Ancient heroes of Greece and their exploits. Gods and heroes of Greek mythology Who are called heroes in mythology

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

Amphitryon- the son of the Tirinthian king Alcaeus and the daughter of Pelops Astydamia, the grandson of Perseus. Amphitryon took part in the war against the TV fighters who lived on the island of Taphos, which was waged by his uncle, the Mycenaean king Electryon.

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, the main character of the Iliad.

Ajax- the name of two participants in the Trojan War; both fought at Troy as suitors for Helen's hand. In the Iliad they often appear hand in hand 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 was Hipponou.

Hector- one of the main heroes 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 to set foot on the soil 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 Deipila. Together with Adrastus, he took part in the campaign and destruction of Thebes. As one of Helen's suitors, Diomedes subsequently fought at Troy, leading a militia on 80 ships.

Meleager- hero of Aetolia, son of the Calydonian king Oeneus and Althea, husband of Cleopatra. Participant of the Argonauts' campaign. Meleager's greatest fame came from 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 deployed sixty ships.

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

Orpheus- the famous singer of the Thracians, the son of the river god Eager 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 comrade-in-arms of Achilles in the Trojan War. As a boy, he killed his friend while playing dice, for which his father sent him to Peleus in Phthia, where he was raised with Achilles.

Peleus- son of the Aeginean king Eak and Endeida, 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.

Pelop- 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 Argive king Acrisius. The winner of the Gorgon Medusa and the savior of Andromeda from the claims of the dragon.

Talfibiy- the messenger, a Spartan, together with Eurybates, was Agamemnon’s herald, 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 Hesione. The best archer in the Greek army at Troy, where over thirty defenders of Ilion fell at his hands.

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

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

Phoroney- founder of the Argive state, son of the river god Inach and the hamadryad Melia. He was revered as a national hero; Sacrifices were performed at his grave.

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

Oedipus- son of the Finnish king Laius and Jocasta. 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 the Erinyes.

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

Jason- the son of Aison, on behalf of Pelias, set out from Thessaly for the golden fleece to Colchis, for which he equipped the expedition 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 his mother’s persuasion and castrated his father Uranus in order to stop the endless births 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 gave him a stone to swallow instead of the newborn.

Rhea hid her son, Zeus, on the island of Crete, where he grew up, suckled by the divine goat Amalthea. He was guarded by the Kuretes - warriors who drowned out the crying of Zeus by striking their shields so that Kronos would not hear.

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

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

Rhea(“Ρέα”), in ancient mythology, a Greek goddess, one of the Titanides, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, wife of Kronos and mother of the Olympian deities: Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter and Hera (Hesiod, Theogony, 135). Kronos, afraid, that one of his children would deprive him of power, devouring them immediately after birth. Rhea, on the advice of her parents, saved Zeus instead of her born son, she placed a swaddled stone, which Kronos swallowed, and Rhea sent her son, secretly from her father, to Crete, to the mountain. Dicta. When Zeus grew up, Rhea assigned her son as a cupbearer to Kronos 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 and at the birth of Poseidon, She hid her son among the grazing sheep. Kronos was given a foal to swallow, citing the fact that she gave birth to him (Pausanias, VIII 8, 2).

The cult of Rhea was considered one of the most ancient, but was not widespread in Greece itself. In Crete and Asia Minor she mixed with the Asian goddess of nature and fertility Cybele, and her worship came to a more prominent level. The legend about the birth of Zeus in the grotto of Mount Ida, which enjoyed special veneration, was localized especially in Crete, as evidenced by the large number of dedications, some of them very ancient, found in it. The tomb of Zeus was also shown on Crete. The priests of Rhea were called here Curetes and were identified with the Corybantes, the priests of the great Phrygian mother Cybele. Rhea entrusted them with the preservation of the infant Zeus; By banging their weapons, the Kuretes muffled his crying so that Kronos could not hear the child. Rhea was depicted in a matronly type, usually with a crown from the city walls on her head, or in a veil, mostly sitting on a throne, near which sit lions dedicated to her. Its attribute was the tympanum (an ancient musical percussion instrument, the predecessor of the timpani). During late antiquity, Rhea was identified with the Phrygian Great Mother of the Gods and received the name Rhea-Cybele, whose cult was distinguished by its 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 ruler of the winds and clouds, rain, thunder and lightning, caused storms and hurricanes with a blow of the scepter, but 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, instead of 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 settle accounts with his father. His first wife, the wise Metis (“thought”), daughter of Ocean, advised him to give his father a potion that would make him vomit all the children he had swallowed. Having defeated Kronos, who gave birth to them, Zeus and the brothers divided the world among themselves. Zeus chose the sky, Hades - the underground kingdom of the dead, and Poseidon - the sea. They decided to consider the earth and Mount Olympus, where the palace of the gods was located, to be common. Over time, the world of the Olympians changes and becomes less cruel. The Oras, daughters of Zeus from Themis, his second wife, brought order to the lives of gods and people, and the Charites, daughters from Eurynome, the former mistress of Olympus, brought joy and grace; The goddess Mnemosyne gave birth to 9 muses to Zeus. Thus, law, science, art and morality took their place in human society. Zeus was also the father of famous heroes - Hercules, Dioscuri, Perseus, Sarpedon, glorious kings and sages - Minos, Radamanthos 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 marriage. Some of Zeus' children 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, goddess of air, patroness of family and marriage. Hera, the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, raised in the house of Oceanus and Tethys, is the sister and wife of Zeus, with whom she, according to Samian legend, 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 the limits of her subordinate position. Hera, mother of Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus, Ilithyia. He is distinguished by his power, cruelty and jealous disposition. Especially in the Iliad, Hera shows grumpiness, stubbornness and jealousy - character traits that passed into the Iliad, probably from the most ancient songs glorifying Hercules. Hera hates and persecutes Hercules, as well as all the favorites and children of Zeus from other goddesses, nymphs and mortal women. When Hercules was returning by 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 achieve something from Zeus, against whom she cannot do anything by force.

In the struggle for Ilion, she patronizes her beloved Achaeans; the Achaean cities of Argos, Mycenae, Sparta are her favorite places; She hates the Trojans for the trial of Paris. The marriage of Hera with Zeus, which initially had a spontaneous meaning - a 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 marriage and childbirth. A pomegranate apple, a symbol of marital love, and a cuckoo, the messenger of spring, the season of love, were dedicated to her. In addition, the peacock and crow were considered her birds.

The chief place of her cult was Argos, where stood her colossal statue, made of gold and ivory by Polycletus, and where the so-called Heraea were celebrated in her honor every five years. In addition to Argos, Hera was also honored in Mycenae, Corinth, Sparta, Samos, Plataea, Sikyon and other cities. Art represents Hera as a tall, slender woman, with majestic posture, mature beauty, a rounded face bearing an important expression, a beautiful forehead, thick hair, large, wide-open “ox-like” eyes. The most remarkable image of her was the above-mentioned statue of Polykleitos in Argos: here Hera sat on a throne with a crown on her head, with a pomegranate apple in one hand, with a scepter in the other; at the top of the scepter is a cuckoo. On top of the long chiton, which left only the neck and arms uncovered, there is a himation thrown around the waist. In Roman mythology, Hera corresponds to Juno.

Demeter(Δημήτηρ), in Greek mythology the goddess of fertility and agriculture, civil order 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 Olympic deities. The ancient chthonic origin of Demeter is attested to by her name (literally, “earth mother”). Cult appeals to Demeter: Chloe ("greens", "sowing"), Carpophora ("giver of fruits"), Thesmophora ("legislator", "organizer"), Sieve ("bread", "flour") indicate the functions of Demeter as goddess of fertility. She is a goddess who is kind to people, of beautiful appearance with hair the color of ripe wheat, and an assistant in peasant labors (Homer, Iliad, V 499-501). She fills the farmer's barns with supplies (Hesiod, Opp. 300, 465). They call on Demeter so that the grains come out full-bodied and so that the plowing is successful. Demeter taught people plowing and sowing, combining in a sacred marriage on a thrice-plowed field on the island of Crete with the Cretan god of agriculture Iasion, and the fruit of this marriage was Plutos, the god of wealth and abundance (Hesiod, Theogony, 969-974).

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

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 earth goddess Rhea and the titan Kronos and immediately after birth he, along with his brothers and sisters, was swallowed by his father, who was afraid that they would take away his power over the world. Zeus subsequently freed them all.

Poseidon lived in an underwater palace, among a host of gods obedient to him. Among them were his son Triton, the Nereids, the sisters of Amphitrite and many others. The god of the seas was equal in beauty to Zeus himself. He traveled along the sea in a chariot harnessed to marvelous horses.

