The 7 most important heroes in ancient Greek mythology

Ancient Greek mythology is home to dozens of interesting characters. However, some of the characters in these ancient myths were more valuable to the ancient Greek people than the powerful gods and goddesses famous for their beauty. The warriors of ancient Greek mythology won the love of society not only with their bravery and intelligence, but also with their efforts to make humanity better and their victories in this cause. So much so that some of these brave warriors were elevated to the status of gods even though they were mortals, while others were immortalized in epics passed down from generation to generation. Here are the 7 most important heroes in ancient Greek mythology, from Achilles to Heracles.

1. Heracles

Hercules, who appears as “Hercules” in ancient Roman mythology, was actually a character in Greek mythology. He was the son of the god of gods Zeus and Alcmene the mortal.

Heracles, one of the bravest warriors in Greek mythology, successfully mastered 12 quests, the easiest of which was defeating the most terrifying monsters, being cleansed of his sins and rising to the rank of immortality after a series of tragic events.

2. Achilles

Could Achilles, the protagonist of Homer’s Iliad, have found a place for himself in this timeless epic if he had not been one of the most important warriors in ancient Greek mythology?

His mother, Thetis, immersed Achilles in the river Styx when he was born, making him a nearly invincible warrior. The only weak point of this mighty warrior was his heels. Because his mother grabbed Achilles’ heel when she put him in the river, so the great warrior’s heel was not wet with the waters of the river.

In the Trojan War, one of the most interesting wars in mythology, Achilles, who took the lives of many Trojan soldiers and proved to everyone that he was the invincible warrior in the arenas by killing Trojan Prince Hector, lost his life with an arrow. From the arch of Paris, the other Trojan prince. As you can imagine, the arrow that killed Achilles accidentally hit the heel of the mighty warrior.

3. Odysseus

Odysseus is one of the most influential heroes in ancient Greek mythology. He embarked on countless adventures throughout his life. Among the adventures of this great warrior, who is also the King of Ithaca, there were some very difficult parts such as facing terrible creatures, being kidnapped by a giant, and fighting the charming goddess Circe.

4. Theseus

Theseus was a great hero in the eyes of the people of ancient Athens. Because he put an end to the tyranny of King Minos of Crete.

Legend has it that Athena, under Minoan persecution, had to send 7 men and 7 women every year to be eaten by the Minotaur, a hybrid creature that was half bull and half human. A brave warrior had to appear to end this terrible tradition that had made the life of the Athenians a nightmare. When Theseus killed the cruel creature at the end of a grueling journey, he saved not only the lives of the Athenians, but also the reputation of Athens.

5. Jason

Jason was the son of a deposed king. He was a great warrior. When these two realities came together, Jason’s destiny was already clear: to regain the sovereignty his family had lost. So, set out on a journey to find the lair of a ram with magic wings.

This legendary skin, called the Golden Fleece, was a symbol of power and royalty. Jason was a fearless warrior, and he was also a very intelligent character. Therefore, he could predict how dangerous the journey he was going to take. So he decided to embark on his difficult journey with his fellow warriors. Having managed to escape from the fire of dragons and the cold breath of winged demons, Jason manages to reach the Golden Fleece and return to his country as a true hero.

6. Orpheus

Orpheus occupies a very important place in our list of heroes in ancient Greek mythology. However, there is one feature that sets him apart from the other heroes on our list. Orpheus was a prominent figure in mythology for his artistic skills, such as poetry and music, rather than his martial skills. But he was still a great hero.

This graceful hero was so brave that he ventured into the Underworld for the sake of his dead wife, Eurydice, and managed to convince Hades and Persephone to give her a chance to return to life.

7. Bellerofontes

Bellerofontis managed to tame the famous creature from mythology, Pegasus. However, this brave warrior was punished as a victim of a crime he did not commit, and was sentenced to perform dangerous tasks, believing that he would fail anyway, in other words, he would die. However, Bellerofontis overcame these dangerous undertakings and ascended to Olympus with Pegasus. However, he could not avoid being cursed by Zeus and being wounded for the rest of his life.