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Greek Mythology, Stories & Myths

Greek mythology is a collection of stories and myths about the gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters of ancient Greece. These stories have been passed down through generations and have become some of the most famous tales in all of history.
Some of the most well-known Greek myths include the story of Demeter and Persephone, which explains the changing seasons; the legend of Achilles, which tells the story of the greatest warrior of his generation; and the tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home from Troy.
Whether you're looking to learn more about Greek mythology or just enjoy a good story, these Greek myths are sure to entertain. So sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the greatest stories ever told.

‘Diana and Actaeon’ (1602-1603) by Giuseppe Cesari.
27 January, 2019 - 22:18 dhwty

Diana and Actaeon: When an Innocent Encounter Turned Deadly

Diana and Actaeon is a story found in Classical mythology. The myth centers on the hero and hunter Actaeon, who is transformed by the goddess Diana (Artemis to the Greeks) into a stag, after which he...
Sophocles
18 July, 2020 - 15:51 dhwty

Sophocles: Archetypal Master of Greek Tragedy

Sophocles was a playwright who lived in Greece during the 5 th century BC. He is one of the three Greek writers of tragedy (the other two being Aeschylus and Euripides) whose works have survived till...
Titanomachy, war of Greek gods versus giant Titans (matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock)
13 October, 2019 - 06:14 B. B. Wagner

Battle of the Gods, When Titans Took on Zeus

When discussing the creation myths of the ancient Greek gods, as told by the poet Hesiod (750-650 BC), it is best to imagine an audience huddled around a single speaker by way of a fire pit in the...
My Name Is Heracles, And I Have Father Issues
15 August, 2019 - 22:59 B. B. Wagner

My Name Is Heracles, And I Have Father Issues

The story of Heracles is considered one of the oldest of the Greek myths . Heracles’ popularity stretched from the western world to the far reaches of northern India. His likeness has appeared as...
Atreus and Thyestes. Two members of the House of Atreus.
2 May, 2019 - 23:50 Miriam Kamil

The Curse of the House of Atreus: A Dysfunctional Family Taken to Extremes

The Ancient Greeks often spoke of the Heroic Age, when nymphs and satyrs cultivated the mountains and gods played with mortals. Among the Greek myths that take place in the Heroic Age is the story of...
Achilles’ Shield: What’s the Meaning of the Iliad’s Most Symbolic Object?
12 April, 2021 - 14:46 Sarah Piraino

Achilles’ Shield: What’s the Meaning of the Iliad’s Most Symbolic Object?

The Iliad is one of the most famous epic poems created by the Greek poet Homer and the piece recounts the last weeks of the Trojan War. In book 18 of the series, Homer writes about Achilles’ shield...
King Menelaus, seen here finding Helen at Troy, is best known as her husband.
15 June, 2021 - 18:33 dhwty

Why We Should Remember Menelaus, the King Lost in his Wife’s Shadow

Menelaus, the mythological king of Mycenaean Sparta, is perhaps best remembered as the husband of Helen of Troy. While lost in his wife’s shadow, his story is inexorably entwined with that of the...
King Diomedes leader of the troops and unsung hero. Source: serhiibobyk / Adobe Stock.
2 December, 2019 - 14:04 B. B. Wagner

Diomedes, the Unsung Hero of Troy

Any Greek epic by the poet Homer should never be read quietly to one’s self but spoken out loud to all who wish to listen, especially if it has to do with the Trojan War. His epic poems sing praises...
Medusa and the Gorgons: The Origins of the Legendary Tale
14 June, 2016 - 19:10 Cam Rea

Medusa and the Gorgons: The Origins of the Legendary Tale

In the middle is the Gorgon Medusa, an enormous monster about whom snaky locks twist their hissing mouths; her eyes stare malevolently, and under the base of her chin the tail-ends of serpents have...
Penthesilea: Queen of the Amazons
23 September, 2014 - 02:55 mrreese

The Dramatic Life and Death of Penthesilea: Queen of the Amazons

Penthesilea was an Amazonian Queen from Greek mythology. She was the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe. One of many famous Amazonian Queens, Penthisilea’s...
King Arthur statue at Tingagel (Deriv/ CC0)
1 February, 2020 - 03:21 ashley cowie

Real World Locations, Where Myth Meets Reality

Mythology presented in books, arts, cartoons and movies have subliminally forged impressions of mythical castles, magical mountains and enchanted forests in people’s minds, but many of the places...
Pyrrha and Deucalion by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, 1655.
2 April, 2022 - 01:36 johnblack

Deucalion Myth – The Great Flood From Greece

Deucalion was the son of the last Titan (god), Prometheus . According to Hesiod , Prometheus and the god Zeus were in conflict. Prometheus was the one who, with the help of the Goddess Athena ,...
Detail of ‘Jupiter and Lycaon’ by Jan Cossiers. Source: Public Domain
21 December, 2019 - 13:47 dhwty

King Lycaon of Arcadia – The First Werewolf?

