12 Characters From Ancient Mythology That Might Have Actually Existed In History
Vote up the people in mythology that could be real.
Did you ever wonder if the great stories of ancient mythology, tales of the men behind the Egyptian pyramids and the rulers of the fabled cities of ancient Anatolia, were real? Well, if that's the case, then you're in luck - there are indeed some notable true stories behind myths. For example, the Great Pyramid was partially built by the architect Imhotep, who was then turned into a god. Started from the bottom of the pyramid, now we here!
What are some other myths based on real people? Archaeological evidence hints tantalizingly that there may have been real royals at Troy named Priam and Paris - the ruler of the city and his son, who famously kidnapped the beautiful Helen in the Iliad. Also in Anatolia, there was King Croesus, a real-life ruler who passed into legend as the super-rich monarch who screwed up an oracle's interpretation (more on that later).
Whatever kind of tales you favor, we've got real people from mythology behind some of the most spectacular stories from antiquity.
- 1
King Midas May Not Have Had A Golden Touch, But He Had An Amazing Tomb
King Midas could turn everything he touched to gold, according to Greek myth, but there were actually several ancient kings in Phrygia (in Anatolia) who answered to that regal name. One guy was dubbed Mita, lord of the Mushki, in Assyrian annals; it might have been Midas and his family who hung out in some giant tombs in the afterlife.
The biggest tomb in the area was over 160 feet high; called Tumulus MM by archaeologists, it was built in the 8th century BC. It could have belonged to Midas/Mita's grandfather. This old king was housed for eternity in a giant, man-made hill; in his resting place were tables, beer, and food - a giant banquet for eternity.
There were also lots of cups in Tumulus MM; a number of these vessels contained remnants of ancient alcohol. Archaeologist Dr. Pat McGovern was able to chemically analyze this booze, identify its contents as a mixture of ancient honey mead, barley beer, and grape wine, and recreate the recipe in a modern alcoholic drink.
Real myth? Yeah, yeah, we've all heard the stories about King Arthur, temporary savior of the Britons from the invading Anglo-Saxons, but was he a real guy? It's entirely possible, say some historians. Although Arthur doesn't appear in any contemporary historical sources, there's a good amount of evidence that suggests some really powerful war leader, maybe named Arthur, lived during the 5th or 6th centuries.
For example, near Arthur's birth site of Tintagel in Cornwall, a 6th-century engraving was found, dedicated by a guy named Artognou. At his capital of Camelot, long thought to be in modern Colchester, archaeologists found what could have been the real-life Round Table. And what if Arthur wasn't his real name? There's concrete evidence that a contemporary British leader who bore the moniker of "Riothamus" (not a name, but a title, which translates to "high king") might've been the model for Arthur.
Real myth?- 1Bradley James260 Votes
- 2Nigel Terry167 Votes
- 3Sean Connery210 Votes
Imhotep was a real-life man who was turned into a god. Nice! He was the Egyptian pharaoh Djoser's number-one guy, serving as his architect, healer, and minister. In fact, he probably helped Djoser build his famous step pyramid. A true Renaissance man, Imhotep was later deified; he became super-popular more than a millennium after he actually lived. Just as he helped his king get better in real life, he was later worshipped as a divine doctor who could help sick people.
Real myth?- 4
Cincinnatus's Humility And Daring Inspired George Washington
The career of the 5th century BC Roman general Cincinnatus was more of a legend than a real story - or was it? A military man who only reluctantly assumed power and then gave it up, inspiring George Washington, Cincinnatus was well-known for his humility and restraint.
When the Romans were in danger from a rival group called the Aequi, they called up Cincinnatus to defend them and assum the role of dictator. At the time, he was busy working on his tiny farm outside the city; after apparently defeating the enemy in just one day, Cincinnatus remained in power just long enough to make sure Rome was okay. As soon as the crisis abated, he went home and started farming again.
Real myth? - 5
Tullus Hostilius Was One Of Rome's Seven Mythical Kings
- Photo:
- Metaweb (FB)
- Public domain
Rome had seven kings before it founded its Republic, the third of which was a dude named Tullus Hostilius. Ruling in the 7th century BC, T.H. was a big-time military man, expanding Rome and whipping its army into shape. He also reportedly founded the Senate chambers: the Curia Hostilia was built around this time, so Tullus Hostilius might have just been the name of the guy to commission its construction. But, even if he was real, he might not have really been killed by lightning.
