Can you share some interesting dark greek mythology stories?

Another story is that of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus was a talented musician. His wife Eurydice died, and he was so grief - stricken that he journeyed to the underworld to bring her back. His music was so beautiful that it charmed Hades, the god of the underworld, who allowed him to take Eurydice back on one condition: he must not look back at her until they reached the upper world. But in his eagerness, he looked back, and Eurydice was lost to him forever.

One popular Greek mythology bedtime story is about Persephone. Hades, the god of the underworld, fell in love with her. One day, as she was picking flowers, the earth opened up and Hades kidnapped her. Her mother Demeter, goddess of the harvest, was so distraught that she made the earth barren. Eventually, a deal was made that Persephone would spend part of the year in the underworld and part on earth, which is how the Greeks explained the seasons.

Another is the relationship between Ganymede and Zeus. Zeus, attracted by Ganymede's beauty, took the form of an eagle and carried Ganymede to Olympus to be his cup - bearer. This was quite a significant relationship in Greek mythology and was an example of a homoerotic relationship within the pantheon.

One sad story is about Echo and Narcissus. Echo was a nymph who could only repeat the last words of others. She fell in love with Narcissus, a beautiful young man who was so in love with his own reflection in a pool that he couldn't love anyone else. Echo was heartbroken and faded away until only her voice remained.

One funny story is about Hermes. As a baby, he stole Apollo's cattle. He was so clever that he made the cows walk backwards to hide their tracks. When Apollo found out, Hermes started playing a lyre he had made from a tortoise shell. Apollo was so charmed by the music that he traded his cattle for the lyre.

Sure. There's the story where Poseidon helps the Greeks in the Trojan War. He caused earthquakes to disrupt the Trojans, which was his way of interfering in the war on the side of the Greeks. It shows how Poseidon could use his power for strategic purposes in the affairs of mortals.

The story of Odysseus is also very engaging. He was a hero who fought in the Trojan War. After the war, his journey back home was filled with numerous challenges. He faced the Cyclops, a one - eyed giant, outwitted him and managed to escape. He also had to resist the alluring song of the Sirens. His long and arduous journey took him ten years, and it shows his intelligence and perseverance in overcoming various obstacles.

Another short story is that of Icarus. Daedalus, his father, made wings out of feathers and wax for them to escape from the island of Crete. Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun as the heat would melt the wax. But Icarus, in his excitement, ignored the warning. He flew too high, the wax melted, and he fell into the sea and drowned.

There's also a lot of fan - created stories on platforms like Archive of Our Own. You can search for Greek mythology - related tags there. Some of them might be about reimagining the relationships between the gods, like a different take on the love story of Aphrodite and Ares, or the adventures of minor gods that were not explored much in the original myths.

Another example is the story of Eros and Psyche. Eros, the god of love, was sent by Aphrodite to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous monster. But instead, he fell in love with her himself. Their story involved a series of trials and tribulations that were related to love, desire, and the connection between the mortal and the divine.