CLCV 115 Exam 2 - Names to Know

Mt. Olympus

home of the 12 Olympian gods

ambrosia and nectar

food/drink of the gods

ichor

golden blood of the gods

pantheon

collection of gods

omnipotent

all-powerful

omniscient

all-knowing

metamorphosis

gods changing from one form to another

Gigantomachy

war between the olympian gods and the giants

Dyaus

origin of the name Zeus

Eileithyia

daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of childbirth, midwifery, and labor pains

Hebe

daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth

Kanathos

sacred spring in Argos where the goddess Hera annually bathed to regain her virginity

Iris

goddess of rainbow, messenger for Hera

Thalassa

goddess and personification of the sea, female counterpart to Pontus

Mt. Helicon

home of the Muses and source of poetic inspiration, Poseidon is its lord

Pegasus

winged horse, son of Poseidon and Medusa, emerged from Medusa’s neck after Perseus beheaded her

Hippocrene

“Horse spring” on Mt. Helicon

Persephone (Proserpina)

daughter of Zeus and Demeter, Greek goddess of spring and queen of the Underworld

Telesterion

great hall and sanctuary in Eleusis

Triptolemus

mortal prince who became the god of agriculture after Demeter taught him the secrets of farming and gifted him a winged chariot pulled by winged dragons to spread this knowledge to the world

eternal return

endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth of the seasons

Hyperboreans

mythical people living in a paradise in the far north, beyond the home of the north wind (Boreas), honoring Apollo

ephebe

young man in ancient Greece, training to become a full citizen

Pythia

priestess of Apollo at the Oracle of Delphi, serving as a conduit for Apollo’s prophecies

tripod

seat of the Pythia

potnia theron

“Mistress of Animals”, name for Artemis

Leto

mother Apollo and Artemis, forced to give birth on floating island Delos by Hera

Mt. Cynthus

birthplace of Artemis on Delos

Metis

mother of Athena, first partner of Zeus, swallowed by Zeus to prevent being overthrown by a son, and Athena was born from his head.

xoanon

ancient wooden cult statua of Athena

Erechtheion

Athena and Poseidon’s contest for patronage of Athens, Athena offers an olive tree

Parthenon

temple of Athena in Athens

apotropaic

a type of magic used to turn away harm or evil influence (e.g., Athena’s use of Medusa’s head)

megaron

great hall or central room of a Mycenaean palace or large house, often where the hearth is kept

Pylos

kingdom ruled by King Nestor

herm

a sculpture, square pillar topped with the head of the god Hermes and his phallus

Arcadia

birthplaces of Hermes, sanctuary of Artemis

Pleiades

the seven sisters which included the eldest and most beautiful, Maia, Hermes’ mother

Dione

mother of Aphrodite

mystery cult

Dionysus’ followers

sparagmos

violent act of tearing apart a living creature, associated with Dionysus’ followers, the Maenads (tore King Pentheus apart)

omophagy

the consumption of raw flesh, often following sparagmos

syncretism

blending of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought

Euhemerism

the theory that myths are rooted in historical accounts of actual people and events that have been exaggerated over time

allegory

story with a hidden meaning

panhellenic festival

major religious and athletic gathering in ancient Greece

Olympic Games

series of athletic competitions held in Olympia, Greece, every four year in honor of Zeus

Panathenaea

ancient Athenian festival held in honor of the goddess Athena

votive

a gift dedicated to a god or goddess, left at a sanctuary, temple, or tomb as a sign of reverence

foundation myth

beginning with Chaos, which then create Gaia and Eros, then Ouranos, etc.

Peloponnese

region central to Greek mythology, named after the hero Pelops, who won the land in a chariot race

kylix

ancient Greek drinking cup

contrapposto

Greek invention in artwork/statues that describes a naturalistic human stance where weight is placed on one leg, creating a balanced but assymetrical and dynamic pose

Apollo Belvedere

famous Roman marble copy of a lost Greek sculpture depicting Apollo

orientation

directional alignment of temples, primarily to the east, for reasons of celestial events, religious symbolism, and using natural light

pediment

triangular gable ends of temple roofs that were filled with elaborate sculptures depicting mythological scenes

Pergamon Altar

ancient structure famous for its massive scale and intricate friezes depicting the Gigantomachy

Orion (Star myth)

A giant and powerful hunter whose death has several different versions, including being stung by a scorpion sent by Gaia or being killed by Artemis. He is famous for being placed in the night sky as a constellation, and the scorpion that killed him is also placed in the sky, forever chasing him.

Hecate (Chthonic God)

goddess of witchcraft, magic, night, and crossroads

Asclepius (Chthonic God)

god of medicine and healing, son of Apollo, taught by Chiron

Hades (Pluto) (Chthonic God)

god of the underworld, ruler of the death, god of wealth from the earth’s riches

Cerberus

three-headed hound that guards the gates of the underworld

Styx

river which is the boundary between the living and the dead in the Underworld

Acheron

“River of Woe” in the Underworld which souls have to cross to reach the afterlife

Charon

ferryman of the Underworld who transports the souls of the dead across the rivers Acheron or Styx to the afterlife

Vergil’s Aeneid

Roman epic poem that retells the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas after the fall of Troy, foundation myth for Rome

Aeneas

Trojan hero, son of Aphrodite, led remaining Trojans to Italy where his descendants would eventually found Rome

Sibyl of Cumae

Greek prophetess from ancient colony of Cumae, famous for her role as a priestess of Apollo and a guide for Aeneas

Golden Bough

sacred, golden-leaved branch that allowed Aeneas to travel through the Underworld safely

Avernus

entrance to the underworld,

Katabasis

a hero’s descent into the underworld for a specific purpose

Minos

King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa, who is famous for his role in the myth of the Minotaur, a monster he kept in the Labyrinth after his wife Pasiphae, gave birth to it as punishment for his defiance of Poseidon. Became one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld.

Rhadamanthys

a wise and just king who, after his death, became one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld

Aeacus

one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld. Also related to the creation of the Myrmidons.

Tartarus

a primordial god of the abyss and a deep, dark pit in the underworld used as a prison for the wicked and a dungeon of torment

Tantalus

Served his son Pelops to the gods as a banquet. Punished by being eternally tormented by hunger and thirst, standing in a pool of water with fruit hanging above his head, both of which always remain just out of reach.

Sisyphus

Tricked the gods to try to escape death multiple times. Condemned to eternally push a giant boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down just before he reached the top.

Tityus

Attempted to rape the goddess Leto. Punished by being stretched out and chained to the ground, where two vultures are sent to devour his liver daily, but the organ regenerates overnight, leading to eternal suffering.I

Ixion

Murdered his father-in-law by trapping him in a pit of fire and attempted to seduce Hera. Punished by being bound to a fiery, spinning wheel eternally.

Danaids

the fifty daughters of King Danaus, who, with the help of their father, murdered their husbands on their wedding night. Only one, Hypermnestra, did not participate, and the other 49 were condemned to the eternal task of filling a leaky vessel with water.

Elysian Fields, Isles of the Blessed

an area within the underworld where the souls of heroes and the most virtuous people reside