Ancient Greek heroes. List of characters of ancient Greek mythology Mythical characters of ancient Greece

Before talking about the Heroes of Greece, it is necessary to determine who they are and how they differ from Genghis Khan, Napoleon and other heroes known in various historical eras. In addition to strength, resourcefulness, and intelligence, one of the differences between ancient Greek heroes is duality from birth. One of the parents was a deity, and the other was mortal.

Famous heroes of the myths of Ancient Greece

The description of the Heroes of Ancient Greece should begin with Hercules (Hercules), who was born from the love affair of the mortal Alcmene and the main god of the ancient Greek pantheon Zeus. According to myths that have come down from time immemorial, for the perfect dozen of exploits, Hercules was lifted by the goddess Athena - Pallas to Olympus, where his father, Zeus, bestowed immortality on his son. The exploits of Hercules are widely known and many are included in sayings and sayings. This hero cleared the stables of Avgius from the manure, defeated the Nemean lion, and killed the hydra. In honor of Zeus, the Strait of Gibraltar was named in ancient times - the Pillars of Hercules. According to one of the legends, Hercules was too lazy to overcome the Atlas Mountains, and he punched a passage through them, connecting the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic.
Another bastard is Perseus. Perseus's mother is Princess Danae, daughter of the Argos king Acrisius. The exploits of Perseus would have been impossible without the victory over Medusa the Gorgon. This mythical monster turned all living things into stone with its gaze. After killing the Gorgon, Perseus attached her head to his shield. Wanting to win the favor of Andromeda - the Ethiopian princess, daughter of Cassiopeia and king Kefei, this hero killed her fiancé and snatched from the clutches of the sea monster, which was going to satisfy Andromeda's hunger.
Famous for killing the Minotaur and finding a way out of the Cretan labyrinth, Theseus, was born of the god of the seas, Poseidon. In mythology, he is revered as the founder of Athens.
Ancient Greek heroes Odysseus and Jason cannot boast of their divine origin. The king of Ithaca Odysseus is famous for the invention of the Trojan horse, thanks to which the Greeks destroyed it. Returning to his homeland, he deprived the only eye of the Cyclops Polyphemus, held his ship between the rocks on which the monsters Scylla and Charybdis lived, and did not succumb to the magical charm of sweet-voiced sirens. However, a significant share of fame to Odysseus was given by his wife - Penelope, who, while waiting for her husband, remained faithful to him, refusing 108 suitors.
Most of the exploits of the ancient Greek Heroes have survived to this day as narrated by the poet-narrator Homer, who wrote the famous epic poems "The Odyssey and the Iliad".

Olympic heroes of ancient Greece

The Olympic Games Winner Ribbon has been issued since 752 BC. The heroes wore purple ribbons and were revered in society. Those who won the Games three times received a statue in Altis as a gift.
From the history of Ancient Greece, the names of Korab of Elis, who won the race in 776 BC, became known.
The strongest for the entire period of the festival in ancient times was Milon of Croton, he won six competitions in strength. It is believed that he was a student

The deceased heroes of primitive times, the ancestors of tribes, the founders of cities and colonies enjoyed divine honors among the Greeks. They constitute a separate world of Greek mythology, however, closely connected with the world of the gods, from which they originate. Every tribe, every region, every city, even every clan has its own hero, in whose honor holidays and sacrifices are established. The most widespread and rich in legends heroic cult among the Greeks was the cult of Alcides Hercules (Hercules). He is a symbol of the highest human heroism, who tirelessly conquers obstacles opposed to him by testing fate everywhere, fights against impure forces and the horrors of nature and, freed from human weaknesses, becomes like the gods. In Greek mythology, Hercules is a representative of humanity, which, with the help of its semi-divine origin, can ascend to Olympus, with all the hostile forces towards him.

