Greek and Roman Mythology Terms

Polytheism

Many Gods. Aren’t transcendent, but are better than us and immortal

Theogony

The origins of the Gods

Epithet

Repetitive descriptive name in association to a God(dess)

Genealogy

Mention of parents, not the entire family tree

Catalogue

List of names or things

Aetiology

Explanation of a cause or origin story

Titanomachy

Battle between Zeus and Titans

Ambrosia

Food of the Gods. Just for fun not survival

Nectar

Drink of the Gods

Timē

The role in a community. Niche, honors

Libation

Beverage for the Gods poured out onto the ground

Epic

Any poem written in dactylic hexameter

Dactylic Hexameter

A pattern of long, short, short in 6

Theology

Study of Gods

Anthropology

Account of what humans are like

Panhellenic

Pertains to all Greeks

Epichoric

At a particular place and no where else

Pierian

Region at the base of Mt. Olympus

Bard

Singer

Delphi

Mountains with Apollo’s main temple

Pythia

Priestess to Apollo at Delphi

Ephebe

Young man, right at youth

Lyre

Small musical instrument. Played in the negative

Epiphany

When a God reveals themselves to humans

Invocation

Summon a deity in a poem. Addressing the God in questions

Envoy

Farewell and promise of future songs and praise to deity

Temenos

Sacred space of land belonging to the Gods

Bomos

Altar. Slab of rock or artistic man-made altar inside the Temenos

Sacred way

The established pathway inside the Temenos

Naos

Temple protecting the Agalma from the elements

Agalma

The image for the gods. Statue typically limestone or sandstone

Tripod

Cauldron on 3 legs to hold water to boil meats for sacrifice

Thesauros

Treasure house to hold gifts given to Temenos

Omphialos

“Belly button”. The rock Kronos spit out when punched by Zeus and carried to center of universe by eagle

Korē

Girl/daughter. Used in Athens as Persephones name

Eleusis

City

Kykeon

Special drink for Demeter of barley, water, and pennyroyal

Triptolemos

One lord of Eleusis. The first farmer taught by Demeter on how to grow grains

Eleusian mysteries

Cult in Eleusis. Secret organization

Mystēs

A pledge going through the membership process

Mystagogue

Leader/guide of mystai going through process

Epoptes

Full members, gone through entire membership process and seen everything

Gephyrismos

Bridge treatment the mystai go across in single-file where they are publically humiliated or mocked

Telesterion

Huge building in Temenos. Where the final initiation happens into the mystery. Inside is dark with center wooden box where priest pulls out one stalk of wheat

Thesmophoria

Female only day-festival to celebrate fertility

Oikos

Family/household

Xenia

Hospitality/family friends, relationships between oikos

Iliopersis

The destruction of Troy

Polis

A city state/political comunity

Nostos

Homecoming or song about a homecoming

Overdetermination

Many causes for the same effect

Black figure

In artwork the figures are black. The background is kept neutral

Red figure

In artwork the figures are in red. The background is black leaving the foreground neutral.

Bilingual

In artwork one side is black figure and one side is red figure

Thysia

Sacrifice followed by a feast

Hecatomb

A very large sacrifice of 100’s of animals (same specific animal). State/Government run (very expensive!!)

Pompē

Procession to the festival for sacrifice

Euphemia

“Good speech. Announced at the beginning of the sacrifice festival. Means shut up

Blasphemia

“Bad speech” or any noise that would upset the Gods

Euchē

The prayer to the God dedicated at the sacrifice

Aparchē

The beginning of the sacrifice. Hair of the animal is cut off and burned transfering the ownership of the animal to the God. No backing out.

Ololygē

Ululation. Or yelling. Performed by women at the top of their lungs to drown out any potential blasphemia.

Sphagia

The actual killing of the animal

Apokia

A colony or home away from home. The city government decides where and who goes.

Kistēs

The founder of the colony (appointed by the Government)

Hero

A dead human who receives cult that is similar to the Gods

Aretē

Excellence

Kleos

Undying fame for aretē. Everyone knows about it

Aoidos

A singer who sings a song about kleos. Epic poetry

1184 BC

The fall of Troy

Chthonians

An entity (God) associated with the ground or underworld. Associated with fertility.

Olympians

Gods associated with being on Mt. Olympus

Taphos

A grave or tomb. The hole and the top that is ordained

Prothesis

Placement of the body before the burial. Preparation of the body in private at home

Stelē

The gravestone/grave marker. Has name and decorations. Washington Monument is shaped after this.

Leukythos

A small pot of treated olive oil (herbs and flowers; like perfume). The most typical grave gift

Krater

Wine mixing bowl with a hole in the bottom so the wine can seep down into the grave for the dead to appreciate.

Private grave cult

Single person. Decorated with ribbons and gifts.H

Public Hero grave cult

Singular or many people. Private grave cult is not allowed. State sponsored cult that is bigger and more expensive. A big mound heaped up is the taphos and becomes the altar.

Heinrich Schliemann

Archeologist who found grave circle A.

Hisarlik

In Northwest Turkey. Where most believe was Troy.

Tholos

Tomb-like. Shaped like a beehive. An Aristocratic grave site

Grave Circle A

In Mycenae. A bunch of prestige people burried.

Arthur Evans

Finds a huge palace in Crete that is not belonging to Greeks

Linear B

A writing system on clay tablets. Not Greek alphabetS

Syllabary

Name of writing system where there is one symbol per syllable

Kober

Had two ideas to decipher Linear B.

1. Used punchcard technology

2. Grouped all symbols that started with same consonant

Ventris

Deciphered linear B. Figured out that the Greeks were more powerful that originally thought and were imposing will on other groups.

Ivory dream gate

What you want to happen. Nice, fancy, expensive

Horned dream gate

Not fancy or attractive. A Truthful dream. The harsh truth