HEROES

The most legendary Greek Heroes

The most celebrated Greek heroes had the most amazing and incredible adventures that had been ever told in the history of literature and art. The myths about them aren’t only a great artistic masterpiece, but also a wonderful work of philosophy and imagination.

Perseus

This painting represents one of the greatest Greek heroes, named Perseus. He is unbearded, athletic and young and turns into stone Phineus and his soldiers, showing them the Head of Medusa.
Perseus Confronting Phineus with the Head of Medusa by Sebastiano Ricci

Among other Greek Heroes Perseus is famed because of having slain Medusa. He is the personification of a true revolutionary in ancient Greek legends, politically pursued because of his amazing philosophical ideas and maliciously segregated, by the vile power of tyranny. Perseus had also turned into stone the titan Atlas, who was obliged to hold the sky for the eternity and saved Andromeda (the princess of Aethiopia) from the evil maritime creature, that was about to devour her alive.

Theseus

This painting represents one of the greatest Greek heroes, named Theseus. He is dressed in scarlet robes and surrounded by women. The corpse of the Minotaur lies near his feet.
Theseus victor of the Minotaur by Charles Édouard Chaise

Theseus is one of the major Greek heroes from Greek Mythology. He had slain the Minotaur of Crete and defeated the villains and creatures at the six entrances to the Underworld. Theseus was the half-son of Poseidon, and half-son of Aegeus, the king of Athens. Athena, the goddess of wisdom had patronized him the most. His tellurian old father was the king of Athens, surrounded and deceived by political enemies. Theseus had slain alone all his foes and saved Athens from all other calamities. However Aegeus killed himself, jumping down from the cliff onto the sea, when Theseus did not change his black sails to white, on his way back to Athens.

Odysseus

This painting represents one of the legendary Greek heroes, named Odysseus. The lonely king of Ithaca is sitting on a rock on the Calipso's island. He is dressed in purple white clothes.
Ulysses on Calypso’s island by Ditlev Blunck

In Greek Mythology Odysseus is the ingenious hero and king of Ithaca, known for his cunning, and endless journey around the seas. After the Trojan War, Poseidon forced him to travel all around the Ancient Mediterranean, as a punishment for having blinded his son, the cyclops Polyphemus. Thereafter the courageous captain had seen many perilous islands and fabled characters. They made him lose his sailors and his precious time for years. On the other side, Odysseus is also famed for having invented the Trojan Horse. It brought victory to the Greeks, outwitting the Trojans, through the use of a sanguinary cunning ploy.

Prometheus

This painting represents Prometheus flying in the sky with a torch of fire.
Prometheus bringing the fire by Jan Cossiers

In Greek Mythology Prometheus is the titan-god, that embodied the ideals of revolution and altruism. He stole the fire from Olympus and gave it to people, because of his own kindness and selflessness. However, Zeus could not forgive such a trick and allow the humankind to live freely. Thus, he defeated the titan, sending an artificially created woman, to his brother, Epimetheus. Pandora released all the evils and diseases to the world of humans, and Zeus condemned Prometheus to an everlasting insufferable punishment.

Heracles

This painting represents one of the legendary Greek heroes, named Heracles. He is fighting against Cerberus in the kingdom of Hades.
Heracles and Cerberus by Peter Paul Rubens

In Greek mythology Heracles was the strongest legendary hero, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. He was condemned and pursued by Hera, in the most vindictive and horrible way. He killed his own wife and kids, as a result of madness, sent upon him by the queen of Olympus. Afterwards, he needed to accomplish twelve impossible feats to redeem himself. Meanwhile Hera kept trying to murder the hero and ridicule his courageous personality. In fact, Heracles had to obey the orders of the weak and pathetic king Eurystheus, succumbing to Hera’s plan because of his feeling of guilt.

Orpheus

This painting represents Orpheus in the underworld.
Henri Regnault Orpheus in the Underworld

In Greek Mythology, Orpheus was the legendary bard and celebrated singer, who tried to resurrect his wife Eurydice, traveling to the Underworld and convincing the god Hades to release the shadow of his beloved.  He had the gift of magical, astonishing voice, which allowed him to enchant all living creatures and also to move stones.

Daedalus

This painting represents Daedalus putting the wings on his son Icarus.
Daedalus and Icarus – a painting by Follower of Caravaggio

In Greek Mythology, Daedalus was the legendary, skillful inventor and craftsman, who built the Labyrinth on Crete and managed to create two pairs of wings for himself and his son Icarus, with the purpose to fly across the sea and escape from the king Minos. According to the ancient myths, the illustrious Athenian master was infamously known for having murdered his apprentice and nephew, Perdix, who managed to outshine him as a craftsman.