The heroes of Greek myths and legends were not immortal like their gods. But they were not mere mortals either. Most of them traced their origins to the gods. Their great exploits and accomplishments, which were captured in myths and famous artistic creations, give us an idea of ​​the views of the ancient Greeks. So what did the most famous Greek heroes become famous for? We'll tell you below...

The king of the island of Ithaca and the favorite of the goddess Athena, was known for his extraordinary intelligence and courage, although no less for his cunning and cunning. Homer's Odyssey tells about his return from Troy to his homeland and his adventures during these wanderings. First, a strong storm washed Odysseus's ships to the shores of Thrace, where the wild Cycones killed 72 of his companions. In Libya, he blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon himself. After many trials, the hero ended up on the island of Eya, where he lived for a year with the sorceress Kirka. Sailing past the island of sweet-voiced sirens, Odysseus ordered himself to be tied to the mast so as not to be tempted by their magical singing. He safely passed through the narrow strait between the six-headed Scylla, devouring all living things, and Charybdis, absorbing everyone in her whirlpool, and went out into the open sea. But lightning struck his ship, and all his companions died. Only Odysseus escaped. The sea threw him onto the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso kept him for seven years. Finally, after nine years of dangerous wanderings, Odysseus returned to Ithaca. There, together with his son Telemachus, he killed the suitors who were besieging his faithful wife Penelope and squandering his fortune, and began to rule Ithaca again.

Hercules (Romans - Hercules), the most glorious and powerful of all Greek heroes, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Forced to serve the Mycenaean king Eurystheus, he performed twelve famous feats. For example, he killed the nine-headed hydra, tamed and led him away from the underworld hellhound Cerberus, strangled the invulnerable Nemean lion and dressed in his skin, erected two stone pillars on the banks of the strait separating Europe from Africa (Pillars of Hercules - ancient name Strait of Gibraltar), supported the firmament while the titan Atlant obtained for him miraculous golden apples, guarded by the Hesperides nymphs. For these and other great exploits, Athena after her death carried Hercules to Olympus, and Zeus granted him eternal life.

, the son of Zeus and the Argive princess Danae, went to the country of the gorgons - winged monsters covered with scales. Instead of hair, their heads wriggled Poisonous snakes, and a terrible gaze turned everyone who dared to look at them to stone. Perseus beheaded the gorgon Medusa and married the daughter of the Ethiopian king Andromeda, whom he saved from sea ​​monster who ate people. He turned her former fiancé, who arranged the conspiracy, into stone, showing the severed head of Medusa.

, son of the Thessalian king Peleus and sea ​​nymphs Thetis, one of the main characters Trojan War. As an infant, his mother dipped him into the sacred waters of the Styx, making his body invulnerable, with the exception of his heel, by which his mother held him, lowering him into the Styx. In the Battle of Troy, Achilles was killed by the son of the Trojan king Paris, whose arrow Apollo, who was helping the Trojans, aimed at his heel - his only vulnerable spot (hence the expression “Achilles’ heel”).

, the son of the Thessalian king Eson, went with his companions to distant Colchis on the Black Sea to get the skin of a magic ram guarded by a dragon - The Golden Fleece. Among the 50 Argonauts who took part in the expedition on the ship "Argo" were Hercules, the pepper Orpheus and the Dioscuri twins (sons of Zeus) - Castor and Polydeuces.
After numerous adventures, the Argonauts brought the fleece to Hellas. Jason married the daughter of the Colchian king, the sorceress Medea, and they had two boys. When a few years later Jason decided to marry the daughter of the Corinthian king Creus, Medea killed her rival, and then her own children. Jason died under the wreckage of the dilapidated ship "Argo".

Oedipus, son of the Theban king Laius. Oedipus's father was predicted to die at the hands of his own son, so Laius ordered the child to be devoured wild animals. But the slave took pity and saved him. As a young man, Oedipus received a prediction from the Delphic Oracle that he would kill his father and marry his own mother. Frightened by this, Oedipus left his adoptive parents and went wandering. On the way, in a random quarrel, he killed a noble old man. But on the way to Thebes he met the Sphinx, who guarded the road and asked the travelers a riddle: “Who walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?” Those who could not answer were devoured by the monster. Oedipus solved the riddle: “Man: as a child he crawls on all fours, as an adult he walks upright, and in old age he leans on a stick.” Shattered by this answer, the Sphinx threw itself into the abyss. The grateful Thebans chose Oedipus as their king and gave him the king's widow Jocasta as his wife. When it turned out that the old man killed on the road was his father King Laius, and Jocasta his mother, Oedipus blinded himself in despair, and Jocasta committed suicide.

, the son of Poseidon, also accomplished many glorious deeds. On the way to Athens he killed six monsters and robbers. In the Knossos labyrinth he destroyed the Minotaur and found a way out with the help of a ball of thread, which was given to him by the daughter of the Cretan king Ariadne. He was also revered as the creator of the Athenian state.

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names are not forgotten to this day, occupied a special place in mythology, fine arts and the life of the ancient Greek people. They were role models and ideals 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. That's why the world seemed to him a chaos in which there are terrifying uncontrollable forces and entities - titans, giants and monsters. They were generated by the earth as the main effective force 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. Humanoids began to confront abstract monsters higher power- 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 a 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 - greatest hero Hellas, 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 would transform any Living being 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

Hero of Hellas ( Ancient Greece), the myths about which are most famous are 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 - main character 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 subjects were not used Greek mythology. 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.

