M ORTALS M EN ABDERUS Son of Hermes. Page and lover of Heracles. Devoured by the Mares of Diomedes. City of Abdera founded by Heracles in his honour. ABSYRTUS Son of Aeëtes and Idyia. Brother of Chalciope and Medea. Dismembered by Medea to delay Aeëtes pursuit of the Argonauts. ACAMAS AND DEMOPHON Sons of Theseus and Phaedra. Rescuers of Aethra during the fall of Troy. ACASTUS Son of Pelias. Brother of the Peliades. Possibly one of the Argonauts. Holds magnificent funeral games to honour Pelias. Succeeds to the throne of Iolcos after turning its people against Jason and Medea. Tricked by his wife Astydameia into trying to murder Peleus. Overthrown by Jason (at Peleus’s instigation). ACRISIUS King of Argos. Brother of Proetus. Father of Danaë. Distant cousin of Aegyptus, Cepheus and Phineus. Accidentally slain by his grandson Perseus. ADMETUS King of Pherae. Son of Pheres. Famed for his hospitality and kindness to strangers. Master and lover of Apollo. Husband of Alcestis. Their wedding night spoiled by Artemis’s snakes in their bed. Accepts Alcestis’s offer to die on his behalf and fulfil Apollo’s scheme to make him immortal, until Heracles brings her back from death. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar. AEACUS King of Aegina. Son of Zeus and Aegina. Half-brother of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Husband of Chiron’s daughter. Father of Peleus and Telamon. With his half-brothers Minos I and Rhadamanthus, one of the three Judges of the Underworld. Charmed by the music of Orpheus. AEËTES King of Colchis. Son of Helios and the Oceanid Perseis. Brother of Circe and Pasiphae. Husband of (his aunt) the Oceanid Idyia. Father of Absyrtus, Chalciope and Medea. Distrustful grandfather of the Phrixides. Custodian of the Golden Fleece. Owner of the Colchian Dragon and the Khalkotauroi. Sets Jason tasks to fulfil in order to acquire it. AEGYPTUS Grandson of Libya and Poseidon. Brother of Cepheus and Phineus. Father of Busiris. AEGEUS King of Athens. Husband of Medea. Father (by Aethra) of Theseus, and (by Medea) of Medus. Uncle of the Pallantidae. Employs the Cretan Bull to rid him of Androgeus. Tries the same with Theseus, then Medea’s poison, before recognizing his son. Sends Theseus as part of the tribute demanded by Minos II for his role in the death of Androgeus. Fatal victim of filial forgetfulness. Site of his death named ‘Aegean Sea’ after him. AESON Rightful king of Iolcos. Son of Cretheus and Tyro. Brother of Pheres; half-brother of Neleus and Pelias. Husband of Alcimede. Father of Jason and Promachus. Deposed and imprisoned (with Alcimede) by Pelias. Entrusts Jason to Chiron. Either murdered by Pelias, or driven to murder-suicide with Alcimede and Promachus by Pelias, while Jason absent on the quest for the Golden Fleece. ALCINOUS King of the Phaeacians. Husband (and uncle) of Arete. Kind-hearted and protective host of Jason, Medea and the Argonauts. ALCON Spartan prince. Son of Ares and Hippocöon of Amykles. Slain (messily) by the Calydonian Boar. AMPHION AND ZETHUS Usurper kings of Thebes. Twin sons of Zeus and Antiope (sister-in-law of Polydorus). Half-brothers of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Assist Cadmus in constructing the walls and citadel of Thebes. Overthrow their kinsman Labdacus and rule in his place. AMPHITRYON Grandson of Perseus and Andromeda. Husband of Alcmene. Exiled to Thebes for killing his uncle/father-in-law Electryon. Father of Iphicles and Laonome. ANCAEUS King of Samos. Son of Lycurgus of Arcadia. Brother of Iasus. Possible uncle of Atalanta. Joins the Argonaut. Succeeds Tiphys as helmsman of the Argo. Navigates the Wandering Rocks. ANDROGEUS Cretan prince. Son of Minos II and Pasiphae. Brother of Ariadne, Deucalion and Phaedra. Half-brother of the Minotaur. While guest of Aegeus, slain by (his half-uncle) the Cretan Bull. Athenian tribute to the Minotaur compensation for his death. ANTIMEDES Trusted servant and facilitator of Laius. At his command exposes the infant Oedipus. Later discloses to Oedipus vital clues as to his true identity. ARGUS Prince of Argos and shipwright. Joins the Argonauts. Aided by Athena in constructing the Argo (named in his honour). ASCLEPIUS Master of healing. Son of Apollo and Coronis. Half-brother of Apollo’s other progeny. Kinsman of Caenis and Polyphemus. Raised by Chiron. Temporarily slain by Zeus for his hubris in resurrecting the dead. