Myths and Mortals (Greek Mythology)

~More Heroes and Heroines~

Achaeus (the Greek spelling is Achaios) - the forefather of the Achaeans.

Achilles - one of the greatest heroes of the Trojan War.

Admetus - king of Pherae, who tried to defeat death (thanks to Apollo, but mostly thanks to his wife).

Adonis - a beautiful young man loved by Aphrodite. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean a happy ending.

Aeëtes - son of sun-god Helios, king of Colchis and father of the wretched Medea.

Aegeus – king of Athens and father of Theseus, who died because he didn't double-check the facts before making disastruous decisions.

Aegisthus – a king of Mycenae who didn't take part in the Trojan War; instead, he seduced Agamemnon's wife and killed him when he returned from war.

Agamemnon - the leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War.

Agave - name of several characters, one of them was a queen who was punished by the god Dionysus.

Agelaus - name of several characters

Ajax - there were two of them, Ajax the Great and Ajax the Lesser, both heroes in the Trojan War (it's also the name of the football club in Amsterdam... sorry, I just couldn't resist mentioning it!)

Alcestis - wife of Admetus, the only one brave enough to face death instead of him.

Alcmene - granddaughter of Perseus and Andromeda, mother of twins from two different fathers (one of them was Heracles).

Alcmaeon - one of the Epigoni, who lead the second expedition against Thebes.

Amazons - a tribe of warrior women.

Amphiaraus - a seer who foresaw that the war of the Seven against Thebes was going to be a disaster, and yet he had to go.

Amphitrion - a Theban general, husband of Alcmene and father of her second twin.

Anchises - a mortal prince who was loved by Aphrodite. He was Aeneas' father.

Andromache - wife of the Trojan hero Hector.

Andromeda – a princess who had to be sacrificed to a sea monster; she was saved by Perseus, who later became her husband.

Anteus - a giant, son of Poseidon and Gaea.

Antinoe - name of several women.

Arachne - an excellent weaver who didn't know that you don't boast when you're better than your boss.

Ariadne - daughter of king Minos of Crete, she helped Theseus with the famous thread and then she was dumped by the hero... but in the end she got to marry a god!

Arion - 1. a poet who invented the dithyramb; 2. also an immortal horse.

Ascanius - son of Aeneas and forefather of Romulus and Remus.

Atalanta - a princess abandoned on a mountain by her father, who wanted a son. When she became an excellent hunter, better than many heroes, her daddy rememberd her. But wait, there's more...

Atreus - king of Mycenae and father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, who killed his nephews and put into motion a horrible revenge.

Baucis - a pious old lady married to Philemon.

Bellerophon - the hero who defeated the monster Chimera; for the second part of his story, click here:

Bellerophon and Pegasus

Briseis - a princess who was given to Achilles as a war prize; when Agamemnon wanted her, too... well, the Iliad happened!

Briseus - priest of Apollo and father of Briseis.

Cadmus – a Phoenician prince who was considered the founder of the city of Thebes and the inventor of the Phoenician alphabet, which the Greeks took as inspiration for their own.

Cassandra – a princess to whom Apollo gave the gift of prophecy; when she refused his love, the god cursed her and so nobody believed what she said.

Castor – the mortal son of Leda and king Tyndareus and twin of the immortal Pollux (who was Zeus' son).

Cecrops – name of two legendary kings of Athens.

Cephalus - a man who was loved by the goddess Eos, but he still preferred his wife.

Cepheus – name of several kings.

Charon - the ferryman who carried the souls of the dead across the rivers Styx and Acheron to the underworld.

Chloris – name of several women.

Circe - a witch whose hobby was to turn men into pigs.

Chryses – priest of Apollo and father of Chryseis.

Chryseis – daughter of Chryses, given as a war prize to Agamemnon; when he refused to return her to her father, Apollo sent the plague in the Greek's camp.

Chrysippus – a young man who has a tragic death in all the versions of the myth.

Clytemnestra – sister of the beautiful Helen, who managed to do what the Trojan War couldn't (i.e. kill her husband Agamemnon).

Creon – Jocasta's brother and Oedipus' uncle. He tried to avoid being king of Thebes, but had to accept when Oedipus asked to be exiled after the scandal of marrying his own mother.

Croesus – a real king of Lydia, who later became also a mythological figure. He was renowned (and still is) for his riches.