Lycaon was a king of Arcadia mentioned in Greek mythology. He is believed to have lived in the period before the Great Deluge, and therefore was a contemporary of two other legendary kings, Deucalion...
African queen
17 March, 2019 - 17:54 dhwty

Dido of Carthage, Mediterranean Princess Turned African Queen

Dido, known also as Elissa in some sources, is a legendary queen who is credited with the founding of Carthage. The legend of Queen Dido is found in Greek and Roman sources, the best-known of which...
Georgian (Colchis) fortress of Surami, built in the 2nd-3rd centuries, heavily fortified in the 12th century
23 April, 2017 - 01:59 Kerry Sullivan

The Ancient Kingdom of Colchis: A Legendary Land of Plenty, Conflict, and the Golden Fleece

Anyone familiar with Greek legends has heard of the Colchis Kingdom. It was to here that the band of heroes known as the Argonauts ventured in order to obtain the Golden Fleece, a symbol of authority...
Aethra Showing her Son Theseus the Place Where his Father had Hidden his Arms
24 February, 2015 - 12:33 mrreese

The Legend of Aegeus - The Mistake of a Son and the Death of a King

Forty-three miles south of Athens, Greece, one can find the magnificent cliffs of Cape Sounion. This is a beautiful site with breathtaking sunset views over the Aegean Sea. Today’s beautiful scenery...
The high priestess, Oracle of Delphi, Pythia
6 March, 2020 - 19:27 dhwty

Pythia: Oracle and High Priestess of Delphi

Perhaps one of the most famous prophecies uttered by a Pythia, Oracle of Delphi, is that of Croesus’ defeat by the Persian Empire. According to Herodotus, Croesus , the king of the Lydians wanted to...
Odysseus at the court of Alcinous
18 September, 2017 - 19:07 pkoutoupis

In Search of King Alcinous: Who were the Legendary Phaeacians?

The mythological Alcinous and his kingdom have remained one of the most mysterious and elusive topics of ancient Greek literature. Not much is known of this foreign monarch, or at least not much has...
Fresco of the battle of Troy. Credit: quasarphotos / Adobe Stock
24 August, 2019 - 17:15 Ed Whelan

Surprise Discovery Reveals Ancient City of Troy is 5,500 Years Old

The city of Troy has fascinated people for millennia. Once thought to be purely mythological, the lost city emerged as a real place in history when it was discovered in Turkey by Heinrich Schliemann...
Hercules and Deianira circa 1475–80.
16 April, 2017 - 23:00 Natalia Klimczak

An Unfortunate Fate and Nasty Gods: The Tragic Story of Mythical Deianira and Her Lover Hercules

Deianira became a famous heroine after the release of the TV show ''Hercules,'' with Kevin Sorbo, and the Disney movie about the mythical hero. Her real story, although still juicy, isn't the same...
Minotaur
11 March, 2021 - 22:24 johnblack

Myth of the Minotaur: The Making of a Monster

One of the most intriguing myths of ancient Greece is that of the Minotaur on the island of Crete, the bull-headed human-animal hybrid of Greek mythology. The story of the bestial Minotaur trapped in...
Romulus and Remus placed in the river
16 September, 2020 - 02:06 ML Childs

Romulus and Remus, Osiris and Moses: Are the Storytelling Similarities a Mere Coincidence?

The stories of Romulus and Remus, Osiris, and Moses all share a common element. Why is it that the overarching theme surrounding ancient people and the start of their legacy is a male floating down...
Mythological Bridge of Scylla & Charybdis Would Unite Italy with Sicily
28 January, 2021 - 13:58 Nathan Falde

Mythological Bridge of Scylla & Charybdis Would Unite Italy with Sicily

Desperate to jump-start a stalled economy, in 2020 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revived a long-dormant infrastructure project. If approved, it would lead to the construction of the longest...
Medea by Artemisia Gentileschi (1620)(Public Domain)
13 December, 2019 - 23:34 MartiniF

Medea, Murderous Mother or Defiant Defender of the Oikos?

In his Argonautica , ancient Greek author Apollonius of Rhodes provides a rather romantic introduction of Medea as a young woman desperately in love. Unfortunately, this introduction quickly takes on...

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