Heroes of Olympus

by Philip Freeman

  HERO and LEANDER

  On the shores of the narrow straits of the Hellespont that separated Europe from Asia lived a young priestess of Aphrodite named Hero. She was from a rich and noble family in the city of Sestus and there she served the goddess in her temple. Hero was so beautiful that all the men from the surrounding towns prayed to be with her: “I’ve been to Sparta and seen Helen herself, but I’ve never beheld a girl as lovely as her. Oh Aphrodite, send me a woman like that!”

  There was one young man who longed for Hero more than any other. His name was Leander and he lived just across the Hellespont in Asia. He was from a humble family. When he first saw Hero, a fire kindled inside him. He dreamed of her day and night. But what did he have to offer to someone as beautiful as a goddess?

  One day at the temple he knew he had to talk to Hero or die of longing. He stood trembling before her, but had no words to express his love. Hero was moved by this shy young man. She took his hand. Then she smiled and began to tease him: “Stranger, I’m just a girl. Is there something you want to tell me? I can’t say my father would be pleased that such a handsome young man is trying to charm me. The goddess I serve would be none too happy either.”

  Leander found his voice: “Most excellent maiden, fairest flower that ever bloomed on these shores, I swear that my intentions are honorable. I love you with all my heart. The goddess you serve is dear to me and I have the highest regard for your father and mother. I know I am only a poor boy, but my love is pure.”

  Hero saw that Leander meant every word. She knew that he was the man for her. Her father would never permit her to take this poor lad as her husband, so they made a secret plan.

  All that summer and autumn, every night when the sky was clear, Hero placed a lamp in her window. Leander would see the light shining across the narrow Hellespont from Europe to Asia and dive into the waves. He followed the light to the home of his true love. They vowed to live in their hearts as husband and wife forever. Just as the dawn broke, Leander would swim back to his home in Asia. They told no one of their secret marriage.

  When winter came, gales stirred the frosty seas. Hero begged Leander to wait until spring to return to her, but he would not allow wind and waves to separate them. One stormy night, the lamp blew out while he was midway across the straits. The waves crashed against him and the wind blew him back. Without the light to guide him, Leander became lost. The bitter wind blinded him and the water poured down his throat, yet he struggled on.

  Day finally came and Hero looked desperately from her window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Leander. Her worst fear came true when she saw, on the rocks below, the lifeless body of her love. Unable to live without him, she threw herself from the window to her death. The townspeople found the couple together, gently tossed by the waves of the sea.

  HYPERMNESTRA and LYNCEUS

  One of the many descendants of Io, who was turned into a cow by Hera, was Danaus. Danaus had a twin brother named Egyptus who had fifty sons. Danaus had only had daughters, also fifty in number. Egyptus ruled over Egypt while Danaus was king of the smaller land of Libya. Both brothers were suspicious of each other.

  One day Egyptus sent a message to Danaus offering to make peace. He offered to seal the bargain with the marriage of all fifty of his sons to all fifty of his brother’s daughters. Danaus suspected a trick. With the advice of Athena he fled with his daughters and settled in Greece near Argos, where he became king of the region.

  Egyptus sent his sons to try to convince his brother to allow the wedding to take place. Danaus decided to remove any future threat from his brother and his nephews. First he agreed to the wedding. Then he gave a sharp dagger to each of his daughters. At the end of the marriage feast, each of the sons led his new bride back to his quarters. The daughters pulled daggers from beneath their pillows and slit their husbands’ throats.

  All except one. The eldest daughter, Hypermnestra, had been given to her cousin Lynceus. She was touched by how kind and caring her new husband was and could not go through with the plan: “Get up! Go, flee from this place before you sleep forever. Don’t let my father or wicked sisters catch you. They have pounced on their new husbands like lionesses and slaughtered each one. My father can do what he wants with me, but I cannot kill someone so gentle and kind. Go, don’t look back! We will find each other again someday.”

