The Tragic Story of Cephalus in Greek Mythology

Cephalus was famed throughout the Greek world for his astonishing youthful beauty. He was the son of Hermes, the god of heralds and travellers, and his mother was a mortal woman called Herse.

Some account of the legend claimed Cephalus was born to Deion, the ruler of Phocis, and his wife, Diomede. Phocis was a kingdom in ancient Greece.

Cephalus fell deeply in love with a maiden by the name of Procris and they both lived happily as man and wife.

Procris was the daughter of Erectheus, the king of Athens, and the river nymph, Praxithea, was her mother.

Aurora, the radiant goddess of the dawn, desired Cephalus and carried him far away from his wife, Procris. Cephalus could not resist the charms of Aurora and they became lovers.

The affair between Cephalus and Aurora continued for eight years. However, the goddess, Aurora, was unhappy with Cephalus as her young admirer still loved his wife, Procris.

Aurora could not bear to be slighted in such a way by her young lover, Cephalus. She returned Cephalus to his wife, Procris, with great sadness in her heart.

Cephalus wished only to embrace his beloved Procris but was tortured by thoughts of his wife's infidelity. He tested the loyalty of his wife, Procris, by transforming himself into the guise of a stranger.

Procris was a dutiful wife who remained faithful to Cephalus during his long absence. She rejected the advances of the handsome young stranger for some time.

Sadly, Procris finally yielded to her desire for the stranger and was ashamed when her husband, Cephalus, revealed his true identity.

Poor Procris fled to the sacred forests of Artemis in her distress. Artemis sent Procris home as she was married.

However, the goddess, Artemis, took pity on the young woman and gave Procris a magical javelin that never missed its target and a hound which always found the scent of its prey.

Cephalus was guilt-ridden by the horrible way he treated his wife, Procris. Procris eventually returned to her husband, Cephalus, after he begged her to forgive him. She gave the magical javelin and hound to Cephalus as a sign of her love.

Procris and Cephalus spent many happy years together until one day she heard rumours of her husband's infidelity.

One day Procris decided to follow her husband, Cephalus, on one of his usual hunting trips into the forest. Cephalus caught sight of a wild animal among the trees and threw the magical javelin which, sadly, killed Procris.

Other accounts stated Cephalus left his wife, Procris, so he could hunt a terrible beast that was let loose on the land by an angry god. He took the magical javelin and hound so he could kill the beast.

The gods intervened and settled the matter by changing the beast, the javelin and the hound into stone.

Cephalus was returning home when suddenly a gust of wind whispered the sad news of the death of his wife, Procris.

Procris committed suicide when she heard rumours that Cephalus loved the goddess, Aurora, and her husband would never return.

Cephalus was distraught by the death of his beloved, Procris, and spent the rest of his life mourning the death of his beautiful wife.

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Androclus and the Lion in Greek and Roman Mythology

The cheerful tale of Androclus and the lion is of a runaway slave in ancient Greece whose life was changed forever by a chance meeting with a lion. 

Androclus, or Androcles, and the lion was first told by the famous writer Aesop during the seventh century BC. 

Androclus led a miserable life as a slave for many years and fled from his master into a forest. An overwhelming feeling of joy swept over Androclus as he wandered through the trees.

The young man watched the birds flying through the air when the sounds of moaning and groaning suddenly caught his attention. 

Androculus followed the distressing calls to an injured lion who was licking his paw and crying. The source of the lion’s suffering was a large thorn which has become embedded in his paw.

Androclus was frightened by the sight of the wild beast and was about to run away when he was gripped by pity for the poor animal. 

The lion gazed at Androclus as he approached and gently removed the thorn.

The lion did not roar at Androclus but instead licked his hand in gratitude. Androclus and the lion shared a close bond during their time in the forest. 

The lion brought Androclus food and the young man often petted the lion as a sign of their unusual friendship.

