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  Theseus, the legendary hero of Athens
The semi-mythical, semi-historical Theseus was the great hero of ancient Athens. The numerous heroic deeds ascribed to him were seen by the ancient Athenians as the acts that led to the birth of democracy in the Attic city-state, the cradle of Greek democracy. Since he is portrayed as the contemporary of Hercules, another great hero of Greek mythology, it can be assumed that he belonged to the generation previous to the Trojan War. His grand exploits against vicious villains and dreadful monsters are said to be an allegorical representation of how Theseus got rid of the tyrants, got the Athenians free from fear and brought an end to the burdensome tribute the city had to pay to foreign powers.
Niobe, a tragic mother
The tragic tale of Niobe is one of the most memorable Greek myths, for Niobe's story features a striking example of the consequences of hubris, a Greek term defined as arrogance or excessive pride. This myth was popular in ancient literature, poetry and art. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the legend of Niobe appears in one of our oldest and best sources for Greek myth - the Iliad of Homer.
Arachne, the spider woman
Arachne, her name meaning "spider" in Greek, was a beautiful woman that had a great talent in weaving. Everyone was amazed at her work and one day, Arachne boosted that she had a greater talent than goddess Athena herself. This was an offence towards the gods, which was a very serious and even deadly sin for the ancient Greeks. That is why goddess Athena tranformed her into a spider to wave for all her life long.
Perseus and Andromeda
The story of Perseus and Andromeda derives from Greek mythology and contains very deep, although simply stated, wisdom on the interactions of male and female energy. Perseus is one of the greatest heroes of Greek Mythology. He was the son of mighty Zeus and mortal Danae. He is best known as the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa, a fearsome monster, and as the rescuer of the Ethiopian princess Andromeda. Perseus is also said to be an ancestor of Hercules and the Asian race of the Persians. He was praised as a brave man, a good son and an honorable king.
Phaethon and his Sun Chariot
According to the ancient myths, the Sun was put in a chariot and everyday God Helios would drive the chariot all along the sky. That is how the Sun would rise and set. Phaethon was the son the god Helios who secretely took the chariot one day to drive it. However, as he was young and inexperienced, he lost control of the horses and got killed.
Prometheus, the friend of man
The story of Prometheus holds a special place in Geek mythology and in popular imagination. This son of a Titan is regarded as one of the great benefactors of humankind, the bringer of fire and the original teacher of technology and the useful arts to man. The great love he had for humans often brought Prometheus into a dangerous conflict with Zeus, the mighty and cruel chief of the Olympian gods. The meaning of the name Prometheus, "Forethought," signifies the intellectual qualities of his many-sided character. According to some accounts, Prometheus is even credited with the creation of the male of the human species.
Io and Zeus
Io was another woman to whom Zeus fell in love and made her suffer. She was a beautiful girl living in Argos, central Greece, when Zeus saw her and fell madly in love. Disguised into a cloud, Zeus made love to her. His jealous wife, however, Hera, learnt about this relationship and turned Io into a cow to keep her away from her husband. Io was about to suffer many misfortunes until she was finally turned into a woman again and have a normal life...
Cadmus, the founder of Thebes
Cadmus is known as the founder and the first king of Thebes, a powerful town in the ancient times, close to Athens. He is also known as the man who brough the writing and the alphabet from the Phoenicians to the Greeks, and through the Greeks to the whole world. According to mythology, his life was long and adventurous. Everything started when his sister was abducted by Zeus, the chief of the gods. That is when he left his country to look for her. Although he probably didn't find her at the end, the Fates had planned a great life for him...
The adventurous story of Odysseus
Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, is probably the most famous legendary man ever. His story is a fable with monsters, bad luck and much adventure. The story of Odysseus is the long trip of a man who has only one aim: to go back to his beloved homeland and his family. Odysseus left Troy after then years of war and started his journey home with lots of impatience. However, this journey would be long and adventurous. He would be sang by many poets all over centuries and his adventurous would be an inspiration for the generations to come.
Deucalion and Pyrrha
The story of Deucalion and Pyrrha resembles a lot to the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. This is the version of the ancient Greeks in their attempt to purify the old world from its sins and give birth to a new race of human. The amazing thing is the similarities between the two stories, as both of them use a disastrous flood as a means to make the humankind extinct. The few people that are saved from the flood have managed to do so in a boat and many days after the rain had stopped did they manage to step on land.
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