PERSEUS and BELLEROPHON
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Son of the princess of Argos from Zeus. | Son of the queen of Corynth from Poseidon. |
As a baby, sent afloat in a chest with mother by the grandfather, fearing the oracle that grandson would kill him. | Exiled from Corynthus for manslaughter. |
Protects his mom from marrying king Polydectes. | Resists the advances of his hostess, the wife of Proetus; she slanders at Bellerophon to her husband. |
Sent away with a task to bring the head of the Gorgon Medusa, whose sight turns everyone into stone. | Sent to Lycian king Iobates, Proetus' father-in-law, with the letter requesting to get rid of Bellerophon. Iobates sends him to slay Chimaera: fire-breathing goat-lion-serpent. |
Assisted by magic gifts from Athena and Hermes, Perseus has the cap of invisibility and can fly. | Assisted by Athena and other gods, tames the flying horse Pegasus. |
Slays Gorgon Medusa. | Slays Chimera. |
Saves Andromeda from being sacrificed to the sea-monster. | Vanquishes the enemies of Iobates; defeats the Amazons and thwarts Iobates' attempts to have him killed. |
Marries Andromeda. | Marries Iobates' younger daughter. |
Avenges king Polydectes' courtship of his mom by turning the king's
court into stone.
Kills with a discus his grandfather Acrisius, who had sent him off in a floating casket (was it an accident?) Fights the "Women of the sea' - a Dionysiac horde from Crete. |
Avenges the calumny of Proetus' wife, now his sister-in-law, by offering her a Pegasus-ride and pushing her off from a height. (Or: she killed herself out of jealosy.) |
Receives the place with wife and the in-laws among the stars. | Rides Pegasus to Olympus; is kicked off and falls down on earth. |
HERACLES AND THESEUS
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A baby, strangles the snakes in his crib. | Moves the rock to find father's sword & sandals. |
Kills Nemean lion - clubbed and flayed (1st labor). | Kills Periphetus with his own bronze club in Epidaurus. |
Kills Lernean Hydra - multiplying heads cauterized. Poisoned arrows with its blood (2nd labor). | Tears Sinis (Pine-bender) apart. |
Catches Cerynitian hind of Artemis (3rd labor). | Kills the wild sow Phaea of Crommion. |
Kills Erymanthian boar (4th Labor). | Flings Sceiron to his own turtle. |
Washes the Augean stables (5th labor). | Kills Cerkyon of Eleusis in forced wrestling match. |
Repels Stymphalian birds (6th labor). | Cuts Procrustes down to size. |
Captures Cretan bull (7th labor). | Captures Cretan bull. |
Brings the wild horses of Diomedes (8th labor). | Kills Minotaur in the Labyrinth. |
Brings the girdle of the Amazon queen Hippolyta (9th labor). | Raids Amazons with Heracles. Marries Hippolyta. |
Drives away the cattle of three-bodied giant Geryon (10th labor). | Joins the Caledonian boar hunt. |
Brings the apples of Hesperides (11th labor). | Joins the expedition of the Argonauts. |
Brings the dog Cerberus from Hades (12th labor). | Fights with Lapiths against the centaurs at Perithous' wedding. |
While in Hades, releases Theseus from his rock. | Descends to the underworld with Perithous in hope to re-abduct Persephone; friends are stuck to the rock in Hades' palace. |
Kills king Busiris of Egypt, who sacrificed strangers. | Offers hospitality to Heracles, exiled after murdering the children. Protects the orphans of Heracles from Eurystheus. |
Kills the giant Antaeus, lifting him from the ground. | Offers protection to exiled Oedipus and his daughters. |
Fights with river-god Achelous for Deianeira; wins and marries her. | Retrieves the bodies of Argive warriors killed in the war of the Seven Against Thebes. |
Fights with Thanatos and returns Alcestis to her husband, Admetus. | (At some point, abducts young Helen of Sparta). |
Rescues the Trojan princess Hesione from the sea-monster. | |
Releases Prometheus; shoots the eagle. | |
Fights with gods agains the Titans. | |
Apotheosis: receives immortality, joins Olympians. |
* Returned Alcestis from death.
Bad Heracles: * Killed his family in a fit of violence.
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* Saves Athenian youths from Minotaur.
Bad Theseus: * Abandones Ariadne on the Naxos island.
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