YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → The ENTIRE Story of Greek Mythology Explained | Best Greek Mythology Documentary

The ENTIRE Story of Greek Mythology Explained | Best Greek Mythology Documentary — Transcript

by The Life Guide · 32,717 words · 2,188 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:13Over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece, a blind poet known as Homer,
0:18along with the most famous authors, playwrights and historians of their day would record the tales
0:23known to us as “Greek Mythology”. They would speak of the great heroes of the land, the mighty gods
0:30of Olympus and the mortal men and women who were unfortunate enough to get in their way.
0:35But who was Zeus and why did he wage a war against his own father,
0:39and send a great flood to wipe out humanity?
0:43How was mankind created by Prometheus and why
0:46were the horrors of the world unleashed from Pandora’s box?
0:49What awaited the souls of the dead in the realm of Hades and how were monsters such as the Hydra,
0:55the Cyclops and Medusa slain by famous heroes?
0:59From the 12 labours of Hercules to the Trojan War, this is the Entire Story of Greek Mythology.
1:35In the beginning, there was only chaos,
1:37a great void of emptiness. But from the chaos sprung Gaia, Earth, as well as Eros, Love.
1:44They were then joined by Night and Day, who would put an end to the reign of
1:49Erebus, Darkness, with the eternal cycle of dusk and dawn emerging.
1:54Lastly would come Tartarus, the deepest depths of the world,
1:58where condemned souls would be sent for punishment.
2:01But these would not be the only primordial beings to emerge,
2:05for Gaia would birth one more. Uranus, the Sky.
2:10The two would then unite and produce 12 children; 6 sons and 6 daughters. These
2:17children would be known as the Titans. Among them was Oceanus, a great river
2:23that encircled the world. He would be joined by his brother Hyperion, the Sun, who would ride
2:29his great chariot across the sky, shining light down upon the Earth. But when day became night,
2:35his daughter Selene, the Moon, would emerge, shining her light into the darkness.
2:41But Uranus was a cruel father to the Titans,
2:44locking his children deep within the Earth. To escape, they would look to their mother Gaia,
2:49who fashioned an indestructible sickle that she gifted to her youngest and strongest son Cronus.
2:56Cronus would patiently wait, and when Uranus next came to lie with his mother,
3:00he would jump out and slice off his father’s genitals which fell into the sea.
3:05From them would spawn Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty and the first of a new generation.
3:13Having defeated his father Uranus with the sickle, Cronus would take his place as ruler of the world,
3:20but his reign was not to last as Cronus would have 3 sons and 3 daughters with his sister Rhea,
3:26with these children becoming known as the Gods.
3:30Cronus, however, was just as cruel as his own father and having recently been
3:35informed that one of his children was prophesied to overthrow him,
3:39would swallow each of them whole as they were born.
3:43Only one would escape this horrible fate, with Zeus,
3:46the youngest of his children, being saved by his mother Rhea.
3:51Not wanting to lose her last child, Rhea would hide Zeus on Mount Ida in Crete and instead feed
3:58her husband a rock dressed in infant’s clothing, with the Titan consuming it none the wiser.
4:04Zeus would be raised by his Grandmother Gaia on the island,
4:07being hidden away until he reached manhood and was strong enough to challenge his father.
4:13When the time came Zeus would return, striking down Cronus and releasing his siblings from his
4:19father’s stomach. With his brothers and sisters now at his side, Zeus would wage war for 10 long
4:26years against the Titans, releasing from the depths of the earth the hundred-handed giants,
4:32as well as the Cyclops, legendary craftsmen who would forge Zeus a mighty thunderbolt,
4:38Poseidon a trident and Hades a hat of Invisibility, turning the tide of the war.
4:45With the Titans defeated, Zeus would imprison them in Tartarus, deep within the earth,
4:50where they would remain in torment for eternity. Having led the Titans in battle, a
4:55special punishment was reserved for Atlas, who was cursed to hold the sky on his shoulders forever.
5:01Only a few Titans would escape punishment, with Themis, the Titan of law and order,
5:07and her son Prometheus, who had allied with Zeus at the start of the conflict,
5:12being pardoned and allowed to live their lives amongst the Gods.
5:17With the world now free of the Titan’s rule, the three brothers Zeus, Poseidon and Hades would
5:24decide what realm each would claim, with Zeus receiving the sky,
5:27Poseidon the sea and Hades the Underworld where the spirits of the dead would reside.
5:34Taking up home on Mount Olympus, Zeus and his fellow gods would become
5:39known as the 12 Olympians, ruling over mortals and monsters alike.
5:53While the Gods now ruled Earth, Prometheus,
5:55one of the only titans spared, was not satisfied with its inhabitants,
5:59he saw only beasts, mindless creatures that were barely worthy of attention. And so Prometheus
6:06would fashion man from clay, sculpting his new creation in the image of the Gods.
6:12But Prometheus was not content with his new creation as man dwelled in the caves
6:17just like other beasts. And so he gave them fire, a great primordial flame,
6:22that would allow them to emerge from the cave, to fashion tools and rise from the darkness.
6:28Man would soon come to rule over all other creatures, but Zeus was not happy.
6:34He wanted them to show gratitude to the gods and so demanded that an animal sacrifice be
6:39made at each meal, but left it to Prometheus to decide what part of the animal would be offered.
6:44But Prometheus’ loyalty lay with man rather than the Gods. Wanting to give them an advantage,
6:51he would kill a bull and divide it into two parts, presenting both to Zeus.
6:56On one side lay the tender and juicy meat, hidden under the unappealing stomach of the beast. On the
7:03other side, lay the bare bones of the animal, concealed by a thick layer of delicious fat.
7:09Zeus would choose the parcel covered in fat to be offered to the gods, but when he stripped
7:14away the top layer to discover that only the bones remained, he would become enraged and so
7:20decided to punish man by taking away the fire Prometheus had gifted them. But without fire,
7:26man went back to darkness, retreating into the caves. Wanting to save his creation,
7:32Prometheus would scale Mount Olympus to steal the fire of the gods. With his great torch in hand, he
7:39would return to earth, gifting his creation fire and allowing civilisation to start once again.
7:45When Zeus looked down to see fire on earth yet again, he was furious, taking Prometheus
7:51and chaining him to the side of a mountain. Each day Prometheus would lay in torment,
7:56as Zeus sent an eagle to feast on his liver. But as Prometheus was immortal,
8:01each night, the liver would grow back, only to be consumed once again the following day.
8:07On and on the punishment would go with his suffering continuing for millennia.
8:22But Zeus was not done and wished to punish humanity further, asking Hephaestus to craft
8:27a being capable of inflicting great suffering upon man. And so taking up clay from the earth,
8:34Hephaestus would shape the first woman. From Aphrodite she gained her emotions and beauty and
8:41from Zeus an insatiable curiosity. Hermes would give her the gift of speech but also grant her
8:48her name, Pandora, meaning ‘all gifts’, as she had received an offering from each of the gods.
8:54Pandora was then given a final gift by the gods, a sealed box that she was told contained special
9:01gifts, but was forbidden from ever opening. Zeus would then instruct Hermes to deliver
9:06Pandora to Earth, where she would soon marry the Titan Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus.
9:13Prometheus had advised his brother not to take anything from the gods,
9:17but he was so struck by Pandora's beauty that he accepted her without thought.
9:22For a time the two would live happily together,
9:25exploring nature and having a daughter named Pyrrha who brought them great joy,
9:30but in all her curiosity, Pandora’s mind would always wander back to the box.
9:36As days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, her curiosity turned into a burning desire.
9:43Finally, she could resist no more, peeking into the box to see what was inside. But the moment
9:49she did, a great cloud filled the air. Out sprung all the evils Prometheus had kept away from man,
9:56with greed and envy, as well as old age and disease, all escaping into the world.
10:02By the time Pandora managed to close the lid, there was only one thing remaining inside, hope.
10:09It was to be Zeus’ greatest punishment, for with hope, men would cling on to their lives through
10:14all adversity, ensuring they endured the hardships that now burdened them for the rest of time.
10:29And so ended the Golden Age of Man, a perfect time, where humanity lived without care or worry.
10:37Never growing old, they would live off the wild fruits of the land, enjoying all that nature had
10:42to offer. But with old age escaping from Pandora's box, their time on earth had come to an end.
10:49Next would come the Age of Silver and then the Age of Bronze, where man would become arrogant,
10:55failing to worship the gods and forging weapons to wage war on each other. Vicious and cruel,
11:02man would draw the anger of Zeus, who was so appalled by man’s lust for war, would decide
11:08that humanity deserved nothing more than to be completely wiped from the earth. The only feasible
11:14option he saw to do this was to unleash a great flood upon the world. And so he asked his brother
11:20Poseidon to gather all his strength and strike his trident upon the deepest depths of the ocean.
11:26The wave created was so powerful that it would eclipse the tallest mountains,
11:31crashing down upon the cities of man below. Rains would pour from the heavens and winds
11:37would strike the water until it consumed all the eye could see. Those who survived
11:43would soon succumb to starvation, until finally, all dry land had disappeared.
11:48There would be only two survivors, Pyrrha, the daughter of Pandora, and Deucalion, the son of
11:54Prometheus. They had been forewarned by Prometheus that a great flood was coming and so had built a
12:02ship to survive the coming destruction. Their little boat would survive the ravages of
12:07Poseidon’s great storm, drifting alone in the vast oceans, while they mourned for their fallen kin.
12:13They would soon drift towards Mount Parnassus,
12:16the peak of which remained the only place the oceans had not consumed.
12:21Believing his job was done Zeus would command the rains to cease,
12:25and for the waters to recede, with the Earth becoming calm once again.
12:30But although the earth was now still, it was devoid of human life. Deucalion
12:35and Pyrrha would ask the gods how they could rebuild humanity, with the Titan Themis being
12:41sent to answer their prayers. To bring back their fellow man, Themis instructed that they
12:47each travel along the mountain, throwing stones behind their backs as they went.
12:52Day after day and night after night they would each throw stones behind them,
12:57with those thrown by Deucalion growing into men and those by Pyrrha into women.
13:02And so it was that humanity was born once again. With the crimes of their ancestors washed away,
13:08they were granted a second chance, able to choose a path of their own making. Only time
13:15would tell if they would be as brutal and destructive as those that had preceded them.
13:20But this time humanity would be protected, for on Mount Parnassus, Deucalion had found a gift,
13:26a tool so secure that not even the Gods of Olympus could breach it,
13:31something that would keep humanity safe for the rest of time: Nord’s Ultimate Security Package.
13:37You too can reclaim control over your digital privacy and gain access to:
13:42Malware protection that warns you about unsafe sites and scans and
13:47deletes any files that could harm your device.
13:49A data breach scanner to check if your passwords,
13:52email address, or credit card details have been leaked.
13:55An ad blocker that prevents all those annoying pop-up ads and banners,
14:00allowing for a smoother online experience.
14:02A privacy tool that stops third-party websites and online spies from tracking your activity.
14:08A cross-platform password manager that can back up any passwords you choose in an encrypted vault.
14:15A Dark Web Monitor that scans the dark web for your personal information,
14:19helping protect you against account lockouts and identity theft.
14:2324/7 customer support
14:25And to top it all off, access to the fastest VPN on the market. Their VPN will allow you to browse
14:33securely while travelling or using public wifi, access geo-restricted content, from the likes of
14:39Youtube & Netflix, and bypass internet censorship all while keeping your data private and secure.
14:45What’s even better is that you don't even need to have the VPN turned on for all of their
14:51features to work, simply click on the Threat Protection option, toggle on the features you
14:56want and let them run in the background keeping your device protected and secure.
15:01If you have any device connected to the internet,
15:03you need NordVPNs ultimate security package. Protect yourself online,
15:08click the link in the description or pinned comment and go to NordVPN.com/TheLifeGuide
15:15Once there make sure you click “grab deal”, this will give you access to the best prices available.
15:21What's even better, is that if you select their 2-year plan,
15:25you can get everything we just mentioned for just £3 a month. It helps support
15:30the channel and is completely risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee!
15:59Zeus, the king of the Gods ruled from his throne on Mount Olympus,
16:03with his symbols of the thunderbolt and eagle becoming omens to humanity.
16:07Zeus was responsible for all weather changes, from thunderstorms to raging blizzards depending on his
16:13mood. The Greeks considered Zeus the greatest of the gods, with those who bowed before him
16:19receiving good fortune and those who dared to defy him subjected to terrible punishments.
16:25Having now taken control of the world, Zeus would look for a wife
16:29to rule by his side. But the King of the Gods was famous for his infidelity,
16:34with him having no less than seven wives during his reign.
16:38The first to marry Zeus would be the nymph Metis, the goddess of wisdom, with her soon
16:43falling pregnant with his child. But Zeus had been warned by his grandparents, Gaia and Uranus,
16:50that Metis was destined to bear him a treacherous son, who would one day take his throne. Seeing no
16:57other choice, Zeus would swallow Metis before she gave birth, in the hopes of avoiding the prophecy.
17:02But after he did so, Zeus would begin to suffer a terrible headache, with the pain becoming so
17:08intense that he would ask for his head to be split open with an axe. From the gap in his
17:13forehead would spring the child Metis had been carrying inside her, a daughter named Athena,
17:19the goddess of war and wisdom, fully grown and ready to take her place as one of the Olympians.
17:26Zeus’ second wife would be his aunt Themis, the Titan of justice and law,
17:31who had betrayed her own kind, to side with the gods during their war with the Titans.
17:36The pair would have only three children together, however,
17:40they would come to garner great power over the mortal world. Known as The Three Fates,
17:45these sisters would become the goddesses of destiny,
17:48spinning a thread of life that would determine the road each individual soul would take.
17:54The youngest sister would be known as Clotho, “The Spinner”, as she was responsible for spinning the
18:00thread of each human life as they were born. Controlling if and when a soul was created,
18:05it was only through Clotho’s great power that a new life would come to be.
18:10Her older sister, Lachesis, “The Alotter”, would determine the fate of each person. Using her rod,
18:17Lachesis would measure the length and nature of every thread spun upon Clotho’s spindle,
18:23and in doing so would plot out the duration, as well as every major event of each human life.
18:29And finally, the eldest and most feared sister would be known as Atropos, “The Unturning”.
18:36When a mortal's allotted time on earth had come to an end,
18:39Atropos would take her great shears and end their life by cutting through the thread.
18:49Zeus would go on to have many more wives, fathering numerous gods and goddesses alike,
18:56but for his seventh and final wife, he would take his older sister Hera,
19:00the goddess of women and marriage, with Zeus having finally found a queen to rule by his side.
19:20But even after his marriage to Hera, Zeus’ lustful eye would
19:24extend beyond the heavens with the king of the gods continuing to pursue other women.
19:29Fathering countless children, Zeus would be related to nearly every god and hero,
19:34with him often disguising himself to gain the affection of women who drew his eye.
19:39One such woman, Europa, was the princess of the city of Tyre,
19:43and sister to the famous hero Cadmus.
19:47One day, as she was picking flowers by the coast, Europa would draw the
19:51attention of Zeus, with the king of the gods deciding to claim her as his own.
19:55To hide his infidelity from Hera, Zeus decided to transform himself into a magnificent white
20:02bull before travelling down to Earth. Upon seeing the bull, Europa would be mesmerised
20:07by its beauty and so decided to climb upon its back. The moment she mounted him, however,
20:12Zeus would set out at full speed, sprinting straight into the sea. Screaming in terror,
20:19Europa would grip desperately to the bull’s horns as it ran across the vast ocean.
20:24To reassure the terrified princess, Zeus would decide to reveal his true identity,
20:29telling her he was not merely a beast but instead the King of the Gods. The two would eventually
20:35arrive at Crete, the island on which Zeus was hidden as a child, where she would bear him
20:40many children. Their offspring would eventually become some of the most renowned men of Greece,
20:45with Minos, the king of Crete and owner of the legendary Minotaur being amongst them.
20:50To commemorate his love for Europa, Zeus would name the continent where they stood
20:55“Europe” in her honour, and would recreate the image of the white bull in the stars,
21:00which would become known as the constellation Taurus.
21:09Hera, wife of Zeus and Queen of the Gods, was the protector of marriage and women,
21:13being deeply respected in Greek society. Although she was revered,
21:19she was also one of the most vengeful and spiteful Gods on Mount Olympus, making
21:24her a poor match for her husband Zeus, whose numerous affairs would constantly draw her anger.
21:29Despite being his queen, Hera would only bear him two of the twelve olympians,
21:35Ares and Hephaestus, with the other gods coming from Zeus’ numerous affairs.
21:41One of Zeus’ most insulting acts of infidelity would be with the princess Io,
21:46one of Hera’s most devoted priestesses.
21:49When Hera came to investigate, in an attempt to protect Io from his wife, Zeus would transform her
21:56into a beautiful white cow. But the queen of the gods was not fooled by the deception, and knowing
22:02that she had caught Zeus red-handed, would demand that he give her the white cow as a present.
22:08Knowing that refusing the request would only confirm Hera’s suspicions,
22:12Zeus saw little choice but to accept, with Hera locking Io in a cave,
22:17where she would be guarded by the hundred eyed monster known as Argus. The perfect guardsman,
22:23Argus could sit with half his eyes asleep and the other half awake, never breaking his watch.
22:29Zeus was too terrified of Hera to intervene himself, but he would eventually send the
22:35messenger god Hermes to free the miserable Io. A master musician, Hermes decided to defeat Argus
22:42not through strength, but through wit. Approaching the monster as a friend, he began playing his
22:48pipes and singing sweet lullabies until Argus began to fall asleep. As the hundredth eye finally
22:56shut, Hermes would take out his sword and slay the beast, before releasing Io from her prison.
23:02To thank Argus for his service, Hera would take his eyes and set them in the tail of the peacock,
23:08her favourite bird, which would become a symbol of her power. Not yet finished with Io,
23:14she would send a gad-fly to torment her as she made her escape, almost driving the woman insane.
23:20Io wandered long and far, with the sea which she ran along being
23:24named the Ionian Sea in her honour. The Bosporus, which means Ford of the Cow,
23:31would also be named to commemorate the moment she passed by during her wanderings.
23:36Io would eventually arrive at the Nile in Egypt, far away from Hera,
23:40where Zeus would finally be able to restore her human form. The two would have a child, Epaphus,
23:47with Io becoming the ancestor to many of Greece’s greatest heroes, including Perseus and Heracles.
24:00Leto, yet another of Zeus’ lovers, would experience the full extent of
24:07Hera’s jealous rage. After finding out Leto had laid with Zeus and fallen pregnant with twins,
24:13Hera would send the great serpent Python to torment her, forcing Leto to flee across
24:19Greece in a desperate search to find refuge and a place to give birth to her children.
24:25But Hera would forbid any city from providing her with shelter,
24:29with Leto travelling from Athens to Crete, from Lemnos to Samos,
24:34with none willing to take her in for fear of upsetting the queen of the gods.
24:39Only the island of Delos was willing to offer Leto refuge, but she was still
24:44unable to deliver her children, as Hera, still scheming against her, had trapped Eileithyia,
24:50the goddess of childbirth, on Mount Olympus, preventing any births from taking place.
24:56After nine days and nights of agonising labour the other goddesses would take pity on Leto,
25:02retrieving Eileithyia from Olympus, and finally allowing her to give birth.
25:07Leto would name one child Apollo and the other Artemis, the god of Archery
25:13and goddess of the hunt, who would grow up to become fully fledged gods of Olympus.
25:18Upon the birth of the twins, towns and cities across the known world would arrange
25:24great parties in their honour, with the city of Thebes hosting the greatest celebrations of all.
25:30Yet of all the city’s inhabitants, one would not take part in the festivities,
25:34Queen Niobe, whose beauty was matched only by her arrogance.
25:40Boasting to all who would listen, Niobe mocked Leto for having just two children, arguing
25:46that as she had many more, seven sons and seven daughters, she should receive the honours instead.
25:54Upon hearing the insult, Leto was furious that a mortal queen would dare to disrespect her, and so
26:00sent Apollo and Artemis to the city of Thebes to enact her revenge. Raining down arrows from above,
26:07Apollo would kill each of her sons and Artemis every daughter, with Niobe left alone in despair.
26:14Distraught at the loss of her children, Niobe would flee to her homeland of Sipylus,
26:19crying uncontrollably and begging the gods to put an end to her pain.
26:24Taking pity on the queen, Zeus would transform her into a great stone, forever ending her suffering.
26:31Located in Western Turkey and known as the Weeping Rock, Niobe can still be seen grieving to this
26:38day, with tears flooding from her eyes wherever it rains, as the water flows through the porous rock.
26:51Apollo, the youngest twin, was the god of archery, light and music.
26:56He was also closely linked with prophecy, with him travelling to Mt Parnassus, where the great
27:02snake Python, which had chased his mother across the land, had made its home. Taking his revenge,
27:08he would slay the beast with countless shots from his golden bow, constructing a great
27:13temple where its body fell, a site that would become the home of the famous Oracle of Delphi.
27:19Known as the Pythia, the Oracle would become one of the most influential figures in ancient Greece,
27:25where anyone from great kings to common farmers went for advice. Said to be the mouthpiece of
27:31Apollo, she would inhale the vapours rising from her chamber and go into a frenzied state,
27:36delivering the god’s prophecies through her psychotic and demented chanting.
27:48Following his great victory over Python, a beast he had killed with over a thousand arrows, Apollo
27:55was filled with pride, declaring himself the greatest archer to have ever lived. So proud was
28:01Apollo, that when he saw Eros, the youthful god of love, holding his own bow and set of arrows,
28:08Apollo would laugh at the child, declaring that he was unfit to even wield such a weapon.
28:14Filled with rage, Eros would swear revenge against Apollo, promising to show him the
28:20full extent and true power of his bow. Following Apollo to the River Peneus,
28:25Eros would soon spot the River’s daughter, the beautiful Daphne, sitting upon the shore.
28:31Taking aim with his bow, Eros would fire a gold-tipped arrow at Apollo,
28:36causing him to fall madly in love with her. Yet he would fire a second arrow at Daphne,
28:42one tipped with lead, that would make her feel nothing but disgust at the sight of Apollo.
