I'm currently toying with the notion of starting a
Mazes & Minotaurs campaign, set in the pseudo-Ancient-Mediterranean world of
Mythika. I know that some of my potential players will eschew the Greek heroes in favor of the
barbaroi, or Barbarians. In the game world, Barbarians are assumed to come from Hyperborea, but it occurs to me that there are plenty of other options on the other side of the Middle Sea. Unfortunately, since the ancient Greeks were so close-minded about recognising the achievements of anyone who wasn't Greek or Trojan, or at least Scythian, I'm at a loss to find good examples of heroes from these other regions. I'm hoping that some of you might be able to help me with some ideas.
Here are the regions:
The Land of the Sun - A parallel to the Middle East; the Phoenicians. Here, at least, I can think of the biblical hero Samson, who corresponds roughly to the right time period. There's Gilgamesh and Enkidu, too, though they're much more "ancient" than I'm looking for.
Midia - North Africa, Carthage.
The Desert Kingdom - Egypt.
Charybdia - West Africa; hot, savage jungles.
I'm not looking for hard, fast, historical figures, but regional inspiration for "re-skinned" heroes of the ancient Mediterranean.
!i!