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Book of
gods and
heroes of

mythology
Greek
Isabelle Rocha
Maria Fernanda Reis
Lucas Sfredo
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summary
3 Chapter I

Introduction

4 Chapter II

Gods

15 Chapter III

Heroes

19 Chapter IV

Mythological beings

20 Chapter V

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice

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Chapter I

Introduction

In the vast pantheon of mythology, few sets of stories rival the richness and fascination of
the Greek narratives. universe where immortal gods walk among mortals, where one

destiny is woven by the Fates and where heroes dare to challenge their own destiny.

Greek mythology is not just a collection of ancient legends; it is a mirror of the human
condition, reflecting our fears, hopes, loves and struggles.

In this book, we will embark on a journey through the fertile lands of Ancient Greece,
exploring the myths that shaped not only Hellenic culture, but also influenced countless
societies over the centuries. From the birth of the primordial gods to the great adventures of
heroes like Hercules and Perseus, we will dive into the depths of Olympus, the scene of divine
intrigues and human passions.

Prepare to be enchanted by stories of forbidden love, unforgettable tragedies and heroic

triumphs as we uncover the secrets and wonders of one of the most fascinating mythological
systems humanity has ever known. Enter this world of gods and monsters, where the line
between the divine and the human dissolves, and discover how Greek myths continue to
echo through the ages, inspiring and intriguing generation after generation.
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Chapter II

Gods

Zeus
Zeus was the son of two titans — Cronos and Rhea. Cronos ruled the Universe,
and had received a prophecy that, one day, one of his sons would dethrone
him, just as he had done with his own father, Uranus.
This prophecy caused Kronos to devour all the children he had.
with your wife.

At the birth of Zeus, Rhea deceived her own husband by delivering a stone
with baby clothes for Cronos to devour. Zeus was sent to Crete, where he was
raised by Gaia or by nymphs who lived on that island, according to different
versions of the myth.
As an adult, he returned to rescue his brothers.

Zeus made his father vomit those he had devoured, and thus Hestia, Demeter,
Hera, Hades and Poseidon were freed. Despite being devoured, they survived
because they were immortal. After rescuing the brothers, Zeus started a war
against the titans that was called the Titanomachy. This conflict lasted for 10

years.

Zeus and the gods emerged victorious, but then they had to fight another
conflict. This time, the enemies were the giants, and this was the Gigantomachy.
Afterwards, the Olympian gods established themselves as the most powerful
and influential, and the division of the kingdoms was accomplished.

Zeus got the heavens, Poseidon got the waters, and Hades got the underworld.
None of them took the Earth for themselves because it already belonged to
Gaia, mother of Kronos. The leading role in rescuing his brothers and in the two
wars fought against titans and giants made Zeus the most powerful of the gods.
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Zeus, the powerful king of the Olympian gods, had a vast offspring, the fruit of his
divine and mortal relationships. With the goddess Metis, he fathered Athena, the
brilliant goddess of wisdom and just war, who was born fully armed from the head of
Zeus after he swallowed Metis to prevent his son from surpassing her in power.

From his union with the goddess Themis, the Hours emerged, deities of the seasons
and time. Mnemosyne, a Titan, was mother of the Muses, the inspirers of the arts
and sciences.

Leto, a titanic goddess, gave birth to two of Zeus's children: Apollo, the resplendent
god of the sun, music, poetry and the arts, and Artemis, the agile goddess of hunting,
wild nature and chastity. With the mortal Alcmene, Zeus fathered Hercules, the hero
famous for his twelve Herculean labors. Another mortal, Semele, gave birth to
Dionysus, the god of wine, feasting, fertility and theater.

Leda, also mortal, had two children of Zeus: Helen of Troy, whose beauty triggered
the Trojan War, and Polydeuces, one of the Dioscuri, twin brothers who were
demigods. Europa, another mortal, was the mother of Minos, king of Crete, and
Radamanto, judge of the dead. With Io, a mortal, Zeus fathered Epaphos, who
became king of Egypt.

