AP Lit Mythology Allusions

Achille’s Heel

A fatal flaw in a character/system

Adonis

A symbol of male beauty

Aeolian

Related to wind, pertaining to the god Aeolus, the Greek god of winds.

Apollo

Greek god of the sun, music, prophecy, and healing

Argus

A figure with many eyes used to symbolize watchfulness

Athena/Minerva

God of wisdom, strategy, war, learning and reason

Atlas

A titan forced to hold up the sky; symbolizes endurance and burden

Aurora

Goddess of the dawn; symbolizes a new beginning

Bacchs/Dionysus

God of wine, pleasure, and celebration

Centaur

A half man half horse that symbolizes conflict between reason and instinct

Chimera

A monster that now symbolizes something unrealistic or imaginary. Commonly features a lion with a goat head on its back and a snake tail

Cupid

God of love; symbolizes attraction

Eros

Greek god of passionate love or desire

Fate

Three goddesses who control human fate and lifespan

Furies

God of vengeance that punish wrongdoing

Gorgon (Medusa)

A monster that turns people into stone with its gaze

Halcyon

A calm, peaceful, or happy timeH

Harpy

A winged monster that symbolizes cruelty or predatory

Hector

A trojan war hero that symbolizes honor and bravery

Helen (of Troy)

A woman whose beauty caused the Trojan War

Herculean

Something that requires immense strength or effort

Hydra-headed

A problem that multiplies when attacked

Iris/Iridescent

Goddess of rainbows; iridescent means shifting colors

Jovial

Cheerful and friendly; can be associated with Jupiter

Junoesque

Regal, defined, and stately (mainly refers to women)

Lethe

The river of forgetfulness in the underworld; symbolizes oblivion

Mars/Ares, Martial

God of war; martial martial means warlike or military

Medea

A sorceress in Greek mythology who helped Jason get the Golden Fleece and wanted vengeance after he abandoned her; known for passion and revenge

Mercurial/Mercury/Hermes

Messenger god of speed; mercurial means to be fast changing or unpredictable

Morpheus/Morphine

God of dreams; morphine is named for its sleep effects

Muse

A source of artistic inspiration

Narcissism

Excessive self love or obsession

Nemesis

Greek god of divine retribution; a force of justice or an enemy that brings downfall

Neptune/Poseidon

God the sea

Niobe

A symbol of excessive pride leading to punishment

Odyssey

A long adventure

Olympian

Majestic or powerful; related to the gods of Olympus

Paean

A song of praise or victory

Pandora’s box

An action that would cause many more problems

Parnassus

A mountain sacred to poetry and learning; symbolizes artistic achievement

Pegasus

A winged horse that symbolizes imagination and creativity

Phoenix

A bird that was reborn after being burned to ashes; symbolizes renewal

Plutocracy

A society ruled by the wealthy

Prometheus

A titan that was punished to have a vulture eat its organs after giving fire to humans; symbolizes rebellion and enlightenment

Proteus/Protean

A shapeshifting god; protean means adaptable or changeable

Psyche

The soul or mind; also a mortal who became the greek goddess of the soul

Pygmalion

A sculptor whose statue came to life; symbolizes transformation through love

Pyrrhic Victory

A win that costs more than its worth

Saturnalia/Saturnine

A Roman festival of excess; Saturnine means gloomy or serious

Sibyl

A female prophet or oracle

Sisyphus/Sisyphean

Endless, futile labour

Styx/Stygian

River of the underworld; stygian means dark or gloomy

Tantalize

To taunt with something desirable but unreachable

Titans

Powerful beings who ruled before the Olympians

Vulcan/Hephaestus

God of fire and metalwork

Zephyr

A gentle west wind; symbolizes softness or calm

Zeus

King of the gods; god of sky and thunder