Read the myth of 5 centuries in brief. Five centuries

The second human race and the second century were no longer as happy as the first. It was the Silver Age. The people of the Silver Age were not equal in strength or intelligence to the people of the Golden Age. For a hundred years they grew up foolish in the houses of their mothers, only when they matured did they leave them. Their life in adulthood was short, and since they were unreasonable, they saw many misfortunes and grief in life. The people of the Silver Age were rebellious. They did not obey the immortal gods and did not want to burn sacrifices for them on the altars; the Great Son of Cronos Zeus destroyed their family on earth. He was angry with them because they did not obey the gods living on bright Olympus. Zeus settled them in the underground dark kingdom. There they live, knowing neither joy nor sorrow; people also pay homage to them.

Father Zeus created the third generation and the third age - the Copper Age. It doesn't look like silver. From the shaft of the spear Zeus created people - terrible and powerful. The people of the Copper Age loved pride and war, abundant in groans. They did not know agriculture and did not eat the fruits of the earth that gardens and arable land provide. Zeus gave them enormous growth and indestructible strength. Their hearts were indomitable and courageous and their hands irresistible. Their weapons were forged from copper, their houses were made of copper, and they worked with copper tools. They didn’t know dark iron back in those days. The people of the Copper Age destroyed each other with their own hands. They quickly descended into the dark kingdom of the terrible Hades. No matter how strong they were, yet the black death kidnapped them, and they left the clear light of the sun.

As soon as this race descended into the kingdom of shadows, the great Zeus immediately created on the earth that feeds everyone the fourth century and a new human race, a nobler, more just race of demigod heroes equal to the gods. And they all died in evil wars and terrible bloody battles. Some died at the seven-gate Thebes, in the country of Cadmus, fighting for the legacy of Oedipus. Others fell at Troy, where they came for the beautiful-haired Helen, and sailed across the wide sea in ships. When death snatched them all away, Zeus the Thunderer settled them on the edge of the earth, far from living people. The demigod-heroes live a happy, carefree life on the islands of the blessed near the stormy waters of the Ocean. There, the fertile land gives them fruits three times a year, sweet as honey.

The last, fifth century and the human race is iron. It continues now on earth. Night and day, without ceasing, sorrow and exhausting work destroy people. The gods send people difficult worries. True, gods and good are mixed with evil, but still there is more evil, it reigns everywhere. Children do not honor their parents; a friend is not faithful to a friend; the guest does not find hospitality; there is no love between brothers. People do not observe this oath, they do not value truth and goodness. They are destroying each other's cities. Violence reigns everywhere. Only pride and strength are valued. The goddesses Conscience and Justice left people. In their white robes they flew up to high Olympus to the immortal gods, but people were left with only grave troubles, and they had no protection from evil.

The poet Hesiod tells how the Greeks of his time looked at the origin of man and the change of centuries. In ancient times everything was better, but life on earth was constantly getting worse, and life was worst of all during the time of Hesiod. This is understandable for Hesiod, a representative of the peasantry and small landowners. During the time of Hesiod, class stratification deepened and the exploitation of the poor by the rich intensified, so the poor peasantry really lived poorly under the yoke of rich large landowners. Of course, even after Hesiod, the life of the poor in Greece did not get any better; they were still exploited by the rich.

Based on Hesiod's poem "Works and Days".

