History Heartwarming / ClassicalMythology

* When punished to live as a mortal for a year for killing the Python (or, in some versions, several Cyclops), Apollo became Admetus' herdsman and made all his cows (or ewes) birth twins, which was quite a boon for a king at the time. Apollo also helped Admetus win the hand of his wife, Alcestis, by completing the near-impossible task put forth by her father. When the Fates foretold Admetus was to die, Apollo got the Fates drunk and made them promise that should another die willingly in his place, Admetus would avoid the day of his death. Unfortunately, Alcestis died for Admetus. Fortunately, Heracles was in the area and wrestled Thanatos for Alcestis's soul.

* Many versions of Hades and Persephone's story. In particular, there's the fact that Hades was probably the only Olympian who has never, ''ever'' cheated on his wife; the one time he came close to it, it was because Minthe was trying to seduce ''him!'' [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend And then Persephone came...]]
** Most versions of the myth shows that Hades actually went to Zeus and asks him for permission to marry Persephone. So Hades actually went through genuine legal means to marry her, as oppose to the standard [[DoubleStandardRapeDivineOnMortal "I am a god so I can just rape you"]] that most Jerkass gods do.
** In several versions of the myth, including a few hymns, Hades also apologizes for having kidnapped Persephone and hopes that she can forgive him for that. Unlike his little brother Zeus, Hades actually feels bad about his more questionable actions.
*** Several versions also point out that when Zeus sends Hermes to Hades with the message "Sorry but Demeter is making the Earth barren till she gets Persephone back so you have to return her", he is actually willing to do so (because Persephone insists as well), that is until they find out that Persephone cannot leave ''for good'' because she ate a bit of a pomegranate from the Underworld meaning she now belongs there as well, and is happy with the compromise of spending a part of the year with her and letting her spend the rest wherever she wants with her mother.
*** The fact that Persephone comes to fall deeply in love with Hades. She loves him as much as he loves her. The two of them have one of, if not the, happiest and most loving and stable marriages in all of mythology. In fact, there are many times where Persephone is stated to prefer her time in the Underworld with her beloved husband than with her mother. But she’s perfectly content with dividing her time with both her mother and husband, both of whom love her so very much and who she adores with all her heart.
** Although some interpretations make [[MyBelovedSmother Demeter out to be too restrictive and overprotective of Persephone]], it doesn't change the fact that her side of things in the myth is nothing but pure maternal dedication. Not only does she set everything aside to focus on finding her daughter, but she also treads the entire world to search for her.

* A rather odd one, thus fitting for Hermes: When Pan was born, his own mother ran away in fright due to Pan's lower half being that of a goat's. Hermes' reaction? He thought Pan looked awesome and took him to Olympus to show him off.

* Hestia is the one goddess who ''everyone'', mortal or divine, loves due to her domains (the hearth and family) being so important and the fact that she's nice to everyone, even disliked deities like Ares and Eris. When she fell asleep at a party and Priapus tried to attack her in her sleep, every Olympian in the room rushed to her aid and chased Priapus away, banishing him from future gatherings.

* Hestia is essentially a walking heartwarming moment, being the one goddess who ''everyone'', mortal or divine, loves due to her domains (the hearth and family) being so important and the fact that she's nice to everyone, even Ares and Eris. When she fell asleep at a party and Priapus tried to attack her in her sleep, every Olympian in the room rushed to her aid.

* Poseidon and Nerites mutually falling in love and [[HomosexualReproduction conceiving the God of Reciprocated Love, Anteros]], with their union. Too bad Helios had to [[BalefulPolymorph get in the way]].

** On the flipside, when Medusa was slain, her sister Euryale [[CryCute let out a mournful scream]] and her other sister Stheno [[BigSisterInstinct furiously tried to attack Perseus as he fled]]. The Gorgons may have been monsters, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes but they were still sisters]].

* Despite his bloodthirsty nature, Ares is very loving towards Hera even though she can't stand him, and is equally protective of his children, especially his daughters.

* The Dionysus backstory where Zeus sends him to be [[RaisedByGrandparents raised by Rhea]]. Not only is it a neat little parallel to Zeus' own backstory, (Dionysus being sent to live with his grandmother to protect him from the rage of his parent's spouse just as Zeus was), but it gives Rhea the chance to be a mother again, a chance that was robbed from her by [[{{Jerkass}} her husband]] all those years ago. Additionally, it shows [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas how much Zeus respects his mother]], as he evidently considered her a good caretaker for his son.

* A famous [[https://www.wikiart.org/en/john-william-waterhouse/sleep-and-his-half-brother-death-1874 classical painting]], ''Sleep and His Half-Brother Death'', depicts Thanatos and Hypnos [[SleepCute asleep side by side]].

