Book URL: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
The Beginning
In the beginning there was Chaos
Chaos gave birth to the Primordial Deities (First Order)
The primordial deities were the things they presented
They could also turn into a form
The First Order
flowchart TD Erebus["Erebus\n(Darkness)"]:::male Nyx["Nyx\n(Night)"]:::female Gaia["Gaia\n(Earth)"]:::female Hemera["Hemera\n(Day)"]:::female Aether["Aether\n(Light)"]:::male Tartarus["Tartarus\n(Abyss)"]:::male Pontus["Pontus\n(Sea)"]:::male Ouranos["Ouranos\n(Sky)"]:::male Thalassa["Thalassa\n(Sea)"]:::female Chaos:::neutral --> Erebus & Nyx & Gaia & Tartarus Erebus & Nyx --- N1(( )):::merge --> Hemera & Aether Gaia --> Pontus & Ouranos Hemera & Aether --- N2(( )):::merge --> Thalassa classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Ouranos (Uranus): Sky, Heavens
Thalassa female counterpart of Pontus
Tartarus: Greatest depths of earth
The Second Order
Gaia loved the Cyclopes & Hecatonchires
Ouranos was revolted by them and cursed them to never see the light
They where pushed back into Gaia’s womb
Gaia went to Mount Othyrs and from its rocks she crafted a weapon (Sickle)
flowchart LR Gaia["Gaia\n(Earth)"]:::female Ouranos["Ouranos\n(Sky)"]:::male Oceanus["Oceanus"]:::male Coeus["Coeus"]:::male Crius["Crius"]:::male Hyperion["Hyperion"]:::male Iapetus["Iapetus"]:::male Kronos["Kronos"]:::male Theia["Theia"]:::female Themis["Themis"]:::female Mnemosyne["Mnemosyne\n(Memory)"]:::female Phoebe["Phoebe\n(Shining)"]:::female Tethys["Tethys"]:::female Rhea["Rhea"]:::female Brontes["Brontes\n(Thunder)"]:::male Steropes["Steropes\n(Lightning)"]:::male Arges["Arges\n(Brightness)"]:::male Cottus["Cottus"]:::male Gyges["Gyges"]:::male Aegaeon["Aegaeon"]:::male Nilus["Nilus\n(Nile)"]:::male Clymene["Clymene"]:::female Metis["Metis"]:::female Helios["Helios\n(Sun)"]:::male Selene["Selene\n(Moon)"]:::female Eos["Eos\n(Dawn)"]:::female Pontus["Pontus\n(Sea)"]:::male Eurybia["Eurybia"]:::female Nereus:::male Doris:::female Leto:::female Pontus & Gaia --- N0(( )):::merge --> Eurybia & Nereus Gaia & Ouranos --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Coeus & Phoebe & Crius & Hyperion & Theia & Iapetus N1 --> Themis & Mnemosyne & Kronos & Oceanus & Tethys & Rhea N1 --- N2(Cyclopes):::neutral & N3(Hecatonchires):::neutral N2 --> Brontes & Steropes & Arges N3 --> Cottus & Gyges & Aegaeon Oceanus & Tethys --- N4(( )):::merge --> Nilus N4 --- N5(Oceanids):::neutral --> Clymene & Metis & Doris Hyperion & Theia --- N6(( )):::merge --> Helios & Selene & Eos Coeus & Phoebe --- N7(( )):::merge --> Leto classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Cyclopes: One-eyed Giants
Hecatonchires: Fifty Heads and Hundred Hands
Oceanids: Sea Nymphs
Cottus: The Furious
Gyges: The Long-Limbed
Aegaeon: The Sea-goat (Briareos: The Vigorous One)
Metis: Clever and Wise
Themis: Law, Justice & Custom
Leto (Latona): Demure
| Father | Mother | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanus | Tethys | Nile, other rivers & 3000 Oceanids - Clymene, Metis, Doris |
| Coeus | Phoebe | Leto |
| Crius | Eurybia | |
| Hyperion | Theia | Helios, Selene, Eos |
| Iapetus | Cylmene | Atlas, Epimetheus, Prometheus |
Nyx Decendents
flowchart LR Nyx["Nyx\n(Night)"]:::female Moros["Moros\n(Doom)"]:::male Apate["Apate\n(Deceit)"]:::female Geras["Geras\n(Old Age)"]:::male Oizys["Oizys\n(Misery, Depression)"]:::female Momos["Momos\n(Mockery)"]:::female Eris["Eris\n(Strife, Discord)"]:::female Nemesis["Nemesis\n(Rettribution)"]:::female Charon["Charon"]:::male Hypnos["Hypnos\n(Sleep)"]:::male Oneiroi("Oneiroi\n(Dreams)"):::neutral Phobetor["Phobetor"]:::male Phantasos["Phantasos"]:::male Morpheus["Morpheus"]:::male Thanatos["Thanatos\n(Death)"]:::male Hesperides("Hesperides"):::neutral Aigle["Aigle"]:::female Erytheia["Erytheia"]:::female Hesperia["Hesperia"]:::female Keres("Keres"):::neutral Nyx --> Moros & Apate & Geras Nyx --> Oizys & Momos & Eris & Nemesis Nyx --> Charon & Hypnos & Thanatos Nyx --- Oneiroi --> Phobetor & Phantasos & Morpheus Nyx --- Hesperides --> Aigle & Erytheia & Hesperia Nyx --- Keres classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Apate (Farus): Fraud, Fraudulent, Fraudster
