MYTHOLOGY STORIES/SELECTIONS

Medea

• Plot: Medea, written by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides, tells the story of Medea, a foreign sorceress and the wife of Jason, a hero famous for his quest for the Golden Fleece. Initially, Medea assists Jason in his quest, but after their marriage, Jason betrays her by marrying Glauce, the daughter of King Creon of Corinth, in an effort to secure a more advantageous political alliance. Medea is devastated by this betrayal and, in a desperate quest for revenge, she uses her magical abilities to cause Glauce’s death by poisoning. Medea then takes a tragic and shocking step: she kills her own children in an attempt to hurt Jason as deeply as possible. The play concludes with Medea escaping the consequences of her actions, leaving Corinth in a chariot provided by her grandfather, the sun god Helios.

• Focus Characters: Medea, Jason, Glauce, Creon, the children of Medea and Jason, Aegeus (King of Athens).

• Author: Euripides.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

• Plot: The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest known literary works, originating from ancient Mesopotamia. The story follows Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, who is two-thirds divine and one-third human. Despite his greatness, Gilgamesh is initially portrayed as a selfish and arrogant ruler. To counterbalance his power, the gods create Enkidu, a wild man who lives with animals. Enkidu is brought to Uruk to challenge Gilgamesh, but the two become close friends after a fierce battle. Together, they embark on adventures, including defeating the demon Humbaba and killing the Bull of Heaven, sent by the goddess Ishtar. However, their actions anger the gods, and Enkidu is punished with death. Gilgamesh is devastated by the loss of his friend and embarks on a quest for immortality, seeking the immortal flood survivor Utnapishtim. In the end, Gilgamesh learns that immortality is reserved for the gods, and that humans must accept death as a natural part of life. He returns to Uruk, wiser and more accepting of his fate, focusing on the legacy he can leave behind.

• Focus Characters: Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Utnapishtim, Ishtar, Humbaba, the Bull of Heaven.

• Author: Unknown (Sumerian and Akkadian origins, with later Babylonian adaptations).

Alcestis

• Plot: Alcestis is a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. The play tells the story of Alcestis, the wife of King Admetus of Pherae, who is faced with the death of her husband due to a divine decree. When the gods declare that Admetus must die, he is offered a chance to avoid death if someone else is willing to take his place. Alcestis, out of love and devotion to her husband, volunteers to die in his stead. After her death, Admetus is devastated, and his grief is compounded by the fact that his friends and family fail to offer any consolation or help. However, the hero Heracles (known for his twelve labors) arrives at the palace and, upon learning of Alcestis's sacrifice, ventures into the underworld to bring her back. Through his bravery, Heracles succeeds in rescuing her, and Alcestis is restored to life, much to the joy of her husband. The play highlights themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of heroic deeds.

• Focus Characters: Alcestis, Admetus, Heracles, Apollo.

• Author: Euripides.

Oedipus Rex

• Plot: Oedipus Rex, written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, is a tragic play that tells the story of Oedipus, the king of Thebes. The play opens with Thebes suffering from a plague, and the oracle of Delphi reveals that the plague will only end when the murderer of the former king, Laius, is brought to justice. Oedipus vows to find the killer and end the suffering of his people. As he investigates, he learns that Laius was murdered many years earlier, and through a series of revelations, Oedipus discovers that he himself is the murderer. Worse still, he realizes that he had unknowingly killed his father, Laius, and married his mother, Jocasta, thus fulfilling a prophecy that he had tried to avoid. Jocasta, horrified by this truth, takes her own life, and Oedipus, in despair and guilt, blinds himself. The play ends with Oedipus exiling himself from Thebes, leaving the city in the hands of his brother-in-law, Creon.

• Focus Characters: Oedipus, Jocasta, Creon, Tiresias, Laius.

• Author: Sophocles.

Antigone

• Plot: Antigone is a tragedy written by Sophocles. It follows the story of Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, who defies King Creon, her uncle, by burying her brother Polynices, who had been declared a traitor by Creon. Creon had ordered that Polynices’s body be left unburied as punishment for his rebellion, but Antigone believes that the gods’ law requires that all the dead be properly buried. She defies the king’s command, and when she is caught, she openly admits to her actions. Creon insists that she be punished by entombment. The conflict between the state law, represented by Creon, and divine law, represented by Antigone, leads to a series of tragic events. Antigone dies in the tomb, and her fiancé, Haemon, the son of Creon, takes his own life in despair. Creon’s wife, Eurydice, also dies after learning of her son’s death. In the end, Creon is left to confront the consequences of his rigid rule and decisions.

