About Us

What this site is

Greek mythology is one of the most popular sources of tattoo ideas, and also one of the most misquoted. Plenty of tattoo pages repeat the same short meanings without saying where they come from, or mix up Greek and Roman names, or present one late version of a myth as the only one. This site tries to do better on both sides: the story behind the design, and the practical choices about style and placement.

It is not connected to any tattoo studio, artist or brand, and it does not sell tattoos or stencils.

Who runs this site

Greek Mythology Tattoo is run by a small, independent team with a shared interest in Greek mythology and tattoo culture. We started the site because we kept seeing the same problem: people choosing a Medusa, an Icarus or a Hades tattoo based on a one-line caption, and only later finding out that the story behind it was very different from what they had been told.

The goal is simple. When you leave this site, you should know what your design actually says, which version of the myth it comes from, and how to wear it well.

How the mythology is checked

The myths on each page are checked against the ancient sources that tell them. The main ones are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, the Homeric Hymns, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the Library attributed to Apollodorus, Herodotus and Pausanias.

These writers do not always agree. They lived centuries apart, in different places, and some were Greek while Ovid was Roman. When versions differ, the page says so. The Medusa page, for example, separates Hesiod’s monstrous Gorgon from Ovid’s story of a priestess punished by Athena, because the version you have in mind changes what the tattoo says.

About the tattoo designs

The tattoo designs shown on this site are AI-generated concept images, created with ChatGPT image generation. They are not the work of a tattoo artist, and they are not photos of real tattoos.

Please treat these images as references, not finished stencils. AI images can get anatomy, symmetry and small details wrong, and they are not drawn with skin, line spacing or healing in mind. A licensed tattoo artist should adapt any design to your body, the placement and the way ink ages.

The home page brings together the full collection of 1000 designs, covering 35 gods, creatures, heroes and symbols in styles from fine line and blackwork to red-figure vase painting. You can filter them by figure and style, open any design larger, save it to Pinterest or download it for personal reference. The Terms and Conditions explain how the designs may be used.

Our editorial standards

• Sources first. Every myth is summarised from the ancient texts, not from other tattoo blogs. Where versions disagree, we say so instead of picking the most dramatic one.
• Honest about darker stories. Some popular myths involve violence or abuse. We explain them plainly and respectfully, because the full story matters when it is going on your skin.
• Greek, not Roman, unless we say so. We use Greek names (Zeus, Athena, Hades) and point out when a popular image actually comes from Roman retellings.
• No paid meanings. Nobody can pay us to change what a symbol means or to promote a design. If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be clearly labelled.
• Regular updates. Pages are reviewed and corrected over time, and the date on a page changes when its content changes.

How the pages are structured

Each subject page follows the same pattern so you can compare figures easily:

• a quick summary of what the tattoo usually means
• the myth itself, with sources and differing versions noted
• the symbolism people attach to it today
• design ideas, placements and styles that suit it
• concept designs in different styles and placements
• common questions

The guides, like the placement guide and the styles guide, cover choices that apply to every subject. The quiz suggests subjects based on the traits you pick.

Corrections

Mistakes happen, especially with stories that have been retold for nearly three thousand years. If you spot an error in a myth, a wrong attribution, or advice that seems off, please point it out. Corrections are checked against the ancient sources listed above, and pages are updated when a fix is confirmed. You can send corrections, questions or feedback through our Contact Us page or directly to [email protected].

Advertising and how the site is funded

The site is free to read and has no paywall or sign-up. To cover hosting and the time it takes to research and update the pages, it may show advertising, including ads served by Google AdSense. Ads are always separate from the content, and they never decide which myths, meanings or designs we cover. Our Privacy Policy explains how advertising and analytics cookies work and how you can opt out.