Hercules kills the Nemean lion. Copy from the statue of Lysippos

Originally appearing in Boeotia and Argos, the myth of Hercules was later mixed with many foreign legends, because the Greeks merged with their Hercules all such deities, whom they met in their relations with the Phoenicians (Melqart), Egyptians and Celtic-Germanic tribes. He is the son of Zeus and the Theban woman Alcmene and the ancestor of the royal families of Dorian, Thessalian and Macedonian. Condemned by the envy of the goddess Hera to serve the king of Argos Eurystheus, Hercules in myths performs twelve labors on his behalf: he frees the Peloponnese and other regions from monsters and beasts of prey, cleans the stables of King Avgius in Elis, and extracts golden apples from the gardens of the Hesperides (in North Africa) with the help of Titan Atlas, for which he holds the firmament for some time, passes through the so-called Pillars of Hercules to Spain, there he takes the bulls away from King Geryon, and then returns through Gaul, Italy and Sicily. From Asia he brings the belt of the Amazonian queen Hippolyta, in Egypt he kills the cruel king Busiris and leads the fettered Cerberus out of the underworld. But he also falls for a time weakness and performs female service for the Lydian queen Omphale; soon, however, he returns to his former courage, undertakes some more feats and finally takes his own life in the flames on Mount Ete, when the poisoned clothes sent to him by his wife Deianir, who did not suspect trouble, led the hero to inevitable death. Upon death, he was ascended to Olympus and married Hebe, the goddess of youth.

In all countries and on all shores, where the active sea trade brought the Greeks, they found traces of their national hero, who preceded them, paving the way, whose labors and dangers, defeated by his heroism and perseverance, were a reflection of their own folk life. c Greek mythology took her beloved hero from the far west, where the Atlas Range, the Hesperides Gardens and the Pillars of Hercules testified to his existence as far as Egypt and the shores of the Black Sea. The soldiers of Alexander the Great acquired it even in India.

In the Peloponnese, a myth arose about the cursed clan of the Lydian or Phrygian Tantalus whose son, hero Pelops by means of deception and cunning, he took possession of the daughter and the province of the Elid king Aenomai. His sons Atreus and Fiestos(Tiestes) indulge in incest, infanticide and pass on to their descendants an even greater degree of curse. The mythological hero Orestes, the son of Agamemnon, friend of Pilad, the murderer of his mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus, by the return of his sister Iphigenia from Taurida, where she was a priestess of the barbaric worship of Artemis, is freed from Erinnia and atones for the sins of the entire Tantalus clan.

In Lacedaemon, myths were told about the twin heroes of Tyndarids Castor and Polidevke(Pollux), brothers of Elena, who merged with the Dioscuri, the shining stars, the patrons of sailors and sailors: they thought that their ascent would calm the storm.

The tribal hero of Thebes was the Phoenician Cadmus, who was looking for his sister Europe, abducted by Zeus, and brought by a cow to Boeotia. From him came King Lai, who, frightened by one of the words of the oracle, ordered to throw his son from Jocasta, Oedipus, into a mountain gorge. But the son, according to Greek mythology, was saved, raised in Corinth, and subsequently killed his father, out of ignorance; he, having solved one riddle, freed the Theban region from the harmful monster of the Sphinx, and as a reward for this he received a widowed queen, his own mother, in marriage. Then, when grave calamities befell the country, and one elderly priest discovered a terrible secret, Jocasta took her own life, and Oedipus left his fatherland as a blind old man and ended his life in the town of Colone, in Attica; his sons Eteocles and Polynices, cursed by their father, killed each other during the March of the Seven against Thebes. His daughter Antigone was doomed to death by the Theban king Creon because, contrary to his command, she buried the corpse of her brother.

Antigone brings blind Oedipus out of Thebes. Painting by Jalaber, 1842

Hero Brothers - Singer Amphion, consort of Niobe, and brave, armed with a cudgel Zet, also belong to Thebes. To avenge their mother, insulted by the nymph Dirka, they claimed the latter to the tail of the bull and tortured her to death (Farnese bull). In Boeotia and Attica, the legend of Tereus, the primitive king of the Thracians rich in myths who lived around Lake Kopaid, and his sister and sister-in-law, was established. Prokne and Philomele, which, after the murder of the son of Tereus, were turned - one into a swallow, the other into a nightingale.

Thessaly, rich in horses, was inhabited by Greek myths about heroes Centaurs(exterminators of bulls) with a horse body and legs, who fought against the Lapiths, more than once depicted in Hellenic sculpture. The fairest of the wild centaurs was the herbalist Chiron, the mentor of Asclepius and Achilles.