With the help of a magic trident, Poseidon controlled the depths of the sea: if there was a storm at sea, then as soon as he stretched out the trident in front of him, the furious sea calmed down.

The ancient Greeks greatly revered this deity and, in order to achieve his favor, made 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. During the division of the world after the overthrow of his father, Zeus took the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld; The brothers agreed to rule the land together. Hades' second name was Polydegmon ("recipient of many gifts"), which is associated with the countless shadows of the dead living in his domain.

The messenger of the gods, Hermes, conveyed the souls of the dead to the ferryman Charon, who transported across the underground river Styx only those who could pay for the crossing. The entrance to the underground kingdom of the dead was guarded by the three-headed dog Kerberus (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 was located in the bowels of the earth, and the entrance to it was in the far west (west, sunset - symbols of dying), beyond the Ocean River, which washes the earth. The most popular myth about Hades is associated with his abduction of Persephone, daughter of Zeus and the fertility goddess Demeter. Zeus promised him his beautiful daughter without asking her mother's consent. When Hades forcibly took the bride away, Demeter almost lost her mind from grief, forgot about her duties, and hunger gripped 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. This is how the alternation of seasons arose. One day, Hades fell in love with the nymph Minta or Mint, who was associated with the water of the kingdom of the dead. Having learned about this, Persephone, in a fit of jealousy, turned the nymph into a fragrant plant.

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names have not been forgotten to this day, occupied a special place in mythology, fine art and the life of the ancient Greek people. They were role models and ideals of physical beauty. Legends and poems were written about these brave men; statues were created in honor of the heroes and they were named after the constellations.

Legends and myths of Ancient Greece: heroes of Hellas, gods and monsters

The mythology of ancient Greek society is divided into three parts:

1. Pre-Olympic period - tales of titans and giants. At that time, man felt defenseless against the formidable forces of nature, about which he still knew very little. Therefore, the world around him seemed to him to be chaos, in which there were terrifying uncontrollable forces and entities - titans, giants and monsters. They were generated by the earth as the main active force of nature.

At this time, Cerberus, the chimera, the serpent Typhon, the hundred-armed giants Hecatoncheires, the goddess of vengeance Erinyes, appearing in the guise of terrible old women, and many others appear.

2. Gradually a pantheon of deities of a different nature began to develop. Abstract monsters began to be confronted by humanoid higher powers - the Olympian gods. This is the new, third generation of deities, who entered into battle against the titans and giants and won a victory over them. Not all opponents were imprisoned in the terrible dungeon - Tartarus. Many were included in the new Oceanus, Mnemosyne, Themis, Atlas, Helios, Prometheus, Selene, Eos. Traditionally, there were 12 main deities, but over the centuries their composition was constantly replenished.

3. With the development of ancient Greek society and the rise of economic forces, man's faith in his own strength became increasingly stronger. This bold view of the world gave birth to a new representative of mythology - the hero. He is the conqueror of monsters and at the same time the founder of states. At this time, great feats are accomplished and victories are won over ancient entities. Typhon is killed by Apollo, the hero of ancient Hellas Cadmus founds the famous Thebes on the site of the dragon he killed, Bellerophon destroys the chimera.

Historical sources of Greek myths

We can judge the exploits of heroes and gods from a few written testimonies. The largest of them are the poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey” by the great Homer, “Metamorphoses” by Ovid (they formed the basis of the famous book “Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece” by N. Kuhn), as well as the works of Hesiod.

Around the 5th century BC. collectors of tales about the gods and great defenders of Greece appear. The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names we now know, were not forgotten thanks to their painstaking work. These are historians and philosophers Apollodorus of Athens, Heraclides of Pontus, Palephatus and many others.

Origin of Heroes

First, let's find out who this hero is - the hero of Ancient Hellas. The Greeks themselves have several interpretations. This is usually the descendant of some deity and a mortal woman. Hesiod, for example, called heroes whose ancestor was Zeus demigods.

It takes more than one generation to create a truly invincible warrior and defender. Hercules is the thirtieth in the line of descendants of the main one and all the power of the previous heroes of his family was concentrated in him.

In Homer, this is a strong and brave warrior or a person of noble birth with famous ancestors.

Modern etymologists also interpret the meaning of the word in question differently, highlighting the common one - the function of a protector.

Heroes of Ancient Hellas often have a similar biography. Many of them did not know their father's name, were raised either by one mother, or were adopted children. All of them, in the end, set off to accomplish feats.

Heroes are called upon to carry out the will of the Olympian gods and grant protection to people. They bring order and justice to earth. There is also a contradiction in them. On the one hand, they are endowed with superhuman strength, but on the other, they are deprived of immortality. The gods themselves sometimes try to correct this injustice. Thetis stabs Achilles' son to death, trying to make him immortal. The goddess Demeter, in gratitude to the Athenian king, puts his son Demophon in the fire to burn out everything mortal in him. Usually these attempts end in failure due to the intervention of parents who fear for the lives of their children.

The fate of the hero is usually tragic. Unable to live forever, he tries to immortalize himself in the memory of people through his exploits. He is often persecuted by unkind gods. Hercules tries to destroy Hera, Odysseus is pursued by the wrath of Poseidon.

Heroes of Ancient Hellas: list of names and exploits

The first defender of people was the titan Prometheus. He is conventionally called a hero because he is not a man or a demigod, but a real deity. According to Hesiod, it was he who created the first people, sculpting them from clay or earth, and patronized them, protecting them from the tyranny of other gods.

Bellerophon is one of the first heroes of the older generation. As a gift from the Olympian gods, he received the wonderful winged horse Pegasus, with the help of which he defeated the terrible fire-breathing chimera.

Theseus is a hero who lived before the great Trojan War. Its origins are unusual. He is a descendant of many gods, and his ancestors were even wise half-snake-half-humans. The hero has two fathers at once - King Aegeus and Poseidon. Before his greatest feat - the victory over the monstrous Minotaur - he managed to accomplish many good deeds: he destroyed the robbers lying in wait for travelers on the Athens road, and killed the monster - the Crommion pig. Also, Theseus, together with Hercules, participated in the campaign against the Amazons.

Achilles is the greatest hero of Hellas, the son of King Peleus and the goddess of the sea, Thetis. Wanting to make her son invulnerable, she put him in the oven of Hephaestus (according to other versions, in or boiling water). He was destined to die in the Trojan War, but before that he would accomplish many feats on the battlefield. His mother tried to hide him with the ruler Lycomedes, dressing him in women's clothing and passing him off as one of the king's daughters. But the cunning Odysseus, sent to search for Achilles, was able to expose him. The hero was forced to accept his fate and went to the Trojan War. On it he accomplished many feats. His mere appearance on the battlefield put his enemies to flight. Achilles was killed by Paris with an arrow from a bow, which was directed by the god Apollo. It hit the only vulnerable spot on the hero’s body - the heel. Achilles was revered. Temples were built in his honor in Sparta and Elis.

The life stories of some heroes are so interesting and tragic that they are worth telling about them separately.

Perseus

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, their exploits and life stories are known to many. One of the most popular representatives of the great defenders of antiquity is Perseus. He performed several feats that forever glorified his name: he cut off the head and saved the beautiful Andromeda from a sea monster.

To do this, he had to get the helmet of Ares, which makes anyone invisible, and the sandals of Hermes, which give the ability to fly. Athena, the hero's patroness, gave him a sword and a magic bag in which he could hide his severed head, because even looking at a dead Gorgon turned any living creature into stone. After the death of Perseus and his wife Andromeda, they were both placed in the sky by the gods and turned into constellations.

Odysseus

The heroes of ancient Hellas were not only unusually strong and courageous. Many of them were distinguished by their wisdom. The most cunning of them was Odysseus. More than once his sharp mind saved the hero and his companions. Homer dedicated his famous “Odyssey” to the many-year journey of the king of Ithaca home.

The Greatest of the Greeks

The hero of Hellas (Ancient Greece), whose myths are most famous, is Hercules. and a descendant of Perseus, he accomplished many feats and became famous for centuries. All his life he was haunted by Hera's hatred. Under the influence of the madness she sent, he killed his children and two sons of his brother Iphicles.

The hero's death came prematurely. Wearing a poisoned cloak sent by his wife Deianira, who thought it was laced with a love potion, Hercules realized that he was dying. He ordered the funeral pyre to be prepared and climbed onto it. At the moment of death, the son of Zeus - the main character of Greek myths - was ascended to Olympus, where he became one of the gods.

