Myth Monday - Interconnectedness of the Greek Heroes

This week's Myth Monday looks at the way the major Greek heroes were interconnected. Could they all be connected within 6 degrees of separation, even without relying on the easy linkage through divine paternity (especially Zeus and Poseidon)? I think so and have made a start, but I haven't worked out all the angles yet. Please add your strands in the comments. Feel free to include Greek legendary heroes I haven't named, but who should be on the list.

Perseus Ancestor of Hercules

Someone has to come first, and it might as well be Mycenae's founder, Perseus. Married to Andromeda, daughter of the beautiful, but vain Cassiopeia of Ethiopia, Perseus was said to have been the father of Perses, father of the Persians, and others, including Alcaeus and Electryon, earthly grandparents of Hercules. Before passing to Hercules, who weaves in and out of stories almost as much as Theseus, the deed for which Perseus is best known leads to another major hero, Bellerophon.

From Hero Perseus --> Alcaeus & Electryon --> Alcmene & Amphitryon --> to Hero Hercules

Bellerophon Reaps the Rewards of Perseus' Labors

Perseus encountered Andromeda tied up for the sea monster (a punishment for Andromeda's mother's vanity) on his return voyage from the dangerous mission to decapitate Medusa. Medusa had been impregnated by Poseidon before she was turned into a hideous monster. It seems that as long as she kept her snaky-tressed head, she would never reach term. But when Perseus, looking into a mirror while doing his slicing (as Athena had advised), decapitated Medusa, Chrysaor sprang from her neck and Pegasus from her blood. Pegasus was a winged horse that Bellerophon later used to destroy the Chimera from above its dragony fire-breath.

From Hero Perseus --> Medusa (may be unnecessary intermediary step since Perseus midwived him) --> Pegasus --> to Hero Bellerophon

Bellerophon Grandson of Sisyphus and Grandfather of Trojan War Heroes

Bellerophon was the brother of Salmoneus and a grandson of Sisyphus, son of Aeolus, son of Hellen, son of the deluge survivors, Deucalion and Pyrrha (Apollod. 1.7). Sisyphus married Atlas' daughter Merope. (Atlas, by one account, was turned to stone by the Medusa head, linking him to Perseus.) Their son Glaucus (Hom. Il. 6.150-155) produced Bellerophon with his wife Eurymede (Apollod. 1.9).

Another Bellerophon-Perseus connection:
From Hero Bellerophon --> Glaucus --> Sisyphus --> Merope --> Atlas --> to Hero Perseus

Bellerophon's grandsons Sarpedon and Glaucus fought against the Greeks in the Trojan War (Apollod. Epit. E.3). Carlos Parada says Medea, wife of Jason and later, Theseus, gave Corinth (then, Ephyra) to Sisyphus. Salmoneus was the father of Tyro, who was the mother of Pelias and Neleus (Apollod. 1.9). Neleus married Chloris, daughter of Amphion, who gave birth to the Greek Trojan War hero Nestor, among many other children. Pelias' wife is debated, but among his children was the noble Alcestis, whom Hercules rescued from the death she agreed to suffer to spare her husband Admetus.

From Hero Jason or Theseus --> Medea --> Sisyphus --> Glaucus -- > to Hero Bellerophon

From Hero Bellerophon --> Salmoneus --> Tyro --> Neleus --> to Hero Nestor (Trojan War)

From Hero Bellerophon --> Salmoneus --> Tyro --> Pelias --> Alcestis --> to Heroes Admetus & Hercules

Deucalion --> Hellen --> Aeolus --> Sisyphus --> Glaucus --> to Hero Bellerophon

Sisyphus Father of Odysseus

Sisyphus is sometimes counted as the father of Odysseus (Eur. Cycl. 82) via a mating with Anticlea, daughter of Autolycus, son of Hermes, who taught Hercules.

From Hero Odysseus --> Sisyphus & Anticlea --> Autolycus --> to Hero Hercules

From Hero Odysseus --> Sisyphus --> Glaucus --> to Hero Bellerophon

I think 6 degrees of separation involves exclusive counting, so this would work:

From Hero Perseus --> Alcaeus & Electryon --> Alcmene & Amphitryon --> to Hero Hercules --> Autolycus --> Sisyphus & Anticlea --> to Hero Odysseus

Calydonian Boar Hunt

If you're going to put all the heroes together in three central events linking them, they would be the Calydonian Boar Hunt, the quest for the Golden Fleece, and the Trojan War. The Trojan War came last and involved sons and grandsons of the earlier heroes.

Oeneus married Althaea and produced Deianeira, whom Hercules married, and Meleager, who features in the Calydonian boar hunt (Apollod. 1.8). The people involved in the hunt are, from the same passage in Apollodrus:

"Meleager, son of Oeneus; Dryas, son of Ares; these came from Calydon; Idas and Lynceus, sons of Aphareus, from Messene; Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus and Leda, from Lacedaemon; Theseus, son of Aegeus, from Athens; Admetus, son of Pheres, from Pherae; Ancaeus and Cepheus, sons of Lycurgus, from Arcadia; Jason, son of Aeson, from Iolcus; Iphicles, son of Amphitryon, from Thebes; Pirithous, son of Ixion, from Larissa; Peleus, son of Aeacus, from Phthia; Telamon, son of Aeacus, from Salamis; Eurytion, son of Actor, from Phthia; Atalanta, daughter of Schoeneus, from Arcadia; Amphiaraus, son of Oicles, from Argos. With them came also the sons of Thestius."

