Greek Mythology: Key Figures and Their Stories

Pandora

First woman; opened a forbidden jar releasing all evils; hope remained inside

Narcissus

Man who fell in love with his own reflection and died; flower grew in his place

Orpheus and Eurydice

Musician who lost his wife forever by looking back in the underworld

Daphne and Apollo

Daphne turned into a laurel tree to escape Apollo's unwanted love

Daedalus and Icarus

Icarus flew too close to the sun; wax wings melted; fell to death

Pygmalion and Galatea

Statue brought to life by Aphrodite

King Midas

Gifted golden touch; curse turned food to gold; washed power away

Adonis

Beautiful youth loved by Aphrodite; dies and returns seasonally

Prometheus

Titan punished for giving fire to humans; liver eaten daily by eagle

Arachne

Weaver turned into spider after challenging Athena

The Fates

Three goddesses controlling destiny: spin, measure, and cut life

The Furies

Vengeful spirits who punish blood crimes and cause madness

Helen of Troy

Her beauty caused the Trojan War

The Nine Muses

Goddesses who inspire art, literature, and science

Odysseus' Odyssey

Hero's 10-year journey home after the Trojan War

Theseus and the Minotaur

Theseus kills Minotaur using Ariadne's thread

Hercules and the 12 Labors

Demigod completes impossible tasks to redeem himself

Perseus and Medusa

Perseus kills Medusa using a mirrored shield