The name of the hero of Greek myths. Names of ancient Greek mythology

The heroes of Greek myths and legends were not immortal like their gods. But they were not mere mortals either. Most of them were descended from the gods. Their great deeds and accomplishments, which were captured in myths and well-known artistic creations, give us an idea of ​​​​the views of the ancient Greeks. So what did the most famous Greek heroes become famous for? Let's talk below...

The king of the island of Ithaca and the favorite of the goddess Athena, was known for his extraordinary intelligence and courage, although no less for his cunning and cunning. Homer's "Odyssey" tells about his return from Troy to his homeland and adventures during these wanderings. First, a strong storm nailed the ships of Odysseus to the shores of Thrace, where wild kikons killed 72 of his companions. In Libya, he blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon himself. After many trials, the hero ended up on the island of Eya, where he lived for a year with the sorceress Kirka. Sailing past the island of sweet-voiced sirens, Odysseus ordered to tie himself to the mast so as not to be tempted by their magical singing. He safely passed through the narrow strait between the six-headed Scylla, devouring all living things, and Charybdis, absorbing everyone in its whirlpool, and went out to the open sea. But lightning struck his ship, and all his companions perished. Only Odysseus escaped. The sea threw him onto the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso kept him for seven years. Finally, after nine years of perilous wandering, Odysseus returned to Ithaca. There, together with his son Telemachus, he killed the suitors who besieged his faithful wife Penelope and squandered his fortune, and began to rule Ithaca again.

Hercules (Romans - Hercules), the most glorious and powerful of all Greek heroes, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Forced to serve the Mycenaean king Eurystheus, he performed twelve famous feats. For example, he killed the nine-headed hydra, tamed and led away the hellish dog Cerberus from the underworld, strangled the invulnerable Nemean lion and dressed in his skin, erected two stone pillars on the banks of the strait separating Europe from Africa (Pillars of Hercules - the ancient name of the Strait of Gibraltar), supported the heavenly vault, while the titan Atlas was getting him miraculous golden apples, guarded by the nymphs of the Hesperides. For these and other great feats, Athena carried Hercules to Olympus after her death, and Zeus granted him eternal life.

, the son of Zeus and the Argos princess Danae, went to the country of the Gorgons - winged monsters covered with scales. Instead of hair, poisonous snakes writhed on their heads, and a terrible look turned anyone who dared to look at them to stone. Perseus beheaded the Gorgon Medusa and married the daughter of the Ethiopian king Andromeda, whom he saved from a sea monster that devoured people. He turned her former fiancé, who had arranged a conspiracy, into stone, showing the severed head of Medusa.

, the son of the Thessalian king Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis, one of the main characters of the Trojan War. As a baby, his mother dipped him into the sacred waters of the Styx, which made his body invulnerable, with the exception of the heel, by which the mother held him, lowering him into the Styx. In the battle for Troy, Achilles was killed by the son of the Trojan king Paris, whose arrow Apollo, who helped the Trojans, sent to his heel - the only weak spot (hence the expression "Achilles' heel").

, the son of the Thessalian king Eson, went with his companions to distant Colchis on the Black Sea in order to get the skin of a magical ram guarded by a dragon - the Golden Fleece. Among the 50 Argonauts participating in the campaign on the Argo ship were Hercules, Pepper Orpheus and the Dioscuri twins (sons of Zeus) Castor and Polydeuces.
After numerous adventures, the Argonauts brought the fleece to Hellas. Jason married the daughter of the Colchis king, the sorceress Medea, and they had two boys. When, a few years later, Jason decided to marry the daughter of the Corinthian king Creusa, Medea killed her rival, and then her own children. Jason died under the wreckage of the dilapidated ship Argo.

Oedipus son of the Theban king Laius. Oedipus' father was predicted to die at the hands of his own son, so Laius ordered the child to be thrown to be eaten by wild animals. But the servant took pity and saved him. As a young man, Oedipus received a prediction from the Delphic oracle that he would kill his father and marry his own mother. Terrified by this, Oedipus left his foster parents and went on a wandering journey. On the way, in a casual quarrel, he killed a noble old man. But on the way to Thebes, he met the Sphinx, who guarded the road and asked travelers a riddle: “Who walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?” Those who could not answer were devoured by the monster. Oedipus solved the riddle: "Man: as a child he crawls on all fours, as an adult he walks straight, and in old age he leans on a stick." Crushed by this answer, the Sphinx threw himself into the abyss. The grateful Thebans chose Oedipus as their king and gave him the king's widow Jocasta as his wife. When it turned out that the elder killed on the road was his father, King Laius, and Jocasta was his mother, Oedipus blinded himself in despair, and Jocasta committed suicide.