28:49And so, as the God of Archery approached Daphne overcome with desire, she would
28:54flee at the very sight of him, running through the forest in a desperate attempt to escape.
29:00Consumed by Eros’ spell and longing to confess his love, Apollo would chase
29:05her through the woods, using his divine powers to quickly catch up and reach her.
29:10Terrified of the god, Daphne would cry out to her father, the River God Peneus, for help. He
29:16would answer her call, with her soon beginning to feel a great heaviness overcome her limbs.
29:22Slowing to a halt, her skin would turn to bark and her hair to leaves,
29:27until finally, Daphne’s transformation was complete.
29:31Where a young and beautiful woman had once stood was now, the first Laurel tree, with Apollo using
29:38his powers of eternal youth and immortality to make the Laurel tree’s leaves evergreen,
29:43ensuring they kept their colour all year round. Mourning his lost love, Apollo would carry a
29:50laurel wreath wherever he went, making sure that Daphne was always close to his heart.
30:01Apollo’s most important child would be Asclepius, a famous physician who was so skilled that he
30:09was able to bring the dead back to life. But this would draw the wrath of Hades, as these
30:15resurrections destroyed the balance of nature and deprived the Underworld of new souls. To restore
30:21the natural order, Zeus would kill Asclepius with a thunderbolt, yet at the pleading of Apollo, Zeus
30:28would later resurrect him, with Asclepius becoming the god of healing and medicine. Asclepius
30:34would later father Hygieia, the goddess of cleanliness, from whom we derive the word Hygiene.
30:48Goddess of the hunt and twin sister of Apollo, Artemis was a deadly archer,
30:53watching over hunters and ensuring that nature was kept in check.
30:57A goddess of the moon and one of three virgin goddesses alongside Athena and Hestia, Artemis
31:04was quick to anger, protecting her chastity by any means possible. When the hunter Actaeon,
31:10a grandson of Cadmus, accidentally stumbled upon her as she lay bathing in the forest,
31:16the goddess was quick to punish him. Turning Actaeon into a deer, she would set his 50
31:21hunting dogs upon him, with the hunter suffering a horrific and painful death for his mistake.
31:33Poseidon, brother of Zeus, ruled the seas from his magnificent palace beneath the waves.
31:39Known as the Earth Shaker, Poseidon would create all earthquakes, travelling across the oceans in
31:46his golden chariot, with him stirring and calming the waters with his famous trident.
31:51One of his harshest punishments would be inflicted upon Minos, the king of Crete.
31:57After Minos refused to sacrifice his best bull to Poseidon,
32:01the god would curse Minos’ wife to fall in love with the beast,
32:05which eventually led to the birth of the half-man, half-bull creature known as the Minotaur.
32:12But while he usually kept to his own domain in the seas,
32:15Poseidon would grow tired of Zeus’ rule on Olympus. Alongside Athena, Hera and Apollo,
32:22Poseidon would attempt to dethrone Zeus, but the rebellion would ultimately fail.
32:28Zeus would punish Poseidon and Apollo by sending them to serve king Laomedon of Troy,
32:34where they would spend an entire year building the city’s giant and famous walls, walls that would
32:40later have to withstand the force of Greece’s mightiest armies during the Trojan War.
32:49Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom and the child of Zeus and Metis, was known for
32:56her love of strategists and cunning heroes, helping many of them on their great quests.
33:02But she was also a proud goddess and to stake her claim on the world, she decided to compete for
33:08patronage of a great city in eastern Greece, which was yet to be named. Competing against her Uncle
33:14Poseidon, the two would attempt to give the city the best gift. Poseidon would strike the ground
33:20with his trident, making a stream of water rise up for all to see, but as the water was salty,
33:27it could not be used to tend the land, with the city's inhabitants unimpressed.
33:32But Athena, wanting to gift the city something they had never seen before, would place the
33:38palm of her hand on the earth, with the first olive tree emerging. Not only would it feed the
33:44people of the land, but it would also have many uses, with the oil it produced used in cooking,
33:50medicine, perfume, candles, and athletics, bringing numerous benefits to the ancient world.
33:56With Poseidon hanging his head in shame, the gods would deem Athena victorious,
34:01with the city taking her name and becoming known as Athens,
34:05the capital of Greece and one of the most important cities of its era.
34:17The inventor of mathematics, Athena also had a fondness for music,
34:21inventing the trumpet and flute, as well as being the patron of artists and craftsmen.
34:27She was particularly proud of her skill in weaving,
34:31although this would bring her into conflict with a young girl from Libya named Arachne.
34:36Highly skilled in the craft, Arachne would boast she was the greatest weaver to ever live,
34:41challenging Athena to a competition. They would each produce a tapestry of the gods,
34:47with the person that demonstrated the most skill being crowned victorious.
34:52The two would weave furiously for hours until finally both pieces
34:57were complete. But to Athena’s surprise, Arachne’s was far better than her own.
35:02Furious, she struck Arachne on the head again and again until she dropped to the floor. But
35:09rather than kill her, Athena transformed the girl into the first spider, where she would use
35:14her talents to weave beautiful webs, with the creatures known as arachnids taking her name.
35:21If you, unlike Arachne, want to avoid Athena’s wrath, make sure you subscribe and if you're
35:27feeling very generous, we've just launched a new feature called super thanks, where
35:32you can help support the channel and get your message highlighted for us and others to see.
35:40Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was born from the genitals of Uranus, making her
35:47the oldest of the Olympians. A mischievous god, she would use her powers for her own amusement,
35:53making Zeus sleep with mortal women so he would have to face the anger of Hera.
35:58Responsible for sexual attraction in both mortals and the gods alike, she would often
36:03be accompanied by Eros, known to the Romans as Cupid, whose arrows could charm any creature,
36:09with the two striking love into the hearts of unsuspecting mortals across the world.
36:21For one man in particular, Eros shot many arrows into the hearts of potential lovers,
36:27who found themselves attracted to a beautiful young man who went by the name of Narcissus.
36:33While he was blessed with great beauty, he was also burdened by vanity and arrogance,
36:38taking pleasure in cruelly rejecting the advances of the many women who pursued him.
36:44But soon, he would cross paths with the nymph Echo. Cursed by Hera after she became the object
36:50of Zeus’ affections, Echo was unable to use her voice except to copy the words of others.
36:57Echo had been in love with Narcissus for some time, but when she finally
37:01found the courage to approach him, all she could do was repeat what he said.
37:06Unamused, Narcissus would cruelly reject her too, and in doing so would crush her spirit. In her
37:13grief, she would slowly waste away until only her voice remained, a voice that can still be heard
37:19today as Echo repeats our words back to us. But Echo would not go unavenged, as Nemesis,
37:26the goddess of vengeance, had been watching. When Narcissus next bent down to drink from a lake,
37:32he would finally find the one he loved, yet it was not a woman, but instead his own reflection.
37:40Mesmerised, he stared deeply into his own eyes, unable to turn away. For weeks he stayed by the
37:48pool, gazing at his own reflection, until finally, he could endure it no more. Realising he would
37:55never be with anyone as beautiful as himself, he would take a dagger and plunge it into his heart.
38:01From where his blood touched the earth would bloom a beautiful flower,
38:05the first Narcissus, with the word narcissist stemming from his story.
38:18But while some, like Narcissus, would become lost in the depths of love,
38:22others would seek endlessly to find it.
38:25One such man, Pygmalion, was a great artist from the island of Cyprus. But
38:30after many years of unlucky love, he had given up on women entirely,
38:34resigning himself to a life of solitude and instead focusing all his attention into his art.
38:41Beginning work on a new statue, Pygmalion would labour day after day, until the figure of a woman
38:48would begin to appear before him. Working harder than he ever had before, Pygmalion
38:54would spend hours chiselling the most intricate of details into his woman of stone, shaping her
38:59slender face and carving out each lock of hair, until finally, his masterpiece was complete.
39:06As he stepped back to admire his work, Pygmalion was struck by the beauty of his creation. Never
39:13before had he seen a more perfect statue, nor even a real woman, who could match what he saw before
39:19him. Spending hours holding the statue’s stone hands and kissing its cold and lifeless lips,
39:26Pygmalion would grow ever sadder and more lonely, as he realised that he would never find a woman
39:32he loved more than the one he had carved from stone. Spending night after night in the workshop,
39:38Pygmalion would pray to the gods to bless him with a woman as perfect as his statue.
39:43But as he prayed, the stone figure behind him would begin to transform.
39:48Its cold and lifeless hair would turn into long and flowing locks
39:53while its grey and cracked skin would soften and become warm to the touch.
39:58Looking up in surprise, Pygmalion would be shocked to see a face smiling back at him,
40:03not one of stone, but one of flesh and blood.
40:08Always happy to help those seeking love, Aphrodite had answered his prayers,
40:12with the once lifeless statue introducing herself as Galatea, before stepping down from her pedestal
40:19and embracing Pygmalion with open arms, his years of loneliness and isolation finally over.
40:34But while Aphrodite took joy in helping young couples find love, she was also a vain and
40:40jealous goddess, and would take revenge against those who stole the spotlight away from her.
40:46Such was the case with the Greek princess Psyche,
40:49a mortal woman who was so beautiful that it was said she surpassed the goddess of love herself.
40:55With men from every corner of the earth coming to gaze upon Psyche, they would soon forget about
41:01Aphrodite entirely, with her altars becoming neglected and her temples falling to ruin.
41:08Furious that none were paying her attention, Aphrodite would call upon her companion Eros,
41:13demanding that he use his powers to make Psyche fall in love with
41:18the most vile and despicable man on the face of the earth.
41:20But when Eros went to carry out her instructions, he too would be struck by Psyche’s beauty,
41:27falling deeply in love and for the first time, refusing to follow Aphrodite’s commands.
41:33However, as Eros would now refuse to strike any man with love for Psyche, she would grow sadder
41:40and more lonely as the years went on, before finally turning to the Oracle of Delphi for help.
41:46Following the Oracle’s instructions, Psyche would travel to a magnificent palace where it
41:52was said her husband would come to claim her. But upon arriving, the palace’s servants would warn
41:58Psyche that her new husband was a secretive man, and would only visit her in the dark of night,
42:03with her never allowed to ask for his identity, nor seek to look upon his face.
42:08Overjoyed with her new life, Psyche would spend every day in the palace’s beautiful gardens,
42:13but one day, Psyche would be overcome by her curiosity, taking an oil lamp and
42:20lighting it in the early hours of the morning. Looking down, she would be overcome with joy,
42:25as her husband was none other than Eros, the young and handsome god of love.
42:31However, in her excitement, Psyche would lose her grip on the lamp,
42:35with the hot oil falling down onto Eros’ shoulder, causing the god to wake up in fright.
42:41Disappointed that Psyche had failed to keep her trust in him,
42:45Eros would tell her that the marriage was over, before flying back to mount Olympus.
42:49Distraught at the loss of her husband,
42:52Psyche would visit Aphrodite, begging the goddess for a chance to see Eros once again.
42:58But Aphrodite had not forgotten her hatred for the girl who had stolen the world’s
43:03attention away from her. And so when Psyche arrived to beg at the foot of her throne,
43:08Aphrodite would laugh in delight, setting the girl an impossible task.
43:13If she wanted to see her husband again, Psyche would have to travel to the underworld and ask
43:18Persephone, the queen of the dead, to place a fragment of her beauty within a golden box.
43:24Travelling to the underworld, Psyche would come to the River Styx,
43:28and after paying Charon’s fee, would be ferried across its dark and haunting waters.
43:34Arriving in the throne room of Hades and Persephone,
43:36Psyche would approach the queen of the dead,
43:39who was happy to give her assistance, placing a fragment of her beauty within the golden box.
43:44But as Psyche began the trip back to Olympus, she would become overwhelmed by curiosity once again,
43:50lifting up the lid of the golden box and taking a look at the fragment of
43:54Persephone’s beauty contained within. But such things were not meant for mortal eyes,
44:00with Psyche falling to the ground and being enveloped by a dark and endless sleep.
44:06It was at this moment that Eros, moved by the lengths Psyche had gone to find him,
44:11would fly down to earth and use one of his arrows to save her from the grip of eternal sleep.
44:17Returning to Olympus, Zeus would arrange for them a great wedding
44:21celebration where he would grant Psyche the gift of immortality.
44:25And so it was that Psyche, whose name means soul, would become a goddess.
44:30In her union with Eros, Love and Soul would now be forever linked, with their child Hedone,
44:36the goddess of pleasure, bringing joy to mortals across the earth.
44:46The god of smithing, and the son of Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus would have a difficult start to life.
44:52He was born lame and so his mother Hera, after seeing the deformity, decided to throw him off
44:58Olympus into the sea to drown. Surviving the fall, Hephaestus would later return
45:03to the home of the Gods and take his revenge, crafting a golden throne for Hera that would
45:09not allow her to stand back up once she sat upon it. It would only be through the intervention of
45:14Zeus that Hera would escape, with the king of the gods securing her release in exchange for
45:19gifting Hephaestus the goddess Aphrodite, the most beautiful Olympian, as his wife.
45:25Hephaestus would become a great inventor and fashioned many of the palaces on Olympus,
45:30as well as the equipment of the gods, with Athena’s breastplate, Hermes winged helmet
45:35and sandals as well as Helios’ Chariot all being crafted in his legendary forge.
45:41Some of his most famous work would be the bow and arrow of Eros, as well as the magnificent armour
45:47and shield of Achilles, with Hephaestus’ creations aiding the greatest heroes of Greek Mythology.
45:54To the Romans he was known as Vulcan, the god of fire, who would forge his creations
45:59from a workshop beneath Sicily’s Mount Etna, with it being said that the smoke
46:04and lava emitted by the volcano came from Vulcan’s great forge beneath the surface.
46:14Ares, the god of war, delighted in battle and took pleasure in the slaughter of men and the
46:20sacking of towns. He was hated by mortals and gods alike as he represented unrestrained rage,
46:26cruelty and bloodshed, with the gods playing tricks on him for their own amusement.
46:31Ares had a long term affair with Aphrodite, the wife of Hephaestus,
46:36with the two sleeping together whenever her husband was away. When Hephaestus found out he
46:42was furious and decided to forge an invisible net to hang over his bed. When Ares came to
46:48lie with Aphrodite again, the two would be trapped naked beneath the net, unable to move,
46:53with all the gods of Olympus called out to see. Laughter would ring out throughout the heavens
46:59with the humiliation only coming to an end when Poseidon took pity and decided to set them free.
47:12But Aphrodite was not the only lover of Ares, with him also having an affair with Eos,
47:18the goddess of the dawn, who would rise through the sky each morning to clear the path for her
47:24brother Helios, the sun, so that he could make his daily journey across the earth.
47:28But upon finding out about the affair, Aphrodite would jealousy put a curse upon Eos,
47:33causing her to have an uncontrollable lust for the young mortal men of the world.
47:38And so one day, just as the morning hours were coming to an end, Eos would look down
47:44upon the Earth, with her gaze settling upon the great city of Troy. For in the city was a
47:50young Trojan prince named Tithonus, so handsome that Eos was unable to look away. Descending to
47:57Earth, Eos would introduce herself to the prince, with the two soon falling in love.
48:02At the end of each morning, when her duties were complete, Eos would travel down to Troy
48:07and meet with her beloved prince, but the more she grew to love him,
48:11the more she could not bear the thought of losing him to old age or war, to starvation or disease,
48:17or any of the other terrible ways mortal lives come to an abrupt end.
48:23And so, on her return to Mount Olympus, Eos would visit Zeus,
48:27begging him to make Tithonus immortal, a request he was happy to grant. But
48:33Eos had made one fatal mistake, as she had not asked for Tithonus to be given eternal youth.
48:38The two would live happily at first, but as the years went on, and grey hairs began to
48:44appear on the prince’s head, he would begin to realise the terrible fate that lay before him.
48:49By the time a century had passed, Tithonus would find himself crushed
48:54under the unbearable weight of age, his limbs no longer working and his mind having deteriorated,
49:00but as much as he wished for death, he knew it would never come.
49:04With sadness in her heart, Eos would take Tithonus’ fragile body and lock
49:10it away in a grand chamber where he would be safe from the outside world.
49:15After years had passed and the prince had withered away until he was little more than
49:19bones, Eos would transform Tithonus into the first cicada, an insect known for its long lifespan, and
49:27for making noise during the early hours of dawn, when Eos carries out her duties in the sky above.
49:37Hermes, the messenger god and patron of thieves was known as a trickster amongst the gods,
49:43often teasing and annoying his fellow divinities.
49:47When he came of age, he assumed the role of messenger,
49:50travelling with a golden rod as a mark of his authority.
49:54Aided by his winged helmet and sandals, he would use them to fly around and deliver messages,
49:59frequently travelling between Olympus and the Underworld. Here, he would help Hades, acting
50:05as a shepherd for the souls of the dead, guiding them as they made their way to the afterlife.
50:17Like the other gods, Hermes was known to father many children with various women,
50:21but one of his sons, Pan, the god of nature and fertility,
50:25would be born with the features of a satyr, creatures that were part man and part goat.
50:32But when he was born, Pan’s mother, a nymph named Dryope, was so horrified to see her
50:38newborn baby with a pair of horns, a full beard and hooves, that she would run away
50:43screaming in terror at the very sight of him. However Hermes would take his child
50:48up to Mount Olympus and introduce him to the rest of the gods, who were so intrigued by the boy’s
50:54hideous appearance and charmed by his playful attitude, that they would soon come to adore him.
51:00None would love him more than Dionysus, the god of wine and parties, who would
51:05give him the name Pan, meaning ‘all’, as he was beloved by all the gods of Olympus.
51:11But much like his father, Pan was known for his many affairs with Nymphs, the nature deities
51:17that inhabited streams and forests across the world. But one nymph by the name of Syrinx, would
51:23become the object of Pan’s affections, with him pursuing her through the marshes where she lived.
51:28Terrified of the god, Syrinx would try desperately to escape him,
51:32transforming herself into a bed of water reeds when she neared the river’s edge.
51:37When Pan finally reached the river, he would tear through the marsh trying to
51:41uncover the terrified nymph. But as he did so, a strong breeze would blow through the reeds,
51:47producing a beautiful melody unlike any he had heard before. Inspired by the sound,
51:53Pan would uproot the reeds and bind them together with wax, creating a set of pipes.
51:59Sitting down, he would play a tune in the memory of his lost love Syrinx, with the
52:04instrument being named the panpipes after its creator, and carried by the god wherever he went.
52:18God of wine and parties, Dionysus would have an unusual birth, when his mother, Semele, asked
52:24Zeus to appear before her in his true form, the sight of which would cause her to die of terror.
52:30Taking the infant that was growing inside her, Zeus would place it in
52:34his thigh until the baby was fully grown, with Dionysus being born a few months later.
52:39Becoming one of the most loved gods in Greece, Dionysus would be seen as a symbol of pleasure,
52:45with his followers engaging in mass drinking, crazed dancing and love making.
52:51Known as the liberator, Dionysus would create a new drink called wine,
52:55which helped his followers stem their pain while also bringing them joy and euphoria.
53:07While he spent much of his time partying,
53:10Dionysus was also a generous god, willing to grant mortals their deepest desires.
53:15After saving a close friend of Dionysus, King Midas was granted a single wish in thanks.
53:21Obsessed with wealth and fortune, Midas asked for his deepest desire, the power to turn anything he
53:28touched into gold. Dionysus would grant Midas his wish, with him returning to his palace in joy,
53:34touching everything the eye could see. Soon, the floors, walls, and even his clothes were gold,
53:40with Midas flaunting his wealth to guests from across the Kingdom.
53:43After displaying his abilities for hours, Midas would become parched,
53:48ordering his servants to fetch him some water. However, as the liquid touched his lips,
53:54it too would turn to gold. Panicking, he would reach out across the table, but the bread, wine,
54:00meat and fruit would all turn into the precious metal, nothing he touched could be consumed.
54:06Cursing his gift, Midas would begin to cry, with the sound of his sobbing alerting his daughter,
54:12who came to console him. But as she touched his hand,
54:15her fingers would begin to stiffen. Soon her whole arm was gold and before long
54:21all that remained was a statue of a little girl, reaching out to comfort her father.
54:27Mourning for his lost child, Midas would return to Dionysus, begging him
54:31to revoke his gift. Pitying the man, Dionysus instructed him to bathe in the river Pactolus,
54:37with his golden touch being washed away in the water. Becoming a normal man once again, the
54:44story of King Midas would serve as a warning for those who would prioritise wealth above all else.
54:55One of the 12 Olympians and the sister of Zeus, Demeter was the goddess of farming,
55:01ensuring that the harvest was rich and the land remained fertile.
55:05Under her watch, the fields knew no decay, with the earth consumed in an endless spring.
55:11But there was one thing she prized above all else, her daughter, Persephone. However, Persephone had
55:18another admirer, with Hades taking a keen interest in her. One day while she was strolling through a
55:24meadow, a beautiful flower would bloom before her, a Narcissus, something she had never seen before.
55:30But when Persephone reached down to pluck it, the earth would break open and swallow her, with Hades
55:36dragging Persephone down to the Underworld, where she would be forced to marry him.
55:40Distraught at her daughter’s disappearance, Demeter would search for nine days and nights
55:46until the sun god Helios revealed her captor's identity. Demeter would lock herself away for
55:52an entire year, refusing to return until Persephone was released. But without the
55:57goddess of farming, the world entered into a great famine, with the fields turning barren.
56:03It was only now, with humanity on the brink of starvation, that Zeus was forced to intervene,
56:09ordering Hades to return Persephone to her mother. Although Hades would agree,
56:14before she left he fed Persephone the food of the dead, a single pomegranate seed,
56:19binding her to the Underworld for eternity.
56:22In order to save humanity, Zeus was forced to make a compromise. For nine months of each year,
56:28Persephone would return to live with her mother on Olympus, with Demeter’s joy causing nature
56:34to bloom across the earth. However, for the final three months, Persephone would return to Hades in
56:40the Underworld, a period we now call winter, with Demeter’s grief at the absence of her daughter
56:46causing the plants to die and the world to freeze over. And so it was that the seasons began.