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar. Later immortalized. Catasterized as Ophiuchus. ATHAMAS King of Boeotia. Grandson of Hellen. Brother of Cretheus, Salmoneus and Sisyphus. Husband of Nephele, Ino and Themisto. Father of Phrixus and Helle (by Nephele); of Learchus and Melicertes (by Ino); and of Schoeneus (by Themisto). Tricked by Ino into attempting to sacrifice Phrixus and Helle. Kills Learchus and drives Ino and Melicertes to suicide. ATREUS Son of Pelops and Hippodamia. Brother of Nicippe, Pittheus and Thyestes; half-brother (and, some think, murderer) of Chrysippus. Installed as King of Mycenae by Hyllus and the Heraclides. Father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Scion and forebear of much-cursed houses. AUGEAS King of Elis. Son of Helios. Father of Phyleus. Uncle of Eurytus and Cteatus. Kinsman of Tiphys. Possessor of immortal cattle and filthy stables. Tricks Heracles; later slain by him in revenge. One of the Argonauts. AUTOLYCUS Light-fingered son of Hermes. Father of Eumolus (musical supply teacher of Heracles). Grandfather of Odysseus. BELLEROPHON ‘The slayer of monsters’. Son of Eurynome and either Glaucus of Corinth or Poseidon. (Half-)brother of Deliades, whom he fatally mistakes for a boar. Possible half-brother of Poseidon’s other progeny, including Pegasus, whom he tames with Athena’s golden bridle. Cousin of Jason. Briefly betrothed to Aethra. Fitted up by Proetus and Stheneboea. Slayer of the Chimera. Subduer of the Amazons, Solymi and Cheimarrhus. Repelled from Xanthus by its womenfolk’s buttocks. Settles differences with Iobates, receiving the hand of Philonoë and the succession to his kingdom. Crippled by Zeus for his hubris in trying to enter Olympus. BUSIRIS King of Egypt. Son of Aegyptus. Cousin of Heracles. Enthusiastic practitioner of human sacrifice. Slain by Heracles and his capital renamed Thebes. BUTES Sicilian king and expert apiarist. One of the Argonauts. Goes overboard in his admiration for the Sirens. Rescued by Aphrodite, who becomes his lover. Father (by Aphrodite) of Eryx. CADMUS Often known as ‘the First Hero’. Founder king of Thebes. Grandson of Poseidon and Libya and of Nilus and Nephele. Brother of Europa. Husband of Harmonia. Father of Agave, Autonoë, Ino, Polydorus and Semele. Forebear of a much-cursed house. CAENEUS Lapith hero. Formerly Caenis, until granted gender reassignment (and invulnerable skin) by Poseidon. Buried alive by centaurs at Pirithous’s wedding. CALAIS AND ZETES Also known as the Boreads. Quasi-immortal flying sons of Boreas (the North Wind) and Orithyia, daughter of Erechtheus. Brothers-in-law of Phineus of Salmydessus. Join the Argonauts. Free Phineus from the Harpies. Slain by Heracles in revenge for abandoning him during the quest for the Golden Fleece. CECROPS Founder king of Attica. Responsible for giving Athens its name and its divine protector, Athena. CEPHEUS King of Ethiopia. Grandson of Libya and Poseidon. Brother of Aegyptus and Phineus. Husband of Cassiopeia. Father of Andromeda. CERCYON Big-boned King of Eleusis and wrestling aficionado. Son of Hephaestus or Poseidon. As such, half-brother possibly of Periphetes or of Poseidon’s other progeny, including Procrustes, Sciron and Sinis. Slain by (his half-brother?) Theseus and his kingdom wrested from him; later returned to his son Hippothoön. CEYX King of Trachis. Husband of Alcyone. Father of Hylas. Friend and host of Heracles. CHEIMARRHUS Fearsome Lycian pirate. Subdued by Bellerophon. Thought by Euhemerists to be the Chimera. CHRYSIPPUS Illegitimate son of Pelops. Half-brother of Atreus, Nicippe, Pittheus and Thyestes. Groomed by Laius; then kills himself from shame (or, as some think, is murdered by Atreus and Thyestes). Pelops curses Laius and his line in revenge for his death. COCALUS King of Kamikos in Sicily. Patron and protector of Daedalus. Daughters responsible for unfortunate bath-time incident involving Minos II. CREON King of Corinth. Probably a descendant of Sisyphus. Father of Creusa. Provides sanctuary to Jason and Medea. Arranges marriage between Jason and Creusa. Agonizingly poisoned by Medea. CREON Ruler of Thebes. Grandson