This is a discussion on "Greek mythology enthusiasts needed" in the Research forum.
Allow me to describe my latest brain fart, which involves the ancient Greek myth of Perseus:
Spoiler for Jabrosky's Mythological Brain Fart:
Did the ancient Greeks ever believe there was a way for a total mortal to become a demigod? The closest I can think of is Heracles undergoing his twelve labors in order to graduate to a fully fledged god, but he was already part divine to begin with.
Perseus was half divine too, being a son of Zeus himself. I don't know how his father would react if Poseidon tried a trick like that.
Actually, every demigod was the son of either a god or a goddess and a mortal. Herakles was a son of Zeus with another woman. So Poseidon couldn't take that away, but on the other hand you need to be a godly b..st.rd to become a demigod. And mortal they were already, in the sense of not being immortal.
I know all that, but what I mean is Poseidon turning Perseus from a demigod with some godlike abilities into a complete mortal without said abilities.Originally Posted by Graylorne
That's what I tried to say, I don't think he can.
I don't think that its possible, at least form a traditional Greek standpoint. Movies on the other hand are great at showing us that it is possible. Hercules was mentioned and i feel like the Disney version of that myth is perpetually stuck in our minds. in the movie he is turned back into a god but in the actual myth he dies from hydra poison and is burned on a pyre in which his immortal half rises to join the gods. In the movie Immortals, which I did not like, the main character, I think it was Theseus, is influenced by Zeus to become a great warrior. Later he dies and Zeus takes him up to Olympus to become a god so that he can battle the Titans. Although this does show us an example of a mortal becoming a god the movie does little justice to the actuality of Greek mythology. In any event I think you can bend the rules to fit whatever story you are writing.
some thought ambrosia was food of the godsAmbrosia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
write on
http://www.saeedsabbagh.com
For some strange reason I have obsessed over the myth of Perseus and Andromeda over the past two days, right to the point of drawing my interpretation of Andromeda twice (see my gallery here at Mythic Scribes). I normally don't think that much about Greek mythology, but this one is almost becoming my favorite Greek myth. Why?
considering it is a genetic trait, most were cast out, the only one I can think of is Achilles whose mother bathed him in a river, but he was not an immortal. Most of the destruction is not ability but immortality and mortality, and the ability to die.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/
Achilles' mother was actually the minor sea goddess Thetis, so in turn, Achilles was part divine. Yes, she bathed him in the river Styx, but all it did was make him impervious to blades.
All the demigods are the sons or daughters of a god or goddess. In all the Greek myths I've read I've nnever come across one where a total mortal becomes a demigod which is because demigods need to be half god. Most of the Greek heroes are usualy demigods however there are a few exceptions such as Odysseus however his lineage has links with Hermes and Zeus.
Don't let this restrict whatever you are witing; it will work fine so long as it is justified.
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