56:57Of all the Gods of Ancient Greece, there were few feared more than Hades.
57:01The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades was lord of the Underworld,
57:06an isolated place where the souls of the dead would reside.
57:09But although he ruled the kingdom of the dead along with his wife Persephone,
57:13Hades would not command death itself, instead, that power lay with Thanatos,
57:19who would claim the souls of mortals when they died,
57:21with Hermes the messenger god, then guiding the souls to the shores of the Underworld.
57:26Waiting at the shore would be the eternal ferryman, Charon,
57:30who was the only one able to guide the deceased across the deadly River Styx,
57:35a giant waterway that separated the Earth from the Underworld.
57:39Only those who had coins placed under their tongue when buried were able to
57:43pay Charon's fee, with those who could not afford the journey,
57:46destined to wander the shores of the River Styx for 100 years before they were allowed to cross.
57:53Having travelled along the River Styx, the souls would pass the white rock,
57:57before arriving at the giant adamantine gates of the Underworld, where Cerberus,
58:02the three-headed dog, stood guard, ready to devour intruders or those trying to escape.
58:07Resuming their journey and coming ashore, the souls would be directed towards the
58:13court of the Underworld, where three judges would decide their fate.
58:16The judges would examine each soul, looking through every action they had made while alive.
58:22For those who had not angered the gods, a tranquil place lay before them, but for those who had,
58:28an eternity of misery and suffering awaited. After a judgement was reached, the souls would
58:35be directed along one of three paths, either to the Fields of Asphodel, the eternal paradise of
58:42Elysium or to the deepest depths of Hades’ realm: Tartarus, a place of scalding fire.
58:50The Fields of Asphodel were a peaceful place for those who did not achieve anything notable
58:55in life, good or evil. It would be here that most souls were sent and after 1,000 years
59:01had passed and their time had finally come to an end, each person would drink from the River Lethe,
59:07whose waters would wipe away their memory. Born anew, each soul having forgotten their previous
59:14life would be reincarnated and returned to the earth, starting the eternal cycle once more.
59:21The second path however would lead to Elysium, a paradise of eternal
59:26bliss where the souls of heroes, demi-gods and especially good mortals would reside.
59:32Those sent here were loved by the gods and could experience all of life’s pleasures, with parties,
59:38feasts and hunting consuming much of their time. Each soul was given the option to return to earth,
59:45but most would choose to stay and not have to endure once again the hardships of life.
59:50Within Elysium but across the shore lay the Isle of the Blessed, reserved only for the greatest
59:56of heroes, with Helen of Troy, Achilles and Odysseus all residing there for eternity.
1:00:04The third and last path would lead to Tartarus,
1:00:07the deepest depths of the Underworld, reserved only for the worst of criminals and those who
1:00:13had offended the gods. It would be here that Cronus and the other Titans would reside,
1:00:18looking on for eternity as new souls entered the realm of the damned.
1:00:23This would be the only place Hades would become involved,
1:00:26with the God himself designing and overseeing each soul’s punishment based on their previous crimes.
1:00:33For the Danaides, 49 sisters who had each killed their husbands,
1:00:37Hades forced them to fill a tub with water to cleanse them of their crimes. But as
1:00:42the tub would always leak, they would spend an eternity trying to fill it.
1:00:47Ixion, the first man to murder a family member and who had grown lustful for Zeus's wife,
1:00:52would be bound to a wheel of fire that would spin for the rest of time. Whereas, Tantalus,
1:00:58a man who had killed his son and stolen from Zeus, was cursed to eternal hunger and thirst. He would
1:01:05stand in a pool of water, with the branches of a fruit tree hanging above him. However,
1:01:11as he went to quench his thirst the water would recede and as he went to eat,
1:01:16the branches would rise out of reach, forever leaving him in a state of agony.
1:01:22But of all the punishments, the most famous would be given to Sisyphus. Having cheated death
1:01:28multiple times Sisyphus would pay the ultimate price for tricking the gods. Every day he was
1:01:34to roll a boulder up a steep hill, only to have it slip from his grasp as he neared the peak.
1:01:40Having to start over again and again, Sisyphus would suffer his punishment for the rest of time.
1:01:47Although Hades would have complete control over the underworld, his realm was so vast that he
1:01:53had to enlist the help of the Furies to carry out his punishments. But they would not only be
1:01:58confined to the realm of the dead. The murder of a family member was considered so terrible
1:02:04in Greek society that even those still alive could not escape Hades’ wrath. They would be hunted down
1:02:10and tormented by the Furies, three sisters from the Underworld, who would not stop until they had
1:02:16avenged the dead and driven their target insane. It would be the Underworld they called home,
1:02:21resting here before their everlasting torment of the human soul began once again.
1:02:26Travelling across the underworld would also lay the Fields of Mourning, a resting place for those
1:02:34who had spent their life pursuing love only to be rejected. The anguish they felt would condemn them
1:02:40to this dark and haunting forest, where they would forever mourn the love they never had.
1:02:46In the far corner of the underworld lay the land of dreams, an island
1:02:51accessible only to the gods of Olympus. Ruling over the island would be Morpheus,
1:02:56the god of dreams, who each night when all were asleep, would alongside his two brothers,
1:03:02control the dreams of not only mortals, but the gods too, either granting them pleasant
1:03:07visions of the future or haunting them with the worst of nightmares.
1:03:12So powerful was Morpheus over the unconscious mind, that he would be used to name the drug
1:03:18Morphine, a pain medication renowned for sending its users to sleep.
1:03:23The true seat of power however did not rest in the land of dreams, for the underworld had
1:03:29only one ruler, the mighty Hades who lived in a grand palace deep within the earth.
1:03:35Hidden away on an island engulfed by fire, those who searched for his home without an
1:03:40invitation would become lost in the dark and winding halls of the dead.
1:03:54But while the Underworld was filled with punishments, Hades and Persephone
1:03:59were not cruel rulers and would take pity on mortals who found their way to their kingdom.
1:04:05Orpheus, a famed musician and poet, had fallen in love with the beautiful Eurydice. But on
1:04:11their wedding day, Eurydice would be killed by a snake bite, with Orpheus left alone in despair.
1:04:17Grieving and desperate to see his wife once again,
1:04:20he would decide to travel to the underworld to retrieve her.
1:04:24Arriving at the river Styx, he would take out his lyre and play a beautiful song for Charon,
1:04:29who was so moved that he ferried Orpheus across the water for free.
1:04:35Upon reaching the other side, he would be confronted by Cerberus, with the tune he
1:04:40played so sweet, that the three-headed dog would be lulled into a deep sleep.
1:04:45Finally, he would reach the palace of Hades and Persephone,
1:04:49playing for them a song about his lost love Eurydice. With tears welling in his eyes,
1:04:54Hades would take pity on Orpheus, and agreed to release her soul, but only on the condition
1:05:00that Orpheus refrain from laying his eyes upon her until they were both out of the Underworld.
1:05:07Overjoyed, Orpheus would agree and began to lead his bride through the dark and
1:05:12winding halls of the dead, but as he neared the surface and the daylight shone upon his face,
1:05:17he would be overcome by excitement, turning around to look at his wife.
1:05:23But Orpheus had not yet completed the journey, and so, as his eyes fell upon her,
1:05:29Eurydice would be dragged back down into the realm of death, never to return.
1:05:34It was a lesson to all Greeks in the virtues of patience and restraint,
1:05:39for if Orpheus had resisted temptation when his goal was so close, Eurydice,
1:05:45the love of his life, would have been with him once again.
1:06:15With the gods having established control over the world and the realm of the dead,
1:06:19The Heroic Age would soon begin,
1:06:21with warriors from across the land embarking on great adventures that would become legend.
1:06:27The first in this generation of Heroes would be Cadmus.
1:06:30The brother of Europa, Cadmus would spend many months searching the land for his sister,
1:06:36but as she had been abducted by Zeus, her location would be impossible to find.
1:06:41Desperate for information, Cadmus would make his way to the Oracle of Delphi,
1:06:45but she would inform him that his sister was lost forever, and not to dwell on her
1:06:50absence. Instead, she would tell Cadmus the gods had special plans for him,
1:06:55and that he was to follow a sacred cow and found a city upon the place where it came to rest.
1:07:00Following the Oracle’s instructions, Cadmus would find the cow nearby,
1:07:05following it for days into the region of Boeotia, where it would finally lay down to
1:07:10rest. Upon that very spot he would found the city of Thebes, which would become one of the greatest
1:07:17cities of Ancient Greece, rivalling the likes of Athens and Sparta for power and influence.
1:07:24To sanctify the city and receive blessings from the gods, Cadmus intended to sacrifice
1:07:29the sacred cow to Athena, a ceremony that required water from a nearby spring. But when Cadmus sent
1:07:37his companions to collect the water, they would find the spring guarded by a ferocious dragon,
1:07:42who slew them as they tried desperately to escape. Hearing screams, Cadmus would run to the spring,
1:07:49only to find the dragon devouring his friends. Taking a spear, he would lunge forward and impale
1:07:55the beast, with the dragon unleashing a terrible scream as it took its last and final breath.
1:08:02Little did Cadmus know that the dragon was sacred to Ares, and that by killing it,
1:08:08he had committed a crime against the God of War. Ares would spare his life,
1:08:12but would force Cadmus to serve him as a slave for eight years before his actions could be forgiven.
1:08:19But for Ares, his troubles would not only be confined to earth, for on Mount Olympus,
1:08:25Hephaestus, the god of smithing, had discovered one of Ares's deepest secrets.
1:08:31Hephaestus was married to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty,
1:08:36but Aphrodite had not been faithful, having an affair with Ares.
1:08:41The romance had lasted many years, with Aphrodite secretly bearing Ares a child
1:08:47called Harmonia. When she came of age and Cadmus had finished his many years of service, Ares was
1:08:54so impressed by his devotion that he would offer his daughter Harmonia to Cadmus as a bride.
1:09:00Hosting a great wedding celebration in Thebes, the two would wed, with all the
1:09:05Gods of Olympus happy for their marriage bar one. For Hephaestus, having just found out
1:09:11his wife had had an illegitimate child, would present Harmonia with a cursed wedding gift,
1:09:16a beautiful necklace that would bring misfortune to any family who possessed it.
1:09:22Unaware of the curse the necklace contained, Cadmus and Harmonia would go on to rule the
1:09:28City of Thebes for many years, enjoying a long life and having 5 children together,
1:09:344 daughters and one son.
1:09:37Yet soon, the curse of Harmonia’s necklace would bring ruin to the House of Cadmus.
1:09:42Their youngest daughter Seleme would be the first to suffer tragedy. Having spent a night with Zeus,
1:09:48Seleme would fall pregnant with the god Dionysus, but the cursed necklace would soon
1:09:53bring about misfortune, with Seleme bursting into flames when she saw Zeus's true form.
1:10:02Her sister Ino would also suffer misfortune, with her husband Athamas going insane and killing
1:10:09their children, with Ino herself jumping to her death while trying to escape him.
1:10:15The third daughter of Cadmus, Agave, would give birth to a son named Pentheus, who would become
1:10:20the second King of Thebes after Cadmus decided to retire in his old age. But Pentheus would make a
1:10:28deadly mistake, deciding to ban the worship of his divine cousin Dionysus in the city. In revenge,
1:10:35Dionysus would drive all the women of Thebes into a frenzy, who would tear Pentheus limb from limb,
1:10:41with his own mother Agave, ripping off his head while under Dionysus’ spell.
1:10:50And finally, Autonoë, the last daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia,
1:10:54would be mother to the hunter Actaeon, who would be transformed into a deer and devoured by his
1:11:00own hunting dogs after he accidentally saw the goddess Artemis bathing in the forest.
1:11:07With the necklace of Harmonia being passed from generation to generation, the curse of
1:11:12the house of Cadmus would continue, with each new descendant suffering misfortune. However,
1:11:18the necklace’s curse would torment one man, in particular, Oedipus, the seventh King of Thebes,
1:11:25whose tragic story would bring tears to the eyes of all who heard it.
1:11:35The son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, Oedipus would face hardship
1:11:41from the very beginning of his life. His father, Laius, the city’s sixth king, had
1:11:46consulted the Oracle of Delphi about the future of his lineage. But the prophecy he received
1:11:52would not be to his liking, as it was foretold that he would die at the hands of his son.
1:11:57And so when his first son was born, Laius would bind his feet, hanging the boy on
1:12:03the branch of a tree to die. But a shepherd would soon stumble across the helpless child,
1:12:08retrieving him from the tree and taking him home to safety. As the child’s ankles
1:12:14had been damaged, he would name the infant Oedipus, meaning ‘swollen foot’.
1:12:19Wanting the best for the child, the shepherd would deliver Oedipus to the
1:12:23king and queen of Corinth, good people who could not conceive a child of their own.
1:12:29Oedipus would experience a happy upbringing in Corinth, but as he reached manhood, he would
1:12:34begin to wonder about his true parentage. Making his way to the Oracle of Delphi,
1:12:40he would ask who his parents were. In reply, the oracle only warned him to stay away from
1:12:46his homeland, otherwise he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother.
1:12:51Horrified by the prophecy, and believing that it referred to his foster parents,
1:12:56the king and queen of Corinth, Oedipus vowed to never again return to the city. Instead,
1:13:02he would travel to Thebes which, unknown to Oedipus, was the true land of his birth.
1:13:08On the road to Thebes, Oedipus would come to a narrow junction,
1:13:12where a large chariot blocked his way. But the chariot’s passenger, an impatient man,
1:13:17would speed past Oedipus, knocking him off the road while hitting him on the head with a stick.
1:13:23Furious, Oedipus would chase after the chariot, killing all those on board including the elderly
1:13:30man who had struck him. Unknown to Oedipus, he had already begun to fulfil the prophecy,
1:13:35as the old man lying dead at his feet was none other than his true father, King Laius.
1:13:42Continuing his journey, Oedipus would reach the gates of Thebes, only to discover that
1:13:48the city was plagued by a monster, the Sphinx, sent there by Hera to punish the city for the
1:13:54crimes of its kings. With the head of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird,
1:14:00the Sphinx would ask anyone wishing to enter or leave the city a simple riddle:
1:14:05“What animal has four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?”
1:14:12None had yet solved the riddle, and those who failed would be killed and eaten by the Sphinx.
1:14:17The rulers of Thebes were so desperate to get rid of the creature that they offered
1:14:22the throne to anyone who could kill it. Approaching the monster, Oedipus would be
1:14:27asked the riddle, with the Sphinx eagerly waiting for yet another kill. But after thinking long and
1:14:33hard, Oedupus would finally give his answer: Man. For in the morning, man is a child,
1:14:39crawling around on all fours. Then, at noon, in the prime of his life, man walks on just two legs.
1:14:48And finally, in the evening of his life, man walks with the aid of a third leg,
1:14:52a walking stick, to help him keep balance. Shocked by her defeat, the Sphinx would jump
1:14:59off a tall rock to her death, with Oedipus entering the city of Thebes as a hero.
1:15:04Being crowned King for ridding the city of the Sphinx, he would also be gifted the recently
1:15:09widowed Queen Jocasta as his wife, with the two having several children together.
1:15:14But unknown to Oedipus, he had just married his own mother, with the prophecy now complete.
1:15:21The two would live together happily for a time but it was not to last, with the gods
1:15:26casting a plague upon Thebes as punishment for the crimes of patricide and incest that
1:15:31Oedipus was still unaware he had committed. With the plague getting worse by the day,
1:15:37the shepherd that had saved Oedipus as a child, would finally reveal to him his true identity.
1:15:42Horrified by the revelation that she had married her son, Queen Jocasta would hang herself,
1:15:48with Oedipus soon finding her body. Overcome by grief at the death of his mother and wife,
1:15:55Oedipus would take the golden brooches from her robe and blind himself with their sharp pins.
1:16:00Disgusted by the revelation of his identity, the people of Thebes would exile Oedipus with
1:16:07only his daughter Antigone choosing to accompany him. Blind and poor, he would spend his remaining
1:16:13years wandering the land as a beggar, with all those he encountered hurling abuse at him for
1:16:19his crimes. The only comfort he received was knowing his daughter was by his side,
1:16:24with Oedipus dying an old man having realised that no mortal can outrun their fate.
1:16:30His story would resonate throughout the ages, inspiring the works of Sigmund Freud, whose
1:16:36Oedipus Complex would propose that every young boy would lust for their mother, while feeling resentment towards their father, much as Oedipus had.
1:16:49But although the House of Cadmus was the first great heroic family,
1:16:53a new line of heroes would soon emerge. For there was another kingdom that sat
1:16:58between the great cities of Athens and Sparta, Argos, ruled by king Acrisius.
1:17:03But Acrisius had been informed of a terrible prophecy by the Oracle of Delphi,
1:17:08warning him that his grandson, soon to be born, was destined to murder him.
1:17:14It would not be long until Zeus, having seen the king’s daughter Danae, would be
1:17:19struck by her beauty, sneaking into her room as a shower of gold. With the gold falling upon her,
1:17:25Danae would fall pregnant, soon giving birth to a son, a son she would name Perseus.
1:17:31But King Acrisius, terrified that the prophecy was coming true and not able
1:17:36to kill his daughter and grandchild, would banish them from his kingdom,
1:17:40locking them in a chest and letting it drift out to sea.
1:17:44Travelling for many days and nights at sea, they would soon arrive upon
1:17:48the shores of Serifos, where they would be discovered by the fisherman Dictys.
1:17:52Dictys would raise the boy as his own, with Perseus soon reaching manhood on the island.
1:17:56But not all would be well, for the fisherman’s brother, King Polydectes, had also noticed the
1:18:02beauty of Danae, and desired her as his wife. But she was always protected by her son Perseus,
1:18:08who never left her side. Wanting to have Danae to himself, King Polydectes would
1:18:13look to find a way to get rid of Perseus, with an opportunity soon presenting itself.
1:18:20Hosting a great feast, Polydectes would invite guests from across the island,
1:18:24with each man expected to bring a horse in Tribute. But Perseus, having no money to his name,
1:18:30and possessing great speed and strength, instead boasted he could easily deliver the
1:18:35King a greater gift, the Head of Medusa. It was the opportunity Polydectes had been waiting for,
1:18:41with him ordering Perseus to collect the head. Not expecting the king to take up his offer, Perseus
1:18:48would set out in despair, having only heard the terrifying tales of the creature that awaited him.
1:18:59But Medusa had not always been a terrifying creature. The daughter of the sea gods Phorcys
1:19:04and Ceto, Medusa was one of three sisters, renowned for their unrivalled beauty.
1:19:10The only mortal sister, Medusa would also be the most beautiful, with any man that set eyes
1:19:16on her immediately falling in love. But despite this, Medusa would dedicate her life to Athena,
1:19:22the goddess of war and wisdom, taking a vow of celibacy so she could serve as her priestess.
1:19:27However, one day while she was walking by the sea, the god Poseidon would be struck by her beauty,
1:19:33following her back to Athena’s temple where he would force himself upon her.
1:19:38Furious at the act performed in her sacred temple and not able to turn her
1:19:42rage upon her powerful uncle Poseidon, Athena would instead place the blame
1:19:47upon Medusa for allowing herself to be defiled and breaking her vow of celibacy.
1:19:51Wielding the power of the gods, she would curse Medusa,
1:19:55distorting her once beautiful features into a hideous visage. Where her long
1:20:00and flowing hair had once been was now a tangled web of snakes, and where her
1:20:05eyes had once seduced any man, would now turn those who looked upon them to stone.
1:20:10But Medusa’s sisters, who came to her defence, would not escape Athena's wrath, with each of
1:20:15them transforming into hideous creatures, with the three sisters becoming known as the Gorgons.
1:20:21Exiled from their homeland, the three sisters would find a new home in North Africa,
1:20:26but their troubles would soon continue, as warriors from across the world would come to
1:20:31hunt them for sport. As the years went on and their loneliness continued, the hate they felt
1:20:37for the outside world would begin to grow, with Medusa and her sisters killing any who came near.
1:20:50With Perseus having set out to slay Medusa, both Athena and Hermes would soon approach him
1:20:55offering aid, with Hermes gifting Perseus an indestructible sword and Athena giving
1:21:01him an exquisite shield, so polished that he could see his own reflection.
1:21:05Knowing he would need more items to defeat Medusa, Perseus would next seek the help of the Nymphs,
1:21:11forest deities that tended to the garden of the Hesperides. Soon finding the Nymphs,
1:21:17Perseus would ask for their assistance, with them gifting him a pair of winged sandals,
1:21:21Hades’ hat of invisibility and an enchanted bag which could safely contain Medusa’s head.
1:21:28Following the Nymphs’ directions, he would use his winged sandals to fly to North Africa,
1:21:32where Medusa’s cave was located. Sneaking into the cave Perseus would soon come across Medusa,
1:21:39sleeping amongst the stone corpses of her victims. Using the reflection in his shield,
1:21:44Perseus was careful not to look at her directly, with her gaze able to turn any man to stone.
1:21:50Seeing only her reflection, he would draw his sword and swiftly cut off her head,
1:21:55being careful not to look at her eyes as he placed it inside the enchanted bag.
1:22:00But to Perseus’ surprise, from Medusa’s body would spring Pegasus, a beautiful winged horse,
1:22:06Poseidon’s child who had been growing inside her all this time. Mounting Pegasus,
1:22:12Perseus would fly out of the cave and begin the journey home to Greece.
1:22:22Soaring across the ocean, Perseus would look down at the waves below,
1:22:27shocked to see a woman chained to a rock.
1:22:30The woman was the beautiful Andromeda, Princess of the Kingdom of Aethiopia,
1:22:35who had been placed there as an offering to the gods,
1:22:37in the hopes that her sacrifice would save the kingdom from the terrifying sea creature Cetus,
1:22:43who had been ravaging the shore, killing all those it came across.
1:22:46Captivated by Andromeda's beauty, Perseus would approach her parents, the king and queen
1:22:51of Aethiopia, offering to slay the creature in return for Andromeda’s hand in marriage.
