Hamilton #1

When reading the mythology book, examine the hero tales closely (focus on the Greek and Roman heroes). What do these tales have in common?

In Mythology, all of the hero tales have similar themes, if not always identical story lines. One theme that occurs over and over is that the heroes rarely accomplish their great deeds without the aid of the gods. The only way Perseus succeeded in his quest for Medusa's head was with extensive help from both Hermes and Athena. Odysseus was only released from Calypso's island with a mandate from Zeus, and the rest of his travels were aided by the likes of Ino, Athena, Hermes, and several others. Even the mighty Hercules, equal to the gods in many ways, was helped by Athena to drive away the Stymphalian birds. This common thread shows up in almost every heroic tale in Greek and Roman mythology.