Zeus also had children with Antiope, a mortal, resulting in Amphion, king of Thebes,
and Zetus, another king of Thebes. And with the mortal Maia, Zeus had Hermes, the
swift messenger of the gods, patron of travelers, commerce, thieves and eloquence.
Finally, with Danae, a mortal woman, Zeus fathered Perseus, the hero who beheaded
Medusa and performed many other legendary feats.

Ivy

The goddess Hera was the queen of Olympus, also called the queen of paradise.

Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, Hera was the mother of Hebe, the goddess of youth,
Ares, the god of war, and Ilythia, the goddess of childbirth.
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There are many episodes that report Hera's fury with Zeus, his lovers and his illegitimate
children. Among them is that of Hercules, son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Hercules, who
was a demigod, was only forgiven by Hera when he died.

Prevented from thinking rationally due to anger and envy, Hera was often unfair. On one
occasion he transformed the goddess Callisto, with whom Zeus had fallen in love, into a bear.

Not even babies escaped his fury. This was the case of Dionísio, torn into pieces while still
in his mother's womb. Zeus, feeling sorry for his son, sewed him into his thigh until birth and
the baby was resurrected.

Despite her perfect physique, she was not considered attractive due to her personality.

Poseidon
Poseidon is the Greek god of the sea, earthquakes, storms and horses. Protector of the
waters and helper of sailors, he was also called the god of fertility.

Son of Cronus and Rhea, Poseidon is the brother of Zeus, Hades, Demeter, Hestia and
Hera. According to Greek mythology, he would not have been swallowed by his father,
Cronos, because his mother avoided it by pretending to have given birth to a horse.

After defeating the Titans, Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus were allowed to divide the world to
rule. Hades chose the underworld and Zeus the heavens. Poseidon became lord of all
waters.

He had a passion for his sister Demeter who, to escape his advances, transformed herself
into a horse. Poseidon, in turn, transformed into a stallion and chased his sister. The two
created a horse that was named Arion.

Poseidon was the lover of many women. He married Amphitrite, a mermaid, and with
her they had Triton, half man and half fish.
With Medusa, he was the father of Pegasus, a flying horse.
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Poseidon took part in the Trojan War, one of the most notable events in Greek mythology,
and was on the side of the Achaeans (Greeks).
He helped the Greeks at different times, but had a much greater role after that war. This is
because Poseidon relentlessly pursued the Greek hero Odysseus after he injured one of his
sons.

Athena
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, arts, intelligence, war and justice.

According to Greek mythology, Athena was born from the head of Zeus, the lord of
the gods, and was therefore wise and courageous.

She was the daughter of Zeus's first wife, the cunning Metis, and was his favorite daughter.

When Metis was pregnant, Zeus swallowed her after learning from an oracle of Gaia that
her son could be born stronger than him.

As time went by, Zeus suffered a severe headache and, to cure it, asked his son Hephaestus,
son of Hera married to the beautiful Aphrodite, to cut off his head with an ax. Obediently,
Hephaestus gave him a blow and Athena appeared, fully grown, armed and shouting a
scream.
war.

She was also known as Pallas Athena. She was the protector of all of Attica and several
cities, but the most important was Athens, where the temple was built in her honor in the 5th
century BC.

Parthernon, where an annual festival was held in his honor: the Panatheneas.
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Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war.

Ares is considered a contrast to Athena, who in war prioritized strategy. In general, he was
accompanied by his sons Phodos and Deimos, fear and terror, when he was in battle.

Her physical beauty and seductive behavior would be the elements that attracted
Aphrodite, married to Hephaestus. His characteristics marked him as the lover of many
Amazon women, with whom he had several mortal children.

His involvement with Aphrodite cost him punishment from Hephaestus, and Ares was
temporarily banished from Olympus.

Vengeful, he killed Poseidon after he raped Alkippe, one of his daughters. The divine court
acquitted him and he, once again, was able to remain on Olympus.

