Who were the Demigods?

Who were the Demigods? Definition of Demigods: Demigods were the offspring of a deity and mortal, half-gods, who were invariably renown for their courage and great strength. Many of the ancient gods, like Zeus, had children as a result of their romantic involvement with mortals. Demigods, being part god and part mortal, had great powers and abilities and often featured in the mythology of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The Demigods were fabulous famous heroes such as Achilles, Hercules, Theseus and Perseus.

Legends of Famous Demigods

There are many myths and legends surrounding the Greek demigods, some of the most famous stories about demigods were documented in the Iliad and the Odyssey by the Greek writer Homer. The most famous of the demigods were Achilles, Hercules, Theseus,  Perseus and Helen of Troy. A short summary of the mythology surrounding these famous Greek demigods are detailed below.

Myths of Famous Demigods - Achilles

There are many myths and legend surrounding the Greek Demigod Achilles. According to Greek mythology Achilles was a demigod and the son of Thetis, a minor sea-goddess and Peleus, the king of Myrmidons, an ancient tribe of Greece. He is famous for being the stongest and the bravest of all the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War. His mother, Thetis, dipped Achilles into the River Styx when he was a baby and he was made invulnerable, except at the heel by which she held him.

During the Trojan war Achilles quarreled with Agamemnon and he refused to take part in further battles. Achilles allowed his much loved cousin Patroclus to fight in his armor and Patroclus was killed by the Trojan warrior Hector. Achilles, in a terrible rage, returned to battle and killed Hector dragging his body around the walls of Troy. Paris killed then killed Achilles with an arrow guided by Apollo to the heel of Achilles.

Myths of Famous Demigods - Perseus

Perseus was a demigod and a son of Zeus and the Danae. His adventures play an important part in Greek Mythology. Perseus was sent on an impossible quest by King Polydectes, who hoped that Perseus would killed.  He sent the demigod Perseus to fetch the head of the Gorgon Medusa, thinking that Perseus would die in the attempt. The Greek gods intervened and gave Perseus some magical weapons. The greek god Hermes gave him a curved sword and winged sandals, the Greek goddess Athena gave Perseus a mirror-like shield, and the god Hades gave Perseus a helmet that made him invisible. Perseus had to consult the Graeae (the Gray Witches) to find out the whereabouts of the Gorgon Medusa. The Graeae were three perpetually old women, who had to share one eye and one tooth among them. The demigod Perseus tricked the old women by taking their eye forcing them to tell him where he could find the gorgons, their sisters. Perseus slew Medusa and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster and married her.  Perseus gave the Medusa head to the goddess Athena.

Myths of Famous Demigods - Theseus

There are many famous myths surrounding the Greek Demigod Theseus. Theseus was a demigod and a son of Poseidon and Aethra.  Theseus slew many legendary villains, including Sinis, Sciron, and Procrustes. But his greatest triumph was in killing the Minotaur that was owned by King Minos of Crete and kept in a labyrinth at Knossos. The Minotaur was a fierce monster, half man and half bull. Theseus was imprisoned in Hades until Hercules rescued him. The demigod Theseus was treacherously murdered by King Lycomedes.

Female Demigods - Helen of Troy, Harmonia and Clymene

Three famous female demigods (demigoddesses) are Clymene, Harmonia and, surprisingly to some, Helen of Troy.

Clymene was a demigod and the daughter of the Titan gods Oceanus and Tethys and the mother of Atlas and Prometheus.

Harmonia was the daughter of Zeus and Electra and was the wife of Cadmus. The gods turned Harmonia into a serpent.

Female Demigods - Helen of Troy

The beautiful Helen was the daughter of the Greek god Zeus and Leda who was the wife of wife of Tyndareus, the king of Sparta. According to Greek mythology Leda was seduced by Zeus, who visited her in the form of a swan. Helen was the sister of Castor and Pollux. Helen married Menelaus the, king of Sparta, the younger brother of Agamemnon. Prince Paris of Troy abducted Helen and took her to Troy, which started the nine year Trojan War. The participants of the Trojan War included included heroes such as Hector, Achilles, Odysseus, and Ajax. The Greeks built a large hollow wooden horse in which a small group of warriors were concealed. The Trojans took the horse within the city walls. At night the Greeks crept out of the horse and opened the city gates, and Troy was destroyed. The Greek gods took great interest in the war. Poseidon, Hera, and Athena helped the Greeks, whilst Aphrodite and Ares helped the Trojans. Zeus and Apollo remained impartial. The legend of the demigods involved in the Trojan War were documented in the the Iliad and Odyssey. Helen of Troy was reconciled with Menelaus after the war, and returned to Sparta.