and a really big
palace. Still, now and then, King Minos grew bored. Whenever King Minos was bored, he took
his navy and attacked Athens, a town on the other side of the sea.
The people of Athens soon grew tired of the bully, King Minos. In desperation, the king of
Athens offered King Minos a deal. If Minos would leave Athens alone, Athens would send
seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls to Crete every nine years to be eaten by the
Minotaur.
The Minotaur was a horrible monster that lived in the center of a huge maze on the island of
Crete. King Minos loved that old monster. He did like to give his monster a treat now and
then. King Minos took the deal.
Nine years passed swiftly. It was just about time for Athens to send seven boys and seven
girls to Crete to be eaten by the Minotaur. Everyone in Athens was crying. Prince Theseus of
Athens was very young. Still, he knew that a deal was a deal. But he was sure it was wrong to
send small children to be eaten by a monster just to avoid a battle with King Minos. Prince
Theseus told his father (the king) that he was going to Crete as the seventh son of Athens.
He was going to kill the Minotaur and end this terror.
"The Minotaur is a terrible monster! What makes you think you can kill it?" cried his father.
"I'll find a way," Theseus replied gently. "The gods will help me."
His father begged him not to go. But the prince took his place as the seventh Athenian boy.
Along with six other Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls, Prince Theseus sailed towards
Crete.
When the prince and the children arrived, King Minos and his daughter, the Princess Ariadne,
came out to greet them. The king told them that they would not be eaten until the next day
and to enjoy themselves in the palace in the meantime. The Princess Ariadne did not say
anything. But her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Late that night, she wrote Prince Theseus a
note and slipped it under his bedroom door.
Dear Theseus (Ariadne wrote)
I am a beautiful princess as you probably noticed the minute you saw me. I am also a very
bored princess. Without my help, the Minotaur will surely gobble you up. I know a trick or two
that will save your life. If I help you kill the monster, you must promise to take me away from
this tiny island so that others can admire my beauty. If interested in this deal, meet me by
the gate to the Labyrinth in one hour.
Yours very truly,
Princess Ariadne
Prince Theseus slipped out of the palace and waited patiently by the gate. Princess Ariadne
finally showed up. In her hands, she carried a sword and a ball of string.
Ariadne gave the sword and the ball of string to Prince Theseus. "Hide these inside the
entrance to the maze. Tomorrow, when you and the other children from Athens enter the
Labyrinth, wait until the gate is closed, then tie the string to the door. Unroll it as you move
through the maze. That way, you can find your way back again. The sword, well, you know what
to do with the sword," she laughed.
Theseus thanked the princess for her kindness.
"Don't forget, now," she cautioned Theseus. "You must take me with you so that all the people
can marvel at my beauty. A deal is a deal."
The next morning, all the Athenian children, including Prince Theseus, were shoved into the
maze. The door was locked firmly behind them. Following Ariadne's directions, Theseus tied
one end of the string to the door. He told the children to stay by the door. Their job was to
make sure the string stayed tied so that Theseus could find his way back to save them.
Theseus entered the maze alone.
It took him a while, but he finally found his way to the center. Using the sword Ariadne had
given him, and after a tiring battle, Theseus killed the monstrous beast. He followed the
string back and knocked on the door.
Princess Ariadne was waiting. She opened the door. Without anyone noticing, Prince Theseus
and the children of Athens ran to their ship and sailed quietly away. Princess Ariadne sailed
away with them.
On the way home, they stopped for supplies on the tiny island of Naxos. Princess Ariadne
insisted on coming ashore. There was nothing much to do on the island, and soon, she fell
asleep. Many people gathered to watch the sleeping princess. She was a lovely sight indeed.
All the people agreed. Theseus sailed away with the children of Athens and left her there,
sleeping.
After all, a deal is a deal.
