Iolcos in Thessaly. The Argonauts: Calydonian boar hunt A monstrous boar was sent by Artemis to ravage the region of Calydon in Aetolia because its king neglected to honour her in his rites to the gods. King Oeneus sent messengers seeking the best hunters in Greece, offering them the boar's pelt and tusks as a prize. A number of heroes responded, including Atalanta, Castor and Pollux, Jason, Laertes, Lynceus, Meleager (the host and boar killer), Nestor, Peleus, Phoenix, and Theseus. Many of them were also the "Argonauts". One notable exception was Heracles, who vanquished his own Goddess-sent Erymanthian boar separately. Others Generation of Oedipus (about two generations before Troy) The story of Oedipus is the basis of a trilogy of plays by Sophocles, however, similar stories have been traced to cultures all over the world. Generation of the Seven against Thebes (about a generation before Troy) Oedipus places a curse upon his sons Eteocles and Polynices. The underlying theme in the story of the "Seven Against Thebes" is the fulfilment of that curse. Although the brothers had agreed to share the rule of Thebes, when it is time for Eteocles to step aside he refuses, and Polynices brings an army against his beloved city to enforce his claim. In Aeschylus' play the concept of the individual vs. community becomes a central theme. In the Phoenissae (The Phoenician Women), patriotism is a significant theme. Generation of the Trojan War See Trojan War and Epigoni. Gregory Nagy sees mortality as the "dominant theme in the stories of ancient Greek heroes." In heading for Troy, Achilles opts for a short life, leaving a memory of being immortal and renown over a long peaceful life in relative obscurity. Greek Heroes in The Iliad Face of the Trojan War, Achilles, helped escalate the war after killing the Trojan Prince Hector. A description of the Trojan War is given to audiences through a telling of the myth in the form of a poem by Greek poet Homer, titled The Iliad, Generation after the Trojan War See also Bronze Age collapse References External links Rosenberg, Karen. "Those Greek Heroes, Sometimes Behaving Badly", The New York Times, October 21, 2010 Greek mythology Periodization