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The fifty daughters of Danaus of Libya. They were married to the fifty sons of their uncle, Ægyptus, but each killed their husband on their wedding night, except for Hypermnestra who spared Lynceus, who then killed Danaus. They were condemned in Hades to always carry water in sieves. The story is told by Æschylus in The Suppliants
Son of Belus, King of Libya. His fifty daughters were known as the Danaides. His brother Ægyptus had fifty sons and proposed they marry their children. Danaus fled with his daughters to Argos where he was elected hing instead of Gelanor. The fifty sons persued them and asked for the daughters again. Danaus agreed but armed each of his daughters and told them to kill their husbands. All did so except for Hypermnestra who spared Lynceus, who then killed Danaus. The story is told by Æschylus in The Suppliants
Daughter of the river god Peneus in Thessaly. She was persued by by Apollo but was turned into a laurel-tree when she cried for help.
The king of Daunia in Italy. His daughter Euippe married Diomedes.
The daughter of Oeneus, married Heracles after he won her hand following a competition with Achelous. While traveling with her husband she was carried off by the centaur Nessus, however Heracles saved her by shooting the centaur through the breast. As the centaur died he told Deianeira to take his blood as a charm to keep Heracles' love.
Deianeira became jealous of Heracles' attention to Iole, a girl he had previously wanted to marry. So she rubbed Nessus' blood on his shirt, but as soon as he put the shirt on the poison which was in the blood from Heracles' arrow burned Heracles. Deianeira was devastated at what she had accidentally done and hanged herself, Heracles died of his injuries shortly after. These events are described in Sophocles' Women of Trachis.
The daughter of Lycomodes, King of Scyros. She was the mother of Achilles' son Neoptolemus.
The son of Priam and Hecuba of Troy, he married Helen following the death of Paris. He was not popular among the other Trojans, Antenor and Helenus both aided the Greeks because of their hatred for Deiphobus. When Troy fell he was killed by Menelaus and Odysseus.
The daughter of King Talaus of Argos, wife of Tydeus, mother of Diomedes.
Persuaded Nereus to allow Poseidon to marry his daughter Amphitrite. As a reward his image was placed in the stars as the Dolphin.
The daughter of Cronus and Rhea, known to the Romans as Ceres, Goddess of agriculture. By Zeus she became the mother of Persephone (aka Core), but her daughter was kidnapped by Hades, and forced to spend six months of every year in the underworld. While her daughter was away Demeter neglected her duties and winter came to the Earth, but when Persephone returned Demeter brought spring.
Demeter was punished those who did not help her while she wandered in search of her daughter (Abas for example). But she rewarded Celeus and his son, Triptolemus with the art of agriculture for their hospitality. While she was searching she was raped by Poseidon and their offspring were the horse Arion and the nymph Despoena
Demeter was the only one of the gods to eat at the banquet where Pelops was murdered and served in the stew. She was still grieving for Persephone, and ate Pelop's shoulder without realizing what it really was. When Zeus had Hermes put the limbs of Pelops into a cauldron, Demeter put in an ivory shoulder, and Pelops was restored to life.
I - Son of Celeus and Metaneira who received Demeter hospitably. In return the goddess tried to make Demophon immortal, but the scream of Metaneira broke the spell and Demophon died.
II - Son of Theseus and Phædra. Along with his brother, Acamas he rescued Theseus' mother Æthra who had served Helen as a slave in Troy. He traveled to Thrace, where the King's daughter Phyllis fell so in love with him, that she killed herself when he left and was turned into a tree.
A nymph, she was the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. When the goddess was raped by her brother in the form of a horse, Despoena and the horse Arion were the offspring.
The Roman equivalent of Artemis.
The son of Tydeus, King of Argos. He was one of the 'Epigoni' the descendants of 'The Seven' who attacked Thebes. He fought bravely at Troy, wounding many famous heroes, including Paris, Æneas, Aphrodite. He fought Glaucus, until they remembered the friendship between their ancestors, and exchanged gifts instead.
Diomedes was involved in many adventures during the Iliad, including the murder of Rhesus and Dolon (Euripides Rhesus), the rescue of Philoctetes (Sophocles' Philoctetes) and the death of Penthesilea.
After the end of the Trojan War, he arrived home to find his wife had been unfaithful. He traveled to Ætolia to help his grandfather Oeneus, and later settled in Saunia in Italy. He married Euippe, daughter of King Daunus. When he died he was buried on an island, since known as Diomedans and his companions were turned into birds.
The first wife of Zeus, Homer describes her as the mother of Aphrodite.
Also known as Bacchus or Bromius, "the boisterous" He was originally worshiped only by humble people, but his worship gradually spread and he eventually became an Olympian, taking Hestia's place. Worshippers, intoxicated with wine, would believe they were talking to the god. The men who followed him were known as Bacchoi, and the women as Bacchae, Bacchantes, Mænads or in Athens and Delphi as Thyiades.
Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, there is a description of his birth and how he became an Olympian on the myths pages. He had a son by Aphrodite, Priapus
The collective name for Castor and Polydeuces (known to the Romans as Pollux). There are differing accounts of the twins' parentage. According to Homer they were sons of Leda and King Tyndareus of Sparta. However another tradition says that their father was Zeus, and that the twins and their sister Helen came from a single egg. Another tradition said that only Polydeuces and Helen were children of Zeus, and Castor was the son of Tyndareus and therefore was mortal.
They are famous for rescuing Helen from Aphidnæ, who had been carried of by Theseus. They also joined Jason on the Argo, Polydeuces killed Amycus, King of Bebrycos after being challenged to a boxing match. They also took part in the hunt for the Caledonian Boar. During a battle with their cousins the twins Lynceus and Idas, Polydeuces killed Lynceus, and Zeus slew Idas, but not before Castor was killed. Polydeuces begged Zeus to allow him to die with his brother, but Zeus decreed that they should live alternately one day under the Earth, and one day with the gods. Their image was placed in the stars as the constellation Gemini, and they were thought of as protectors of sailors, having powers over the winds and waves.
The second wife of Lycus of Thebes. She treated his first wife Antiope badly and her sons Amphion and Zethus took revenge. Dirce was tied to the horns of a wild bull and her body thrown into a fountain which took her name.
A Trojan who was killed by Diomedes and Odysseus when they found him spying on the Greeks.
Daughter of King Dryops. She was seduced by Apollo and then carried away by the Hamadryads (tree-nymphs).