Brick Greek Myths Page 2

  The giants leveled mountains, tearing rocks and boulders from the cliffs and sending them flying.

  The giants then took up rocks and trees to throw at Mount Olympus.

  During the fray, Ares killed the giant Pelorus from his war chariot.

  Then Heracles shot the giant Alcyoneus. But because he was still connected to Gaia his mother, he did not die.

  So Heracles went and picked Alcyoneus up over his head so that he could not touch the ground. Separated from the life-power of his mother, the giant died.

  Heracles and Zeus finished off another giant named Porphyrion by striking him with an arrow and a lightning bolt at once.

  The giant Ephialtes was killed by Apollo and Heracles, who shot arrows into the creature’s eyes.

  The rest of the gods helped to finish off the giants that were left.

  When the battle was over, the new gods had won. Zeus thanked them all, and named them Olympians.

  Now that Cronus was without allies, he was forced to leave his throne for good.

  The gods chose Zeus to be their new king and ruler. Zeus happily accepted and began the task of dividing up the domains of the earth and assigning them to the gods.

  He took the sky as his own domain.

  He set up his brother Hades as ruler of the Underworld, and made him the god of the dead and riches of the earth.

  Poseidon was given the seas to rule. Zeus handed out assignments to the rest of the gods this way and declared that both Mount Olympus and the earth would be neutral areas.

  With those issues solved, Zeus settled down and got married. His wife was Metis, the Titan woman who had helped him poison Cronus.

  His grandparents, Gaia and Uranus, told Zeus that Metis was destined to bear a very powerful child who would overthrow his father.

  Improving on his father’s example, Zeus decided to solve this problem by swallowing Metis before she gave birth. When he devoured her, he absorbed her great wisdom and good counsel.

  Soon Zeus was plagued by a terrible headache that pained him greatly.

  Suddenly his daughter Athena sprung out of his head fully grown and shouting a war cry; she was to be the goddess of war.

  Zeus then married his second wife, named Themis, which means steadfast or firm. She was another Titaness and was connected to the ways of the earth, like her mother Gaia. She was also known as the goddess of justice and righteousness.

  Their union created prosperity and order, and their combined focus on justice helped them to establish the new government that Zeus had created.

  Themis bore Zeus two sets of triplets. The first were the Horae, or the Hours, who represented the seasons of the year. They were connected to fertility and growth.

  The second set of triplets were the Moerae, or the Fates. They were Clotho, who spun the thread of fate, Lachesis, who assigned man his fate, and Atropos the fate that cannot be changed or avoided, also known as the one who cuts the thread at the end of a man’s life.

  Now that the world was put in order, Zeus decided that they needed joy to put everything in balance.

  So he made love to an Oceanid named Eurynome and created the Charities, also known as the Graces. These became the goddesses of festivity and happiness.

  Like their sisters the Hours, the Graces were well loved by the gods and were always invited to their feasts.

  Then Zeus took Demeter as his fourth wife.

  She gave birth to beautiful Persephone, who would come to be the Queen of the Underworld.

  Zeus’s fifth wife was another Titaness, named Mnemosyne. After Zeus visited her bed nine nights in a row, she bore him nine daughters who were called the Muses.

  The muses created the arts and all other intellectual pursuits and inspired poets and singers and dancers in their art. They were named Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania, and Calliope.

  Later Zeus married his sixth wife, Leto.

  She gave birth to the twins Artemis (goddess of the hunt, wild animals, and maidens) and Apollo (god of art and learning).

  Zeus’s seventh and final wife was the goddess Hera.

  She bore Zeus Hebe, the cupbearer for the gods,

  Ares, the god of war,

  and Eileithyia, who was a goddess of childbirth.

  The couple was well-known for their domestic disputes, and Hera had a very hot temper. There was no love between them.

  And this is how the gods, the world, and everything in it were created.

  Prometheus’s Fire and Pandora’s Box

  In the beginning of time, the immortal gods and deities of Mount Olympus were all-powerful and prosperous. Mankind was still young and struggled to survive. When the gods drank nectar, people drank from streams. When the gods ate ambrosia, mortals scavenged for food. When Zeus threw his lightning bolts across the sky, men cowered in fear.

  Atop Mount Olympus, there was a humble and thoughtful Titan named Prometheus, who was the grandson of mother earth, Gaia, and whose name meant “Forethought.” Growing tired of living idly amongst the other immortals, Prometheus came up with an idea.

  He ventured down from the high peaks of Mount Olympus and down to earth to be among the mortals.

  Prometheus was shocked and saddened to see how the mortals lived. They had no tools and could not build.

  They had no culture and could not make art or find enjoyment. They had no fire, so they ate barbarically and were no better off than the beasts around them.