Geras (Senectus): Senior, Senate, Senile
Oizys (Miseria in Latin): Misery, Depression
Thanatos (Mors): Death
Phobetor: God of Nigtmares
Phantasos: Things changing shapes in dream
Morpheus: Shapeshifter
Hesperia: Nymphs of the west and daughters of the evening (Magic Hour)
Keres: Death Goddess. Drawn to violet deaths on battlefield. Feasted on bodies
Nyx - Wikipedia
What gods are considered to be kids of Nyx? - Quora
Kronos cuts his Fathers genitals and throws it over the mountain
His Father curses him saying that his children would destroy him
Ourano’s blood fell on the ground and give rise to Eriynes, Gigantes and Meliae
His genitals landed in the sea near the Ionian island which becomes Aphrodite
flowchart TD Gaia["Gaia\n(Earth)"]:::female OuranosB["Ourano's Blood"]:::male OuranosG["Ourano's Genitals"]:::male Erinyes["Eriynes\n(Furies)"]:::neutral Alecto["Alecto\n(Remorseless)"]:::female Megaera["Megaera\n(Jealous Rage)"]:::female Tisphone["Tisphone\n(Vengence)"]:::female Gigantes:::neutral Meliae:::neutral Aphrodite["Aphrodite\n(Beauty, Love)"]:::female Gaia & OuranosB --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --- Erinyes --> Alecto & Megaera & Tisphone N1 --- Gigantes N1 --- Meliae OuranosG --> Aphrodite classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Eriynes: Eumenides (Kindly Ones)
Meliae: Nymphs of the Ash Tree
Aphrodite (Venus): Beauty, Love
Other Decedents
flowchart LR Oceanus:::male Tethys:::female Styx["Styx\n(Hate)"]:::female Phlegethon["Phlegethon\n(Fire)"]:::male Acheron["Acheron\n(Woe)"]:::male Lethe["Lethe\n(Forgetfulness)"]:::female Cocytus["Cocytus\n(Lamentation)"]:::male Echidna:::female Typhoon:::male Kerberos:::male Hydra:::female Gaia["Gaia\n(Earth)"]:::female Tartarus:::male Oceanus & Tethys --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Styx & Phlegethon & Acheron & Lethe & Cocytus Gaia & Tartarus --- N2(( )):::merge N2 --> Echidna & Typhoon Echidna & Typhoon --- N3(( )):::merge N3 --> Kerberos & Hydra classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Kerberos (Cerberus): Three-headed dog with snake tail
The Horai (Hours)
flowchart LR Themis["Themis\n(Law, Justice, Custom)"]:::female Auxesia["Auxesia\n(Summer)"]:::female Carpo["Carpo\n(Winter)"]:::female Thallo["Thallo\n(Spring)"]:::female Eunomia:::female Dike:::female Eirene:::female Themis --- N1(( )):::merge & N2(( )):::merge N1 --> Auxesia & Carpo & Thallo N2 --> Eunomia & Dike & Eirene classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Thallo: Spring (Roman: Flora)
Eunomia: Law and Legislation
Dike: Justice and Moral Order (Roman: Justitia)
Eirene: Peace (Roman: Pax)
The Moirai (Fates)
flowchart TD Nyx["Nyx\n(Night)"]:::female Clotho:::female Lachesis:::female Atropos:::female Nyx --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Clotho & Lachesis & Atropos classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Clotho: Spins Thread of Life
Lachesis: Measures Thread of Life
Atropos: Cuts Thread of Life
The Gorgons
flowchart TD Pontus["Pontus\n(Sea)"]:::male Gaia["Gaia\n(Earth)"]:::female Phorcys:::male Ceto:::female Eurybia:::female Stheno:::female Euryale:::female Medusa:::female Pontus & Gaia --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Phorcys & Ceto & Eurybia Phorcys & Ceto --- Gorgons:::neutral Gorgons --> Stheno & Euryale & Medusa classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