Ancient Greek demigods and mythical characters in modern art

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, pictures of which can be seen in the article, have always been considered examples of physical strength and health. There is not a single form of art in which plots from Greek mythology have not been used. And today they do not lose popularity. Films such as “Clash of the Titans” and “Wrath of the Titans,” in which Perseus is the main character, aroused great interest among viewers. A magnificent film of the same name is dedicated to Odysseus (directed by Andrei Konchalovsky). "Troy" told about the exploits and death of Achilles.

A huge number of films, TV series and cartoons have been shot about the great Hercules.

Conclusion

The heroes of Ancient Hellas are still wonderful examples of masculinity, self-sacrifice and devotion. Not all of them are ideal, and many of them have negative traits - vanity, pride, lust for power. But they always stood up to defend Greece if the country or its people were in danger.

Ancient Greece is one of the richest sources of myths about gods, ordinary people and
mortal heroes who protected them. Over the centuries, these stories have been created
poets, historians and simply “eyewitnesses” of the legendary exploits of intrepid heroes,
having the powers of demigods.

1

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

2

Achilles is one of the bravest Greek heroes who undertook a campaign against
Troy under the leadership of Agamemnon. Stories about him are always full of courage and
courage. It is not for nothing that he is one of the key figures in the writings of the Iliad, where he
given more honor than any other warrior.

3

He was described not only as an intelligent and brave king, but also as
a 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 of
many people.

4

Perseus was no less a key figure in ancient Greek mythology. He
described as the conqueror 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.

6

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

7

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

8

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

9

Talai is another of the Argonauts. Honest, fair, smart and reliable -
This is how Homer described him in his Odyssey.

10

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

Heroes were born from marriages of Olympian gods with mortals. They were endowed with superhuman capabilities and enormous strength, but did not have immortality. Heroes performed all sorts of feats with the help of their divine parents. They were supposed to fulfill the will of the gods on earth, to bring justice and order into people's lives. Heroes were highly revered in Ancient Greece, legends about them were passed down from generation to generation.

The concept of a heroic act did not always include military valor. Some heroes, indeed, are great warriors, others are healers, others are great travelers, others are just husbands of goddesses, others are ancestors of nations, others are prophets, etc. Greek heroes are not immortal, but their posthumous fate is unusual. Some heroes of Greece live after death on the Isles of the Blessed, others on the island of Levka or even on Olympus. It was believed that most heroes who fell in battle or died as a result of dramatic events were buried in the ground. The tombs of heroes - heroons - were places of their worship. Often, there were graves of the same hero in different places in Greece.

Read more about the characters from Mikhail Gasparov’s book “Entertaining Greece”

In Thebes they talked about the hero Cadmus, the founder of Cadmeia, the winner of the terrible cave dragon. In Argos they talked about the hero Perseus, who, at the end of the world, cut off the head of the monstrous Gorgon, from whose gaze people turned to stone, and then defeated the sea monster - Whale. In Athens they talked about the hero Theseus, who freed central Greece from evil robbers, and then in Crete killed the bull-headed cannibal Minotaur, who was sitting in a palace with intricate passages - the Labyrinth; he did not get lost in the Labyrinth because he held on to the thread that was given to him by the Cretan princess Ariadne, who later became the wife of the god Dionysus. In the Peloponnese (named after another hero, Pelops), they talked about the twin heroes Castor and Polydeuces, who later became the patron gods of horsemen and fighters. The hero Jason conquered the sea: on the ship “Argo” with his Argonaut friends, he brought to Greece from the eastern edge of the world the “golden fleece” - the skin of a golden ram that came down from heaven. The hero Daedalus, the builder of the Labyrinth, conquered the sky: on wings made of bird feathers, fastened with wax, he flew from captivity in Crete to his native Athens, although his son Icarus, flying with him, could not stay in the air and died.

The main hero, the real savior of the gods, was Hercules, the son of Zeus. He was not just a mortal man - he was a forced mortal man who served a weak and cowardly king for twelve years. On his orders, Hercules performed twelve famous labors. The first were victories over monsters from the outskirts of Argos - a stone lion and a multi-headed hydra snake, in which, instead of each severed head, several new ones grew. The last were victories over the dragon of the Far West, who guarded the golden apples of eternal youth (it was on the way to him that Hercules dug the Strait of Gibraltar, and the mountains on its sides began to be called the Pillars of Hercules), and over the three-headed dog Cerberus, who guarded the terrible kingdom of the dead. And after that he was called to his main task: he became a participant in the great war of the Olympians with the rebellious younger gods, the giants - in the Gigantomachy. The giants threw mountains at the gods, the gods struck the giants, some with lightning, some with a rod, some with a trident, the giants fell, but not killed, but only stunned. Then Hercules hit them with arrows from his bow, and they did not get up again. Thus, man helped the gods defeat their most terrible enemies.

But gigantomachy was only the penultimate danger that threatened the omnipotence of the Olympians. Hercules also saved them from the last danger. In his wanderings to the ends of the earth, he saw chained Prometheus on a Caucasian rock, tormented by Zeus's eagle, took pity on him and killed the eagle with an arrow. In gratitude for this, Prometheus revealed to him the last secret of fate: let Zeus not seek the love of the sea goddess Thetis, because the son that Thetis gives birth to will be stronger than his father - and if it is the son of Zeus, he will overthrow Zeus. Zeus obeyed: Thetis was married not to a god, but to a mortal hero, and they had a son, Achilles. And with this began the decline of the heroic age.

Thanks to this book, the reader will be able to get acquainted with the mythical heroes of Ancient Greece and Rome, China, India, Korea, the peoples of the Caucasus, Africa, Ancient Rus', and learn about the exploits they accomplished. The book is supplemented with color illustrations that will give a more complete picture of how the ancients saw their legendary heroes.

A series: 100 most-most

* * *

The given introductory fragment of the book Heroes of Myths (K. A. Lyakhova, 2002) provided by our book partner - the company liters.

Amazing heroes of ancient legends

When you hear the word “hero,” a giant giant with a huge sword appears in the imagination, with which he effortlessly defeats all enemies and monsters, saving the world. Nevertheless, often the heroes of myths are almost no different from ordinary people and nothing human is alien to them. They fall in love, suffer, repent, despair, succumb to other people's tricks, cheat themselves, are afraid, go crazy, laugh, cry, lose faith in themselves, find friends and, of course, accomplish feats. Such different heroes in the legends of different nations are somehow similar to each other. And this is not surprising, because they were created by the imagination of people living on the same planet and trying to imagine where this planet came from and how life appeared on it. How? If you believe the myths, then with the direct participation of the gods. But things couldn’t have happened without the active (or involuntary) intervention of the heroes! Do you want to know how this happened? Then read on...

Abrskil is a hero of Abkhaz legends. The Abkhazians believed that he was born from an immaculate virgin. Having matured, Abrskil became one of the most powerful heroes, a defender of his people. He not only defeated all enemies, but also successfully farmed, destroying ferns, thorns and wild grapevines - plants that harm crops.

However, this did not last long. The day came when Abrskil decided to measure his strength with the supreme god Antsva. The hero filled leather bags to the top with huge boulders, tied this load to the saddle, jumped astride his winged horse-arash and rose into the sky. Swinging his saber, Abrskil cut through the cloud, causing lightning, and then threw several boulders to the ground and made a terrible noise like thunder.

And today, in the Ochamchira region of Abkhazia, local residents visit the Chilou Cave. They believe that it was in it that Abrskil was imprisoned in ancient times.

Upon learning of this, Antswa became very angry. He ordered the daring hero to be caught and imprisoned in a cave, chained with a heavy chain along with his horse to a high iron pillar. According to legend, Abrskil loosened the pillar and tried to pull it out of the ground, but when he was ready to do this, a wagtail bird flew in and sat on the pillar. The hero wanted to drive the bird away and began to hit the top of the pillar, but thereby only drove it even deeper into the ground.

Autolycus is one of the many heroes of Greek myths. In them he is described as a dexterous, skillful and fearless robber. He lived on Mount Parnassus, near the city of Delphi.

He received his gift - to cheat and deceive people - from his father, the god Hermes - the messenger, patron of travelers and guide of the souls of the dead.

The father also gave Autolycus the ability to take on any image at will or become invisible.

However, this hero's name is not related to his abilities. Translated from Greek, it means “the wolf itself” or “the personification of the wolf,” which probably indicates the totemic roots of the hero’s origin.

Autolycus was distinguished by his strength and courage; he had to participate in battles more than once. He was familiar with the techniques of fist fighting, shot accurately with a bow, and was fluent in other types of weapons. He passed on all his knowledge to Hercules, who turned out to be an excellent student.