• Focus Characters: Antigone, Creon, Haemon, Ismene, Polynices, Eurydice.

• Author: Sophocles.

Hippolytus

• Plot: Hippolytus, written by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides, centers on the tragic story of Hippolytus, the son of Theseus and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta. Hippolytus is a young man devoted to the goddess Artemis and lives a life of chastity, rejecting the influence of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Aphrodite, angered by Hippolytus's disregard for her, decides to punish him by making Phaedra, his stepmother and wife of Theseus, fall in love with him. Phaedra, overwhelmed by her feelings for her stepson, eventually confesses them to him, but he rejects her, staying loyal to Artemis. In her shame, Phaedra accuses Hippolytus of assault, and Theseus, believing his wife’s words, curses his son. Hippolytus is exiled, and while fleeing, he is killed in a tragic chariot accident. When the truth about Phaedra’s false accusation comes to light, Phaedra takes her own life in despair. Theseus, filled with grief, is left to confront the irreversible consequences of his actions and decisions.

• Focus Characters: Hippolytus, Phaedra, Theseus, Artemis, Aphrodite.

• Author: Euripides.

Theseus

• Plot: Plutarch’s Life of Theseus is a biographical account of the legendary Greek hero Theseus, blending historical facts with mythological elements. The work chronicles Theseus’ life from his birth to his heroic deeds, his role in shaping Athens, and the various adventures he undertakes. While Plutarch’s narrative includes a variety of stories, the most notable events are as follows:

  1. Birth and Early Life: Theseus is the son of Aegeus, the King of Athens, and Aethra, a princess of Troezen. His early life is marked by his journey to Athens, where he successfully lifts a large stone and takes the sword and sandals his father left for him. This act demonstrates his strength and foreshadows his future heroic deeds.

  2. The Labors of Theseus: Plutarch recounts Theseus’s various feats as he travels from Troezen to Athens, defeating numerous bandits and monsters. Theseus’s victories include defeating the bandit Periphetes, who used a club to attack travelers; Sinis, who would bend pine trees and fling people into the air; and Sciron, who pushed travelers off cliffs. Theseus's courage and justice are displayed through his actions, as he frees the people of the region from these threats.

  3. The Minotaur and the Labyrinth: One of the most famous myths associated with Theseus is his journey to Crete to face the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull creature that lives in a labyrinth beneath King Minos's palace. Theseus volunteers to be one of the tributes sent to Crete, where he is given a ball of thread by Princess Ariadne. He uses this thread to navigate the labyrinth, ultimately slaying the Minotaur and freeing Athens from the annual tribute to Minos.

  4. Return to Athens and the King’s Role: After his victory over the Minotaur, Theseus returns to Athens, but due to a mistake, he forgets to change the sails on his ship from black (which would indicate his death) to white (which would signal his victory). His father, Aegeus, believing his son has perished, throws himself into the sea, which is thereafter named the Aegean Sea. Theseus becomes the new king of Athens and later works on improving the city, uniting the region of Attica and reforming the laws.

  5. Political Leadership and Later Tragedies: Plutarch also discusses Theseus's leadership in Athens, particularly his establishment of the council of the people, which made Athens a more democratic society. However, Theseus’s later years are marked by personal tragedies. He is exiled from Athens after being betrayed by the people, and his later adventures, including his involvement in the war between the Athenians and the Amazons, are tinged with misfortune. The death of his son, Hippolytus, who is wrongly accused by Phaedra of assaulting her, further adds to the tragedy of his life.

• Focus Characters: Theseus, Aegeus, Ariadne, Hippolytus, Phaedra, the Minotaur, Periphetes, Sinis, Sciron, the people of Athens.

• Author: Plutarch.

The Caledonian Boar Hunt

• Plot: The Caledonian Boar Hunt is a myth in which a monstrous boar terrorizes the kingdom of Caledonia, sent by Artemis as punishment. King Oeneus organizes a hunt to kill the beast, inviting many renowned heroes, including Atalanta, Meleager, Peleus, and Theseus. During the hunt, Meleager ultimately slays the boar, but a dispute arises over who should claim the boar’s hide. Meleager kills his uncles in anger, leading to a tragic family conflict. In some versions, his mother, Althaea, curses him, causing his death. The story highlights themes of heroism, pride, and the consequences of rash actions.

• Focus Characters: Meleager, Atalanta, King Oeneus, Althaea, the boar, Peleus, Theseus.

