DEMETER'S GREEK MYTHOLOGY PAGE:LOVERS OF GREEK GODS
Adonis, Aegina, Alemene, Anchises, Coronis, Danae, Europa, Iasion, Io, Maia, Orion, Pleione, Semele, Thetis, Tithonus.
ADONIS: in Greek myth, the youth beloved by Aphrodite. He died of a
wound inflicted by a boar in the hunt, and the inconsolable Aphrodite made the
Anemone grow from his blood. In Hades, Persephone fell in love
with him, but in pity for the great grief of Aphrodite, Zeus decreed that Adonis
was to spend six months of the year in the underworld and the other six with Aphrodite
in the upper. The myth and ritual of Adonis, with the weeping for the slain youth and joy
at his resurrection, was imported from Syria, where he was identified with Tammuz. His
name is also Syrian, from the Semitic Adom, "lord, master," and has the same
meaning as Baal.
AEGINA: daughter of the river-god Asopus, from whom Zeus carried her off to an
island in the Saronic Gulf off Attica. The island was named Aegina after her.
She became by Zeus the mother of Aeacus.
ALEMENE: wife of Amphitryon of Thebes.
While her husband was away fighting, Zeus visited her in
Amphitryon's guise, and she became by him the mother of Hercules.
ANCHISES: legendary prince of Troy who, because of his beauty, was
beloved of the goddess Aphrodite and became by
her the father of Aeneas. He boasted
of his intercourse with the goddess, and was stuck blind by a flash of lightning. During
the destruction of Troy, Aeneas carried his old blind father on his shoulders from the
burning city.
CORONIS: legendary Thessalian princess, and by Apollo the mother of Aesculapius. She was
killed by Artemis for
her unfaithfulness to Apollo, but the latter snatched the unborn Aesclapius from the
flames of her funeral pyre and had him brought up by the Centaur Chiron, who
instructed him in all the healing arts.
DANAE: daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos.
An oracle had predicted that Danae would bear a son who would kill his grandfather.
Acrisius therefore confined her within a brazen tower, but there she was impregnated
by Zeus, who visited
her in the form of a shower of gold. Thus she became the mother of Perseus. Acrisius shut
up Danae and her son into a chest, which was thrown into the sea. The chest was
borne to the island of Seriphose, and its king, Polydectes, later attempted to force
Danae to marry him, sending Perseus off on his adventures in order to get him out of
the way.
EUROPA: daughter of Agenor, king of Tyre in Phoenicia, and sister of Cadmus�. She was
loved by Zeus who
assumed the form of a beautiful white bull and came forth from the waves as Europa
and her maidens were sporting on the shore. Europa, beguiled by the charms of the
bull, jumped upon his back, where upon he rushed back into the sea and swam with
her to Crete. There she became, by Zeus, the mother of Minos, Rhadamanthus
and Sarpedon.
IASION(Iasius, Iasus): son of Zeus and the Oceanid Electra. He
was loved by Demeter, who bore him
Bootes and Plutus. In jealousy, Zeus
slew him with his thunderbolt.
IO: daughter of the river-god Inachus, first king of
Argos. She was loved by Zeus, who changed her
into a heifer in the fear of the jealous wrath of Hera. Hera, aware of the
metamorphosis, had her pursued and guarded by the hundred-eyed Argus, whom Zeus then
had Hermes slay.
Hera then sent a gadfly to pursue her and drive her into a mad frenzy, and she fled
through Asia, swimming across the Ionian Sea and the Bosporus ("cow food") until she
came to Egypt. There she recovered her human form and gave birth to Epaphus, her son by
Zeus.
. She was the
eldest and most beautiful, and by Zeus became the mother
of Hermes.
ORION: a giant hunter, variously stated to be a companion and/or lover of
Artemis, or slain by
her arrows when attempting to rap her. After his death, he became a constellation in
the sky.
PLEIONE: one of the Oceanids, and by Atlas the mother of the
seven Pleiades
SEMELE: daughter of Cadmus king of Thebes,
and sister of Ino and Agave. She was beloved by Zeus, and at the jealous
instigation of Hera,
forced him to appear before he in all his splendor. Zeus appeared to her with thunder
and lightning, and Semele was consumed in the flames. Zeus, however, snatched her
unborn child by him from her body and sewed it into his own thigh, whence it was later
born as Dionysus.
Dionysus later conducted her out of Hades to Olympus and made her immortal.
THETIS: one of the Nereids. Her affections
were sought by Zeus,
but when the latter was told of the prophecy of Themis that Thetis's son
would become more powerful then his father, he married her to Peleus. By Peleus she
became the mother of Achilles.
TITHONUS: son of Laomedon, king of Troy, and brother of Priam. He was
beloved by Eos
goddess of the dawn, who obtained the gift of immortality for him, from the gods,
neglecting to ask for eternal youth also. As a result, he grew extremely old and decrepit
and, by some accounts, we finally changed into a grasshopper.