Real myth? - Photo:
- 6
Croesus Was A Wealthy Ruler Who May Have Been Led Astray By An Oracle
- Photo:
- Metaweb (FB)
- Public domain
You might have heard the phrase "rich as Croesus" to describe a semi-legendary monarch who was super-wealthy, but Croesus was a real dude. The sixth-century BC ruler of Lydia (in Anatolia) was both rich - his people supposedly were the first to issue gold and silver coinage - and martial, conquering a ton of Greek towns that were located in what is now Turkey.
But Croesus ran into some bad luck when a king named Cyrus came to power in Persia. Cyrus began gathering power and influence, which caused him to butt heads with his neighbor Croesus. After shoring up political support, Croesus prepared to attack Persia, but made sure to ask the oracle of Delphi whether or not he'd win first. The oracle responded, "If you attack, you will destroy a mighty kingdom." Figuring that meant Cyrus's Persian empire, Croesus proceeded to the battlefield - but, of course, his own kingdom was the one to be destroyed (although it happened during the reign of his son). Oops!
Real myth? - Photo:
- 7
King Priam of Troy Evaded The Hittites
Paris wasn't the only Trojan who might've been real; his dad, King Priam, might have been a legit ruler. In the Late Bronze Age, the Hittites ran into some trouble with a guy named Piyaramadu (sounds a bit like "Priam," no?). It appears that Piyaramadu was a rebel who took over Troy/Wilusa and didn't care much for the Hittite bond with the traditional kings of the area. Despite their best attempts, the Hittites couldn't catch Piyaramadu, it seems. Did Priam live?
Real myth? - 8
Merlin The Enchanter May Have Been A Real-Life Hermit
You might know Merlin the wizard best as King Arthur's magical advisor, but he was partially based on a real dude. Sure, there are tons of fictional parts to his story (Lady of the Lake, anyone?), but his life was partially based on a possibly real story of a dude named Myrddin Wyllt ("Merlin the Wild"). This guy was a poet who served a king who died tragically in battle, so he then went mad and decided to live in the woods. And then there's Taliesin, a real-life Welsh bard whose story also got conflated with Merlin's.
Real myth? - 9
Semiramis Was A Real Assyrian Queen Who Became A Legend
The Assyrian queen Semiramis was a daughter of a goddess, according to ancient legend, and seduced a king. She invented the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and became a prominent ruler in her own right. But was she a real lady?
"Semiramis" was the Greek name for a legit ancient Assyrian queen, Sammu-ramat, who lived in the 9th BC She was the wife of King Shamshi-Adad V and the mother of King Adad-Nirari III (for whom she served as a regent), but also maintained a lot of power in her own right. A stele from that time period records the queen going to make alliances with her son as a political negotiator, and she made some significant donations to religious temples in her queenly role.
Real myth? - 10
Prince Paris Probably Did Rule Troy, With Or Without Helen
You know Paris, prince of Troy, as the wife-stealing bad boy from the Iliad, but was he a real dude? Real-life Troy was located on the west coast of Anatolia (modern Turkey), and it might have been known as Wilusa (similar to the Greek name for the city, Ilios) in Hittite correspondence from the Bronze Age. A treaty from this time period was signed between a guy named Alaksandu (which sounds suspiciously similar to Prince Paris's second name, Alexander) probably from Wilusa/Troy, and Muwatalli II of the Hittites. We get other instances of Alaksandu living in and ruling Troy/Wilusa... maybe an inspiration for Paris?
Real myth? You might remember Robin Hood as a stealing-from-the-rich, giving-to-the-poor fox from a Disney movie. The Nottingham outlaw fought off bad King John's taxes, but was he actually a real guy? In medieval England, "Robehod" or "Rabunhod" were common nicknames for criminals, perhaps inspired by a real-life Robin Hood; medieval historians also seemed to have thought he was real. And one modern take on medieval evidence suggests that Robin was a real-life robber named Roger Godberd, but he was sadly the bad kind of thief.
Real myth?- 1The Adventures of Robin Hood256 Votes
- 2Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves313 Votes
- 3Robin Hood: Men in Tights218 Votes
- 12
Gyges of Lydia Founded A Turkish Dynasty
This 7th-century BC Anatolian king founded a dynasty and kicked off a great time in modern Turkey, but he sometime sounds more like a mythological figure than a real dude. Rumor had it that the previous king, Candaules, made Gyges, his bodyguard, look at his naked wife, then the wife made Gyges kill Candaules in revenge. Plato suggested that he had a magic ring; Pliny the Elder said he was the one who invented ball games.
In real life, Gyges was more of your average conquering king. Once he took power in Lydia, he made peace with the pharaoh of Egypt, but was eventually killed by neighbors.
Real myth?