Greek myths, which tell of gods, goddesses and heroes, date back to the Bronze Age, a time of oral tradition. They were first recorded at the beginning of the 6th century. BC. and have continued to live in Western literature ever since. Myths were closely related to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks and interpreted the secrets of nature. They told about the creation of the world about the deeds of the deities, about the golden age of ancient Greek society, about the age of heroic demigods such as Theseus and Hercules, whose exploits inspired ordinary people. The Greeks represented the gods as ideal people possessing all the feelings characteristic of humans. The gods lived on Mount Olympus. Supreme God Zeus was considered the father of many Olympians. Each member of the Olympic family was assigned a divine role.

Zeus- the father of gods and people, ruled them from Mount Olympus.
Eris goddess of discord.
Klymene, mother Promethea who gave fire to people.
Hera Zeus's wife was very jealous.
Athena emerged from the head of Zeus in full battle garb, in Greek mythology she was the goddess of wisdom, strategy and war.
Poseidon, god of the seas, one of the brothers of Zeus. The symbol of his power is the trident. Myths bring to us stories about Poseidon's infidelity to his wife, the sea goddess Amphitrite, who was the goddess of the sea in Greek mythology. This statue is kept in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Paris must award Golden Apple the most beautiful of goddesses. Paris's dog helped him graze his flocks on Mount Ida, where the prince grew up.
Dionysus, the god of viticulture and wine, Zeus gave birth from his thigh.
Hades And Persephone ruled kingdoms of the dead and souls and dead. Hades kidnapped Persephone from her mother Demeter, the goddess of fertility. Angry, Demeter sent a famine to the earth, and then Zeus decided that Persephone would live with her mother for part of the year.
Artemis, maiden goddess of the hunt, daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo. She is armed with a bow and arrows. The eternally young goddess is surrounded by dogs and nymphs. Having taken a vow of chastity, she was nevertheless also the goddess of childbirth.
Hermes was a messenger of the gods.
Aphrodite, goddess of love, was born from the foam of the sea.
Apollo, son of Zeus and brother of Artemis, god-healer and soothsayer, patron of the arts, was unusually handsome.

Labors of Hercules. Hercules(among the Romans - Hercules) - the greatest of the Greek heroes, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Endowed with superhuman strength, he achieved success and immortality by completing 12 tasks of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus, which seemed impossible.
First he defeated the Nemean Lion, whose skin he always wore on himself from then on.
The second labor of Hercules was the victory over the Lernaean Hydra. The severed heads of this poisonous monster, raised by Hera, immediately grew back. As in his other exploits, Hercules was helped by Athena.
Then the huge boar that was ravaging Mount Erymanth was caught. Hercules delivered him to King Eurystheus alive. The king was so frightened that he hid in a large jug.
The sixth feat was the extermination of the Stymphalian birds. Hercules saved Lake Stymphalia from man-eating birds with copper beaks: having scared the birds with bronze rattles, he killed them with stones fired from a sling.

Hector, in ancient greek mythology one of the main heroes of the Trojan War. The hero was the son of Hecuba and Priam, the king of Troy. Hector had 49 brothers and sisters, but among the sons of Priam he was famous for his strength and courage. According to legend, Hector struck to death the first Greek to set foot on the soil of Troy, Protesilaus. The hero became especially famous in the ninth year of the Trojan War, challenging Ajax Telamonides to battle. Hector promised his enemy not to desecrate his body in case of defeat and not to remove his armor and demanded the same from Ajax. After a long struggle, they decided to stop the fight and, as a sign mutual respect exchanged gifts. Hector hoped to defeat the Greeks, despite Cassandra's prediction.

It was under his leadership that the Trojans broke into the fortified camp of the Achaeans, approached the navy and even managed to set fire to one of the ships. The legends also describe the battle between Hector and the Greek Patroclus. The hero defeated his opponent and took off Achilles' armor. The gods were very accepting Active participation in war. They divided into two camps and each helped their favorites. Hector was patronized by Apollo himself. When Patroclus died, Achilles, obsessed with revenge for his death, tied the defeated dead Hector to his chariot and dragged him around the walls of Troy, but the hero’s body was not touched by either decay or birds, since Apollo protected him in gratitude for the fact that Hector During his lifetime he helped him several times. Based on this circumstance, the ancient Greeks concluded that Hector was the son of Apollo.

According to myths, Apollo, at a council of the gods, persuaded Zeus to give Hector’s body to the Trojans so that he could be buried with honor. The Supreme God ordered Achilles to give the body of the deceased to his father Priam. Since, according to legend, Hector’s grave was located in Thebes, researchers suggested that the image of the hero is of Boeotian origin. Hector was a very revered hero in Ancient Greece, which is proven by the presence of his image on ancient vases and in antique plastic. Usually they depicted scenes of Hector’s farewell to his wife Andromache, the battle with Achilles and many other episodes.

Hercules

Hercules, the greatest of heroes in Greek mythology, is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Zeus needed a mortal hero to defeat the giants, and he decided to give birth to Hercules. The best mentors taught Hercules various arts, wrestling, and archery. Zeus wanted Hercules to become the ruler of Mycenae or Tiryns, key fortresses on the approaches to Argos, but jealous Hera thwarted his plans. She struck Hercules with madness, in a fit of which he killed his wife and three of his sons. To atone for his grave guilt, the hero had to serve Eurystheus, king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, after which he was granted immortality. The most famous is the cycle of tales about the twelve labors of Hercules. The first feat was to obtain the skin of the Nemean lion, which Hercules had to strangle with bare hands. Having defeated the lion, the hero tanned its skin and wore it as a trophy.