Among his many cunning tricks, the most often mentioned is the kidnapping of Sisifus's cows, which he vigilantly guarded. Autolycus still managed to deceive the guards and steal cows from Sisifus, who was also known as a swindler and was very difficult to outwit. But Sisyphus turned out to be even more cunning than Autolycus thought: the owner of the herd marked the hooves of all his animals with a special sign, which was known only to Sisyphus, so it was not difficult for him to find the stolen cows.

Greek myths call Autolycus the most thieving of men. But he could defeat the enemy not only by cunning, but also by force.

Autolycus was very soon caught stealing, and he had no choice but to return the cattle to the rightful owner. According to one version of the myth, in revenge for the theft, Sisif seduced the young daughter of Autolycus, the beautiful Anticlea.

Autolycus soon learned about what had happened and, wanting to hide his daughter’s shame, very quickly found Antiklea a groom and got married. According to another version, the girl had a fiancé named Laertes even before meeting Sisif, but she could not resist Sisif’s charm and agreed to have an extramarital affair with him.

Thus was born the legend that the real father of Odysseus, who was born at Anticlea, was in fact not Laertes, but Sisyphus.

Perhaps this legend was invented only to explain the resourcefulness, cunning and propensity for fraud inherent in Odysseus.

Agamemnon

Greek myths call Agamemnon one of the heroes of the Trojan War, the leader of the Greek army.

Agamemnon's father is Atreus, his mother is Aerope. Atreus, the Mycenaean king, was killed by Aegisthus, after which Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus had to leave the city and flee to Aetolia. But they soon regained their power thanks to the help of the king of Sparta Tyndareus, who stood up for them. Agamemnon married Clytaemestra, daughter of Tyndareus, and began to rule Mycenae. His wife bore him three daughters and a son, Orestes.

Agamemnon's military exploits are described in most detail in Homer's Iliad. But from this same work you can also learn about the negative qualities of the king: arrogance, stubbornness, injustice.

After Paris kidnapped Helen, the wife of Menelaus, the former suitors of this beauty united into an army and set off on a military campaign against Troy. Agamemnon, as the elder brother of the deceived husband, was chosen as leader, but the negative qualities of his character were the cause of many misfortunes that happened not only to Agamemnon himself, but also to his army. For example, one day the king shot a doe while hunting and loudly declared that the goddess of hunting Artemis herself should envy his accuracy. Hearing this, Artemis became angry and sent a fierce wind towards Agamemnon's fleet. The ships never managed to leave Aulis. Agamemnon had to pacify his pride and sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to Artemis.

The soldiers came to the walls of Troy, but were unable to enter the city. Then they began to destroy the surrounding area, which led to new troubles. Agamemnon kidnapped the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo. The father offered the kidnapper a large ransom, but the king refused to return her. Chryses turned to Apollo for help, and he sent a pestilence to the warriors. After the causes of the illness were revealed, Achilles demanded that the girl be returned to her father. Agamemnon returned her, but instead appropriated the captive Briseis, who, by right of war, went to Achilles. After this, Achilles refused to conduct military operations, and the Trojans inflicted enormous damage on the Greek army.

The Greeks still managed to win the war: they entered the city and destroyed it, after which they set off on their way back. Agamemnon's road to Mycenae was described in most detail in the epic poem "The Return", written in the 7th century BC. e. and has not survived to this day, as well as in the work of Stesichorus called “Oresteia”.

These works tell that Agamemnon, as a result of a military campaign against Troy, received treasures and Cassandra, the daughter of the last Trojan king. But in his homeland he found death. One of the most ancient myths tells that Agamemnon died at the hands of one of his enemies, Aegisthus. During the king's absence, Aegisthus seduced his wife and decided to win the throne by eliminating his rival. Aegisthus killed Agamemnon right at the festive feast. Later, around the middle of the 6th century BC. e., another legend spread, according to which Clytaemestra herself killed her husband, thus avenging the death of her daughter, whom Agamemnon sacrificed to the goddess Artemis. The wife greeted Agamemnon with feigned joy, without betraying her feelings. Later, when the king was in the bath, Clytaemestra covered him with a heavy blanket and struck him three times with a sword.

Akhat, or Akhit, is the hero of the Ugaritic mytho-epic legend in West Semitic mythology. He was the son of the wise ruler Danniil, born with the blessing of Ilu. The boy turned into a strong hero. When he reached initiation age, his father gave him his blessing to go hunting. In memory of this day, Kuasar-i-Khusas made and presented the boy with a wonderful bow. Akhat began to often go hunting and one day met the goddess Anat. Seeing the bow, she wanted to take it for herself and began to offer the young man in exchange any earthly riches, her love, and finally promised to make him immortal.

The childhood of Akhat, the son of the ruler, passed happily. He played, trained and grew up very quickly and became a strong, handsome young man and a skilled hunter. Every day he went hunting and never returned empty-handed.

But Akhat refused everything, not wanting to part with his dear gift. Then Anat, who decided to take possession of the bow at any cost, sent a flock of eagles led by their leader Yatpanu to attack the young hunter. The eagles pounced on the hero, tore him apart with their powerful beaks and ate him. Having learned about the death of his son, Danniil turned to the divine being Balu with a request to help find at least the remains of the body: the ruler, together with his daughter Pagat, wanted to mourn the deceased. Balu tore the wings off the eagles and then ripped open their bellies to reveal the remains of Akhat's body. Then Balu returned the wings to the eagles, and the birds of prey flew away, and Akhat’s sister, Pagat, left the house and went to take revenge on the killers.

Amida, Amida-butsu, or Amida-nyorai, is one of the main deities of Japanese Buddhist mythology. He is also called the ruler of the promised “pure land”, where the righteous live. According to legend, in the “pure land” you can see beautiful fragrant plants that cannot be found on earth. Residents bathe in rivers, the water of which can become warmer or colder at their discretion.

Mentions of this deity can most often be found in the biographies of Japanese righteous people who dedicated their lives to praising Amida and were honored to see the god and communicate with him.

The cult of Amida existed in Japan for a very long time. There is information that Amida was worshiped by one of the figures of early Buddhism, Gyogi, who lived at the turn of the 7th–8th centuries AD. e. Later, the legends of Amida formed the basis of the religious beliefs of Japanese sects, such as the Jodo-shu (pure water sect) or the Jodo Shin-shu (true pure land sect).

Numerous legends about Amida formed the basis of medieval Japanese literature, such as the Japanese Records of Those Who Made a Rebirth in the Land of Extreme Joy. Comic works also began to appear. One of them tells about a devil who pretended to be the god Amida and was able to deceive an old monk.

There are many images of Amida in Japan. These are mainly wooden sculptures, sometimes - images of Amida and his assistants, the bodhisattvas (enlightened ones) Kannon and Seishi.

Amirani is the god of Georgian mythology and the main character of the epic “Amiraniani”. According to numerous legends common among Georgians and related peoples, Amirani was born from the goddess of hunting Dali. His father was a mortal hunter or peasant whose name is not mentioned in the legends. Dali gave birth to a son ahead of schedule, and he ripened for some time in the stomach of a cow.

They guessed about Amirani’s divine origin just by looking at his figure: there was an image of the moon and sun on his shoulders, and some parts of his body were made of pure gold. Amirani was unusually strong: it is believed that he received his strength thanks to the magical blessing of his godfather. According to another legend, Amirani acquired heroic strength after washing in the water of a magical spring belonging to the deity Igri-batoni.

During his life, Amirani accomplished many feats, in which he was helped by his brothers-in-arms Badri and Usipi. Many feats were performed in the fight against devas (evil spirits) and veshapi (dragons). One of the myths tells how the hero tried to return the sun to the sky, which was absorbed by the Veshapi. The fight lasted for a long time, and in the end Veshapi managed to defeat Amirani and swallow him. But the hero ripped open his opponent’s stomach and in this way escaped. Then he inserted a wickerwork between the ribs of the vest: the sun burned it and came out.

Another myth tells that Amirani went to an overseas country and kidnapped the heavenly maiden Kamari, having previously defeated her father, the lord of thunderclouds, in battle.

Amirani helped the inhabitants of his country in agriculture (destroyed harmful plants). He was the first blacksmith and taught blacksmithing to others.