King Minos hated the Athenians because they had killed his son. He ordered that every four
years nine youths should be sent to Crete to feed the minotaur. The minotaur was half man
and half bull. He lived in the labyrinth under the palace. King Aegeus of Athens was so angry
by this that he promised that he would go and try to kill the minotaur. Instead Theseus, his
son went.
Ariadne, daughter of King Minos fell in love with Theseus and decided to help him. She
sneaked past the guards and gave him a long ball of string and a sword. As he entered the
maze he started to loose the string out. Eventually Theseus came to the lair of the minotaur
and had a terrible, ferocious battle with the minotaur. The minotaur died and Theseus was
able to find his way out of the maze by being able to follow his string trail.
The Love Story of Ariadne and Dionysus
The Greek myth of Ariadne offers hope to all who have felt the sting of love
rejected. It tells of triumph after defeat, of sweetest success after the harshest
sorrow.
Princess Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete, helped Theseus slay her
monstrous half-brother, known as the Minotaur, by teaching him to use a golden
thread as a path within the labyrinth where the Minotaur lived. Deep within that dark
maze where no man or woman had ever survived the Minotaur’s savagery, Theseus
killed the monster, then followed the gold thread to freedom. When he emerged
triumphant from the labyrinth, Theseus claimed Ariadne for his own. They escaped
from Crete upon a waiting ship, running from crowds of citizens angered by Theseus’s
murder of their half-bull/half-human prince.
As they sailed the world, Ariadne was certain she had won the heart of the hero in
return for her brilliance, her loyalty, and her love. After all, she had betrayed those
closest to her to save Theseus. When Theseus finally brought their ship to the
faraway island of Naxos, Ariadne thought they would live there forever in bliss.
Instead, he abandoned her upon the island, sailing off without an apology. Such was
her thanks for saving him.
Alone, Ariadne forgot her triumph as the untangler of the labyrinth. She was Ariadne
the forsaken, Ariadne the foolish, rather than Ariadne the beloved of Theseus. At
first, the heartbroken princess wept. Then she thought of killing herself out of
shame and sorrow. But the Muses took pity upon Ariadne. They hovered around the
poor girl as soft as winds, and whispered into her ear of a worthier love and a loftier
fate. This made no sense to the girl, for she could not see beyond her abandonment
by Theseus.
But soon Ariadne saw a bronze chariot appear on the horizon. The Muses whispered it
held a new bridegroom for Ariadne, the man she was fated to love. As the chariot
drew closer, Ariadne saw it was draped in vines and clusters of ripe grapes—for this
chariot was driven by Dionysus, god of divine intoxication, who loved Ariadne for her
passionate bravery and loyalty.
Ariadne’s heart was immediately healed by Dionysus’s admiration and loving embrace.
She soon forgot about Theseus and accepted her happy fate. Dionysus and Ariadne
were wed. Made a goddess by love, Ariadne lived forever with her immortal husband
in ecstatic triumph.
Paris
When the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge which of three Olympian goddesses
was the most beautiful, he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. The latter two
had hoped to bribe him with power and victory in battle, but Aphrodite offered the
love of the most beautiful woman in the world.
This was Helen of Sparta, who became infamous as Helen of Troy when Paris
subsequently eloped with her. In the ensuing Trojan War, Hera and Athena were
implacable enemies of Troy while Aphrodite was loyal to Paris and the Trojans.
Charon Crossing the Styx
Charon or Kharon was the ferryman of Hades who carried souls of the newly
deceased across the River Styx that divided the world of the living from the world of
the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage was sometimes placed in or on the mouth
of a dead person.
Some authors say that those who could not pay the fee, or those whose bodies were
left unburied, had to wander the shores for one hundred years.
Cerberus
Cerberus is a multi-headed hound (usually three-headed) which guards the gates of
Hades, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping.
The wedding of Peleus and Thetis: while the gods
feast at the table Eris throws her apple from a
cloud.