The immortal gods living on bright Olympus created the first human race happy; it was a golden age. God Kron ruled then in heaven. Like blessed gods, people lived in those days, knowing neither care, nor labor, nor sadness. They also did not know frail old age; Their legs and arms were always strong and strong. Their painless and happy life was an eternal feast. Death, which came after their long life, was like a calm, quiet sleep. During their lifetime they had everything in abundance. The land itself gave them rich fruits, and they did not have to waste labor on cultivating fields and gardens. Their herds were numerous, and they grazed calmly on rich pastures. The people of the golden age lived serenely. The gods themselves came to them for advice. But the golden age on earth ended, and none of the people of this generation remained. After death, people of the golden age became spirits, patrons of people of new generations. Shrouded in fog, they rush across the earth, defending truth and punishing evil. This is how Zeus rewarded them after their death.
The second human race and the second century were no longer as happy as the first. It was the Silver Age. The people of the Silver Age were not equal in strength or intelligence to the people of the Golden Age. For a hundred years they grew up foolish in the houses of their mothers, only when they matured did they leave them. Their life in adulthood was short, and since they were unreasonable, they saw many misfortunes and grief in life. The people of the Silver Age were rebellious. They did not obey the immortal gods and did not want to burn sacrifices for them on the altars; the Great Son of Cronos Zeus destroyed their family on earth. He was angry with them because they did not obey the gods living on bright Olympus. Zeus settled them in the underground dark kingdom. There they live, knowing neither joy nor sorrow; people also pay homage to them.
Father Zeus created the third generation and the third age - the Copper Age. It doesn't look like silver. From the shaft of the spear Zeus created people - terrible and powerful. The people of the Copper Age loved pride and war, abundant in groans. They did not know agriculture and did not eat the fruits of the earth that gardens and arable land provide. Zeus gave them enormous growth and indestructible strength. Their hearts were indomitable and courageous and their hands irresistible. Their weapons were forged from copper, their houses were made of copper, and they worked with copper tools. They didn’t know dark iron back in those days. The people of the Copper Age destroyed each other with their own hands. They quickly descended into the dark kingdom of the terrible Hades. No matter how strong they were, yet the black death kidnapped them, and they left the clear light of the sun.
As soon as this race descended into the kingdom of shadows, the great Zeus immediately created on the earth that feeds everyone the fourth century and a new human race, a nobler, more just race of demigod heroes equal to the gods. And they all died in evil wars and terrible bloody battles. Some died at the seven-gate Thebes, in the country of Cadmus, fighting for the legacy of Oedipus. Others fell at Troy, where they came for the beautiful-haired Helen, and sailed across the wide sea in ships. When death snatched them all away, Zeus the Thunderer settled them on the edge of the earth, far from living people. The demigod-heroes live a happy, carefree life on the islands of the blessed near the stormy waters of the Ocean. There, the fertile land gives them fruits three times a year, sweet as honey.
The last, fifth century and the human race is iron. It continues now on earth. Night and day, without ceasing, sorrow and exhausting work destroy people. The gods send people difficult worries. True, gods and good are mixed with evil, but still there is more evil, it reigns everywhere. Children do not honor their parents; a friend is not faithful to a friend; the guest does not find hospitality; there is no love between brothers. People do not observe this oath, they do not value truth and goodness. They are destroying each other's cities. Violence reigns everywhere. Only pride and strength are valued. The goddesses Conscience and Justice left people. In their white robes they flew up to high Olympus to the immortal gods, but people were left with only grave troubles, and they had no protection from evil.

The last, fifth century and the human race is iron. It continues even now on earth. Night and day, without ceasing, sorrow and exhausting work destroy people. The gods send people difficult worries. True, gods and good are mixed with evil, but still there is more evil, it reigns everywhere. Children do not honor their parents; a friend is not faithful to a friend; the guest does not find hospitality; there is no love between brothers. People do not observe this oath, they do not value truth and goodness. People destroy each other's cities. Violence reigns everywhere. Only pride and strength are valued.
The goddesses Conscience and Justice left people. In their white robes they flew up to high Olympus to the immortal gods, but people were left with only grave troubles, and they had no protection from evil.

