these interactions, heroes were made in some sense. Odysseus fights against the Gods in their abstract forms, and is a hero because he survives and succeeds in his journey. Hector is without the assistance the other heroes have, and is a hero because his qualities are brought out in accepting his fate. The other heroes are protected by the Gods, and made greater because of it. Diomedes attacks the gods themselves, and is made a hero because he did what was thought impossible. The second form of physical interactions have nothing to do with battle. These interactions have more to do with love and anger. The Gods constantly lust over the mortals they rule. Virtually every god has a child by a mortal. Zeus is the best example of this. Father Zeus could not keep away from Mortal women, he had numerous children with them, and many went on to be great kings and heroes. Some of the famous children of Zeus include Arcisius, grandfather of Odysseus; Helen of Troy, Heracles, and Perseus. Some other heroes that are descended from Zeus include Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, and many others. Zeus is not the only god who has children by mortals, each of the gods, except those who remain virgins, have mortal lovers and mortal children.The rule to follow when looking at these types of relationships is that the children of sods and mortals are also mortal, although they are often cast in the roles of kings and heroes. The only exception to this is the Dionysus, the god of wine, who is the result between Zeus and the mortal woman Semele. The reason that Dionysus remained a god is that although Semele is his mother, she was killed when she saw Zeus in his true form, Zeus took the child and put it in his thigh, and Dionysus was born from his father (Euripides, Bacchae, lines 88-100). The role of divine parentage in Greek myth is often used to make a King or hero seem even greater. Greek Kings could claim one of the Gods as their ancestor, and us...