1:22:57Relieved, they would quickly accept, with Perseus flying over the monster with his winged sandals,
1:23:02slashing it with his sword until the beast was dead.
1:23:06Returning Andromeda to the shore, the Queen would honour her word,
1:23:09giving Perseus her blessing, with the two soon marrying. With his new bride in hand,
1:23:15the pair would mount Pegasus, flying back to the island of Serifos, where Perseus’ mother awaited.
1:23:27But things were not as Perseus had left them. His mother Danae had continued to reject the advances
1:23:33of the king, but without Perseus there to protect her, she was forced into hiding.
1:23:38Having seen that King Polydectes had turned to violence to gain his mother as a bride,
1:23:42Perseus would fly down to the palace in anger, with the king's guards drawing their swords.
1:23:48Taking Medusa’s head from his bag, Perseus would hold it out before him,
1:23:53turning the soldiers to stone. Panicking, the king ran for his spear, but it was too late, with
1:23:59Perseus holding Medusa’s head before him, forever immortalising his terrified expression in stone.
1:24:06Finally reunited, Danae would embrace her son, thankful that she would no longer have to live in
1:24:12fear. Leaving the island behind them, Perseus, Andromeda and Danae would decide to return to
1:24:17Argos, the place of Perseus’ birth, where his grandfather, Acrisius, still ruled as king.
1:24:23But before he left, Perseus would return his gifts to the gods,
1:24:27with Athena taking Medusa’s severed head and placing it on her shield, a final punishment
1:24:33for her former priestess, with it remaining as a symbol of Athena’s dominance and power.
1:24:38Returning to Argos, Perseus was hailed as a hero for slaying Medusa,
1:24:43with all the townspeople encouraging him to join a local athletics tournament,
1:24:47where he could compete against some of the strongest men in Greece.
1:24:51With the event underway and Perseus dominating the competition, it would soon be his turn
1:24:56to throw the discus. Spinning with all his might, Perseus would forget his own strength,
1:25:01with the discus flying off into the crowd, killing a member of the audience. Running
1:25:07over to the body, he discovered that it was none other than his grandfather,
1:25:10King Acrisius laying dead on the floor, the discus having struck him on the head.
1:25:16And so, just as the prophecy had predicted so many years ago, King Acricius had died
1:25:22at the hands of his grandson, a lesson that no mortal can run from their fate.
1:25:27But having shed the blood of a family member, something that was deeply
1:25:31frowned upon and considered one of the worst crimes in ancient greek society,
1:25:35Perseus was no longer able to stay in Argos. Instead, he would found his own kingdom, Mycenae,
1:25:42north of Argos and west of Athens which would soon become the most powerful city in Greece.
1:25:48Its great walls were constructed with massive boulders, too large for any man to lift alone,
1:25:53with Perseus enlisting the help of the mighty cyclops, whose craftsmanship was unrivalled.
1:25:59Ruling over the city, Perseus and Andromeda would have many children together, with their family's
1:26:05reign lasting for generations to come. But unknown to them, one of their descendants would become the
1:26:11most famous hero of them all. For the son of Zeus and Alcmene, would be the great hero Heracles,
1:26:17whose famous 12 labours would echo throughout every corner of the world.
1:26:26But for all his fame and glory,
1:26:29Heracles’ beginnings hold some of the most tragic and sad tales of all Greek myth.
1:26:35As Zeus sat on his throne on Mount Olympus, he looked down upon the world,
1:26:39with the beautiful Alcmena, the grandchild of Perseus, catching his eye. Descending to earth
1:26:45Zeus would lay with Alcmena, with her soon falling pregnant with a son named Heracles, later known as
1:26:51Hercules to the Romans, with Zeus planning to make his son the next great king of Greece.
1:26:57But little did he know that his wife Hera, the Queen of the Gods, had been watching these events
1:27:02unfold. In the past she had sat idle, while Zeus had fathered many illegitimate children,
1:27:07but this time, she had finally had enough. When Zeus swore an oath to give kingship to the next
1:27:13descendant of Perseus, thinking it would be his son Heracles, Hera saw an opportunity to get
1:27:19revenge on her husband. When Heracles was about to be born, she used her magic to delay the birth,
1:27:24while also speeding up the birth of another descendant of Perseus, a child called Eurystheus.
1:27:31As Eurystheus had been born just mere seconds before Heracles, he had become
1:27:36the next descendant of Perseus, with Zeus being forced to give him the kingship instead.
1:27:41While Zeus could do nothing about his son’s lost kingdom, he did manage to get his own revenge
1:27:46on Hera. After Heracles was born, Zeus brought him up to Hera’s bed chamber on Olympus. As she
1:27:52was sleeping, Zeus placed the infant on Hera’s breast, where Heracles was able to feed on the
1:27:57goddess’ milk, stealing some of her divine power for himself. Startled, Hera woke up and threw the
1:28:04baby off her chest, with her milk spraying across the heavens. This milk would settle out in space,
1:28:09becoming known as the milky way. Zeus chuckled to himself and brought
1:28:15Heracles back to earth, placing him in a crib next to his mother. Back on Olympus, Hera was furious.
1:28:21This was too great an embarrassment for her to ignore, and so in an attempt to kill Heracles,
1:28:27she sent two snakes into his crib. To her surprise, Heracles just giggled and grabbed
1:28:33a snake in each hand, strangling them with the strength he had just stolen from her.
1:28:37Hera looked down at the scene in rage, vowing to make Heracles’ life as difficult as possible.
1:28:52Growing up, Heracles received an education from some of the most renowned masters of Greece,
1:28:57in all things from archery to music. One thing that became clear from a young age
1:29:02was that Heracles had a very short temper. This combined with his supernatural strength,
1:29:08made him dangerous to both his friends and enemies alike. Linus, his music teacher,
1:29:13found this out the hard way when he was teaching the young hero to play an instrument called the
1:29:18lyre. Heracles lacked the finesse to play the instrument and became infuriated by
1:29:23the constant corrections of his teacher. After some particularly harsh criticism, he ended up
1:29:28smashing Linus on the back of the head with the instrument, killing him instantly. While Heracles
1:29:34only received a minor punishment, his temper would go on to cause him many issues in his later life.
1:29:40Upon reaching manhood, Heracles would marry the Theban princess Megara, with the pair having
1:29:46three children together. However, Heracles’ good fortune was not looked upon favourably by Hera,
1:29:52who still harboured resentment for her husband’s illegitimate son. Not only
1:29:57was he now married but he was also in line to become the next king of Thebes. Hera would now
1:30:03act on the vow she had taken all those years ago. Heracles’ happiness could not continue.
1:30:10Heracles, completely oblivious to the scheming of Hera, came home one day to find his door broken
1:30:16down. Running inside, he found that his family were nowhere to be seen. When he cried out to
1:30:22them, several hideous monsters appeared from the back of the house and began to crawl towards him.
1:30:27Finding himself overcome with an unnatural rage, Heracles lashed out at the monsters,
1:30:32killing one with a powerful strike to the head. The other monsters began to run away in fear,
1:30:38but Heracles, now in a blind rage, would not allow any to escape, chasing them down one by
1:30:45one before killing them with his bare hands. It was only then that Hera dispelled her magic,
1:30:51lifting her illusion from Heracles’ eyes. The hero watched in horror as the monsters transformed
1:30:57back into their original form. His own family now lay dead before him. He frantically shook
1:31:03their bodies, trying to wake them up, tears flooding from his eyes. But it was too late,
1:31:08Hera’s magic had done its job and he would now forever live with the guilt
1:31:13of having murdered his own wife and children. As Heracles looked down at his blood-stained
1:31:19hands, he realised that he would have to atone for his crimes. The murder
1:31:23of a family member was considered one of the most serious crimes in Ancient Greece and if
1:31:28Heracles did not atone for his crimes, then the Furies would hunt him down and torture him for
1:31:33eternity. The only person he knew that could give him guidance was the famous Oracle of Delphi,
1:31:39and so he exiled himself from his home in Thebes and started his journey for redemption.
1:31:45The Oracle of Delphi was the mouthpiece of Apollo, able to deliver prophecies and
1:31:50guidance from the god. On this occasion, however, Hera managed to use her magic to influence some
1:31:56of the Oracles’ words. When Heracles asked what he should do to atone for his crimes,
1:32:00the Oracle responded that he had to serve King Eurystheus of Mycenae for 10 years, who was the
1:32:07descendent of Perseus that had been born just mere seconds before Heracles. Understanding his task,
1:32:13Heracles bowed to the Oracle, stood up, and began his long voyage to Mycenae.
1:32:27King Eurystheus had known of Heracles for some time and was deeply jealous
1:32:31of him. The two were cousins as they shared descent from Perseus, however,
1:32:35they were nothing alike. Heracles was strong and heroic whereas Eurystheus was cowardly and weak,
1:32:41often sending others to fight his battles for him. Arriving in servitude, Heracles bowed before his
1:32:48cousin, Eurystheus, who could barely contain his joy. Quickly accepting Heracles’ service,
1:32:54the King instructed him to carry out 10 labours over a period of 10 years,
1:32:58only after which would he be forgiven for his crimes. There was only one caveat, however,
1:33:04these labours would have to be completed without any assistance or payment.
1:33:08Heracles hung his head in shame, asking what his first labour would be.
1:33:14King Eurystheus told him of a ferocious lion that had been terrorising a village in the
1:33:19northeast part of his Kingdom named Nemea. The lion could not be stopped, its golden hide was
1:33:26impervious to weapons and its claws were sharper than any sword known to man. It had killed all
1:33:32those sent against it and the task would now lay with Heracles, who was sent to slay the beast.
1:33:38Aware that no sword or spear could penetrate the lion's hide, Heracles trained for several months,
1:33:44uprooting trees and lifting boulders to increase his strength. Stronger than ever,
1:33:50he could now confront the beast with his bare hands. Upon arriving at the lion’s den,
1:33:56Heracles passed the bodies of warriors, their swords and axes shattered on the floor. The
1:34:01lion then appeared and began to charge toward him, but just before it was about to pounce,
1:34:07Heracles stepped to the side, catching its neck in his arms. The two wrestled for hours,
1:34:12but when Heracles managed to get a good grasp on the lion’s throat, he squeezed with all his
1:34:18might until he heard a crack. The dead beast fell down to the floor. His first labour was complete.
1:34:25Realising the lion's pelt would aid him in his upcoming labours, he pulled out one of
1:34:30its razor-sharp claws, using it to skin the animal. He then threw the pelt around
1:34:35his shoulders like a cloak, using the lion’s head as a protective hood. As Heracles left the lair,
1:34:41he found a giant oak tree, which he lifted from the ground and stripped of its branches,
1:34:45whittling it into a club. This would be his new weapon and the lion skin his new armour,
1:34:51symbols of his path to redemption. As Heracles returned to Mycenae, draped in the pelt of
1:34:57the Nemean Lion, Eurystheus was shocked, never imagining his cousin would make it back alive.
1:35:11For his second labour, Heracles was sent to kill the Lernaean Hydra. And so he travelled
1:35:17to Lake Lerna, near the city of Argos, where the fearsome water serpent had made its home.
1:35:22Known as the ‘Hydra’, this beast had 9 heads, one of which was immortal, with its blood the
1:35:28most poisonous substance known to man. Upon his journey to face the creature, however,
1:35:33Hera wanted to make the challenge more difficult, hiding a giant crab deep within the lake.
1:35:39When Heracles arrived, he charged at the Hydra with his club, and with a massive swing took one
1:35:44its heads clean off. But to his horror, where one head had been, two new heads emerged in its place.
1:35:51Confused, Heracles began to cut off more heads, but this only made the situation worse,
1:35:57as each time one head was removed two more would spawn. As he was grappling with the beast,
1:36:03Hera’s giant crab would jump out from the water, pinning Heracles to the ground.
1:36:08With the two monsters attacking him, Heracles was sure that his death was close. But as the
1:36:14hydra moved towards him, an arrow flew out of the bushes and struck it in the side. Heracles
1:36:19turned around to see his nephew, Iolaus, aiming a bow at the monster. The boy had followed his
1:36:25uncle to the lake, hoping to help in any way he could. With the monsters distracted, Heracles
1:36:31reached for his club, swinging it with such force that he crushed the giant crab in a single blow.
1:36:37With his nephew now by his side, as Heracles sliced off a head, Iolaus would then cauterise the
1:36:43Hydra’s neck with a flaming torch, preventing any more heads from growing. The pair worked together
1:36:48for hours, slicing and cauterising until finally, no more heads remained. Heracles then knelt beside
1:36:55the Hydra's body, dipping the tip of his arrows in its poisonous blood. The slightest scratch from
1:37:01one of these arrows would prove fatal, something that would aid him in his upcoming labours.
1:37:07Despite defeating the Hydra, Eurystheus did not count this labour, as Heracles had been
1:37:12assisted by his nephew Iolaus, and therefore an additional 11th labour would have to be completed.
1:37:19As Heracles and Iolaus left the lake, to thank the crab for its service,
1:37:23Hera took its remains and cast its image up into the heavens, creating the constellation Cancer.
1:37:39For his third labour, Heracles was ordered to catch the Ceryneian Hind
1:37:43and bring it back alive to Eurystheus. The Hind was a beautiful creature,
1:37:48much like a stag, with bronze like hooves and a magnificent pair of golden antlers.
1:37:53Heracles then set off to Mount Ceryneia where the creature lived,
1:37:57but the Hind was extremely fast, being nearly impossible to catch,
1:38:01with Heracles chasing his prey for a full year before he was able to capture it.
1:38:06Infuriated that his cousin had completed the task so easily,
1:38:10Eurystheus would quickly set Heracles his fourth labour, to capture the Erymanthian Boar.
1:38:25For his fourth labour, Eurystheus sent Heracles to Mount Erymanthus,
1:38:29to capture alive a giant boar that had been ravaging the area. Not thinking much of the task, Heracles set off with enthusiasm, even deciding to visit
1:38:38his friend, the centaur Pholus, along the way. Centaurs were half men, half horse creatures,
1:38:44renowned for acting more like beasts than humans. Pholus was an exception however, being both
1:38:50friendly and intelligent and had been friends with Heracles since his youth. After Heracles arrived,
1:38:56Pholus decided to host a dinner party to honour his guest, inviting a few of the local centaurs,
1:39:02one of whom was Heracles’ old, intelligent and immortal archery teacher Chiron.
1:39:08As the feast began everything was going well, Heracles reminisced with his old teacher,
1:39:13before deciding to take a walk. On the way out, he came across a jar of wine on Pholus’ shelf,
1:39:19which he decided to crack open and take a large helping of. Little did he know that the wine was
1:39:25communal property of all the centaurs, something the God Dionysus had gifted them four generations
1:39:31earlier. The wine also had a powerful odour that the Centaurs could smell for miles around.
1:39:36As Heracles returned, he was confronted by a huge crowd of Centaurs demanding to know why
1:39:43he had drunk their sacred wine. His friends Pholus and Chiron tried to calm down the other Centaurs,
1:39:48but the situation soon got out of hand as the whole tribe had arrived,
1:39:53drawn by the wine’s odour. Enraged, the Centaurs tried to kill Heracles, but despite their numbers,
1:39:59they were unable to overpower him. In defence, Heracles began shooting them
1:40:04with his arrows coated in the poisonous Hydra blood, killing many with the rest then fleeing.
1:40:10Unfortunately, In the chaos, Heracles had accidentally shot his old teacher Chiron,
1:40:15who fell down screaming in agony. As he was immortal the wound did not kill him,
1:40:20but with the Hydra’s poison coursing through his veins, he would spend an eternity in pain.
1:40:25Zeus however, had watched the events unfold and decided to take pity on the old Centaur,
1:40:32taking Chiron’s spirit and casting it up into the heavens, creating the constellation Sagittarius.
1:40:39Confused as to how such a small arrow had killed the other Centaurs, Pholus picked an arrow up from
1:40:45the ground. As he lifted it up to his face to take a closer look, the arrow slipped from his fingers,
1:40:50landing on his hoof, with the poison killing him within seconds. After chasing the other Centaurs
1:40:56away, Heracles returned, but when he found that he had killed both his friend and his teacher,
1:41:02he was overcome with shame and regret. But unknown to Heracles, a centaur called Nessus
1:41:08was able to survive the massacre, running far into the mountains, where he would spend over
1:41:13a decade planning his revenge on the hero. Heracles completed his actual labour with ease,
1:41:19chasing the boar into deep snow, where he bound it in chains to bring back to Eurystheus.
1:41:25Upon seeing the giant monster, Eurystheus was petrified, quickly jumping into a large storage
1:41:30jar, refusing to come out until Heracles removed the boar from the room. Heracles
1:41:36could barely hide his amusement, but did as he was told and set the boar free. King Eurystheus
1:41:42then crawled out of the jar in embarrassment and quickly sent Heracles off on his fifth labour.
1:41:56For his fifth labour, Heracles was tasked to clean the Augean
1:42:00stables in a single day, using only his hands and without any assistance.
1:42:05Eurystheus believed the task to be impossible, sending Heracles on his way believing failure
1:42:10was certain. The stables belonged to King Augeas from the neighbouring kingdom of Elis. They housed
1:42:183,000 immortal cattle and had not been cleaned for thirty years. The
1:42:22stables were so overrun with animal dung that in some places the filth had piled
1:42:28several metres high, and no one dared approach them due to the awful smell.
1:42:33Upon arriving in Elis, Heracles visited King Augeas who promised the hero one tenth of the
1:42:39immortal herd as a reward if he was able to clean the stables before nightfall.
1:42:44As he made his way over to the stables, Heracles was bombarded with a horrid smell.
1:42:49It was even larger and more filthy than he had imagined, spanning the length of a small city.
1:42:56After taking a look around, Heracles himself thought the task impossible to complete.
1:43:01He instead headed to the nearby rivers Alpheus and Peneus, which he hoped would do the job for him.
1:43:08Obeying the restrictions Eurystheus had given him, Heracles used no tools,
1:43:12instead using his bare hands to dig a canal which flowed from the rivers down into the stables.
1:43:19Once completed, a great torrent of water came flooding into the stables, washing
1:43:24away years of filth in an instant. The water continued to flow into the surrounding farmland,
1:43:29fertilising the fields with an enormous amount of manure. This caused celebration in Elis,
1:43:34with the people cheering for Heracles as their farms were to prosper for years to
1:43:39come. Heracles would mark this occasion by creating the famous Olympic Games,
1:43:43which would occur every four years in Elis. But not all was well, as Eurystheus would
1:43:49refuse to count this labour as one of the 10, as he claimed the task had been accomplished
1:43:54for payment in the form of a portion of the immortal herd. An additional Labour
1:43:59would therefore be added to his service, bringing the new total now to 12 labours.
1:44:14For his sixth labour, Heracles was tasked with driving away a flock of man-eating birds
1:44:19from Lake Stymphalus. These birds were sacred to Ares, and sported iron beaks,
1:44:25capable of tearing through the toughest of armour. The birds were the size of
1:44:29Herons and excreted poisonous droppings, rendering the surrounding area uninhabitable.
1:44:35Upon arriving, Heracles would find a pair of giant bronze rattles,
1:44:39that had been placed on the fallen trunk of a willow tree, by Athena.
1:44:43Thanking the goddess for her aid, Heracles would begin to shake the rattles, with the noise they
1:44:48produced causing the birds enormous pain, with hundreds of them rising from the lake,
1:44:52forming a great flock above. Heracles then took his aim, shooting down as many as he could,
1:44:58until finally, those that had survived fled the lake, with his sixth labour now complete.
1:45:14When King Eurystheus saw his cousin returning successfully yet again,
1:45:18he realised that he had exhausted all of the difficult tasks within his kingdom. Needing
1:45:23more time to come up with one, he sent Heracles to Crete, an island near the Greek mainland,
1:45:28where King Minos would give him his next labour. King Minos had been gifted a beautiful white bull
1:45:35from the sea god Poseidon, with the expectation that he would sacrifice the bull in Poseidon’s
1:45:41honour. Instead of doing this however, King Minos decided to keep the bull for himself,
1:45:46thinking it too beautiful to kill. In revenge, Poseidon made the King’s wife fall in love with
1:45:52the bull, with this union eventually leading to the birth of the half-man,
1:45:56half-bull creature known as the Minotaur, a creature that King Minos kept in a Labyrinth
1:46:02beneath his palace. After the bull impregnated the King’s wife, Poseidon turned it mad,
1:46:07with the bull running around Crete, destroying everything in its path. While Heracles was not
1:46:13destined to kill the minotaur beneath the palace, that was a task destined for the hero Theseus,
1:46:18King Minos did want Heracles to capture the mad bull that was causing havoc in his kingdom.
1:46:24Accepting the challenge, Heracles went to confront the bull, and when the beast charged at him,
1:46:29Heracles would grab it by the horns and wrestle its head into the ground. After
1:46:34many hours had passed, the exhausted bull would finally submit, with Heracles then jumping upon
1:46:39its back. As the bull was a child of Poseidon, it could walk on water, and so Heracles would
1:46:44ride it across the seas to Mycenae, to show Eurystheus proof of his achievement.
1:46:49With his task complete and not wanting to kill an animal sacred to Poseidon,
1:46:54Heracles released the bull outside of the palace, where it went on to rampage the
1:46:58Greek mainland until it was finally, many years later, caught and killed by the hero Theseus.
1:47:15For his eighth labour, Heracles was tasked with bringing Eurystheus the Mares of the Thracian King
1:47:21Diomedes. These horses were fearsome creatures, known to breathe fire, with their aggression
1:47:26made worse by Diomedes feeding them the flesh of unsuspecting guests and strangers to his kingdom.
1:47:33As Heracles made his way to Thrace, he would be accompanied by his friend and lover Abderus,
1:47:38the son of Hermes. As they arrived, the pair made their way to the palace of Diomedes,
1:47:44where they witnessed the fire-breathing horses Heracles was tasked with collecting. The Mares
1:47:49were bound to the palace wall with cast iron chains, put on display for all to see,
1:47:54thrashing around and foaming at the mouth.
