STORIES OF

LOVE
AND
ADVENTURE
Venus and Adonis
Characters:
Venus – the goddess of love and beauty
Persephone – the queen of the underworld
Adonis – god of beauty

From the moment Adonis was born, Venus immediately fell in love with him and
declared that he would be hers. She brought him to Persephone to look after him.
However, Persephone, too, fell in love with Adonis and refused to give him back.
Zeus, the king of the gods and goddesses, then decided that Adonis should spend
half a year with each. He would spend the Spring and Summer with Venus, and the
Autumn and Winter with Persephone.

One unfortunate day, Venus happened to not be with him. Adonis hunted a boar and
hurled his spear at it. Regrettably, he was only able to wound the boar. The boar, as
revenge, attacked Adonis. It gored him with its tusks. Hearing his cry of pain, Venus
immediately rushed to him; but she was too late–Adonis was already on the verge of
death.

After he died, a crimson anemone bloomed from where his blood had stained the
Earth.
Minerva and Arachne
Characters:
Minerva – the goddess of wisdom
Arachne – a mortal with excellent skills in weaving

Minerva, the goddess of weaving, was outraged when a mortal,

named Arachne, declared her work to be superior over the
goddess’. Minerva then paid her a visit and challenged her to a
contest. Arachne, of course, accepted.
The outcome of Minerva’s work was undoubtedly marvelous; but
Arachne’s work was not as inferior. In Minerva’s anger, she beat
the girl around her head with her shuttle. Mortified, Arachne
hanged herself.
Minerva took pity in the girl. She resurrected Arachne as a spider
that is forever weaving and hanging on a web.
 Phaeton
Characters:
Phaeton – a young whippersnapper in Egypt. Son of Clymene and the god of
Sun
Helios – Phaeton’s father and the god of Sun
Clymene – Phaeton’s mother

This myth is about Phaeton who bragged to another kid that the Sun god was his
father. The kid named Epaphus did not believe him and said that his mother just
made that story up. Phaeton confronted her mother about it and she told him to
search for his father and ask him the truth himself. When he met Helios, he asked if
he was his father. The Sun god swore by the river Styx that he would give anything
Phaeton asks and he would only do that for his son. Phaeton became convinced and
asked his father to let him drive his Sun chariot. Of course, the Sun god was reluctant
but he had no choice but to comply since he swore by the river Styx.

Since Phaeton was not authorized to ride the chariot, the horses went wild that he had a hard time controlling
them. He set parts of the Earth on fire when it crashed down. The scorched part of Northern Africa caused by this
accident is now known as the Sahara dessert. He eventually died when Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt.
Pegasus and Bellerophon
Characters:
Pegasus – Winged-horse that came from the
blood droplets of Medusa
Bellerophon – son of King Glaucus

Bellerophon, the son of the late King Glaucus, wanted

Pegasus. Since he was peers with the Divide gods and
goddesses, Athena helped him charm Pegasus and he was
successful. Later, Anteia, the wife of King Proetus, fell in love
with Bellerophon but he turned her down. With this, she was
infuriated. She told her husband that Bellerophon had
wronged him. Proetus wanted to kill Bellerophon but he was
a guest, and it is forbidden for them to harm a guest. So, he
asked Bellerophon to go to the king of Lycia in Asia.
Bellerophon went there with Pegasus and was warmly
welcomed by the Lycian king. He was already served by the
Lycian king with hospitality before he learned that Proetus
wanted him dead. Instead, he set him to kill the Chimaera,
which he thought would be the end of him. Unfortunately for
the king, Bellerophon returned victorious. They became friends
later and he allowed Bellerophon to marry his daughter. Alas,
Bellerophon thought he could ride up Pegasus up to the Mount
Olympus where he planned to live his life as an immortal.
The gods, especially Zeus, were angered. Pegasus went against
Bellerophon and threw him off his back before they could even
reach Mount Olympus and Bellerophon died wandering around
with no direction.
Otus and Ephialtes
Characters:
Otus and Ephialtes – gigantic twins of Poseidon
Poseidon – the god of sea
Zeus – the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympians
Artemis – the goddess of moon and hunting
Otus and Ephialtes were twin giants who think that they are more
powerful than the gods and goddesses, that they even challenged
them several times. First is when they kidnapped Ares, the god of war,
who was later freed by Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Next, they
put a mountain over another. Zeus wanted to punish them by striking
a thunderbolt but Poseidon begged him not to. And last is when they
tried to kidnap Artemis who managed to escape. While they were
chasing after her, they saw a beautiful white animal and threw spears
at it.