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This page was created by Megan Louise Estella Ross. Last updated on April 22, 1999
Adonis, Aegina, Alemene, Anchises, Coronis, Danae, Europa, Iasion, Io, Maia, Orion, Pleione, Semele, Thetis, Tithonus.
ADONIS: in Greek myth, the youth beloved by Aphrodite. He died of a
wound inflicted by a boar in the hunt, and the inconsolable Aphrodite made the
Anemone grow from his blood. In Hades, Persephone fell in love
with him, but in pity for the great grief of Aphrodite, Zeus decreed that Adonis
was to spend six months of the year in the underworld and the other six with Aphrodite
in the upper. The myth and ritual of Adonis, with the weeping for the slain youth and joy
at his resurrection, was imported from Syria, where he was identified with Tammuz. His
name is also Syrian, from the Semitic Adom, "lord, master," and has the same
meaning as Baal.
AEGINA: daughter of the river-god Asopus, from whom Zeus carried her off to an
island in the Saronic Gulf off Attica. The island was named Aegina after her.
She became by Zeus the mother of Aeacus.
ALEMENE: wife of Amphitryon of Thebes.
While her husband was away fighting, Zeus visited her in
Amphitryon's guise, and she became by him the mother of Hercules.
ANCHISES: legendary prince of Troy who, because of his beauty, was
beloved of the goddess Aphrodite and became by
her the father of Aeneas. He boasted
of his intercourse with the goddess, and was stuck blind by a flash of lightning. During
the destruction of Troy, Aeneas carried his old blind father on his shoulders from the
burning city.
CORONIS: legendary Thessalian princess, and by Apollo the mother of Aesculapius. She was
killed by Artemis for
her unfaithfulness to Apollo, but the latter snatched the unborn Aesclapius from the
flames of her funeral pyre and had him brought up by the Centaur Chiron, who
instructed him in all the healing arts.
DANAE: daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos.
An oracle had predicted that Danae would bear a son who would kill his grandfather.
Acrisius therefore confined her within a brazen tower, but there she was impregnated
by Zeus, who visited
her in the form of a shower of gold. Thus she became the mother of Perseus. Acrisius shut
up Danae and her son into a chest, which was thrown into the sea. The chest was
borne to the island of Seriphose, and its king, Polydectes, later attempted to force
Danae to marry him, sending Perseus off on his adventures in order to get him out of
the way.
EUROPA: daughter of Agenor, king of Tyre in Phoenicia, and sister of Cadmus�. She was
loved by Zeus who
assumed the form of a beautiful white bull and came forth from the waves as Europa
and her maidens were sporting on the shore. Europa, beguiled by the charms of the
bull, jumped upon his back, where upon he rushed back into the sea and swam with
her to Crete. There she became, by Zeus, the mother of Minos, Rhadamanthus
and Sarpedon.
IASION(Iasius, Iasus): son of Zeus and the Oceanid Electra. He
was loved by Demeter, who bore him
Bootes and Plutus. In jealousy, Zeus
slew him with his thunderbolt.
IO: daughter of the river-god Inachus, first king of
Argos. She was loved by Zeus, who changed her
into a heifer in the fear of the jealous wrath of Hera. Hera, aware of the
metamorphosis, had her pursued and guarded by the hundred-eyed Argus, whom Zeus then
had Hermes slay.
Hera then sent a gadfly to pursue her and drive her into a mad frenzy, and she fled
through Asia, swimming across the Ionian Sea and the Bosporus ("cow food") until she
came to Egypt. There she recovered her human form and gave birth to Epaphus, her son by
Zeus.
. She was the
eldest and most beautiful, and by Zeus became the mother
of Hermes.
ORION: a giant hunter, variously stated to be a companion and/or lover of
Artemis, or slain by
her arrows when attempting to rap her. After his death, he became a constellation in
the sky.
PLEIONE: one of the Oceanids, and by Atlas the mother of the
seven Pleiades
SEMELE: daughter of Cadmus king of Thebes,
and sister of Ino and Agave. She was beloved by Zeus, and at the jealous
instigation of Hera,
forced him to appear before he in all his splendor. Zeus appeared to her with thunder
and lightning, and Semele was consumed in the flames. Zeus, however, snatched her
unborn child by him from her body and sewed it into his own thigh, whence it was later
born as Dionysus.
Dionysus later conducted her out of Hades to Olympus and made her immortal.
THETIS: one of the Nereids. Her affections
were sought by Zeus,
but when the latter was told of the prophecy of Themis that Thetis's son
would become more powerful then his father, he married her to Peleus. By Peleus she
became the mother of Achilles.
TITHONUS: son of Laomedon, king of Troy, and brother of Priam. He was
beloved by Eos
goddess of the dawn, who obtained the gift of immortality for him, from the gods,
neglecting to ask for eternal youth also. As a result, he grew extremely old and decrepit
and, by some accounts, we finally changed into a grasshopper.
