History Myth / ClassicalMythology

* ''Myth/ClassicalMythology'':

* Advertising/TheMythOfOrpheusAndEurydice

** Zeus, remember, was the [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure god of law, hospitality, and civilization in general]] to them, not ''just'' TheCasanova.

[[quoteright:318:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mount-olympus_3714.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:318:[[BigScrewedUpFamily Just one big, happy family.]]]]

* BedTrick: Herakles's conception by Zeus. Zeus, to seduce Alcmene, made himself into the dead ringer of Amphitryon, her husband and paternal cousin and his great-grandson.

* BedTrick: Herakles's conception by Zeus. Zeus, to seduce Alcmene, made himself into the dead ringer of Amphitrion, her husband.

* FearIsTheAppropriateResponse: ''Every single one'' of the gods flee to Egypt when Typhon [[IncrediblyLamePun storms]] Olympus, leaving Zeus and Athena alone to defeat him.

* SelfFulfillingProphecies: No kidding. Someone along the line should have learned that trying to prevent, kill, or throw away an infant with [[IncrediblyLamePun bad prophecy]] is a surefire way of it coming back and, often completely unaware, doing exactly what you tried to prevent it from doing (e.g. Perseus, Paris, Oedipus, Romulus and Remus, and many more).

[[caption-width-right:318:[[BigScrewedUpFamily Just one big, happy family]].]]

* ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon''

The central figures of Greek mythology were the [[Characters/ClassicalMythologyOlympians Twelve Olympians]]: '''Zeus''', '''Hera''', '''Poseidon''', '''Demeter''', '''Hestia''', '''Athena''', '''Hermes''', '''Apollo''', '''Artemis''', '''Hephaestus''', '''Ares''', '''Aphrodite''', and '''Dionysus''' (versions vary on whether Hestia or Dionysus is the twelfth). While an important god, '''Hades''' lived in the Underworld and thus was not an Olympian. In Homer's portrayal, they were basically [[PhysicalGod super-powered humans]] without [[ComesGreatResponsibility the super-]] that comes standard with powers. Zeus, for example, was a philandering rapist, responsible for a large share of the [[HalfHumanHybrid god-human hybrids]] running around. Many of these became great heroes, the most famous of which was '''Hercules/Heracles/Herakles'''. Though you would think Zeus's [[BrotherSisterIncest sister]]-wife, Hera, would be a sympathetic character, she spends most of her free time taking out her frustrations on said heroes, probably because Zeus, said to be more powerful than all the other gods and goddesses combined, was beyond her ability to take any meaningful revenge on. Hades, while [[HijackedByJesus not as evil]] as his ThemeParkVersion, got his wife by kidnapping his niece '''Persephone''' (with Zeus's approval and assistance). This prompted the girl's mother, Demeter, to [[JustSoStory neglect the Earth, bringing winter]]. [[note]]More recently some have claimed it is actually summer, as Greece has mild winters but scorching summers (being a Mediterranean climate). However, the oldest Ancient Greek source on the subject, the Homeric ''Hymn to Demeter'' from the seventh century BCE, specifically states that Persephone returns to the Earth in springtime. [[/note]] And then there is [[WarGod Ares]]... well, he just about ''defines'' the word JerkAss.

The '''Titans''' were a previous generation of gods overthrown by Zeus. Though in modern times they are often depicted as another class of beings entirely, more primordial and elemental, the ancient Greeks conceived them as just as humanoid as the Olympians. '''Cronus''' (or '''Kronos''') was the king of the Titans, god of the harvest and ([[DependingOnTheWriter maybe]]) time, as well as the father of Zeus who would later overthrow him. Also there are the often forgotten primordial gods that preceded the Titans, '''Gaia''', the personification of the Earth, being the most well known of them. There were also minor gods such as the '''Muses''', '''Graces''', and countless nymphs, plus various monsters which you can today read about in the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' Monster Manual.

** Then Cronus heard a prophesy that ''his'' son would in turn overthrow ''him''. To prevent this, he [[EatsBabies ate his 5 children]]. His wife Rhea was not a fan of her kids being treated this way. When baby #6 was born, she gave him a fake baby to eat and spirited the real baby away. That baby, Zeus, grew up in secret and then returned to overthrow his father. This DivineConflict was known as the Titanomachy. Zeus cut his father's stomach open and freed his siblings (who were [[GettingEatenIsHarmless fine in there]]) and became the new TopGod.

** [[{{Hell}} Tartarus]], the deep abyss of Hades, used to be guarded by a female dragon, Kampe, before [[TopGod Zeus]] killed it to free the giants imprisoned there. Later the hundred-armed giants, Hecatonchires, became the new guardians. In ''Roman'' mythology, however, Tartarus was actually guarded by [[OurDragonsAreDifferent a hydra]]. Tisiphone of the Erinyes (also known as the Furies) was also said to keep guard on the top of a turret, [[WhipItGood slashing the prisoners with her whip]].

* HasTwoMommies: According to a Roman myth, Juno (Greek name: Hera) became pregnant with Mars (Ares) after being touched by a herb grown by the goddess Flora. She did this to get her own back at Jupiter (Zeus) for giving birth to Minerva (Athena).

* EarlyPersonalitySigns: Heracles' very first act of fearless heroism as an infant was to strangle a pair of snakes that had been sent into his crib, foreshadowing the feats he would accomplish as an adult.

* CanonImmigrant: Aphrodite, who originates from Phoenician mythology and entered the Olympian Pantheon during the Greek Dark Ages.

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** Cassiopeia comparing the beauty of her daughter Andromeda to that of various goddesses ticks the gods off. Based on this, the 1981 film Clash of the Titans has Queen Cassiopeia of the city of Joppa saying that her daughter Princess Andromeda is more lovely than the goddess Thetis. Thetis is not pleased by this and orders that Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken. If they don't, the Kraken will destroy Joppa.

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* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' (contains many references to Greek mythology and [[Recap/StarTrekS2E2WhoMournsForAdonais an episode]] inspired by it that claims the gods were AncientAliens)