His most important battle was the one fought against Hercules after the warrior killed
Kyknos. Fury and military skill were not enough in the fight and Ares lost to the demigod,
Athena's protégé.

He participated in the fighting in the Trojan War, where he is described by his hatred,
murders and drive to battle. It was called the "curse of men" in the Iliad.

Artemis
Artemis is the goddess of hunting, the Moon, chastity, childbirth and wild animals.

Daughter of Zeus and Leto, Artemis had a twin brother, Apollo, the god of the Sun. He was
born one day before Apollo and became his guardian. The task of taking care of her brother
would have awakened her protective side.
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Artemis asked her father, Zeus, to make her a virgin for all eternity.
This condition incited the desire of gods and men, but only one, Orion, gained his attention.
Artemis, however, accidentally killed him.

Suffered attempted rapes from Actaeon and Orion, who were punished
with death.

Although she was loving, she also had traits of a vain and vindictive personality. When a
wish was disobeyed, he acted angrily.

On one occasion, he killed Agamemnon, who had injured one of his animals. In another, she
punished Adonis, who boasted advantages for being a better hunter than her.

Hermes
Hermes is the Greek god of wealth, luck, fertility, sleep, magic, travel, roads, commerce,
language and thieves.

Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, Hermes was the father of the god Pan. Considered a
playful god, he would have stolen his half-brother Apollo when he was still a baby. Legend
has it that on the first day of his life he invented fire and created the lyre, a musical instrument.

Hermes is considered a cunning and trickster god, who would use this characteristic to do
good and evil. He used his diplomatic and translator skills to create a counterpoint between
gods and men.

Among his most talked about feats is the defeat of Medusa by Perseus, who received help
from Hermes. The god would have lent his flying sandals to Perseus, who managed to defeat
the woman with snake hair, avoiding the curse that would turn him to stone if he looked at her.
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Demeter
Demeter is the Greek goddess of the harvest, fertility, cultivated land, sacred law and holds
the cycle of life and death.

Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, Demeter was the sister of Hestia, Hera, Poseidon and Zeus.
She had a daughter with her brother Zeus named Persephone. A
The connection he had with his daughter directly influenced nature.

Demeter suffered when Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnapped her virgin daughter
Persephone and raped her. The act had the consent of Zeus, who had promised his daughter
to Hades.

Very sad about the kidnapping, Demeter, the seasons stopped and there was immense
desolation on the Earth. She left Olympus and did not allow plants to produce.

Life was almost extinct, the earth was barren, living beings faced hunger, and Zeus interfered
in the episode by sending a messenger to the underworld to rescue his daughter.

Astute, Hades allowed Persephone to be released, but ordered her to eat a pomegranate,
the forbidden fruit. By this instrument, he was linked to her for a third of the year.

Thus, in the summer, autumn and spring they were allowed to stay with their mother. In
turn, winter is the season that highlights Demeter's greatest suffering away from her daughter.

Therefore, she is considered the controller of the seasons, as the changes reflect her mood.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus is the god of fire, metals and metallurgy.

Son of Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus was born with a disability: he was lame.
This disgusted his mother, who rejected him from the time he was born.
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birth. Legend has it that she threw him off Mount Olympus so that no one would see her
son, as she was embarrassed.

In other versions, his disability was caused by Zeus, who, during a great rage, threw him
far away.

After the fall, he was found and was under the care of Thetis, a sea nymph. With her, he
learned to handle metals and work with them.

As he was the god of fire and metals, his work was done in volcanoes. There, he had the
help of the Cyclopes, giants who only had one eye.

Hephaestus was responsible for forging several objects of the gods such as Zeus' magical
shield (Aegis), Achilles' armor, Eros' bow and arrow, Agamemnon's scepter, Poseidon's
trident, Aphrodite's girdle, among others.

In legend, he was accepted back onto Mount Olympus, but refused the proposal. However,
with the help of Dionysus, Hephaestus returned to Mount Olympus, and was certain that he
would take revenge on his mother there. That's how he built her a throne and when she sat
down she was trapped.