In Athens, Theseus was a popular mythological hero. He was considered the founder of the city, for he united the scattered inhabitants into one community. He was the son of the Athenian king Aegeus, was born and raised in Trezen by Pitfey. Taking out his father's sword and sandals from under a huge block of stone and thus proving his extraordinary strength, this hero, on his way back to his homeland, clears the isthmus of wild robbers (Procrustes and others) and frees the Athenians from the heavy tribute of seven boys and seven girls, which they had to send every nine years to the Cretan Minotaur. Theseus kills this monster, which had a bull's head on a human body, and with the help of a thread given to him by the royal daughter Ariadne, finds a way out of the Labyrinth. (The latest research rightly recognizes in the Greek myth of the Minotaur an allusion to the worship of Moloch, indigenous on the island of Crete and combined with human sacrifices). Aegeus, believing that his son had died, because when returning, he forgot to replace the black sail of the ship with a white one, in despair he threw himself into the sea, which received from him the name of the Aegean.

Theseus kills the Minotaur. Drawing on an ancient Greek vase

The name of Theseus is closely related to the worship of the god Poseidon, in whose honor he established the Isthmian games. Poseidon gives the tragic denouement of the love story of Theseus' second wife ( Phaedra) with his son Hippolytus. The Legend of Theseus has many affinities with the Legend of Hercules. Like Hercules, the hero Theseus too

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names have not been forgotten to this day, occupied a special place in mythology, visual arts and the life of the ancient Greek people. They were role models and the ideal of physical beauty. Legends and poems were composed about these brave men, statues were created in honor of the heroes and they were called by the names of the constellation.

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 - legends about titans and giants. At that time, man felt himself defenseless in front of the formidable forces of nature, about which he still knew very little. Therefore, the world around him seemed to him chaos, in which there are 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-Hecatoncheira, the goddess of vengeance Erinia, appearing in the guise of terrible old women, and many others appear.

2. Gradually, a pantheon of deities of a different character began to develop. The humanoid higher powers - the Olympic gods - began to resist the abstract monsters. This is a new, third generation of deities, who entered the battle against the titans and giants and defeated them. Not all opponents were imprisoned in a terrible dungeon - Tartarus. Many were included in the number of the new Ocean, 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, a person's faith in his own strength was strengthened more and more. 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 in the habitat of the dragon he killed, Bellerophon destroys the chimera.

Historical sources of Greek myths

We can judge about the exploits of heroes and gods by the 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 N. Kuhn's famous book "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece"), as well as the works of Hesiod.

Around the 5th century BC. collectors of legends about the gods and great defenders of Greece appear. The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names we now know, have not been forgotten due to their painstaking work. These are historians and philosophers Apollodorus of Athens, Heraclides of Pontic, Palefat and many others.

The origin of the heroes

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

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

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

Modern etymologists also interpret the meaning of the word in question in different ways, highlighting the general - the function of the protector.

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

Heroes are called upon to fulfill the will of the Olympic gods and to grant patronage to people. They bring order and justice to the 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 the son of Achilles, trying to make him immortal. The goddess Demeter, in gratitude to the Athenian king, puts his son Demophon in the fire in order 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 a hero is usually tragic. Unable to live forever, he tries to immortalize himself in the memory of people by exploits. He is often persecuted by malevolent gods. Hercules tries to destroy Hera, Odysseus is haunted by Poseidon's wrath.

Heroes of Ancient Greece: list of names and deeds

The titan Prometheus became the first defender of people. He is conventionally called a hero, since he is not a man or a demigod, but a real deity. According to Hesiod's version, it was he who created the first people, molded them from clay or earth, and patronized them, protecting them from the arbitrariness 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 even wise half-snake-half-humans were his ancestors. 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 trapping travelers on the Athenian road, killed the monster - the Krommion 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 sea goddess 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 perform many feats on the battlefield. His mother tried to hide him with the ruler Lycomedes, dressing him up in women's clothes and passing him off as one of the royal daughters. But the cunning Odysseus, sent to search for Achilles, was able to expose him. The hero was forced to come to terms with his fate and went to the Trojan War. On it, he performed 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. She hit the only vulnerable spot on the hero's body - the heel. revered Achilles. In honor of him, temples were built in Sparta and Elis.

The life stories of some of the heroes are so interesting and tragic that it is 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 his head and saved the beautiful Andromeda from the sea monster.

To do this, he had to get Ares 'helmet, which makes everyone invisible, and Hermes' sandals, which make it possible to fly. Athena, the patroness of the hero, gave him a sword and a magic bag in which to hide the 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 by the gods in the sky and turned into constellations.

Odysseus

The heroes of ancient Greece were not only unusually strong and courageous. Many of them were distinguished by their wisdom. The most cunning of them all was Odysseus. More than once his sharp mind helped out the hero and his companions. Homer dedicated his famous "Odyssey" to the long-term journey of the king of Ithaca home.

