Aeacus
Zeus lay with Aegina on the island of Oenopia, and she gave birth to Aeacus, who became king and named the island after her. Hera had never forgiven Aegina for tempting Zeus, so she visited the island with plague and famine, which killed all but Aeacus and his family. Aeacus then prayed to Zeus, who created a new race of men out of ants—the Myrmidons, renowned for their tenacity, thrift, and patience. Aeacus himself became famous for his integrity and piety. When he died Zeus made him one of the three judges of the underworld, along with Minos and Rhadamanthus.
Alcyone and Ceyx
Ceyx, the son of the morning star, married Alcyone, the daughter of Aeolus. They were devoted to each other, and in their bliss Alcyone began calling herself Hera and her husband Zeus. For this presumption Zeus destroyed Ceyx as he sailed to consult an oracle. Alcyone, who had been left at home, then learned of Ceyx's death in a dream, so she plunged herself into the sea. But a god took pity on the pair, changing them into king-fishers. The female kingfisher lays her eggs and hatches them in a sea-nest during the two weeks in winter when the sea is calm. This time is called the Halcyon Days.
Aristaeus
Apollo noticed a beautiful girl named Cyrene as she fought off a lion while tending her father's sheep in Thessaly. He fell in love with her and asked the Centaur Chiron's advice about abducting her. Chiron said she would become a great queen in Libya, so Apollo carried her off to that land, where she gave birth to Aristaeus. Aristaeus, "the best," became proficient in agriculture: tending olive trees, making cheese, raising cattle, and cultivating bee hives. However, he made the mistake of lusting after Orpheus' bride, Eurydice, who died as he pursued her. His bees started dying, so his mother Cyrene advised him to capture the sea god Proteus. Finding Proteus, Aristaeus compelled him to prophesy. The god told him to make sacrifices to the Dryads and to Orpheus. Upon doing so the bees revived, and the art of beekeeping was preserved for posterity.
Asclepius
Apollo loved the beautiful Coronis, who proved unfaithful to him. The angry god killed her but saved her unborn infant, his own son Asclepius, whom he placed in the care of the wise Centaur Chiron. Asclepius learned the art of medicine, in which he had a miraculous skill. However, when he brought a dead man back to life he overstepped himself, offending Hades. Zeus killed the physician with a thunderbolt. But even after his death he continued to cure the sick in temples of healing by appearing in dreams and giving remedies.
Castor and Polydeuces
These twin sons of Leda, Castor and Polydeuces, had different fathers. Castor, who became famous as a horse tamer and soldier, was sired by King Tyndareus of Sparta, while Polydeuces, who became an invincible boxer, was fathered by Zeus. These Spartan heroes were inseparable, undertaking many heroic missions together. They went on the Calydonian boar hunt; they shipped with Jason on the Argo; they rescued their sister Helen from Theseus. On their last expedition Castor was killed by a cattle breeder named Idas in a fight over some oxen. Polydeuces took revenge and then prayed to Zeus that he might die and share his own immortality with Castor. Zeus granted the request. The brothers were to spend one day in Hades, the next on Olympus, and so on. They were venerated as the protectors of sailors.
The Danaïds
King Danaüs of Egypt had fifty daughters. His brother Aegyptus had fifty sons who wanted to marry their cousins, but the girls and their father were utterly opposed to it. They fled to Argos and took sanctuary, but despite the aid of the people of Argos the sons of Aegyptus prevailed. Danaus presided over the wedding rites but secretly gave each of his daughters a dagger. That night the Danaïds slew the bridegrooms. Only one did not: Hypermnestra refused to stab Lynceus, for which her father threw her in prison. Hypermnestra's sisters, however, had a worse fate and were sentenced to carry water in leaky jars for all eternity in Hades.