Listen, my dear boy, listen, listen, understand, because it happened, because it happened, because it was back in that distant time when Tame Animals were Wild Animals.
The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild - and they were all wild and wild and wandered wildly through the Wet and Wild Woods.
But the wildest was the Wild Cat - she wandered wherever she pleased and walked on her own.
The man, of course, was also wild, terribly wild, terribly wild. And he would never have become tame if not for the Woman. It was she who announced to him - at the very first meeting - that she did not like his wild life. She quickly found him a cozy, dry Cave to live in, because sleeping in the Cave was much better than lying in the open air on a pile of damp leaves. She sprinkled clean sand on the floor and built an excellent fire in the depths of the Cave.
Then she hung the skin of a Wild Horse at the entrance to the Cave, tail down, and said to the Man:
- Wipe your feet, dear, before entering: after all, now we have a household.
That evening, my dear boy, they dined on wild sheep, roasted on hot stones, seasoned with wild garlic and wild pepper. Then they ate wild duck stuffed with wild rice, wild apples and wild cloves; then cartilages of wild bulls; then wild cherries and wild pomegranates.
Then the Man, very happy, went and fell asleep by the fire, and the Woman sat down to cast a spell: she let her hair down, took a lamb shoulder bone, very flat and very smooth, and began to peer closely at the stains running along the bone. Then she threw logs on the fire and began to sing. This was the World's First Witchcraft, the First Magic Song.
And all the Wild Beasts gathered in the Wet and Wild Forest; They huddled together in one herd and, looking at the light of the fire, did not know what it was.
But then Wild Horse stamped his wild foot and said wildly:
- Oh my friends! O my Enemies! My heart feels: a Man and a Woman have lit a big fire in the big Cave for no good. No, this is not good!
Wild Dog lifted his wild nose, sniffed the smell of roast lamb and said wildly:
- I’ll go have a look, and then I’ll tell you. I don't think it's that bad there. Cat, come with me!
“Well, no,” answered the Cat. “I, the Cat, go wherever I please and walk on my own.”
“Well, then I’m not your comrade,” said the Wild Dog and ran to the Cave at full speed.
But he had not even run ten steps, and the Cat was already thinking: “I, the Cat, walk wherever I please and walk on my own. Why don't I go there and see how and what? After all, I will go of my own free will.”
And she quietly ran after the Dog, stepping very softly, and climbed into a place where she could hear absolutely everything.
When the Wild Dog approached the Cave, he lifted the horse's skin with his wild nose and began to revel in the wonderful smell of roast lamb, and the Woman who was conjuring the bone heard a rustling sound and said, laughing:
- The first one has already arrived. You, Wild Thing from the Wild Forest, what do you want here?
And the Wild Dog answered:
- Tell me, O my Enemy, the Wife of my Enemy, what smells so tender among these Wild Woods?
And the Woman bent down and picked up a bone from the floor, and threw it to the Wild Dog, and said:
- You, Wild Thing from the Wild Forest, taste, gnaw this bone.
The Wild Dog took this bone in his wild teeth, and it turned out to be tastier than anything he had gnawed until then, and he turned to the Woman with these words:
- Listen, O my Enemy, Wife of my Enemy, quickly throw me another bone like this.
And the Woman answered him:
- You, Wild Thing from the Wild Forest, come help my Man go after prey, guard this Cave at night, and I will give you as many bones as you need.
“Ah,” said the Cat, listening to their conversation, “this is a very smart Woman, although, of course, not smarter than me.”
The Wild Dog climbed into the Cave, laid his head on the Woman’s lap and said:
- Oh my Friend, my Friend's Wife, okay. I am ready to help your Man hunt, I will guard your Cave at night.
“Oh,” said the Cat, listening to their conversation, “what a fool this Dog is!”
And she walked away, making her way through the Wild Forest and waving her wild tail wildly. But she didn’t say a word to anyone about everything she saw.
