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I - Son of Hermes, he took part in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar and was the herald to the Argonauts.
II - One of the Sparti, who sprang from the teeth of a Dragon planted by Cadmus. His son by Agave was Pentheus.
King of Cilicia, father of Andromache, he was killed by Achilles.
Goddess presiding over childbirth. Sometimes associated with Artemis, or the Roman Juno Lucina.
I - One of the Pleiades. her son by Zeus was Dardanus, the founder of Dardania.
II - Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. After her mother killed her father she smuggled her younger brother, Orestes out of Mycenæ, while she remained. Although Ægisthus wanted her killed her mother forbade it and so she was married to a peasant. Eventually Orestes returned and Clytemnestra and Ægisthus were killed. Orestes eventually became king of Mycenæ and Electra married his companion Pylades.
The wife of Æcus, mother of Peleus and Telemon.
The seven descendants of the original Seven who attacked Thebes. They were assembled by Adrastus and included Ægialeus, Diomedes, Sthenelaus, Alcmæon and Amphilochus. Ægialeus was killed at the walls of Thebes, and Adrastus died of grief on hearing the news. The Thebans evacuated the city and the Argives took it.
The brother of Prometheus and Atlas, his name meaning 'afterthought'. Prometheus had angered the gods by taking fire from Olympus and giving it to mankind. Hephæstus made a beautiful woman called Pandora and Hermes brought her to Epimetheus, who married her. She then opened the box from which all the ills that plague mankind were released. His daughter was Pyrrha.
Daughter of Talaus, sister of Adrastus, King of Argos, wife of the seer Amphiaraus. She was given the necklace of Harmonia by Polyneices for persuading her husband to join the battle against Thebes. For the second attack on Thebes she was given the robe of Harmonia by Thersander for persuading her son Almæon to join the battle. She was killed by her son in revenge for her vanity and deceit.
Another name for the Furies.
The Goddess of Discord. She was angry that she had not been invited to the wedding to Peleus and Thetis, so she barged in to the party and threw down the 'Apple of Discord' which had "to the fairest" written on it. This led to the judgment of Paris, as Aphrodite, Athene and Hera competed for the apple.
Known to the Romans as Amor, or Cupid he was the son of Aphrodite by either Ares, Hermes or Zeus. He was usually represented as an irresponsible young boy with golden wings. He carried arrows which could wound gods and mortals and was sometimes portrayed as blindfolded. He fell in love with Psyche, who eventually overcame Aphrodite's hatred and became immortal.
Son of Oedipus and Jocasta, brother of Polyneices, Antigone and Ismene. After their father's abdication Eteocles and Polyneices were supposed to share the city of Thebes, ruling alternate years. However Eteocles would not give the kingdom to his brother at the end of his year. Polyneices left the city and persuaded six other kings to march against Thebes, as described in Æschylus' Seven Against Thebes, and Euripides' The Phoenician Maidens. Eteocles and Polyneices were both killed in the battle.
Another name for the Furies.
The son of Panthous, he wounded Patroclus, who was then killed by Hector.
One of the Graces (charities).
Daughter of Agenor and Telephassa. She was carried away by Zeus to Crete, where she bore him three children, Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon. She later married the king of Crete, who adopted her children as his own.
One of the Gorgons, sister of Medusa and Stheno.
Wife of Orpheus. She died of a snakebight, but Orpheus followed her to the Underworld and was allowed to take her to the overworld provided he did not look back at her. However he looked back and she was lost to him.
A sea goddess, mother of the Graces by Zeus. She and Thetis looked after Hephæstus after he had been thrown out of heaven.
King of Argos, grandson of Perseus. Heracles served him for twelve years and he imposed the twelve labors on him. Eurystheus later tried to expel all of Heracles' children from Greece, but they were protected by Theseus in Athens. He was defeated by either Iolaus or Hyllus and despatched by Alcmene.
King of Oechalia, a friend of Heracles, he taught the hero archery. Eurytus promised his daughter Iole to the man who could surpass him and his sons in shooting with the bow. Although Heracles won the competition Eurytus refused to hand Iole over because Heracles had murdered his own children. Heracles later returned and killed Eurytus and all his family. Eurytus' bow was later owned by Odysseus and used by him to prove his identity to Penelope.
The daughter of Iphis and wife of Capaneus, mother of Stheneleus. She threw herself on the burial pyre of the Argives who had attacked Thebes.