The heroes of Greco-Roman antiquity were often demigods, superhuman beings generally born of a deity and a mortal, who were not considered fully divine. In exceptional cases, they could also be ordinary men with courage far above the norm, capable of standing up to the gods who demonstrated their valor by overcoming trials and undertaking incredible feats.
HERACLES/HERCULES
Story: Son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Demigod, considered the Hero of heroes, the Hero par excellence. Hera, wife of Zeus, never accepted Hercules, believing him to be the fruit of her husband’s betrayal, and arranged for him to be overcome by madness and, in his delirium, kill his wife Megara and his children. Upon her death, after proving his valor during his many exploits, he was welcomed into Olympus among the gods and married Hebe, goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera.
Emblems: club, lion skin.
Trivia: To atone for the murder of his family, he must perform the so-called “twelve labors,” symbolizing the struggle between man and nature in its most savage and terrible form. Hercules faces trials and challenges in every corner of the Mediterranean against men, animals, and monsters of all kinds, always emerging victorious and displaying great courage, physical strength, but also cunning.
ACHILLES
History: Son of Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis, and great-grandson of Zeus. A Greek demigod with the characteristics of a traditional hero: physical strength, moral greatness, and contempt for danger. Legend has it that his mother dipped him in the River Styx (or in divine flames, according to other sources) to make him invulnerable, but because he was held by his heel, only this part of his body was injured: hence the expression “Achilles’ heel,” which indicates a person’s weak point.
Emblems: heel, divine armor.
Trivia: Known as one of the main characters of the Iliad and the famous Trojan War, in which he fought on the side of the Greeks. He unleashed his fury when his beloved companion Patroclus was killed by Hector, prince of Troy; Achilles managed to kill Hector, but was himself fatally struck in the heel by an arrow shot by Hector’s brother, Paris. Achilles’s famous armor, forged by Hephaestus, the god of metalwork, is remembered as the most beautiful armor ever made, making Achilles one of the greatest warriors in history.
THE AMAZONS
History: Descendants of Ares, the god of war, and devoted to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. In mythology, the Amazons were a race of warriors, renowned for their equestrian skill, courage, and pride.
It is said that, to hone their archery skills, they chose to amputate one of their own breasts, thus becoming perfect archers. They lived at the farthest reaches of the known world, in an unspecified area of the Caucasus Mountains (between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea), from where they migrated to the southern coast of the Black Sea, in present-day Turkey, settling in their capital, Themiscyra.
Emblems: mounted combat, bow.
Trivia: They are depicted in numerous epic poems and ancient legends, such as The Labors of Hercules, The Argonautica, and The Iliad. In the latter, the Amazons took part in the Trojan War, fighting valiantly alongside the city. According to one version, the Amazon queen, Penthesilea, was killed in battle in hand-to-hand combat with Achilles, who, it is said, burst into tears before the dying warrior, enraptured by her last look and moved by her beauty.
ULYSSES/ODISSEUS
History: Son of Anticleia, grandson of Hermes and Laertes, King of the island of Ithaca. Greek hero personification of ingenuity, courage, curiosity, and manual dexterity; described by Homer in the Iliad, a poem that narrates the Trojan War, and in the Odyssey, which describes Odysseus’s ten-year return journey to Ithaca.
Emblems: pileus (traveler’s and sailor’s hat).
Trivia: Myth has it that it was Odysseus who devised the idea of the Trojan Horse, which led to the city’s final capitulation and Greek victory. For this, he attracted the wrath of the god Poseidon (who supported the Trojans), and he thus made Odysseus’s return by sea to the island of Ithaka full of dangers, incredible vicissitudes, and dangerous encounters. Odysseus overcomes all obstacles thanks to his great cunning and intelligence and with the support of the goddess Athena (an ally of the Greeks).
PERSEUS
History: Son of Zeus and the mortal Danae. Demigod protected by Hermes, who gave him winged sandals for flight and the helmet of Hades that made him invisible, and Athena, who gave him a shield as shiny as a mirror. Perseus saves and marries Princess Andromeda. Upon her death, he, his wife, and her parents, Cepheus and Cassiopeia, were transformed into constellations by Athena to honor her glory.