  Hypermnestra then helped Lynceus escape to a nearby village. There, he lit a beacon to show he was safe, then fled the country.

  The other forty-nine daughters brought the heads of their husbands to their father, but Hypermnestra arrived empty-handed. Her father put her in chains as a punishment. In time he forgave her and allowed his daughter to join her husband who became king of Argos.

  The sisters of Hypermnestra had difficulty finding good men. Their father searched for new husbands for them, but men were afraid to marry women with such bloody pasts. Finally, with a great deal of bribery, Danaus found husbands for his daughters. Their wicked deed did catch up with them eventually. When they died and went down to Hades, they were forced to spend eternity pouring water into leaky jars that had to be constantly refilled.

  BAUCIS and PHILEMON

  Once in the hills of Phrygia there was a remarkable tree. From a single trunk grew both a sturdy oak and a broad linden. How it came to be is a story of true love and a reminder to show kindness to strangers.

  Zeus was concerned with the care of strangers. He would disguise himself as a beggar to test how the people of a land would treat him. Once he took Hermes with him and visited Phrygia. The pair went from house to house. They asked for a cup of water or a crust of bread, but were sent away empty-handed.

  At last they came to a hut on a hill that was smaller than the rest. The cracks in the wall were so big, the fierce winter wind blew through the shack. Zeus knocked on the door and was welcomed by an old couple. Baucis and Philemon were poor but happy.

  Philemon set out a bench for his visitors. Baucis fed the fire to heat water in her single pot. She collected cabbage leaves from her garden and placed them in the water. Philemon added strips of bacon cut from a precious side of pork.

  When the broth was ready, Baucis wiped the table with mint leaves and placed all the food they had before the strangers—olives, eggs, wild nuts, figs, radishes, and a small piece of cheese. She put the soup before them along with cups of sour wine. The old couple were proud to be able to lay out what for them was a grand feast.

  The wine cups never became empty. Baucis and Philemon suspected their visitors were more than beggars. They asked their guests to wait while they roasted a goose. This bird was the source of their eggs and the guardian of their home, but they were willing to sacrifice it. Zeus and Hermes watched as Philemon and Baucis chased the goose. At last Zeus spoke: “Please forget about the goose, dear friends. We are gods and have no need of such food. None of your wicked neighbors welcomed us, even though they had far more to give. They have been punished—come and see for yourselves.”

  The couple were amazed. The entire countryside of fields and houses was covered with a great flood. They wept for their neighbors, and then looked at their hut. It was now a grand palace.

  Zeus told them to ask any favor. Baucis and Philemon wanted to be priests of the gods in their new home. They also asked that neither one would have to live without the other.

  Zeus granted their wishes. The couple lived into extreme old age. One evening, Baucis saw Philemon sprout leaves. Philemon watched Baucis shoot forth green limbs. The change was so fast that all they had time to say was, “Farewell, my dear love!”

  The tree long stood, an oak and a linden woven together. Peasants came to lay boughs beneath the tree as an offering to the gods and as a memorial to the loving couple.

  ALPHEUS and ARETHUSA

  Few love affairs have happy endings like that of Baucis and Philemon. Often, as in the case of Echo and Narcissus, the feelings were not shared. Such was the love of the river god Alpheus for the beautiful nymph Arethusa.


  Arethusa lived in the hills of southern Greece where she was devoted to Artemis. Even for a nymph, Arethusa was extraordinarily lovely and had many suitors. She took no joy from her beauty. All she wanted was to roam the hills and valleys serving the goddess.

  One hot summer’s day when she was alone, she came to a cool stream with crystal-clear water. Willows lined the banks and gave pleasing shade to a pool in the stream. Arethusa came to the water’s edge and dipped her toe in. Then the nymph removed her clothes, laid them on a branch, and waded naked into the water. She swam with joy, until suddenly she thought she heard a voice coming from deep in the pool. She jumped out on the far bank and stood in terror: “Where are you going, Arethusa? Why in such a hurry? I so enjoyed having you swim through my waters.”