Sadly, Androclus was caught by his master while living in the forest. Androclus received the punishment of death by being exposed to the wild beasts in the arena of Rome. 

The Emperor himself was seated in the area with his family on the day Androclus walked alone into the middle of the arena. 

The crowd rose from their seats and cheered as a lion was set loose from the cages. Androclus watched in horror and then cowered in fear as the lion ran towards him. 

Happily, the lion licked the hand of Androclus and the young man was overjoyed as he recognised his wild friend from the forest. 

The Emperor and crowd were astonished by the display of affection by the lion. The lion was jumping to the shoulder of Androclus and licking his face when the Emperor pardoned the young slave. 

The mercy of the Emperor was great indeed as Androclus was given his freedom and the lion as a token of the Emperor’s clemency.

Androclus and the lion lived out the rest of their days together in bliss. Local people often saw the Androclus and the lion taking long walks together deep into the forest. 

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Hades - King and Kingdom of the Underworld

Hades was the Greek god of the Underworld and his Roman counterpart was Pluto. He was the oldest child of the titan Cronus and Rhea. Zeus and Poseidon, with whom he shares the universe, are his brothers. The three brothers fought in a divine war against the Titans whom they defeated. He was also associated with being a giver of fertility who made the seeds grow and the mined wealth of metals such as gold and silver.

The name Hades is often used to signify the realm or kingdom of Hadesitself as well as its ruler. It was thought that after the dead had been buried ,the souls of the departed came to the kingdom of Hades in the form of little winged beings. They were either led by Hermes or paid a fee which was buried with them to Charon the boatman of Hades. Charon would ferry them over the river Styx. On the other side of the shore was Cerberus, a fierce three headed dog which kept guard.

Hades is depicted wearing a helmet of darkness which he used to make himself invisible. Images of him show a regal god with a dark beard and holding a bird-tipped sceptre. The character of Hades is described as cold, aloof and merciless. Very few mortals ventured into Hades. Odysseus and Hercules were the most famous visitors. He did not allow souls to leave Hades and became very angry if anyone tried to leave.

Hades was divided into a number of sections. The first region was the Fields of the Asphodel. The souls who dwelt here were those who lived average lives. Ancient authors believed the souls were flitting about in an aimless state, gibbering incoherently and desired only to return to the world of material things. The next region was Erebus where the palace of Hades and his wife Persephone was situated. Three judges sat at the front of the palace. There were three roads where the dead were judged. The evildoers were sent to Tartarus while the pious souls were sent to Elysium fields (or islands of the Blessed).

The Roman equivalent of Hades was Pluto who was god of the Undwerworld and ruler of the dead. The Romans also referred to Pluto as Orcus. Orcus was similar to Hades as Orcus referred to not only the god but also the kingdom. Orcus was thought of as evil who punished evil-doers whereas Pluto represented the good side of the god's personality. The Romans used a combination of both Orcus and Pluto when describing the god of the Underworld.

The ancient Greeks had a great aversion to thoughts of death and thought of Hades as a robber who suddenly took people and hurled them into his gloomy realm. They believed that caves and ravines were entrances into the kingdom of Hades and that only a thin layer of earth separated it from the ordinary world.

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Ogmios (or Ogma) - Celtic God of Eloquence

Ogmios was a Celtic deity of Gaul and described by Lucien, a Roman writer, as the God of the Furrow. He was possibly an agricultural deity.Ogmios is the equivalent of the Irish Ogma, the god of poetry and eloquence. The Romans likened him to Hercules.

Both Ogmios and Ogma are represented as an old man (meaning wisdom) with dark skin (meaning a powerful being). He is usually depicted as carrying a club and wearing a lion skin. Carvings of Ogmios also show him with long thin chains connecting his tongue to the ears of his smiling followers.

Ogmios was the god of scholars and oratory in Celtic tradition. The deity was able to control the actions of others and could even use his powers to bind them and lead them to the underworld using his powers of persuasion. There is an association with curses but few contemporary references have been found.