* When punished to live as a mortal for a year for killing the Python (or, in some versions, several Cyclops), Apollo became Admetus' herdsman and made all his cows (or ewes) birth twins, which was quite a boon for a king at the time. Apollo also helped Admetus win the hand of his wife, Alcestis, by completing the near-impossible task put forth by her father. When the Fates foretold Admetus was to die, Apollo got the Fates drunk and made them promise that should another die willingly in his place, Admetus would avoid the day of his death.

* A famous [[https://www.wikiart.org/en/john-william-waterhouse/sleep-and-his-half-brother-death-1874 classical painting]], ''Sleep and His Half-Brother Death'', depicts Thanatos and Hypnos asleep side by side.

** One day, Heracles was guest to a friend of his and was acting happy and rambunctious. Only a while later did he realize that said friend recently lost his beloved wife and was doing his best to hold together. When it dawned on him how InnocentlyInsensitive he was being, he went straight to the Underworld, wrestled ''Death himself'', and brought back the wife from the dead.

* When you really think about it, the Dionysus backstory where Zeus sends him to be [[RaisedByGrandparents raised by Rhea]] is definitely this. Not only is it a neat little parallel to Zeus' own backstory, (Dionysus being sent to live with his grandmother to protect him from the rage of his parent's spouse just as Zeus was), but it gives Rhea the chance to be a mother again, a chance that was robbed from her by [[{{Jerkass}} her husband]] all those years ago. Additionally, it shows [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas how much Zeus respects his mother]], as he evidently considered her a good caretaker for his son.

--->''Here Phaethon lies who in the sun-god's chariot fared. And though greatly he failed, more greatly he dared.''

--->(...)hereafter, Io, I swear, I will never cause you anguish”

* In Ovid's version of Orpheus and Eurydice's myth, the ''entire'' Underworld stops and listens as Orpheus plays his song. The Furies stop torturing souls and are moved to tears, claimed to be for the first time ever; Ixion's wheel stops in its tracks; Sisyphus rests upon his rock; Tantalus stops grasping for food and drink; the Danaides set their bowls down; even the vultures pecking at Tityos' liver stop and listen reverently as Orpheus plays his song. For one small and beautiful moment, the entire Underworld, heroes, villains and miscellaneous others alike, is at peace.
** Orpheus going to the Underworld to save Eurydice out of his love for her. Hades and Persephone were so moved by his song they gave him a chance to try.

* Surprising in a world of JerkassGods and excessive heroes, but one ''actually exists'' in Classical Myth with the story of Baucis and Philemon: after being the only people in their village to grant [[AngelUnaware a disguised Zeus and Hermes]] SacredHospitality despite their poverty, they are granted a wish for doing so. They wish to die at the same moment so that they would never be widowed. As if that wasn't enough, Zeus throws them something extra: when they ''do'' die, they are turned into trees with branches entwined forever to symbolize their love.
** There's actually a fair few in between the usual bloodshed and weirdness. After all, at least some of those stories gotta have a HappyEnding, and the gods do PetTheDog at times.

*** For his part, Hades actually allowing him to take them from the Underworld, one of the biggest taboos he knows. In a mixture with funny, when Hades asks for Dionysus to leave his "best beloved" behind as price, Dionysus leaves his thyrsus or makes a grapevine grow, and ''Hades deems it adequate payment''.

* Many versions of Hades and Persephone's story. In particular, there's the fact that Hades was probably the only Olympian who has never, ''ever'' cheated on his wife; the one time he came close to it, it was because ''the girl'' was trying to seduce ''him!'' [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend And then Persephone came...]]

* While far from perfect, Perseus was among the closest to a NiceGuy among the usually {{pride}}ful heroes and semi-gods. He went "Medusa hunting" not for glory or wealth, but to save [[MommasBoy his beloved mother Danae]] from her StalkerWithACrush, who ''happened'' to be the king of the island they lived on. After Perseus punished said stalker via petrifying him as well as his court, instead of taking the throne for himself, he gave it to the fisherman who helped him and his mom -- who happened to be the rightful king, dethroned by his brother aka the evil king.

* One for Hephaestus- one of the goddesses who rescued Hephaestus was Eurynome, who mothered the three Graces (Charites). One of the Graces, Aglaia, would become his future wife, and unlike Aphrodite, actually loved and appreciated him.

* Once Sleep tried to make Zeus fall asleep. It actually worked but when Zeus awoke and realized what had happened he became so enraged he tried [[DisproportionateRetribution to kill]] Sleep. Suddenly Sleep's mother Nyx the [[DarkIsNotEvil Goddess of Night]] [[BigDamnHeroes appeared]] and told Zeus to leave her son alone. Zeus was so [[AlwaysABiggerFish scared of angering]] [[MamaBear Nyx]] he ''immediately'' backed down.