The 7 Most Important Heroes of Ancient Greek Mythology

Ancient Greek mythology is home to dozens of interesting characters. However, some figures of this ancient mythology were even more valuable for the ancient Greek peoples than the mighty gods and goddesses, who became famous for their beauty. The warriors of ancient Greek mythology won the love of society not only with their courage and intelligence, but also with their efforts to make humanity better and with their victories in this matter. So much so that some of these brave warriors were elevated to the rank of gods, although they were mortal, while others were immortalized in epics passed down from generation to generation. Here are the 7 most important heroes of ancient Greek mythology, from Achilles to Hercules.

1. Hercules

Heracles, who appeared as “Hercules” in ancient Roman mythology, was actually a figure in Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus, god of gods, and Alcmene, a mortal.

Hercules, one of the bravest warriors of Greek mythology, successfully completed 12 missions, the easiest of which was to defeat the most formidable monsters, cleanse himself of his sins and rise to the rank of immortality after a series of tragic events.

2. Achilles

Could Achilles, the protagonist of Homer’s Iliad, have found a place for himself in this immortal epic if he had not been one of the most prominent warriors of ancient Greek mythology?

His mother, Thetis, plunged Achilles into the River Styx when he was born, thus turning him into an almost invincible warrior. The only weak point of this great warrior was his heel. Because his mother grabbed Achilles by the heel when she lowered him into the river, so the heel of the great warrior did not get wet from the river water.

In the Trojan War, one of the most interesting wars in mythology, Achilles, who claimed the lives of many Trojan warriors and proved to everyone that he was an invincible warrior of squares, killed the Trojan prince Hector, was killed by an arrow from the bow of Paris, another prince of Troy. As you understand, the arrow that killed Achilles accidentally hit the heel of the great warrior.

3. Odysseus

Odysseus is one of the most touching heroes of ancient Greek mythology. During his life he experienced countless adventures. Among the adventures of this great warrior who is also the king of Ithaca, there were some very difficult parts such as facing terrible creatures, being kidnapped by a cyclops, fighting the sorceress goddess Circe.

4. Theseus

Theseus was a great hero in the eyes of the inhabitants of Ancient Athens. Because he put an end to the tyranny of the Cretan king Minos.

Legend has it that Athens, during the Minoan persecution, had to send 7 men and 7 women every year to be devoured by the Minotaur, a hybrid creature that was half bull and half man. To put an end to this terrible tradition, which turned the life of the Athenians into a nightmare, a fearless warrior had to appear. When Theseus killed the ruthless creature at the end of a grueling journey, he saved not only the lives of the Athenians, but also the reputation of Athens.

5. Jason

Jason was the son of a deposed king. He was a great warrior. When these two truths came together, Jason’s destiny was already clear: to restore the dominion that his family had lost. So he went on a journey to find a ram’s skin with magic wings.

This legendary skin, called the Golden Fleece, was a symbol of power and royalty. A fearless warrior, Jason was also a very intelligent character. Therefore, he could predict how dangerous the journey he was about to embark on might be. So he decided to go on his difficult journey with his fellow warriors. Having managed to escape from the fire of dragons and the cold breath of winged demons, Jason managed to get to the Golden Fleece and return to his country as a real hero.

6. Orpheus

Orpheus occupies a very important place in our list of heroes of ancient Greek mythology. However, there is one feature that sets him apart from the other heroes on our list. Orpheus was known in mythology for his artistic abilities, such as poetry and music, rather than his martial skills. But he was still a great hero.

This graceful hero was so brave that he went to the underworld for the sake of his late wife Eurydice and managed to persuade Hades and Persephone to give her a chance to return to life.

7. Bellerophontis

Bellerophontis managed to tame the famous creature from Pegasus mythology. However, this brave warrior was punished as a victim of a crime he did not commit, and sentenced to dangerous tasks, believing that he would still fail, in other words, die. However, Bellerophontis overcame these dangerous missions and, together with Pegasus, ascended Olympus. However, he could not escape Zeus’ curse and injury for the rest of his life.

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