Waking up, the Man asked:
-What is Wild Dog doing here?
And the Woman answered:
“His name is no longer Wild Dog, but First Friend, and he will be our friend forever and ever.” When you go hunting, take it with you.
The next evening, the Woman cut a large armful of grass from the water meadows and laid it out to dry by the fire, and when the grass smelled like freshly mown hay, she sat down at the entrance to the Cave, made a bridle out of horse skin and, staring at the shoulder bone of a mutton - on a wide, large shoulder blade, - she began to cast magic again and sang a magic song.
That was the Second Witchcraft and the Second Magic Song.
And again all the Wild Beasts gathered in the Wild Forest and, looking at the fire from afar, they talked about what could have happened to the Wild Dog. And so Wild Horse stamped his foot wildly and said:
“I’ll go and have a look, and then I’ll tell you why the Wild Dog hasn’t returned.” Cat, do you want us to go together?
“No,” answered the Cat, “I, the Cat, wander wherever I please and walk on my own.” Go alone.
But in fact, she quietly sneaked behind the Wild Horse, stepping very softly, and climbed into a place where absolutely everything could be heard.
The Woman heard the horse's tramp, heard the Wild Horse making its way towards her, stepping on its long mane, laughed and said:
- And here comes the second one! You, Wild Thing from the Wild Forest, what do you want here?
Wild Horse replied:
- You, my Enemy, the Wife of my Enemy, answer me quickly, where is the Wild Dog?
The woman laughed, picked up a lamb shoulder from the floor, looked at it and said:
- You, Wild Thing from the Wild Forest, did not come here for the Dog, but for the hay, for this tasty grass.
Wild Horse, moving his legs and stepping on his long mane, said:
- This is true. Give me some hay!
The woman answered:
- You, Wild Thing from the Wild Forest, bow your wild head and wear what I will put on you - wear it without taking it off forever and ever, and three times a day you will eat this wondrous herb.
“Ah,” said the Cat, listening to their conversation. “This Woman is very smart, but, of course, not smarter than me.”
And the Wild Horse bent his wild head, and the Woman threw a newly woven bridle over it, and he breathed his wild breath right on the Woman’s feet and said:
- O my Lady, O Wife of my Master, for this wonderful herb I will be your eternal slave!
“Oh,” said the Cat, listening to their conversation, “what a fool he is, this Horse!”
And again she rushed into the thicket of the Wild Forest, wildly waving her wild tail. But she didn’t say a word to anyone about everything she heard.
When the Dog and the Man returned from hunting, the Man said:
- What is Wild Horse doing here?
And the Woman answered:
- His name is no longer Wild Horse, but First Servant, since he will carry us from place to place forever and ever. When you get ready to hunt, mount him.
The next day the Cow approached the Cave. She, too, was wild and had to lift her wild head high so as not to get her wild horns caught in wild trees. The cat crept after her and hid in the same way as before; and everything happened exactly the same as before; and the Cat said the same as before; and when the Wild Cow promised the woman her milk in exchange for the fine grass, the Cat rushed into the Wild Forest and wildly waved her wild tail, again exactly as before.
And I didn’t say a word to anyone about everything I heard.
And when the Dog, the Man and the Horse returned from the hunt and the Man asked in the same way as before what the Wild Cow was doing here, the Woman answered in the same way as before:
- Now her name is not Wild Cow, but Giver of Good Food. She will give us white fresh milk forever and ever, and I am ready to follow her while you, our First Friend and our First Servant, are hunting in the forest.
In vain did the Cat wait all day for any more of the Wild Beasts to come to the Cave: no one else came from the Wet Wild Forest. So the Cat inevitably had to wander alone, on her own. And then she saw a Woman sitting and milking a Cow. And she saw a light in the Cave and smelled the smell of white fresh milk. And she said to the Woman:
- You, my Enemy, the Wife of my Enemy! Tell me: have you seen the Cow?

