Maia

                                    In Greek mythology, Maia was described as the daughter of Atlas and Pleione, and was the eldest of the seven Pleiades. Maia was also described as a shy goddess who dwell alone in a cave near the peaks of Mt Cyllene. 

Maia and Zeus

                                                    Zeus was attracted towards her beauty and in the night he secretly took her into his bed. Maia secretly gave to a son by Zeus, Hermes, in a cave of Cyllene. After giving birth to the baby, Maia wrapped him in blanket and went to sleep. The infant Hermes crawled away, stole some of Apollo's cattle and invented the lyre from a tortoise shell. 
                                             

Maia, infant Hermes, and Apollo

         Maia refused to believe Apollo when he claimed Hermes was the thief and Zeus then sided with Apollo. Finally Apollo exchanged the cattle for the lyre which became one of Apollo identifying attributes. Maia also raised the boy Arcas in her cave whose mother Callisto had been transformed into a bear.  

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Gorgon :- Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa

                     

Gorgons

                
                           In Greek mythology, Gorgons or Gorgones were described as three powerful female monsters creatures, the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. The names of the three Gorgons were Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. Of the three sisters only Medusa was mortal, and so it was her head which King Polydektes of Seriphos commanded the young hero Perseus to fetch. 

Stheno:  In Greek mythology, Stheno was the eldest of the Gorgons, vicious female monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and "hair" made of living venomous snakes. She and her sister Euryale were both immortal, and the third sister, Medusa, was mortal. Of the three Gorgons, she was known to be the most independent and ferocious, having killed more men than both of her sisters combined. 

Stheno

According to some versions,, Stheno was transformed into a Gorgon because of standing with her sister Medusa, who was raped by the sea god Poseidon in the Temple of Athena. Athena baring no emotion and finding no fault in Poseidon, was furious with Medusa. As a punishment, Medusa was changed into a terrible monster, along with her sisters Stheno and Euryale. Stheno tends to be depicted as a thin gorgon monster with red snakes curling around her head instead of hair.

 Euryale: In Greek mythology,  Euryale was the second eldest one of the Gorgons, three vicious sisters with brass hands, sharp fangs, and hair of living, venomous snakes. She and her sister Stheno, were immortal, where as Medusa was mortal. 

Euryale

According to some versions,, Euryale was transformed into a Gorgon because of standing with her sister Medusa, who was raped by the sea god Poseidon in the Temple of Athena. Athena baring no emotion and finding no fault in Poseidon, was furious with Medusa. As a punishment, Medusa was changed into a terrible monster, along with her sisters Stheno and Euryale.  In some version, Euryale  had the ability to turn anyone to stone with her gaze. In many stories, Euryale is noted for her bellowing cries, particularly in the tale of Medusa's death at Perseus' hands.

Medusa:  In Greek mythology, Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden.  Poseidon had raped her in Athena's temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.

Sea god, Poseidon seducing Medusa in Athena's temple

 In some versions, Medusa was described as priestess of Athena, was devoted to a life of celibacy. But she was wooed by Poseidon, whom she loved in return, she forgot her vows, and had sex with Poseidon in Athena's temple. In one version, Poseidon, as a bird,  seduce Medusa in Athena's temple. 

Medusa

               Medusa was beheaded by Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry his mother, Danae. The gods were well aware of this, and Perseus received help. He received a mirrored shield from Athena, gold, winged sandals from Hermes, a sword from Hephaestus and Hades's helm of invisibility. Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, so Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a golden sword-wielding giant, sprang from her body.


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Leto

In Greek mythology, Leto was described as the daughter of  the Titan Coeus and Phoebe, a sister of Asteria, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus. Leto was the goddess of motherhood. 
         

Leto

                    
         Leto was described as the lawful wife of Zeus, but merely as a concubine. Zeus married Hera while Leto was pregnant. While the pregnancy began before the marriage Hera was still jealous of Leto. For the duration of Leto's pregnancy Hera created problems. First Leto was pushed out of Olympus and all the world being afraid of receiving her on account of Hera. Hera send dragon Python to chase Leto. Hera banned Leto from giving birth on the mainland, any island at sea, or any place under the sun

Leto with Apollo and Artemis

                                           Leto wandered about till she came to the island of Delos, which was then a floating island, and bore the name Asteria .But when Leto touched it, it suddenly stood still upon four pillars, which was neither mainland nor a real island. Yet she couldn't give birth because Hera had forbid Eilithyia, goddess of childbirth, to go to her. Eventually, the other goddesses felt bad for Leto and offered Hera a beautiful necklace to allow Leto to give birth. Hera accepted and Iris took Eilithyia straight to Leto. Leto first gave birth to Artemis and then after another nine days of labor to Apollo.

                                 Leto's problems continued. But, now she had her two fast developing children, both of whom became powerful archers, to protect her, four days old Apollo was able to kill Python.

Related Posts:
Asteria  :

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Aletheia

Aletheia

In Greek mythology, Aletheia was described as an spirit or goddess of truth, and sincerity. Aletheis was created by Prometheus, so that she would be able to regulate humans behavior. According to some versions, Aletheia was described as the daughter of Zeus. 



Related Post:
Pseudologoi

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Pseudologoi

                                           In Greek mythology, Pseudologoi (singular Pseudologos) were described as gods or male spirits of lies and falsehoods. they were children of Eris, the goddess of strife. In some versions, Pseudologoi were described as children of Gaea and Aether. 

Pseudologoi

                                              According to other version, a single female spirit of falsehoods, Pseudologos, was described. It was described, when Prometheus the master craftsman and a supreme trickster, who sometimes associated with the the creation of humans -- was crafting Aletheia, the spirit of truth, so that she would be able to regulate humans behaviour. Prometheus was unexpected summons from Zeus, leaving Dolos (spirit or god of trickery) alone in the workshop. Dolos took up the remaining clay and began to sculpt a second figure, identical to the Aletheia. 

Pseudologos

However, before he could complete the piece he ran out of clay, leaving his figure without feet. When Prometheus returned he marvelled at the similarity between the two creations and put both in the kiln. When they had been baked, he infused the figures with life. The first, Aletheia, walked with measured footsteps, but Dolos' replica, lacking feet, stood stuck in her tracks and acquired the name Pseudologos—Falsehood

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