The gods did not like the fact that there was a hero living on earth who could compete with them, and they decided to destroy Amirani. They chained him to a rock in one of the Caucasus caves. From time to time an eagle flew to the rock and pecked at Amirani’s liver. A dog lay at the hero’s feet and licked a thick chain, trying to make it thinner so that Amirani could break it. But every year, on Thursday of Holy Week (or, in another version, on Christmas Eve), the blacksmiths renewed the chain, and the dog had to start working all over again. An ancient legend says that once every seven years the walls of the cave collapse and Amirani can be seen.

Amirani is a huge hero with eyes the size of a sieve. It looks like a dark purple thundercloud that is about to burst into a downpour. He is tireless, like a wolf, swift, like a log flying from a mountain, and strong, like twelve pairs of bulls.

After the spread of Christianity in Georgia, Amirani began to be considered a martyr, like Elijah, George and other Christian saints. Legends about him formed the basis of medieval Georgian literary works, for example, the poem by Sh. Rustaveli “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger.”

Arjuna is a hero of Hindu mythology. Translated from ancient Indian, his name means “white”, “light”.

Arjuna was the third son of Kunti, born from the god Indra. Legends describe Arjuna as an ideal warrior: strong, courageous, fearless, fair.

Arjuna was noble even towards his enemies, which earned him the mercy of the gods: Krishna himself became the driver of his chariot. Since then, Arjuna has not known defeat. According to one legend, before the start of the battle on Kurukshetra, Krishna announced his divine revelation to Arjunta - the Bhagavad Gita, considering this warrior the most worthy among those living on earth.

Together with his four Pandava brothers, Arjuna was banished to the forest, where he lived for some time. One day he met the god Shiva, who took the form of a Kirata mountaineer, and fought with him. As a reward for a fair fight, Arjuna received from Shiva a divine weapon, with the help of which he was able to defeat the enemies of the Pandavas - the Kauravas.

For several years Arjuna lived in heaven, in Indra's capital Amaravati, assisting the gods in the battle with the asuras, the rivals of the gods.

As a result of long battles, the asuras were cast out of heaven and turned into demons.

Arjuna fought throughout his life. He died during another military campaign, while in the Himalayas, and earned eternal bliss among the gods.

Artavazd

Artavazd is the hero of the Armenian epic “Vipasank”, the son of King Artashes. The epic tells that Artavazd, not finding a suitable place to build his palace in the city of Artashat, founded by his father, took possession of the territory of the Vishaps. These territories were located north of the Yeraskh (Araks) River. The Vishaps, led by their leader Argavan, rebelled against the invader, but Artavazd exterminated them. However, in spite of everything, his subjects more revered his father, King Artashes, and kept the memory of their ruler even after his death.

Since childhood, Artavazd had an evil disposition. Legends explained this in different ways: some said that the baby was bewitched by the Vishapids soon after birth, others that he was kidnapped and a deva was put in his place, who took the form of a small boy.

Artavazd was jealous of his father's glory and was cursed by the gods. According to another version, he deserved the wrath of the gods because, contrary to the will of his father, after his death he declared himself king. Be that as it may, soon a misfortune befell him: he went hunting, but was captured by the Kaj tribe, who chained him to a rock with a thick chain.

Artavazd remained in the cave forever. Two dogs tried to gnaw the chain, and Artavazd was waiting for this moment to get out of captivity and destroy all the people living on earth. But this moment will never come, because the Kaji assigned guards to the prisoner - blacksmiths. When Sunday comes, the blacksmiths hit the anvils with their hammers three times, and the sound of the impact makes the chains even thicker.

Arthur is the most famous hero of Celtic myths. Legends about him formed the basis of the stories about the Grail and the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur, unlike many other legendary heroes, existed in reality, but the legends associated with him largely do not correspond to his real activities. The first mentions of this hero are found in myths that originated in the northern part of the island of Britain, where Arthur in the 5th - early 6th centuries was the leader of the Celt-Britons in their struggle against the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons.

King Arthur settled in Carlyon, where he established his residence. Here he built a palace, in the main hall of which he placed the famous Round Table. At this table he held meetings with the most valiant knights. In another hall, intended for feasts, there was a magical cauldron that Arthur obtained during his journey to Annon - the other world.

According to legend, Arthur, which means “bear” in Celtic, was the king of Britain. He gained power after he managed to pull out a magic sword from a stone lying on the altar. According to another legend, guided by the instructions of the wizard Merlin, he obtained the sword of the Lady of the Lake, which was held on the lake bed by a mysterious hand.

Having obtained the sword, Arthur gained power and became king. He was a brave, honest, fair and kind ruler, helped the poor, punished robbers and thieves. During his reign, the country entered a golden age. He rallied around himself the best people of the kingdom - the strongest and noblest knights, who together with him, without hesitation, stood up to defend their people.

During his life, as numerous Celtic legends tell, Arthur accomplished many feats and military campaigns. Most often stories are told about campaigns related to the search for the Grail (the cup with the blood of Christ).

The myths about the Battle of Camlan, in which Arthur’s best knights died, have also survived to this day, after which the kingdom fell into decline. Arthur himself had to fight his nephew Mordred during the battle to avenge the dishonor he had inflicted on Arthur's wife, Guinevere. The king killed Mordred, but he, dying, managed to mortally wound his opponent. Arthur's sister, the fairy Morgana, took him to the island of Avalon, where to this day he lies on the royal bed in a wonderful palace located on the top of the highest mountain.

The legends of King Arthur were reflected in subsequent architectural masterpieces and literary works. Arthur is depicted on the mosaics of the cathedral in the city of Otranto in Italy. Even Riga and Gdansk have their own “King Arthur’s Courts”. Numerous chivalric romances are told about King Arthur. The first such works, for example the novel by the French writer Chretien de Troyes, were written in the 12th century.

But even in the 20th century, King Arthur was not forgotten - he was made the hero of his novel by Mark Twain (“A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”).

Atli, or Etzel, is a hero of the German-Scandinavian heroic epic. This man actually existed: his name was Attila, he lived in the 5th century and was the king of the Huns. In myths and legends he usually appears as a negative character.

For example, in the Icelandic Eddic songs, in particular in the Völsunga Saga, as well as in the Norwegian work Thidrek's Saga, Atli is described as a stingy and cruel ruler who deceived the Burgundian king Gunnar and his brother Högni into a trap in order to take possession of the gold that belonged to them.

He comes up with cruel executions for the brothers: the heart of the living Högni is cut out of his chest in front of the people gathered in the square. Atli himself accompanies Gunnar to the very place of execution - a pit filled with snakes, where the executioners, by order of the king, throw the prisoner.

Gunnar and Högni's sister, Gudrun, also present in the square, sends a curse on the cruel king. Not waiting for the justice of the gods and seeing that her enemy continues to live, she kills him herself.

In reality, Atli died on the bed of his German captive named Ildigo. Information about this has been preserved and formed the basis of a myth in which the king also dies at the hands of a woman.

According to another version, described in the “Saga of Thidrek”, Hogni, having already been captured, manages to conceive a son. The boy grows up in Atli's palace and, having become an adult and deciding to avenge the death of his father and uncle, lures Atli to a cave in which the treasure is hidden. There he locks the greedy king, and he, unable to find a way out, dies of hunger near a whole pile of gold, which he was so eager to take possession of.

According to other legends, Atli was a powerful, generous and kind king who ruled over a vast country; he gathered under his command many heroes and brave warriors. But he also had shortcomings: he repeatedly showed excessive softness, pliability and indecisiveness. These qualities led to the fact that during the battle with the Huns on the Rhine River, the Burgundians who assisted the king in the battle, as well as the most faithful of his warriors, died.

In many legends, King Atli is described as an evil and cruel man. There are even stories of his diabolical origins, such as the fact that he was conceived by a dog.

Due to his indecision, Atli was unable to save his son and wife Kriemhild. They were killed by Kriemhild's brothers. This option can be found in the German epic, for example in the “Song of the Nibelungs”, as well as in the heroic song “Valtarius”, which was translated into Latin.

One of the many myths offers another version: Atli nevertheless defeated the army of the Huns, thus avenging the death of Brynhild, who in this myth is his sister.

Achilles, or Achilles, is called by Greek mythology one of the most outstanding heroes of the Trojan War.

The legend about him originated in Thessaly, and soon spread to other regions of Greece. In the city of Parsia, which was located in Laconia, there was even a temple of Achilles, where celebrations were held annually in memory of the hero. Another temple was built on the road from Arcadia to Sparta; sacrifices were also made in it. Later, legends about Achilles spread in southern Italy and among the inhabitants of Sicily.

Achilles was the son of the sea goddess Thetis and the Myrmidon king Peleus. The most common version of the legend tells that the mother dipped the boy into the waters of the River Styx, holding him by the heel, after which Achilles became invulnerable in battle.

