Marvel and DC fans have been arguing for decades about who has better superheroes. The Captain America v/s Superman battle is never-ending. But there is one other category of heroes that we should pay attention to – the Greek heroes. Anyone who has read stories from Greek mythology in their childhood will tell you that the crown actually belongs to the mythological heroes. Here’s a list of Greek heroes who can probably vanquish all modern superheroes.
1. Perseus
Perseus earned the title of a hero by defeating one of the most dangerous villains in Greek myths – Medusa. Medusa could turn anyone who looked at her into stone. Perseus, armed with his wits and a mirror, managed to defeat her without looking at her. He beheaded her and took her head with him. He used Medusa’s head later on when he rescued his abused mother from a King. He also defeated a sea monster that was about to kill Princess Andromeda.
2. Atalanta
Perseus earned the title of a hero by defeating one of the most dangerous villains in Greek myths – Medusa. Medusa could turn anyone who looked at her into stone. Perseus, armed with his wits and a mirror, managed to defeat her without looking at her. He beheaded her and took her head with him. He used it, later on, to rescue his abused mother from a King. He also defeated a sea monster that was about to kill Princess Andromeda.
3. Achilles
As a child, Achilles’ mother dipped him in the River Styx. He was practically invincible except for the part on his heel, called Achilles heel, where he was held while being dipped. He was a hero in the Trojan war. Achilles won several battles and even slew the prince of Troy.
4. Cyrene
Cyrene was the daughter of a king. She was told to stay home and look pretty. Instead, she went out and did things men did and she did them better than most men. She became a solo huntress with two hunting dogs. She could defeat the scariest of animals like pumas and bears with only her spears and bows. But her most notable battle is the one she went into without any weapons. Cyrene single-handedly wrestled a fully grown lion and won.
5. Hercules
Perhaps the most admired Greek hero, Hercules did a lot in his lifetime. His life was hard from the moment he was born. He was targeted by Goddess Hera all his life. She made him do 12 tasks known as the 12 deadly labours. These were designed such that no one, mortal or otherwise, could complete them. But Hercules completed each one of those tasks. Hercules is a role-model to many because of the perseverance and determination he showed in his battles.
It seems that, in some ways, Greek heroes have influenced modern superheroes. The one undeniable similarity between mythological heroes and modern superheroes is that they all seem to have faced some adversity early on in their lives. Although Greek heroes have many flaws, their names have managed to live on for centuries and that itself is laudable.
