Greek mythology has left a precious legacy of stories for humanity, with angry gods, brave heroes, legendary adventures, and stories of revenge and love. There are so many Greek myths that I am afraid that I can't finish 3 books to write in detail. However, there are some stories that have been widely circulated among the world and have had a profound impact on Western culture and civilization.
1. The Three Goddesses of Destiny
In Greek mythology, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos are the three goddesses of destiny, who are responsible for compiling the fate of mankind and the gods. Neither man nor God can influence or question their decisions and practices. The youngest sister, Klaus, is responsible for spinning the thread of life, and she controls the birth of a person. The second sister, Lekesis, was responsible for arranging the lives of people during their lives, measuring the length and nature of the thread of life with a stick in her hand. Her sister Artemos was responsible for cutting the thread of life, and the large scissors in her hand determined the way people died.
2. Prometheus and the Fire Thieves
One day, Zeus gave gifts to the gods, but did not give any gifts to mankind. Prometheus, who had a heart for humanity, was upset by this. He climbed Mount Olympus, stole the tinder from Hephaestus, the god of fire and craftsmen, and put it in a hollow reed and gave it to mankind. As a result, humans were able to make fires, heat up, and make tools. Zeus was furious when he heard this. He chained Prometheus to caucasus and had an eagle peck at his liver every day. Prometheus was tied to Mount Olympus for 30 years until Hercules, the half-son of Zeus demigod, freed him from his torment.
3. Pandora's Box
After Prometheus gave fire to humans, Zeus decided to take revenge. He had Hephaestus, the god of craftsmen, make a woman out of dirt and water. Let every god give her a gift: Athena gave her wisdom, Aphrodite beauty, Hermes cunning, and so on. The woman's name was Pandora (which means "to combine talents" in Greek). Zeus gave Pandora a jar, warned her that whatever happened, could not be opened, and gave her as a gift to Prometheus's brother Epimetheus. Unable to resist the temptation, Pandora opened the jar and unleashed all the evil things locked in it: hatred, war, death, hunger, disease, and other calamities.
4. Hades abducts Persephone
Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and was very beautiful. As soon as Pluto saw her, he fell in love with her and decided to take her away. One fine day, Persephone was picking flowers in the wild, and when she tried to pick the most beautiful daffodils, the earth suddenly cracked, and Hades appeared in his golden carriage and captured her to hell. Demeter searched for her daughter all day and night without success, and the earth and plants gradually lost their vitality. The sun watched all this from heaven and felt sorry for her, so it told her what had happened. When Demeter learned of this, she went to Zeusna and demanded that Persephone return, or she would no longer let the plants flower. Zeus later asked Pluto to reunite Persephone with her mother once a year, and that it was spring, and so spring flourished with this gathering.
5. Origin of the name Athens
Cecrops (founder of Athens, first king of Attica) named the city after him. However, the gods of Olympus saw that this place was very beautiful and rich, and they all wanted to name the city after themselves and become the patron saints of the city. Among them, the most powerful competitors are Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom. In order to settle their dispute, Zeus decided to let them each give the city a gift, and the people of Keklops decided who had the best gift, and who could become the patron saint of the city. Poseidon struck the rock with a trident, and a spring of water emerged from the ground, and with this spring, the people no longer had to face drought. But they found the springs salty, with the smell of the sea ruled by Poseidon. When it was Athena, she struck the ground with her spear, and a beautiful olive tree grew out of the ground. The people preferred the gift to the sea because the olive trees could provide them with food, oil and wood. Hence the name of the city after Athena – Athens.
6. The tragedy of the hero Oedipus
Laius, the king of Thebes in Greek mythology, married Jocasta. Laios received the oracle that his son would in the future kill his father and marry his mother. After Iokast gave birth to Oedipus, Laios tied the ankles of the newborn baby and asked a shepherd servant to take him to the mountains and discard him. The servant was intolerant and gave him to another shepherd, who in turn gave the baby to the childless king Corinth and his queen. When Oedipus grew up, the oracle told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus then left Corinth, intending to avoid the realization of the oracle. He arrives in Thebes, meets Laios at a crossroads, and kills him in a fight. His biological father died at his hands, and part of the oracle became a reality.
When he arrives at Pybeth, he learns that there is a terrible monster Sphinx (winged sphinx, legend has it that passers-by guess the puzzle, and those who can't guess it will be eaten), and whoever can guess her riddle can become the king of Thebes. Oedipus managed to guess the riddle and killed the Sphinx. He became king of Thebes, married queen Iokast, and had four children. He didn't know that his wife was his mother. While he was living happily, a great plague struck Thebes. The oracle told him that to stop the plague he must find Laios's killer. In the process of tracking down the murderer, the truth of Oedipus's life was also revealed. Iocaster, Oedipus' wife and mother, hanged herself after learning the truth. Oedipus ripped two needles from her skirt and stabbed himself blind. A true Greek tragedy.
7. Leda and the Swan
This is a story about Zeus and Lida. When Zeus saw Lida standing on the banks of the Eurotas, he had a strong desire for her. He approached Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and consulted her for advice. Aphrodite turned Zeus into a handsome swan and herself into an eagle and began to chase it through the valley. The chased swans flew to Lida's side in search of shelter. Lida gently wrapped her arms around it, giving it warmth. Nine months later, Lida laid 2 eggs, from which Helen and Clytemnestra were born. Both baby girls grew up to become famous figures and caused many Greek tragedies.
8. King Midas and alchemy
Medes was king of Phrygia, and in his castle", "roses grow on their own, each with 60 flowers blooming and overflowing with fragrance". One day, Maides' servants found a drunken old man in the garden, and they brought him to Mades. Mades recognized the old man as the drinker of Dionysus, the god of wine. So instead of punishing him, Madres entertained him graciously for ten days until he was safely returned to Dionysus. Dionysus was grateful to him and promised him a wish. Driven by greed, Mads made a wish to turn stones into gold. At first, Because of this superpower, Mads gained a lot of wealth, but soon he discovered that this was not a gift, but a curse. Because whether it was water or food, he turned into gold when he touched it, and he could no longer enjoy the most ordinary pleasures in life. Mades returned to Dionysus and begged him to reclaim this superpower.
9. The Fruit of Discord
The Great Trojan War originated with several jealous gods and an apple. At the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, the daughters of the god of the sea, the goddess Eris was not invited. She felt offended. She came to the wedding, threw a golden apple among the gods of the banquet, and said, "To the most beautiful one." Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all felt they deserved the apple, and the three provoked an argument. They asked Zeus who should get the apple (by implication, who was the most beautiful). Zeus said to let Paris, the Trojan prince, choose.
Paris was still grazing and did not know his royal status. He was abandoned as a baby because the oracle said he would be the cause of Troy's destruction. Three goddesses descended upon him and made him make a choice. At first, Paris didn't know how to choose. Subsequently, the three goddesses gave gifts: Hera gave him wealth and power, Athena gave him wisdom and glory, and Aphrodite gave him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. Without hesitation, Paris chose the third gift, giving the golden apple to Aphrodite. What happened after that is famous history.
10. The Story of Leto
Leto was a famous Titan who was zeus's early lover. When she was pregnant with Zeus's child, Zeus married the goddess Hera. Hera was furious and jealous, and she used all sorts of tricks to make Leto uncomfortable and expelled her from Olympus. Leto wandered the land, and no one wanted to take her in, because everyone was afraid of Hera's wrath. Hera also unleashes a python to chase her. Finally, Zeus sent a north wind and rescued Leto. The gust of wind took Leto to a deserted island where leto gave birth to Artemis (goddess of the moon and the hunt) and Apollo, the sun god.