Thetis was a sea nymph, whose beauty captured the heart of Zeus. However, it was
told to Zeus that it was Thetis' fate to have a son who would be far more powerful
than his father. Because of this, no god could marry her because her son would grow
so powerful that he could overthrow Zeus, as Zeus had overthrown Cronus. In order
to prevent this from happening, it was decided that Thetis would marry an ordinary
mortal. The chosen mortal was Peleus. He was the son of Aecus, who was the son of
Zeus.
The occasion of the wedding between Peleus and Thetis was a time of great
celebration. All of the gods attended except Eris, the goddess of discord, and the
daughter of Zeus and Hera. Understandably enough, nobody liked Eris as she was
always causing trouble. Because of this, she was rarely asked to attend important
Olympian events.
Furious at having been left off of the invitation list again, Eris decided to make
trouble. Into the banquet hall at Peleus' and Thetis' wedding, Eris threw a golden
apple, marked "For the Fairest". Of course, all of the goddesses wanted to claim it,
the choice was narrowed down to the three most powerful and beautiful goddesses:
Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. Wisely, upon being asked to judge to whom the apple
should go, Zeus refused to choose. No god wanted to be a part of this decision. So,
it was decided that the only thing to do would be to put judgment on a mortal whose
judgment the goddesses would agree to accept.
Zeus suggested the choice be made by a young man who was a superb judge of beauty,
by the name of Paris. Paris was the son of King Priam of Troy, but he had been
ordered to leave the city because of a prophecy that someday he would bring
misfortune to his country and its people. Thus, he was presently working as a
shepherd. Paris was very handsome, as any god, but he lacked intelligence and
tactfulness. For if he had very much intelligence, he would have refused to be such a
judge.
The three goddesses appeared in the meadow where he was guarding his sheep. None
of the three goddesses left the choice up to their own personal merits. Instead,
they began to bribe Paris in order to win the apple. Hera promised him the status of
lord of Europe and Asia for the apple. Athena said that she would make him a great
warrior for the prized apple. The third goddess, Aphrodite, promised Paris the most
beautiful woman in the world for his bride if he were to choose her as the "fairest".
Paris, being more interested in women than riches of being a lord or the status of a
great warrior, chose Aphrodite. Hera and Athena were greatly offended, which led
them to be deadly enemies of both Paris and of Troy. This was only the beginning of
Paris' problems, as the most beautiful woman in the world was Helen, whom was
already married. Aphrodite, not being much on marriage and faithfulness, took Paris
to Sparta to meet Helen, who immediately fell in love with Paris. They fled Sparta to
the city of Troy. When Helen's husband, Menelaus, came home to find the two had
eloped, he called on all of Helen's suitors to help him attack Troy and kill Paris.
Thus, from the wedding of Peleus and Thetis and the golden Apple of Discord thrown
by Eris, we have the beginnings of the Trojan War.
Titanomachy
Long before the world existed, there was Chaos—immeasurable, dark, and wild. Out
of Chaos came Night and Erebus, a dim place. All was still, black, silent, and without
end until Love emerged. Love brought Light and Day, which then produced Earth.
Then Earth, called Gaea, produced the blue Heaven, called Uranus. The union of
Heaven and Earth produced gigantic monstrous children with overwhelming power.
Among their children were the one-eyed Cyclops , the 100-handed Hecatoncheires,
and the mighty natural forces, the Titans.
Six female and six male Titans ruled the universe. The youngest of them, was called
Cronus, who with the help of his mother, Gaia overthrew his own father Uranus.
Cronus took his father's throne and got married with his own sister Rea.
Gaia made a prophecy that Cronus' own children would rebel against his rule just as
he had done to his own father.
For fear of his unborn children rising against him, Cronus swallowing each of his
children whole as they were born.
Rhea, his sister-wife, however, managed to hide her child Zeus, by tricking Cronus
into swallowing a rock wrapped in a blanket instead.
