ica . ▁As ▁a ▁gift ▁to ▁C ele us , ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁hospital ity , ▁Dem eter ▁planned ▁to ▁make ▁his ▁son ▁Dem oph on ▁a ▁god , ▁but ▁she ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁rit ual ▁because ▁his ▁mother ▁Met an ira ▁walked ▁in ▁and ▁saw ▁her ▁son ▁in ▁the ▁fire ▁and ▁sc ream ed ▁in ▁fright , ▁which ▁anger ed ▁Dem eter , ▁who ▁l ament ed ▁that ▁fool ish ▁mort als ▁do ▁not ▁understand ▁the ▁concept ▁and ▁rit ual . ▁ ▁Hero ic ▁age ▁The ▁age ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁hero es ▁lived ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁hero ic ▁age . ▁The ▁ep ic ▁and ▁gene alog ical ▁poetry ▁created ▁cycles ▁of ▁stories ▁cluster ed ▁around ▁particular ▁hero es ▁or ▁events ▁and ▁established ▁the ▁family ▁relationships ▁between ▁the ▁hero es ▁of ▁different ▁stories ; ▁they ▁thus ▁arranged ▁the ▁stories ▁in ▁sequence . ▁According ▁to ▁Ken ▁Dow den ▁( 1 9 9 2 ), ▁" there ▁is ▁even ▁a ▁s aga ▁effect : ▁We ▁can ▁follow ▁the ▁f ates ▁of ▁some ▁families ▁in ▁success ive ▁gener ations ." ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁hero ▁cult , ▁gods ▁and ▁hero es ▁const itute ▁the ▁sac ral ▁sphere ▁and ▁are ▁invoked ▁together ▁in ▁o ath s ▁and ▁pray ers ▁which ▁are ▁addressed ▁to ▁them . ▁Bur k ert ▁( 2 0 0 2 ) ▁notes ▁that ▁" the ▁ro ster ▁of ▁hero es , ▁again ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁gods , ▁is ▁never ▁given ▁fixed ▁and ▁final ▁form . ▁Great ▁gods ▁are