1:47:57But as he entered the palace to meet with king Diomedes,
1:48:00a foul-looking man with a nauseous stench, Heracles would hear a terrible scream
1:48:05behind him. Rushing out to see what had happened, Heracles would watch in horror,
1:48:09as the horses ripped into the corpse of his young lover Abderus, who had
1:48:14gotten too close to them in his curiosity. Filled with rage, Heracles charged back into
1:48:19the palace, killing the guards and grabbing Diomedes by the hair, dragging him outside.
1:48:24Giving the king a taste of his own medicine, Heracles threw Diomedes to the monsters,
1:48:29who began to devour their master. The flesh of Diomedes was so foul however, that the horses
1:48:35stopped eating him halfway through, forever put off the taste of human flesh. With the horses now
1:48:41docile, Heracles grabbed their chains and brought them back to Eurystheus, his task now complete.
1:48:56For his 9th labour, Heracles was tasked to retrieve the Girdle of Hippolyta,
1:49:01a gold and leather belt that ensured victory in battle. It belonged to Hippolyta, daughter of the
1:49:07War God Ares and Queen of the Amazons, a race of warrior women, who could fight better than
1:49:13almost any man, with them routinely raiding local tribes to assert their dominance.
1:49:18So Heracles set off east, bringing with him a small band of warriors in case he had to fight
1:49:23the Amazons. However, on arrival, Heracles was surprised by the Amazons’ hospitality,
1:49:28with Hippolyta herself taking a keen interest in him. Having heard of his famous labours
1:49:34and overcome by lust, Hippolyta would give him her girdle as a sign of her interest.
1:49:38But Hera, watching from Mount Olympus, could not believe her eyes. The task was going too well,
1:49:45and so to make this labour more difficult, she decided to intervene.
1:49:50Disguising herself as an Amazon, she made her way into the camp,
1:49:53walking amongst the women and sowing the seeds of distrust. Slowly convincing the
1:49:58entire tribe that Heracles had come to enslave them, the Amazons became outraged,
1:50:03mounting their horses and charging towards the men they had let into their camp.
1:50:07Heracles heard the commotion and rushed outside, where he saw the Amazons slaughtering his friends.
1:50:12He turned around in rage, thinking that Hippolyta had tricked him, keeping him away from his men so
1:50:18they could be slaughtered. Before the Queen could explain, Heracles lifted his club and
1:50:23struck her dead, her girdle not protecting her, as she had already gifted it to him.
1:50:27Heracles then ran outside, striking down any Amazon who challenged him. He managed to save
1:50:33a small handful of his companions and the group hastily left the camp heading home to Mycenae.
1:50:39Eurystheus had grown tired of Heracles beating any task laid before him,
1:50:43and so decided to send him to the farthest place he could think of, the island of Erytheia.
1:50:58For his 10th labour, Heracles was sent to Erytheia, to steal the cattle of a three
1:51:03headed giant known as Geryon. Heading south west, he travelled along the African coastline,
1:51:08but It did not take long for Heracles, unused to the intense and scorching heat of the continent,
1:51:13to become annoyed with the Sun itself. Halfway across the Libyan desert he took out his bow
1:51:19and threatened to shoot the Sun with one of his poisoned arrows if it continued to torment him.
1:51:25Quite distressed at this, the Sun came down in its human form, as the god Helios,
1:51:29begging Heracles not to shoot him. He promised to shine less intensely while
1:51:34Heracles was on his journey, also offering to give the hero his great golden ‘Cup’,
1:51:39a vessel shaped like a water lily, that Helios used to sail around the ocean at night.
1:51:46Finally reaching the island of Erytheia, Heracles was quick to see the herd of cattle
1:51:51he had to steal, along with Geryon, their giant three-headed owner. But wanting to
1:51:56be done with his task quickly, Heracles didn’t even bother to fight the giant,
1:52:01instead shooting Geryon with a poisoned arrow, killing him within seconds. Heracles then herded
1:52:07the cattle into Helios’ Cup and sailed home to Mycenae, where he delivered them to Eurystheus.
1:52:22For his eleventh labour, Heracles was tasked with travelling to the garden of the Hesperides, the
1:52:28daughters of the night, and collecting the golden apples that grew on a tree there, which granted
1:52:33immortality to anyone who ate them. Not only was the location of the garden unknown, but Hera had
1:52:39sent a hundred-headed dragon called Ladon, to guard the tree from which the apples grew.
1:52:45As Heracles set off to find the mythical garden, he first visited the titan Prometheus, who he
1:52:50thought would know of its location. Prometheus, the creator of mankind, had been chained to the
1:52:56side of a mountain after stealing the fire of the gods to give to humanity, and by the time Heracles
1:53:01found him, this cycle of punishment had been going on for centuries. Taking pity on Prometheus,
1:53:08Heracles broke his chains and set the titan free, finally bringing an end to the torment,
1:53:13with Prometheus then happily sharing the Garden’s location. However, he also warned Heracles that no
1:53:20mortal could pick the golden apples from the tree. Instead, he suggested that Heracles seek help from
1:53:25the titan Atlas, as he lived near the garden. Following Prometheus’ advice, Heracles would seek
1:53:31out Atlas, who was not difficult to find due to the Titan’s immense size. Atlas had fought against
1:53:37the Olympians in the war between the gods and the titans, but as he was defeated, Zeus forced him
1:53:42to hold up the sky for eternity as punishment. Approaching the titan, Heracles explained his
1:53:48situation and offered to make a trade: he would temporarily hold up the sky and give
1:53:53Atlas a much-needed break, and in exchange, Atlas would collect the golden apples. Thankful to be
1:53:59free of his burden, even for a short time, Atlas accepted the deal and went to collect the apples,
1:54:04transferring the weight of the heavens onto the shoulders of Heracles. Though he had achieved the
1:54:10impossible before, even Heracles struggled to bear the immense weight he now had to hold. As
1:54:16time went on, his muscles began to cramp, his body began to shake and he contemplated whether this
1:54:22would be the task that would finally break him. As the sun began to set, Atlas finally returned
1:54:29with a basket full of golden apples. With a grunt of relief, Heracles thanked the titan,
1:54:34moving to give him back the sky. Not wanting to take it back, Atlas offered to take the apples to
1:54:41Eurystheus himself, promising he would return and bear the weight of the sky once more. But
1:54:47Heracles would not be fooled. He thanked the Titan for his generous offer to deliver the apples,
1:54:52and offered to hold the sky for a little longer, but asked if Atlas would take the sky back,
1:54:57just for a moment, so he could put on his pelt to cushion his shoulders and head. Knowing the
1:55:03pelt would make a great difference and none the wiser, Atlas placed the apples on the ground and
1:55:08took back the sky from Heracles. As soon as he was free, Heracles picked up the apples and bid Atlas
1:55:15farewell, quickly returning them to Eurystheus to complete his labour. Atlas was enraged,
1:55:20cursing at the hero as he left, with his roars shaking the ground for miles around.
1:55:25As decades passed and then centuries, Atlas would become a part of the world itself,
1:55:31being transformed into stone, with his giant remains becoming known as
1:55:36the Atlas mountain range of North Africa.
1:55:47For his twelfth and final labour, Heracles was tasked with capturing Cerberus,
1:55:51the three headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld.
1:55:55Descending to the Underworld and approaching Hades and Persephone,
1:55:58Heracles would explain that he had been tasked with collecting Cerberus as his final labour.
1:56:04Knowing that helping Heracles would infuriate Hera, who had always looked down on him,
1:56:09Hades allowed Cerberus to be taken, but two conditions had to be met. First, Heracles
1:56:15must use no weapons to capture Cerberus, and second, once his task was complete,
1:56:21Cerberus must be returned. Agreeing to the terms, Heracles set out to face the beast. Just as he
1:56:28had done with the Nemean Lion and the Cretan Bull before, Heracles grappled with the dog,
1:56:33wrestling it for hours until the beast was utterly exhausted. With his club in one hand and Cerberus
1:56:39in the other, he dragged the dog by its chains and made his way back to the realm of the living.
1:56:45Heracles then delivered Cerberus to King Eurystheus,
1:56:48who once again chose to cower in his jar, a now permanent installation next to his throne.
1:56:54The king poked his head out of the top of the jar, and while shaking in fear, agreed to release
1:56:59Heracles from his servitude, granting him pardon for his past crimes. Heracles was filled with joy,
1:57:06he had finally atoned for his crimes and was to be a free man. But before embarking on his
1:57:12next journey, he fulfilled his promise and returned Cerberus to the land of the dead.
1:57:24Heracles took some time to celebrate when he returned, enjoying all the pleasures of
1:57:29a free life. He was now a well-renowned hero and had admirers wherever he went.
1:57:33He would go on several more adventures, even joining the hero Jason and the Argonauts on
1:57:38their quest for the golden fleece. Heracles soon found another lover,
1:57:42taking the beautiful Deianira as his wife. However, as the newlywed couple were making their
1:57:48way to their home in the city of Tiryns, they came across a rapid river that they had to pass. On the
1:57:53other bank stood a centaur, who made his way over and offered to carry Deianira across on his back.
1:57:58Heracles accepted the offer, not recognising the centaur as Nessus, the sole survivor of
1:58:05the massacre Heracles had committed against the centaur tribe on the way to his fourth labour.
1:58:10Nessus had been plotting his revenge against Heracles for over a decade, with him now seeing
1:58:15the perfect opportunity to execute his plan. As soon as Nessus reached the other side of
1:58:21the river, he threw Deianira to the floor and attempted to violate her. Seeing this from the
1:58:26other bank, Heracles pulled out his bow and shot Nessus through the chest with a poisoned arrow,
1:58:31sending the centaur to the ground in agonising pain. In his last breaths,
1:58:35Nessus apologised to Deianira, and offered her a gift as a means of apology. He claimed that
1:58:41his blood had magic love properties, telling Deianira to discreetly collect it up in a vial,
1:58:46in case Heracles ever fell in love with another woman. As Nessus finally died, Deianira collected
1:58:53up his blood, keeping it hidden in case she ever needed to win Heracles back. Little did she know
1:58:58that she had just begun the chain of events that would lead to the death of her husband.
1:59:04The couple lived happily in Tiryns for a time and had several children. However, after a few
1:59:09years Heracles became tired of such a peaceful life and craved some of the action of his youth.
1:59:14Seeking some adventure, he left his family behind and set out to the kingdom of Oechalia, where his
1:59:20old archery tutor, Eurytus, ruled as king. Once he arrived, it only took a few days for Heracles to
1:59:26fall in love with the daughter of King Eurytus, a woman named Iole. Winning her affections, Heracles
1:59:33would take Iole home to the city of Tiryns, where his children and wife Deianira, were living.
1:59:39While Deianira was initially happy to see her husband return, she became worried when
1:59:44she saw him arrive with another woman, suspecting that he had been unfaithful.
1:59:48In her desperation to win Heracles back, Deianira retrieved the blood of the centaur Nessus that she
1:59:54had been hiding, hoping that its love properties would help her. She smeared the blood on a robe
1:59:59which she then gifted to Heracles, asking him to wear it to dinner that evening.
2:00:03When Heracles put the robe on later that evening, he immediately knew that something was wrong.
2:00:08Nessus’ blood began to stick to his skin, causing a horrible burning sensation. Heracles began to
2:00:15scream in agony and tried to rip off the robe, tearing out large chunks of his flesh in the
2:00:20process. The centaur Nessus had planned this all along. He knew that Heracles would shoot
2:00:25him with a poisoned arrow when he attempted to attack Deianira. By convincing Deianira
2:00:30to gather his blood that was tainted with the hydra poison, Nessus had craftily ensured that
2:00:35Heracles would suffer the same agonising death that he had inflicted on the other centaurs.
2:00:41Heracles’ torment lasted for hours, with his wife Deianira hanging herself,
2:00:45upon realising that she had poisoned her husband. Knowing his death was close,
2:00:50Heracles frantically ran around his courtyard, ripping up trees to construct a funeral pyre.
2:00:55Once assembled, the hero lay down upon it and asked one of his friends to set
2:01:00it alight. As the fire seared through his skin and his body went up in flames,
2:01:04a smile appeared on Heracles’s face, as he was finally released from the horrific pain.
2:01:10It was at this moment a great storm cloud gathered around the funeral pyre. In the
2:01:16cloud sat Zeus, who watched as the mortal part of his son burnt away. The god then grabbed
2:01:21Heracles’ spirit, taking his son up to Olympus, where he transformed him into an immortal.
2:01:27From this point on, Heracles was worshipped as a god by the Greeks,
2:01:30with his labours becoming legend, with Zeus eventually casting his son up into the stars,
2:01:36where he can still be seen as a constellation to this day.
2:01:43While some heroes like Heracles had to earn their place on Olympus, others would become arrogant,
2:01:49with many mortal men who assumed themselves equal to the gods often meeting a tragic end.
2:01:56Such was the case with Bellerophon, the grandson of Sisyphus, the man cursed to roll
2:02:01a boulder up a hill for eternity. Gifted the winged horse Pegasus by
2:02:05Poseidon and learning to ride it with the help of Athena, Bellerophon would
2:02:10go on many adventures. His most famous exploit would be his slaying of the fearsome Chimera,
2:02:15a fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and a snake for a tail.
2:02:22But as Bellerophon’s fame grew, so too did his ego. Believing he had earned the right
2:02:27to sit amongst the gods, he took Pegasus and began flying up to Mount Olympus. But this would anger
2:02:33Zeus – not only did Bellerophon think himself an equal to the Olympians, but he was using Pegasus,
2:02:39a gift from the gods, to get there. And so, as Bellerophon neared the heavens,
2:02:44Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, causing the horse to kick Bellerophon
2:02:48off his back. Although he would survive the fall, Bellerophon would be blinded when he
2:02:53landed in a thorn bush. Living the rest of his life in misery, he would wander the earth alone,
2:02:58serving as a warning to those who thought to compare themselves to the gods.
2:03:03Pegasus would complete the journey to Olympus, where he would be claimed by Zeus, with the
2:03:08winged horse proudly carrying the god’s thunder and lightning on his back for the rest of time.
2:03:17With the adventures of Cadmus, Perseus and Heracles having come to an end,
2:03:21the first age of heroes was drawing to a close. But with the children they had inspired with
2:03:26their stories now reaching manhood, a new generation of heroes would soon emerge,
2:03:31ready to forge their own legends and make their mark on the world.
2:03:34Jason and The Argonauts quest for the Golden Fleece would become one of these great legends,
2:03:40with heroes from far and wide all embarking on what would become one
2:03:45of the greatest stories in all mythology.
2:03:48Jason, the heir to the city of Iolcus, had been banished from his homeland as a child
2:03:53by his uncle Pelias, a ruthless tyrant who seized power and took the city by force,
2:03:59claiming the throne of Iolcus for himself.
2:04:02Jason would be raised by Chiron, the teacher of Heracles and other famous heroes,
2:04:07spending 20 years under his tutelage, learning the likes of Athletics,
2:04:11speechcraft and warfare. But as Jason reached manhood, and having learnt
2:04:16everything Chiron had to offer, he would set out to reclaim his stolen kingdom.
2:04:21Beginning the journey back to Iolcus, Jason would soon come across a river, its harsh
2:04:27current making it difficult to cross. On his side of the stream sat an old woman unable to pass,
2:04:32with Jason offering to carry her across on his back. But as he did so the swift current would
2:04:39remove one of his sandals, with him forced to continue his journey with one foot bare.
2:04:44However, back in Iolcus, King Pelias, having just asked an oracle the way in
2:04:49which he would die, was advised to be wary of a man with one sandal.
2:04:54It was at this moment that Jason arrived at the palace, demanding that the kingdom be given to
2:05:00him. Seeing Jason was wearing only one sandal and hearing the townspeople cheer his return,
2:05:05Pelias realised he could not simply have him killed, so instead came up with a devious plan.
2:05:12He would challange Jason to retrieve the famous Golden Fleece from Colchis, an item
2:05:18said to be more valuable than anything else on earth. If he was able to retrieve the fleece,
2:05:23Pelias promised to forfeit the kingdom, being certain that Jason would die along the way.
2:05:30With his honour on the line, Jason would accept Pelias’s offer, but knowing of the
2:05:35dangers that lay ahead, would begin to gather the greatest heroes the world had ever seen.
2:05:47With word spreading of Jason’s great quest,
2:05:50heroes from across the land soon flocked to Iolcus to join him on the adventure.
2:05:55The first to arrive would be Heracles, the greatest hero of the land, who offered his
2:06:01incredible strength and skill, having just completed his famous 12 labours.
2:06:06He would be joined by Zetes and Calais, sons of the North Wind,
2:06:09who each possessed a magnificent pair of wings that granted them the power of flight.
2:06:16Following close behind would be the warriors known as the Dioscuri,
2:06:20Castor and Pollux, the twin brothers of Helen of Troy.
2:06:25Also seeking adventure, Peleus, the father of the great hero Achilles and king of Phthia,
2:06:31would also join, with his elder brother Telamon, the king of Salamis who had helped Heracles
2:06:37fight the Amazons during his 9th labour, accompanying his brother on the journey.
2:06:43The next to arrive would be the heroes of the Calydonian Boar Hunt, an adventure still to come,
2:06:48with Euphemus, Meleager and Idas all excited to take part on their next adventure.
2:06:55And finally, the last to join would be Orpheus, the famous poet whose beautiful
2:07:01singing was known throughout the land. It would only be after his journey with
2:07:06the Argonauts that his most famous story, the loss of his wife Eurydice, would come to pass.
2:07:12To transport these great heroes, Jason would enlist the help of the legendary
2:07:16shipbuilder Argus, who with the help of Athena,
2:07:20would create the Argo, the swiftest and most sturdy ship of its time.
2:07:26At its bow Athena would place an enchanted piece of wood,
2:07:29through which Jason could communicate with the gods. As they set sail and their great
2:07:35voyage began, Jason and his companions would name themselves the Argonauts after the ship,
2:07:40with the Greek translation of Argo meaning swift and Nautes meaning sailor.
2:07:54Heading north, they would first arrive at the island of Lemnos,
2:07:58only to discover it was inhabited entirely by women.
2:08:02Many years ago, the women of the island had been devoted followers of Aphrodite,
2:08:07the goddess of love and beauty, but their devotion to the goddess had begun to wane,
2:08:13with her temple falling into ruin.
2:08:16Outraged, Aphrodite would curse the women, causing them to emit a horrible stench, with each of their
2:08:22husbands choosing to sleep with their female slaves, rather than spend time with their wives.
2:08:28The women, neglected and feeling betrayed by their husbands,
2:08:32would decide to murder every male inhabitant of the island,
2:08:35including every boy, with them spending many years alone until the Argonauts arrival.
2:08:42Seeing the heroes arrive, Aphrodite would lift her curse, allowing the women to greet their new
2:08:48visitors. With smell now gone, Aphrodite hoped that the women would fall pregnant, ensuring
2:08:54the survival of the island’s inhabitants, with a new generation of children ready to worship her.
2:08:59Her plan would be successful, and after an entire year had passed,
2:09:04the Argonauts had still not left the island, with Heracles becoming enraged.
2:09:10Assembling his companions, Heracles would shame them for forgetting their quest, reminding the
2:09:15men that they would not become great and famed heroes if they did not retrieve the golden fleece.
2:09:22Hanging their heads in embarrassment, the Argonauts would return to the ship,
2:09:25with their journey soon resuming.
2:09:28Continuing East, the Argonauts would pass Troy, soon arriving at Cios so Heracles
2:09:34could replace his broken oar. However, Heracles’ companion and servant Hylas,
2:09:40having wandered into the wilderness, had become lost in the depths of a vast forest.
2:09:46Hylas would soon stumble across a beautiful spring, stopping to quench his thirst and to wash
2:09:52his body. However, the spring was home to a group of water nymphs, who, upon seeing the young man,
2:09:58the first man they had ever seen, would fall in love. Grabbing him by the arm,
2:10:03they would pull Hylas into the water, making him immortal and trapping him there for eternity.
2:10:09Heracles, wondering where his servant had gone, would go into the forest to look for him,
2:10:14but no matter how hard he looked, Hylas could not be found. After searching for days, Heracles would
2:10:21return to the shore, only to find that Jason and the Argonauts had set sail without him.
2:10:36They would next pass the kingdom of Thrace, before travelling through the clashing rocks,
2:10:42a waterway so dangerous that no ship had ever passed through before. Entering the black sea,
2:10:49Jason and his crew would finally lay their eyes upon Colchis, their final destination
2:10:54where the Golden Fleece, the most valuable item known to man, was kept by King Aeetes.
2:11:00Arriving in his palace, Aeetes would show hospitality to the Argonauts, but would
2:11:05refuse to give up the fleece, knowing it was safe as it was guarded by the fearsome Colchian Dragon.
2:11:12Knowing that defeating the dragon was impossible even for Jason, Hera, queen of the gods, would now
2:11:19give him her aid. For long ago, Jason had carried an old woman across a river out of kindness,
2:11:25not knowing that she was none other than Hera, who had come down to earth in disguise.
2:11:31Hera would now repay the debt, making Medea, the beautiful daughter of King
2:11:36Aeetes, fall in love with Jason. Medea was a powerful witch and would offer Jason her aid,
2:11:42giving him a bundle of magical herbs that he could use to subdue the dragon.
2:11:48With the herbs in hand, Jason would put the beast to sleep before grabbing the Golden Fleece.
2:11:54Finally, with the fleece in his possession, Jason and the Argonauts would hastily retreat
2:11:59back to the ship, with Medea joining them onboard as they made a quick escape.
2:12:13As morning came, King Aeetes awoke to discover that the Golden Fleece had been taken,
2:12:18with him quickly assembling a fleet of ships to head out in pursuit.
2:12:22Leading the fleet would be Aeetes’ son Apsyrtus, and it would not be long until
2:12:27he was close on their tail. Medea, seeing her brother Apsyrtus closing in on them,
2:12:33and knowing that they could not outrun such a large fleet, would ask for the Argo to be halted,
2:12:38so she could bring her brother on board to discuss peace talks.