The animal disappeared and the spears hit the giants instead and they
died. It was after all, Artemis, who took her revenge.
Daedalus and Icarus
Characters:
Daedalus – builder of the labyrinth for King Minos’
son.
Icarus – son of Daedalus
King Minos – the minotaur’s father
Minotaur – the monstrous step-son of Minos;
offspring of Pasiphae and the Cretan Bull.

King Minos ordered Daedalus to create a labyrinth where he hid his beastly
stepson Minotaur. Every seven years, Minos orders fourteen men and women
to enter the labyrinth where they would be eaten by Minotaur. Daedalus
helped a hero, named Theseus, escape and Minos was angered. He locked
both Daedalus and his son, Icarus, in the labyrinth. Daedalus then came up
with an escape plan. With feathers and wax, he created wings for them both.
They flew out of the labyrinth.

Icarus disobeyed his father’s warning about not flying too close to the sun.
The sun melted the waax on his wings and he fell to his death.
 Midas
Characters:
Midas – king of Phrygia
Bacchus – god of wine and fertility
Apollo – god of sun and healing
Whatever Midas touches turns into gold. This started after he welcomed
and served a drunkard into his home. He was rewarded by Bacchus. He told
Midas that whatever he wishes would come true. Midas wished that
whatever he touches will turn to gold. This wish became more of a
punishment when Midas became hungry and thirsty because his food and
drinks also turned to gold. Bacchus told him to wash off in the river Pactolus
if he wanted to lose his gift and he did so.

Later, he was punished by Apollo by giving him asses ears. Midas was
chosen as one of the umpires in a musical competition between Apollo and
Pan. Apollo’s music was unbeatable but he still preferred Pan’s. He was
given the asses ears for his stupidity in judgment.
 Aesculapius
• Characters:
• Aesculapius – son of Apollo
• Apollo – god of Sun and healing
• Coronis – mother of Aesculapius
Apollo was in love with Coronis, who cheated on him with a mortal. Coronis
later on died, and Apollo did what Zeus did with Dionysus. When his son,
Aesculapius was born, he entrusted him over to Chiron. Chiron was known
for his ability to heal, but Aesculapius surpassed him. Aesculapius can heal all
maladies and even bring people back from the dead. Zeus was angered by
this and struck Aesculapius with a thunderbolt and died. Apollo got mad at
his son’s death and went to Cyclopes who can conjure thunderbolts and used
it to kill either the Cyclopes themselves or their son. And Zeus, in return was
angered and punished Apollo to serve King Admetus as a servant.

Even though Aesculapius died, he was honored by mortals. People would still
visit his temple and pray to him.
Glaucus and Scylla
• Characters:
• Glaucus – fisherman
• Scylla – a nymph whom Glaucus fell in love with
• Circe – an enchantress
Glaucus was a fisherman who asked Ocean, the titan god of great river
Okeanos, and Tethys, wife of Ocean and titan goddess of fresh water, to
make him immortal. They and the rivers turned him into a half man and
half fish. One day, he saw Scylla bathing and approached her, but she
turned away from him. He confessed to her but she still ignored him so
Glaucus went to Circe to ask for vial that would make Scylla fall in love
with him. Instead, Circe fell for Glaucus who rejected her. In anger, Circe
conjured a poison and spilled it where Scylla bathes.

