Greek Mythology
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updated 8-9-02

The Heroic Pattern
Archetypal Elements and Events

Element 1:  Early Life

  1. The hero’s mother is a royal virgin.
  2. His father is a king
  3. The circumstances of his conception and birth are unusual, and
  4. He is reputed to be the son of a god.
  5. At birth an attempt is made, often by his father or maternal grandfather, to kill him, but
  6. He is spirited away, and
  7. He is reared by foster parents in a far country

Element 2:  Young Adulthood

  1. On reaching manhood, he returns or goes to his future kingdom.
  2. He falls under the control of an enemy.

Element 3:  Journey or Quest

  1. He often makes a journey to the Underworld, or the shades of the dead may visit him
  • Has a purpose for his journey
  • Travels to the end of the earth
  • Seeks directions and/or advice
  • Finds women a danger to his success
  • Gains a guide
  • Is given weapons or talismans with magical powers
  • Crosses water
  • Confronts the powers of death in the form of shades and/or monsters
  • Tries to bring back to earth an item or person from the Underworld, but
  • Is at best only partly successful

Element 4:  The Return Home

11.  After victory over the king and/or a giant, dragon, or wild beast
12.  He marries a princess, often the daughter of his predecessor, and
13.  Becomes king.
14.  Eventually, he loses favor with the gods and/or his subjects, and
15.  He meets a mysterious death.
16.  His children do not succeed him.
17.  His body is not buried, but
18.  He has one or more holy sepulchers. (229-230)

Element 5:  Major Themes often associated with the hero

  • The human quest: a journey of discovery about himself, his society, and his universe
  • Isolation: essentially alone, the hero’s courage, strength, and wisdom are tested
  • The quest as a dual struggle, both physical and psychological (a struggle to resolve the conflict between the body and the soul, between duty and desire, between the animal urges and divine aspirations, etc.)
  • The cycle of life, death, and rebirth
  • The hero as redeemer: often restores the kingdom to health and fertility
  • The hero as model: "by his half-divine nature, his glorious deeds, his relentless pursuit of immortality, the hero uplifts humanity from its dismal condition and reminds us of our godlike potential" (Powell  230)
  • The hero as protector of civilization: kills beasts and other enemies that threaten the kingdom; adds to the fund of knowledge
  • The dual nature of man: intellect/wisdom versus savagery/violence/ambition/primal urges

Harris, Stephen L. and Gloria Platner, Classical Mythology: Images and Insights, 2nd. Mayfield Publishing Company. Mountain View, California: London: Toronto. 1998.

Powell, Barry B.  Greek Myth, 4th.  Prentice Hall.  Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2001.