Thus, Hephaestus can blackmail his parents by asking them in exchange for a marriage
with the most beautiful woman. In order for her to get out of her trap, Hephaestus' request
was accepted by both of them.

Apollo
Apollo is venerated as the god of the Sun, prophecy, poetry, arts, music, healing, justice,
law, order, target shooting and plague.

Son of Zeus and Leto, Apollo was born on the island of Delos, when his mother was hiding
from Zeus's wife, Hera.
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He was the twin brother of Artemis, the goddess of hunting, magic, the desert and wild
animals. Furthermore, Apollo was the brother of Hermes, Hephaestus, Ares and Athena.

As soon as he was born, he was fed with nectar of the gods and ambrosia. The food
transformed him directly from a baby to a man.
At just one year old, he defeated the python, which was trying to attack his mother.

He helped the Trojans in the Trojan War, saving the warriors Aeneas, Glaucus and Hector
on more than one occasion.

His strength helped to destroy the walls of Troy and through him, Paris managed to hit
Achilles' heel with an arrow, who was defeated.

In his honor, laurel wreaths were thrown at his feet. The laurel is, even today, the
representation of triumph in the Olympic games.

Dionysus

Dionysus (or Dionysus) is the Greek god of wine and parties.

Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, who died in childbirth. The victim of a trap by
Hera, Semele was shocked and exploded when Zeus appeared in front of her in human form.

Dionysus was saved by his father and, because of this event, they claim that he was born
twice.

Before the splendor of Zeus, Semele was torn to pieces and so was the boy. Zeus then
saved his heart and sewed it to his thigh, where it remained until birth.

Continuously persecuted by Hera, Dionysus is raised by a protector at the behest of Zeus.

This is how you learn the art of making wine.
His figure is always associated with a vine and is represented in the company of many
people.
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Dionysius married Ariadne, daughter of the king of Minos, who, however, was in love with
Theseus.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality.

Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus, the god of gods and men, and Dione, goddess of
nymphs. She was born on the Island of Crete with a beautiful

stunning, being very vain, seductive, charming and vindictive.

Legend has it that she was born as an adult in the sea and that is why the name “Aphrodite”
means “born of foam”.

In a marriage arranged by her father, she married Hephaestus, god of fire, however, they
did not have any children. For Aphrodite, who excelled in beauty and love, he was ugly and
devoid of a sense of humor.

Therefore, she seduced several men, having many lovers, and

Several children were born from these unions.

When Hephaestus discovers his beloved's betrayal, he traps them in a magical net, which
results in the lovers escaping.

He also had a relationship with Hermes, the messenger god, with whom he had the son
Hermaphroditus. He was born with both sexual organs and his name represents the union of
the names of the gods: Hermes and Aphrodite.

She had an affair with Apollo, god of light, and from this union Hymeneus (god of marriage)
was born. In addition to them, he had a relationship with Dionysus, god of pleasure, parties
and wine, and with him, his son Priapus (god of fertility).

In addition to the gods, he had affairs with mortal men, of which Adonis stands out. He was
a beautiful young man who caught the attention of both of Zeus' daughters: Persephone and
Aphrodite.

When Ares, Aphrodite's lover, discovers that she is in love with Adonis, he sends a large
boar to kill his rival.
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After being attacked by the animal, Adonis transforms into an anemone.

When he arrives in the underworld, Persephone, wife of Hades, falls in love with him and
thus becomes one of Aphrodite's rivals.

In addition to this mortal, he had a relationship with Anchises, a Trojan prince, and with him
he had two sons: Aeneas and Liro. The first was one of the heroes of the Trojan War.

Hades
Hades is the Greek god of the underworld, the kingdom of the dead. He is also called the
god of wealth because he owns all the precious metals on the planet.

Hades is the son of Cronus, king of the Titans, and Rhea. He had four more siblings:
Poseidon, Zeus, Demeter, Hestia and Hera.

Cronos, their father and the youngest of the Titans, devoured his children when they were
born, for fear of being dethroned.