2:12:42But as Apsyrtus’s ship came near, Medea would drag him on board, taking a knife from her robe and
2:12:48stabbing him in the chest. Dismembering the body, she would throw the remains of her brother, piece
2:12:54by piece into the sea, so that her grieving father would have to stop the pursuit to collect them.
2:13:00With the time she had now bought, the Argonauts would look for a way to escape.
2:13:05Heading west they would enter the Istros River, sailing for many weeks until they
2:13:10reached the alps. Having come to a dead end, the Argonauts would come ashore, lifting up
2:13:15the ship to travel through the mountains by foot. Finally reaching the Rhodanus River,
2:13:20they would set sail once again, where this time they would enter the Mediterranean sea.
2:13:34Setting sail, Jason and his men would begin to hear a beautiful melody. For
2:13:39his ship was passing the home of the Sirens, irresistible creatures that enticed sailors to
2:13:44their death with their bewitching songs. It was at this moment that Orpheus, the famous poet,
2:13:51would take out his lyre and begin to play his beautiful songs, songs that would grow louder
2:13:57and louder as they drowned out the siren’s call. Only when they had passed by safely would Orpheus
2:14:03put down his lyre, with all the men on board cheering and thanking him for saving their lives.
2:14:09Heading back to Greece, their next stop would be the island of Scheria, home to the Phaeacians,
2:14:15a kind people who welcomed them with open arms. After facing so many dangers, they would rest on
2:14:22the island for a few weeks, with Jason and Medea hosting a great wedding during their
2:14:27time there. Now married, they would take to the sea once again finally heading home to Greece.
2:14:33But as they neared close to home, the Argonautes would decide to take one final rest on the island
2:14:38of Crete. However, unknown to them, the island was home to Talos, a bronze giant that patrolled the
2:14:46shore three times each day, destroying any ship that approached. Powerless against the giant,
2:14:52the Argonauts would run in terror, with there being nowhere to hide on the beach.
2:14:56But Medea, using her magic, would soon be able to identify Talos’ one weakness,
2:15:02a large bronze nail in the side of his ankle, that prevented his divine blood from pouring out.
2:15:09Stopping the giant, Medea would tell Talos that she was a powerful witch
2:15:14and could make him immortal, the only thing he had to do was follow her instructions.
2:15:20Claiming that it was the nail in his foot that kept him from becoming immortal and Talos,
2:15:25never having talked to a human, would be easily tricked, reaching down and pulling out the nail.
2:15:31With his blood pouring out, Talos would fall down to the ground, never to torment travellers again.
2:15:38With the giant defeated, the Argonauts would board their ship, soon reaching the kingdom of Iolcus.
2:15:45After many years of travel and with the Golden Fleece in hand,
2:15:48Jason was finally ready to reclaim his homeland.
2:16:00Arriving back in the city, Jason would learn that King Pelias had
2:16:04put his father to death during his absence, with revenge now the only thing on his mind.
2:16:10Approaching the king with the golden fleece, Jason demanded that the kingdom be rightfully
2:16:15transferred to him, but Pelias not honouring his would would refuse, asking Jason to leave.
2:16:22However, Medea, realising the king would never give up his throne, came up with a cunning plan.
2:16:29Inviting the king’s daughters to attend, Medea would chop an old ram into pieces,
2:16:34boiling it in a cauldron for all to see. Using her magic,
2:16:38the ram would come back to life, jumping out of the cauldron with its youth restored.
2:16:44But Pelias’ daughters, having seen their father grow old and weary just as the ram had,
2:16:49desired him to be rejuvenated as well. And so, when Medea told them she could perform the same
2:16:55magic on the king, their faces lit up with joy. Sneaking into Pelias’ room when all were asleep,
2:17:02they would chop their father into pieces and throw him in the cauldron, eagerly awaiting
2:17:07Medea’s return the next morning. But upon seeing the king butchered by his own daughters,
2:17:12all Medea could do was laugh, her cunning plan having worked exactly as foreseen.
2:17:18With Pelias now dead, Jason was ready to take the throne, however the king's son Acastus,
2:17:24would discover Medea’s involvement in the gruesome murder, driving her and Jason from the city.
2:17:38Travelling south, they would find a new home in the city of Corinth, with Jason taking the Golden Fleece
2:17:44and hanging it in the temple of Zeus, leaving his life of adventure behind.
2:17:49Creating a new family with Medea, the two would have many children together,
2:17:53but as the years went on, Jason’s eyes would begin to wander. Craving the fame and fortune
2:18:00of his youth, he would look for a wife that he could use to rise through the ranks of society,
2:18:04abandoning Medea and his family to marry the Princess Creusa.
2:18:10Betrayed, and her heart broken, having murdered her own brother to help Jason,
2:18:15Medea would swear revenge, sending a magic robe to Creusa as a wedding gift. As soon as the robe
2:18:22touched her skin, Creusa’s flesh would begin to burn, with her letting out a scream of agony.
2:18:28Her elderly father would attempt to save her, but upon touching the robe he too would begin to burn,
2:18:34with the pair dying together in front of Jason’s tearful eyes.
2:18:39Horrified at the death of his new wife, Jason, knowing who had sent the cursed robe,
2:18:45would draw his sword and rush to confront Medea, but upon finding her,
2:18:49he would discover the true extent of her rage. For at her feet lay the dead bodies of their two sons,
2:18:57Alcimenes and Tisander, with blood still dripping from the dagger Medea had used to kill them.
2:19:03Dropping to his knees, Jason would begin to weep, with Medea flying off in the chariot of
2:19:09her grandfather, the sun god Helios, her final act of revenge complete.
2:19:14Jason would go on to live the rest of his life as a lonely man,
2:19:18never finding love and producing no more children.
2:19:21Clinging onto the memories of his youth, Jason would often visit the Argo, which had
2:19:26been deserted on the shore. With many years having passed and Jason now an old man, one day while he
2:19:33was lying under the ship, its rotting stern would collapse, crushing him below. The ship that had
2:19:40once brought him fame and fortune, would now be the very thing that brought his life to an end.
2:19:46As for Medea, she would flee to the city of Athens,
2:19:50gaining refuge and using her beauty to seduce King Aegeus.
2:19:54Becoming queen, she would bear him a son, but her rise to power would soon be challenged,
2:20:00when the city’s rightful heir, the great hero Theseus, would return to claim the throne.
2:20:10Many years before Medea’s arrival to Athens, King Aegeus had ruled the city alone, having
2:20:16tried and failed many times to father an heir to which he could leave his kingdom. Believing he
2:20:23was incapable of having children, Aegeus would travel to Delphi and ask the Oracle for help,
2:20:28who would instruct him to travel to the small kingdom of Troezen,
2:20:32where the city’s princess, Aethra, would bear him a son.
2:20:36Overjoyed, Aegeus would travel to Troezen and meet with princess Aethra, with the two
2:20:42conceiving a child that night. However, unknown to Aegeus, Poseidon would also visit Aethra the
2:20:49same evening, with the child that was born, Theseus, being the offspring of the two men.
2:20:55With Poseidon’s blood now running through his veins, Theseus would be granted immense agility
2:21:01and strength, something that would prove useful in the many trials that lay ahead.
2:21:06But King Aegeus, knowing that it was his duty to return to Athens, would leave the princess
2:21:11to raise the boy alone. Only when Theseus was old and strong enough to lift a heavy stone, under
2:21:18which Aegeus hid his sword and sandals, would he be worthy of travelling to Athens to claim
2:21:24his birthright, with the items he retrieved being symbols by which Aegeus could recognise his son.
2:21:30When the day finally came, Theseus, having reached manhood, would lift up the rock and
2:21:36claim his father’s possessions, soon setting out on the road to Athens.
2:21:41But when Theseus arrived in Athens, Medea, his father’s new queen,
2:21:46had already bore the king a son named Medus, who was next in line to the throne. And so,
2:21:52when Medea saw that Theseus had arrived to claim his birthright,
2:21:56she feared that her own son would be deprived of the throne, and so began to scheme against him.
2:22:02When Theseus entered the palace, Medea would inform him that the only way
2:22:07he would be granted an audience with the king was to prove his skill as a warrior,
2:22:11sending him to fight the Bull of Marathon, the mad creature that
2:22:15Heracles had wrestled with and brought over to Greece during his seventh labour.
2:22:20But instead of dying as Medea had hoped, Theseus would use his great strength to
2:22:25kill the Bull with ease, soon returning to Athens triumphant. Shocked at his success, Medea would
2:22:32now attempt to kill Theseus, handing him a cup of poisoned wine as he approached the king.
2:22:37But as Theseus went to drink it, Aegeus would recognise the sword and sandals that
2:22:42the young man was wearing as the same ones he had hidden under the rock all those years ago,
2:22:47knocking the cup from his son’s hand and saving his life. Realising Medea’s deception,
2:22:54Aegeus would banish her from the city, before embracing Theseus as his rightful heir.
2:23:00Expelled from yet another city, Medea would return home to Colchis,
2:23:04where she would reconcile with her father Aeetes, restoring him as the
2:23:09king of Colchis and living out the rest of her days at the edge of the known world.
2:23:14After living in Athens for some time, Theseus would learn that the city was in deep trouble.
2:23:20Many years ago, Athens had fought a war against King Minos of Crete,
2:23:25a war they would lose. To save the city, King Aegeus had signed a treaty with Minos,
2:23:31binding him to send seven boys and seven girls to Crete every nine years, so that they could be fed
2:23:38to the Minotaur, a half man, half bull creature that lived in a Labyrinth beneath Minos’ palace.
2:23:45Upon hearing of the treaty, Theseus was appalled and would immediately volunteer
2:23:49to be one of the next tributes, hoping to slay the Minotaur and bring an end to the suffering
2:23:55of his people. Aegeus begged him not to go, but when he saw he could not change Theseus’ mind,
2:24:01he would give his blessing, only asking that if he returned successful,
2:24:06he should change his black sails to white, with the white sails signalling that he was alive.
2:24:13And so began his long voyage to Crete, where the infamous minotaur awaited.
2:24:18But when he arrived on the island and was greeted by Minos and his family, Theseus would attract
2:24:24the eye of the king’s daughter, Ariadne, who quickly found herself deeply in love with him.
2:24:30Wanting to protect Theseus, Ariadne would approach him as he was about to enter the Minotaur’s lair
2:24:36offering him a ball of thread, with which he could trace his path back to the labyrinth’s entrance.
2:24:42All she asked in return was that Theseus take her with him when
2:24:45he left Crete for Athens, a deal he was happy to accept.
2:24:50Entering the labyrinth, he tied the thread to the entrance and began his descent,
2:24:55following the dark winding paths of the maze. He had been warned by Ariadne,
2:25:00however, that the true threat he faced was not the minotaur, but instead the labyrinth itself.
2:25:06It was so vast and complex, that all those who had entered had never made it out alive, with
2:25:12most starving to death in the labyrinth's endless twists and turns as they tried to reach the exit.
2:25:18After travelling for hours, Theseus would eventually reach the centre,
2:25:23where the Minotaur lay in wait, with the two beginning an intense and brutal fight.
2:25:29It would be the most difficult battle Theseus had ever fought,
2:25:32but his speed and agility would prove triumphant. Grabbing his sword he managed to stab the beast in
2:25:39the throat. Never again would Athens have to endure the sacrifice of its children.
2:25:45Theseus would then find the thread and began tracing his way back to the entrance,
2:25:49where he found Ariadne and the thirteen other Athenian sacrifices waiting for
2:25:54him. They greeted him with a cheer, with the group soon escaping the island in their ship,
2:25:59beginning the voyage back to Athens.
2:26:02But Theseus, caught up in his excitement for having slain the legendary minotaur,
2:26:08would begin to grow distant from Ariadne as he no longer needed her help. Along the way they would
2:26:14stop and rest on the island of Dia and when Ariadne was sleeping, Theseus would board his
2:26:20ship, stranding her on the island. Releasing she had been used and that Theseus had no intention
2:26:26of marrying her from the start, Ariadne would be left crying on the island’s shores, until almost
2:26:32at the brink of starvation, the god Dionysus would find her, bringing her to Olympus as his wife.
2:26:39As Athens appeared on the horizon, Theseus could think of nothing but the fame he would receive
2:26:45upon telling his heroic story. Overcome with excitement he would forget to change
2:26:50his black sails to white as his father had requested. And so, when King Aegeus saw the
2:26:57ship sailing back with black sails, a sign that his son was dead, he would throw himself from a
2:27:03tall cliff into the waters below, which would become known as the Aegean Sea in his honour.
2:27:09Having returned home, Theseus would mourn his father,
2:27:13after which he would be crowned the King of Athens, with his rule being celebrated by
2:27:18the Athenian people. He would go on to join Heracles in his fight against the Amazons,
2:27:23as well as helping Oedipus in his time of need, becoming one of the greatest heroes of his age.
2:27:42A famous architect and inventor, Daedalus was revered across all of Greece, and had been tasked
2:27:48by King Minos with constructing a labyrinth so complex that no one could ever escape it.
2:27:54However, after Theseus had left the labyrinth with ease after following the string Ariadne had gifted
2:28:00him, King Minos was furious, imprisoning Daedalus and his son Icarus deep within their own creation.
2:28:07But the maze was so well constructed that even Deadalus could not find his way out,
2:28:12he would instead turn to his imagination, coming to the conclusion that the only way out was up.
2:28:18Combining feathers with wax, he would construct two great pairs of wings
2:28:23for him and his son. Although the wings would let them escape, he warned Icarus
2:28:29that they were extremely delicate and that flying too high would cause them to break.
2:28:34Flying side by side in the sky, Icarus was soon overcome with excitement, ignoring his
2:28:40father’s warning. Higher and higher he would fly, soaring over the ocean below. But the
2:28:46sun's hot rays would begin to take a toll on the wings, melting the wax that held them together.
2:28:52One by one the feathers fell out, until finally Icarus himself plummeted into the sea.
2:28:59The story of Icarus would pass down from generation to generation,
2:29:03with the boy who flew too close to the sun serving as an example of
2:29:08the importance of knowing your own limits and not being blinded by overconfidence.
2:29:18On the western edge of Greece lay the city of Calydon, a city that would become the site of
2:29:24the greatest gathering of heroes since the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts.
2:29:28Ruling the city would be King Oeneus and Queen Althea, who would have a son named
2:29:34Meleager. Yet unknown to King Oeneus, Meleager was actually the son of the war god Ares,
2:29:40who had slept with his wife in secret, an affair that would draw the attention of
2:29:45the three fates, the goddesses who decide the destiny of each mortal.
2:29:50Appearing at the moment of Meleager’s birth, they would find the baby lying
2:29:55on the floor next to a freshly lit fire. Pointing to a large log amidst the flames,
2:30:00they would sing a song of Meleager’s fate:
2:30:02“To you, O new-born child, we grant a gift, To live until this wood turns to ash.”
2:30:10Overhearing the prophecy, Meleager’s mother Queen Althea would run to the fire,
2:30:15quickly dousing it with water and picking up the large log that now
2:30:19controlled the life of her son. Wanting to keep it safe, she would travel back to
2:30:24her palace and secure the log in a chest, out of reach from those wishing to harm her son.
2:30:30Almost two decades later, Meleager had become an Argonaut, joining Jason on his
2:30:36quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece, before returning to Greece as a hero. But when he
2:30:41travelled back to visit his family in Calydon, he would find his homeland all but destroyed.
2:30:46For his father, King Oeneus, had been blessed by the god Dionysus, with a fruitful harvest.
2:30:53With so many crops to feed his people, the King had become arrogant,
2:30:57forgetting to worship the goddess Artemis who oversaw all of nature.
2:31:02Furious, she would send a great and powerful boar to ravage the countryside,
2:31:07an enormous beast that would destroy towns, trample crops
2:31:11and kill any who were unfortunate enough to be caught in its path.
2:31:15With the boar destroying his kingdom, King Oeneus would send messenger birds to every
2:31:21corner of Greece, inviting the greatest heroes of the land to take part in a hunt to slay the beast.
2:31:27Leading the expedition would be his own son Meleager,
2:31:31with over 50 other warriors answering the call.
2:31:34The first to join would be Meleager’s trusted companions,
2:31:37the Argonauts, who had only just returned to Greece, with Jason, Euphemus and Idas,
2:31:43alongside Peleus, Telamon and the Dioscuri, all travelling to Calydon to take part.
2:31:50Next would come Theseus, the King of Athens and slayer of the minotaur, as well as Iolaus,
2:31:56the nephew of Heracles who had helped his uncle slay the Lernean Hydra during his second Labour.
2:32:02They would be joined by Nestor, the king of Pylos and wisest of the Greeks,
2:32:07alongside Laertes, the father of the famous hero Odysseus.
2:32:11With all assembled to begin the hunt, one final member would choose to join,
2:32:16but they would be unlike the rest, for Atalanta, a woman had come to claim the boar as a prize.
2:32:24Born to a king wishing for a son, as a baby Atalanta had been left in the wilderness to die,
2:32:30yet she would be nursed and protected by a bear,
2:32:33surviving long enough until she was found and raised by a pair of hunters.
2:32:37Growing up in the wild, Atalanta would learn to hunt, soon becoming a devoted follower of
2:32:43the goddess Artemis. By the time she became an adult, Atalanta was one of the greatest
2:32:48archers in the land, able to fight, run and shoot better than almost any man.
2:32:55After hearing of the expedition gathering to slay the Calydonian Boar,
2:32:59Atalanta would be keen to join, wishing to win the glory and prove her worth as a hunter.
2:33:05But upon her arrival to the gathering, she was greeted by mockery and contempt, with every
2:33:10warrior bursting out in uncontrollable laughter, at the very thought of a woman wishing to hunt.
2:33:16Only one remained silent, for Meleager,
2:33:20after setting his eyes upon her, had fallen deeply in love with Atalanta,
2:33:24and would argue with his companions until they finally agreed to let her join.
2:33:29With all now prepared, the hunt could finally begin. Setting out
2:33:33into the countryside, the party would have an easy time tracking the boar,
2:33:37as it left an unmistakable trail of destruction and carnage in its wake.
2:33:42Soon finding the boar stampeding through the woods, the hunters would quickly surround it,
2:33:47but just as they went to strike, the beast would rush forward,
2:33:51impaling one man on its tusks before trampling another beneath its heavy hooves.
2:33:55Panicking, the men would begin to attack the creature, but this would only add to the chaos,
2:34:01with one man being killed when a stray javelin impaled his chest. Amidst the madness, only one
2:34:08would keep a level head, with Atalanta raising her bow and letting fly an iron-tipped arrow, striking
2:34:15the boar in the throat. The beast would squeal out in pain, with Meleager taking the opportunity to
2:34:21rush forward with his spear, finishing off the beast with a strike through the heart.
2:34:25With the boar defeated, a great cheer would erupt amongst the hunters, all praising
2:34:31Meleager for delivering the killing blow. But Meleager would refuse to take credit, instead
2:34:37insisting that Atalanta take the boar’s hide as a prize, as she had delivered the first blow.
2:34:42The suggestion would cause outrage amongst the hunters, with Meleager’s uncles, Toxeus and
2:34:49Plexippus, stepping forward to voice their disgust at the thought of a woman taking home the prize,
2:34:54instead insisting that if Meleager did not want it, then the boar’s hide should belong to them.
2:35:00Enraged by the comments and blinded by his love for Atalanta,
2:35:04Meleager drew his sword and would strike down both of his uncles where they stood.
2:35:09Shocked at the bloodshed, the hunters would begin their return to Calydon, with word soon reaching
2:35:14Meleager’s mother, Queen Althea, that her two brothers had died at the hands of her son.
2:35:20In a moment of grief and anger, Queen Althea would rush to collect the chest that contained
2:35:26the large log she had hidden all those years ago. Throwing it into the fire, she would
2:35:31watch on with tears in her eyes as the log that kept her son alive was consumed by the flames.
2:35:37Instantly, Meleager would begin to scream, twisting in agony and falling to the floor,
2:35:42with him taking his last and final breath as the log was reduced to ash.
2:35:48Realising what she had done, Queen Althea would try desperately to remove the log from the fire,
2:35:53but it was too late, for the log was no more,
2:35:56with her taking her own life in the grief of knowing she had killed her own son.
2:36:02With the Calydonian Boar Hunt having ended in tragedy,
2:36:05the Heroes would begin to disperse, yet for Atalanta, more adventure lay ahead.
2:36:20After her role in slaying the Calydonian Boar, Atalanta’s name would become known across Greece,
2:36:26with suitors from far and wide coming to try and claim her hand in marriage. But Atalanta,
2:36:32wanting to continue her life of adventure, would come up with an easy way of rejecting them all,
2:36:37declaring that she would only marry the man who could beat her in a footrace.
2:36:41Suitor after suitor would try to win, but all would fail,
2:36:46with Atalanta knowing that there was no man alive who could match her.
2:36:51But one day she would be challenged by a suitor who was different from the rest,
2:36:55a young man named Hippomenes, who knew full well that he had no chance of beating her.
2:37:01Instead, he had visited the temple of Aphrodite the night before to pray for
2:37:05assistance, with the goddess gifting him three golden apples in return,
2:37:10so beautiful that no mortal could resist the urge to take them.
2:37:15And so, when the race began and Atalanta quickly took the lead,
2:37:19Hippomenes would take an apple and throw it onto the ground before them. Enchanted
2:37:24by the sight of it, Atalanta would come to a halt, reaching down to pick the apple up.
2:37:29But she would soon resume the race,
2:37:31with Hippomenes forced to throw yet another apple to slow Atalanta down.
2:37:35With the finish line in sight, and Hippomenes barely managing to keep a lead, he was forced
2:37:41to throw the third and final apple, this time throwing it far across the track, forcing
2:37:47Atalanta to veer off the path in pursuit. With his plan having worked, Hippomenes would achieve
2:37:53what no man had done before, finally beating Atalanta and claiming her hand in marriage.
2:37:59The two would wed and have a son, with Atalanta falling in love with her new husband.
2:38:04But Hippomenes, in his excitement over winning the race, had forgotten to
2:38:09offer sacrifice to thank Aphrodite for providing him with the golden apples.
