Limericks about Greek Myths and Heroes

Greek mythology, as told to us by Homer and Hesiod, conveys stories of profound fantasy and unusual insight. We can enjoy them as children enjoy their fairy tales. Or we can look more deeply to find lessons of rare psychological and spiritual insight.

However you prefer to consume your mythological morsels, this series of limericks about Greek myths promises to present these ancient anecdotes in a new and refreshing light. Here are the stories of Sisyphus and Ariadne as you’ve never heard them before.

     Out of Chaos
     The cosmos arose from a drop in a pail
     Chaotic conflation of woman and male
               No beginning or end
               An ambiguous blend
     Remember Ouroboros eating its tail

     Ariadne’s Thread  
     The virtuous path may be shrouded in haze
     The ego misleads you in so many ways
               But the simplest thing
               Like a bundle of string
     Is all that you need to escape from the maze

     High on Olympus  
     The Bacchanalia begins when the grapes turn to juice
     Relish yourself one more glass of chartreuse 
               The season is coming 
               For Pan flutes and drumming
     And goddesses bathed in the soft light of Zeus 

     The Patience of Sisyphus
     Monotonous labor, move always uphill
     Push ever upward and never sit still
               Nowhere to stop 
               As you stretch for the top
     An endless display of insatiable will

     Dioscuri 
     The twins in the sky we call Pollux and Castor     
     One a mere mortal the other a Master
               A foot in each realm
               But who’s at the helm? 
     The lack of alignment can bring a disaster

     Lost Sailors 
     Odysseus, Ishmael, set sail on their own
     Ungrounded, uncertain, on salt water foam 
               So see how they shift
               In their vessels adrift
     As the four winds deliver them light years from home

     Calliope’s Plaything 
     When Calliope whispers I drop what I’m doing
     Deep in the cauldron a limerick is brewing
               A line I can use
               With a sign from the muse
    So my debt to the goddess is quickly accruing 

Further Reading

If you liked these limericks about Greek myths and heroes, you’ll be sure to enjoy:

• Limericks about Greek Gods
• Limericks about Ancient Rome
• Limericks about the Hero’s Quest
• Limericks about Norse and Irish Mythology
• 8 Common questions about limericks