  Prometheus returned to Mount Olympus and asked the omnipotent Zeus for help. If Zeus could just give men the power of fire, then they would be able to cook their food, ward off disease, and protect themselves from danger.

  Zeus listened to Prometheus’s idea and immediately struck it down. He said that if men were to have fire, then they would grow strong and powerful. So powerful, perhaps, that mortals could one day overthrow the immortals and drive them out of their kingdom atop Mount Olympus.

  Frustrated with Zeus’s decision, Prometheus ignored his wishes and went to seek the source of fire so he could give it to mankind. He traveled long and far and finally came to a high mountain where the sun met the earth.

  Clutching a strand of fennel, Prometheus captured fire from the sun and wielded it on the branch.

  Prometheus brought the fire to the mortal men so that they could prosper.

  He went on to teach them how to cultivate crops and grow food, how to write and do math so that they could build their culture, and medicinal practices so they could treat the terrible diseases that they had struggled with.

  Learning from Prometheus, the men began to thrive. They began to cook their own food, build shelter, farm, and keep animals. They even began to write literature and produce art for entertainment. Seeing what Prometheus had done, Zeus went into a fury. But instead of lashing out and unleashing fiery misery unto the mortals and destroying Prometheus, he cleverly plotted revenge against his misbehaving Titan.

  Zeus summoned the other gods of Mount Olympus to take part in his plan, though he did not tell them why. Being the most powerful of all of the divinities, the other gods reluctantly agreed to help. Zeus told them to work together to create the first woman, who would be made in the image of a goddess. The gods began their task, each giving a special gift of theirs to the new and lovely being.

  With the help of the Four Winds, Hephaestus, the smith god from far beneath the earth, gathered rich earth and water to begin shaping his gift. He artfully molded clay into the figure of a woman.

  Athena, the goddess of many things including wisdom and skill, taught the woman how to weave and how to make useful and beautiful crafts.

  Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was next to contribute, and she offered the woman beauty and charm.

  Hermes, the messenger of the gods, offered the woman curiosity.

  While the gods worked in secret to make the woman, Prometheus considered what he had done. With the gift of thinking ahead, Prometheus sought out his brother, Epimetheus, whose name
meant “Afterthought.” Prometheus warned his brother that Zeus may try and find a sneaky way to cause them trouble, so he told Epimetheus never to accept gifts from the mighty Zeus.

  Back on Mount Olympus, the first woman was complete. The gods name her Pandora, which meant “The All-Gifted,” for the many precious things that they had given her. Hermes led Pandora down to earth. Playing matchmaker at the request of Zeus, Hermes introduced Pandora and Epimetheus.

  In awe of the lovely and beautiful woman, Epimetheus forgot his brother’s warning to not trust Zeus. He fell head over heels for Pandora and intended to marry her.

  The less powerful divinities were not the only ones to give Pandora a gift. Zeus offered her one as well, presenting her with a golden jar that he said held the most precious of all the things on earth.

  Athena, in her great wisdom, warned Pandora that she should never open the gift.

  She explained that the golden box contained the gifts of life and death and other precious things that Zeus did not have the authority to give. Only Gaia, mother of the earth, had the power to give these things away.

  Cursed with curiosity, Pandora became more and more drawn to the contents of the box.

  Pandora’s new husband, Epimetheus, now realizing that the gift may be a part of Zeus’s wrathful nature, warned her not to open the box.

  Pandora marveled at the box and wondered if perhaps it contained precious jewels. Knowing that gems and jewelry could only add to her beauty, she pondered ways to sneak a peek. Epimetheus, not realizing how overwhelmed his wife was with curiosity, left Pandora by herself with the golden box.

  The intrigue was just too much for her, and despite all the warnings she had received, Pandora decided to open the box.

  The lid had barely creaked apart when a gust of wind burst the box open. Out sprung the world’s darkest creatures, which unleashed infinite forms of human suffering that had never before been experienced by the mortals or the gods alike.

  With these evils spreading across the earth, the mortals were exposed to depression, horrible illness, misfortune, and death.

  As the evil rushed out of the box, Pandora tried her hardest to snap it shut. Though she succeeded, all of the world’s darkest creatures had been released. Yet one thing remained: hope. With hope protected inside the box, humanity would still have a fighting chance against the disaster forced upon them.

  From high atop Mount Olympus, Zeus watched as Prometheus’s hard work in helping humanity unraveled. While they still had hope, life on earth would soon be much trickier for the mortals.

  Phaethon and the Chariot of the Sun

  Young Phaethon, whose name meant “the radiant one,” was the half-mortal son of Phoebus Apollo, god of the sun. One day he decided to pay his father a visit.