When the curse hit Scylla, she turned into a monster in which serpents
and fierce dogs’ heads grew from her body.
Cupid and Psyche
Characters:
Major:
Cupid – (or Eros in Greek) is the god of love and desire. He is
also one of the offsprings of Venus and Mars.
Psyche – the wife of Cupid; and later on, she became the
goddess of soul
Venus – the goddess of love and beauty; as well as the mother
of Cupid.

Minor:
Proserpine – queen of the underworld and wife of Pluto
Zeus – ruler of the Olympians; god of sky and thunder
Zephyr – the west wind
King and father of Psyche
Sisters of Psyche
Oracle of Apollo
Once, there was a king who had three daughters. One of them was named
Psyche, whose extraordinary beauty was greatly adored by everyone. Some even
said that she may even surpass Venus, the goddess of beauty herself.
Soon, Venus found her temples and altars deserted. All the worships and
admiration were transferred to Psyche, a mere mortal. This made the goddess
furious; and she turned to her son, Cupid, for help. “Use your power,” she said,
“and make the hussy fall madly in love with the vilest and most despicable
creature there is in the whole world.”
Cupid went to do as told; but upon gazing at Psyche, he shot his own heart with
one of his arrows. Of course, he did not tell his mother what had happened and
that left Venus thinking that Psyche’s fall would soon come. Apparently, Psyche did
not fall in love at all; nor did anyone fall for her as well. Even her sisters who were
inferior to her were married off to kings, whereas, it seemed that no man wanted
her.
Her father then consulted the oracle of Apollo, who told him that a fearful winged
serpent will marry Psyche. He also told them that they must leave her on a summit of
a rocky hill, where her husband will take her and make her his wife. Her family did as
told; and Psyche, alone, waited on the high hilltop until Zephyr, the west wind,
brought her to a mansion with pillars of gold, walls of silver and floors of precious
stones. Inside the mansion, she could not see anyone else but she could hear voices–
it seemed that all were invisible.
 Later that night, Psyche finally felt her husband. She could not see him, of course, but she
knew that he was no monster, rather, he was the lover she had been longing for. Then one
day, her husband warned her that her sisters will visit the place where she disappeared and
will mourn for her. He also said that she must not let them see her; but Psyche was persistent
which left Cupid with no choice but to say “Do what you will, but you are seeking your own
destruction.”

Her sisters, brought by Zephyr, came the following day. The happy reunion was cut short after
the two got jealous of Psyche’s current life. Their fortune and wealth seemed nothing
compared to Psyche’s. Their envy, which turned to anger, provoked them to plot Psyche’s ruin.

Cupid pleaded Psyche not to let her sisters come again, but she argued that she wanted to
see them. Soon, her wicked sisters arrived. First, they asked her what her husband looked
like, which of course, Psyche was not able to answer as she had not yet seen Cupid. Then
they told her that he was in fact a fearful serpent that will someday devour her. They even
advised Psyche that she should hide a knife and a lamp under her bed; and later when he’s
asleep, she should use the lamp to see what he looks like and later plunge the knife into him.
• After a battle with her thoughts, Psyche came to a decision of doing what
she’s told. While he slept, she lit the lamp and held it high above her. What lay
before her surprised her that she dropped the knife. Her husband was no
serpent, but the fairest man she has ever seen. A hot oil fell from the lamp
and onto his shoulder which woke him up. Angered by Psyche’s faithlessness,
he fled.
• Miserable and desperate, Psyche went on a journey to search for him. Cupid,
on the other hand, had stopped by his mother’s where he was supposed to
get his wound treated. The goddess, however, ignored him after he told what
had happened between him and Psyche. Venus decided to avenge for her son
and make the poor girl pay.

• When Psyche came to Venus to look for him, the goddess laughed scornfully
at her and refused to let her see her son. That is until she came up with a plan
to see the girl suffer. She presented tasks to Psyche, one after another.