, the son of Poseidon, also did many glorious deeds. On the way to Athens, he killed six monsters and robbers. In the labyrinth of Knossos, he destroyed the Minotaur and found a way out of there with the help of a ball of threads, which was given to him by the daughter of the Cretan king Ariadne. He was also revered as the creator of the Athenian state.

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names have not been forgotten to this day, occupied a special place in mythology, fine arts and the life of the ancient Greek people. They were role models and ideals of physical beauty. Legends and poems were composed about these brave men, statues were created in honor of the heroes and called them by the names of the constellation.

Legends and myths of Ancient Greece: heroes of Hellas, gods and monsters

The mythology of ancient Greek society is divided into three parts:

1. Pre-Olympic period - legends about titans and giants. At that time, man felt defenseless against the formidable forces of nature, about which he still knew very little. Therefore, the surrounding world seemed to him a chaos, in which there are terrifying uncontrollable forces and entities - titans, giants and monsters. They were generated by the earth as the main acting force of nature.

At this time, Cerberus, a chimera, the serpent Typhon, hundred-armed hecatoncheir giants, the goddess of vengeance Erinia, appearing in the guise of terrible old women, and many others appear.

2. Gradually, a pantheon of deities of a different nature began to develop. Abstract monsters began to resist humanoid higher powers - the Olympic gods. This is a new, third generation of deities who entered the battle against the titans and giants and defeated them. Not all opponents were imprisoned in a terrible dungeon - Tartarus. Many were among the new Oceans, Mnemosyne, Themis, Atlas, Helios, Prometheus, Selena, Eos. Traditionally, there were 12 main deities, but over the centuries their composition has been constantly replenished.

3. With the development of ancient Greek society and the rise of economic forces, man's faith in his own strength became stronger and stronger. This bold view of the world gave rise to a new representative of mythology - the hero. He is the conqueror of monsters and at the same time the founder of states. At this time, great feats are performed and victories are won over ancient entities. Typhon is killed by Apollo, the hero of ancient Hellas Cadmus founds the famous Thebes on the habitat of the dragon he killed, Bellerophon destroys the chimera.

Historical sources of Greek myths

We can judge the exploits of heroes and gods from a few written testimonies. The largest of them are the poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey" by the great Homer, "Metamorphoses" by Ovid (they formed the basis of the famous book by N. Kuhn "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece"), as well as the works of Hesiod.

Around the 5th century BC. there are collectors of legends about the gods and the great defenders of Greece. The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names we now know, were not forgotten thanks to their painstaking work. These are the historians and philosophers Apollodorus of Athens, Heraclid of Pontus, Palefatus and many others.

Origin of Heroes

First, let's find out who it is - the hero of Ancient Hellas. The Greeks themselves have several interpretations. This is usually a descendant of some deity and a mortal woman. Hesiod, for example, called demigods the heroes whose ancestor was Zeus.

It takes more than one generation to create a truly invincible warrior and protector. Hercules is the thirtieth in the family of the descendants of the main one, and all the power of the previous heroes of his family was concentrated in him.

In Homer, this is a strong and courageous warrior or a person of noble birth, who has famous ancestors.

Modern etymologists also interpret the meaning of the word in question in different ways, highlighting the general - the function of the protector.

Heroes of Ancient Hellas often have a similar biography. Many of them did not know the name of their father, were brought up either by one mother, or were adopted children. All of them, in the end, went to accomplish feats.

Heroes are called upon to fulfill the will of the Olympic gods and bestow patronage on people. They bring order and justice to the earth. They also have a contradiction. On the one hand, they are endowed with superhuman strength, but on the other hand, they are deprived of immortality. The gods themselves sometimes try to correct this injustice. Thetis kills the son of Achilles, seeking to make him immortal. The goddess Demeter, in gratitude to the Athenian king, puts his son Demophon into the fire in order to burn out everything mortal in him. Usually these attempts end in failure due to the intervention of parents who fear for the lives of their children.

The fate of the hero is usually tragic. Not being able to live forever, he tries to immortalize himself in the memory of people with exploits. Often he is persecuted by malevolent gods. Hercules tries to destroy Hera, Odysseus is pursued by the wrath of Poseidon.

