TheGreek Heroic Age, inmythology, is the period between the coming of theGreeks toThessaly and the Greek warriors' return from Troy.[1] The poetHesiod (fl.c. 700 BCE) identified this mythological era as one of his fiveAges of Man.[2][3]The period spans roughly six generations; theheroes denoted by the term aresuperhuman, though not divine, and are celebrated in the literature ofHomer[1] and of others, such asSophocles,Aeschylus andEuripides.
The Greek heroes can be grouped into an approximate mythic chronology, based on the stories of events such as the Argonautic expedition and theTrojan War. Over the course of time, many heroes, such asHeracles,Achilles,Hector andPerseus, came to figure prominently inGreek mythology.
Many of the early Greek heroes were descended from the gods and were part of the founding narratives of various city-states. They also became the ancestors of later heroes. The Phoenician princeCadmus, a grandson ofPoseidon, was the first Greek hero and the founder ofThebes.[4]
Perseus, famous for his exploits well before the days of his great-grandson,Heracles,[5] was the son ofZeus. Perseus beheaded thegorgonMedusa, savedAndromeda from the sea monsterCetus, and was the legendary founder ofMycenae.
Aeacus was also a son ofZeus.Bellerophon was descended from the nymphOrseis.Oenomaus, king of Pisa, in the Peloponnese, was the son ofAres.
Among these early heroes the three -Cadmus,Perseus andBellerophon - were considered the greatest Greek heroes and slayers of monsters before the days ofHeracles.[5]
Heroes in the Greek Heroic Age are often depicted on vases, expressing a portion of their story. Greek HeroHeracles is a popular icon among vases and paintings in early art.[6] Moments in history from this period are also captured in statues, such asPerseus with the head of Medusa, the Statue of Achilles, and thePasquino Group. Polykleitos of Argos is one famous Greek Sculptor that has transformed Greek myth through bronze and marble sculptures, and primarily created a system for reproductions of art to occur.[7]
The myth ofJason and theGolden Fleece is one of the oldest stories of a hero's quest. Jason sailed on theArgo, and those who accompanied him were called the "Argonauts". Their mission was to travel to the kingdom ofColchis, on the Black Sea, to obtain the "Golden Fleece", a symbol of authority and kingship. With it, Jason would become king ofIolcos inThessaly.[8]
The Argonauts:
A monstrous boar was sent byArtemis to ravage the region of Calydon in Aetolia because its king neglected to honour her in his rites to the gods. KingOeneus sent messengers seeking the best hunters in Greece, offering them the boar's pelt and tusks as a prize. A number of heroes responded, includingAtalanta,Castor and Pollux,Jason,Laertes,Lynceus,Meleager (the host and boar killer),Nestor,Peleus,Phoenix, andTheseus. Many of them were also the "Argonauts". One notable exception wasHeracles, who vanquished his own Goddess-sentErymanthian boar separately.
(about two generations before Troy)
The story ofOedipus is the basis of a trilogy of plays bySophocles, however, similar stories have been traced to cultures all over the world.[9]
(about a generation before Troy)
Oedipus places a curse upon his sons Eteocles and Polynices. The underlying theme in the story of the "Seven Against Thebes" is the fulfilment of that curse.[10] Although the brothers had agreed to share the rule of Thebes, when it is time for Eteocles to step aside he refuses, and Polynices brings an army against his beloved city to enforce his claim. In Aeschylus' play the concept of the individual vs. community becomes a central theme. In thePhoenissae (The Phoenician Women), patriotism is a significant theme.
SeeTrojan War andEpigoni.
Gregory Nagy sees mortality as the "dominant theme in the stories of ancient Greek heroes."[11] In heading for Troy,Achilles opts for a short life, leaving a memory of being immortal and renown over a long peaceful life in relative obscurity.
Face of theTrojan War,Achilles helped escalate the war after killing the Trojan PrinceHector. A description of theTrojan War is given to audiences through a telling of the myth in the form of a poem by Greek poetHomer, titledThe Iliad.
But when also this race the earth covered over, in turn Zeus, the son of Cronus, made another one, the fourth, on the much-nourishing ground, more just and so superior, a godly race of hero men, who are called demigods [...].