Rhea brought Zeus to a cave in Crete, where he was raised to adulthood. Later, Zeus
gave a mixture of mustard and wine Cronus which would cause him to vomit up his
swallowed children. Zeus then led his released brothers and sisters in rebellion
against the Titans.
This war, called War of the Titans or Titanomach, was the ten-year series of battles
fought between the two races of deities: the Titans, fighting from Mount Etna and
the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus.
Olympians won and Zeus became the supreme god.
The Story of Perseus and Andromeda
Cepheus and Cassiopeia the king and queen of Ethiopia had a daughter called
Andromeda.
Andromeda was beautiful. Cassiopeia was proud of her daughter and boasted about
her beauty constantly.
Cassiopeia even said that Andromeda was more beautiful than all the daughters of
Poseidon the sea god. This made them very angry, so Poseidon decided to punish
Cassiopeia.
Poseidon sent a huge sea monster (called the Kraken) to ravage the land of Ethiopia.
In order to calm Poseidon down, Andromeda was to be sacrificed to the monster.
Unable to change Poseidon's mind, she was chained to a large rock by the seashore to
await her fate.
Luckily Perseus happened to be flying by. He had winged sandals! He was carrying with
him the severed head of the Gorgon, Medusa. It had snakes for hair and was so ugly
that any creature that gazed directly at it was turned to stone.
Perseus saw Andromeda and the dangerous position she was in. With quick thinking he
uncovered the head of Medusa, pointing it straight at the eyes of the sea monster.
Just in the nick of time the sea monster turned to stone.
Perseus and Andromeda fell in love and were married to save the kingdom.
Andromeda's mother Cassiopeia was not very happy about the marriage!
The Greeks imagined that when Perseus, Andromeda and Cassiopeia died their images
were put into the night sky as constellations (groups) of stars.
The origin of the milky way
The legend explains how the Milky Way was created by Heracles when he was a baby.
His father, Zeus, was fond of his son, who was born of the mortal woman Alcmene. He
decided to let the infant Heracles suckle on his divine wife Hera's milk when she was
asleep, an act which would endow the baby with godlike qualities. When Hera woke up
and realized that she was breastfeeding an unknown infant, she pushed him away and
the spurting milk became the Milky Way.
Heracles
Heracles was a divine hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a mortal woman. He was the
greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon of masculinity. In Rome and the modern
West, he is known as Hercules.
Extraordinary strength, courage, ingenuity were among his characteristic attributes.
Together with Hermes he was the patron and protector of gymnasia and palaestrae.
His iconographic attributes are the lion skin.
Heracles was driven mad by Hera. In a frenzy, he killed his own children. To atone for
this crime, he was sentenced to perform a series of tasks, or "Labors".
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
Labor
One: The Nemean Lion
Two: The Hydra
Three: the Cerynitian Hind
Four: the Erymanthian Boar
Five: The Augean Stables
Six: The Stymphalian Birds
Seven: the Cretan Bull
Eight: the Mares of Diomedes
Nine: Hippolyte's Belt
Ten: the Cattle of Geryon
Eleven: the Apples of the Hesperides
Twelve: the Capture of Cerberus
Persephone/Proserpine
Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter
of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone was such a beautiful young
woman that everyone loved her, even Hades wanted her for himself. One day, when
she was collecting flowers on the plain of Enna, the earth suddenly opened and Hades
rose up from the gap and abducted her. None but Zeus, and the all-seeing sun, Helios,
had noticed it.
Broken-hearted, Demeter wandered the earth, looking for her daughter until Helios
revealed what had happened. Demeter was so angry that she withdrew herself in
loneliness, and the earth ceased to be fertile. Knowing this could not continue much
longer, Zeus sent Hermes down to Hades to make him release Persephone. Hades
grudgingly agreed, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate.
When she later ate of it, it bound her to underworld forever and she had to stay
there one-third of the year. The other months she stayed with her mother. When
Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began.
This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature.