Return to Top
This page was created by Megan Louise Estella Ross. Last updated on April 22, 1999
ADONIS: in Greek myth, the youth beloved by Aphrodite. He died of a
wound inflicted by a boar in the hunt, and the inconsolable Aphrodite made the
Anemone grow from his blood. In Hades, Persephone fell in love
with him, but in pity for the great grief of Aphrodite, Zeus decreed that Adonis
was to spend six months of the year in the underworld and the other six with Aphrodite
in the upper. The myth and ritual of Adonis, with the weeping for the slain youth and joy
at his resurrection, was imported from Syria, where he was identified with Tammuz. His
name is also Syrian, from the Semitic Adom, "lord, master," and has the same
meaning as Baal.
AEGINA: daughter of the river-god Asopus, from whom Zeus carried her off to an
island in the Saronic Gulf off Attica. The island was named Aegina after her.
She became by Zeus the mother of Aeacus.
ALEMENE: wife of Amphitryon of Thebes.
While her husband was away fighting, Zeus visited her in
Amphitryon's guise, and she became by him the mother of Hercules.
ANCHISES: legendary prince of Troy who, because of his beauty, was
beloved of the goddess Aphrodite and became by
her the father of Aeneas. He boasted
of his intercourse with the goddess, and was stuck blind by a flash of lightning. During
the destruction of Troy, Aeneas carried his old blind father on his shoulders from the
burning city.
CORONIS: legendary Thessalian princess, and by Apollo the mother of Aesculapius. She was
killed by Artemis for
her unfaithfulness to Apollo, but the latter snatched the unborn Aesclapius from the
flames of her funeral pyre and had him brought up by the Centaur Chiron, who
instructed him in all the healing arts.
DANAE: daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos.
An oracle had predicted that Danae would bear a son who would kill his grandfather.
Acrisius therefore confined her within a brazen tower, but there she was impregnated
by Zeus, who visited
her in the form of a shower of gold. Thus she became the mother of Perseus. Acrisius shut
up Danae and her son into a chest, which was thrown into the sea. The chest was
borne to the island of Seriphose, and its king, Polydectes, later attempted to force
Danae to marry him, sending Perseus off on his adventures in order to get him out of
the way.
EUROPA: daughter of Agenor, king of Tyre in Phoenicia, and sister of Cadmus�. She was
loved by Zeus who
assumed the form of a beautiful white bull and came forth from the waves as Europa
and her maidens were sporting on the shore. Europa, beguiled by the charms of the
bull, jumped upon his back, where upon he rushed back into the sea and swam with
her to Crete. There she became, by Zeus, the mother of Minos, Rhadamanthus
and Sarpedon.
IASION(Iasius, Iasus): son of Zeus and the Oceanid Electra. He
was loved by Demeter, who bore him
Bootes and Plutus. In jealousy, Zeus
slew him with his thunderbolt.
IO: daughter of the river-god Inachus, first king of
Argos. She was loved by Zeus, who changed her
into a heifer in the fear of the jealous wrath of Hera. Hera, aware of the
metamorphosis, had her pursued and guarded by the hundred-eyed Argus, whom Zeus then
had Hermes slay.
Hera then sent a gadfly to pursue her and drive her into a mad frenzy, and she fled
through Asia, swimming across the Ionian Sea and the Bosporus ("cow food") until she
came to Egypt. There she recovered her human form and gave birth to Epaphus, her son by
Zeus.
. She was the
eldest and most beautiful, and by Zeus became the mother
of Hermes.
ORION: a giant hunter, variously stated to be a companion and/or lover of
Artemis, or slain by
her arrows when attempting to rap her. After his death, he became a constellation in
the sky.
PLEIONE: one of the Oceanids, and by Atlas the mother of the
seven Pleiades
SEMELE: daughter of Cadmus king of Thebes,
and sister of Ino and Agave. She was beloved by Zeus, and at the jealous
instigation of Hera,
forced him to appear before he in all his splendor. Zeus appeared to her with thunder
and lightning, and Semele was consumed in the flames. Zeus, however, snatched her
unborn child by him from her body and sewed it into his own thigh, whence it was later
born as Dionysus.
Dionysus later conducted her out of Hades to Olympus and made her immortal.
THETIS: one of the Nereids. Her affections
were sought by Zeus,
but when the latter was told of the prophecy of Themis that Thetis's son
would become more powerful then his father, he married her to Peleus. By Peleus she
became the mother of Achilles.
TITHONUS: son of Laomedon, king of Troy, and brother of Priam. He was
beloved by Eos
goddess of the dawn, who obtained the gift of immortality for him, from the gods,
neglecting to ask for eternal youth also. As a result, he grew extremely old and decrepit
and, by some accounts, we finally changed into a grasshopper.
Return to Top
This page was created by Megan Louise Estella Ross. Last updated on April 22, 1999