Showing posts with label Ancient Greece. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancient Greece. Show all posts

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Golden Age.

The Golden Age (χρυσή εποχή ) (chrysí epokhí) means the best time of humanity. Perhaps it was so in the past or it will be so in the future.

These words come from Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology there are five ages of humanity (χρύσεον γένος) (chrýseon génos): Gold, Silver, Bronze, Heroic, and Iron.

Also, other myths and legends have their own Golden Age.

Writers wrote books about it, and artists drew images.

Sometimes the Golden Age is called the dawn of civilization.

This is actually a utopia.



Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Io.

Io (Ἰώ) was a character in Greek myths and legends.

She was Zeus' lover. Then he turned Io into a cow.

Argus Panoptes guarded Io.

She met with other gods and goddesses.



Thursday, August 7, 2025

Argus Panoptes.

Argus (Argos) Panoptes (Ἄργος Πανόπτης) (Argus) was a many-eyed giant in Greek mythology. Also, he was known as "All-seeing Argos".

Arestor (Ἀρέστωρ) was the father of Argus.

Some of his eyes were asleep and some were open, so Argus could be a guard.

He was the guardian of Io (Ἰώ). Hera asked Argus about this.

Argus was killed by Hermes. Then Hera placed his eyes on the peacock's tail.




Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Epione.

Epoione (Ἠπιόνη) (Ēpiónē) was a wife of Asclepius in Greek myths and legends. She was the goddess of the soothing of pain.

Machaon, Podalirius, Panacea, Hygieia, Iaso, Aceso, and Aegle were their children.

There are different types of art that show Epione.



Thursday, July 10, 2025

Doliones.

The Gegenees (Γηγενεής ) (Gēgeneēs) were giants with six arms in Greek mythology. The Doliones (Δολίονες) were the Gegenees. Cyzicus (Κύζικος) (Kúzikos) was their king.

Jason (Ἰάσων) (Iásōn) and the Argonauts (Ἀργοναῦται) (Argonaûtai) met with Cyzicus and the Doliones. It was during the quest for the Golden Fleece (Χρυσόμαλλον δέρας) (Khrysómallon déras).

There was a battle between them and Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) (Hercules) saved the Argonauts.




Thursday, June 19, 2025

Iaso.

Iaso (Ἰησώ) (Iēsō) was one of the goddesses of medicine in Greek myths and legends. Asclepius and Epione were her parents.

Panacea, Hygieia, Aceso, and Aegle were Iaso's sisters. Machaon, Telesphorus (Τελεσφόρος) (Telesphoros), and Podalirius were her brothers.

There are different stories about Iaso.


Thursday, June 5, 2025

Lycurgus.

Lycurgus (Λυκοῦργος) (Lykoûrgos) was a king of Thrace in Greek mythology. His father was Dryas (Δρύας) or Ares (Ἄρης).

Dionysus (Διόνυσος) (Diónysos) was an enemy of Lycurgus.

He was killed.




Friday, May 16, 2025

Machaon.

Machaon was a surgeon in Greek myths and legends. His parents were Asclepius and Epione.

Asclepius' son and his brother Podalirius took part in the Trojan War.

Machaon was killed by Penthesilea (Πενθεσίλεια) (Penthesíleia).

Hygieia, Panacea, Iaso, Aceso, and Aegle (Αἴγλη) were his siblings.

Also, Machaon had several children.



Saturday, May 10, 2025

Panacea.

Panacea (Πανάκεια) was a goddess of healing in Greek mythology. Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) (Aesculapius) was her father and Epione (Ἠπιόνη) (Ēpiónē) her mother.

Machaon (Μαχάων) (Macháōn) and Podalirius (Ποδαλείριος) were Panacea's brothers. Hygieia (Ὑγιεία) (Hygēa), Iaso (Ἰασώ), and Aceso (Ἀκεσώ) (Akesó) were her sisters.

Panacea had the ability to transform ordinary plants into medicines. She and her father Asclepius helped warriors during battles.

The word "panacea" figuratively means "a cure for all diseases".




Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Erato.

Erato (Ἐρατώ) was one of the Muses (love poetry) in Greek myths and legends. Her parents were Zeus and Mnemosyne.

Also, Erato had her own symbols: lyre and kithara.

Malus (Μάλος) was her consort. They had a daughter Cleophema.



Saturday, April 12, 2025

Naiad.

The naiads (Νηϊάδες) (Ναΐδες) (Ναϊάδες) (naïádes), also known as hydriads were nymphs of springs in Greek mythology. 

Zeus was their father.

Nereids (Νηρηΐδες) (Nērēḯdes) (Νηρηΐς) (Nērēḯs) and Oceanids (Ὠκεανίδες) (Ōkeanídes) (Ὠκεανίς) (Ōkeanís) were relatives of naiads.

They met with other gods and goddesses.

There are different paintings and sculptures about these creatures.




Sunday, March 23, 2025

Rhodos.