of Pentheus. Brother of Jocasta; brother-in-law of Laius and Oedipus. Husband of Eurydice. Father of Haemon. Scion of a much-cursed house. Father of Megara; father-in-law of Heracles. Provides sanctuary to Amphitryon and Alcmene. Regent following Laius’s death; resigns in favour of Oedipus. Resumes regency after Oedipus vacates the throne. Becomes king in own right after deaths of Eteocles and Polynices. Sentences Antigone to death for defying his laws. Eurydice and Haemon commit suicide in protest at his actions. CRETHEUS King of Iolcos. Grandson of Hellen. Brother of Athamas, Salmoneus and Sisyphus. Husband of Tyro and Sidero. Father (by Tyro) of Aeson and Pheres. CYZICUS King of the Dolionians. Husband of Clite. Accidentally slain by Jason in night-time battle with the Argonauts. DAEDALUS Inventor, artificer and architect of genius. Descendant of Cecrops. Uncle, master and murderer of Perdix. Takes refuge in Crete, where employed by Minos II. Facilitator of the coupling between Pasiphae and the Cretan Bull. Creator of the labyrinth of Knossos and (some believe) Talos. Originator of manned flight. Takes refuge in Sicily, where employed by Cocalus. His bathroom designs to die for. DELIADES Also known as Alcimedes or Peiren. Son of Glaucus of Corinth and Eurynome. (Half-brother) of Bellerophon; mistaken by him for a boar and accidentally slain. DEUCALION King of Crete. Son of Minos II and Pasiphae. Brother of Androgeus, Ariadne and Phaedra. Half-brother of the Minotaur. Forwards marriage of Ariadne and Theseus. DICTYS Fisherman. Brother of Polydectes. Husband of Danaë. Foster father of Perseus. DIOMEDES King of Thrace. Son of Ares. Fed to his own Mares by Heracles. DIOSCURI The twin ‘boys of Zeus’: Castor (son of Leda and Tyndareus) and Polydeuces or Pollux (son of Leda and Zeus). Brothers of Clytemnestra and Helen. Half-brothers of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Cousins of Deianira and Meleager. Heracles’ combat training conducted by Castor. Join the Argonauts; Polydeuces their champion boxer. Hunters of the Calydonian Boar. Rescue Helen from the unwanted attentions of Pirithous and Theseus; provide her with Aethra as companion. Jointly catasterized as Gemini. ERYX Sicilian king and boxing champion. Son of Butes and Aphrodite. Knocked dead by Heracles. ETEOCLES Joint king of Thebes. Son of Oedipus and Jocasta. Brother of Antigone, Ismene and Polynices. Scion of a much-cursed house. Incapable of ruling in tandem with Polynices. Kill each other in battle. EUPHEMUS Son of Poseidon. Grandson of the GIANT Tityus. Able to walk on water. Joins the Argonauts. Becomes relief helmsman after the death of Tiphys. EURYSTHEUS King of Argolis. Son of Sthenelus and Nicippe. Cousin of Heracles. Commands him to perform Labours to expiate his murder of Megara. Slain by Hyllus. EURYTON King of Phthia. One of the Argonauts. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar. Accidentally slain by his son-in-law Peleus, who coincidentally inherits his kingdom. EURYTUS King of Oechalia. Grandson of Apollo. Father of Iole and Iphitus. Archery tutor of Heracles. Refuses to let Heracles marry Iole. Refuses his offer of expiation for slaying Iphitus and stealing cattle. Eventually slain by Heracles in revenge for these slights. EURYTUS AND CTEATUS Also known as the Molionides. Conjoined twins. Sons of Poseidon and Molione. Half-brothers of Poseidon’s other progeny. Nephews of Augeas. Slayers of Iphicles. Split in two by Heracles. GANYMEDE Cupbearer and beloved of Zeus. Son of Tros. Brother of Ilos. Uncle of Laomedon. Abducted by Zeus. Immortalized. Catasterized as Aquarius. GLAUCUS King of Corinth. Son of Sisyphus and the Pleiad Merope. Husband of Eurynome. Possible father of Bellerophon. After being eaten by his own chariot horses returned as a ghost known as ‘the Horse-Scarer’. HERACLES ‘Hera’s glory’. Named Alcides at birth. Son of Zeus and Alcmene. Zeus’s favourite human son. Half-twin of Iphicles. Half-brother of Laonome and of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Cousin of Busiris, Eurystheus and Theseus. Brother-in-law of Polyphemus. Persecuted by Hera; later her son in law. Favoured by Apollo, Athena, Hephaestus, Hermes and Poseidon. Married to Megara (whom he kills), Deianira (who kills him), and his