Humanities › History & Culture Who Is Who in Greek Legend? A Who's Who List of Greek Heroes from Greek Legend, Myth, and the Trojan War Share Flipboard Email Print History & Culture Ancient History and Culture Mythology & Religion Figures & Events Ancient Languages Greece Egypt Asia Rome American History African American History African History Asian History European History Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More by N.S. Gill N.S. Gill is a freelance classics and ancient history writer. She has a master's degree in linguistics and is a former Latin teacher. Updated November 05, 2019 When you're reading the literature and history of Ancient Greece, there are a few names that should be as familiar to you as Shakespeare, the Bible, Kennedy, or Hitler. Below you will find a list of such major names from legend for quick reference. Related features on this site are listed beneath each description. The first alphabetical group consists of heroes from before the Trojan War; then come Trojan War names beginning with Achilles. After the Trojan War heroes come the legendary non-humans. Also see my ranking of the Top Heroes in Greek Mythology. Atalanta Peleus and Atalanta wrestling, black-figured hydria, ca. 550 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen. PD Courtesy of Bibi Saint-Pol at Wikipedia. A rare item in Greek mythology - a woman hero. Atalanta was the lone woman on the quest for the Golden Fleece and the Calydonian Boar Hunt. Atalanta's Race with Meleager Golden Fleece Bellerophon Bellerophon, Pegasus, and the Chimera. Attic red-figure epinetron, c. 425-420 B.C. C.C. Marsyas Wikipedia. Bellerophon was a Greek hero who rode on the winged horse Pegasus; killed the Chimera monster, and tried to fly Pegasus to Olympus. Bulfinch - Chapter XVI Monsters - Giants, Sphinx, Pegasus and Chimera, Centaurs, Griffin, and PygmiesA Goddess for Men Cadmus Library of Congress Annex Doors, showing bronze relief sculptures of people who contributed to writing, including Cadmus. CC Flickr User takomabibelot Cadmus was sent on a vain quest to find his sister Europa. He settled in Boeotia and founded the city of Thebes, instead. Article on Cadmus of Thebes Europa, the Bull, Harmonia, and Cadmus Hercules Hercules and Cacus, by Baccia Bandinelli, 1525-34, in the Piazza della Signoria, Plazzo Vecchio, in Florence. CC Flickr User infollatus Hercules or Heracles (Herakles) was a strong man and son of Zeus, who performed 12 labors; his nemesis was Hera. Hercules Labors GalleryWho Was Hercules?Hercules' Women and ChildrenHercules' Labors: SourcesHercules and EurystheusAmazonsJason's AngelsA Goddess for MenOlympicsHomeric GeographyBanned BooksOdyssey Bk XI Jason Jason, Medea, the Golden Fleece and the Serpent Guarding It. Fragment of a sarcophagus. Luni marble, Roman artwork, second half of the 2nd century A.D. © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons Jason was the Argonaut leader who captured the golden fleece and married the witch Medea. Jason's AngelsMedeaThe OlympicsMedea in "Jason and the Argonauts"Medea Murders the ChildrenMedea, a Victim and Victimizer (With Poll) Perseus Perseus Followed by the Gorgons, by the Gorgon Painter c. 580 B.C. Louvre. Public Domain. Courtesy of Bibi Saint-Pol at Wikipedia. Perseus was the Greek hero who decapitated Medusa; founded Mycenae. His biological father was Zeus who impregnated Perseus' mother Danae in a shower of gold. Perseus ProfileA Goddess for Men Theseus Theseus and the Minotaur Labyrinth Mosaic. Courtesy of Wikimedia Theseus was the Athenian hero who volunteered to be one of the victims of the Minotaur. With the help of one of the Minotaur's half-sisters, Theseus put an end to the Minotaur and found his way out of the labyrinth, built by Daedalus (of wax-wings fame), in which the Minotaur had been hidden. Theseus reorganized the country of Attica. Theseus Had a Hand in ItThe Play Within the PlayOdyssey Bk XI Achilles Achilles Kills Trojan Prisoner Before Charun Armed With a Hammer. Side A from an Etruscan red-figure calyx-crater, end of the 4th century B.C. PD Bibi Saint-Pol. Courtesy of Wikipedia. Achilles is the quintessential Greek hero. During the Trojan War, Achilles was the Greek's best warrior; his nymph mother held him by his heel when she dipped him in the River Styx making him immortal everywhere but there. Heroic Behavior ThenAmazonsGhost StoriesAchilles BasicsAchilles' GenealogyHomeric