Demigods

Demigods play an important role that often determined the fate of the earth and Olympus. Mythological figures such as demigods, show features that both humans and gods posses. These highbred humans are both of human and of god lineage. This means, that one parent is god, and one is mortal. In most cases there is a mortal mother, with a god father but that is not always the case. The word Demigod comes from the Greek word “hemi” meaning half.
 * __Half and Half__**
 * BY: MALIA**

To be a demigod one of your parents must be god and the other, human. When a mortal and god have a child, the result is pure magic. The child is born and is very much like the other mortals but, one thing stands out; their powers. For some demigods, it is war strategy, or strength, and for others it is beauty. In some cases one or two Demigods surpass a “Full God” at certain traits. Demigods like Achilles, Perseus, and Heracles are all skilled and important mythical warriors. But, the one Demigod that, to me surpasses all the rest is Helen. She is my favorite because even as a Demigod her beauty surpassed all other; it surpassed everything, and everyone.

Achilles is the son of Peleus and Thetis. When he was born, his mother took him and dipped him in the river Styx. She did this, to try and unsuccessfully made him invincible. This was unsuccessful because when she dipped him in, she held him by his ankle his ankle did not touch the magic water, therefore giving him a disadvantage. Growing up, a seer named Calchas prophesized that the city of troy will never be taken by the Spartans if he did not help. His mother decided to disguise him as a young girl and sent him off to Scyros, attempting to prolong his life. He stayed in the court of the Lycomedes. While in Scyros he had an affair with Deidameia, the daughter of Lycomedes. Together, they had a son named Neoptolemus. One day, Odysseus discovered that Achilles was not a girl by lying out swords and shields. The first lady that showed interest in the weapons was Achilles as a women, and Odysseus had found him. Odysseus took Achilles to Troy and together they took over twenty-three Trojan towns. After he defeated many towns and killed many Trojans he started to be known by many, many people and they all wanted to be the one to kill him. Finally one day, while in battle he was wounded with a poison arrow in the heel. This was very unfortunate because this was the one place he had a flaw, the one place he was mortal, and it killed him.

[|Perseus] is the son of Zeus and Danae. When he was a boy, he was sent adrift with his mother by his grandfather King Acrisius. There was a prophecy that Perseus would one day kill King Acrisius. While adrift, the two were found and cared for by the King of Seriphus named Polydectes. There was love brewing inside of Polydectes for Danae but, he could never act on it because Perseus had a burning protection over his mother. In order to spend time alone Danae he sent Perseus off on a quest to kill, and bring back the head of Medusa. He accomplished this task, assisted by Hermes and Athena. While on his travels, he passed through Africa. While there he saw a young woman named Andromeda, who was tied to a rock as an offering to the Sea monster. He immediately fell in love, and asked her father for her hand in marriage. The father said he can only have her if he slain the monster, and he succeeded and they were soon married

Helen, also known as “Helen of Troy” was daughter to Zeus and Leda. When Zeus visited Leda for the first time, it was said that he was a swan. This portrayed Helen as being born from an egg. As a young girl, she was abducted by Theseus; she was then put in the care of Theseus’s mother Aethra. Then one day, she was rescued by the Dioscuri and Aethra was put in prison. When Helen was old enough, all the eligible men in Greece wanted to be married to her. Her Stepfather was worried that the suitors who weren’t chosen would start a riot. He then made all the suitors promise to support the marriage of Helen. They chose Menelaus. Helen and Menelaus were married for about 10 years, and had one child named Hermione. Then, Helen was kidnapped by Paris the Prince of Troy. Menelaus asked all of the rejected suitors to join him in a search for her, and because they promised, they decided to help him. This set off a war called the Trojan War and it lasted 10 years. It ended in the fall of Troy and Helen was reunited with her beloved Menelaus.

Heracles also known as Hercules was son of Zeus and Alcmene. He was stronger than all demigods, even stronger than some of the full gods. While he was still young enough for a crib, he strangled two serpents to death. Because Zeus was the husband of Hera, and he cheated on her with Alcmene she very much despises Heracles. Hera caused him to go completely insane and he killed all his children and his wife. When he finally became aware of what he had done, he became enraged with grief. He then decided to seek the help of Apollo. Apollo said in order to be forgiven; he would need to do twelve labors. The twelve labors are to kill the Nemean lion, to kill the nine-headed Hydra, to imprison the Ceryneian, to Erymanthus’s wild boar, to clean the stables of King Augeas, to kill the Stymphalis, to imprison the Creteian bull, capture the mares of Diomedes, to steal the belt of Hippolyta, to steal the oxen of Geryon, to steal Hesperides golden apples, and to steal the Cerberus and bring it to the earth. He succeeded in all twelve tasks and then when he was done, he returned to Thebes.

Throughout time, the demigods will be known for their fearlessness and for their strength without them; we would not have the amazing mythological stories we have today. You may think that because they are only half gods that they are only half important, this is not the case. They played vital roles in the wars and in the peace of earth.

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