Heroes of Ancient Hellas: a list of names and exploits

The first protector of people was the titan Prometheus. He is conditionally called a hero, since he is not a man or a demigod, but a real deity. According to Hesiod, it was he who created the first people, molding them from clay or earth, and patronized them, protecting them from the arbitrariness of other gods.

Bellerophon is one of the first heroes of the older generation. As a gift from the Olympian gods, he received the wonderful winged horse Pegasus, with the help of which he defeated the terrible fire-breathing chimera.

Theseus is a hero who lived before the great Trojan War. Its origin is unusual. He is a descendant of many gods, and even the wise half-snakes, half-humans were his ancestors. The hero has two fathers at once - King Aegeus and Poseidon. Before his greatest feat - the victory over the monstrous Minotaur - he managed to do many good deeds: he destroyed the robbers who lay in wait for travelers on the Athenian road, he killed the monster - the Krommion pig. Also, Theseus, along with Hercules, participated in the campaign against the Amazons.

Achilles is the greatest hero of Hellas, the son of King Peleus and the goddess of the sea, Thetis. Wishing to make her son invulnerable, she put him in the oven of Hephaestus (according to other versions, in or boiling water). He was destined to die in the Trojan War, but before that, to accomplish many feats on the battlefield. His mother tried to hide him from the ruler Lykomed, dressing him up in women's clothing and passing him off as one of the royal daughters. But the cunning Odysseus, sent to search for Achilles, was able to expose him. The hero was forced to accept his fate and went to the Trojan War. On it, he accomplished many feats. The mere appearance of him on the battlefield turned the enemies to flight. Achilles was killed by Paris with an arrow from a bow, which was directed by the god Apollo. She hit the only weak spot on the hero's body - the heel. honored Achilles. Temples were built in his honor in Sparta and Elis.

The life stories of some heroes are so interesting and tragic that they should be told separately.

Perseus

Heroes of Ancient Hellas, their exploits and life stories are known to many. One of the most popular representatives of the great defenders of antiquity is Perseus. He performed several feats that glorified his name forever: he cut off his head and saved the beautiful Andromeda from the sea monster.

To do this, he had to get the helmet of Ares, which makes anyone invisible, and the sandals of Hermes, which make it possible to fly. Athena, the patroness of the hero, gave him a sword and a magic bag in which to hide a severed head, because the sight of even a dead Gorgon turned any living creature into stone. After the death of Perseus and his wife Andromeda, they were both placed by the gods in the sky and turned into constellations.

Odysseus

The heroes of ancient Hellas were not only unusually strong and courageous. Many of them were wise. The most cunning of them all was Odysseus. More than once his sharp mind rescued the hero and his companions. Homer dedicated his famous "Odyssey" to the long-term journey of the king of Ithaca home.

The Greatest of the Greeks

The hero of Hellas (Ancient Greece), the myths about which are most famous, is Hercules. and a descendant of Perseus, he accomplished many feats and became famous for centuries. All his life he was haunted by the hatred of Hera. Under the influence of the madness sent by her, he killed his children and two sons of his brother Iphicles.

The hero's death came prematurely. Putting on a poisoned cloak sent by his wife Dejanira, who thought it was soaked in a love potion, Hercules realized that he was dying. He ordered a funeral pyre to be prepared and went up on it. At the time of death, the son of Zeus - the main character of Greek myths - was ascended to Olympus, where he became one of the gods.

Ancient Greek Demigods and Characters of Myths in Contemporary Art

The heroes of Ancient Hellas, the pictures of which can be seen in the article, have always been considered examples of physical strength and health. There is not a single art form in which the plots of Greek mythology were not used. And today they do not lose popularity. Of great interest to the audience were such films as Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans, the main character of which is Perseus. Odyssey is dedicated to a magnificent film of the same name (directed by Andrey Konchalovsky). "Troy" told about the exploits and death of Achilles.

A huge number of films, series and cartoons have been shot about the great Hercules.

Conclusion

The heroes of Ancient Hellas are still a wonderful example of masculinity, self-sacrifice and devotion. Not all of them are perfect, and many of them have negative traits - vanity, pride, lust for power. But they always rose to the defense of Greece if the country or its people were in danger.

Ancient Greece is one of the richest sources of myths about gods, ordinary people and
the mortal heroes who protected them. Over the centuries, these stories have been created
poets, historians and simply "witnesses" of the legendary deeds of fearless heroes,
having the powers of demigods.

