Greek Mythology
Articles tagged Greek Mythology.
Athena vs Poseidon: The Divine Contest That Named Athens
Athena won Athens with an olive tree, but Poseidon kept his place on the Acropolis. Ancient texts and surviving art reveal how their contest...
What Is the Difference Between Titans and Olympians?
The Titans ruled before Zeus and the Olympians. Learn how these divine generations differed, why they fought and which Titans survived.
Did the Trojan Horse Really Exist? Evidence and Myth
Troy was real, but no ancient wooden horse has been found. Homer’s Odyssey, Greek art and the ruins at Hisarlık reveal how the famous...
Daedalus: The Inventor of the Labyrinth and Icarus’s Wings
Daedalus built the Minotaur’s Labyrinth, helped Theseus escape, and lost Icarus during their flight. Ancient sources tell several different versions of his life.
How Did Achilles Die? Paris, Apollo and the Heel Legend
Ancient accounts name Paris and Apollo in Achilles’ death, but disagree about the fatal arrow and the story of his supposedly invulnerable heel.
Prometheus: Why Zeus Chained Him to a Mountain
Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock where an eagle devoured his regrowing liver. The Greek sources explain the stolen fire, the punishment and his...
Persephone: Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld
Persephone was both Kore, daughter of Demeter, and queen of the Greek underworld. Her abduction, cults and ancient sources reveal a goddess of life...
Tantalus: The Greek King Condemned to Endless Hunger and Thirst
Tantalus stood in water he could never drink, beneath fruit he could never reach. Ancient Greek writers disagreed about the crime that earned him...
Hades Was Not Hell: What Ancient Greeks Believed About Death
Hades was the Greek realm of the dead, not a universal place of torment. Homer, graves, mystery rites and Plato reveal changing beliefs about...
Medusa: Gorgon Origins, Powers, and Perseus
Who was Medusa, what could her gaze do, and how did Perseus kill her? Ancient Greek sources, Ovid and archaeology reveal the different Gorgon...
Heracles and the Twelve Labors: The Hero Who Became a God
In one Greek tradition, Heracles served King Eurystheus after killing his children. His twelve labors took him from Nemea to Hades, but the myth...
Poseidon: Greek God of the Sea, Earthquakes and Horses
Poseidon ruled the sea, shook the earth and protected horses. Ancient myths, temples and new excavations reveal how Greeks worshipped this powerful god.