2:38:13In revenge, Aphrodite would make Atalanta and Hippomenes lay together in a sacred temple of
2:38:19Zeus, with the king of the gods punishing the couple by transforming them into lions.
2:38:25As the Ancient Greeks believed that male and female lions could not mate,
2:38:30and that lion cubs came exclusively from the union of lions and leopards, the couple would be forever
2:38:36doomed to wander the earth, always together but unable to ever share the joys of intimacy again.
2:38:46With the Calydonian Boar hunt having come to an end, a new generation of heroes would now
2:38:51rise. But for Zeus, he thought too many demi-gods still roamed the earth and believed that
2:38:57there should be a greater distinction between gods and mortals. And so he would set in motion
2:39:03a series of events that would lead to war, the greatest war the world had ever seen,
2:39:08that would finally, once and for all, rid the earth of his many descendants.
2:39:14Across the sea from the great cities of Greece, reigned the most powerful kingdom of them all:
2:39:19Troy, whose famous walls were said to be indestructible,
2:39:23having been built by the gods themselves.
2:39:29The city was ruled by King Priam and Queen Hecuba, who were deeply loved
2:39:34and respected by their people, with Priam having 50 sons and 50 daughters during his
2:39:39reign. The most admired of them would be Prince Hector, Troy’s greatest warrior.
2:39:45The eldest son of Priam, Hector was a brave and honourable warrior.
2:39:50Devoted to his homeland and committed to his family, Hector loved none more than his wife,
2:39:55Andromache, and his son, Astyanax, for whom he would sacrifice anything to protect.
2:40:02The sister of Hector, Cassandra would be the least fortunate of Priam’s children.
2:40:07She would once catch the eye of the god Apollo, who would give her the gift of
2:40:11prophecy in his attempts to seduce her. But when she rejected the god,
2:40:15he would curse Cassandra in a jealous rage, making it so none would ever believe her prophecies.
2:40:22Finally there would be Paris, the brother of Hector and Cassandra, who would be raised
2:40:27away from his family. Before his birth, Hecuba received a prophecy revealing that her unborn
2:40:33son was destined to bring destruction to Troy. But unable to kill the child herself, she instructed a
2:40:40local shepherd to complete the task, but just like Hecuba, the shepherd could not harm the helpless
2:40:46infant, and instead would raise Paris in secret, a decision that would change the course of history.
2:41:02But the shepherd’s misguided generosity would not bring about the prophecy alone,
2:41:06as for Troy to fall, another child needed to be born. Across the seas in the city of Sparta,
2:41:13Zeus had fallen in love with Queen Leda. Transforming himself into a magnificent swan,
2:41:20Zeus would lie with the Queen, with Leda soon giving birth to two eggs.
2:41:25Out of the eggs would hatch two sons, Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri,
2:41:30who would later join the famous Argonauts, as well as two daughters, Clytemnestra and Helen,
2:41:37with Helen growing up to become the most beautiful woman in the world.
2:41:41The first step in Zeus’ grand plan had now been set in motion.
2:41:46When Helen came of age, almost every man would attempt to win her hand in marriage,
2:41:50with the greatest warriors, richest warlords and even Greece’s princes
2:41:55travelling great distances to reach Sparta, with Odysseus of Ithaca,
2:42:00Agamemnon of Mycenae and Ajax of Salamis all putting themselves forward.
2:42:05Knowing her decision would lead to the rejection of so many powerful men,
2:42:09Helen was worried that bloodshed would likely follow. And so, to try and prevent conflict,
2:42:16Odysseus of Ithaca made each suitor swear an oath to protect her chosen husband.
2:42:21With the threat of violence now gone, Helen would choose Prince Menelaus of
2:42:26Mycenae, with the two soon marrying and becoming the King and Queen of Sparta.
2:42:31Disappointed, her other suitors would peacefully return home, but unknown to them, their oath to
2:42:37defend her chosen husband, king Menelaus, an oath they had made to prevent violence,
2:42:42would be the very thing that would draw them into one of the greatest wars the world had ever seen.
2:42:57But high on Mount Olympus, another marriage was taking place. The parents of Achilles,
2:43:02Thetis, the goddess of water, and Peleus, a former Argonaut and King of Phthia,
2:43:08had been invited to Olympus to celebrate their marriage.
2:43:11Hosting a great feast, they would invite all the Gods and heroes from across the land,
2:43:16but they would make one exception. For amongst all the gods, there was one who was universally
2:43:22disliked, Eris, the goddess of discord and strife, who brought chaos wherever she went.
2:43:28Hurt that she was not invited to the wedding, Eris would decide to attend anyway,
2:43:33bringing with her a gift that would sow the seeds of conflict amongst the gods.
2:43:38The gift was to be a golden apple, inscribed with one simple phrase: "To the Most Beautiful".
2:43:46She would then throw the apple amongst the goddesses of Olympus,
2:43:49knowing that their vanity would lead to conflict. Soon Hera,
2:43:53Athena and Aphrodite were all fighting, with each claiming the apple should be awarded to them.
2:44:00Unable to decide they would all turn to Zeus, who saw an opportunity to further
2:44:05his great plan. Instead of deciding himself, Zeus would give the responsibility to a mortal.
2:44:12The man he chose would be a humble shepherd, known for his fair judgement, a man that was
2:44:17none other than Prince Paris of Troy, who had been raised as a shepherd in his exile.
2:44:23And so the three goddesses would approach Paris, with each offering him a different gift in return
2:44:28for his vote. Hera offered to make him king of Europe and Asia, Athena promised unrivalled
2:44:35skill in war, but Aphrodite, knowing the young man’s desires, would promise to give him the most
2:44:41beautiful woman in the world, an offer he could not refuse. With Paris then giving her the apple,
2:44:47Aphrodite would tell him to travel to Sparta, where she would use her magic to make Queen Helen,
2:44:53whose beauty knew no equal, fall in love with him. Following the Goddesses’ instructions,
2:44:58Paris would travel to Sparta and meet with Helen, with the two falling in love.
2:45:04Taking Helen’s hand, Paris and his men would fight through the ranks of the Spartan guards,
2:45:09who had been sent to stop her abduction.
2:45:11But it was to no avail, with the two boarding his ship, before making the long voyage back to Troy.
2:45:17Arriving home, Paris would be recognised by his father,
2:45:21King Priam, who welcomed him with open arms. Awed by Helen’s beauty,
2:45:25the entire palace would try to catch a glimpse of her, overjoyed to see the new princess of Troy.
2:45:31However, amidst the excitement, there remained two who were concerned with her arrival.
2:45:37Prince Hector was furious with his brother,
2:45:39warning that his naive and lustful actions would bring war to the shores of Troy.
2:45:45But while Hector’s words were harsh, it would be his sister Cassandra who
2:45:50would have the worst reaction. Shrieking in despair, she would prophesise that
2:45:54Helen’s arrival would lead to the fall of Troy itself. But as she had been cursed by Apollo,
2:46:00no one would heed her warning, with the royal guards dismissing her prophecies as mad ravings.
2:46:18Arriving back in Sparta from a funeral in Crete, Menelaus was informed that his wife
2:46:23Helen had been abducted, with the ship she was on heading in the direction of Troy.
2:46:28Enraged, he would raise his armies to attack the Trojans, calling upon all of Helen’s suitors to
2:46:34honour their oaths and join him in the conflict. Men of their words, they would answer his call,
2:46:40and soon the greatest warriors from across Greece were assembling to return Helen home to Sparta.
2:46:47The first to join Menelaus would be his brother, Agamemnon.
2:46:51The most powerful Greek King, Agamemnon would rule over Mycenae, an ally of Sparta,
2:46:57with his kingdom having the most wealth and largest army.
2:47:00And so when the time of war came, it would be Agamemnon who would command Greece’s mighty fleet.
2:47:08Next to join would be the suitors of Helen, who had pledged their allegiance to defend Menelaus,
2:47:13with the kings Nestor, Diomedes and Odysseus, the wisest of the Greeks, all honouring their word.
2:47:20Joining these powerful kings would be the best warriors Greece had to offer, with Achilles,
2:47:26Patroclus, as well as Ajax the Greater and Ajax the lesser all answering the call.
2:47:34Prince of Phthia, Achilles was the greatest warrior to have ever lived,
2:47:37with his support ensuring victory in any conflict. Achilles was invulnerable to attacks,
2:47:43and without his assistance the conquest of Troy was unthinkable.
2:47:48After his birth, his mother, the water goddess Thetis, would take Achilles to the Underworld,
2:47:53submerging him into the River Styx, whose waters granted immortality.
2:47:58But as she had held him by the foot, the waters would not cover his heel,
2:48:03which would remain the only vulnerable part of his body.
2:48:06Lusting for war, Achilles would join the greatest warriors of his age,
2:48:10with his lifelong friend Patroclus accompanying him on the journey.
2:48:15With the greatest fighters from across Greece now assembled, Agamemnon would command a mighty fleet
2:48:21of hundreds of ships. But as they set sail for Troy, they would find themselves unable to move,
2:48:26with the waters having calmed and the ocean’s winds having ceased.
2:48:30For Agamemnon, having killed a sacred deer, had offended the goddess Artemis,
2:48:35who had stolen the winds so he could not set sail.
2:48:39Anxious to reach Troy, Agamemnon would consult a prophet on how to restore the
2:48:44winds once again. But to restore them, the prophet revealed that Agamemnon would
2:48:49have to sacrifice the one who was dearest to him, his eldest daughter, Iphigenia.
2:48:54With thousands of men waiting idle in their ships, Agamemnon’s pride could not stand for such a
2:49:00delay. Claiming that Achilles wanted her hand in marriage, Agamemnon would lure his daughter to his
2:49:06camp, with Iphigenia arriving in excitement. With her father waiting for her at the altar, she would
2:49:12begin to walk towards him. However, as she got closer, she realised it was not a wedding altar
2:49:18at all, but rather a sacrificial shrine, with her father plunging his dagger into her broken heart.
2:49:26With his daughter now laying dead at his feet,
2:49:28Agamemnon had appeased Artemis, who would release the winds from her grasp.
2:49:33Now setting sail, it would not be long until they reached their enemy’s mighty city,
2:49:38but awaiting them would be the greatest army Troy had to offer.
2:49:42The son of Aphrodite and cousin to the Royal Family,
2:49:46Aeneas would join the fight to protect his homeland.
2:49:50But Troy would not fight alone, with Priam calling upon his allies,
2:49:54the Lycians and the Amazons, who would come to his aid.
2:50:01Lycia would be led by Sarpedon, the son of Zeus and grandson of Bellerophon as well as Glaucus,
2:50:08a legendary warrior, who would lead the Lycian armies into battle.
2:50:13They would fight alongside the Amazons, fierce warrior women,
2:50:16led by Penthesilea, a daughter of Ares, who could fight better than almost any man.
2:50:23But while both sides possessed the best warriors and leaders of their age,
2:50:27the gods too would be divided by the war.
2:50:31Still furious they had not been given the apple by Paris,
2:50:34Hera and Athena would choose to support the Greeks.
2:50:38While Aphrodite, having gifted Helen to the Trojans, would decide to give them her support.
2:50:44The patron of Troy, Apollo would come to the defence of his city,
2:50:48with Poseidon, jealous that the Trojans worshipped Apollo and not him after they
2:50:54had both built the city’s walls, would decide to join the Greeks.
2:50:58And finally Ares, lured by the promise of battle, and wanting to best his sister Athena,
2:51:04would join the side of the Trojans, to cause as much bloodshed as possible.
2:51:20For 9 years, the Achaeans would attack Troy, with wave after wave,
2:51:24failing to break the city's impenetrable walls.
2:51:28But with resources running short,
2:51:30Achilles would lead Greece’s armies south, searching for supplies, gold and women.
2:51:35They would first take the island of Lesbos, before landing on the shores of Asia Minor,
2:51:40pillaging all the towns and cities they came across as they made their way back up to Troy.
2:51:46From the cities of Lyrnessus and Hypoplacia, the Greeks would take many beautiful women as slaves,
2:51:51with Brisies being awarded to Achilles and Chryseis given to Agamemnon,
2:51:56two women that would change the course of the war.
2:52:01Having taken Chryseis as a concubine, Agamenon would fall deeply in love with her. However,
2:52:06her father, a priest of Apollo, was not happy with his daughter being taken as a slave, and
2:52:13so travelled to Agamemnon’s camp. He offered the king gold and silver in exchange for his daughter,
2:52:18but Agamemnon refused the offer, taunting the old man by pointing at Chryseis chained to his bed.
2:52:26Apollo, disgusted at the way his priest had been treated, would send a plague of arrows
2:52:31upon the Greek armies, refusing to relent until Chryseis was returned home. Agamemnon,
2:52:37having no other choice, would agree to let her go, with Odysseus reuniting Chryseis with her father.
2:52:44But with his concubine now gone, Agamemnon would look to satisfy his desires, turning to Brisies,
2:52:50the slave girl of Achilles. If he would have to go without his prize,
2:52:54then so too would his greatest warrior. Stealing her from his tent,
2:52:58Agamemnon would declare Brisies his own, with Achilles becoming enraged.
2:53:03Demanding her return, Achilles would only be laughed at by the king, causing him to draw
2:53:09his sword in frustration. But as he did so, the goddess Athena would descend from the heavens,
2:53:15holding his arm in place and warning against such an impulsive action.
2:53:19Heeding the god’s advice, Achilles would put down his sword, refusing to serve a
2:53:24king that had treated him with such disrespect. Returning to his tent,
2:53:29the Greek armies would have to fight on without his assistance.
2:53:43For a time, the Greeks would manage to fight on without Achilles,
2:53:46although the losses on both sides would begin to take their toll.
2:53:51But with Achilles now out of action, Hector would realise that this was his
2:53:55only opportunity to win the war, and so decided to bid his family farewell.
2:54:00With his wife and son crying in his arms, he knew this could be the last time he would
2:54:05ever see them, but he had no choice, for Troy to survive, he would have to fight.
2:54:10Emerging from Troy’s mighty walls, Hector would rally his men, pushing the Greeks all
2:54:16the way back to their ships, who were no match for him without Achilles’ assistance. But even
2:54:21on the verge of defeat, with his men dying around him, Achilles would refuse to rejoin the fight.
2:54:28Taking matters into his own hands, his best friend, Patroclus would put on Achilles’ iconic
2:54:34armour, before charging into battle. With it appearing that Achilles had rejoined the fight,
2:54:39fear swept through the Trojan forces, who began to flee back to the safety of the city’s walls.
2:54:46Seeing his army crumbling before him, Hector would decide to make a final stand,
2:54:51turning to face Patroclus to save as many of his men as possible. Charging towards
2:54:57him, with his sword in hand, he would take one swift blow, striking Patroclus dead.
2:55:03Shocked at the ease with which Greece’s finest warrior had been defeated,
2:55:07Hector would crouch down to remove Achilles’ helmet. But when Patroclus’ face was uncovered,
2:55:12he realised that he had not defeated Achilles at all.
2:55:26Seeing the death of Patroclus, the Greek armies would rush to claim his body,
2:55:29fighting off the Trojans as they went. Bringing him back to their camp,
2:55:33Achilles would be distraught when he saw his best friend laying dead before him.
2:55:38Contemplating ending his own life, Achilles could not hold back his anguish, with his mother Thetis
2:55:45coming to comfort him. Seeing her son in such distress, Thetis would go to Olympus and retrieve
2:55:51a new set of armour from the forge of Hephaestus, placing it on Achilles when she returned.
2:55:56With his new armour equipped, the grief Achilles had felt would now turn to revenge,
2:56:01with the destruction of Hector and Troy the only things on his mind.
2:56:07Seeing the real Achilles now charging towards him, Hector would begin to run in fear,
2:56:12with him being chased around Troy’s walls three times before he was eventually caught.
2:56:18Unable to run any further, Hector decided to make a final stand and fight Achilles with
2:56:24honour. Charging at him, Hector would draw his sword, but as he took his final swing,
2:56:30it would miss, with him falling down to the floor. Realising the end was near,
2:56:35Hector would refuse to beg for his life and instead would only request one thing,
2:56:41that Achilles treat his body with respect so his family could properly mourn his passing.
2:56:47But still enraged at the death of Patroclus,
2:56:50Achilles would plunge his spear into Hector's neck, bringing a swift end to his life.
2:56:55Tying Hector's legs to the back of his chariot, Achilles would drag his corpse around the city,
2:57:00parading his body for all to see, while Hector’s entire family watched from the walls above.
2:57:07It was a sight too much for Hector’s father, King Priam to bear.
2:57:12As nightfall came, Priam would approach Achilles in his camp, begging at his feet,
2:57:17for his son's body to be returned. Moved by the king's words that reminded him of his own grief
2:57:24after the death of Patroclus, Achilles would give in, and allow Priam to take Hector's body.
2:57:30Arriving back in Troy, the entire city would gather to see Priam’s son, mourning for the loss
2:57:36of their great hero. But none would feel the pain more than Hector’s wife, Andromache and his son,
2:57:42Astyanax, who clung onto his body as it passed through Troy’s sombre streets.
2:57:58With Hector now gone, all hope was lost within the city, and with Achilles closing in, it looked like
2:58:03the end was near. Slaughtering the Trojans one by one, he would make his way to the gates of Troy.
2:58:10But as he went to scale the city walls, he would feel a sharp and excruciating pain in his heel.
2:58:16For Paris, guided by the god Apollo, had shot Achilles with a poisoned arrow in the
2:58:22only mortal part of his body. Dropping to the floor and poison coursing through his veins,
2:58:28Achilles’ skin would turn white as snow, with him taking his last and final breath.
2:58:34But Paris would not live long enough to enjoy his victory, for the Greeks,
2:58:38who had seen him shoot Achilles, would hunt him down and take their revenge.
2:58:44With their greatest heroes now gone, each side would fall into despair, especially the Greeks,
2:58:50who saw no way to penetrate Troy’s great walls without the strength of Achilles.
2:58:55But there would be one Greek who did not give up hope, with Odysseus devising a cunning plan,
2:59:01a plan so genius that its story would echo throughout the ages.
2:59:06Constructing a giant wooden horse, Odysseus would hollow out the inside,
2:59:10making enough room for himself and a handful of Greece’s best warriors to be hidden within.
2:59:17And so, when the next day dawned, the Trojans awoke to find a great horse outside their walls.
2:59:23Seeing the Greek camp dismantled and their ships sailing off into the horizon,
2:59:28a great cheer erupted throughout the city, celebrating that the war had come to an end.
2:59:34Mesmerised by its beauty and believing the horse to be a peace offering, the Trojans would decide
2:59:40to bring it within their walls. But there was one who was not fooled by the gift.
2:59:45Cassandra, claiming it was a trap, would urge the Trojans to burn the Horse,
2:59:50but once again she was ignored, with the entire city laughing and ridiculing her.
2:59:56But that night, when all were asleep, Odysseus, Menelaus, Diomedes and Ajax
3:00:02would begin to pour out of the horse. Killing the guards, they would open Troy’s gates from within,
3:00:08before signalling with fire for the rest of the Greek fleet to return.
3:00:12The Trojans would awake to their city ablaze, with Greek warriors flooding
3:00:17through the streets, looting homes and slaughtering any remaining defenders.
3:00:21With his entire city burning before his eyes, Priam, the king of Troy would meet his end,
3:00:28with Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, plunging his dagger into the old man's defenceless body.
3:00:34Leaving the king's body amongst his fallen men, Pyrrhus would head to the royal chambers
3:00:35where he would find Hector’s wife and son. Taking Astyanax from his mother’s arms,
3:00:37he would throw the infant to its death from the city walls, before taking his mother,
3:00:42Andromache, into slavery, where she would serve as his concubine.
3:00:47After 10 long years of war, Troy's famous walls had finally been breached. With its
3:00:53king now gone and its great heroes defeated, Troy would now lay at the mercy of the Greeks.
3:01:09Fleeing from the streets of Troy, Cassandra would find refuge in the temple of Athena,
3:01:14watching in fear as her fellow citizens were slaughtered before her eyes.
3:01:19But unfortunately, the Greek warrior Ajax the lesser had spotted Cassandra hiding,
3:01:24soon entering the temple himself and violating her in front of Athena’s statue. Disgusted at the act
3:01:32performed in her sacred temple, as Ajax boarded his ship, Athena would strike it with a bolt
3:01:38of lightning, causing him to fall into the sea, where Poseidon would drag him to a watery grave.
3:01:45But for Cassandra things would only get worse, with Ajax now gone, Agamemnon would claim her as
3:01:52his concubine, with a terrible fate soon awaiting them as they travelled to his home in Mycenae.
3:01:58Of the few Trojans to escape, the most significant would be Aeneas. Leading a
3:02:04small group of survivors out of the burning city, they would cross the Mediterranean,
3:02:08eventually landing on the shores of Italy. Beginning a new life, Aeneas and his followers
3:02:14would populate the land, with his descendants Romulus and Remus founding a new city called Rome.
3:02:22Finally reunited with Helen, Menelaus would return home to Sparta, where the two would
3:02:27rule as king and queen once again. When their time came they would pass onto the next world,
3:02:33where they would spend eternity on the Isle of the Blessed.
3:02:40Out of all the heroes to return from Troy, Agamemnon would face one of the worst fates of all, with his son, Orestes, suffering the terrible consequences of his father's actions.
3:02:53Returning home to Mycenae, Agamemnon would receive a hero’s welcome as he entered the city, parading
3:02:59the wealth and women he had taken from Troy. He was most fond of Cassandra, the Trojan princess
3:03:04who was now his unwilling captive, keeping her at the front of the procession for all to see.
3:03:09However, Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, was not pleased with her husband lying with another woman,
3:03:15with her grabbing an axe and butchering Cassandra, that evening, in a jealous rage.
3:03:19But Cassandra would not be the only one to feel Clytemnestra’s wrath. Having never
3:03:25forgiven Agamemnon for sacrificing their daughter, Iphiginea, to restore the winds,
3:03:29Clytemnestra would now take her revenge. Waiting until Agamemnon had fallen asleep,
3:03:34she would sneak into his bed chamber, plunging her dagger into his heart,
3:03:38with the king facing the same gruesome death he had inflicted upon their daughter.
