Clash of the Gods (TV series)

The story of Zeus and how he escaped being swallowed by his father Cronus, led the Olympians to defeat the Titans and gained control of the universe.

The ancient volcanic blast on Santorini is posited as the site of Titanomachy. According to local legend, the Titan god Typhon was pushed into the abyss at Mount Etna on Sicily.

Dion was a city built at the basis of Mount Olympus.

The Greek word "Zeus" turned into "theos" (Koine Greek) and "theus" and finally into the Latin word Deus for "god."

Hercules, the strongest man in the world, murdered his family in a fit of rage. To atone for this crime, the Oracle of Delphi advises Hercules to seek the path of penance from the foxy king Eurystheus who is acting as Hera's agent. Next, Hercules embarks on a path of 12 difficult and dangerous labours.

Hades is the lord of the underworld and the keeper of dead souls. This episode tells how Hades came to this position, why he was so feared, and what the Greeks thought awaited them after death. It also contains the myths of Persephone, Sisyphus, and Orpheus.

Poseidon caused the wife of King Minos of Crete, Pasiphae, to lust after a bull on the Island of Crete.

The Minotaur was a flesh-eating monster, half-man and half-bull (the result of Queen Pasiphae mating with a bull), that lived in the labyrinth beneath the palace of King Minos. Every 9 years, seven youths and seven maidens were chosen from Athens to be sacrificed to the Minotaur (after the death of his son). Until a heroic demigod named Theseus braved the labyrinth and killed the beast.

Today, an underground cave in Messara Plain resembles the labyrinth.^[1]

Unlike most Greek gods and goddesses who married, the goddess Athena was among a handful of virgin goddesses. Based on this logic, the priestesses of Athena were also expected to take a vow of chastity. Parthenon means "place of the virgin."

Medusa was once a beautiful priestess of Athena until her vow of chastity was broken by Poseidon raping her. Refusing to punish Poseidon, Athena turns her wrath on Medusa and transforms her into a Gorgon, a monster so hideous that any person who saw her turned to stone.

King of Argos Acrisius wanted to kill his grandson Perseus. The demi-god Perseus goes on a journey where he ends up killing Medusa.

Odysseus, king of Ithaca, leaves his wife and son to fight in the Trojan War. After the Greeks' victory, he attempts to sail home, but has to face many challenges.

On the way back from Troy, Odysseus first stops in Ismarus (Thrace). After defeating a Cyclops on Sicily, the beast asks his father, Poseidon, to curse Odysseus. The story is continued in the following episode.

Odysseus continues his journey across the chaotic sea, confronting sorceresses, sea, and monsters. To fight off the seductive sorcery of Circe, Hermes gives him Moly (herb).

Odysseus takes even a journey into Hades itself to rendezvous with Tiresias.

Scylla is a man-eating sea monster while Charybdis is a massive whirlpool in the sea.

Ogygia is the Island on which Odysseus runs into the nymph Calypso. There, he carries on his tryst with Calypso for seven years! Nevertheless, Odysseus declines Calypso's promise of immortality because he wants to return to his family.

The Norse saga of Beowulf, who battles with Grendel and other monsters.

Excavations at Sutton Hoo have unearthed evidence of the myths in Beowulf.

Heorot was the banquet hall of king Hrothgar; accounts of this king are found in the Legendary sagas.

Circa 600, Pope Gregory I sends Christian Romans to Britain led by Augustine of Canterbury.

About J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and how both legends such as the Völsunga saga and real life influenced it.

The One Ring is the master ring controlling all other rings.

About the Norse thunder god Thor and his nemesis, the Midgard Serpent.

When Inge the Elder came to power in Scandinavia, most of his subject still worshipped Thor.