The Third Order
Kronos became the Lord of the Earth, Sea and Sky
He freed the Cyclopes & Hecatonchires from Gaia’s womb
He locked them up in Tartarus
He swallowed the 1st five children that where born to him by Rhea
Zeus was saved as Rhea tricked Kronos into eating a large stone
Rhea went to Crete where Zeus was born and was taken care of by Meliae
Rhea put Metis in charge of teaching Zeus guile, craft and patience
Metis created a tonic which Zeus gives to Koros
This causes Kronos to vomit out the children and stone he had eaten
Zeus threw the stone far away. It lands in Pytho
Zeus tried to kill Kronos but could not use the Sickle as Gaia was protecting her son
The fierce war between the Olympians the Titans - Titanomachy
Zeus releases the Cyclopes & Hecatonchires from Tarturas and promised them freedom if they helped him
Zeus wins the war over the Titans and becomes God of the Heavens
Exiles his father to travel the world, measuring out eternity in lonely exile
Atlas (Zeus strongest enemy) is punished to hold the sky in place for eternity
Hecatonchires are made guards of the roads that lead to the entrance to Tartarus
Zeus assigns different domains to this siblings
flowchart TD Rhea:::female Kronos:::male Hestia:::female Hades:::male Demeter:::female Poseidon:::male Hera:::female Zeus:::male Rhea & Kronos --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Hestia & Hades & Demeter & Poseidon & Hera & Zeus classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Hestia (Vesta): Hearth
Hades (Pluto): Underworld
Poseidon (Neptune): Ocean & Seas
Demeter (Ceres): Harvest, Fertility and Seasons
Hera (Juno): Marriage & Childbirth
Zeus (Jupiter): Sky & Thunder
Poseidon Lineage
Nereus son of Gaia & Pontus Doris daughter of Oceanus & Tethys
flowchart LR Rhea:::female Kronos:::male Demeter:::female Poseidon:::male Triton:::male Amphitrite:::female Nereus:::male Doris:::female Arion:::male Rhea & Kronos --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Demeter & Poseidon Doris & Nereus --- N2(( )):::merge --> Amphitrite Poseidon & Amphitrite --- N3(( )):::merge --> Triton Demeter & Poseidon --- N4(( )):::merge --> Arion classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Arion: Horse with the power of speech
The Nine Muses
flowchart LR Zeus:::male Mnemosyne["Mnemosyne\n(Memory)"]:::female Calliope:::female Clio:::female Erato:::female Euterpe:::female Melpomene:::female Polyhymnia:::female Terpsichore:::female Thalia:::female Urania:::female Zeus & Mnemosyne --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Calliope & Clio & Erato & Euterpe & Melpomene N1 --> Polyhymnia & Terpsichore & Thalia & Urania classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Calliope (Beautiful Voice) | Muse of Epic Poetry |
| Clio | Muse of History |
| Erato | Muse of Lyric & Love Poetry |
| Euterpe (Delight, Joyous) | Muse of Music |
| Melpomene | Muse of Tragedy |
| Polyhymnia | Muse of Hymns |
| Terpsichore | Muse of Dance |
| Thalia | Muse of Idyllic Poetry |
| Urania | Muse of Astronomy |
The Charities (Three Graces)
Eurynome (Oceanid) daughter of Oceanus & Tethys
flowchart TD Zeus:::male Eurynome:::female Aglaea["Aglaea\n(Splendor)"]:::female Euphrosyne["Euphrosyne\n(Glee, Merriment)"]:::female Thalia["Thalia\n(Chearfulness)"]:::female Zeus & Eurynome --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Aglaea & Euphrosyne & Thalia classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Olympian Children
Zeus had an affair with his sister Demeter and has a daughter Persephone