- You, Wild Thing from the Wild Forest, go to the Forest in good time! I don't need any more servants or friends. I have already braided my braid and hidden the magic bone.
And the Wild Cat answered:
- I am not a friend or a servant. I, Cat, go wherever I please and walk on my own, and so I decided to come to you in the Cave.
And the Woman asked her:
- Why didn’t you come with your First Friend on the first evening?
The cat got angry and said:
- Wild Dog must have already told you some tall tales about me!
The woman laughed and said:
- You, Cat, walk on your own and go wherever you want. You yourself say that you are neither a servant nor a friend. Go from here on your own, wherever you please!
The cat pretended to be offended and said:
“Can’t I sometimes come to your Cave and warm myself by the hot fire?” And will you never let me enjoy white fresh milk? You are so smart, you are so beautiful - no, even though I am a Cat, you will not be cruel to me.
The woman said:
“I know that I’m smart, but I didn’t know that I’m beautiful.” Let's make a deal. If I praise you even once, you can enter the Cave.
- What if you praise me twice? - asked the Cat.
“Well, that won’t happen,” said the Woman. - But if this happens, come in and sit by the fire.
- What if you praise me three times? - asked the Cat.
“Well, that won’t happen,” said the Woman. - But if this happens, come and get milk three times a day until the end of time!
The cat arched her back and said:
- You, the Curtain at the entrance to the Cave, and you, the Fire in the depths of the Cave, and you, the Milk Pots standing by the Fire, I take you as a witness: remember what my Enemy, the Wife of my Enemy, said!
And, turning, she went off into the Wild Forest, wildly waving her wild tail.
When the Dog, the Man and the Horse returned from hunting to the Cave that evening, the Woman did not say a word to them about her agreement with the Cat, because she was afraid that they would not like it.
The cat went far, far away and hid in the Wild Forest for so long that the Woman forgot to think about her. Only the Bat, hanging upside down at the entrance to the Cave, knew where the Cat was hiding, and every evening it flew up to that place and told the Cat all the news.
One evening she flies to the Cat and says:
- And in the Cave there is a Baby! He's completely, completely new. So pink, thick and tiny. And the Woman really likes him.
“Great,” said the Cat. - What does the Baby like?
“Soft and smooth,” answered the Bat. “When he goes to bed, he takes something warm in his hands and falls asleep.” Then he likes to be played with. That's all he likes.
“Great,” said the Cat. - If so, then my time has come.
The next evening, the Cat made its way into the Cave through the Wild Forest and sat nearby until the morning. In the morning, the Dog, the Man and the Horse went hunting, and the Woman started cooking. The child cried and pulled her away from her work. She took him out of the Cave and gave him pebbles to play with, but he did not let up.
Then the Cat extended her soft paw and stroked the Child’s cheek, and purred, and went to rub against his knee, and tickled his chin with her tail. The child laughed, and the Woman, hearing his laughter, smiled.