  The voice called out twice, frightening the maiden, but she was reluctant to run since her clothes were on the opposite side of the stream. Then the river god Alpheus rose in human form from the pool.

  Arethusa set off across the forest at a speed no man could equal, but she was not being chased by a man. As fast as the nymph was, the god was even faster. Alpheus chased her across the forest and over mountains, then down through valleys and up towering cliffs. Arethusa managed to keep just ahead him, but she was getting tired. At last she called out to Artemis: “Great goddess, hear me! If ever I have served you faithfully or carried your bow and quiver on the hunt, help me escape this god.”

  Arethusa could run no more. Exhausted she stood with sweat dripping from her body as Alpheus drew near. Then she felt the sweat begin to flow so fast that she seemed to be melting. Her entire body turned to a stream of water and sank into the ground. Artemis then transported her to safety on an island off the coast of Sicily where the nymph became a spring.

  Such was the love of Alpheus that he would not be discouraged. He turned back into his watery form and followed the maiden through a passage deep under the sea until he reached her island. There he mingled his waters with her own so that the two became one—whether Arethusa wanted it or not.

  POMONA and VERTUMNUS

  In ancient Italy there lived a beautiful nymph who cared nothing for fields and forests. She spent her time tending the fruit trees of her orchard. Her name was Pomona and instead of a hunting spear, she carried a pruning hook to trim the branches of her trees. She cared nothing for gods who tried to woo her. She built high the walls of her garden so that no one would interrupt her work with foolish talk of love.

  Vertumnus, a god of the countryside, loved Pomona more than all the others. Pomona had scorned him so many times that he disguised himself so that he could catch glimpses of her. One day he was a farmer hauling a basket of barley, the next he was a reaper fresh from cutting hay. Sometimes he dressed as a gardener so that he could help her care for her trees.

  One day the god transformed himself into an old woman and entered the orchard. Pomona invited her guest to sit in the cool shade of an apple tree. The white-haired visitor talked of how beautiful Pomona’s trees were, but said the maiden herself was even fairer. The old woman dared to kiss the nymph as a grandmother would. Then she began to speak: “Look at that tree holding up the vine that grows next to it. Such a vine is not ashamed to seek the support of a sturdy elm. Is it so different for a maiden such as you? You should not try to live your life standing on your own. I know young Vertumnus loves you. He would gladly help you care for your beautiful orchard.”

  The old woman then told Pomona a story of a stubborn princess named Anaxarete. She was loved by men throughout her kingdom and beyond, but rejected them all. A poor youth named Iphis loved her more than anyone, but she scorned him. The lad was crushed. He took a rope to the palace and hung himself. His own mother wept on his still-warm body as Anaxarete happened to glance out the window. Not even this tragic scene could touch her heart. She then tried to turn away, but found she was fixed to the spot where she stood. Her limbs turned to marble, then her heart to stone, until she was nothing but a cold statue, feeling nothing forever more.

  The old woman cautioned Pomona not to be like the foolish princess. Then the god took his true form and stood before the nymph as Vertumnus. Pomona felt love stirring in her heart at last, then reached out and took his hand.

  ENDYMION and SELENE

  Selene, the goddess of the moon, traveled across the sky at night looking down on the people of the earth as they slept. One evening her eyes fell upon Endymion, the handsome king of Elis in southern Greece. Although the king was married, Selene came to him many times and bore him fifty daughters.

  The love of the moon goddess for Endymion was so strong that she persuaded Zeus to grant Endymion anything he wished. The king considered the generous offer and finally asked that he be allowed to sleep forever, never aging. The ruler of the gods agreed. Endymion went to a mountain cave in Caria across the Aegean Sea and he laid his head on a pillow. He closed his eyes for the last time. There he rested in peace, always young, always fair. On moonless nights, Selene came to him and kissed her mortal lover gently in his endless sleep.