Hera wants Zeus to be loyal to only her so she proposed the idea of public marriage
When Hephaestus was born Hera throws him from Heaven
On his parents wedding he traps her in a chair which no one can open
Hephaestus is able to free her from the chair and is given Aphrodite as wife
Zeus has an affair with Metis in which he ends up swallowing her
Zeus later has a unbearable headache which no one could find a cure
Hephaestus makes an axe and cuts Zeus head from which Athena is born
Metis remained trapped in Zeus and acts like a consigliere to guide him
flowchart LR Rhea:::female Kronos:::male Demeter:::female Zeus:::male Hera:::female Persephone:::female Hephaestus:::male Ares:::male Metis:::female Athena:::female Oceanus:::male Tethys:::female Leto:::female Artemis:::female Apollo:::male Coeus:::male Phoebe:::female Atlas:::male Pleione:::female Maia:::female Hermes:::male Rhea & Kronos --- N1(( )):::merge N1 --> Hera & Zeus & Demeter Oceanus & Tethys --- N8(( )):::merge --> Metis Coeus & Phoebe --- N9(( )):::merge --> Leto Leto & Zeus --- N10(( )):::merge --> Artemis & Apollo Zeus & Demeter --- N5(( )):::merge --> Persephone Zeus & Metis --- N6(( )):::merge --> Athena Zeus & Hera --- N7(( )):::merge --> Hephaestus & Ares Atlas & Pleione --- N11(( )):::merge --> Maia Zeus & Maia --- N12(( )):::merge --> Hermes classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF
Ares (Mars): God of War
Hephaestus (Vulcan): God of Fire & of Blacksmiths
Athena (Minerva): Wisdom, Warfare and Handicrafts
Artemis (Diana): Wild animals, Hunt, Chastity and Childbirth
Apollo: Sun, Archery, Healing, Prophecy, Knowledge and Music
Zeus has an affair with Leto. Hera hears about it and gets angry
She asks Gaia to to put a curse on Leto and not provide her any place to give birth
Leto eventually makes it to Delos a small island which is not bound to the Earth
Omphalos stone that Rhea used to prevent Kronos from eating Zeus
It landed on Mount Parnassus at a place called Pytho
Considered the center of the world by the Greeks
On command of Gaia a guardian of the stone emerged - Python
Leto gives birth to Artemis and Apollo. Hera tries to kill them using Python
Apollo asks Hephaestus to make bow and arrow for him using which he kills Python
Python comes back to life as its protected by Gaia
Apollo is exiled and replaces Python as the guardian of Omphalos
Pytho was later named to Delphi by Apollo
Apollo was tasked by conducting athletic tournaments - Pythian Games
Apollo also established an Oracle who anyone could ask about the future
11 Olympians
Zeus, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon, Demeter, Aphrodite
Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Artemis, Apollo
Zeus has a secret affair with Maia and has Hermes who becomes the 12 Olympian
Hermes (Mercury): Messenger of Gods, God of the Travelers, Thieves, Merchants
The Toys of Zeus: Part 1
Zeus comes up with the idea of creating mortals
Prometheus sculpts the beings, Gaia’s clay creates them, Zeus’s spit holds them together, Apollo’s fire (Sun) was bakes them and Athena’s breath gave them life
The mortal beings where called Anthropos
The Golden Age
The beings were free to do whatever and go wherever they liked But they where forbidden from learning to create fire
Life was simple at this time, there was so famine, poverty or diseases
Prometheus liked the humans the most and spend a lot of time with them
He was saddened that the lack of fire would not allow them to progress and evolve
Prometheus scaled Mount Skolio and from Hephaestus forge stole fire by concealing it in a giant fennel stalk
Zeus was angry with Prometheus and the humans and punished them
The Punishments
Zeus had Hephaestus create a female into whom life was breath by Aphrodite