half-sister Hebe (with whom he spends half eternity). Father of numberless Heraclides, including Hyllus (by Deianira). Lover of Abderus, Hippolyta, Hylas, Iolaus and Omphale. Infant herpetocide. Performs Labours for Eurystheus to expiate his murder of Megara. Joins the Argonauts. Abandoned by them when searching for Hylas. Wrestles Thanatos for the soul of Alcestis. Liberator of Prometheus. Temporary supporter of the heavens. Rescuer of Theseus from the underworld. Threatens the Pythia with violence. Serves Omphale to expiate his murder of Iphitus, learning the joys of cross-dressing. Founder of the Olympic Games. Victor of the Gigantomachy. Wins Horn of Plenty from Achelous. Bane of Amazons, centaurs, Gegeneis, GIANTS, the OFFSPRING OF TYPHON AND ECHIDNA, Antaeus, the Cithaeronian Lion, Eurytion and Geryon, and the Trojan Sea Monster. Tamer of Cerberus, the Ceryneian Hind, the Cretan Bull, the Erymanthian Boar and the Mares of Diomedes. Sacker of Troy. Slayer of Augeas, Busiris, Calais and Zetes, Diomedes, Eurytus, Eurytus and Cteatus, Eryx, Hippocoön, Hippolyta, Iphitus, Laomedon, Linus and Neleus. Fatally wounded by Nessus’s shirt soaked in Lernaean Hydra blood. Immolated by Philoctetes. Immortalized and catasterized by Zeus. HIPPOCOÖN King of Sparta. Brother of Tyndareus, whom he ousted from the throne. Slain by Heracles for aiding Neleus against him. HIPPOLYTUS Son of Theseus and Antiope. Half-brother of Acamas and Demophon. Grandson of Poseidon. Punished by Aphrodite for his devotion to Artemis, by having his stepmother Phaedra driven mad by desire for him. Killed by the bull sent by Poseidon in answer to Theseus’s curse. HIPPOMENES Megaran prince. Son of Megareus, grandson of Poseidon. Aided by Aphrodite to outsmart Atalanta and win her hand. Father (by Atalanta) of Parthenopaeus. With Atalanta, punished by Aphrodite for ingratitude, then transformed into a lion by Cybele for involuntarily profaning her temple. HYLAS Son of Ceyx. Page and lover of Heracles. Joins the Argonauts. Surrenders to the attractions of water nymphs. HYLLUS Son of Heracles and Deianira. Witnesses deaths of his parents. Leader of the Heraclides. Slayer of Eurystheus. Installs Atreus as King of Mycenae. IASUS Arcadian king. Son of Lycurgus. Brother of Ancaeus. Possibly husband of Clymene and father of Atalanta, whom he exposes as an infant. ICARUS Son of Daedalus. Pioneer of aviation. Flies too close to the sun. IDMON Seer of Argos. Son of Apollo and Cyrene. Mortal brother of Aristaeus, and half-brother of Apollo’s other progeny. Joins the Argonauts, despite prophesying his own demise on their quest. Gored to death by wild boar. IOBATES King of Lycia. Father of Philonoë and Stheneboea. Sets Bellerophon deadly tasks. Settles differences with him by offering the hand of Philonoë and the succession to his kingdom. IOLAUS Son of Iphicles. Nephew, page and lover of Heracles. Devises plan to defeat the Lernaean Hydra. Witnesses the death of Heracles from Lernaean Hydra blood. IPHICLES Son of Amphitryon and Alcmene. Half-twin of Heracles. Brother of Laonome. Brother-in-law of Polyphemus. Father of Iolaus. Slain by Eurytus and Cteatus. IPHITUS Son of Eurytus. Brother of Iole. Slain by Heracles while his guest. IXION King of the Lapiths. Husband of Dia. Stepfather of Pirithous. Condemned to eternal torment in Tartarus for attempting to ravish Hera. Forebear (with Nephele) of the centaurs. JASON ‘The healer’. Rightful heir to the throne of Iolcos. Son of Aeson and Alcimede. Brother of Promachus. (Half-)nephew of Neleus and Pelias. Cousin of Bellerophon, Hellen, Phrixus and Schoeneus. Kinsman of Atalanta and the Phrixides. Father (by Medea) of Mermerus, Pheres and Thessalus. Raised by Chiron. Favoured by Athena and Hera. By Pelias set the task of recovering the Golden Fleece. Leads the Argonauts. Lover of Hypsipyle (whom he abandons). Father of Euneus and Thoas (by Hypsipyle). Slayer of Cyzicus. With the aid of Medea’s magic, tames the Khalkotauroi, defeats the Spartoi, overpowers the Colchian Dragon and take the Golden Fleece. Evades Aeëtes, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, the Wandering Rocks and Talos to return in triumph to Iolcos. Holds Pelias responsible for the deaths of Aeson, Alcimede and Promachus in his absence. Held responsible (with Medea) by the Iolcians for the death of Pelias. Takes refuge with Medea in Corinth. Planned wedding to Creusa spoiled by Medea murdering his bride, his father-in-law Glaucus, and their sons Mermerus and Pheres. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar. Reclaims throne of Iolcos from Acastus. Slain in a shipyard accident involving the Argo. LABDACUS King of Thebes. Son of Polydorus and Nicteis. Cousin of Dionysus and Pentheus. Father of Laius. Scion of a much-cursed house. Overthrown by his kinsmen Amphion and Zethus. LAIUS King of Thebes with poor impulse control. Son of Labdacus. Cousin of Creon and Jocasta. Husband of Jocasta. Father of Oedipus. Scion and forebear of a much-cursed house. After his father overthrown by Amphion and Zethus, raised in exile by Pelops. Repays that trust by grooming Chrysippus. Cursed by Pelops for role in Chrysippus’s death, causing Hera to send the Sphinx to Thebes. Reclaims throne. Exposes the infant Oedipus to avoid an oracle of the Pythia. Victim of unfortunate road rage incident. LAOMEDON King of Troy. Son of Ilos. Grandson of Tros. Tricks Apollo and Poseidon out of payment for building Troy’s walls; then Heracles when rescues Hesione from Poseidon’s sea monster. Later slain by Heracles in revenge. LICHAS Servant of Heracles. Helps him put on the shirt of Nessus. Slain by Heracles for his pains. LINUS Son of the Muse Calliope and Apollo (or possibly Oeagrus). Brother of Orpheus; half-brother of Apollo’s other progeny; possibly stepbrother of Marsyas. Cousin of the Sirens. Short-tempered music teacher, slain by his pupil Heracles. LYCOMEDES King of Skyros. Son of Apollo and Parthenope. Half-brother of Apollo’s other progeny. Host of the exiled Theseus, then slayer of him in a clifftop quarrel. MEDUS Son of Aegeus and Medea. Half-brother of Theseus. Accompanies his mother when she flees Athens after failing to secure the succession of the Athenian throne in his favour. Gives his name to the Medes. MELEAGER Son of Althaea and Oeneus (or Ares). Brother of Deianira and the other Meleagrids. Nephew of the Thestiades. Cousin of the Dioscuri. Neglectful husband of Cleopatra. Cursed with a life the duration of a flaming brand. One of the Argonauts. Smitten by Atalanta. Leads the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. Awards Atalanta the trophy for slaying the boar; then slays the Thestiades for protesting; and is slain by Althaea in revenge, fulfilling his natal prophecy. Posthumous matchmaker between Deianira and Heracles. MELICERTES Son of Athamas and Ino. Half-brother of Helle, Phrixus and Schoeneus. Cousin of Jason. Killed during his mother’s suicide. Transformed by his cousin Dionysus into the dolphin-riding deity Palaemon. MINOS I King of Crete. Son of Zeus and Europa. Half-brother of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Grandfather of Minos II. With his brother Rhadamanthus and half-brother Aeacus, one of the three Judges of the Underworld. Charmed by the music of Orpheus. MINOS II King of Crete. Grandson of Minos I. Husband of Pasiphae. Father of Androgeus, Ariadne, Deucalion and Phaedra. Defies Poseidon by not sacrificing the Cretan Bull. Demands Athenian tribute for the Minotaur in compensation for Aegeus’s role in the Cretan Bull’s slaying of Androgeus. Patron, then persecutor, of Daedalus; boiled alive in a bath designed by him. NELEUS King of Pylos. Son of Poseidon and Tyro. Brother of Pelias; half-brother of Aeson and Pheres, and of Poseidon’s other progeny. Father of twelve sons, including Nestor. (Half-)uncle of Jason. With Pelias earns Hera’s enmity for slaying their stepmother Sidero. Aids Pelias in seizing Iolcos from Aeson. Refuses to purify Heracles for the slaying of Iphitus; later slain by Heracles in revenge. NESTOR Youngest son of Neleus. Nephew of Pelias. Grandson of Poseidon. Inherits throne of Pylos after Heracles slays his father and eleven elder brothers. One of the wisest and longest-lived of kings. Joins the Argonauts. Advises Jason to take the long way home from Colchis. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar. Counsellor of the Greeks during the Trojan War. OEAGRUS King of Thrace. Thought by some to be father of Linus, Marsyas and Orpheus. OEDIPUS ‘The swollen footed’. King of Thebes. Son of Laius (whom unwittingly murders) and Jocasta (whom unwittingly marries). Father of Antigone, Eteocles, Ismene and Polynices. Scion and forebear of a much-cursed house. Exposed as an infant by Antimedes at the command of Laius. Rescued by Phorbas and Straton. Fostered by Polybus and Merope, who raise him as their own son. Flees Corinth thinking to escape the Pythia’s prophecy. Fatally outwits the Sphinx, earning first a hero’s welcome then a royal one in Thebes. Blinds and exiles himself after discovering his unnatural, prophesied crimes. OENEUS King of Calydon. Husband of Althaea. Father of Deianira and the other Meleagrids, and probably of Meleager. His neglect of Artemis in favour of Dionysus punished by the Calydonian Boar. OENOMAUS King of Pisa. Thought by some to be son of Ares. Husband of the Pleiad Sterope. Father of Hippodamia. Slain by Pelops in chariot race to win Hippodamia’s hand in marriage. ORPHEUS ‘The obscure’. Greatest of all musicians. Son of the Muse Calliope and Apollo (or possibly Oeagrus). Brother of Linus; half-brother of Apollo’s other progeny; possibly stepbrother of Marsyas. Husband of Eurydice. Favoured by Apollo with music lessons, a golden lyre and strings braided from the god’s golden hair. Charms denizens of the underworld with his music. Fails in quest to bring Eurydice back to life. Joins the Argonauts. Out-sings his cousins the Sirens. Torn apart by the women of Thrace. Severed head serves as an oracle on Lesbos. Finally reunited in death with Eurydice. His golden lyre catasterized. PALLANTIDAE The fifty sons of Pallas, brother of Aegeus. Cousins of Medus and Theseus, and rivals with them for the throne of Athens. Slain in battle by Theseus. PELEUS Thessalian king. Son of Aeacus and Chiron’s daughter. Brother of Telamon. Comrade of Heracles. One of the Argonauts. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar; accidentally slays his then father-in-law Euryton, whose kingdom coincidentally he inherits. Falsely accused by Acastus’s wife of dishonouring her. Reciprocates by persuading Jason to reclaim Iolcos from Acastus. Slayer of Amazons. Sacker of Troy. Father (by the Nereid Thetis) of Achilles. PELIAS Usurper king of Iolcos. Son of Poseidon and Tyro. Brother of Neleus; half-brother of Aeson and Pheres, and of Poseidon’s other progeny (including the golden ram). Father of Acastus and the Peliades. Uncle of Nestor; (half-)uncle of Jason. With Neleus earns Hera’s enmity for slaying their stepmother Sidero. Promises his daughter Alcestis to whomever harnesses a boar and a lion to a chariot. Seizes throne of Iolcos from Aeson. Sets Jason the task of recovering the Golden Fleece. Either murders, or drives to murder-suicide, Aeson, Alcimede and Promachus in Jason’s absence. Slain by the Peliades in unfortunate kitchen mishap instigated by Medea. PELOPS Son of Tantalus, King of Lydia, and Dione. Made a gods’ dinner of by his father; then resurrected by Zeus.fn5 Winner, in a chariot race, of the hand of Hippodamia and her father Oenomaus’s kingdom of Pisa. Father of Atreus, Nicippe, Pittheus and Thyestes (by Hippodamia), and Chrysippus. Fosters Laius; then curses him and his house for the death of Chrysippus, causing Hera to send the Sphinx to Thebes. Southern Greece known as his ‘island’ (Peloponnesos) because ruled by his progeny. Scion and forebear of much-cursed houses. PENTHEUS King of Thebes. Son of Agave and Echion (one of the founding lords of Thebesfn6). Nephew of Autonoë, Ino, Polydorus and Semele. Cousin of Dionysus and Labdacus. Grandfather of Creon and Jocasta. Scion of a much-cursed house. Torn apart by followers of Dionysus (including Agave and Autonoë) for failing to honour the god. PERDIX Ingenious inventor of craftsmen’s essential tools. Murdered out of jealousy by his master and uncle Daedalus. His spirit transformed into a partridge by Athena. PERIPHETES Also known as Corynetes. One-eyed giant. Self-proclaimed son of Hephaestus. As such, possibly half-brother of Cercyon. No relation of the Cyclopes. Robber of travellers on the Isthmus. Slain by Theseus. PERSEUS ‘The destroyer’. Son of Zeus and Danaë. Half-brother of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Saviour and husband of Andromeda. Father of Alcaeus, Electryon and Perses. Great-grandfather of Heracles. Slayer of