1

Hercules, the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, was famous for special honor among the heroes.
Alcmene. The most famous myth of all can be considered a cycle of 12 exploits,
which the son of Zeus performed alone, being in the service of King Eurystheus. Even
in the celestial constellation you can see the constellation Hercules.

2

Achilles is one of the bravest Greek heroes who undertook a campaign against
Troy led by Agamemnon. Stories about him are always full of courage and
courage. No wonder he is one of the key figures in the writings of the Iliad, where he
given more honor than any other warrior.

3

He was described not only as an intelligent and brave king, but also as
great speaker. He was the main key figure in the story "The Odyssey".
His adventures and return to his wife Penelope found an echo in the hearts
of many people.

4

Perseus was no less a key figure in ancient Greek mythology. He
is described as the winner of the monster Gorgon Medusa, and the savior of the beautiful
princess Andromeda.

Theseus can be called the most famous character in all of Greek mythology. He
most often appears not only in the Iliad, but also in the Odyssey.

6

Jason is the leader of the Argonauts who went to search for the golden fleece in Colchis.
This task was given to him by his father's brother Pelius in order to destroy him, but it
brought him eternal glory.

7

Hector in ancient Greek mythology appears before us not only as a prince
Troy, but also the great commander who died at the hands of Achilles. He is placed on a par with
many heroes of that time.

8

Ergin is the son of Poseidon, and one of the Argonauts who set off for the Golden Fleece.

9

Talai is another of the Argonauts. Honest, fair, smart and reliable -
as described by Homer in his Odyssey.

10

Orpheus was not so much a hero as a singer and musician. However, his
the image can be "meet" in many paintings of that time.

A hero is the son or offspring of a deity and a mortal man. In Homer, a hero is usually called a brave warrior (in the Iliad) or a noble person who has glorious ancestors (in the Odyssey). For the first time, Hesiod calls the "genus of heroes" created by Zeus, "demigods" (h m i q e o i, Orr. 158-160). In the dictionary of Hesychius of Alexandria (VI century), the concept hero explained as "powerful, strong, noble, significant" (Hesych. v. h r o z). Modern etymologists give different interpretations of this word, highlighting, however, the function of protection, patronage (the root ser-, a variant of swer-, wer-, cf. lat servare, "protect", "save"), as well as bringing it closer to the name of the goddess Hera - Hr a).

The history of heroes refers to the so-called classical or Olympic period of Greek mythology (II millennium BC, heyday - II millennium BC), associated with the strengthening of the patriarchy and the flowering of Mycenaean Greece. The Olympic gods, who overthrew the titans, in the struggle against the pre-Olympic world of the monstrous creatures of mother earth - Gaia, create generations of heroes, marrying the mortal race. The so-called catalogs of heroes are known, indicating their parents and place of birth (Hes. Theog. 240-1022; frg. 1-153; Apoll. Rhod. I 23-233). Sometimes the hero does not know his father, is brought up by his mother and goes in search, performing feats along the way.

The hero is called upon to fulfill the will of the Olympians on earth among people, ordering life and introducing justice, measure, laws into it, despite the ancient spontaneity and disharmony. Usually the hero is endowed with exorbitant strength and superhuman abilities, but he is deprived of immortality, which remains the privilege of a deity. Hence the discrepancy and contradiction between the limited possibilities of a mortal being and the desire of the heroes to assert themselves in immortality. There are myths about the attempts of the gods to make the heroes immortal; so, Thetis tempers Achilles in the fire, burning out everything mortal in him and anointing him with ambrosia (Apollod. III 13, 6), or Demeter, patronizing the Athenian kings, tempers their son Demophon (Hymn. Hom. V 239-262). In both cases, the goddesses are hindered by unreasonable mortal parents (Peleus is the father of Achilles, Metanira is the mother of Demophon).

The desire to upset the primordial balance of the forces of death and the immortal world fundamentally fails and is punished by Zeus. So, Asclepius, the son of Apollo and the mortal nymph Coronis, who tried to resurrect people, that is, to grant them immortality, was struck by Zeus' lightning (Apollod. III 10, 3-4). Hercules stole the apples of the Hesperides, which gave eternal youth, but then Athena returned them to their place (Apollod. II 5, 11). Orpheus's unsuccessful attempt to bring Eurydice back to life (Apollod. I 3, 2).