Some of the Gods joined in to confer upon the female notable talents
The female was named All-Gifted (Pandora)
Pandora was given a container (jar) which Zeus told should never be opened
Pandora was married to Epimetheus (Prometheus’s brother)
One day Pandora could not resist her urge so she opened the jar
She unleashed on the world Illness, Violence, Deiced, Misery and Want
The creatures that where freed from the jar where - Ponos (Hardship), Limos (Starvation), Algos (Pain), Dysnomia (Anarchy), Pseudea (Lies), Neikea (Quarrels), Amphelogiai (Disputes), Makhai (Wars), Hysminai (Battles), Androktasiai (Manslaughter) and Phonoi (Murder)
There where the descendants of the dark and evil children of Nyx and Erebus
When Pandora closed the jar hastily she imprisoned forever Elpis (Hope)
| Parent | Mother | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Epimetheus | Pandora | Pyrrha |
| Prometheus | Clymeme/Hesione | Deucalion |
Lycaon was one of the original clay humans created by Prometheus
Lycaon killed his own son Nyctimus and offered it as a sacrifice to the Gods
Zeus revoted by this brought the boy back to life and turned Lycaon into a wolf
Lycaons sons rules with extreme violence and behaved in a very disgusting manner
Zeus causes a flood which killed everyone in Greece and the Mediterranean region
Pyrrha & Deculian survived the flood went to Delphi to consult the oracle Themis
Themis instructed them to throw the bones of their Mother over their shoulder if they wanted to have decedents
They throw stones and the place where the stones feel gave rise to a new generation of men and women
The new generation because of the plague unleashed by Pandora were not immortal and had to deal with the inevitability of death
Hermes was given the task of escorting the souls of important death people to hades the rest was taken by Thanatos (Death)
They would bring the souls of the people to the cavern where the River Styx and River Acheron meet were Charon would ferry them to Hades
If the dead could not have payment, Charon make they souls wait for 1000 years before they were offered safe passage
The task of weighing the souls of the death (Judge of the Underworld) was assigned to Minos and Rhadamanthus along with their half brother Aeacus
Hero’s, Righteous and ones with divine blood were transferred to Elysian Fields
The souls of the ones who were reincarnated three times and still lived a virtues life was transferred to the Isles of Blessed
The Blameless and ordinary where transferred to the Meadows of Asphodel were they would send their eternity. These souls were granted a pleasant enough afterlife. They drank from River Lethe (forgetfulness) so they could spend their eternity without remembering their life on earth
The least of the sinners were forced to spend their eternity in the halls of Hades without any feeling, strength or consciousness
The worst of the sinners where sent to the Field of Punishment were they are forced to bear punishment for their crimes for eternity
The Silver age still had gods, demigods and all other kinds of immortals
Zeus was furious to see that some of the humans had survived and had started a new civilization. He finally decided to punish Prometheus. To was taken to Caucasus Mountains were the Cyclopes were present he was chained to the mountain with unbreakable iron. Every day vultures would come and eat his liver this was his punishment for eternity
Persephone and the Chariot
Persephone (Proserpina). Also called Kore, Cora which means maiden
One day the ground opened up a chariot swooped her up and vanished
With the help from Hecate (Goddess of witchcraft and enchantments) Demeter search the corners of the world for her daughter
