Demigods

[Chaos.]

Demigods


Orpheus

Orpheus was a great man of many talents. He was born of the muse Calliope and Morpheus, the god of dreams. Since his mother was the muse of song and epic poetry, she taught him just that. He was once recognized by Apollo who gave him a golden lyre. He played the lyre on many journeys. One such journey was that of Jason and the Argonauts. When they passed the land of the Sirens, he played his songs so overwhelmingly that he blocked out the Sirens' songs. This young man was married to the beautiful nymph Eurydice. It had been only minutes since they were married when she and the bridesmaids walked into the forests. She was bitten a poisonous serpent bit her. She immediately died. Orpheus mourned for many days until he made up his mind that there was absolutely no way he could live without her. He decided to go into the Underworld and ask Hades and his beautiful queen Persephone to have Eurydice back. So he followed through with his plan. He went to the Underworld. He charmed the three-headed beast, Cerberus and the moat ferrier until he finally came to Hades and Persephone. He sang a song about his eternal love, Eurydice and he played his golden lyre. A tear came to Persephone's eye and she began to beg Hades to let Orpheus take his young wife back. Hades was also touched by his determination. He decided to let her have her back on one condition, he could not look at her until they reached the living world. Unfortunately, he turned back and she faded away into the darkness. After that he tried to ask the Underworld god and goddess but they would not listen. He didn't have to wait for his death in misery for long because a group called Bacchae, a group of women cult followers of the god Bacchus, attacked him and he killed him. Thus his misery ended, he joined his wife in the Underworld.


Phaeton

Phaeton was very inquiring. His father was Apollo and his mother was the nymph Clymene. One day Epaphos, his schoolmate, made fun of him saying his father was a god. In embarrassment he told his mother and begged for her to give him proof. She told him to go to his father and ask him himself if he was his child. And so he did. He traveled to far away India where the regions of the sun were. He stepped into the palace of the sun, but he couldn't go far because the sun was so bright he had to shield his eyes. He asked his father if his mother spoke the truth. Apollo said she did and to prove it he would grant Phaeton one request. Phaeton asked immediately to be able to drive the sun chariot for one day. Apollo shook his head and said he could fulfill any request but that. But he had sworn so he had to let him drive the chariot. On the day of his departure Apollo reminded him to not go too high as to burn the heavens, but not too low. But he did not listen very well because he was excited. He went too low and the hills caught on fire. As the earth was burning, she cried to Zeus to make the child stop. Zeus Immediately grabbed one of his thunderbolts and struck the chariot, killing Phaeton. The fire lasted for years until it finally wore out.


Kastor & Polyduekes

Kastor and Polydeukes were very close. They were twin brothers. Their father was Zeus and their mother,a mortal named Leda. Polyduekes was a great boxer and Kastor was a soldier and he could tame horses. These two were known as the Heavenly Twins. Many years they entered the Olympic games and they won. These two were also part of the Argonauts. But after they returned they got into a fight with two other men. Castor, who was mortal, died. Pollux begged his father Zeus that he may kill himself to be with his twin, for he was immortal. Even though Zeus could not change this fact he promised that they would be together. They spent alternate days in the Underworld. And Zeus raised their images to the sky. So Kastor and Polyduekes became the twin stars that make up the constellation Gemini.


Niobe

Niobe was the successful Queen of Thebes. She was born of the god Tantalus. Although this fair maiden's beauty and wealth was great, it gained no importance against her most prized gift, her fourteen children. She had seven handsome young men and seven beautiful girls. Niobe's downfall began when the people of her kingdom started to worship Leto. She told her people that she was much more important than Leto because Leto had only two children. Leto heard these words and called upon her two children, Apollo and Artemis. She told them about Niobe's cruel words. So her two faithful children decided to defend their mother. They saw Niobe's seven sons and before they could even scream they were felled by the children's arrows. Niobe came out and screamed at the sight of her dead sons. She yelled to Leto that she was still better for she had seven daughters. But before she could even start to grieve for her sons, her seven daughters were dead. She stopped her yelling at once and started crying. Then the goddess turned her into a stone, always wet with tears.


Heracles

This demigod was a great hero. He is the most famous of all the Demigods. The name Hercules means HeraΥs Glory, Hera despised Heracles a lot because he was the son Of Zeus and another woman. When he was a child Hera sent two deadly snakes to his crib. He strangled both snakes at once and went unhurt. One time, Heracles was driven mad by Hera and he killed his own children. As punishment for this he had to do twelve labors for his cousin King Eurystheusr. His first labor was to kill the Neman Lion. The Neman Lion had a very thick hide that could not be pierced by a sword. To defeat the Lion he strangled it to death. He wore its hide as sort of an armor.

His second act was to kill the Lernean Hydra. The Hydra was a three headed dragon that protected the golden apples. The hydra grew two new heads any time one was cut of. In order to kill the Hydra Heracles cut of all, three heads and sealed the neck lines with a torch.

The third labor was to capture a wild boar. This creature also had a hide to thick to be pierced by a sword so Hercules drove him into deep snow and captured him in a cage and brought him to the royal palace.

His next labor was to clean out the Augeas Stables. This was the nastiest place on Earth, the stables had never been cleaned before. He changed the course of a nearby river so it went through the stables cleaning them of old manure.

For his sixth task he had to drive away a flock of irritant birds. Athena gave him a magic rattle and when he shook the rattle all the birds took flight. When the birds where overhead he shoot them down until the whole flock was dead. His next task he had to capture the Cretan Bull. This bull breathed fire and was very fearsome. He finally caught it and brought it back to Mycenae.

The eighth task was to capture the man-eating horses of Diomedes. After a long wait he finally caught them.

His next task was to get Ares the Divine Girdle. An Amazon fell in love with Hercules and Hercules gave the girdle to her as a love token.

His tenth labor was to catch the cattle of King Geryon.

His eleventh labor was to pick three golden apples from Hera's apple tree. He convinced Atlas to get the apples for him and in exchange Hercules held the world for a while.

His twelfth working was to bring the three headed dog Cerberus up from the underworld. Hercules strangled the dog into submission and brought him to his cousin. When the gods saw that Hercules had accomplished all his tasks they let him take his place on Olympus as a full god. Hera even let him marry her daughter Hebe, the cupbearer goddess. Hercules lived the rest of his life on Olympus as the God of Strength.