But other legends have also survived. For example, one of them tells that Thetis sought to make her son invulnerable to arrows and swords, so she rubbed his body with ambrosia every day and tempered him in fire every night.

One day the father saw his son in the flames, became angry and took him away from his mother. Thetis left her husband, and he gave the boy to be raised by the old and wise centaur Chiron. The centaur fed the boy with the entrails of bears, lions and boars, taught him how to use weapons, the rules of battle, as well as singing and playing the cithara.

At a time when the bravest and most famous warriors fought for the hand of the beautiful Helen, Achilles was not yet strong enough and did not have time to accomplish feats that would glorify him, so he did not take part in the grooms’ competitions. According to another version, the wise centaur Chiron dissuaded Achilles from matchmaking.

Achilles' mother, Thetis, trying to make the boy immortal, dipped him into the waters of the underground river Styx. Achilles's entire body became invulnerable, with the exception of his heel, by which his mother held him, plunging him into the waters of the magic river. From the name of Achilles the famous expression “Achilles’ heel” arose, which means “weak spot.”

Helen chose Menelaus, and after some time the Trojan prince Paris kidnapped the beauty from her legal husband, taking his treasures at the same time. Then all the rejected suitors, led by Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, set off on a campaign against Troy.

Achilles initially did not take part in the campaign. In addition, Thetis, having learned the terrible prediction that her son was destined to die under the walls of Troy, tried to hide him in the palace of King Lycamedes on the island of Skyros. Achilles lived there for some time, and so as not to be recognized, he dressed in women's clothing and was constantly among the daughters of Lycamedes. He entered into a secret relationship with one of his daughters, Deidamia, who bore him a son, Pyrrhus (the boy became famous under the name Neoptolemus).

However, Achilles did not live long on Skyros. The priest Kalkhatan predicted that without the participation of Achilles, the campaign against Troy was doomed to failure. The Achaean leaders, hearing about this, found out where Achilles was hiding and sent soldiers led by Odysseus to Skyros.

Odysseus and his warriors disguised themselves as merchants, entered the island and began selling combs, mirrors, women's jewelry, and also a sword and shield. When Lycaon's sisters, along with Achilles, who was also dressed in a woman's dress, came to do their shopping, the soldiers suddenly sounded an alarm. The girls got scared and ran away, but Achilles did not lose his head, grabbed his sword and was recognized. He had no choice but to go on a campaign against Troy with Odysseus and other soldiers.

The further fate of Achilles is described in the tragedy of Euripides “Iphigenia in Aulis”. It tells that Achilles and the rest of the warriors arrived in Aulis on 50 ships. Achilles was also accompanied by his faithful friend and comrade-in-arms Patroclus. They had to take part in the sacrifice of Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon. Iphigenia was in the palace at Mycenae. Odysseus was entrusted with delivering it to Aulis. He arrived to the girl and told her that Achilles was waiting for her, who wanted to marry her (Achilles himself knew nothing about this). Iphigenia agreed to follow Odysseus, who brought her to Aulis.

Achilles learned that his name was used to kill an innocent girl. He became very angry, grabbed a weapon and tried to protect the princess.

However, this later version, as told by Euripides, does not correspond to the earlier legends. In them, Achilles and the entire army were looking forward to the sacrifice, because until it happened, the soldiers would not be able to sail from Aulis to Troy.

In the first battle, Achilles showed himself to be a hero. He was able to defeat the hero Cycnus, and then Troilus, one of the princes of Troy.

The siege of Troy, according to legend, lasted 10 years. In the first years of the siege, the Greeks, desperate to take Troy by storm, began to ravage the nearby area. Achilles, with the help of other warriors, defeated the cities of Lyrnessos, Pedas, Thebes, and Methymna. He turned out to be the most fearless and fair of all the warriors and, without hesitation, entered into the fight against the enemy. After one of the victories, Achilles was awarded as war booty the captive Briseis and the son of the Trojan king Priam Lycaon, whom Achilles sold into slavery.

Because of Briseis, Achilles clashed with Agamemnon. The leader of the Greek army illegally appropriated the captive for himself and did not want to return her to her rightful owner. Thanks to the intervention of the goddess Athena, the dispute did not turn into bloodshed, but Achilles refused to continue the war. He was not obliged to participate in the revenge of the rejected suitors and voluntarily joined them only because he preferred to become famous in battles and die on the battlefield, rather than remain in obscurity on the island of Skyros. Therefore, when he was deprived of his legitimate spoils of war, Achilles was very angry.

Meanwhile, the Trojan troops made several successful forays and inflicted great damage on the Achaean troops. But despite this, Achilles refused to lead his soldiers into battle.

Agamemnon was too proud and did not want to return the captive. But Elder Nestor advised him to restore justice if he did not want to lose the war. Through Odysseus, Agamemnon conveyed to Achilles that he agreed to give him Briseis and, in addition, one of his daughters and several rich cities in addition. But Achilles was adamant, and only when one of the Trojans, Hector, set fire to the Greek ship, did Achilles allow military operations to continue. He ordered Patroclus to put on his armor and lead the battle in his place. But Patroclus did not return from the battlefield: Hector mistook him for Achilles, killed him and took possession of the armor, hoping that they would make him invulnerable.

Having learned about what had happened, Achilles put on new armor, which the god Hephaestus had made for him, and he himself led the troops into battle. He defeated the Trojans and killed Hector in a fair fight. But before he died, Hector predicted that Achilles would soon die under the walls of Troy.

The further fate of the famous Trojan hero can be learned from the retelling of the epic poem “Ethiopida” (unfortunately, its original text has not survived). The retelling says that Achilles won several battles. The Amazon queen Penthesilea arrived to help the Trojans, but Achilles drove her away along with her army. The Ethiopian leader Memnon also made an attempt to help the Trojans, but failed.

Achilles' warriors managed to penetrate the city, but at that moment the prophecy came true: under the walls of Troy, at the Scaean Gate, Achilles died. He never managed to enter the city.

Achilles died at the hands of Paris, who, on the advice of the god Apollo, shot an arrow at Achilles' heel. The warrior could not take a single step, and Paris sent after the first and second arrows, which hit Achilles in the heart and killed him. In later versions of the legend, additional details appeared about the death of Achilles. For example, it is said that he fell in love with the Trojan princess Polyxena and decided to marry her. To do this, he even made an attempt to stop the war and reconcile both warring parties. Achilles went to negotiate in an enemy city unarmed, but Paris waylaid him and treacherously killed him. His brother Defiob helped him in this.

Thetis, hearing about the death of her beloved son, appeared under the walls of Troy and mourned Achilles for seventeen days. On the eighteenth day, the body was burned, and the ashes were collected and placed in a golden urn forged by the god Hephaestus. Then the urn was buried near Cape Sigei, at the entrance to the Hellespont from the Aegean Sea. His friend Patroclus was also buried with Achilles. The soul of Achilles lives on the island of Levka, where the hero enjoys the bliss he deserves during his life.

I. G. Fusli. "Thetis Mourning the Death of Achilles"

The burial place of Achilles was revered by the Greeks. Alexander the Great repeatedly organized funeral games on the burial mound; then this tradition was continued by the Roman emperor Caracalla.

Artists have always turned to the myth of Achilles in their work. Among the works of antiquity, one can mention numerous works of vase painting, frescoes, reliefs that decorated Roman sarcophagi, etc. More recent works include the works of painters A. van Dyck, N. Poussin, G. Tiepolo, P. P. Rubens and many others .

Bastvarai

Bastvarai is one of the heroes of Iranian mythology. Iranian legends call him the son of Zarivaraya; in the epic, written in the Middle Persian language, the father of the hero is considered to be Zarer, a mighty hero. During one of the battles, Zarer died. Vishtasp called on the heroes to avenge him, but no one volunteered to fight the one who killed Zarer. Then Bastvaraj, who was then barely seven years old, declared that he wanted to avenge his father. Vishtasp forbade him to enter into battle, believing that the boy was still too young to fight. Bastvarai decided to prove to the warrior that he could measure his strength even with the strongest hero. To do this, he convinced the groom to give him a war horse, jumped into the saddle and went to the enemy’s camp. Approaching his father's body, the boy began to mourn his death. The warriors wanted to capture Bastvarai, but he, having fought them off with a sword, returned home safely.

Bastvarai was the son of a hero and, like most heroes, he was endowed with strength from birth, and when the boy was seven years old, he was already in command of the battle.