Demeter neglected her responsibilities and crops stopped growing
Helios tells the Olympians that Persephone was taken by Hades
Zeus tells Hades to return her but he refuses
In the end Hades tells Zeus to give him one more day with Persephone
Hades tells Persephone that she will be returning to the overworld but to show that she has no ill feelings to share some pomegranate seeds with him
Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds
When Hermes came to fetch Persephone Hades informs him that she has eaten food from the underworld because she is bound to it. Every six months she has to return to the underworld
This gave rise to seasons, Autumn and Winter signal Demeter morning Persephone’s return to the underworld
| Father | Mother | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Hermes | Dryope | Pan (Faunus) |
| Hermes | Aphrodite | Hermaphroditus |
| Hermes | Unknown Nymph | Silenus |
Hermaphroditus travelled to Asia Minor were he met a naiad called Salmacis
Salmacis tried to flirt with Hermaphroditus but he was not having any of it
When Hermaphroditus was having a bath Salmacis leaped on him and prayed to the Gods that they never be separated
The Gods combined to create a new being that had two sex
In this form Hermaphroditus become part of the Erotes
Cupid and Psyche
Aphrodite: Goddess of Love and Beauty
Assisted by the naked godlings called Erotes
| Erotes | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Anteros | Patron of selfless and unconditional love |
| Eros | God of physical love and sexual desire |
| Hedylogos | Spirit of the language of love and terms on endearment |
| Hermaphroditus | Protector of mannish females and gender fluid people |
| Himeros | The embodiment of desperate, impetuous love |
| Hymenaios | Guardian of the bridal chamber and wedding music |
| Pothos | The personification of longing of love for the absent and departed |
Ares and Aphrodite: Eros (Cupid)
| Love | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Agape | Holy love (Charity) - Parents and children, worshippers and their Gods |
| Eros | Sexual Romantic Love |
| Philia | Friendship, Partiality and Fondness |
| Storge | The type of love one might have for their country or favorite sports team |
In a land far away lived king Aristides and queen Damaris
They had three daughters Calanthe, Zona and Psyche
Psyche was so beautiful that people worshipped her in place of Aphrodite
Aphrodite was jealous of Pysche and wanted to humiliate her
She asked Eros to find the ugliest pig and place it in Psyche’s chambers
When Eros saw Psyche he fell in love with her
Aristides worried about his daughter went to the oracle of Apollo
Oracle told him to place his daughter with garlands on a rock on a high place as a sacrifice to the gods
Psyche was lifted by the gentle arms of Zephyrus (The West Wind) and was taken to a far away land
In the land she entered a castle were she was told that the castle and all the land around it belonged to her
This was Eros’s castle he made love to Psyche every night and soon she started liking him
Some a year passed and Psyche wanted to met her sisters, Eros granted the wish
The sisters can to the palace and they were jealous of their sisters fortune
They did not say anything, Psyche became pregnant and wanted to see her sisters one last time
The sisters talked Psyche into believing that the person with whom she was sleeping was a monster and convinced her to kill him
When Psyche say the face of the person she immediately understood it was Eros
Eros woke up and saw that Psyche had seen his face so he left and with it disappeared the castle.
Psyche was now in the middle of a forest and was planning to take her life but was stopped by Pan.
