In our first chapter of THEA — Thea by Macabre Gadgets: Mythological Jewelry Inspired by Ancient Greek Sculpture — we traced the origins of the collection, from the chaos before Olympus to the gods and heroes who shaped the ancient world: Zeus, Athena, Heracles, Achilles, Medusa. We explored what it means to translate mythology into silver and marble, and why these figures still hold power over us.
This is the second chapter. We go deeper.
Poseidon, who shook the earth and held Odysseus from home for ten years out of wounded pride. Aphrodite — not only the goddess of love, but a chthonic deity of the tomb, of the dark night. And Helen of Troy: hatched from an egg, a sorceress, a woman whose myth has been rewritten so many times.
Three figures. Three different kinds of power.
Poseidon
"Telemachus arrived in Pylos, where
the Pylians were bringing to the beach
black bulls for blue Poseidon, Lord of Earthquakes."
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Emily Wilson
The Poseidon Ring by Macabre Gadgets — wearable mythology, handcrafted in marble and sterling silver. Pictured alongside a Poseidon sculpture from the Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, Rome. Shop the piece.
Poseidon, or Neptune—as the Romans called him—is the ancient Greek god of the sea, storms, horses, and earthquakes. In fact, in pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, Poseidon was honored as a chief deity at Pylos and Thebes, with the cult title "earth shaker". One of the twelve Olympian gods and brother to Zeus and Hades, he is recognized for his underwater palace, his signature weapon, the trident, and—not least—his legendary, violent temper.
As we mentioned in the previous chapter, he competed with Athena to become the patron deity of the city of Athens. While he struck the earth to create a saltwater spring, Athena gifted the olive tree, which the citizens deemed more valuable, and chose her as a patron. After the contest, an offended Poseidon sent a monstrous flood to the city to punish the Athenians for not choosing him. His grievance against Odysseus ran so deep that he kept him from home for ten years, plotting and throwing obstacles in his path.
"But Poseidon is still seething with a god's relentlessness against the godlike hero Odysseus, because he blinded Polyphemus, the Cyclops."
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles
Nevertheless, he was worshipped with the surname "savior" as the protector of the seafarers and the fishermen. He is the "earthshaker", yet in many local cults he was also invoked as a protector against earthquakes. In some cults he was worshipped as the "bringer of safety" or "protector of the house and the foundations".
Aphrodite
"But golden Aphrodite went to Cyprus,
to Paphos, where her sacred precinct is
and fragrant altar. There the Graces bathed her
and rubbed her with ambrosial oil..."
Homer's Odyssey.
The Aphrodite Necklace by Macabre Gadgets — hand-sculpted in marble, the goddess rendered in miniature. Pictured alongside an Aphrodite sculpture from the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome. Shop the piece.
Aphrodite — or Venus to the Romans — is a major goddess in the Greek pantheon who featured prominently in ancient Greek literature. According to many sources, like Homer's Iliad and Sappho's Ode to Aphrodite, she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. But when it comes to the origins of Greek gods, it's never a simple story.
In Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite is born off the coast of Cythera from the foam (ἀφρός, aphrós) produced by Uranus's genitals, which his son Cronus had severed and thrown into the sea.
In his Symposium, Plato suggests that these two origins actually belong to separate deities — Aphrodite Urania, patron of the love between men, was born from the sea foam, and Aphrodite Pandemos — the goddess of love common to all people — was daughter of Zeus.
Her nature wasn't always so familiar — she was a chthonic deity who presided over funerals and corpses (Aphrodite of the Tomb), the Armed Aphrodite (Aphrodite Enoplios), and Black Aphrodite — goddess of the dark night.
Regardless of her origin and how her role transformed throughout history, she remains one of the most powerful and enduring figures in ancient Greek mythology.
"The genitals, cut off with adamant
and thrown from land into the stormy sea,
were carried for a long time on the deep.
White foam surrounded the immortal flesh,
and in the foam a maiden grew..."
Hesiod, Theogony 8th century BCE
Helen of Troy
"No woman—neither Greek nor barbarian—has given birth to the egg of a white bird, yet, they say, that this is what my mother has done. Leda, they say, delivered me inside the shell of a bird's egg."
Euripides, Helen
The Helen of Troy Marble Fragment collection by Macabre Gadgets. Pictured alongside an ancient female sculpture from Palazzo Altemps, Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome. Shop the earring · Shop the ring · Shop the pendant
Helen of Troy was not a goddess — it's not even clear whether she was mortal or not. there are very few facts about her have survived, and those that have only make her character more complicated and harder to understand.
She was hatched from an egg. According to mythology, Zeus, her father, was pursuing Nemesis and, to have his way with her, deceived her by taking the shape of a swan.
"Zeus pursued Nemesis after changing himself too into a goose, and when he had had union with her she laid an egg, from which Helen was born"
Pseudo-Apollodorus
According to Homer, she was a powerful sorceress — deeply mysterious, almost witch-like, with mastery over mind-altering substances.
"Immediately she threw into the wine
the drug that banishes all grief and anger,
bringing forgetfulness of every evil.
Whoever drinks this mixture from the bowl
would not shed tears all day, not even if
his mother and his father died, or if
his brother or his son were killed by sword"
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Emily Wilson
Her death is debated as much as her life. According to ancient sources, we can identify three different and absolutely opposite scenarios of how her life ends.
