In addition to the gods, the main characters of the mythological epic and folklore of many peoples were heroes. Some of them valiantly destroyed monsters, others possessed wisdom and cunning, while others showed extraordinary talents. Most of all heroes were presented to mankind by ancient mythology. Slavic folklore also boasts significant heroic characters.
Antique heroes
The most famous ancient hero is Hercules (Hercules), born of the mortal woman Alkmena from the supreme god Zeus. Due to his semi-divine origin, Hercules was endowed with extraordinary power. Due to the treachery of the jealous wife of Zeus Hera, Hercules was forced to serve Tsar Eurystheus, in the service of which the hero performed his famous 12 feats. After death, Hercules was accepted into the number of gods.
Another hero of ancient myths, with unrivaled courage and strength, is Achilles (Achilles). He was born the sea goddess Thetis from the mortal man Peleus. To make her son invincible, Thetis plunged him into the waters of the sacred river Styx. Only the heel, for which the goddess held little Achilles, remained vulnerable to weapons. The matured Achilles took part in the Trojan War, where he defeated many enemies. The hero was killed by an arrow fired at his heel by the god Apollo, who took the side of the Trojans.
The mythological hero of a completely different kind, who asserted himself not by force and weapon, but by mind and skill, is the talented inventor Daedalus, who studied under the goddess of wisdom Athena. The most famous inventions of Daedalus include a labyrinth, artificial wings, a folding chair in the temple of Athena and a statue of Aphrodite on Delos.
King Ithaca Odysseus (Ulysses) became famous for his intelligence, cunning, resourcefulness and oratory. He was one of the most famous heroes of the Trojan War, which was reflected in Homer's poem "The Iliad." Thanks to the cunning invention of Odysseus - the Trojan horse, the Greeks managed to prevail in the war, which lasted a whole decade. Numerous adventures of the Odyssey, which the hero survived during his return to his homeland after the war, are described in another Homer's poem "The Odyssey."
Slavic heroes
The central hero of ancient Russian myths is the hero Ilya Muromets, who embodied the ideal of a warrior. Until the age of 33, Ilya could not wield arms and legs until he was healed by pilgrim elders. After miraculous healing, Ilya entered the service of Prince Vladimir, where he became famous for his unprecedented strength and great deeds.
The second most popular hero of the Slavic epic after Ilya Muromets is Dobrynya Nikitich, who also served in the service of Prince Vladimir. Dobrynya Nikitich is famous not only for courage and remarkable strength, but also for “vernacular”, that is, courtesy and diplomatic abilities. Often executed the prince’s sensitive personal orders, which turned out to be excessive for other heroes.
The third most important hero in Russian epics is Alyosha Popovich. The hero was distinguished not by physical strength, but by resourcefulness, ingenuity and dexterity. He defeated the evil hero Tugarin Zmeevich. In general, the image of Alyosha is rather controversial and ambivalent, as his jokes sometimes turned out to be not only funny, but also evil. The fellow heroes often condemned Alyosha for excessive boastfulness and cunning.
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