Psyche decided to get revenge of her sisters
She tells them that her husband was Eros and he wanted to be with them and the wind would come to collect them from the high on the mountain
When they jumped they were not caught by Zephyrus and they feel to their deaths
Eros was wounded by the lamp oil and neglected his duties
The people started praying angrily to Aphrodite who was angry to know that Eros was not doing his job
She become vexed when she came to know Eros’s heart was broken by the same girl was she had commanded Eros to humiliate
Aphrodite locked Psyche in a room and spilled different types of grains on the floor and told her to get her freedom she had to separate the grains before next week
Psyche was helped by the ants in the room and completed the task in time
Next, Aphrodite told her to collect the golden wool from the sheep’s that were grazing in the pastures which Psyche was also able to complete
Finally, Aphrodite asked Psyche to go to the underworld and get a beauty cream from Persephone
A swallow told Eros of all the trials that Aphrodite was making Psyche perform he got up and demanded an audience with Zeus
Zeus called all of them to Olympus and made Psyche immortal and she was wed to Eros
Eros and Psyche had a daughter Hedone (Voluptas). She was the spirit of pleasure and sensual delight
The Toys of Zeus: Part 2
Mortals
Inachus was one of the earliest rules or Greece
Inachus by his consort had two children Io and Mycene
Mycene was married to a the nobleman Arestor
Io was raised as a priestess in the shrine of Hera
Io attracted the lustful eyes of Zeus
Zeus taught of turning Io into a cow to hide her away from his wife
Hera immediately identified the true nature of the cow
Hera demanded Zeus to give her the cow as a gift on her birthday
Hera assigned Argus son of Mycene and Arestor to watch over Io
Argus has a hundred eyes. He was called Panoptes (all-seeing)
Zeus enrolled the help of Hermes
Hermes went to the paddock were Io was held and started playing his flute
Once Argus feel asleep Hermes stabbed him in the heart
When Zeus came to free Io, Hera sent a gadfly that prick Io causing she ran away
Hera took Argus’s eyes and fixed then on a dull which became the peacock
Io reached Caucasus the place were Prometheus was chained
Io meet up Zeus in Egypt and bore him a son Epaphus (Touch)
They also had a daughter called Keroessa
Byzas (Kerossa’s son) founded the city of Byzantium
The Semen-Soaked Scarf
Hephaestus had developed a strong passion for the goddess Athena
He tracked her down to a high corner in Olympus and forced himself on her
He spilling his seeds only on her thigh. Athena wiped it and throw it down
The semen soaked cloth feel on Gaia and gave birth to a boy - Erechtheus
Athena put the boy in a basket and took him to Herse, Aglauros and Pandrosos (mortal sisters)
Herse and Aglauros opened the basket and found a boy bound by a writhing snake
Snakes are sacred to Athena and this one was enbowing the infant with immortality
The sight caused them and they jumped off the mountain Acropolis (high citadel)
Erechtheus fathered Erechthonius the founder of Athens
The Son of the Sun
Phaeton son of Apollo and Clymeme was raised by his stepfather Merops (mortal)
Epaphus and Phaeton went to school together
Epaphus liked to boss over his classmates. Phaeton did not like this
Phaeton was sad that he had never meet his father
Clymeme explains that Apollo is busy riding the sun chariot everyday
Clymeme hands Phaeton a flute that was made by Apollo
Phaeton does not like it since it does not do anything special and throws it away
Epaphus invites Phaeton to a family trip
Phaeton tells Epaphus that he is going to ride the sun chariot soon so cannot come
Phaeton goes to the template of the Sun to meet his father
Apollo promises to grant Phaeton one wish
Phaeton says he wants to ride the sun chariot
The stallions were called - Pyrois, Phlegon, Aeos, Aethon
Eos (Rhododaktylos) the rosy-fingered opens the gates to let the stallions out
Helios comes up and is surprised to see a mortal handle the horses
Phaeton is placed in the chariot and is told to fly to the Garden of Hesperides
The journey is 12 hours long and he should use a middle height path over the earth
When they reached the region close to Nilus, Phaeton pulls on Aeos
This cause all the horses to go off course and crash towards the earth
And the last minute the horses corrected their course and headed upward
This cause the region north of Africa to be burnt to a crisp we call it Sahara
Scared or confused by the lack of Apollos hands the horses headed up high
This caused the seas and freeze and the land to turn into ice
The news of the chaos reached Zeus
He used his lightening bolt and struck Phaeton who feel into a sea and died