  ORPHEUS and EURYDICE

  The greatest of all ancient bards was Orpheus. Whenever he played his lyre, wild animals stopped to listen and the rocks of the earth followed him. He was the son of Apollo, who taught him to play, and Calliope, the leader of the Muses. Orpheus had many adventures, including a journey with the Argonauts to seek the Golden Fleece, but his greatest quest was because of love.

  Orpheus fell in love with a nymph named Eurydice, and the two planned a grand wedding. As the bride walked to the marriage ceremony, she was bitten by a poisonous serpent and died. The wedding turned into a funeral.

  Orpheus could not bear the thought of living without Eurydice, so he decided to journey to the underworld to bring her back. He found an entrance to the realm of Hades and followed the long path downward. Charon was so moved by Orpheus’s music that he rowed him across the River Styx without payment. The three-headed dog, Cerberus, became quiet. The Furies stopped shrieking. Sisyphus even stopped rolling his stone up the hill. All the shades of Hades wept with joy at the magical sound.

  Hades and Persephone, the king and queen of the underworld, were deeply touched by Orpheus’s song. He asked to bring his bride back to the world of the living. If this were not possible, then he wished to remain in the underworld rather than live without her. Hades granted the request. There was one condition. As he journeyed back to the world of light, Orpheus had to trust Eurydice was behind him. He must not turn around.

  Orpheus agreed and started up the steep path. He climbed with nothing but silence behind him. The thought that Eurydice was not following weighed heavily on his mind. What if Hades had tricked him? At last, the urge to see his bride overpowered him. He turned, only to see the ghost of Eurydice fading away. His sad bride spoke a single word, “Farewell.”

  Orpheus ran back down the path, but no one may enter Hades twice while living. Charon refused him passage and Hades himself barred the gates. For seven days Orpheus sat on the banks of the Styx and wept. Then he made his way back to the land of the living. He avoided men and women to play sad songs alone in the forest. A group of women came upon him there, worshippers of Dionysus. They fought over Orpheus and tore his body to pieces. His head fell into a stream and floated to the sea. His tongue found breath one final time to whisper the name of his beloved Eurydice.

  Hercules

  The hero Perseus had many children with Andromeda after he rescued her from the sea monster. One of their sons, Alcaeus, had a son of his own named Amphitryon. Another son, Electryon, had nine sons and a daughter named Alcmene. A third son was named Sthenelus.

  When Perseus died, Electryon became king of Argos. The nearby coast was plagued by pirates who killed Electryon’s sons. The king asked his nephew Amphitryon to look after Mycenae, the chief city of Argos, and his daughter Alcmene while he went after the pirates. He warned Amphitryon not to marry his daughter before he returned. Amphitryon quarreled with his uncle, drew his sword, and kil
led him.

  Electryon’s brother Sthenelus took the throne and banished Amphitryon from the kingdom. Amphitryon and Alcmene made their way to the city of Thebes where King Creon cleansed Amphitryon of the blood-guilt from slaying his uncle.

  Now Amphitryon was ready to marry. Alcmene first wanted him to hunt down the pirates who had killed her brothers. Amphitryon collected a band of warriors and set off to destroy them.

  On the night of Amphitryon’s victorious return, Zeus entered Alcmene’s chamber disguised as her husband. The god said it was time for a honeymoon and shared Alcmene’s bed. As soon as Zeus left, the real Amphitryon entered the palace. He ran to his wife and embraced her. When dawn came, Alcmene asked her husband why he had come home twice in a single night. Amphitryon was furious, but he learned from the prophet Tiresias that it was Zeus himself who had been with his wife.

  Hera said she would make Alcmene pay for being with her husband, along with the child Alcmene would have. The goddess was even more eager to do this when, after nine months, Zeus swore that his offspring born that day would rule over the fertile plain of Argos. She sped down to Mycenae where the wife of Sthenelus was seven months pregnant. The goddess made sure that the son of Sthenelus would be born early. His son, not Alcmene’s, would rule over Argos.