D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire

55 pages 1-hour read

Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire

D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

Fiction | Anthology/Varied Collection | Middle Grade | Published in 1962

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Zeus is the mighty lord of the universe and sky god who overthrows his father, Cronus, to establish a new order of Olympian gods. Ruling from Mount Olympus, he wields powerful thunderbolts crafted by the Cyclopes to maintain cosmic justice. Despite his immense physical power, he relies on the counsel of his first wife and seeks to share authority with his immortal siblings. He fathers many prominent gods and mortal heroes.

Key Relationships

Son of Cronus

Son of Rhea

Husband of Hera

Brother of Poseidon

Brother of Hades

Father of Athena

Father of Heracles

Hera is the proud queen of the gods and the wife of Zeus. She rules alongside her husband but keeps a vigilant, jealous watch over his constant wanderings and his numerous other brides. As a powerful goddess, she frequently intervenes in the lives of mortals and heroes, acting as a devoted patron to those she favors and a fierce adversary to those born of her husband's infidelity.

Key Relationships

Wife of Zeus

Mother of Hephaestus

Mother of Ares

Adversary of Heracles

Divine patron of Jason

Athena is the gray-eyed goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and crafts. As Zeus's favorite child, she leads armies fighting for just causes and serves as the patron deity of Athens, a city she won in a contest against her uncle. She frequently offers invaluable guidance and magical artifacts to mortal heroes embarking on dangerous quests.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Zeus

Rival of Poseidon

Divine ally of Perseus

Teacher of Arachne

Poseidon is the restless, blue-haired lord of the sea, known as the Earthshaker. His volatile moods dictate the behavior of the oceans; he can raise tranquil islands for safe harbor or summon devastating storms when angered. He rules his underwater domain alongside his wife, Amphitrite, and demands regular sacrifices from the mortals who sail his waters.

Key Relationships

Brother of Zeus

Brother of Hades

Husband of Amphitrite

Rival of Athena

Hades is the gloomy, quiet lord of the underworld who watches over the souls of the dead. He is incredibly wealthy, claiming ownership of all gold and gems buried within the earth, and oversees a dark realm guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus. Though feared by the living, he is known as a hospitable ruler who always makes room for new arrivals in his kingdom.

Key Relationships

Brother of Zeus

Brother of Poseidon

Husband of Persephone

Adversary of Demeter

Heracles is the strongest mortal to ever live, born to Zeus and a virtuous human princess. His extraordinary physical might frequently causes disasters, as he struggles to control his own strength. Hounded by Hera's magical wrath since birth, he strives to atone for tragic mistakes by performing immense, seemingly impossible labors.

Key Relationships

Son of Zeus

Son of Alcmene

Target of Hera

Subordinate to Eurystheus

Supporting Characters

Apollo is the radiant god of music, light, and reason. He oversees the sacred oracle at Delphi after defeating its fearsome guardian dragon. Though he brings beautiful music to Mount Olympus and trains the Muses, his pride sometimes drives him to extreme retaliation when mortals or lesser creatures disrespect his authority.

Key Relationships

Son of Zeus

Twin brother of Artemis

Brother of Hermes

Father of Asclepius

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and the fierce protector of all newborn creatures. Granted her wish to remain an eternal maiden by her father, she roams the forests by moonlight accompanied by her hounds and a band of devoted nymphs. She fiercely guards her privacy and exacts harsh, fatal punishments on anyone who crosses her boundaries.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Zeus

Twin sister of Apollo

Friend of Orion

Hermes is the clever, fast-talking god of merchants, travelers, and thieves. He serves as the official herald of the gods and acts as a guide, leading the souls of the departed down to the underworld. His charm and silver tongue win over his fellow Olympians, ensuring he remains a favored figure despite his mischievous habits.

Key Relationships

Son of Zeus

Brother of Apollo

Divine ally of Perseus

Demeter is the powerful goddess of the harvest who blesses the earth with growing crops and fruitful fields. Her emotions are deeply tied to the natural world; her joy brings agricultural abundance, while her profound grief can cause mass starvation. She is fiercely devoted to her only daughter, willing to destroy the mortal world to protect her.

