The demi-god’s story would be marred, however, by the hatred his stepmother had for him. Even in infancy, Zeus’s son distinguished himself with exceptional courage and strength. Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, the granddaughter of Perseus. Arguably their most famous descendant was also the Greek world’s most beloved demi-god. Perseus and Andromeda became the ancestors of many well-known figures in Greek mythology and history. A constellation in his image was one form of immortality, but the early demi-god also had a devoted hero cult that saw him as an intermediary between the gods and mankind. Like many of the well-known demi-gods, Perseus was later regarded as a nearly immortal figure himself. He built it into a thriving, powerful state that became central to Greek culture. He married the princess and, unusually for one of the demi-gods, had a happy and prosperous life.Īfter accidentally causing his grandfather’s death, Perseus gave up his claim to Tiryns and took the lesser city of Mycenae. Returning from his quest, Perseus rescued Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia from a sea monster. He was helped in his mission by his half siblings, Athena and Hermes. In this, too, Perseus established a precedent for other demi-gods. In the case of Perseus, this quest was to find and kill Medusa, the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal. Although he was the rightful heir to a kingdom, he was exiled and had to undertake a great quest to prove himself. The story of Perseus in many ways set the later standard for demi-gods and heroes in mythology. Although her father tried to keep her from having a child, having been told that her son would one day kill him, Zeus entered her locked chamber as a shower of gold. His mother was a mortal princess named Danae. Although he was not the first child Zeus had with a mortal, he was the first to become famous as a divine hero. The first great demi-god of Greek mythology was the hero Perseus. Some of the most famous, however, were recognized throughout the region. The most heroic and influential demi-gods were the focus of hero cults or were even made gods in their own right.īecause so many myths, both wide-spread and local, involved the children born to the gods, it is impossible to say how many demi-gods may have existed in Greek mythology. The demi-gods were not believed to be immortal, although paths to immortality were often open to them. Many of the most well-known demi-gods were sons of Zeus and one of his many mortal lovers. These were the demi-gods, characters with one divine parent and one human parent. Their stories are among the most famous of the era. Many of the sons of the gods in Greek mythology became great heroes and kings.

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