The Heroes

Joseph Campbell

Developed the theory of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies

The Hero Cycle

The common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed

Kleos

Glory 

Acrisius

The grandfather of Perseus

Proteus

An early prophetic sea god

Tiryns

A Mycenaean city

Argos

Home of Perseus’s grandfather

Danaë

Mother of Perseus by Zeus

Perseus

Beheaded the Gorgon Medusa and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus

Dictys

Discovered Danaë and Perseus inside a chest

Polydectes

The ruler of the island where the Danaë and her infant son Perseus washed ashore

Seriphus

The island to which Perseus and Danaë floated and where they live 

Gorgons

Three monstrous sisters

Medusa

A woman with living snakes in place of hair; anyone who looked upon her was turned to stone

Poseidon

Presides over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses

Athena

Associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft

Hermes

The protector of human heralds, travelers, thieves, merchants, and orators

Graeae

Three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth

Nymphs

Personifications of nature

Gifts to Perseus

Winged sandals, curved sword, helm of invisibility, and polished shield. 

Atlas

A Titan condemned to hold up the heavens for eternity

Ethiopia

Kingdom of King Cepheus, the father of Andromeda

Cassiopeia

Mother of Andromeda who boasted that she was more beautiful than all the Nereids

Andromeda

Rescued by the hero Perseus

Heracles

The defender of the earth who performed 12 labors for King Eurystheus

Bellerophon

Killed the Chimera and tamed Pegasus

Hospitality

The relationship of a host towards a guest

Iobates

Bellerophon was sent into exile in his lands

Lycia

Bellerophon eventually succeeded to the throne here

Chimaera

A monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature

Pegasus

A winged horse

Solymi

Tribe defeated by Bellerophon as one of his tasks

Amazons

Female warriors and hunters

Hubris

Extreme or excessive pride

Áte

A state of temporary madness

Zeus

A sky and thunder god who rules as king of the gods

Alcmene

The mother of Heracles

Amphitryon

Heracles’ mortal father

Mycenae

Wealthy palace state

Thebes

Home of King Pentheus and Teiresias

Teiresias

A blind prophet of Apollo

Hera

The goddess of marriage, women, and family

Eileithyia

The goddess of childbirth and midwifery

Eurystheus

The cowardly cousin of Heracles for whom he performed 12 labors 

Megara

The first wife of Heracles 

Nemean Lion

A mythical lion that was killed by Heracles

Hydra

A serpentine lake monster that was killed by Heracles

Cheiron

Pierced with an arrow belonging to Heracles that had been treated with the blood of the Hydra

Augean Stables

The fifth Labor of Heracles

Stymphalian Birds

Man-eating birds with beaks of bronze

Admetus

Heracles brought his wife back to life

Asclepius

A hero and god of medicine

Apollo

A god of archery, music, dance, truth, prophecy, healing, and diseases

Alcestis

Heracles rescued her from the underworld

Hippolyte

Queen of the Amazons

Troy

The setting for Trojan War

Geryon

A fearsome giant who dwelt on an island in the far west of the Mediterranean

Apples of Hesperides

Golden apples kept in a garden at the far western edge of the world

Prometheus

A Titan responsible for creating or aiding humanity in its earliest days

Cerberus

A multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld

Theseus

Slayed the Minotaur

Giants

A race of great strength and aggression, though not necessarily of great size

Deïaneira

The wife of Heracles and his unwitting murderer

Nessus

A centaur who was killed by Heracles and whose poisoned blood in turn killed Heracles

Philoctetes

Was bitten by a snake that Hera sent as punishment for the service rendered to Heracles

Hebe

The goddess of youth

Europa

Abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull

Crete

Europa and Zeus made love here

Minos

Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent into the labyrinth and eaten by the Minotaur

Pasiphaë

Conceived the Minotaur

Minotaur

A mythical creature with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man

Daedalus

Created the wooden cow for Pasiphaë

Labyrinth

An elaborate, confusing structure designed by Daedalus for King Minos in order to hold the Minotaur

Androgeus

The son of King Minos who was murdered in Athens

Athens

Home of King Aegeus and Theseus

Aegeus

The father of Theseus

Delphi

A major oracle who was consulted about important decisions 

Troezen

Where Aethra slept with both Aegeus and Poseidon on the same night and fell pregnant with Theseus

Pittheus

The grandfather of Theseus

Aethra

The mother of Theseus

Periphetes

Robbed travelers and killed them with his club. Killed by Theseus.

Sinis

Forced travelers to help him bend pine trees to the ground and then unexpectedly let go, catapulting the victims through the air. Killed by Theseus.

Sceiron

Forced travelers to wash his feet and kicked them into the sea. Killed by Theseus.

Procrustes

Attacked people by stretching them or cutting off their legs, so as to force them to fit the size of an iron bed. Killed by Theseus. 

Medea

Aided Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece, using her magic to save his life and killing her brother to allow Jason to escape

Pallas

Was flayed by Athena, who used his skin as a shield

Bull of Marathon

The bull Pasiphaë fell in love with

Ariadne

Helped Theseus escape from the Minotaur and being abandoned by him

Phaedra

The wife of Theseus who fell in love with her stepson and accused him of trying to rape her

Hippolytus

The son of Theseus and stepson of Phaedra

Peirithoüs

Theseus’ best friend

Helen

The most beautiful woman in the world

Persephone

The queen of the underworld

Seat of Lethe

Means "forgetting" or "forgetfulness"

Castor

The mortal son of the king of Sparta

Polydeuces

The divine son of Zeus

Lycomedes

Killed Theseus

Psyche

The immortal wife of Cupid

Aphrodite

Goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation

Eros

The Greek god of love and sex