Greek Mortals
Overview
The mortals of Greek mythology were human beings who often found themselves subject to the whims of gods and heroes. Some Greek mortals, including kings, queens, and warriors, were powerful in their own right. Indeed, it can be hard to distinguish between “mortals” and “heroes” in Greek mythology: all Greek heroes, after all, were also mortal.
In ancient mythical narratives, however, the term “hero” is usually reserved for those who have somehow distinguished themselves as warriors, monster-slayers, or founders of great cities. Many heroes had special powers and abilities that went far beyond those of ordinary mortals, and some were even demigods. Greek mortals, then, can be thought of as more “average” than heroes, despite their shared mortality.
Unlike the immortal gods, mortals were doomed to die. Most were subject to a dreary and nondescript afterlife in the realm of Hades, the Greek Underworld.[1] Only the greatest heroes could hope to transform into gods or dwell in the blissful Fields of Elysium or Isles of the Blessed. Occasionally, however, a mortal was worshipped after they died (another similarity with the more impressive heroes).