The two great Ancient Greek epics « The Iliad » and « The Odyssey « are attributed to the poet Homer, who is thought to have lived in the 8th century BCE. Both Homeric epics are related to the Trojan War, which is believed to have taken place in the 13th century BCE, in the Bronze Age. Since the …
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22. The Oracle of Delphi
One day on Mount Olympus the gods started arguing where the centre of the world could be . Every god had a precise idea of the location of the centre of the world but the problem was that each of them had a different idea. So Zeus decided to take the matter into his capable …
21. The Tragedy of Oedipus
Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. Somewhat similar to the fate of Perseus, the newborn Oedipus was left to die in the mountains as Laius was told by the Oracle of Apollo in Delphi that his own son would kill him. In a desperate attempt to prevent the prophecy’s …
20. Theseus and The Minotaur
The Hero and the Monster Theseus was the son of the King of Athens Aegeus, though it was whispered that his biological father was Poseidon, God of the Sea, as supposedly his mother was possessed by Poseidon when she slept with Aegeus. Separated from Aegeus at birth, the adult Theseus eventually learned about his royal …
19. Perseus and the Slaying of Medusa
One of the most famous illegitimate sons of Zeus, King of the Greek Gods, Perseus was conceived after Zeus rained himself onto the lap of Perseus’ mother, the beautiful Danaë, in the form of a shower of golden coins. Unfortunately his maternal grandfather, Acrisius, has decided to kill him for he had been warned in …
18. Jason and the Argonauts: The Quest for the Golden Fleece
This story is one of the longest and most complex Greek myths as it includes the interventions of numerous protagonists, heroes and goddesses. Jason was the son of the late King of Iolcos Aeson, who was overthrown by his treacherous brother Pelias. Only a baby at that time Jason escaped death after his mother managed …
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17. The Twelve Labours of Heracles (Hercules)
Heracles was the most popular god-hero in Ancient Greece. He was really the greatest of the divine heroes so great that his mighty father Zeus made him a god after his death. He then became immortal. Every where in Greece there would be a temple dedicated to him whereas for the other gods it would depend …
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16. Prometheus: The Creation of mankind & Pandora the First Woman
Prometheus and the creation of mankind According to Hesiod, Prometheus, though a Titan, was one of the few to support Zeus in his fight against Cronus. Prometheus was unusual, he took the side of Zeus, not for glory or personal gain but because he was opposed to the dictatorship of Cronus. After Zeus’s victory Prometheus …
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15. The Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries were the most sacred and secret religious rites in ancient Greece. According to their mythological explanation, the Mysteries were established by Goddess Demeter and those who were successfully initiated would no longer fear death. Demeter and her daughter, Persephone, were central characters in the Eleusinian Mysteries, where initiates would accomplish rites from …
14. Why is There a Winter?
Hades, the Lord of the Underworld was cold taciturn, depressed and globally anti-social. Hades surprisingly felt passionately in love with his niece Persephone and decided to marry her. The problem was that he knew that the mother of Persephone, his sister, the energetic Demeter loved so dearly her daughter that she would never let her …