Acrisius, Cetus, Medusa, Phineus and Polydectes. Founder king of Mycenae. Catasterized. PHERES Former King of Pherae. Son of Cretheus and Tyro. Brother of Aeson; half-brother of Neleus and Pelias. Father of Admetus. Refuses to die so that his son becomes immortal. PHILOCTETES Comrade of Heracles. One of the Argonauts. Immolates Heracles to end his torment from the Lernaean Hydra’s blood. Inherits his bow and Hydra-venom-tipped arrows. PHINEUS Blind seer and King of Salmydessus. Brother-in-law of Calais and Zetes. Tormented by the Harpies as punishment by Zeus for abusing his prophetic powers. Freed from them by Calais and Zetes. Advises the Argonauts how to navigate the Clashing Rocks. PHINEUS Grandson of Libya and Poseidon. Brother of Aegyptus and Cepheus. Slain by Perseus. PHORBAS Theban shepherd. Rescues the infant Oedipus from exposure. Passes him to Straton for safekeeping. PHRIXIDES Argos, Cytoros, Melos and Phrontis. Sons of Phrixus and Chalciope. Kinsmen of Jason. Flee Colchis after their grandfather Aeëtes threatens to kill them. Join forces with the Argonauts. PHRIXUS Son of Athamas and Nephele. Twin brother of Helle. Half-brother of Melicertes and Schoeneus. Cousin of Jason. Rescued from his stepmother Ino’s murderous plot by the golden ram. Takes sanctuary with Aeëtes, to whom he presents the Golden Fleece. Husband of Chalciope. Father of the Phrixides, who implicate Aeëtes in his death. PHYLEUS Son of Augeas. Exiled to Dulichium for admiring Heracles. Installed as King of Elis by Heracles after the latter slew Augeas. PIRITHOUS King of the Lapiths. Son of Zeus and Dia. Stepson of Ixion. Half-brother of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Cousin of the centaurs. One of the Argonauts. Destroyer of Talos. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar. Wedding to Hippodamia spoiled by centaurs. Bosom friend and bad influence on Theseus. Together, succeed in abducting Antiope and Helen; fail in abducting Persephone. Heracles unable to free from the underworld. Ultimate fate uncertain. PITTHEUS King of Troezen. Son of Pelops and Hippodamia. Brother of Atreus, Nicippe and Thyestes; half-brother of Chrysippus. Scion of a much-cursed house. Father of Aethra. Grandfather of Theseus, and possibly of Sciron or Sinis. POLYBUS King of Corinth. Childless husband of Merope. Together they foster Oedipus and raise him as if their own son. Dies of old age. POLYDECTES King of Seriphos. Brother of Dictys. Enamoured of Danaë. Slain by Perseus. POLYDORUS King of Thebes. Son of Cadmus and Harmonia. Brother of Agave, Autonöe, Ino and Semele. Uncle of Dionysus. Scion of a much-cursed house. Husband of Nycteis (aunt of Amphion and Zethus). Father of Labdacus. Grandfather of Laius. POLYIDUS Seer of Corinth. Reveals Bellerophon’s feelings for Pegasus. POLYNICES Joint king of Thebes. Son of Oedipus and Jocasta. Brother of Antigone, Eteocles and Ismene. Scion of a much-cursed house. Incapable of ruling in tandem with Eteocles. Kill each other in battle. Antigone sentenced to death for trying to bury him. POLYPHEMUS Son of the Lapith chieftain Elatus. Brother of Caenis. Husband of Laonome. Brother-in-law of Heracles and Iphicles. Kinsman of Asclepius. One of the Argonauts. Abandoned by them when searching for Hylas. Founds the city of Cius. Dies while trying to rejoin his former comrades. PRIAM King of Troy. Youngest son of Laomedon. Brother of Hesione. Spared during Heracles’ sack of Troy. PROCRUSTES Possibly the son of Poseidon or the father of Sinis. Possible half-brother of the rest of Poseidon’s progeny, including Cercyon and Sciron. Robber of travellers on the Isthmus. Unlicensed practitioner of extreme osteopathy. Terminally cut down to size by (his half-brother?) Theseus. PROETUS King of Mycenae. Brother of Acrisius. Husband of Stheneboea. Unwitting accomplice to her attempted revenge on Bellerophon. PROMACHUS Son of Aeson and Alcimede. Brother of Jason. Born while his parents imprisoned by Pelias. Deemed too young to join the Argonauts. Either murdered by Pelias, or driven to murder-suicide with Alcimede and Promachus by Pelias, while Jason absent on the quest for the Golden Fleece. RHADAMANTHUS King of Aegean islands. Son of Zeus and Europa. Half-brother of Zeus’s plethora of progeny. Second husband of Alcmene. With