The impossibility of personal immortality is compensated in the heroic world by deeds and glory (immortality) among the descendants. The personality of the heroes for the most part has a dramatic character, since the life of one hero is not enough to realize the plans of the gods. Therefore, the idea of ​​the suffering of a heroic personality and the endless overcoming of trials and difficulties is strengthened in myths. Heroes are often driven by a hostile deity (eg Hercules is pursued by Hera, Apollod II 4, 8) and dependent on a weak, insignificant person through whom the hostile deity acts (eg Heracles is subordinate to Eurystheus).

It takes more than one generation to create a great hero. Zeus marries mortal women three times (Io, Danae and Alcmene) so that after thirty generations (Aeschylus "Bound Prometheus", 770 next) Hercules was born, among whose ancestors were already Danae, Perseus and other sons and descendants of Zeus. Thus, there is an increase in heroic power, reaching its apotheosis in the myths of common Greek heroes, such as Hercules.

Early heroism is the exploits of the heroes who destroy monsters: the struggle of Perseus with the gorgon, Bellerophon with the chimera, a number of exploits of Hercules, the apex of which is the struggle with Hades (Apollod. II 7, 3). Late heroism is associated with the intellectualization of heroes, their cultural functions (the skilful master Daedalus or the builders of the Theban walls Zet n Amphion). Among the heroes are singers and musicians who have mastered the magic of words and rhythm, tamers of the elements (Orpheus), soothsayers (Tiresias, Kalkhant, Trophonius), guessers of riddles (Oedipus), cunning and inquisitive (Odysseus), legislators (Theseus). Regardless of the nature of heroism, the exploits of heroes are always accompanied by the help of a divine parent (Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon) or a god whose functions are close to the character of this or that hero (the wise Athena helps the clever Odysseus). Often the rivalry of the gods and their fundamental difference from each other affects the fate of the hero (the death of Hippolytus as a result of the dispute between Aphrodite and Artemis; violent Poseidon pursues Odysseus in defiance of the wise Athena; Hera, the patroness of monogamy, hates Hercules, the son of Zeus and Alcmene).

Often, heroes experience a painful death (self-immolation of Hercules), dies at the hands of a treacherous villain (Theseus), at the behest of a hostile deity (Gyakinf, Orpheus, Hippolytus). At the same time, the exploits and sufferings of the heroes are considered as a kind of test, the reward for which comes after death. Hercules gains immortality on Olympus, having received the goddess Hebe as his wife (Hes. Theog. 950-955). However, according to another version, Hercules himself is on Olympus, and his shadow wanders in Hades (Hom. Od. XI 601-604), which indicates the duality and instability of the deification of heroes. Killed near Troy, Achilles then ends up on the island of Levka (an analogue of the islands of the blessed), where he marries Helen (Paus. III 19, 11-13) or Medea in the Champs Elysees (Apoll. Rhod. IV 811-814), Menelaus ( son-in-law of Zeus), without experiencing death, is transferred to the Champs Elysees (Hom. Od. IV 561-568). Hesiod, on the other hand, considers it obligatory for most heroes to move to the islands of the blessed (Orr. 167-173). The son of Apollo Asclepius, killed by Zeus' lightning, is thought of as the hypostasis of Apollo, acquires the divine functions of a healer, and his cult even supplants the cult of his father Apollo in Epidaurus. The only hero - the demigod Dionysus, the son of Zeus and Semele, becomes a deity during his lifetime; but this transformation into a god is prepared by the birth, death and resurrection of Zagreus - the archaic hypostasis of Dionysus, the son of Zeus of Crete and the goddess Persephone (Nonn. Dion. VI 155-388). In the song of the Elean women, the god Dionysus is addressed as Dionysus the Hero. (Anthologia lyrica graeca, ed. Diehl, Lips., 1925, II p. 206, frg. 46). Thus, Hercules was the model for the idea of ​​a hero-god (Pind. Nem. III 22), and Dionysus was considered a hero among the gods.

The development of heroism and independence of heroes leads to their opposition to the gods, to their insolence and even crimes that accumulate in the generations of heroic dynasties, leading to the death of heroes. There are myths about the birth curse experienced by the heroes of the end of the classical Olympic period, corresponding to the time of the decline of Mycenaean dominion. These are the myths about the curses that gravitate over the genus Atrids (or Tantalides) (Tantalus, Pelops, Atreus, Fiesta, Agamemnon, Aegisthus, Orestes), Cadmids (children and grandchildren of Cadmus - Ino, Agave, Pentheus, Acteon), Labdakid (Oedipus and his sons), Alkmeonides. Myths are also created about the death of the whole kind of heroes (myths about the war of the seven against Thebes and the Trojan War). Hesiod considers them as wars in which the heroes exterminated each other (Orr. 156-165).