Ogma, meaning "sun face", was the son of Dagda, "the good god of the Irish Celts" and belonged to the ruling clan of gods known as the the "Tuatha De Danann". In some accounts he is thought to be Dagda's brother. He fought against the Fomorians who were an evil and supernatural race who sought to invade Ireland. Ogma's eloquence caused the gods to be brave in battle.

Ogmios disappeared from Gaul but then appears as Ogma in Ireland where references are made about him in the 4th century.

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Hermaphroditus - God of Effeminate Men in Greek and Roman Mythology

The legend says Hermaphroditus wandered into the woods of Caria and saw the nymph Salmacis in her pool. Salmacis fell in love with Hermaphroditus but he rejected her advances because of his teenage years. Later Salmacis found the boy in the pool and wrapped herself around him entreating the gods to unite her with him in an everlasting bond. The gods answered her prayer and joined their bodies together so both were afterwards one person. Hermaproditus's parents answered his prayer that any man bathing in the pool became soft and effeminate.

Hermaphroditus is depicted with male and female bodyparts or a man who can transform into a woman. In myths, hermaphrodite's roles in Greek society was that of a male. Hermaphrodites were considered to be an extension of the beauty of their race but the Romans did not share this opinion.

The word hermaphrodite is derived from the legend and used in modern medical terminology.

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Popularity of Greek and Roman myths today

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Many of the Greek and Roman myths are as popular today as they were hundreds, even thousands of years ago, because they reflect human feelings and emotions such as guilt, joy, love and greed. It is the main reason why they have remained so well liked and well known.

The Greeks and Romans regarded myths as a way of explaining the world around them. For example, they believed fire was a divine gift from Olympus itself, even though Prometheus gave it to mankind following a theft from heaven. Fire was regarded as important by the ancient Greeks and modern day historians alike because it allowed civilisation to progress.

The idea of fate was taken for granted in the minds of the ancient Greeks. Every person had a particular fate or destiny. The path to that fate was not set and only the final destination was certain. Luck, either good or bad, played a part in deciding whether the journey to that final destination was pleasant or unbearable. The idea of luck or freewill was attributed to the goddess Fortuna in Roman society or the goddess Tyche in Greek society.

Fortuna, the goddess of luck, was more important in Roman culture than her counterpart, Tyche, in Greek culture. The worship of Fortuna in Roman society was very popular and included all classes, from public officials to sailors. The idea of luck being good or bad is almost identical today as it was during the time of the Roman Empire. Modern popular phrases such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Lady Luck" are attributed to the goddess.

The myth of Acontius and Cydippe is one of two young people who attend a religious festival and fall in love with one another. A modern day interpretation would be almost the same except the religious festival would be replaced with perhaps a music festival. It is easy to understand why the story of Acontius and Cydippe was so popular because such stories are retold in modern times in films and plays such as "Romeo and Juliet".

Hades, the god of the Underworld, was feared amongst ancient Greeks because they abhorred the idea of death. The Underworld kingdom of Hades was where souls were judged and sentenced according to the life they had led by three judges. Evildoers, such as Tantulus, were sent to Tartarus where they were punished. The concept of Tartarus is easy to understand because of the comparison with Hell. The Elysium Fields was where the good and pious souls, such as Cassandra, were sent and a modern day interpretation would be Heaven. The interpretation of such regions in the Greek and Roman minds would have been the same as it is today.

Greek and Roman myths have remained popular through the generations because the perception of the ordinary person is the same as for example the love between two young people in the story of Acontius and Cydippe. The understanding of these myths would have been thought of in a slightly different context, as for example, the goddess Fortuna would have been important in protecting the grain supplies of Rome, which was the main source of food. However a modern interpretation of "Lady Luck" would be used by the contestants of a television show, such as American Idol. The popularity of Greek and Roman myths will continue for many years to come.

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