Then the Bat exclaimed - the little Bat hanging upside down at the entrance to the Cave:
- O my Mistress, the Wife of my Master, the Mother of the Master's Son! A Wild Thing has come from the Wild Forest, and how nicely she plays with your Child!
“Thank you to the Wild Thing,” said the Woman, straightening her back. “I have so much work to do, and she did me a great service.”
And so, dear boy, before she had time to say it, at the same minute and at the same second - bang! bang! - the horse skin, hanging tail down at the entrance to the Cave, falls (she remembered that the Woman and the Cat had an agreement), and before the Woman had time to pick it up, the Cat was already sitting in the Cave, sat down more comfortably and was sitting.
“You, my Enemy, you, the Wife of my Enemy, you, the Mother of my Enemy,” said the Cat, “look: I’m here.” You praised me - and here I am, sitting in the Cave forever and ever. But remember: I, Cat, go wherever I please and walk on my own.
The woman was very angry, but she bit her tongue and sat down at the spinning wheel to spin.
But the Child cried again, because the Cat left him; and the Woman could not calm him down: he fought, kicked and turned blue from screaming.
“You, my Enemy, you, the Wife of my Enemy, you, the Mother of my Enemy,” said the Cat, “listen to what I tell you: take a piece of thread from the one you are spinning, tie your spindle to it, and I will
I’ll conjure a spell for you so that the Child will laugh this very minute and will laugh as loudly as he is crying now.
“Okay,” said the Woman. - I've already completely lost my head. But remember: I won’t thank you.
She tied a clay spindle to a thread and pulled it along the floor, and the Cat ran after it, and grabbed it, and tumbled, and threw it onto her back, and caught it with her hind paws, and deliberately let it go, and then rushed after him, - and so the Child laughed even louder than he had cried; he crawled after the Cat throughout the Cave and frolicked until he was tired. Then he dozed off with the Cat, without letting go of her arms.
“And now,” said the Cat, “I’ll sing him a song and lull him to sleep for an hour.”
And as she began to purr, now louder, now quieter, now quieter, now louder, the child fell into a deep sleep. The woman looked at them and said with a smile:
- It was a good job! Whatever it is, you are still smart, Cat.
Before she could finish speaking - pfft! - the smoke from the Fire swirled in clouds in the Cave: he remembered that the Woman and the Cat had an agreement. And when the smoke cleared, lo and behold, the Cat was sitting by the fire, sat down comfortably and sat.
“You, my Enemy, you, the Wife of my Enemy, you, the Mother of my Enemy,” said the Cat, “look: I’m here.” You praised me again, and here I am, by the warm hearth, and from here I will not leave forever and ever. But remember: I, Cat, go wherever I please and walk by myself.
The woman got angry again, let down her hair, added more wood to the fire, took out a lamb bone and went to cast a spell again, so as not to accidentally praise this Cat for the third time.
But, dear boy, she cast a spell without a sound, without a song, and then the Cave became so quiet that some Tiny Mouse jumped out of the corner and quietly ran across the floor.
“You, my Enemy, you, the Wife of my Enemy, you, the Mother of my Enemy,” said the Cat, “did you call the Mouse with your witchcraft?”
- Ah ah ah! No! - the Woman shouted, dropped the bone, jumped up on a stool that stood by the fire, and quickly picked up her hair so that the Mouse would not run up on it.
“Well, if you haven’t bewitched it,” said the Cat, “it won’t hurt me to eat it!”
- Of course of course! - said the Woman, braiding her hair. - Eat it quickly, and I will forever be grateful to you.
In one jump the Cat caught the Mouse, and the Woman exclaimed from her heart:
- Thank you a thousand times! The First Friend himself does not catch Mice as quickly as you. You must be very smart.
Before she had time to finish speaking, fuck! - at the same minute and at the same second, the Krynka with milk, standing by the fireplace, cracked - it cracked in half, because she remembered what kind of agreement the Woman and the Cat had. And before the Woman had time to leave the bench, lo and behold, the Cat was already lapping up white fresh milk from one shard of this Krynka.
“You, my Enemy, you, the Wife of my Enemy, you, the Mother of my Enemy,” said the Cat, “look: I’m here.” For the third time you praised me: give me more white fresh milk three times a day - forever and ever. But remember: I, Cat, go wherever I please and walk on my own.
And the Woman laughed, and, putting down a bowl of white fresh milk, said:
- Oh Cat! You are as reasonable as a person, but remember: our agreement was concluded when neither the Dog nor the Man was at home; I don’t know what they will say when they return home.
- What do I care about this! - said the Cat. “I only need a place in the Cave and three times a day a lot of white fresh milk, and I will be very pleased.” No Dogs, no Men touch me.
That same evening, when the Dog and the Man returned from hunting to the Cave, the Woman told them everything as it was about her agreement with the Cat, and the Cat sat by the fire and smiled very pleasantly.
And the Man said:
- All this is good, but it wouldn’t be bad for her to conclude an agreement with me. Through me she will conclude it with all the Men who will come after me.
He took a pair of boots, took a flint ax (three items in total), brought a log and a small ax (five in total) from the yard, put them all in a row and said:
- Come on, we’ll make an agreement. You live in the Cave forever and ever, but if you forget to catch Mice, look at these objects: there are five of them, and I have the right to throw any of them at you, and all the Men will do the same after me.
The woman heard this and said to herself: “Yes, the Cat is smart, but the Man is smarter.”
The cat counted all the things - they were quite heavy - and said:
- OK! I will catch Mice forever and ever, but still I am a Cat, I go wherever I please and walk on my own.
“Go for a walk, go for a walk,” the Man responded, “but not where I am.” If you catch my eye, I will immediately throw either a boot or a log at you, and all the Men who will come after me will do the same.
Then the Dog stepped forward and said:
- Wait a minute. Now it's my turn to conclude the contract. And through me, an agreement will be concluded with all the other Dogs who will live after me.” He bared his teeth and showed them to the Cat. “If, while I’m in the Cave, you are unkind to the Child,” he continued, “I will chase after you until I catch you, and when I catch you, I will bite you. And so will all the Dogs who will live after me forever and ever.
The Woman heard this and said to herself: “Yes, this Cat is smart, but not smarter than the Dog.”
The cat counted the dog's teeth, and they seemed very sharp to her. She said:
- Okay, while I’m in the Cave, I’ll be affectionate with the Child, unless the Child starts pulling my tail too painfully. But don’t forget: I, Cat, go wherever I please and walk on my own.
“Go for a walk, go for a walk,” responded the Dog, “but not where I am.” Otherwise, as soon as I meet you, I will immediately bark, fly at you and drive you up a tree. And all the Dogs who will live after me will do this.
And immediately, without wasting a minute, the Man threw two boots and a flint hatchet at the Cat, and the Cat rushed out of the Cave, and the Dog chased after her and drove her up a tree - and from that very day, my boy, to this day three of the five Men - if they are real Men - throw various objects at the Cat, wherever it catches their eye, and all the Dogs - if they are real Dogs - each and every one of them drive it up a tree. But the Cat is also faithful to her agreement. While she is in the house, she catches mice and is affectionate with children, unless the children pull her tail too painfully. But as soon as she gets a moment, as soon as night falls and the moon rises, she immediately says: “I, the Cat, go where I please and walk on my own,” and runs into the thicket of the Wild Forest, or climbs onto wet Wild Trees, or climbs onto wet Wild Roofs and wildly waving his wild tail.