• Deianeira and the Death of Hercules
• The Calydonian Boar Hunt
• Atalanta

Jason Grandson of Autolycus and the Argonauts

Cretheus, perhaps Salmoneus' brother, although I can't find him listed as Bellerophon's, had a son named Aeson. Aeson mated with Autolycus' daughter Polymede, producing a son, Jason. Pelias sent Jason to retrieve the Golden Fleece, which he did, with the help of a lot of fine young men, and a woman, collectively known as the Argonauts:

"Tiphys, son of Hagnias, who steered the ship; Orpheus, son of Oeagrus; Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas; Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus; Telamon and Peleus, sons of Aeacus; Hercules, son of Zeus; Theseus, son of Aegeus; Idas and Lynceus, sons of Aphareus; Amphiaraus, son of Oicles; Caeneus, son of Coronus; Palaemon, son of Hephaestus or of Aetolus; Cepheus, son of Aleus; Laertes son of Arcisius; Autolycus, son of Hermes; Atalanta, daughter of Schoeneus; Menoetius, son of Actor; Actor, son of Hippasus; Admetus, son of Pheres; Acastus, son of Pelias; Eurytus, son of Hermes; Meleager, son of Oeneus; Ancaeus, son of Lycurgus; Euphemus, son of Poseidon; Poeas, son of Thaumacus; Butes, son of Teleon; Phanus and Staphylus, sons of Dionysus; Erginus, son of Poseidon; Periclymenus, son of Neleus; Augeas, son of the Sun; Iphiclus, son of Thestius; Argus, son of Phrixus; Euryalus, son of Mecisteus; Peneleos, son of Hippalmus; Leitus, son of Alector; Iphitus, son of Naubolus; Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Ares; Asterius, son of Cometes; Polyphemus, son of Elatus.
(Apollod. 1.9)

• Jason
• Medea in Jason and the Argonauts
• Jason and the Golden Fleece

Helen of Troy

The beauty of Helen was so great that when she married an oath was taken that should anything happen, the losing suitors would come to the assistance of her bridegroom, Menelaus, to get her back (Apollod. 3.10.9). Since Theseus had abducted her once before, this wasn't an idle fear. When Paris abducted or seduced Helen away from Menelaus, the Greeks went to Troy to bring her back. Some of the contingents were led by men who had been too young to have been in the running for Helen's hand when she was born, but were now the virile sons and, evidently [if you have a citation for this, please put it in the comments], legally obligated representatives of aging fathers.

"The armament mustered in Aulis. The men who went to the Trojan war were as follows:-- Of the Boeotians, ten leaders: they brought forty ships. Of the Orchomenians, four: they brought thirty ships. Of the Phocians, four leaders: they brought forty ships. Of the Locrians, Ajax, son of Oeleus: he brought forty ships. Of the Euboeans, Elephenor, son of Chalcodon and Alcyone: he brought forty ships. Of the Athenians, Menestheus: he brought fifty ships. Of the Salaminians, Telamonian Ajax: he brought twelve ships. Of the Argives, Diomedes, son of Tydeus, and his company: they brought eighty ships. Of the Mycenaeans, Agamemnon, son of Atreus and Aerope: a hundred ships. Of the Lacedaemonians, Menelaus, son of Atreus and Aerope: sixty ships. Of the Pylians, Nestor, son of Neleus and Chloris: forty ships. Of the Arcadians, Agapenor: seven ships. Of the Eleans, Amphimachus and his company: forty ships. Of the Dulichians, Meges, son of Phyleus: forty ships. Of the Cephallenians, Ulysses, son of Laertes and Anticlia: twelve ships. Of the Aetolians, Thoas, son of Andraemon and Gorge: he brought forty ships. Of the Cretans, Idomeneus, son of Deucalion: forty ships. Of the Rhodians, Tlepolemus, son of Hercules and Astyoche: nine ships. Of the Symaeans, Nireus, son of Charopus: three ships. Of the Coans, Phidippus and Antiphus, the sons of Thessalus: thirty ships. Of the Myrmidons, Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis: fifty ships. From Phylace, Protesilaus, son of Iphiclus: forty ships. Of the Pheraeans, Eumelus, son of Admetus: eleven ships. Of the Olizonians, Philoctetes, son of Poeas: seven ships. Of the Aeanianians, Guneus, son of Ocytus: twenty-two ships. Of the Triccaeans, Podalirius: thirty ships. Of the Ormenians, Eurypylus: forty ships. Of the Gyrtonians, Polypoetes, son of Pirithous: thirty ships. Of the Magnesians, Prothous, son of Tenthredon: forty ships. The total of ships was one thousand and thirteen; of leaders, forty-three; of leaderships, thirty."
Apollod. Epit. E.3

• Hercules at Troy
• Trojan War People
• Major Events in the Trojan War

How would you tie in Cadmus of Thebes? Please post in the comments.