Great Greek Myths

To earn the title of Master of Olympus, Zeus took many important steps, and overcame many challenges. His story is one of an incredible conquest of power, dating back to time immemorial, when the world began. Born from Chaos, Gaia - Mother Earth - mated with Uranus, the sky.

His first wife was Metis. His second, who was known as his wife on Olympus, was the jealous Hera. But there was also Themis, the goddess of Justice, with whom he produced the Hours, the Fates and the Mnemosyne - meaning "memory" - who gave birth to nine Muses. In order to achieve his aims, Zeus metamorphosed. He was an expert at changing shape and form.

Taking revenge against Prometheus, Zeus created the first woman - the beautiful Pandora. He gave her a manipulative and deceptive character, and subjected Prometheus to terrible torture. But although Zeus and Prometheus both shared a shrewd and cunning nature, they clashed fiercely. Prometheus wanted to be of help to mankind, and managed to convince Zeus to give them fire.

Paris gives the apple to Aphrodite who, in exchange, promises that he will have the love of the fairest mortal woman of them all. A few days later, Paris is invited to the house of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, where he falls in love with the king's wife, Helen. The two of them run away back to Troy under Aphrodite's spell. Filled with rage, Menelaus goes to see his brother, Agamemnon, the most powerful of all the Greek kings. At first, he is tempted to be wise and prudent, but then he is manipulated by Hera and Athena, who still harbour a grudge against Paris for not choosing them. Agamemnon finally summons all the kings of Greece to go and wage war on Troy.

It is Achilles' mother, the sea nymph Thetis, who inadvertently causes him to change his mind. She tells him that his fate lies in his hands. He can fight and become a hero who will be remembered forever but die young, or he can live a long life, surrounded by his loved ones, and be consigned to oblivion. Achilles does not hesitate and goes off to join the Greek forces. Meanwhile, the seer Calchas reveals that, offended by Agamemnon, the goddess Artemis is preventing ships from leaving port. Agamemnon agrees to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia so he can assemble the largest fleet ever in order to attack Troy.

But Paris loves Helen and will hear nothing of it. In the Greek camp, a mysterious plague has been raging for several days. Calchas the seer tells the assembled kings that Apollo sent it as revenge for Agamemnon enslaving the beautiful Chryseis, the daughter of a priest who complained to the god. Achilles demands that Agamemnon return the girl to her father. Agamemnon finally accepts but says that Achilles must give him his protégée, Briseis, as compensation. Seething with rage, Achilles swears that he will fight no more and goes into isolation. His mother, Thetis, goes to Zeus and asks him to defend Achilles. Remembering who he once loved, the mighty Olympian god decides to take the side of the Trojans and sends a dream to Agamemnon to set a trap for him.