At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. the cult of dead heroes, completely unfamiliar to Homeric poems, but known from the Mycenaean royal burials, is becoming widespread. The cult of heroes reflected the idea of ​​a divine reward after death, the belief in the continued intercession of heroes and patronage of their people. Sacrifices were made on the graves of heroes (cf. the sacrifices to Agamemnon in Aeschylus's Choephors), they were given sacred plots (for example, to Oedipus in Colon), singing competitions were held near their burials (in honor of Amphidamantus in Chalkis with the participation of Hesiod, Orr. 654-657 ). Lamentations (or frens) for the heroes, glorifying their exploits, served as one of the sources of epic songs (cf. "glorious deeds of men" sung by Achilles, Homer "Iliad", IX 189). The common Greek hero Hercules was considered the founder of the Nemean Games (Pind. Nem. I). Sacrifices were offered to him in different temples: in some as an immortal Olympian, in others as a hero (Herodot. II 44). Some heroes were perceived as hypostases of God, for example Zeus (cf. Zeus - Agamemnon, Zeus - Amphiaraus, Zeus - Trophonius), Poseidon (cf. Poseidon - Erechtheus).

Where the heroes' activity was glorified, temples were built (the temple of Asclepius in Epidaurus), and an oracle was questioned at the place of his disappearance (the cave and the oracle of Trophonius, Paus. IX 39, 5). In the VII-VI centuries. BC. with the development of the cult of Dionysus, the cult of some ancient heroes - the eponyms of cities - lost its significance (for example, in Sicyon, under the tyrant Cleisthenes, the veneration of Adrast was replaced by the veneration of Dionysus, Herodot. V 67). Religious and cult heroism, consecrated by the polis system, played an important political role in Greece. Heroes were thought of as defenders of the policy, an intermediary between gods and people, a representative for people before God. After the end of the Greco-Persian War (according to Plutarch), at the behest of the Pythia, the remains of Theseus were transferred from the island of Skyros to Athens. At the same time, sacrifices were made to heroes who had fallen in battle, for example at Plataea (Plut. Arist. 21). Hence the deification after death and the inclusion of well-known historical figures among the heroes (Sophocles after death became a hero named Dexion). The honorary title of hero was received after death by outstanding commanders (for example, Brasidas after the battle of Amphipolis, Thuc. V 11, 1). The cult of these heroes was influenced by the ancient veneration of mythological characters, who began to be perceived as ancestors - the patrons of the family, clan and policy.

The hero as a universal category of characters that is found in any mythology can rarely be distinguished terminologically as clearly as in Greek mythology. In archaic mythologies, heroes are very often classified together with great ancestors, while in more developed ones they turn out to be legendary ancient kings or military leaders, including those bearing historical names. Some researchers (Sh. Otran, F. Raglan, etc.) directly elevate the genesis of mythological heroes to the phenomenon of the king-sorcerer (priest), described by J. Fraser in The Golden Bough, and even see in the heroes the ritual hypostasis of a deity (Raglan). However, this view is inapplicable to the most archaic systems, which are characterized by the idea of ​​a hero as an ancestor participating in creation, inventing a "kitchen" fire, cultivated plants, introducing social and religious institutions, and so on, that is, acting as a cultural hero and demiurge.

Unlike the gods (spirits), who are able to create cosmic and cultural objects in a purely magical way, verbally naming them, "extract" them one way or another from themselves, heroes mostly find and get these objects ready, but in remote places, other worlds , while overcoming various difficulties, taking or stealing them (as cultural heroes) from the original guardians, or the heroes make these objects like potters, blacksmiths (like demiurges). Typically, the scheme of the creation myth as a minimum set of "roles" includes the subject, the object and the source (the material from which the object is extracted / made). If the role of the subject of creation instead of the deity is played by the hero-provider, then this usually leads to the appearance of an additional role of antagonist for him.