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Cadmus in Greek mythology is the son of the Phoenician king Agenor, the founder of Thebes (in Boeotia). Sent by his father along with his other brothers to search for Europe, Cadmus, after long failures in Thrace, turned to the Delphic oracle of Apollo...

In Greek mythology, Hercules is the greatest hero, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon. In the absence of her husband, who at that time was fighting against the tribes of TV fighters, Zeus, attracted by the beauty of Alcmene, appeared to her, taking on the image of Amphitryon. Their wedding night lasted three nights in a row...

The founder of great Athens and its Acropolis was the earth-born Cecrops. The earth gave birth to him as a half-man, half-snake. His body ended in a huge snake tail. Kekrop founded Athens in Attica at a time when the shaker of the earth, the god of the sea Poseidon, and the warrior goddess Athena, the beloved daughter of Zeus, argued for power over the entire country...

Cephalus was the son of the god Hermes and the daughter of Cecrops, Chersa. Far throughout Greece, Cephalus was famous for his wondrous beauty, and he was also famous as a tireless hunter. Early, even before sunrise, he left his palace and his young wife Procris and went hunting in the mountains of Hymet. One day the rose-fingered goddess of the dawn Eos saw the beautiful Cephalus...

The king of Athens, Pandion, a descendant of Erichthonius, waged war against the barbarians who besieged his city. It would have been difficult for him to defend Athens from a large barbarian army if the king of Thrace, Tereus, had not come to his aid. He defeated the barbarians and drove them out of Attica. As a reward for this, Pandion gave Tereus his daughter Procne as his wife...

Grozen Boreas, god of the indomitable, stormy north wind. He rushes frantically over the lands and seas, causing all-crushing storms with his flight. One day Boreas, flying over Attica, saw the daughter of Erechtheus Orithia and fell in love with her. Boreas begged Orithia to become his wife and allow him to take her with him to his kingdom in the far north. Orithia did not agree...

The greatest artist, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus, a descendant of Erechtheus. It was said about him that he carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed alive; the statues of Daedalus seemed to be looking and moving. Daedalus invented many tools for his work; he invented the ax and the drill. The fame of Daedalus spread far...

National Hero of Athens; son of Ephra, princess of Troezen, and Aegeus or (and) Poseidon. It was believed that Theseus was a contemporary of Hercules and some of their exploits were similar. Theseus was raised in Troezen; when he grew up, Efra ordered him to move the rock, under which he found a sword and sandals...

Meleager is the son of the Calydonian king Oeneus and Althea, a participant in the Argonauts' campaign and the Calydonian hunt. When Meleager was seven days old, a prophetess appeared to Althea, threw a log into the fire and predicted to her that her son would die as soon as the log burned out. Althea snatched the log from the flame, extinguished it and hid it...

The deer took refuge in the shade from the midday heat and lay down in the bushes. By chance, Cypress was hunting where the deer lay. He did not recognize his favorite deer, since it was covered by foliage, so he threw a sharp spear at it and struck it to death. Cypress was horrified when he saw that he had killed his pet...

The great singer Orpheus, the son of the river god Eager and the muse Calliope, lived in distant Thrace. Orpheus' wife was the beautiful nymph Eurydice. The singer Orpheus loved her dearly. But Orpheus did not enjoy a happy life with his wife for long...

Beautiful, equal to the Olympian gods themselves in his beauty, the young son of the king of Sparta, Hyacinth, was a friend of the arrow god Apollo. Apollo often appeared on the banks of the Eurotas in Sparta to visit his friend and spent time there with him, hunting along the mountain slopes in densely overgrown forests or having fun with gymnastics, in which the Spartans were so skilled...

The beautiful Nereid Galatea loved the son of Simefida, young Akidas, and Akidas loved the Nereid. Akid was not the only one captivated by Galatea. The huge cyclops Polyphemus once saw the beautiful Galatea, when she was swimming out of the waves of the azure sea, shining with her beauty, and he was inflamed with frantic love for her...

The wife of the king of Sparta Tyndareus was the beautiful Leda, the daughter of the king of Aetolia, Thestia. Throughout Greece, Leda was famous for its marvelous beauty. Leda became the wife of Zeus, and she had two children from him: the daughter Helen, beautiful as a goddess, and the son, the great hero Polydeuces. Leda also had two children from Tyndareus: daughter Clytemnestra and son Castor...

The sons of the great hero Pelops were Atreus and Thyestes. Pelops was once cursed by the charioteer of King Oenomaus, Myrtilus, who was treacherously killed by Pelops, and with his curse doomed the entire family of Pelops to great atrocities and death. The curse of Myrtil weighed heavily on both Atreus and Thyestes. They committed a number of atrocities...

Esak was the son of the king of Troy, Priam, brother of the great hero Hector. He was born on the slopes of wooded Ida, by the beautiful nymph Alexiroe, daughter of the river god Granik. Having grown up in the mountains, Esak did not like cities and avoided living in the luxurious palace of his father Priam. He loved the solitude of mountains and shady forests, loved the open space of fields...

This amazing story happened with the Phrygian king Midas. Midas was very rich. Wonderful gardens surrounded his luxurious palace, and in the gardens grew thousands of the most beautiful roses - white, red, pink, purple. Midas once loved his gardens very much and even grew roses in them himself. This was his favorite pastime. But people change over the years - King Midas also changed...