Withdrew: se retiró
release: liberar
grudgingly: de mala gana
pomegranate: granada
bound: atar, ligar
budding: en en ciernes
Prometheus
Prometheus was a Titan, one of the children of Ocean. He and his brother Epimetheus
were Zeus' and Hera's cousins. They were not as powerful as Zeus and Hera and their
brothers and sisters, but still had some god-like powers. They were very big, giants.
In the beginning of the world, the Titans lived on the earth. There were no people
yet, just the Titans and the animals. Prometheus used to play with clay, sometimes,
and one day he made a lot of little people out of clay. He showed them to his cousins,
and Zeus liked the little people so much he breathed life into them.
At first the people were very grateful to Zeus and they often gave him sacrifices.
But then Prometheus, who loved jokes, told them how they could play a trick on Zeus.
Prometheus said, "When you do a sacrifice, take the bones and guts, the parts you
can't eat, and put them in a bag with a nice steak on the top. And in another bag, put
all the rest of the steaks, with some bones and guts on top. And ask Zeus to choose
which one he wants."
So the people did this, and Zeus chose the bag with the steak on top. But when he
found he had been tricked, he was very angry. To punish people, he took all the fire
away from the earth. The people were very cold, and they could not cook their food.
They complained to Prometheus that this was all his fault.
Prometheus felt sorry for the cold people.And he felt it was pretty much his fault
for suggesting this trick. So he quietly went to the sky and he broke off a piece of
the sun and he brought it back to earth for people, and that is how people got fire.
When Zeus found out what Prometheus had done, he got mad all over again and
chained Prometheus to a big rock. (He also punished the people by sending them
Pandora). Every day a big eagle would come and eat Prometheus' liver. But because he
was immortal and could not die, every night his liver grew back again, and then the
next day the bird ate it again.
Prometheus suffered this torture every day for years and years, until finally
Herakles released him.
The fates
The Moirae or Parcae
Their number became fixed at three.
When they were three,[6] the three Moirae were:
• Clotho was originally a goddess called upon in the ninth month of pregnancy.
• Lachesis measured the thread of life allotted to each person with her
measuring rod.
• Atropos She chose the manner of each person's death; and when their time
was come, she cut their life-thread with
The Moirae were supposed to appear three nights after a child's birth to determine
the course of its life. The Greeks variously claimed that they were the daughters of
Zeus and the Titaness Themis.
ATALANTA
ATALANTA was a great Arkadian huntress and a favourite of the goddess Artemis.
She was exposed by her father in the wilderness at birth, but was suckled by a shebear and afterwards found and raised by hunters.
Atalanta was later reunited with her father Skhoineus (or Iasios), who insisted that
she be wed. She agreed, but on condition that the husband must win her in a race,
and that the losers should be put to death.
Hippomenes or Melanion, however, got the help of the goddess Aphrodite who gave
him three golden apples to throw before the girl in the race.
When Atalanta stooped to pick these up, she was slowed enough to allow the hero to
win.
Their marriage was a short-lived one, for Hippomenes didn't pay Aphrodite her dues,
and to lay with Atalanta in the sacred precinct of Rhea where they were transformed
into lions.
They were condemned to pull Rhea's carriage.
The Forge of Vulcan
The sun-god Apollo has just descended to the Cyclops' forge to impart to Vulcan the
news that he has discovered the intrigue between his wife, Venus, and Mars. It was a
little inconsiderate in him to break the news to Vulcan in the midst of his fellow
workers, but it makes a better picture. Phoebus, with light irradiating in an exquisite
way from his head, stands at the left, in the attitude of one who relates a narrative;
one hand is raised, and his remarks punctuated with his forefinger. Vulcan, listening,
enraged, shows his fury in his twisted shoulders and his fiery eyes. The Cyclops are
standing by, also listening ; they have paused a moment in their work, and this halt is
well portrayed. The focus of interest is directed to Apollo, and the picture is well
balanced, in form and in chiaroscuro