The lack of the boy pacified the horses and they started going in the right direction
Apollo was saddened by the death of his son and never wrote the sun chariot again
That duty was given to Helios
Phaeton’s friend Cygnus went to the river and crying loudly
Apollo struck him dumb and eventually out of pity turned him in a swan
The bird is quite all is life until when its going to die it sings its swan song
Epaphus married Nilus’s daughter Memphis
They had a daughter Libya. This grand-son Aegyptus went on to rule Egypt
Phaeton was placed amongst the stars in the consolation Auriga, the Charioteer
Cadmus
Due to Phaeton deserts and polar regions were now present
King of Levantine city of Tyre, Agenor (Poseidon & Libya) and his Queen Telephassa (Nilus & Nephele) had five children: Europa, Cadmus (Kadmos), Cilix, Phoenix and Thasos
Cadmus was epically gifted in throwing stones, discusses and javelins
Europa was playing in a meadow when her attention her gaze wandered onto a bull
The bull was Zeus in disguise. The bull with Europa flew all the way to a Crete
Europa bore Zeus three sons: Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon
The king and queen instructed their sons to look for their sister
Phoenix succeeded Agenor to become the ruler and named this capital Phoenicia
He created and propagated the used of alphabets
On Samothrace lived a Pleiad called Electra (Atlas and Oceanid Pleione)
By Zeus Electra had sons Daranus, Iasion and a daughter Harmonia
Cadmus feel in love with Harmonia
Cadmus and Harmonia visited the Oracle to find their goal in life
He was told to chase after a heifer marked with a half moon and were it falls exhausted, he has to build
The King of Phocis, Pelagon heard about their arrival and invited them to stay
Cadmus took part in the Phocian games that were held and won
As a reward the king gave him a cow which had a crescent moon on its back
Happy Cadmus and Harmonia left the city and followed the cow till it fell down
Once the cow was dead they decided to offer it to Athena so that they could receive guidance on what needs to be built
To purify the cow Cadmus asked his soldiers to get some water but they could not as they were attacked by a Water Dragon
Cadmus at once slayed the dragon. The dragon was supposed to be sacred to Ares
Athena blessed their offering and instructed them to plant the teeth of the dragon
The teeth’s gave rise to Spartoi (sown men)
The Spartoi started fighting with each other. Cadmus threw a rock at them and because of it they started fighting each other
There were 5 Spartoi warriors who formed a circle in the center of the battlefield (the sole survivors)
They became the founding lords of Thebans
Aphrodite lent Harmonia her girdle (a magical item of lingerie)
Cadmus gifted his bride a neckless which consisted of expensive jewels
The neckless was created by Hephaestus on order by his wife Aphrodite who was ordered her lover Ares
After many years Cadmus and Harmonia decided to visit the world and one day he grew restless and called up to the skies saying that for 30 years he has known that Ares is not going to rest until he is punished. If Ares is not happy until he is flat on the earth may it be so
So sooner had these words been spoken Cadmus was turned into a snake
Harmonia cried out in pity to show mercy. Artemis in the end turned Harmonia into a snake just like her husband
The pair lived in the shadows of a temple sacred to Athena
Twice Born
Semele had scarified to Zeus a bull of especially impressive size
She was washing the blood from her body in the river Asopos
Zeus fell in love with Semele and made love to her
Word of this reached Hera. Hera disguised as an old women visited Semele
Hera tricked Semele into believing the man she made love with was not Zeus
She told Semele to ask the man to show his true form if he really was Zeus
Her own sisters did not believe that she was in love with Zeus
When Zeus came to visit Semele, she asked him to grant her a wish
Zeus agreed. Semele asked Zeus to show his really form. He was frightened and insisted Semele to ask for a different wish but she was insistent
Zeus transformation to his true form was so bright and powerful that it instantly killed her. Zeus fetched the fetus from Semele’s belly and tucked it inside his thighs
The fetus grew to become Dionysus. He found how to make wine from grapes
Dionysus is followed everywhere by Silenus, his retinue of satyrs and women followers called Maenads
Dionysus was established as the god of wine, revelry, delirious intoxication
The gods liked him and wanted to add him as an Olympian but thirteen was considered as an unlucky number
Hestia decided to step down as an Olympian as she felt she was need more in the world to help with their families