Obscure Greek myths.
Greek mythology is perhaps one of the most popular collections of stories ever studied. From Odysseus’ adventures and the Argonautica to Athena’s and Poseidon’s contest and the Titanomachy, Greek myths have been retold countless times over the span of several centuries. There are however some fascinating stories that even mythology buffs are unaware of. For example, are you aware of Helen’s bizarre family secret? Did you know that the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice is just the peak of the iceberg?
5 Obscure Greek Myths
- Prophet Orpheus
- The Mermaid Sister of Alexander the Great
- Helen of Troy’s secret
- The Haunting of Athenodorus
- The Curse of Erysichthon of Thessaly
The Curse of Erysichthon of Thessaly
One of the most obscure ancient Greek myths is the one of Erysichthon, king of Thessaly. According to poet Callimachus, the noble man ended up dying as a beggar, after destructing nature for his own needs. It all started when he visited the sacred grove of Demeter and started cutting down a tree that belonged to the nymphs.�?
Once the goddess of agriculture saw him, she transformed herself into a mortal woman and rushed to the grove to warn him against cutting trees. King Erysichthon, however, threatened to kill the woman with his axe. As he said, he required the wood to build an extension of his house to host more dinner parties. What he did not know was that he had just committed hybris.
Demeter cursed the king of Thessaly with the punishment of Limos – a type of hunger that cannot be satiated. He spent all his money to satisfy his hunger and ended up begging on the streets for breadcrumbs. Interestingly, the Roman poet Ovid shared his own version of the myth, giving Erysichthon an even more tragic end: the king ends up eating his own flesh and dying in the process.