Achilles-Achilles
was born when Peleus, king of the Myrmidons in Thessaly, married a sea
nymph named Thetis. The prophecy told that there son, Achilles, would
die young in battle. To prevent this and make Achilles invincible Thetis
bathed him in the river Styx. The heel did not get bathed because she
was holding him by it. Later on Achilles was killed when Paris shot
him in the heel with a poisoned arrow.
Atlanta-
Atlanta was a very skilled huntress. King Iasus saw her as his daughter
and insist that she get married. She agreed, but only if someone could
beet her in a foot race and the penalty for losing would be beheading.
Melanion beet her in a foot race with the three golden apples that he
got from Aphrodite. On the night of there marriage he broke a sacred
vow to Aphrodite, as punishment Melanion and Atlanta were both turned
into lions.
Bellerophon-
Bellerophon Arrived at court one day with a letter from Proetus. It
turned out that the letter carried Bellerophon’s death warrant
and Asked that he be killed. Instead the king gave him some tasks to
do and with the completion of the tasks he would be free. The tasks
were to kill the Chimaera, conquer the Solymi tribe, and defeat the
amazons. Bellerophon completed these tasks with a winged horse named
Pegasus. But, one day he tried to fly up to Mount Olympus, Zeus saw
this and sent a gadfly, which stung Pegasus causing Bellerophon to fall
off. Bellerophon ended his life as a beggar.
Hercules-Hercules was considered to be one of the greatest and best
known heroes of mythology. He was a demi-god and was embodied with great
strength and courage. When Hercules was born he strangled two snakes
sent to kill him by Hera. But even in his greatness Hercules had fits
of madness. One day in one of these fits killed his wife Megara and
his own children. In order to make up for this deed he was sent to do
12 labors by King Eurystheus
Odysseus-Odysseus
was one of the most popular heroes of the Trojan War. He was the one
who made up the plan of the wooden horse. After the ten year war and
a ten year trip home he came back to see his home overcome by suitors
trying to take away his wife from him. With the help of some of his
servants and his son he was able to get his home and his wife back.
Perseus-It
was said that the child of Danae would be the one who killed her father,
King Acrisius. As soon as Perseus was born King Acrisius put Danae and
Perseus into a wooden chest and set the chest out to sea. They were
saved by a fisherman who brought them to the king, Polydectes. He wanted
to marry Danae, but Perseus did not approve so the king sent him to
bring back the head of Medusa. He brought back the head of Medusa and
saved his mother by turning the king to stone with the head.
Thesues-Theseus
was the greatest known hero in Athens. He grew up in the kingdom of
Troezen his mother until he was 16. After his father died he went to
Athens to claim the kingdom and become king as his birthright. He later
on withdrew to an island were he was killed by Lycomedes.