According to Euripides, Helen never truly died a mortal death. In his later play Orestes, Apollo rescues Helen by snatching her away from mortal danger and placing her among the stars, where she becomes an immortal divine figure. Yet Euripides' earlier and more famous play Helen offers an even stranger version of the myth: the real Helen never went to Troy at all. Instead, the gods carried her safely to Egypt before the war, while Greeks and Trojans fought for ten years over a phantom likeness created in her image. Whether transformed into a goddess or hidden away beyond the reach of history, Helen remains a figure who continually escapes the fate assigned to her.
The travel writer Pausanias documents a far darker, highly localized historical myth from the island of Rhodes. According to this tradition, after King Menelaus died of old age, his illegitimate stepsons violently drove Helen out of Sparta. Homeless and in exile, she fled to the island of Rhodes to seek sanctuary with an old friend named Polyxo. However, Polyxo's husband, Tlepolemus, had been slaughtered at Troy. Mad with grief and blaming Helen for the entire war, Polyxo plotted a horrific revenge. As a result, Helen was hanged from a tree branch.
A third popular tradition claims that Helen died naturally but was granted a highly unusual, exclusive eternal life in the Isles of the Blessed (or the White Island in the Black Sea). In this poetic afterlife, the gods decided that the most beautiful woman in history should be paired with Greece's greatest warrior. The soul of Helen was married to the ghost of Achilles, and the two spent eternity wandering a paradise reserved strictly for the highest heroes of the Bronze Age.
The myth about Helen of Troy has evolved and changed so much over time that it now tells us more about the people telling it than about the character herself.
These myths continue to inspire THEA by Macabre Gadgets — a line of mythological jewelry that explores the gods, heroes, and symbols of the ancient Mediterranean.
The Aphrodite Earring by Macabre Gadgets — hand-sculpted marble, gold-plated sterling silver, and pearl. The symbol of the goddess, worn. Shop the piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Poseidon in Greek mythology?
Poseidon is the ancient Greek god of the sea, storms, horses, and earthquakes. One of the twelve Olympian gods and brother to Zeus and Hades, he was worshipped throughout the Greek world as both a powerful and unpredictable deity. His symbols include the trident, horses, dolphins, and the sea itself.
Why did Poseidon punish Odysseus?
According to Homer's Odyssey, Poseidon punished Odysseus because Odysseus blinded Polyphemus, a Cyclops who was Poseidon's son. Angered by the insult, Poseidon delayed Odysseus' return home for ten years, sending storms and obstacles to prevent his journey.
Why did Poseidon compete with Athena for Athens?
According to Greek mythology, Poseidon and Athena competed to become the patron deity of Athens. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and produced a saltwater spring, while Athena offered an olive tree. The Athenians judged Athena's gift to be more valuable and chose her as their patron goddess.
How was Aphrodite born?
Ancient sources preserve multiple versions of Aphrodite's birth. In Hesiod's Theogony, she emerges from sea foam created when the Titan Cronus cast the severed genitals of Uranus into the sea. Other traditions describe Aphrodite as the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
What is Aphrodite Urania?
In Plato's Symposium, Aphrodite Urania is distinguished from Aphrodite Pandemos. Aphrodite Urania is the heavenly Aphrodite, associated with a more elevated form of love and said to have been born from sea foam. Aphrodite Pandemos is associated with love shared by all people and is described as the daughter of Zeus.
Was Aphrodite always a goddess of love?
No. Earlier forms of Aphrodite were often more complex. Ancient cults worshipped Aphrodite as a chthonic deity connected with the dead, as Aphrodite of the Tomb, Armed Aphrodite (Aphrodite Enoplios), and Black Aphrodite, associated with the darkness of night.
Was Helen of Troy a goddess?
Helen of Troy was generally considered mortal, though many ancient traditions blur the line between mortal and divine. As the daughter of Zeus, she possessed semi-divine ancestry, and some later myths describe her becoming immortal after death.
Was Helen of Troy really born from an egg?
According to several ancient traditions, yes. Helen was said to have hatched from an egg laid after Zeus, disguised as a swan or goose, united with Nemesis or Leda. The story became one of the most famous birth myths in Greek mythology.
Was Helen of Troy a sorceress?
In Homer's Odyssey, Helen demonstrates knowledge of powerful drugs capable of removing grief, anger, and painful memories. Some scholars interpret these passages as evidence that Helen possessed magical or witch-like qualities within Greek mythology.
Did Helen of Troy actually go to Troy?
Not according to Euripides' play Helen. In this version of the myth, the real Helen was taken to Egypt before the Trojan War, while Greeks and Trojans fought over a phantom double created by the gods. Other ancient sources maintain that Helen was physically present in Troy.
How did Helen of Troy die?
Ancient sources provide several conflicting endings. Some traditions claim Apollo carried her to Olympus, where she became immortal. Others state she was hanged on Rhodes after being exiled from Sparta. Another tradition places her in the Isles of the Blessed, where she spends eternity with Achilles.
Why are there so many different versions of Greek myths?
Greek mythology developed over many centuries across different cities, regions, poets, playwrights, and religious traditions. As a result, myths often evolved into multiple versions. These variations reveal how different societies and authors reinterpreted the same characters and stories over time.