Ichor › Famous Greek myths, retold briefly
Famous Greek myths, retold briefly
Here are seven well-known Greek myths in short form, with a note on where each comes from. They are summaries, so look at the sources for the full versions.
Prometheus and the gift of fire
The Titan Prometheus tricked Zeus over the share of a sacrificed ox, then stole fire for humans. Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock where an eagle ate his liver, which grew back each night. Heracles eventually freed him. Source: Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days; Aeschylus's play Prometheus Bound.
Pandora
To punish humanity, Zeus had the gods create Pandora, the first woman. She was given a jar (often called a box) that she opened, releasing troubles into the world. Hope stayed inside. Source: Hesiod, Works and Days. The word "box" came from a later mistranslation.
Persephone and the seasons
Hades carried off Persephone, daughter of Demeter. Demeter, goddess of grain, grieved and the earth stopped growing. Zeus sent Hermes to bring Persephone back, but since she had eaten pomegranate seeds, she had to spend part of each year in the underworld. This explains the seasons. Source: the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.
The Trojan Horse
After ten years of war, the Greeks pretended to leave. They left behind a large wooden horse, with warriors hidden inside. The Trojans pulled it into the city, and at night the Greeks came out and opened the gates. The horse is not in the Iliad. It appears in the Odyssey, and is told fully in Virgil's Aeneid.
Daedalus and Icarus
Imprisoned on Crete, the craftsman Daedalus made wings of feathers and wax for himself and his son Icarus. Icarus flew too close to the sun, the wax melted and he fell into the sea. Source: Ovid, Metamorphoses.
Orpheus and Eurydice
The musician Orpheus charmed even the rulers of the underworld with his lyre, and was allowed to lead his dead wife Eurydice back to the world, on condition he did not look back. He did, and lost her. Sources: Virgil's Georgics and Ovid.
Narcissus and Echo
The nymph Echo, who could only repeat what others said, loved Narcissus. He rejected her and fell in love with his own reflection. Source: Ovid.
Reading them as stories
Many Greek myths explain something: the seasons, fire, why bad things happen. But they are also drama about human flaws like pride, jealousy and grief. The gods in them (see the Olympians) rarely behave like role models. Mortal heroes appear on the heroes page, and the creatures in monsters.
Where to read them
Translations of Homer, Hesiod, Ovid and Virgil are easy to find in libraries. Online, Theoi gathers ancient quotations for each character. Penguin Classics and Oxford World's Classics both publish Greek and Latin texts in translation.
Other stories to look up
If these appeal, look for Midas and the golden touch, Arachne the weaver, the Judgement of Paris, Oedipus and the Sphinx, Eros and Psyche, Actaeon, Perseus and Andromeda, and the Labours of Heracles. Each has an ancient source, and many are in Ovid's Metamorphoses, which is a readable entry point for beginners.
Frequently asked questions
Was Pandora's box really a box?
In Hesiod it is a large jar (pithos). The word 'box' came from a later mistranslation.
Is the Trojan Horse in the Iliad?
No. The Iliad ends before the city falls. The horse is mentioned in the Odyssey and told fully in Virgil's Aeneid.
Which myth explains the seasons?
The story of Demeter and Persephone, found in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.