Vishtasp, who did not expect such courageous behavior from the boy, was very surprised. Now he had no reason to prohibit the young hero from participating in the battle. Bastvarai and Giramikkart, the son of the chief adviser to King Jamasp, led troops against the enemy and struck the left flank. Then, together with Vishtasp's brother, the hero Spanddat, they led the troops to the right flank. Thus, they struck their enemies - the Chionites - suddenly and almost simultaneously defeated the enemy. Only Arzhaspe managed to escape.

Batradz is the hero of the Ossetian Nart epic. His father was Khamyts: a red-hot baby came out of his back. Satan, seeing the newborn, grabbed him and threw him far into the sea, hoping that he would drown. But he did not drown, but began to live with the ruler of the underwater kingdom Donbettir. Batradz lived under water until he grew up. After that, he said goodbye to his adoptive father, rose to the surface of the sea, swam to the shore, returned to the sledges and settled with them. Satan accepted him and protected him from harm, just like his own sons.

Batradz is one of the few heroes of the Nart epic to whom divine traits are attributed. He was also considered the god of thunder.

Deciding to become invincible and invulnerable to arrows, Batradz went to the heavenly blacksmith Kurdalagon and asked him to temper him. The blacksmith fulfilled this request: he heated the hero red-hot in a forge, and then cooled it in a vessel with water. After this, Batradz began to live in heaven with the blacksmith, only briefly descending to the ground with the sledges when they called him. At the moment when he descended to earth, lightning flashed in the sky.

Myths describe all sorts of exploits of Batradz: he more than once defeated enemies pursuing the Narts. Feats also include the hero’s struggle with numerous Christian deities. During one of these battles, Batradz died, which symbolically indicates the victory of Christianity over paganism.

Bellerophon

Bellerophon is one of the heroes of Greek mythology. He was the son of the Corinthian king Glaucus and originally bore the name Hippo. However, after he killed his brother Bellaire, everyone began to call him Bellerophon, which means “killer of Bellaire.”

Frightened by the revenge of his relatives for the death of his brother, Bellerophon left his hometown and fled to Argolis. The king of the city, Pretus, greeted him well, and his wife, seeing the young and handsome Corinthian, fell in love with him. Bellerophon rejected her love, and then she, wanting to take revenge on him, accused the guest of an attempt on her honor. Pretus believed his wife, but, not wanting to kill the man to whom he had shown hospitality, he sent Bellerophon to King Iobates of Lycia, his father-in-law. He gave the guest a letter for Iobates, in which he asked to destroy Bellerophon.

Legends about Bellerophon are reflected in the paintings decorating ancient Greek vases, as well as in literary works. For example, Euripides wrote the tragedies “Stheneboea” and “Bellerophon”.

Wanting to fulfill this request, Iobates began entrusting Bellerophon with dangerous tasks, but he easily coped with them and survived each time. First, the king asked the guest to fight a three-headed fire-breathing chimera that lived not far from the city, in the mountains. But Bellerophon was patronized by the gods: they gave him the winged horse Pegasus, with the help of which he managed to defeat the chimera.

Then Bellerophon drove away the militant Solim tribe, which threatened the peace and safety of the city's inhabitants. Having learned that Bellerophon was still alive again, the king sent him alone to fight the Amazons who were attacking the city from the other side, and the warrior again won.

Having learned about this, Iobates was amazed at the strength of Bellerophon and abandoned attempts to destroy him. He gave him his daughter Philonia as his wife and bequeathed his kingdom to him. The brave warrior’s wife gave birth to two sons and a daughter.

However, the calm and happy life of the couple did not last long. One day Iobates told his son-in-law about a letter from Pretus, which contained an order to destroy him. Having learned about this, Bellerophon decided to take revenge on Pret and his wife. He met Sphenebea, assured her of his love and persuaded her to run away with him. Bellerophon and Sphenebeia mounted Pegasus and rose into the air. When they were high above the ground, Bellerophon threw the woman into the sea and she drowned. But this act deprived him of the blessing of the gods, and they made Bellerophon mad.

According to another version, Bellerophon was punished by the gods for wanting to ride Pegasus to the very top of Olympus. Having learned about this, Zeus sent a terrible gadfly to the warrior. He painfully stung the horse, which went berserk and threw the hero to the ground. Bellerophon rolled along the mountainside for a long time. Having reached the foot, he, blind and lame, continued to roll until he reached the Alei Valley (Valley of Wanderings).

Bran is a hero of Irish and Welsh mythology, but the legends of these peoples differ. For example, the Irish consider Bran the son of Febal and a successful navigator who managed to reach the island of the blessed, located far in the ocean, in the other world.

The Welsh call Bran, or Bran Bengygaid ("Bran the Blessed"), the son of Lir and ruler of Britain. According to Welsh myths, Bran was a demigod and could ford seas or carry an army on his back across a river. After Bran's death, his head was buried in the ground in a square in London. Residents of the city considered the head magical: as long as it was in the ground on which the city stood, enemies could not set foot on the island.

What the Celts didn’t tell about Bran! Some gave him the traits of a brave warrior, others - a skilled sailor. Some claimed that Bran had earned the blessing of the gods, had become a demigod himself, and could perform miracles that mere mortals were not capable of.

Among the Welsh legends about Bran there is this: far in the ocean, in the other world, there is the island of Gwales, where rich feasts are held.

The owner of this island is the head of Bran. All who, by the will of the gods, manage to reach the island can count on the hospitality of the “noble head.”

Hiawatha

Hiawatha, or Hayonwatha, is a hero of Iroquois mythology. Legends tell that Hiawatha was an outstanding teacher, leader and prophet, assistant to the famous prophet and founder of the laws of Deganawida.

Hiawatha sought to reconcile the Onondaga tribal tribes, who were waging internecine wars. They were supported by the evil god, the cannibal Atotarho, therefore, in order to restore peace on earth, Hiawatha first of all had to defeat Atotarho.

The war lasted a long time. Atotarho managed to destroy Hiawatha's seven daughters. Deciding that he could not defeat the evil god, Hiawatha went into exile to devote the rest of his life to mourning his daughters. He wandered through the forest for a long time, his grief passed, and he found a magical talisman - wampum, which was supposed to help him in the fight against the cannibal.

Hiawatha was a strong and fearless Indian warrior. He sent his arrows to the target without a miss and could defeat anyone in hand-to-hand combat, but at the same time he was known as kind and fair.

According to another version, Hiawatha himself ate human flesh for a long time. One day he met Deganavida and became his student and assistant. Using talismans and life-giving magical power, they were able to defeat Atotarho, founded the Iroquois League and established its laws.

Greek myths call Hector the son of the last king of Troy, Priam, and his wife Hecuba. In addition to Hector, they had several more sons and daughters: Paris, Deiphobus, Cassandra, Polyxena, etc.

Homer, in his Iliad, featured Hector as one of the main heroes of the Trojan War. The young warrior killed one of Achilles' friends, Protesilaus, who was the first to set foot on Trojan soil. However, this happened at the very beginning of the siege.

For some time, Hector’s activities were not mentioned in the poem. He managed to become famous only in the tenth year of the siege, when Hector, as the eldest son of Priam, was appointed leader of the Trojan troops.

Hector was not only an intelligent and cunning commander, but also a powerful warrior. He was not afraid to measure his strength with the enemy in open battle. Twice he went into battle with Ajax Telamonides, who was considered the strongest and fearless warrior after Achilles.

Under the leadership of Hector, the Trojans defeated one of the enemy’s fortified camps. Then they approached the ships on which the Achaeans sailed to the walls of Troy, and set one of them on fire. Then Hector, just before the gates of Troy, fought with Patroclus, who, on the orders of Achilles, went into battle in his armor. Hector captured the armor of the invulnerable Achilles, thinking that it would also make him invulnerable. However, Hector's luck soon turned away. He had to go into battle with Achilles himself. Hector ordered his mother to make a sacrifice to the goddess Athena. Hecuba fulfilled her son's request, but received a prediction that her son would die. She told her husband, King Priam, about this, and together they tried to dissuade Hector from fighting. However, Hector did not listen to them: he put on the armor of Achilles and was sure that an easy victory awaited him. An amphora decorated with a painting called “The Armament of Hector” has survived to this day: Hector himself is depicted in the center, his mother Hecuba is to his right, and Priam is to his left. Perhaps the painting tells about this last conversation between Hector and his parents.

Hector went out into the field and fought with Achilles one on one. Achilles was angry with Hector for the death of his friend and killed him. However, before his death, Hector repeated to Achilles a prediction that he already knew: Achilles’ life would be short, and he would soon be destined to fall in battle.