Pyramus, the most beautiful of youths, and Thisbe, the most beautiful of maidens of the eastern countries, lived in the Babylonian city of Semiramis, in two neighboring houses. From early youth they knew and loved each other, and their love grew year by year. They already wanted to get married, but their fathers forbade them - they could not, however, forbid them to love each other...

In one deep valley of Lycia there is a light-water lake. In the middle of the lake there is an island, and on the island there is an altar, all covered with the ashes of the victims burned on it and overgrown with reeds. The altar is dedicated not to the naiads of the lake waters and not to the nymphs of the neighboring fields, but to Latona. The goddess, the favorite of Zeus, has just given birth to her twins, Apollo and Artemis...

Once upon a time, the father of the gods Zeus and his son Hermes arrived at this place. Both of them took on human form with the intention of experiencing the hospitality of the inhabitants. They went around a thousand houses, knocking on doors and asking for shelter, but were rejected everywhere. In only one house did they not close the doors to the aliens...

God Kron ruled then in heaven. Like blessed gods, people lived in those days, knowing neither care, nor labor, nor sadness. They also did not know frail old age; Their legs and arms were always strong and strong.

Their painless and happy life was an eternal feast. Death, which came after their long life, was like a calm, quiet sleep. During their lifetime they had everything in abundance. The land itself gave them rich fruits, and they did not have to waste labor on cultivating fields and gardens.

Their herds were numerous, and they grazed calmly on rich pastures. The people of the golden age lived serenely. The gods themselves came to them for advice. But the golden age on earth ended, and none of the people of this generation remained. After death, people of the golden age became spirits, patrons of people of new generations. Shrouded in fog, they rush across the earth, defending truth and punishing evil. This is how Zeus rewarded them after their death.

silver Age

The second human race and the second century were no longer as happy as the first. It was the Silver Age. The people of the Silver Age were not equal in strength or intelligence to the people of the Golden Age.

For a hundred years they grew up foolish in the houses of their mothers, only when they matured did they leave them. Their life in adulthood was short, and since they were unreasonable, they saw many misfortunes and grief in life. The people of the Silver Age were rebellious.

They did not obey the immortal gods and did not want to burn sacrifices to them on the altars. The great son of Cronos Zeus destroyed their race on earth. He was angry with them because they did not obey the gods living on bright Olympus. Zeus settled them in the underground dark kingdom. There they live, knowing neither joy nor sorrow; people also pay homage to them.

Copper Age

Father Zeus created the third generation and the third age - the Copper Age. It doesn't look like silver. From the shaft of the spear Zeus created people - terrible and powerful.

The people of the Copper Age loved pride and war, abundant in groans. They did not know agriculture and did not eat the fruits of the earth that gardens and arable land provide. Zeus gave them enormous growth and indestructible strength. Their hearts were indomitable and courageous and their hands irresistible.

Their weapons were forged from copper, their houses were made of copper, and they worked with copper tools. They didn’t know dark iron back in those days. The people of the Copper Age destroyed each other with their own hands. They quickly descended into the dark kingdom of the terrible Hades. No matter how strong they were, yet the black death kidnapped them, and they left the clear light of the sun.

Age of Demigods

As soon as this race descended into the kingdom of shadows, the great Zeus immediately created on the earth that feeds everyone the fourth century and a new human race, a nobler, more just race of demigod heroes equal to the gods.

And they all died in evil wars and terrible bloody battles. Some died at the seven-gate Thebes, in the country of Cadmus, fighting for the legacy of Oedipus. Others fell at Troy, where they came for the beautiful-haired Helen, and sailed across the wide sea in ships.

When death snatched them all away, Zeus the Thunderer settled them on the edge of the earth, far from living people. The demigod-heroes live a happy, carefree life on the islands of the blessed near the stormy waters of the Ocean. There, the fertile land gives them fruits three times a year, sweet as honey.

Iron Age

The last, fifth century and the human race is iron. It continues now on earth. Night and day, without ceasing, sorrow and exhausting work destroy people.

The gods send people difficult worries. True, gods and good are mixed with evil, but still there is more evil, it reigns everywhere.

Children do not honor their parents; a friend is not faithful to a friend; the guest does not find hospitality; there is no love between brothers. People do not observe this oath, they do not value truth and goodness.

People destroy each other's cities. Violence reigns everywhere. Only pride and strength are valued. The goddesses Conscience and Justice left people. In their white robes they flew up to high Olympus to the immortal gods, but people were left with only grave troubles, and they had no protection from evil.