  He came to Phoebus Apollo as he sat on his throne, cloaked in crimson and surrounded by the seasons.

  The sun god asked Phaethon what business he wished to discuss.

  Phaethon complained that mankind had been mocking him, claiming that he was not really the son of a god.

  He asked his father to help him prove he was the son of a god and begged Phoebus Apollo to give him some token to show his parentage.

  Phoebus Apollo embraced his son and promised to help him. He vowed that he would do anything Phaethon asked to prove that he was his father.

  Thrilled, Phaethon asked that he be allowed to drive his father’s great winged chariot across the sky for him, only for one day.

  The sun god begged him to reconsider, because he was a mortal and the chariot was made for gods to ride.

  Phoebus explained that only he could withstand the great heat well enough to guide the chariot where it needed to go.

  But Phaethon would not listen and pleaded with his father for the chariot.

  Phoebus relented, as he could not go back on his word. He put a magic ointment onto Phaethon’s face to protect him from the chariot’s heat.

  He instructed Phaethon not to go near the north or south poles, and to drive slowly, being careful not to let the chariot go too low, lest it burn the earth, or too high, lest it scorch the sky.

  Phaethon barely heard his father’s instructions, so excited was he to fly in the celestial vehicle. He quickly climbed into the chariot and took off.

  He had not flown far before he began having trouble controlling the horses. They bucked and reared under his inexperienced hand, flying erratically.

  They flew higher and higher into the heavens, and Phaethon began to panic as he found himself surrounded by stars.

  Then the chariot plunged, bringing them closer and closer to the earth. The land began to smoke and flame.

  Cities caught fire and burned to ashes, and the wells and streams and rivers dried as the chariot flew on.

  Soon the chariot burned so hot that Phaethon himself caught fire.

  He toppled from the chariot and fell straight into the river Eridanus below.

  When he landed in the river, the water closed over his head and he was gone.

  His father watched the scene from his throne, helpless to intervene to save his son or stop the fiery destruction.

  It is said that day brought no light to the world.

  Hades, Persephone, and the Story of the Seasons

  Persephone was born as the daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest, and Zeus, king of the gods.

  She spent an idyllic childhood on Mount Olympus, playing games and sharing secrets with her half sisters Athena and Aphrodite.

  As she got older, she became more and more beautiful. It became clear she was going to be a woman of rare and renowned beauty.

  Her great loveliness and goodness caught the eye of Hades, who was ruler of the Underworld. He was instantly smitten by the beautiful girl.

  Hades went to Zeus and asked for his permission to marry Persephone. Zeus accepted Hades’s proposal but did not tell Persephone or her mother.

  Soon after, Persephone went for a walk through the rolling hills to pick flowers. She walked happily, singing as she stooped to gather the lovely blooms.

  Suddenly, the ground split and a great crevasse opened in the earth.

  From the crevasse sprang Hades, riding his chariot. When Persephone realized what was happening, she began to scream! Hades scooped her up and put her in his chariot, and together they went down the crevasse to the Underworld.

  Once there, Hades told her that she was to be his Queen.

  Persephone soon came to love Hades and her new role as Queen of the Underworld.

  Still, she missed her mother and the world above.

  Demeter, unaware of her daughter’s fate, searched across the face of the earth for Persephone.

  She finally came to the town of Eleusis and set herself down by the great fountain there.

  Stripped of her vitality and wilted from her hopeless search for her daughter, Demeter looked old and wrinkled.

  Four young women came upon Demeter and decided to bring her home with them.

  The sisters brought Demeter to their parents, who welcomed her warmly. They offered her a place to stay, and hired her to care for their young son.

  As a gift to the family, Demeter decided to make the young boy immortal. To do so, she placed him in the fire each night and then took him out in the morning.

  One morning the child’s mother was awakened before Demeter, and seeing her child in the fire, was filled with fear for him.

  The horrorstruck family angrily demanded that Demeter leave their home.

  Demeter’s passion was enflamed, and suddenly she was transformed into her true form.

  The family, realizing her identity, begged for her forgiveness and vowed to build a temple in her honor, where they would teach the secrets of immortality.

  Still, she left them and continued with her search. She met with Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, who said she had heard Persephone calling out the day she disappeared. Hecate suggested that Demeter talk to Helios, the sun god, to ask if he saw what had happened that d
ay.

  Demeter went to Helios to question him.

  He told her how Persephone was taken away by Hades, and how Zeus had given his permission for the match.

  Demeter went to Zeus to ask him to intervene and bring her daughter back to her.

  When he refused, Demeter was filled with rage and vowed to withhold her blessing from the earth until the day she was reunited with Persephone.