With the victory of his sons under Cronus, Hades had the right to rule the underworld. His
brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, were in possession of the sky and the sea, respectively.

Thus, he was the only one who did not live on Mount Olympus, since he resided in a palace
beneath the Earth. His symbol was a helmet made by Hephaestus whose adornment made
him invisible.

The same helmet was used by Athena in a fight against Ares in the Trojan War. The battle
is described in the Iliad.
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Chapter III

Heroes
In ancient Greek mythology, heroes or demigods are half human and half gods, as they are
characters generated by relationships between these two classes, which is why they occupy
an intermediate position between them.

Achilles
Achilles defeated the hero Hector in front of the gates of Troy. He was seen as invincible,
which made him an extremely respected warrior.

However, Achilles hid a big secret. His heels were his weak point. During the Trojan War,
Achilles was struck in the heel by his enemy Paris and died.

Hercules
Son of the god Zeus and Alcmena, his name means “he who dispenses heat and light” and
his main quality was physical strength.

Hercules is perhaps the best-known demigod in Greek mythology.

At least the most iconic. According to legend, he defeated several dark creatures, including
the Hydra, the Nemean Lion and the three-headed dog, Cerberus.
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Perseus

A demigod known for having defeated the gorgon Medusa, who turned
anyone who looked at her into stone. In addition to being the founder of the
city-state of Mycenae, he was an ancestor of the emperors of Persia.

As a demigod, Perseus was the son of Zeus and a mortal, Danae, daughter
of King Acrisius of Argos. His name has the meaning of “son of fire” or “son
of light”.

Theseus

Son of Poseidon and Etra. His name has the meaning of “the strong man
par excellence”. He founded Athens and killed the Minotaur.

He is described as a wise, courageous and benevolent person. However,

Theseus would have been exiled after losing some of his lucidity and making
a series of decisions that harmed Athens.

Ulysses

He was a hero of the Trojan War, standing out for his prudence and cunning. During the
battle, the Greeks won through Odysseus' advice.

One of his most famous ruses was his strategy of building the Trojan Horse,
a wooden horse that allowed Greek armies to enter the city.

Atalanta
She is known for killing two centaurs who tried to rape her.
When she was born, her father, King of Arcadia, wanted a boy, so
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That left her to die on a mountain. Baby Atalanta was found by a bear, who took care of the
girl and breastfed her.

Atalanta, who was the daughter of the goddess Artemis, learned to fight and hunt like a bear.
Because of his strength and agility he defeated a wild boar that was ravaging the land and
crops of Arcadia.

Ajax

Son of Telamon and Peribeia, his name means “who groans or laments”. Warrior hero who
also acted in the battles of the Trojan War.

Ajax was very strong and agile, however, he had a flaw, he was extremely stubborn and
never asked for help from the gods during battles.

Oedipus

The only one to be able, with his superior intelligence, to decipher the enigma of the Sphinx.
He became king of Thebes.

Oedipus is a well-known demigod, he killed his father and married his mother. His story
begins when his father, named Laius, consulted the Oracle of Delphi and the spirit told the
prophecy that his son would kill him and marry his mother.

Believing the words about the curse, the father abandons Oedipus in
Monte Citerão, nailing the child's feet with the aim of leaving him
to die.

Oedipus manages to survive and, some time later, the prophecy comes true.

Bellerophon

Strong and brave warrior, son of a human woman and the god Poseidon.
He tamed the winged horse Pegasus and killed the Chimera, a
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monstrous product of the union between Echidna, half woman, half serpent, and
the gigantic Typhon.

The Chimera had the head and body of a lion, with another head attached, that of
a goat or a dragon, the tail of a serpent and expelled fire from its mouth.

Helen of Troy

Helena was the daughter of Zeus and Leda. She was disputed by many suitors
and her kidnapping was the reason for the Trojan War.
When the demigoddess was kidnapped by Paris and taken to Troy, the great war,
which lasted about 9 years, took place with the intention of rescuing her.
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Chapter IV

Mythological beings

Nymphs

Female mythological figures, beautiful and happy, who took care of the
forests. The Alseídes were nymphs of flowers and forests; the Dryads, oak
nymphs; the Nereids, water nymphs.