J. L. David. "Andromache at Hector's Body"

Still burning with revenge, Achilles tied the body of the dead Hector to his chariot and rode it around Troy. But even this act did not satisfy Achilles, and he continued to desecrate the body of the killed enemy. Finally, he threw the dead body to be devoured by wild animals, but they did not approach Hector’s remains, and decay did not touch them, since the body was protected by the god Apollo, who patronized Hector during his lifetime. Apollo's help repeatedly gave him strength in battle. Victory in the battle with Ajax Telamonides went to Hector also thanks to the assistance of Apollo. And only in the duel with Achilles, God could not help him win, because, according to the lot of fate, Hector was destined to die.

Hercules is one of the most famous heroes of Greek mythology. He was born from the mortal woman Alcmene and the supreme god Zeus. The story of his birth is quite interesting: Alcmene’s husband, Amphitryon, took part in a military campaign against the tribes of TV fighters. Zeus, having learned about this, took the form of Amphitryon and visited his wife. They did not part for three days, and all this time it was night, because Zeus forbade the sun to rise above the horizon.

Soon Amphitryon's husband returned, and a few months later his wife gave birth to two sons: Hercules from Zeus and Iphicles from her husband.

On the day when the baby was supposed to be born, at the supreme council of the gods, Zeus swore an oath that the one born would receive power over Mycenae and neighboring peoples. However, due to the intervention of Hera, the wife of Zeus, on this day the son of King Sphinel was born, who received power over Mycenae. Alcmene's son, Hercules, was born the next day and was thus deprived of the power that Zeus had promised him.

From early childhood, Hercules was distinguished by enormous strength. One day, the goddess Hera sent snakes to the cradle of Hercules to kill the boy. But the baby grabbed them with his small hands and squeezed them so tightly that he strangled them.

Having learned about this, Zeus cunningly forced Hera to breastfeed Hercules, because only by tasting the goddess’s milk could the child of a mortal woman count on honors that were given only to the gods. Hercules began to suck the milk, but Hera got scared and pushed the baby away from her breast. The milk spilled, and from its drops in the sky, as legend tells, the Milky Way arose.

The boy grew up and turned into a handsome and strong young man. His teachers - the centaur Chiron, Autolycus, Eurytus, Castor Linus - taught Hercules archery, wrestling, arts, and playing the cithara. One day Lin was forced to punish a student, and then Hercules got angry, hit his mentor with a lyre and killed him. Amphitryon, frightened by the strength and temper of the young man, sent him to Mount Cithaeron, where Hercules lived with the shepherds for some time.

In the area where Hercules lived, a mighty lion settled and devastated the surrounding area. Shepherds also suffered from it, as the lion stole livestock more than once. Hercules, who was eighteen years old at that time, was not afraid of the lion and killed him.

After some time, Hercules met on the way the heralds of the king of a neighboring area, who was illegally collecting tribute from the inhabitants of Thebes. The heralds began to demand tribute from him, and the hero, getting angry, cut off their noses, ears and hands and ordered them to be handed over as payment. In response to this, the king sent an army to Thebes, but Hercules killed the king and drove the soldiers away. As a reward for this feat, the Theban ruler Creon gave his daughter Megara to Hercules.

For some time he lived happily with his wife. Megara bore her husband children. But the envious Hera did not stop trying to destroy Hercules: she clouded his mind, and in a fit of rage he killed his children. Having come to his senses, Hercules repented, but could not correct what he had done. He left his wife, went into exile and traveled until he came to Delphi. Here he decided to ask the famous Delphic oracle where he should settle, and received an unexpected answer. He was ordered to change the name he was given at birth (Alcides) to Hercules, settle in Tiryns and serve Eurystheus for 12 years. During this time, Hercules had to perform 10 labors, with which he could earn immortality and become equal to the gods.

Hercules listened to the soothsayer: he began to serve Eurystheus and performed not 10, but 12 labors. In different myths they are presented in different sequences.

Soon the king gave Hercules his first order: to get the skin of the Nemean lion. This was not easy, because the lion could not be killed with an arrow. Hercules was able to deal with the beast, strangling it with his bare hands. Then he skinned the lion and returned with it to Mycenae.

The king, seeing the prey, was so frightened that he forbade Hercules to enter the city with it, ordering it to be shown outside the city gates. The king even ordered the construction of a bronze pithos, in which he hid from Hercules, fearing his strength and temper. The ruler began to convey his orders through the herald Koprey.

Hercules donned the skin of the Nemean lion and became invulnerable to arrows. After this, he went to carry out the next order of the king: to destroy the Lernaean hydra, which was devastating the surrounding area and stealing cattle. The hydra had 9 heads, one of which was immortal. Hercules began to fight the hydra: he cut off one head with a sword, but two immediately grew in its place. Hercules cut off two heads, but instead of them four immediately grew. Then the crayfish Karkin crawled out of the stones and grabbed Hercules’ leg with its claws. But he trampled the crayfish, after which he called on his nephew Iolaus for help. Hercules began to cut off heads, and Iolaus cauterized the wounds with a burning brand, and the heads did not grow back. Hercules cut off all the heads, and buried the immortal head deep in the ground and crushed it with a large stone.

Having killed the hydra, Hercules cut her body into pieces and moistened the tips of his arrows with her bile, which was a powerful poison. Then he returned to Eurystheus and announced that he had carried out the order. But the king refused to include the feat among the ten, because Hercules was helped by his nephew.

Soon Hercules received the following order: to get the Cyrenean hind. This doe with golden horns and copper hooves was the property of Artemis. He stalked her for a year. Finally, in the land of the Hyperboreans, he managed to wound a doe with an arrow and capture it. Artemis, having learned about this, tried to return the doe to herself, but Hercules replied that he was carrying out the order of King Eurystheus, and brought her to Mycenae.

The fourth labor of Hercules was the capture of the Erymanian boar. The hero went to King Efriman and on the way stopped to rest with the centaur Fol. The centaur began to treat the guest, and other centaurs, armed with stones and tree trunks, came running to the smell of roast and wine.

Hercules began to fight with the centaurs and almost defeated them, but then their mother, the goddess of the clouds Nephele, came to their aid. She sent down heavy rain to the earth, but Hercules, despite this, killed some of the centaurs and dispersed the rest. However, by chance, his teacher Chiron and Pholus died in the battle. Chiron was hit by a poisoned arrow from Hercules, and the wounded man died immediately. Fol pulled out the arrow to get a better look and accidentally dropped it on his leg, scratching it. The hydra's bile entered the blood, and Fol also died.

The king then ordered Hercules to clean out the stables of King Augeas. The hero demanded payment from the king - a tenth of his cattle, if he succeeded in completing the task, and the king agreed, confident that Hercules would not be able to clean the stables. He made holes in the walls of the stables, after which he diverted the rivers Peneus and Alpheus into them. The river water quickly washed out the stables, and Augeas had to pay Hercules for the work done. Eurystheus announced that he would not count the feat among the twelve, since Hercules performed it for a fee.

Soon the hero accomplished his sixth feat: he drove out the Stymphalian birds with sharp iron feathers. The birds lived in a swamp near the city of Stymphala, killed the inhabitants of the city and ate them. Athena gave Hercules the copper rattles that Hephaestus had made. With their help, he drove the birds away. Legend tells that some birds subsequently lived on an island in Pontus Euxine, from where they were expelled by the Argonauts.

The seventh feat of the hero is called the capture of the Cretan bull. The bull was very fierce and no one could handle him. But Hercules, with the permission of King Minos, was able to catch the bull and bring it to the king. Eurystheus saw the bull and ordered him to be released. The bull ran away and subsequently ravaged the fields and frightened the inhabitants of Attica near Marathon.

Hercules received the following order: to bring the mares of the Thracian king Diomedes. The mares turned out to be so fierce that the king chained them to copper stalls with strong iron chains. The king fed his mares human meat. Hercules killed the king and drove the mares to Eurystheus.

Eurystheus's daughter Admet asked her father to get her the belt of the Amazon queen Hippolyta. The king ordered Hercules to carry out this assignment. He arrived in the kingdom of the Amazons on a ship, spoke with Hippolyta, and she agreed to give up the belt. But Zeus’s wife, Hera, unexpectedly intervened: she took the form of an Amazon and announced to the others that Hercules wanted to kidnap their queen. The Amazons armed themselves, jumped on their horses and rushed to protect Hippolyta, and Hercules, deciding that she had changed her mind about giving up the belt, killed her and took what he came for. Then he dealt with the Amazons, returned to the ship and set off on his way back.

End of introductory fragment.