Mythology Explained

Who Were the FIVE GREATEST HEROES? - Greek Mythology Explained


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Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss the five greatest Heroes in Greek mythology.

Let's get into it.

Starting off our list is Perseus, a Hero with an impressive portfolio of heroics but whose legacy was ultimately undermined by the amount of divine support he received.

The apotheosis of Perseus' life was the slaying of Medusa, a feat that would have been close to impossible without Hermes and Athena holding his hands the whole way. First, Perseus found the Graeae, three wizened crones, and stole the single eye they shared, threatening to squish it if they didn't divulge the information he sought. They directed him to the Nymphs of the North, where he received many magic gifts and learned of the location of Medusa's lair. After slaying Medusa and collecting her severed head, Perseus made his way home, but his route was far from direct. He came across a woman chained to a cliff and slayed the sea monster that was going to devour her. This woman, Andromeda, became his wife. When Perseus finally returned home, he used Medusa's head to turn Polydectes, the king who sent him on his quest, to stone.

Next we have Theseus

After making his way to Athens and establishing himself as the legitimate heir, Theseus endeavored to win the hearts of the people. His chosen path to accomplish this was to volunteer himself as one of the 14 youths sent by Athens into the minotaur's labyrinth every nine years as recompense for killing King Minos' son years earlier. Theseus killed the minotaur with his bare hands and was then able to retrace his steps, using a ball of string to escape the labyrinth. After this, Theseus became king, but the events that followed were of a mixed sort. Certainly, there were moments of heroism, like when Theseus joined Hercules on the latter's labour to retrieve the girdle of Hippolyta, but there were also blunders, like when Theseus and Pirithous were imprisoned in the underworld by Hades for attempting to abduct Persephone.

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