One common theme is love and loss. Just like in the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, their deep love was torn apart by fate. Another theme is hubris or excessive pride. Narcissus' extreme self - love led to his downfall and the heartbreak of Echo. Also, betrayal is often seen, like Loki's betrayal of Baldr in Norse mythology.
One sad story is that of Echo and Narcissus. Echo was a nymph who could only repeat the last words of others because of a curse. She fell in love with Narcissus, a beautiful young man. But Narcissus was so in love with his own reflection in a pool that he could not love Echo back. Eventually, he pined away looking at his reflection and died, and Echo was left heartbroken, slowly fading away until only her voice remained.
In Norse mythology, the story of Baldr is quite sad. Baldr was the beloved son of Odin and Frigg. He was so good and beautiful that all things in nature swore an oath not to harm him, except for the mistletoe. Loki, the trickster god, found out about this loophole. He tricked Baldr's blind brother Hodr into throwing a mistletoe dart at Baldr, which killed him. His death brought great sorrow to the gods and was a sign of the coming end of the world, Ragnarok.
One of the sad love stories in Greek mythology is that of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus, a great musician, fell in love with Eurydice. But she was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus was so heartbroken that he went to the underworld to bring her back. His music charmed Hades, the god of the underworld, who allowed Eurydice to follow Orpheus out, but on the condition that he should not look back at her until they reached the upper world. However, at the last moment, Orpheus couldn't resist and looked back, and Eurydice was lost to him forever.
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.
A sad story is that of Agamemnon. When he returned from the Trojan War, his wife Clytemnestra killed him in his bath, as revenge for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia before the war. His death was a tragic end to his long and arduous journey.
Cupid, the Roman god of love, also had a somewhat sad love story in his role as a warrior of love. He fell in love with Psyche. Their relationship was full of trials. Cupid's mother Venus was against their relationship, and Psyche had to go through many difficult tasks to be with Cupid. It was a love story filled with challenges and heartache.
Well, there is the story of Hyacinthus. He was a beautiful Spartan prince and was loved by Apollo. One day, while they were playing discus, Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, out of jealousy, blew the discus off course and it hit Hyacinthus on the head, killing him. Apollo was heartbroken. He didn't allow Hades to take Hyacinthus completely. Instead, he turned Hyacinthus into a flower, the hyacinth.
The story of Ajax is a sad one. Ajax was a great hero in the Trojan War. After the death of Achilles, there was a contest to decide who would get Achilles' armor. Ajax thought he deserved it, but instead it was given to Odysseus. Ajax was so enraged and heartbroken that he went mad and killed himself. His death was a great loss, as he was a very powerful and noble warrior.
The story of Odysseus is also among the best. Odysseus had to endure a long and arduous journey home after the Trojan War. He faced many challenges like the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the wrath of Poseidon. His intelligence and perseverance are highlighted throughout his adventures, making it a captivating Greek mythology story.