Spatial mobility and numerous contacts of heroes, especially hostile ones, contribute to the narrative development of the myth (up to its transformation into a fairy tale or heroic epic). In more developed mythologies, heroes explicitly represent the forces of space in the struggle against the forces of chaos - chthonic monsters or other demonic creatures that interfere with the peaceful life of gods and people. Only in the process of the beginning "historicization" of the myth in epic texts do the heroes acquire the appearance of quasi-historical characters, and their demonic opponents can appear as foreign "invaders" of other faiths. Accordingly, in fairy tale texts, mythical heroes are replaced by conditional figures of knights, princes, and even peasant sons (including younger sons and other "unpromising" heroes), who defeat fairy-tale monsters by force, or cunning, or magic.

Mythical heroes intercede on behalf of the human (ethnic) community before the gods and spirits, often acting as intermediaries (mediators) between various mythical worlds. In many cases, their role is remotely comparable to that of shamans.

Heroes sometimes act on the initiative of the gods or with their help, but they are, as a rule, much more active than the gods, and this activity is, in a certain sense, their specificity.

The activity of heroes in developed examples of myth and epic contributes to the formation of a special heroic character - bold, frantic, prone to overestimating one's own strengths (cf. Gilgamesh, Achilles, heroes of the German epic, etc.). But even within the class of gods, active characters can sometimes be singled out, performing the function of mediation between parts of the cosmos, overcoming demonic opponents in the struggle. Such gods-heroes are, for example, Thor in Scandinavian mythology, Marduk - in Babylonian. On the other hand, even heroes of divine origin and endowed with "divine" power can sometimes quite clearly and even sharply oppose the gods. Gilgamesh, described in the Akkadian poem "Enuma Elish" as being two-thirds divine and in many ways superior to the gods, still cannot be compared with the gods, and his attempt to achieve immortality ends in failure.

In some cases, the violent nature of the heroes or the consciousness of internal superiority over the gods lead to the fight against God (compare the Greek Prometheus and similar heroes of the mythology of the Caucasian-Iberian peoples Amirani, Abrskil, Artavazd, and also Batradz). Heroes need supernatural power to perform feats, which is only partially inherent in them from birth, usually due to divine origin. They need the help of gods or spirits (later this need of heroes decreases in the heroic epic and increases even more in the fairy tale, where miraculous helpers often act for them), and this help is mostly acquired through a certain skill and trials such as initiatory trials, that is initiation practiced in archaic societies. Apparently, the reflection of the rites of initiation is obligatory in the heroic myth: the departure or expulsion of the hero from his society, temporary isolation and wanderings in other countries, in heaven or in the lower world, where contacts with spirits take place, the acquisition of helper spirits, the struggle with some demonic opponents. A specific symbolic motif associated with initiation is the swallowing of the young hero by a monster and the subsequent release from his womb. In many cases (and this just points to the connection with initiation), the initiator of the trials is the divine father (or uncle) of the hero or the leader of the tribe, who gives the youth "difficult tasks" or expels him from the tribe.

The exile (difficult tasks) is sometimes motivated by the hero's transgression (breaking a taboo) or the danger he poses to the father (leader). The young hero often violates various prohibitions and even often commits incest, which simultaneously signals his heroic exclusivity and attained maturity (and perhaps also the decrepitude of his father-leader). Tests can take the form of persecution in myth, attempts to exterminate by god (father, king) or demonic beings (evil spirits), the hero can turn into a mystery victim, passing through temporary death (departure / return - death / resurrection). In one form or another, trials are an essential element of heroic mythology.

The story of the miraculous (at any rate, unusual) birth of the hero, his amazing abilities and early maturity, his training and especially preliminary trials, the various vicissitudes of the heroic childhood form an important part of the heroic myth and precede the description of the most important feats that are of general importance for society.

The biographical "beginning" in heroic myth is in principle analogous to the cosmic "beginning" in cosmogonic or etiological myth. Only here the ordering of chaos is not related to the world as a whole, but to the formation of a person who turns into a hero, serving his society and able to further maintain cosmic order. In practice, however, the hero's preliminary trials in the process of his social upbringing and the main deeds are often so intertwined in the plot that it is difficult to separate them clearly. The heroic biography sometimes also includes the story of the hero’s marriage (with the corresponding competitions and trials on the part of the wonderful bride or her father, these motifs are especially richly developed in the fairy tale), and sometimes the story of his death, interpreted in many cases as a temporary departure to another peace with the perspective of return/resurrection.