Greatest of the Greeks

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

The death of the hero came prematurely. Putting on a poisoned cloak sent by his wife Deianira, who thought he was soaked in a love potion, Hercules realized that he was dying. He ordered to prepare a funeral pyre and ascended it. At the time of his death, the son of Zeus - the protagonist of Greek myths - was ascended to Olympus, where he became one of the gods.

Ancient Greek demigods and mythical characters in contemporary art

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, pictures of which can be seen in the article, have always been considered models of physical strength and health. There is not a single art form that does not use the plots of Greek mythology. And these days they do not lose popularity. Such films as "Clash of the Titans" and "Wrath of the Titans", the main character of which is Perseus, aroused great interest among the audience. The great film of the same name is dedicated to the odyssey (directed by Andrei Konchalovsky). "Troy" told about the exploits and death of Achilles.

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

Conclusion

The heroes of Ancient Greece are still a wonderful example 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, common people and
mortal heroes who protected them. Over the centuries, these stories have been created
poets, historians and simply "eyewitnesses" of the legendary feats of fearless heroes,
with the powers of the demigods.

1

Hercules, the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, was famous for special honor among the heroes.
Alcmene. The most famous of all myths is the cycle of 12 exploits,
which the son of Zeus alone committed, 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, led by Agamemnon. The 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
more honors 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 Odyssey story.
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 gorgon monster 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 in search of the golden fleece to Colchis.
This task was given to him by his father's brother Pelius in order to destroy him, but it
brought him eternal glory.

7

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

8

Ergin is the son of Poseidon, and one of the Argonauts who went after 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.

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

Amphitryon- the son of the Tirinthian king Alcaeus and the daughter of Pelope Astidamia, the grandson of Perseus. Amphitryon took part in the war against the TV fighters living on the island of Taphos, which was waged by his uncle the Mycenaean king Electrion.

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 Eacus, the protagonist of the Iliad.

Ajax- the name of two participants in the Trojan War; both fought at Troy as applicants for the hand of Helen. 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 Hippo.

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 who set foot on the land of Troy.

Hercules- the national hero of the Greeks. Son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Gifted with mighty strength, he performed the hardest 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 Adrast Deipila. Together with Adrastus he took part in the campaign and the destruction of Thebes. As one of Elena's suitors, Diomedes later fought at Troy, leading a militia on 80 ships.

Meleager- the hero of Aetolia, the son of the Calydonian king Oineus and Alfea, the husband of Cleopatra. Participant in the expedition of the Argonauts. Meleager was most famous for her participation in the Calydonian hunt.

Menelaus- the king of Sparta, the son of Atreus and Aeropa, the husband of Elena, the younger brother of Agamemnon. Menelaus, with the help of Agamemnon, gathered friendly kings for the Ilion campaign, and he himself put out 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 Eagra 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 ally of Achilles in the Trojan War. As a boy, he killed his comrade while playing dice, for which his father sent him to Peleus in Phthia, where he was raised together with Achilles.

Peleus- the son of the Aeginian king Eak and Endeida, the husband of Antigone. For the murder of his half-brother Fock, who defeated Peleus in athletic exercises, he was exiled by his father and retired to Phthia.

Pelop- the king and national hero of Phrygia, and then the Peloponnese. Son of Tantalus and the nymph Euryanassa. Pelop grew up on Olympus in the company of the gods and was a favorite of Poseidon.

Perseus- the son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of the Argos king Acrisius. The winner of Medusa the Gorgon and the savior of Andromeda from the claims of the dragon.

Talphibius- a messenger, a Spartan, together with Eurybates was a herald of Agamemnon, carrying out his instructions. Talphibius, together with Odysseus and Menelaus, gathered an army for the Trojan War.

Tevkr- the son of Telamon and daughter of the Trojan king Hesiona. The best archer in the Greek army near Troy, where more than thirty defenders of Ilion were killed by him.

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

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

Foronei- the founder of the Argos state, the son of the river god Inach and the hamadryad Melia. He was revered as a national hero; sacrifices were performed on his grave.

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

Oedipus- the son of the Finnish king Lai and Jocasta. He killed his father and married his mother without knowing it. When the crime was revealed, Jocasta hanged herself, and Oedipus blinded himself. He died, pursued by the Erinyes.

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

Jason- the son of Aison, on behalf of Pelias, went from Thessaly for the golden fleece to Colchis, for which he equipped a campaign of the Argonauts.