• Author: Ovid

Europa

• Plot: Europa is a Phoenician princess in Greek mythology, most famously known for her abduction by Zeus. According to the myth, Zeus became infatuated with Europa and transformed into a gentle, charming bull to win her over. Europa, enchanted by the bull’s beauty, climbed onto its back, and Zeus, in the form of the bull, carried her across the sea to the island of Crete. There, Zeus revealed his true identity, and Europa became the first queen of Crete. She later bore Zeus three sons: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon, all of whom played significant roles in Greek mythology. Europa’s abduction is often seen as the myth explaining the origin of the name Europe.

• Focus Characters: Europa, Zeus, Minos, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon.

• Author: Ovid

Procne & Philomela

• Plot: The myth of Procne and Philomela is a tragic tale from Greek mythology, often told in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Procne, the queen of Thrace, was married to King Tereus. When her sister Philomela came to visit, Tereus became infatuated with her and mistreated her. To silence her, he confined her and caused her to lose her ability to speak. However, Philomela managed to communicate the details of her ordeal by weaving a tapestry and sending it to her sister, Procne. Enraged by this revelation, Procne and Philomela plotted to take revenge. They decided to harm Tereus by causing great emotional distress. As part of their revenge, they orchestrated an act that led to Tereus's discovery of their plot. In response, the gods transformed the characters into birds: Procne became a nightingale, Philomela a swallow, and Tereus a hoopoe, as a way of symbolizing their fates and actions.

• Focus Characters: Procne, Philomela, Tereus.

• Author: Ovid.

Procris & Cephalus

• Plot: The myth of Procris and Cephalus is a tragic love story from Greek mythology. Cephalus, a handsome and skilled hunter, was married to Procris, the daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens. However, their marriage became strained due to Cephalus's frequent absences as he hunted in the wilderness. During one of these absences, Cephalus encountered the goddess Eos (the Dawn), who fell in love with him and tried to seduce him. Cephalus, despite her advances, rejected her, remaining faithful to his wife, Procris.

  When Cephalus returned to Procris, he was suspicious that she might have been unfaithful to him during his absence, especially after a conversation with the goddess, which led to mistrust between them. To test her faithfulness, Cephalus disguised himself as a stranger and approached Procris, eventually tricking her into betraying her vows. In her jealousy, Procris fled, and their marriage was left in turmoil. Over time, Procris returned, and the couple reconciled, but tragedy struck when Cephalus, while hunting, accidentally killed her with a javelin—believing her to be an animal hiding in the brush. Procris's death was the ultimate result of their mistrust and misunderstandings.

• Focus Characters: Cephalus, Procris, Eos.

• Author: Various ancient sources, including Ovid's Metamorphoses

Nisus & Scylla

• Plot: In this version of the myth, Nisus was the king of Megara, and his daughter Scylla was known for her beauty. Nisus had a single lock of purple hair, which was the source of his invulnerability. One day, the sea god Poseidon fell in love with Scylla and sought to win her over. However, she rejected him. Nisus's enemy, King Minos of Crete, was also interested in capturing Megara. Minos besieged the city, and in a moment of desperation, Scylla, in love with Minos, cut off her father's magical lock of hair, which made him vulnerable. This act allowed Minos to defeat Nisus, and Scylla's betrayal led to her transformation into a monster, either out of grief or divine punishment, depending on the version of the myth.

• Focus Characters: Nisus, Scylla, Minos, Poseidon.

• Author: Various ancient sources, including Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Daedalus & Icarus

• Plot: The myth of Daedalus and Icarus centers on the brilliant inventor Daedalus, who was imprisoned by King Minos of Crete, along with his son Icarus. To escape, Daedalus crafted two sets of wings made of feathers and wax. He warned Icarus not to fly too high, lest the sun melt the wax, or too low, lest the sea dampen the wings. However, overcome by the thrill of flight, Icarus ignored his father’s warnings, flew too close to the sun, and the heat melted the wax on his wings. Icarus fell into the sea and drowned. Daedalus, devastated by the loss of his son, continued his journey, marking the myth with themes of human ambition, hubris, and the father-son relationship.

• Focus Characters: Daedalus, Icarus, King Minos.

• Author: Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Centauromachy

• Plot: The Centauromachy refers to the famous battle between the Lapiths and the centaurs, which occurred during the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia. At the celebration, the centaurs, known for their wild nature, became intoxicated and attempted to abduct the bride and other women at the feast. This sparked a violent conflict between the Lapiths, who were the human guests, and the centaurs, resulting in a chaotic and bloody battle. The Lapiths, led by Pirithous and Theseus, fought off the centaurs. The myth symbolizes the struggle between civilization (represented by the Lapiths) and barbarism (represented by the centaurs).

• Focus Characters: Pirithous, Hippodamia, Theseus, the Lapiths, the Centaurs.

• Author: Ovid