Achilles - He was the son of Peleus and Thetis. After Achilles was born, Thetis dipped him in the river Styx to protect him from all harm, but his heel was not touched by the water and left it unprotected. In the Trojan war, Achilles was shot in the heel and killed.

Charon - He was the son of Erebus and Nyx. He was the old boatman of the underworld. He sent the spirits of the dead across the rivers of the underworld. Greeks were buried with a coin in their mouths as a payment to Charon.

Daedalus - He was a skilled craftsman and inventor. He helped Minos daughter elope with Theseus. Minos punished him by imprisoning him and his son Icharus in the Labyrinth. He made two pairs of wings from feathers, wax and thread. He and Icharus flew from the Labyrinth, but Icharus flew too close to the sun and his wings melted. He plunged into the sea and died.

Helen of Troy - She was the daughter of Zeus and Leda. She was the most beautiful woman in the world and the cause of the Trojan War. Some picture her as a deceitful woman and others as an inoccent victim of her own beauty.

Hercules - He was the son of Alcmene and Zeus. Hera, who hated him, caused him to kill his wife and children. Because of these murders, he had to complete twelve labors. After he completed these labors, he was called one of the greatest heroes in mythology.

Hygeia - He was the son of Asclepius, and the word hygiene comes from his name.

Jason - He was the son of Aeson, and a hero in Greek mythology. He led a group of about fifty men called the Argonauts. Their capture of the Golden Fleece, the wool of a golden ram, is one of the most exciting adventures in mythology.

Midas - He was the King of Phrygia. Dionysis gave Midas the power to turn everything he touched into gold. At first this pleased Midas, but then it became a curse. He prayed to Dionysis to help him. He told him to bathe in the river Pactolus. Once he did this the magic touch left him, but the sands of the river turned to gold.

Minos - He was the King of Crete. He built the Labyrinth, and placed the Minotaur in it. He conquered much of Greece, and forced the Grecians to send fourteen young men and women to be put in the Labyrinth yearly.

Nymphs - They were lovely maidens of Greece who guarded different parts of nature. They were shy at times but were also passionate lovers. They were mainly friendly to mortals but punished people who offended them.

Perseus - He was the son of Zeus and Danae. With the help of Athena, he beheaded Medusa while looking at her reflection in his shield (he couldn't look at Medusa directly because her ugliness turned people to stone).

Romulus and Remus - They were twin brothers that found the city of Rome. While building the city, the brothers got in a fight and Remus was killed. Romulus became the first ruler of Rome, and after reigning 38 years disappeared and became the god Quirinius.

Sirens - They were sea nymphs that lived on an island. Their sweet singing lured sailors to crash into their rocky island. They were pictured as women with birds legs and wings.

Odysseus - He was the main character in the epic Odyssey. The Odyssey tells of Odysseus' journey home from fighting in the Trojan war.

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