Emblems: winged sandals, head of Medusa.
Trivia: He is known for killing Medusa, a snake-haired woman who turned anyone who looked at her to stone, thanks to the help of Athena, who recommended him to look at Medusa only through her reflection in the shield. To thank her, he offered her the monster’s head. From Medusa’s blood was born Pegasus, the winged horse that accompanied him on his other adventures.
JASON
History: Descended from Hermes on his mother’s side and, according to some traditions, from the god Apollo on his father’s side, Jason was the son of Aeson, king of Iolcus, a city in Thessaly in ancient Greece. He married the sorceress Medea, his faithful companion in adventures, before abandoning her for Glauce, daughter of the king of Corinth. Because of this infidelity, he fell out of favor with the goddess Hera and died alone and unhappy.
Emblems: the Golden Fleece (of the winged ram Chrysomallus).
Trivia: Known for having led the Argonautica expedition, which also included Hercules and Theseus.
Legend has it that, to regain the throne usurped by Pelias, his father Aeson’s half-brother, Jason had to undertake a journey in search of the Golden Fleece, an object believed to be able to heal all wounds and cure all diseases. After a long and adventurous journey, and above all thanks to the help of his wife Medea, the hero succeeded in his quest and returned victorious to Iolcus to reclaim the throne.
MEDEA
History: Daughter of the Oceanid Idiya and Aeetes, king of Colchis (part of modern-day Georgia), and a descendant of the sun god Helios. Her name in Greek means “thoughtful, cunning.” She is one of the most famous and controversial figures in Greek mythology, the protagonist of one of Euripides’ most memorable tragedies, described as endowed with divine powers and compared to a sorceress. Medea is a strong and vengeful woman, often exiled or forced to flee because of her crimes.
Emblems: potions, spells.
Trivia: Medea met Jason upon his arrival in Colchis and fell madly in love with him, using all her magical abilities to help him in his quest, acting against her father and committing terrible crimes. Upon returning to Greece, however, Jason failed to become king of Iolcus, so he attempted to succeed the king of Corinth by marrying his daughter Glauce. This enraged Medea, who tried and killed her, then fled to Athens, where she married King Aegeus, from whom she was later forced to flee for attempting to assassinate his son Theseus. Eventually, she returned to Colchis and reconciled with her father.
ATALANTA
History: Abandoned at birth by her father, who desired a son, Atalanta was raised by a she-bear sent by the goddess Diana. Raised as her devotee, she became one of the most skilled hunters in myth. Having achieved fame, her father recognized her, but decreed that she must marry. An oracle, however, predicted that marriage would cause her to lose her skills: for this reason, Atalanta agreed to mate only with the man who could outrun her in the race. After defeating numerous suitors, Hippomenes managed to win only thanks to the intervention of Aphrodite.
Emblems: Running, the boar.
Trivia: According to epic tradition, she was the only woman to participate in the expedition of the Argonauts, fighting alongside Jason, Theseus, and other heroes. She also took part in the hunt for the Calydonian boar, a monstrous creature sent by Artemis against the king of Calydon: she was the first to wound the animal during the long hunt. In Greek art, she is also often depicted in the episode of the fight against Peleus, father of Achilles, in which she emerged victorious.
BELLEROPHON
History: Son of the god Poseidon and Eurymede, Bellerophon accidentally killed a Corinthian nobleman, named Belleros, during a javelin-throwing exercise with his companions. From this episode came his new name, which in Greek means “slayer of Belleros,” replacing Hipponous (his birth name). To atone for his guilt, he went away and traveled from city to city seeking purification. One of the most valiant heroes of the age before Heracles, he nevertheless incurred the disfavor of the gods when he attempted to reach Olympus astride Pegasus.
Emblems: Pegasus, spear.
Trivia: He is best known for having killed the Chimera, a monster with three natures (lion, goat, and serpent) capable of breathing fire. To face it, he managed to tame the winged horse Pegasus thanks to a golden bridle given by Athena. Together they shot the monster with an arrow in the mouth, defeating it.
Bellerophon also performed numerous other exploits against the Amazons, the Lycians, and the people of the Solymi.