Kronos, in ancient Greek mythology, was one of the titans born of the marriage of the sky god Uranus and the earth goddess Gaia. He succumbed to the persuasion of his mother and emasculated his father Uranus in order to stop the endless birth 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 a newborn.

Rhea hid her son, Zeus, on the island of Crete, where he grew up, fed by the divine goat Amalthea. He was guarded by kurets - warriors who drowned out the cry of Zeus with blows to their shields so that Kronos would not hear.

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

In Roman mythology, Kronos (Chroos - "time") is known as Saturn - a symbol of unforgiving time. In ancient Rome, the god Kronos was dedicated to festivities - saturnalia, during which all rich people changed their duties with their servants and fun began, accompanied by abundant libations. In Roman mythology, Kronos (Chroos - "time") is known as Saturn - a symbol of unforgiving time. In ancient Rome, the god Kronos was dedicated to festivities - saturnalia, during which all rich people changed their duties with their servants and fun began, accompanied by abundant libations.

Rhea("Ρέα), in ancient myth-making, the Greek goddess, one of the Titanids, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, the wife of Kronos and the mother of the Olympic deities: Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter and Hera (Hesiod, Theogony, 135). that he would be deprived of power by any of his children, devoured them immediately after birth. Rhea, on the advice of her parents, saved Zeus. Instead of the son she was born, she placed a swaddled stone, which Kronos swallowed, and sent her son, a secret from his father, to Crete, to the mountain Dict. When Zeus grew up, Rhea attached 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 of the versions of the myth, Rhea deceived Kronos at the birth of Poseidon. She hid her son among the grazing sheep, and She gave Kronos a foal to swallow, referring to 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 proper. In Crete and Asia Minor, she mingled with the Asian goddess of nature and fertility, Cybele, and her worship came to a more prominent plane. Especially in Crete, the legend about the birth of Zeus in the grotto of Mount Ida, which enjoyed special veneration, was localized, which is proved by the large number of initiations, partly very ancient, found in it. The tomb of Zeus was also shown in Crete. The priests of Rhea were called here Kuretes and were identified with the Koribants, the priests of the great Phrygian mother Cybele. They were entrusted by Rhea to preserve the baby Zeus; knocking with weapons, the kuretes drowned out his cry so that Kronos could not hear the child. Rhea was portrayed 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 the lions dedicated to her sit. Its attribute was the tympanum (an ancient musical percussion instrument, the predecessor of the timpani). In the period of late antiquity, Rhea was identified with the Phrygian Great Mother of the Gods and received the name Rhea-Cybele, whose cult was distinguished by an 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 lord of the winds and clouds, rain, thunder and lightning with a blow of the scepter caused storms and hurricanes, but he could also calm the forces of nature and clear the sky from 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 younger son, gave Kropos a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, and the baby was secretly taken out and brought up on the island of Crete.

Matured Zeus sought to settle accounts with his father. His first wife, wise Metis ("thought"), daughter of Ocean, advised him to give his father a potion, from which he would vomit all the children swallowed. Having defeated Kronos, who gave birth to them, Zeus and the brothers divided the world among themselves. Zeus chose the sky, Hades - the underworld of the dead, and Poseidon - the sea. The land and Mount Olympus, where the palace of the gods was located, was decided to be considered common. Over time, the world of the Olympians changes and becomes less violent. Ora, the daughters of Zeus from Themis, his second wife, brought order to the life of gods and people, and the charites, daughters from Eurynome, the former mistress of Olympus, brought joy and grace; goddess Mnemosyne gave birth to Zeus 9 muses. Thus, in human society, law, science, art and moral norms took their place. Zeus was also the father of famous heroes - Hercules, Dioscuri, Perseus, Sarpedon, glorious kings and sages - Minos, Radamanthus and Eacus. True, the love affairs of Zeus with both mortal women and immortal goddesses, which formed the basis of many myths, caused constant antagonism between him and his third wife Hero, the goddess of legal marriage. Some children of Zeus, born out of wedlock, for example Hercules, were cruelly persecuted by the goddess. In Roman mythology, Zeus corresponds to the omnipotent Jupiter.

