oppressed his people harshly.
They called to the goddess Aruru
to help them. Aruru the Potter
created a wild man, Enkidu, with
the strength of a dozen wild
animals to be a subhuman rival to
the superhuman Gilgamesh. They
fought furiously until Gilgamesh
gained the upper hand. The two
embraced and became devoted
friends. After several adventures,
Enkidu fell ill and died. Gilgamesh
set out on a quest to find a cure
for death. From Utnapishtim, the
original Sumerian Noah, he
learned of a plant of life that grew
at the bottom of the sea. Gilgamesh recovered the plant,
only to have it stolen by a snake, who thus gained
immortality instead.Perseus (c.1350-1310 BCE)
Perseus was the child of Zeus and the mortal
woman Danae, to whom he had appeared in a shower
of gold. In fear of a prophecy, her father cast the mother
and child into the sea in a wooden chest, which was
found by a fisherman to took them in. When Perseus
was grown, the king (who desired Danae) tried to get
rid of him by sending him on a quest for the head of
the Gorgon Medusa, a cruel snake-haired monster so
frightful that no one could behold her without being
turned to stone.
From the Graiae, three ugly sisters who shared a
single eye, Perseus obtained the winged sandals and
crooked sword of Hermes, Hades’ helmet of
invisibility, and the bright shield of Athena. With these,
he flew to Medusa’s lair and, using the polished shield
as a mirror to avoid looking at her directly, he cut off
the Gorgon’s head and stuffed it into a sack.
On the coast of Ethiopia,
Perseus came upon the
lovely princess Androm-
eda, chained to a rock,
about to be devoured by
a rampaging sea monster.
He pulled forth the
Gorgon’s head and turned
the monster to stone. He
married the princess, and
they lived happily ever af-
ter. He returned the gifts
to the gods, including the
head of Medusa, which
Athena bore ever after
upon her breastplate.
(The Perseus myth is
well-told in the movie,
Clash of the Titans)Heracles (c.1303-1259 BCE)
Heracles (Roman name: Hercules) was the son of
Zeus and Alcmene. He was the strongest man who
ever lived, and Greece’s most famous hero. Zeus’
jealous queen, Hera, hated him from birth and made
his life hell. She sent two serpents to attack him in his
crib, but the new-born infant strangled them with his
bare hands. When he was 18, he hunted down and
killed a huge lion that was attacking the flocks of Mt.
Cithaeron. Ever after, he wore its skin as a cloak, with
the head and jaws serving as a helmet.
After killing the
Cithaeron lion, Heracles
went on to perform many
more heroic deeds and
won great acclaim and
gifts from gods and kings,
including a wife, Megara,
who bore him three
children. But his triumphs
ended when Hera afflicted
him with madness, during
which he slew his family.
In grief, he consulted the
Delphic Oracle, who told
him he could be purified
only by a terrible penance: He must subject himself to
his cruel cousin Eurystheus of Mycenae for 12 years
and perform 12 brutal tasks at his command. These
were the famous “Labors of Heracles,” and he
performed each of them triumphantly (see p. 291).
Afterwards, he returned to Thebes to continue his
heroic career. He married Deianeira, hunted the
Caledonian Boar, and sailed on the Argo in quest of
the Golden Fleece. He was finally killed by treachery
with a poisoned cloak, and became one of the gods.Theseus (c.1291-1233 BCE)
Theseus was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens,
and of Aethra, daughter of the king of Troezene, where
he was brought up. On parting from Aethra before the
birth, Aegeus placed his sword and sandals under a
large boulder, telling her to send his son to him when
he became strong enough to roll away the stone and
take them from under it. When he was 16, Theseus
removed the stone with ease, and set out for Athens
with the tokens.
In Athens, Theseus was acknowledged by his father,
and declared his heir. At that time, the Athenians were
paying a terrible tribute to Minos, king of Crete. Seven
youths and seven maidens were sent every year to be
devoured by the Minotaur, a half-bull, half-human
monster. It was imprisoned in a maze—the labyrinth—
so designed that whoever was put in it could never find
his way out. Theseus resolved to deliver his people
from this evil, or die trying. When the time came, he
offered himself as one of the victims. The ship departed288 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
Corrected pages 3rd printing.2.p65 45 6/10/2004, 4:03 PM