The heroic biography correlates quite distinctly with the cycle of "transitional" rites accompanying birth, initiation, marriage, and death. But at the same time, the heroic myth itself, by virtue of the paradigmatic function of the myth, should serve as a model for the performance of transitional rites (especially initiation) in the course of the social education of full members of the tribe, religious or social group, as well as in the course of the entire life cycle and the normal change of generations. myth is the most important source of the formation of both the heroic epic and the fairy tale.

Myths and legends of the peoples of the world. Ancient Greece / A.I. Nemirovsky.- M.: Literature, World of Books, 2004

Heroes were born from the marriages of the Olympian gods with mortals. They were endowed with superhuman abilities and great strength, but did not possess immortality. Heroes performed all sorts of feats with the help of their divine parents. They were supposed to fulfill the will of the gods on earth, to bring justice and order into people's lives. Heroes were highly revered in ancient Greece, legends about them were passed down from generation to generation.

Not always the concept of a heroic deed included military prowess. Some heroes, indeed, are great warriors, others are healers, others are great travelers, fourths are just husbands of goddesses, fifths are the ancestors of peoples, sixths are prophets, etc. Greek heroes are not immortal, but their posthumous fate is unusual. Some heroes of Greece live after death on the Isles of the Blessed, others on the island of Levka or even on Olympus. It was believed that most of the heroes who fell in battle or died as a result of dramatic events were buried in the ground. The tombs of the heroes - the heroons - were the places of their worship. Often, there were graves of the same hero in different places in Greece.

More about the characters based on the book by Mikhail Gasparov "Entertaining Greece"

In Thebes, they told about the hero Cadmus, the founder of Cadmea, the winner of the terrible cave dragon. In Argos, they told about the hero Perseus, who at the end of the world cut off the head of the monstrous Gorgon, from whose gaze people turned to stone, and then defeated the sea monster - the Whale. In Athens, they talked about the hero Theseus, who freed central Greece from evil robbers, and then in Crete killed the bull-headed ogre of the Minotaur, who was sitting in the palace with intricate passages - the Labyrinth; he did not get lost in the Labyrinth because he held on to the thread that the Cretan princess Ariadne gave him, who later became the wife of the god Dionysus. In the Peloponnese (named after another hero - Pelops) they talked about the twin heroes Castor and Polideuces, who later became the patron gods of cavalrymen and wrestlers. The sea was conquered by the hero Jason: on the ship "Argo" with his Argonaut friends, he brought to Greece from the eastern edge of the world the "Golden Fleece" - the skin of a golden ram that descended from heaven. The sky was conquered by the hero Daedalus, the builder of the Labyrinth: on wings of bird feathers fastened with wax, he flew from Cretan captivity to his native Athens, although his son Icarus, who flew with him, could not stay in the air and died.

The main of the heroes, the real savior of the gods, was Hercules, the son of Zeus. He was not just a mortal man - he was a bonded mortal man who served the weak and cowardly king for twelve years. On his orders, Hercules performed twelve famous labors. The first were victories over monsters from the vicinity of Argos - a stone lion and a many-headed hydra snake, in which several new ones grew instead of each severed head. The last were the victories over the dragon of the far West, guarding the golden apples of eternal youth (it was on the way to him that Hercules dug the Strait of Gibraltar, and the mountains on its sides became known as the Pillars of Hercules), and over the three-headed dog Kerberos, who guarded the terrible kingdom of the dead. And after that, he was called to his main business: he became a participant in the great war of the Olympians with the rebellious younger gods, giants, in gigantomachy. The giants threw mountains at the gods, the gods slew the giants with lightning, some with a rod, some with a trident, the giants fell, but not killed, but only stunned. Then Hercules hit them with arrows from his bow, and they did not get up again. So man helped the gods to defeat their most terrible enemies.

But gigantomachy was only the penultimate danger that threatened the omnipotence of the Olympians. Hercules also saved them from the last danger. In his wanderings along the ends of the earth, he saw Prometheus chained on a Caucasian rock, tormented by Zeus's eagle, took pity on him and killed the eagle with an arrow from a bow. In gratitude for this, Prometheus revealed to him the last secret of fate: let Zeus not seek the love of the sea goddess Thetis, because the son that Thetis will give birth to will be stronger than his father, and if it is the son of Zeus, then he will overthrow Zeus. Zeus obeyed: Thetis was given not as a god, but as a mortal hero, and their son Achilles was born. And with this began the decline of the heroic age.