Heroic Age
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- This article treats the Heroic Age of the Greeks. For the so-called Heroic Age when the Germanic tribes are concerned, see Germanic Iron Age.
The Heroic Age was the period of Greek mythological history that lay between the purely divine events of the Theogony and Titanomachy and the advent of historical time after the Trojan War. It was demarcated as one of the five Ages of Man by Hesiod. The Greek heroes can be grouped into an approximate chronology, based on the great meet-up events of the Argonautic expedition and the Trojan War. While the inherently contradictory nature of mythical evidence makes precision impossible, the following represents a reasonably accurate timeline of the Greek Heroic Age.
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Before the Argonauts
Aeacus, Agenor and Phoenix, Cadmus, Europa, Cilix, Labdacus, Tantalus, Oenomaeus
The generation of the Argonauts
(about three generations before Troy)
The Argonauts: Atalanta, Autolycus, Calais, Castor and Polydeuces, Echion, Euphemus, Euryalus, Heracles, Hylas, Idas, Idmon, Jason, Laertes, Lynceus, Meleager, Nestor, Oileus, Orpheus, Peleus, Poeas, Polyphemus, Poriclymenus, Telamon, Theseus, Tiphys, Zetes. Medea.
Others: Pelops, Perseus, Hippodamia, Laius, Minos, Rhadymanthus, Sarpedon (1), Myrtilus.
The Generation of Oedipus
(about two generation before Troy)
Pittheus, Plisthenes, Atreus, Thyestes, Chrysippus, Copreus, Oedipus, Creon, Laodamia
The Generation of the Seven Against Thebes
(about a generation before Troy)
Adrastus, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, Hippomedon, Parthenopeus, Polynices, Tydeus, Adrastus, Creon, Megareus, Poriclymenus, Melanippus, Polyphontes, Hyperbius, Actor, Lasthenes, Antigone, Ismene.
The Generation of the Trojan War
See Trojan War and Epigoni