Are you one who wakes with the dawn? Do you enjoy watching the sun’s light peeking out from the horizon to awaken the rest of us sleeping mortals with its golden glowing halo? If you are one who wakes with the dawn, you are bearing witness each day to Aurora (Eos in Greek) and her golden chariot.

I’m sure you’ve seen the cute cartoon versions of Hercules and Pegasus, but as you saw in the previous article on Pegasus even ancient myths have a way of being morphed over time into something with a far different polish. 

To fully understand the story of Hercules, you first have to know a little about his infamous father, Jupiter (Zeus). Jupiter was unabashedly cavalier in his relationships with women, much to the chagrin of his wife, Juno (Hera). Being king of the gods and the bearer of lightning, Jupiter’s lust was as insatiable as the power he wielded. With such a force to contend with, Juno had very few countermeasures at her disposal when it came to her lothario of a husband. So instead, she often exacted her revenge upon his lovers and their offspring. The irony in this of course was that the lovers of Jupiter often had no say in the matter or were tricked into becoming involved with him. 

Have you ever noticed the interesting parallels between Wonder Woman and the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus? Many of the epic comic book characters that are beloved in today’s culture often have such ties. Wonder Woman has grown to epic proportions through film and television, but her roots are often connected to ancient lore. For instance, did you know that her name, Diana, is the same as that of a well-known Roman goddess? Or that her lasso of truth is representative of the power that Phoebus Apollo could wield as the god of truth?

Not only are the ancients well known for their gods and goddesses, but mythological creatures are another intriguing aspect of these cultures. One of the most ethereal of these creatures was Pegasus, a beautiful alabaster horse with angelic wings. Many companies today often present his image within their logos, as he often represents freedom and the wild, untamed beauty found in us all.