Hera(Hera), in Greek mythology, the queen of the gods, the goddess of the air, the patroness of family and marriage. Hera, the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, brought up in the house of Ocean and Tethys, sister and wife of Zeus, with whom, according to the Samos legend, she lived in secret marriage for 300 years, until he openly declared her to be his wife and queen of the gods. Zeus honors her highly and informs her of his plans, although he keeps her on occasion within her subservient position. Hera, mother of Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus, Ilithia. Differs in imperiousness, cruelty and jealous disposition. Especially in the Iliad, Hera shows quarrelsomeness, stubbornness and jealousy - traits that have passed into the Iliad, probably from the oldest songs that glorified Hercules. Hera hates and persecutes Hercules, like 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 insidious goddess with strong gold chains to the ether and hung two heavy anvils at her feet. But this does not prevent the goddess from constantly resorting to cunning when she needs to get 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 - her favorite places; She hates Trojans for the judgment of Paris. The marriage of Hera with Zeus, which originally had a spontaneous meaning - the connection between heaven and earth, then receives a relation to the civil institution of marriage. As the only legitimate wife on Olympus, Hera is the patroness of marriage and childbirth. She was dedicated to the pomegranate, the symbol of marriage love, and the cuckoo, the messenger of spring, the time of love. In addition, a peacock and a crow were considered its birds.

The main place of her worship was Argos, where stood her colossal statue, made of gold and ivory by Polycletus, and where the so-called Gerei 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 presents Hera in the form of a tall, slender woman, with a majestic bearing, mature beauty, a rounded face wearing an important expression, a beautiful forehead, thick hair, large, strongly open "ox-eye" 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. Over the long tunic, which left only the neck and arms uncovered, a himation was thrown around the camp. In Roman mythology, Hera corresponds to Juno.

Demeter(Δημήτηρ), in Greek mythology, the goddess of fertility and agriculture, civil organization 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 by her name (literally, "earth-mother"). Cult references to Demeter: Chloe ("greenery", "sowing"), Karpophora ("giver of fruits"), Thesmophora ("legislator", "organizer"), Sito ("bread", "flour") indicate the functions of Demeter as goddess of fertility. She is a goddess, benevolent to people, of a beautiful appearance with hair the color of ripe wheat, an assistant in peasant labors (Homer, Iliad, V 499-501). She fills the farmer's barns with supplies (Hesiod, Opp. 300, 465). They call out to Demeter so that the grains come out full-bodied and that the plowing succeeds. Demeter taught people how to plow and sow, uniting in a sacred marriage on the thrice-plowed field of the island of Crete with the Cretan god of agriculture Yason, and the fruit of this marriage was Plutos - the god of wealth and abundance (Hesiod, Theogonia, 969-974).

Hestia-the virgin goddess of the hearth, the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, the patroness of the inextinguishable fire, uniting gods and people. Hestia never responded to courtship. Apollo and Poseidon asked for her hands, but she vowed to remain a virgin forever. Once the drunken god of gardens and fields Priapus tried to dishonor her, asleep, at a festival where all the gods were present. However, at that moment, when the patron of lust and sensual pleasures Priapus was preparing to do his dirty deed, the donkey screamed loudly, Hestia woke up, called for the help of the gods, and Priapus turned to flight in fear.

Poseidon, in ancient Greek mythology, the god of the underwater kingdom. Poseidon was considered the lord 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 was swallowed by his father, who was afraid that they would take away his power over the world, together with his brothers and sisters. All of them were subsequently freed by Zeus.

Poseidon lived in an underwater palace, among the 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. On the sea he moved in a chariot, which was harnessed with wonderful horses.

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

The ancient Greeks revered this deity very much and, in order to reach his location, brought 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 passed by sea. Therefore, before going to sea, the travelers threw a sacrifice into the water to Poseidon. In Roman mythology, Neptune corresponds to it.

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. When the world was divided after the overthrow of his father, Zeus took the sky for himself, Poseidon - the sea, and Hades - the underworld; the brothers agreed to rule the land together. The second name of Hades 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 only those who could pay for the crossing through the underground river Styx. The entrance to the underworld of the dead was guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus (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), across the Ocean River, which washes the earth. The most popular myth about Hades is associated with his abduction of Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of fertility, Demeter. Zeus promised him his beautiful daughter, without asking her mother's consent. When Hades took the bride away by force, Demeter almost lost her mind from grief, forgot about her duties, and hunger seized the earth.

The dispute between Hades and Demeter about the fate of Persephone was resolved by Zeus. She is obliged to spend two thirds of the year with her mother and one third with her husband. This is how the alternation of the seasons arose. Once Hades fell in love with the nymph Mint or Mint, who was associated with the water of the kingdom of the dead. Upon learning of this, Persephone, in a fit of jealousy, turned the nymph into a fragrant plant.