3:03:43With her husband now dead, Clytemnestra would take the throne of Mycenae, but Agamemnon’s murder
3:03:49would not be forgotten. For his son, Orestes, was keen to avenge the death of his father.
3:03:54Storming into the palace, Orestes would take his sword and thrust its blade into
3:04:00his mother’s chest, with Clytemnestra taking her last and final breath.
3:04:04But as soon as he did so, Orestes would be overcome with a deep sense of regret. He
3:04:09had avenged his father, but in doing so had committed an unspeakable act,
3:04:13one that would live with him for the rest of his life. Looking up with tears in his eyes,
3:04:18Orestes would be shocked to see three terrifying creatures flying towards him.
3:04:23For the Furies, the three sisters of vengeance,
3:04:26had risen from the underworld to punish him for the murder of his mother,
3:04:29for it was their duty to haunt those who brought violence and death against their own family.
3:04:35Haunting Orestes for many years, they would drive him to the point of insanity, with it
3:04:40only being through the intervention of Athena that he would finally find peace once again.
3:04:49But there was one last hero who had not made it home from Troy. For Odysseus,
3:04:53the most cunning of the Greeks would have to travel for 10 long years where he would face
3:04:58the most terrifying creatures known to man. The Odyssey had just begun.
3:05:05Odysseus ruled over the Greek island of Ithaca, but had spent 10 long years fighting in Troy to
3:05:10retrieve the Spartan Queen Helen. But with his mission now complete, Odysseus looked to
3:05:16travel back to his homeland, where his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus awaited.
3:05:22Gathering his fleet of ships on the Trojan shores,
3:05:25Odysseus would set sail, relieved to be finally returning home.
3:05:30Heading south they would sail round shores of Greece, before heading north towards Ithaca.
3:05:37But as they neared home, a great storm erupted, blowing them off course and
3:05:42towards a large island, where they hoped they could find refuge from the seas.
3:05:54Stopping on the island, they would soon spot a shepherd’s camp in the distance,
3:05:58with Odysseus handpicking a small group of warriors to accompany him.
3:06:03Taking several cases of wine to trade, the hungry crew were overjoyed when
3:06:08they saw large supplies of cheese and meat within a cave next to the shepherd’s flock.
3:06:13The warriors would help themselves to the supplies, but soon the cave’s owner would return,
3:06:18the giant cyclops Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon, who sealed the entrance with a giant boulder.
3:06:26Ignoring Odysseus’ cries that he was there to trade, Polyphemus would grab two of the warriors,
3:06:31crushing them each in his fists before eating their remains. He would then leave the cave,
3:06:37returning each morning and evening to feast on what remained of the terrified crew.
3:06:43Knowing the odds were stacked against him yet again,
3:06:46Odysseus would devise a cunning plan to escape.
3:06:49Realising he couldn’t overpower Polyphemus, he would offer the cyclops the wine he had
3:06:54brought with him, to help wash down the taste of his friends.
3:06:58With the cyclops soon falling down drunk he would ask for Odysseus’ name so he
3:07:03could thank him for the gift. But instead of giving his true name, Odysseus would
3:07:08instead insist that he was called ‘Nobody’. Thanking nobody, Polyphemus would soon fall
3:07:14asleep, where Odysseus would begin to sharpen a wooden stake he had found in the cave.
3:07:19Approaching the sleeping giant, he would plunge the stake deep into his eye,
3:07:24blinding the cyclops but making sure not to kill him, as the boulder blocking the cave’s
3:07:29entrance would still have to be moved. Polyphemus would scream out in agony,
3:07:34a scream so loud that cyclopes from across the island would rush to the cave.
3:07:39Calling out to Polyphemus, they would ask, ‘What’s wrong, who's killing you;’.
3:07:43But Polyphemus would shout back, ‘Nobody is killing me, Nobody’.
3:07:49It was just as Odysseus had planned, with the cyclopes’ soon leaving in confusion.
3:07:54But while Polyphemus was now blind, there was still no way for the men to move the
3:07:59giant boulder blocking the entrance, with Odysseus coming up with yet another plan.
3:08:04When Polyphemus went to move the boulder the next morning to let his sheep out to graze, he would
3:08:10feel each of the animals as they passed to check it wasn’t one of the humans. But Odysseus and his
3:08:16men would each tie themselves to the bottom of the sheep, allowing them to pass by undetected.
3:08:22Reaching their ships, they would manage to escape the island, with Polyphemus hurling
3:08:27boulders in their direction as they sailed away. But Odysseus would make a costly mistake,
3:08:32overcome by his achievement, he would reveal to the giant that his name was not Nobody,
3:08:38but instead Odysseus, the famous hero of the Trojan War. Unknown to Odysseus,
3:08:44this would allow Polyphemus to give the name of his attacker to his father Poseidon, the god of
3:08:50the sea, who in revenge for his son’s blinding would curse Odysseus to lose all his crew in his
3:08:57coming travels and wander the seas for 10 long years before he could set foot on his homeland.
3:09:11Unaware of the curse Poseidon had placed upon him,
3:09:15Odysseus and his crew would land on the floating island of Aeolia. After dining with his guests,
3:09:21King Aeolus, who ruled the island, would offer Odysseus a parting gift, a leather bag containing
3:09:27the power of the winds, which if used with great precision could speed his journey home.
3:09:33Setting sail once more, Odysseus would make use of the winds, with his homeland of Ithaca
3:09:39soon in sight. But as he neared the island's shores, his crew, believing the bag Aeolus
3:09:45had given him contained large sums of gold and silver, decided to take some for themselves.
3:09:51Opening the bag while Odysseus' back was turned, all the winds rushed out at once,
3:09:56blowing their ships back into the ocean, with all aboard holding on for their lives.
3:10:02They would arrive at the Island of Aeolia once again, but this time, their arrival
3:10:06would not be met with the same generosity they had received before. For King Aeolus,
3:10:12knowing that only a curse from the gods could have brought Odysseus back to his island,
3:10:16would refuse to aid him any further, expelling him from the palace to avoid the wrath of the gods.
3:10:24Still unaware of Poseidon’s curse, Odysseus would set sail once more,
3:10:28but just like his previous attempts to reach his homeland, this time would also hold misfortune.
3:10:43Arriving at the harbour of Laestrygonia,
3:10:46Odysseus would send out 3 scouts to find food and the people of the town. But the scouts would soon
3:10:52realise they were not in a place of people at all, being chased by giants back to their ships.
3:10:58Bloodthirsty cannibals, the giant Lastregonians would begin to devour the scouts with them soon
3:11:04turning their attention to Odysseus's ships in their harbour. Pelting them with boulders,
3:11:09the Laestrygonians would destroy every ship bar one, with Odysseus barely making it out alive.
3:11:24Tired and depleted, Odysseus’ only remaining ship would soon arrive at the island of Aeaea,
3:11:29not knowing it was home to the beautiful witch Circe,
3:11:33daughter of the sun god Helios and sister of the infamous witch Medea.
3:11:38Splitting his men into two groups, Odysseus would stay by his ship and set up camp while
3:11:44the others searched the island for food. They would soon arrive at the house of Circe,
3:11:48where docile wolves and lions quivered at her feet. Inviting the men to dine with her,
3:11:54she would serve them a large cup of barley, cheese and wine,
3:11:58but unknown to the men, there was one secret ingredient placed within.
3:12:02Having eaten the meal, the men would begin to fall asleep, but when they awoke, they were no longer
3:12:08in human form, instead they took the body of pigs. But one man, not having an appetite for food,
3:12:16had seen the events unfold, quickly running to Odysseus to tell him of the fate of his crew.
3:12:22Hearing the news, Odysseus immediately set off to rescue his men, but along the way he was stopped
3:12:29by the messenger god Hermes, who had come to aid him. Giving Odysseus molly, a magic herb, Hermes
3:12:36would tell him to place it in Circe’s potions so as to not feel the effects of her enchantments.
3:12:41Taking the moly, Odysseus would approach Circe and begin to dine with her, surprising the
3:12:47witch when he remained in human form. Drawing his sword, he stood up and threatened to kill
3:12:52Circe unless she transformed his crew back into humans. With the sword at her throat,
3:12:58Circe would quickly agree, with the pigs at her feet transforming back into men.
3:13:03So impressed by Odysseus’ heroics Circe would invite him to her bed-chamber, with the two having
3:13:09a son together named Telegonus. Remaining on the island for a whole year, Odysseus decided it was
3:13:16time to leave, but as he began to set sail, Circe would advise him to visit the Underworld, where
3:13:22the prophet Tiresias could advise him on how to survive the many trials that awaited him at sea.
3:13:36Following Circe’s advice, Odysseus would travel west, to the edge of the world,
3:13:40where an entrance to the Underworld was located. Completing a ritual sacrifice at the entrance,
3:13:47Odysseus would summon the spirits of the dead where the blind prophet Tiresias would appear. He
3:13:53warned that Odysseus and his men would soon find themselves on the island of the Sun God Helios and
3:13:59that they should refrain from eating his cattle if they wanted to make it home alive. If however,
3:14:04they harmed the cattle in any way, then death would follow. Thanking the prophet, Odysseus would
3:14:10leave in his ship, determined that when the time came, no man would touch the sun god's cattle.
3:14:25But soon after setting sail, Odysseus and his men would begin to hear a beautiful melody. For
3:14:31just like Jason and the Argonauts had many years ago, his ship was passing the home of the Sirens,
3:14:36irresistible creatures that enticed sailors to their death with their bewitching songs.
3:14:42However, this time Odysseus had come prepared. Remembering the advice that Circe had given him,
3:14:48he would instruct the crew to plug their ears with beeswax,
3:14:52so they could not be seduced by the Siren's call.
3:14:55But Odysseus, wanting to be the first man to hear the song and survive,
3:14:59would not plug his ears with wax, instead asking his crew to bind him to the ship's mast.
3:15:05And so, as the ship passed the sirens home and their songs grew louder and louder, Odysseus
3:15:12would begin to struggle. Drawn to the sound with every fibre of his being, he would plead with his
3:15:18men to let him go, but no one would answer his call, as the wax continued to block their ears.
3:15:24Eventually making it through safely, Odysseus would be set free,
3:15:28having been the first man to survive the siren’s call. But unknown to him,
3:15:33the sirens were fated to die if a mortal ever heard their enchanting song and survived,
3:15:38with each of them taking their own life as his ship sailed into the horizon.
3:15:52As the next day dawned, Odysseus had a difficult decision to make. For Circe,
3:15:57using her magic had warned him of the dangers that lay ahead when he came across a narrow pass.
3:16:04On each side would lay incredible danger, with the right home to Scylla, a giant six-headed
3:16:10sea monster, and the left home to Charybdis, a whirlpool that consumed anything that came near.
3:16:17Heeding Circe’s advice yet again, Odysseus would head towards Scylla, for while the monster would
3:16:24take six of his men, it was a price he was willing to pay, as Charybdis would take his entire ship.
3:16:30And so, with a heavy heart, he would direct his men towards the cliff face where Scylla
3:16:36lay in wait. As the ship passed, six heads would swoop down from above,
3:16:41each taking a sailor, who screamed as they were consumed by the beast.
3:16:46But with a great storm on the horizon, they had no time to mourn their companions,
3:16:51with them soon stopping on the island of Thrinacia.
3:17:03Thrinacia was home to the cattle of the sun god Helios, cattle that
3:17:07Odysseus had been warned not to consume by the prophet Terisias in the underworld.
3:17:12But despite Odysseus instructing his men not to touch the cattle, it would not be easy for
3:17:17them to follow his orders, as the storm had kept them stranded on the island for nearly a month.
3:17:23With their food supplies all but gone, the crew, on the brink of starvation, would wait for
3:17:29Odysseus to fall asleep, killing all the cattle and roasting the meat to enjoy amongst themselves.
3:17:36When Odysseus awoke the next morning, he would fall to his knees in despair,
3:17:40shaking his head in disbelief at the foolishness of his crew.
3:17:45However, although the crew had ignored his orders,
3:17:48the storm had now calmed, with them setting off to sea once again.
3:17:52But their crime had not gone unnoticed,
3:17:55with the sun god Helios complaining to Zeus about the slaughter of his cattle.
3:18:00Furious, Zeus would strike Odysseus’ ship with a great thunderbolt, tearing it in half, with all
3:18:06the crew drowning bar one. For as fate predicted, Poseidon’s curse had come to pass, with only
3:18:13Odysseus having survived the carnage, with him clinging to the broken remains of his ship.
3:18:19For 9 days and nights he would drift across the vast ocean,
3:18:22but on the tenth day, he would wash up on the island of the goddess Calypso.
3:18:37Upon rescuing Odysseus from the shore, Calypso, the daughter of the titan Atlas,
3:18:42would fall in love with him, asking if he’d stay on the island with her forever,
3:18:46even offering to make him immortal. But Odysseus, longing to see his wife, Penelope, and his son,
3:18:54Telemachus, would reject her advances, insisting that he wanted to leave. However, Calypso,
3:19:01insulted by his rejection, would keep Odysseus captive on the island for the next seven years.
3:19:07Being forced to lie with the goddess, Odysseus would spend every night crying on the shore,
3:19:13wishing to see his wife and son once again. But high on Mount Olympus, the goddess Athena,
3:19:19having supported Odysseus since the Trojan War, would look down upon him with sadness in her eyes,
3:19:25until one day she could not stand by any longer. Begging Zeus to finally allow
3:19:31Odysseus to return home, Athena would make her case, with Zeus ordering Calypso to set him free.
3:19:36Reluctantly, Calypso would agree, helping Odysseus to build a raft to sail home. But
3:19:43as he was nearing his homeland, Poseidon would hear of Odysseus’ escape, conjuring a storm to
3:19:49destroy his raft. Barely surviving, Odysseus would manage to swim to the island of Scheria,
3:19:55where he would stumble onto the shore completely naked before falling asleep.
3:20:08The island of Scheria was home to the Phaeacians, ruled by King Alcinous and Queen Arete.
3:20:15The day after Odysseus’ arrival, their daughter, Nausicaa, would go down to the
3:20:20sea with her maids to wash their clothes, only to come across Odysseus, standing naked on the shore.
3:20:26Shocked by the sight of a naked man, her maids would run away screaming in terror, but Nausicaa,
3:20:32given courage and being prompted by Athena, would stand her ground. Giving Odysseus some clothes,
3:20:39Nausicaa would take him back to her palace, where she would introduce him to her parents.
3:20:43Inviting the stranger inside, the King and Queen would ask Odysseus to dine with them,
3:20:48before enjoying entertainment provided by Demodocus the poet,
3:20:53who was known for his songs inspired by the gods.
3:20:56As the night unfolded, the King would ask Odysseus to reveal his name and story, but
3:21:02Odysseus, reluctant to give his name after it had led to Poseidon’s curse,
3:21:07would try to avoid the question, instead talking of the great sights he had seen on his travels.
3:21:13After a great feast, Demodocus would soon begin to play his beautiful tunes,
3:21:18singing of the Gods of Olympus. But soon, the poet's attention would turn to the tale
3:21:24of Troy. He would sing of its many heroes, of Achilles and Agamemnon, and of the famous
3:21:31Odysseus, the maker of the wooden horse, and the most cunning of the Greeks.
3:21:36Awed by the tale of the Trojan Horse, of how a man so intelligent had managed to outwit the Trojans,
3:21:42the crowd would begin to cheer, but Odysseus, thinking only of the many friends he had lost,
3:21:48would grab his robe and begin to weep, wiping the tears from his eyes.
3:21:53However, the King, hearing Odysseus sobbing, would become suspicious, asking for the man's identity.
3:22:00Overwhelmed that his tale was being told across the land and mesmerised by the poet’s beautiful
3:22:06singing, he would reveal that his name was Odysseus, the famous hero of the Trojan War.
3:22:12But rather than returning home after the conflict, Odysseus would explain that he had been wandering
3:22:18the ocean for 10 long years, with every attempt to reach his homeland having ended in tragedy.
3:22:24Amazed by the story and honoured to have such a great hero in their midst, the king and queen
3:22:30would do everything they could to help him. The next morning, Odysseus would awake to
3:22:35find a ship in the harbour, loaded with gold and silver and a crew ready to help him return home.
3:22:41Setting sail, Odysseus would thank the king and queen,
3:22:44with his eyes now set firmly upon his homeland.
3:22:5720 years after leaving home, Odysseus would finally set foot on Ithaca,
3:23:02ready to see his wife and son once again.
3:23:06But Athena, knowing that his homeland was not as he left it, would warn Odysseus of the dangers
3:23:12that waited in his palace. Transforming him into an old beggar, Athena made sure that
3:23:18Odysseus would enter his home in disguise. For his wife Penelope, having been alone for twenty years,
3:23:24was expected to remarry, with suitors from far and wide coming to win her hand.
3:23:30Over 100 of them now infested Odysseus’ palace,
3:23:34eating his food and wearing his clothes, although throughout it all Penelope had
3:23:39remained faithful, never giving up hope that her husband would return.
3:23:44Devising a cunning plan to avoid marriage, Penelope had stalled her many suitors for years,
3:23:50weaving a burial garment for Odysseus’ father, promising that she would choose a
3:23:55new husband when it was finished. But every night, as the garment neared completion,
3:24:00she would secretly undo all her work, with the deception lasting for three
3:24:06years before it was uncovered, with her now being forced to choose a suitor.
3:24:11But unknown to Penelope, Odysseus would soon be by her side. Making his way to the palace,
3:24:16he would first stop at the house of his most loyal servant, Eumaeus. Happy to see his king
3:24:22once again, Eumaeus would offer Odysseus food and wine, while pledging to help him reclaim his home.
3:24:28It would not be long before another would join them. For Odysseus’ son Telemachus,
3:24:33had just arrived home from his travels after searching for his father for many months.
3:24:39Making his way up to the palace, Telemachus would see Eumaeus dining with a stranger,
3:24:44and hungry after his long voyage, would ask his friend if he could join for dinner.
3:24:49But Eumaeus, knowing the beggar’s true identity, would seek to give the two some time together,
3:24:55leaving to let Penelope know her son had returned. With Eumaeus now gone,
3:25:00Athena would use her magic to transform the old beggar back into Odysseus in all his glory.
3:25:07Telemachus could not believe his eyes and would begin to weep,
3:25:11having been reunited with his father after all this time.
3:25:15Dropping to his knees, Telemachus would embrace his father with open arms.
3:25:19But the reunion would have to wait, as for now Odysseus would have to deal with the
3:25:25suitors. Disguising himself as a beggar once again, he would enter the palace,
3:25:29only to discover that Penelope had set up a competition to choose her next husband.
3:25:36She had declared that she would marry the man who could shoot an arrow through a row
3:25:40of 12 axe heads, with every suitor in the land having joined the competition.
3:25:45But there would be one condition, that each suitor must use Odysseus’ great bow,
3:25:50that had been left behind at the palace. It was another of Penelope’s cunning tricks,
3:25:56as one after another, every suitor would take their turn, each unable to even string the bow.
3:26:03After every man had failed, Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar,
3:26:08would ask for an attempt, with the whole palace howling with laughter.
3:26:12But they would soon fall quiet, for Odysseus would string the bow with ease,
3:26:17taking aim and shooting an arrow that sailed through all twelve axes with perfect precision.
3:26:24But having seen the damage done to his home, Odysseus could not forgive the suitors. Turning
3:26:30the bow upon them, Odysseus would begin to fire, striking them down one by one.
3:26:36Panicked, the suitors would go to grab their weapons, but no matter how hard they looked
3:26:41they could not be found, as Telemachus had hid the weapons while the competition was underway.
3:26:47With Eumaeus then joining Telemachus and Odysseus, they would begin to attack the suitors,
3:26:52not stopping until they had all been killed. With the bodies of the suitors now laying dead
3:26:58at his feet, Odysseus had completed his final task. The only thing left to do was to reunite
3:27:05with his wife, with his undying love for her being the only thing that had fuelled his journey home.
3:27:12Recognising her husband and overwhelmed with emotion, Penelope would embrace
3:27:17Odysseus, a moment she had spent 20 long and faithful years waiting for.
3:27:23Letting out a sigh of relief, Odysseus was finally at peace, but his wife would
3:27:28have one question for him… asking where he had been after all this time. With a smile on his
3:27:35face and tears in his eyes, he would reply with one simple line: ‘Where do I begin?’
3:27:46As Odysseus’ story came to a close, so too would the Age of Heroes. Zeus’ plan to separate the
3:27:53realms of gods and men had been successful, and no longer would mythical beasts roam the land,
3:27:59nor would demi-gods walk among mortals. The tales of these great heroes would now
3:28:04pass into myth and legend, their stories preserved by great poets such as Homer,
3:28:09stories that would be told again and again by each generation that came to pass.
3:28:14Zeus, having tried and failed to populate the world with humans of gold, silver and then
3:28:20bronze, as well as his own descendants, would now create a final race of men,
3:28:25this time of Iron, the current age of man. Unlike those that came before them, this race
3:28:32of Iron would be exposed to all the hardships of the world. They would know old age and poverty,
3:28:37starvation and war, with hard work needed to survive the many dangers that faced them.
3:28:44But as much as they would struggle, with the gods having retreated from the world, these men of iron
3:28:49would now be truly in charge of their own destiny, free to shape the land in any way they saw fit.
3:28:55They would found cities, learn to write and would explore the world around them,
3:29:00with philosophy, art and music expressing their creativity.
3:29:05They would invent the printing press, discover gravity, harness the power of
3:29:10steam and create light from the energy that now fuelled their civilisation.
3:29:14And one day, this race of Iron will use their great talents to travel to the heavens themselves,
3:29:20where, just for a moment, they could see the place of their home from the perspective of the gods.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of The ENTIRE Story of Greek Mythology Explained | Best Greek Mythology Documentary by The Life Guide, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 32,717 words across 2,188 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to choose a caption track available on the video.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, caption language selection, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.