Key Relationships

Sister of Zeus

Mother of Persephone

Adversary of Hades

Persephone is the lovely, joyful daughter of Demeter. Her unmatched beauty attracts the unwanted attention of Hades, resulting in her abduction to his gloomy underground realm. Her presence moving between two realms dictates the changing of the seasons, bridging the vibrant world of the living and the dark world of the dead.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Demeter

Wife of Hades

Aphrodite is the irresistible goddess of love and beauty. Attended by the Graces, she causes instant infatuation among both gods and mortals. Though married to the gentle smith god by Zeus's decree, her heart leans toward the brutal god of war. She regularly uses her influence over romance to sway the outcomes of mortal quests and massive wars.

Key Relationships

Wife of Hephaestus

Romantic interest of Ares

Divine ally of Jason

Benefactor of Paris

Prometheus is a clever Titan who deeply pities the mortal humans he is tasked with creating. He constantly seeks to improve humanity's quality of life, acting as their greatest immortal advocate. His repeated defiance of Zeus's strict rules puts him at immense personal risk, resulting in a horrifying, daily physical punishment on a remote mountain peak.

Key Relationships

Adversary of Zeus

Brother of Epimetheus

Perseus is a brave mortal hero raised on a remote island. Tasked with an impossibly dangerous quest to slay a Gorgon whose gaze turns people to stone, he relies heavily on magical artifacts loaned by the Olympian gods. He demonstrates respect for divine power by returning his borrowed weapons once his mission to save his family is complete.

Key Relationships

Son of Zeus

Divine ally of Athena

Adversary of Medusa

Husband of Andromeda

Theseus is a courageous hero who arrives in Athens pledging to save the city's youth from a terrible, recurring tribute. He bravely volunteers to travel to Crete to face a flesh-eating beast trapped inside a massive labyrinth. After returning home, he seeks to establish peace and build strong alliances throughout his rule as an Athenian king.

Key Relationships

Opponent of Minotaur

Romantic interest of Ariadne

Benefactor of Oedipus

Jason is a handsome prince tasked with sailing across the world to retrieve a legendary golden artifact to secure his crown. He gathers Greece's greatest warriors to form his legendary ship's crew, the Argonauts. While he demonstrates great leadership on his voyage, his heavy reliance on the magic of others complicates his heroic standing.

Key Relationships

Nephew of Pelias

Favored champion of Hera

Partner of Medea

Medea is a powerful Colchian princess and sorceress. Struck by an intense, divinely orchestrated infatuation, she chooses to use her formidable magic to assist a foreign hero against her own father's wishes. Her powerful enchantments and ruthless decisions are absolutely vital to overcoming the deadly trials set before the Argonauts.

Key Relationships

Partner of Jason

Oedipus is a clever and capable hero who grows up as the adopted prince of Corinth. Desperate to outrun a terrifying oracle detailing terrible crimes he will commit, he flees his home, eventually crossing paths with a deadly Sphinx terrorizing the city of Thebes. He proves himself a wise ruler, though he constantly struggles against the unstoppable forces of fate.

Key Relationships

Husband of Jocasta

Guest of Theseus

Jocasta is the widowed Queen of Thebes who maintains her youthful appearance by wearing the magical necklace of Harmonia. She marries the clever man who successfully saves her city from the Sphinx's riddles, ruling alongside him during an extended era of peace and prosperity.

Key Relationships

Wife of Oedipus

Gaea is Mother Earth, the primordial creator who nurtures the world's first lifeforms. She fiercely loves all her children, even the monstrous hundred-armed ones, and deeply resents any ruler who attempts to imprison them in the dark pits of Tartarus. She manipulates succession wars to ensure her children are freed.

Key Relationships

Wife of Uranus

Mother of Cronus

Grandmother of Zeus

Cronus is a powerful Titan who successfully deposes his father to become the lord of the universe. Paralyzed by the fear that his own children will overthrow him, he resorts to swallowing them whole to maintain his grip on power, inadvertently creating the circumstances for his own downfall at the hands of his youngest son.

Key Relationships

Son of Gaea

Husband of Rhea

Father of Zeus