QuestionsOlympicsA Goddess for MenJason's AngelsQuotesOdyssey Bk XI Agamemnon The Sacrifice of Iphigenia, with Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and two soldiers holding Iphigenia. CC Flickr User virtusincertus Agamemnon was a Mycenean king, the brother-in-law of the infamous Helen, and the leader of all the Greek forces who went to Troy (to fight the Trojan War) for the purpose of recovering Helen for her Greek husband, Menelaus. Agamemnon ArticleHomeric QuestionsHomeric QuestionsOdyssey Bk XIOresteiaChildren of AgamemnonIphigeniaOrestesAegisthusCassandraAeropeAulis Don't Stop Here! More People in Greek Legend on the Next Page => Continued From Page 1 of the Greek Legend Who's Who Image ID: 1624208 The heroes of Troy. (1882). NYPL Digital Gallery This group of names you should know from Greek myth and legend is in two parts for heroes, divided chronologically, with a third part for names that do not belong to legendary heroes. The first alphabetical group consists of heroes from before the Trojan War. These are on page one. Next come Trojan War names beginning with Achilles, some of which are on page one and some on this, page two. After the Trojan War heroes come the legendary non-humans. Also see my ranking of the Top Heroes in Greek Mythology. Ajax Ajax. Clipart.com During the Trojan War, Ajax was the second best Greek warrior. When he was denied the honor of the armor of the dead Achilles, he tried to kill the Greek leaders but was driven mad, instead. Ajax ProfileSophoclesOdyssey Bk XI Hector Hector. Clipart.com Hector was a son of King Priam of Troy and the best warrior of the Trojans in the Trojan War. He killed Patroclus and was killed by Achilles. AmazonsHomeric Questions Helen of Troy and Menelaus Helen and Menelaus on at Attic red-figure crater, by the Menelaus Painter from c. 540-440 B.C. at the Louvre. Marie-Lan Nguyen/Wikimedia Commons. Helen of Troy known as the face that launched a thousand ships for starting the Trojan War. Helen was married to King Menelaus of Sparta when Paris took her. Helen of Troy BasicsGreek TragedyHomeric QuestionsHelen of TroyMenelaus Homer Homer. Clipart.com The blind bard believed to have written at least one if not both of the Iliad and Odyssey. Homeric QuestionsQuotesThe OdysseyGreek Tragedy Iliad Set in the tenth year of the Trojan war the Iliad tells the story of Achilles' wrath. It ends with Achilles returning Hector's body.Iliad Summary/Notes/Study Guides, Homeric Questions, Ghost Stories, Heroic Behavior, Quotes. Odysseus Odysseus. Clipart.com Odysseus was the cunning Greek who devised the Trojan Horse; subject of the Odyssey. OdysseusOdyssey XIThe OdysseyOdysseus in the UnderworldHomeric QuestionsHeroic Behavior Odyssey Odyssey The 10-year return voyage taken by Odysseus from the Trojan War to Ithaca. Odyssey Bk XIOdysseyHomeric QuestionsGhost StoriesA Goddess for MenShipwreck SalvageA Goddess for MenQuotes Paris Paris. Clipart.com Paris (aka Alexander) was a Trojan prince who took Helen from Menelaus. A Goddess for MenTale of TroyHomeric QuestionsGreek Tragedy Don't Stop Here! More Names to Know From Greek Legend on the Next Page => Patroclus Achilles and Patroclus. Clipart.com Patroclus was responsible for Achilles' rejoining the battle of the Trojan War, at first by proxy and then for revenge. While Achilles was still refusing to fight for the Greeks, he let his friend Patroclus wear his armor and lead his troops. The Trojans, who thought Patroclus was Achilles, killed him. To avenge the death of Patroclus, Achilles rejoined the battle. Ghost StoriesHomeric Questions Trojan Horse Trojan Horse. Clipart.com The Trojan Horse was a device conjured by Odysseus to get the Greek troops inside the Trojan Walls. The Trojans took the horse as a gift not knowing it was filled with warriors. After the Trojans welcomed the gift into their city, they celebrated what they thought was the departure of the Greeks, but while they slept, the Greeks poured forth from the horse's belly and destroyed Troy. Homeric QuestionsOdyssey Story of the Horse Chiron Centaur. Clipart.com Chiron or Cheiron was the kindly centaur who tutored heroes. Hercules accidentally killed him. JasonErymanthian Boar Pegasus Pegasus. Clipart.com Pegasus is the winged flying horse that sprang from the neck of the Gorgon Medusa Medusa Medusa. Clipart.com Medusa was a dreaded monster with snaky locks the sight of which turned men to stone Continue Reading