Rhodos (Ῥόδος) (Rhódos), or Rhode (Ῥόδη) (Rhódē) was a wife of Helios (Ἥλιος) (Helius) in Greek myths and legends. Goddess had her own symbol: rose.

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) (Posidon) and Aphrodite (Αφροδίτη) were her parents.

Helios and Rhodos had several children.

Triton (Τρίτων) (Trítōn) was her sibling.



Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Castor and Pollux.

Castor (Κάστωρ) and Pollux (Πολυδεύκης) were twin brothers in Greek mythology. Also, they were called Dioscuri (Διόσκοροι, Διόσκουροι).

Leda (Λήδα) was Castor's and Pollux's mother. Tyndareus (Τυνδάρεος) (Tundáreōs) was Castor's father. Zeus was Pollux's father.

Timandra (Τιμάνδρα), Clytemnestra (Κλυταιμνήστρα) (Klutaimnḗstra), Helen of Sparta, Philonoe (Φιλονόη), and Phoebe (Φοίβη) (Phoíbē) were Dioscuri siblings.

These brothers were on the expedition of the Argonauts.

Castor and Pollux saved their sister Helen (Ἑλένη) (Helénē) of Troy.

There are different stories about Dioscuri.





Sunday, March 9, 2025

Atlantis.

Atlantis (Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος) (Atlantìs nêsos) means 'island of Atlas'. This place was called after the Titan (Τιτᾶνες) (Titán) Atlas (Ἄτλας) (Átlās).

Atlantis was a fictional island country. There are many different myths and legends about this island.

Scientists in different periods of history wrote about Atlantis. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato (Πλάτων) (Plátōn) was one of them.

Source of image:

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/underwater-life-background-fantasy-damaged-old-2066951462



Thursday, February 20, 2025

Terpsichore.

Terpsichore (Τερψιχόρη) was one of the Muses (Μοῦσαι) (Moûsai) (Μούσες) (Múses) in Greek myths and legends. She was a goddess of dance and chorus in Ancient Greece. Her name means "of relating to dance.

Zeus and Mnemosyne (Μνημοσύνη) were Terpsichore's parents.

Lyre was her symbol.

Terpsichore had several siblings and consorts.

Linus (Λῖνος) (Linos), Biston (Βίστων), and Parthenope (Παρθενόπη) were her children.



Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Oileus.

Oileus (Ὀϊλεύς) (Oī̈leús) was known as the king of Locris (Λοκρίς) (Lokrís) in Greek mythology. Also, he was an Argonaut (Ἀργοναῦται) (Argonaûtai). 

Hodoedocus (Ὁδοίδοκος) was Oileus' father. Agrianome (Ἀγριανόμη) was his mother.

Oileus had a wife named Eriopis (Ἐριῶπις). They had a son Ajax (Αἴας) (Aias) the Lesser.

Oileus was wounded in the shoulder by Stymphalian Birds (Στυμφαλίδες ὄρνιθες) (Stymfalídes Órnithes).




Monday, January 20, 2025

Atalanta.

Atalanta (Ἀταλάντη) (Atalántē) was a heroine in Greek myths and legends. Her parents were Iasus (Ἴασος) and Clymene (Κλυμένη) (Kluménē).

Golden apple, bear, and lion were Atalalnta's symbols.

She was a good hunter. Also, Atalanta had the voyage with the Argonauts (Ἀργοναῦται) (Argonaûtai).

Meleager (Μελέαγρος) (Meléagros) was her consort. They had a son named Parthenopaeus (Παρθενοπαῖος) (Parthenopaîos).



Saturday, January 11, 2025

Danaïdes.

Danaïdes (Δᾰνᾰΐδες), or Danaides and Danaids were daughters of Danaus (Δαναός) (Danaós), king of Argos (Άργος). They had different mothers.

Danaïdes killed their husbands. Only one of them didn't kill her husband.

In Tartarus killers carry a jug to fill a pithos without bottom.

There are arts about these characters.




Saturday, December 21, 2024

Tantalus.

Tantalus (Τάνταλος) (Tántalos) was a king of Phrygia (Φρυγία) (Phrygía) in Greek mythology. Zeus was his father and Pluto (Πλουτώ) was his mother.

Tantalus insulted the gods, so he was sent to Tartarus (Τάρταρος) (Tártaros) to Hades (ᾍδης) (Hā́idēs). There Tantalus suffered greatly.

He had wives and children. Niobe was one of Tantalus' offspring.

Friday, December 6, 2024

Gordian Knot.

Gordian Knot (Γόρδιος δεσμός) (Nodus Gordianus) was a very difficult knot in Greek myths and legends.

Phrygia (Φρυγία) (Phrygía) was a kingdom without king. Simple man named Gordias (Γορδιάς, Γόρδιος) (Gordias, Gordius) became a king of Phrygia. He called the capital after himself: Gordion (Γόρδιον) (Górdion, Gordium). Also, Gordias created the knot.

Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot.

There is a metaphor that means solve difficult problem about the Gordian Knot.