Mermaids

Female figures that sing and have the body of a fish. They could be
represented with wings, and the head and bust of a woman.

Centaurs

Hybrid and strong beings with a body that is half human and half horse.
Chiron, friend of Hercules, created by Cronos stands out.

Satyrs

Hybrid and strong beings with a body that is half human and half horse.
Chiron, friend of Hercules, created by Cronos stands out.

Gorgons
Female figures who had snake hair, like Medusa.
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Chapter V

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is particularly one of my favorites. It shows the love
that two people can feel for each other and the purity and sadness of this feeling. For this
reason, I will put it as an example of Greek myths.

A great Thracian hero, Orpheus was known not for his warrior qualities, but for his musical
qualities. Son of Apollo and the muse Calliope, he received a lyre from his father as a gift
and learned to play with such dedication and beauty that no one could remain indifferent to
the charm of his music. Both human beings

like animals, and it is said that even trees and rocks surrendered to his fascination.

Orpheus passionately loved the nymph Eurydice. On the day of their wedding, Hymeneus
was present to bless the union, but the smoke from his torch made the bride and groom cry,
which did not bring favorable omens. Shortly afterwards, Eurydice was walking with the
nymphs, when she was surprised by the shepherd Aristeus, who, upon seeing her, fell madly
in love and tried to win her over. As she fled, Eurydice stepped on a snake and died from
the bite it gave her on the foot.

Orpheus, inconsolable, played and sang to men and gods, but achieved nothing. He then
decided to descend to the kingdom of the dead to recover Eurydice. Before the throne of
Hades and Persephone, Orpheus sang his heartbreak and his love saying that, if Eurydice
was not returned to him, he himself would remain there with her, in the kingdom of the dead.
All the ghosts who heard him cried and Hades and Persephone were so moved that they
gave Eurydice back to him. But on one condition: Orpheus could take Eurydice, but he could
not look at her before they had reached the upper world. Walking ahead, Orpheus, who was
almost at the gates of Hades, afraid of having been deceived by Hades, turned back to
confirm whether Eurydice was following him.
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This one, with eyes full of tears, was taken to the world of the dead, by an irreversible force.
Orpheus tried to reach her, but without success.

Deeply sad, Orpheus remained on the river bank for seven days, without eating or sleeping,
begging for Eurydice to return. Afterwards, he wandered sadly and alone through the world,
never wanting to know any woman again and repelling all those who tried to seduce him, until
one day, the women of Thrace, enraged by his contempt, killed him. His body was thrown
into the Ebro River and taken to the island of Lesbos, where, for a long time, Orpheus' head,
stuck in a rock, uttered oracles. His lyre was placed in a temple on Lesbos.

Another legend says that the muses buried Orpheus, in Limetra, in a tomb where the
nightingale sings more softly than in any other part of Greece and the lyre of the young man
in love was placed by Zeus among the stars. Orpheus finally found Eurydice and, embracing
her, never stopped contemplating her.
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Chapter VI

Bibliography

“The Golden Book of Mythology – Stories of God and Heroes” Thomas

Bulfinch

All Matter - Zeus

All Matter – Goddess Hera

All Matter- Poseidon: god of the sea in Greek mythology

All Matter – Greek Goddess Athena

All Matter- God Ares: God of war in Greek mythology

All Matter- Artemis: goddess of Greek mythology

All Matter- Hermes: god of Greek mythology

All Matter- Demeter: goddess of agriculture in Greek mythology

All Matter- Hephaestus: god of fire from Greek mythology

All Matter- God Apollo: god of Greco-Roman mythology

All Matter- God Dionysus: god of wine in Greek mythology

All Matter – Goddess Aphrodite

All Matter- God Hades: god of the underworld in Greek mythology

School Education - 10 Greek Heroes and their main achievements

Infopedia- Orpheus and Eurydice