Daedalus
Daedalus is an Athenian inventor who invented the labyrinth for Minotaur to keep him imprisoned (Daly & Rengel, 2009). He also created wings to escape from the mean king Minos. The classical sources where Daedalus is mentioned are Iliad (Homer), Metamorphoses (Ovid), Aeneid (Virgil) and some other texts (Roman & Roman, 2010). Daedalus is the inventor who makes the civilized world better. He creates beautiful and useful things that help humans to live and develop. He is a symbol of progress and the victory of the human mind over forces of nature.
Artemis
Artemis is the goddess of the moon. She is a skilled archer and hunter as well as the patroness of hunters (Bulfinch, 2012). She is the virgin who is desired but unreachable. Artemis appears in Homer’s Iliad, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Hesiod’s Theogony and other texts (Roman & Roman, 2010). Artemis is the representation of the wildlife and its dangers. She is beautiful but dangerous, and people should not cause damage to it as it will avenge on them. She is also an example of the Ancient Greeks’ view that females do not have to be weak and submissive as they can be empowered.
Medusa
Medusa was a beautiful girl but after Poseidon had raped her in Athena’s temple, the goddess made her a monster for violating her shrine (Daly & Rengel, 2009). Medusa’s glance could turn a man into stone, and she was killed by Perseus. Medusa is mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Hesiod’s Theogony (Roman & Roman, 2010). Medusa is a representation of female genitals. The murder of this monster stands for disgust of the man. This character reveals the ugly side of a woman as seen by Ancient Greeks.
Heracleidae
Heracleidae are Heracles’ children who had to escape from their home as they were pursued by Eurystheus. Eventually, they invaded the Peloponnese. The myth could appear in 430s BCE (Roman & Roman, 2010). This myth can be aimed at explaining the Dorian wars and invasion of Peloponnese. It can be also developed to explain the tension as well as special links between Sparta and Athens.
Seven against Thebes
Seven against Thebes is the tragedy that refers to the battle between Thebes and Argive. Sons of Oedipus take part in this battle. They agreed to rule together but soon they start fighting, and they are both killed in the battle for Thebes (Daly & Rengel, 2009). The tragedy is created in 467 BCE by Aeschylus (Roman & Roman, 2010). Importantly, this story tries to explain the war between two city-states. It also reveals the attitude towards Thebes, which was seen as a place where the most horrible crimes are committed.
Theseus
Theseus was a half god and half man as he was a son of a mortal woman and Poseidon. Theseus is famous for completing six labors, killing Minotaur and being a wise ruler of Athens (Daly & Rengel, 2009). His adventures are described in Plutarch’s The Life of Theseus (Roman & Roman, 2010). This hero is seen as the defender of the civilized world and killer of freaks who uses his intellect rather than physical strength. Theseus is also a symbolic representation of a wise ruler and the father of democracy. At that, he also has negative characteristics, which are described in myths, and he loses his power when he becomes an evil king.
Reference List
Bulfinch, T. (2012). Bulfinch’s Greek and Roman mythology: The age of fable. Mineola, NY: Courier Corporation.
Daly, K.N., & Rengel, M. (2009). Greek and Roman mythology, A to Z. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.
Roman, L., & Roman, M. (2010). Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.