his brother Minos I and half-brother Aeacus, one of the three Judges of the Underworld. Charmed by the music of Orpheus. SALMONEUS King of Elis. Grandson of Hellen. Brother of Athamas, Cretheus and Sisyphus. Father of Tyro. Thunderstruck by Zeus for his hubris. SCHOENEUS Arcadian king. Son of Athamas and Themisto. Half-brother of Helle, Melicertes and Phrixus. Cousin of Jason. Probably husband of Clymene and father of Atalanta, whom he exposes as an infant, then acknowledges once she is famous. SCIRON Possibly the son of Poseidon, or the grandson of Pittheus. Possible half-brother of Poseidon’s other progeny, including Cercyon and Sciron. Robber of travellers on the Isthmus and psychopathic foot fetishist. Enjoys symbiotic relationship with giant anthropophagous turtle. Slain by (his half-brother? cousin?) Theseus. SINIS PITYOCAMPTES Possibly the son of Poseidon or Procrustes, or the grandson of Pittheus. Possible half-brother of Poseidon’s other progeny, including Cercyon. Robber of travellers on the Isthmus. Hoist on his own bent pinewood petard by (his half-brother?) Theseus. SISYPHUS King of Corinth. Grandson of Hellen. Brother of Athamas, Cretheus and Salmoneus. Husband of the Pleiad Merope. Father of Glaucus of Corinth; grandfather of Bellerophon. Probably a forebear of Creon of Corinth. Condemned to eternal torment in Tartarus. STHENELUS King of Mycenae. Grandson of Perseus and Andromeda. Husband of Nicippe. Father of Eurystheus. Uncle of Heracles. STRATON Corinthian shepherd. Receives the infant Oedipus from Phorbas. Hands him to Polybus and Merope for fostering. Later discloses to Oedipus vital clues as to his true identity. TELAMON King of Salamis. Son of Aeacus and Chiron’s daughter. Brother of Peleus. Comrade of Heracles. One of the Argonauts. Feuds with Calais and Zetes. Hunter of the Calydonian Boar. Slayer of Amazons. Sacker of Troy. Husband of Periboea and Hesione. Father of Ajax (by Periboea) and Teucer (by Hesione). THESEUS ‘The founder’. King of Athens. Son of Aethra and Aegeus and Poseidon. Stepson of Medea. Half-brother of Poseidon’s progeny and of Medus. Cousin of the Pallantidae. Kinsman of Atreus and Heracles. Husband of Antiope and Phaedra. Father of Hippolytus (by Antiope) and Acamas and Demophon (by Phaedra). Slayer of Cercyon, Molpadia, the Pallantidae, Periphetes, Procrustes, Sciron and Sinis. Expert and ruthless livestock wrangler: slaughterer (and eater) of the Crommyonian Sow; tamer (and sacrificer) of the Cretan Bull; slayer of the Minotaur; hunter of the Calydonian Boar; bane of centaurs. Smitten by Ariadne; then abandons her at the command of Dionysus. Shameful filial forgetfulness causes death of Aegeus. Bosom friend of Pirithous. Together, succeed in abducting Antiope and Helen; fail in abducting Persephone. Rescued from the underworld by Heracles. Exiled for his role in the deaths of Hippolytus and Phaedra. Killed by Lycomedes in a clifftop quarrel. Inventor of the pankration and bull-leaping; proficient in deep-sea diving. Unifier of Attica, laying the foundations of Athens’s historical greatness. THESSALUS Son of Jason and Medea. Brother of Mermerus and Pheres. Tutored by Chiron. Escapes maternal bloodbath that claims his brothers. Becomes ruler of Thessaly, the region named in his honour. THESTIADES Eurypylus, Evippus, Plexippus and Toxeus. Sons of Thestios. Brothers of Althaea, Hypermnestra and Leda. Uncles of Deianira and Meleager. Hunters of the Calydonian Boar. Slain by Meleager for their hopelessly regressive sexual politics. TIPHYS Son of Hagnias of Thespiae. Kinsman of Augeas. Joins the Argonauts. Helmsman of the Argo (succeeded by Ancaeus). Inventor of the sliding rowing seat. Navigates the Clashing Rocks. Succumbs to fever. TIRESIAS Aged seer of Thebes. Father of Historis. Gender temporarily reassigned by Hera, then permanently blinded by her. Bestowed with gift of prophecy by Zeus. Foretells fates of Heracles and Oedipus. TROS Founder king of Troy. Son of Dardanus. Grandson of Zeus and the Pleiad Electra. Father of Ganymede and Ilos. Grandfather of Laomedon. Recipient of magical horses from Zeus. TYNDAREUS King of Sparta. Brother of Hippocoön. Husband of Leda. Father of the Dioscuros Castor and Clytemnestra. Ousted from his throne by Hippocoön; later restored to it by Heracles.
