Greek Mythology Unit - Gods, Titans, and Key Figures

Vocabulary flashcards covering major Greek and Roman mythological figures, their roles, and equivalents.

Dionysus (Bacchus)

Greek god of wine, revelry, and theatre; Roman name Bacchus.

Eros / Cupid

God of love and attraction; shoots arrows to inspire desire; Cupid is the Roman counterpart.

Demeter / Ceres

Goddess of agriculture and harvest; mother of Persephone; symbol is the stalk of wheat.

Persephone

Daughter of Demeter; abducted by Hades; queen of the Underworld; spends part of the year on earth and part in the underworld.

Gaia

Primordial Earth mother; mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes; represents the earth itself.

Uranus

Primordial sky-father; husband of Gaia; father of the Titans and Cyclopes; overthrown by Cronus.

Cronus (Kronos)

Titan who overthrew Uranus; swallowed his children to prevent overthrow; husband of Rhea; father of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

Rhea

Titan, sister and wife of Cronus; mother of the Olympian gods; tricked Cronus by feeding him rocks instead of Zeus.

Atlas

Titan punished to hold up the heavens (often portrayed as bearing the world on his shoulders).

Prometheus

Titan who defied Zeus by giving fire to humanity; clever, aided humans; punished for it.

Epimetheus

Titan who gave gifts to animals and neglected humans; brother of Prometheus; considered unwise.

Daedalus

Legendary craftsman; designer of the labyrinth; father of Icarus; created wings for escape.

Icarus

Daedalus’s son; flew too close to the sun with wax wings; wings melted and he fell into the sea.

Echo

Mountain nymph who could only repeat others’ words; loved Narcissus; cursed to only repeat voices.

Narcissus

Beautiful youth who loved his own reflection; turned into a narcissus flower.

Paris

Trojan prince who judged beauty among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite; awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, earning her favor and triggering the Trojan War.

Helen

Most beautiful woman; wife of Menelaus; abducted by Paris; her abduction sparked the Trojan War.

Achilles

Greek hero of the Trojan War; exceptionally powerful; vulnerable at his heel.

Odysseus

Cunning Greek hero of the Trojan War; known for his long journey home after the war.

Hercules (Heracles)

Divine hero; famed for his Twelve Labors; son of Zeus.

Zeus

Supreme ruler of the Greek gods; god of the sky; husband and brother of Hera; many love affairs.

Poseidon (Neptune)

God of the sea; ruler of the oceans; wields the trident.

Hades (Pluto)

God of the Underworld; ruler of the dead; cannot leave the underworld.

Hera (Juno)

Queen of the gods; wife and sister of Zeus; goddess of marriage and family.

Hestia (Vesta)

Goddess of the hearth and home; one of the Olympian gods.

Artemis (Diana)

Goddess of the hunt and wild things; maiden goddess; twin sister of Apollo; associated with the Moon.

Athena (Minerva)

Goddess of wisdom and war; sprang from Zeus’s head; goddess of crafts and strategic warfare.

Apollo

God of the Sun, music, poetry, and prophecy; twin brother of Artemis; son of Zeus and Leto.

Ares (Mars)

God of war; son of Zeus and Hera; known for his fierce demeanor; not favored by Homer.

Aphrodite (Venus)

Goddess of love and beauty; born from sea foam (in some myths); wife of Hephaestus; adored by many gods.

Hephaestus (Vulcan)

God of fire and smithing; ugly and lame; husband of Aphrodite; crafts weapons and tools for the gods.

Hermes (Mercury)

Messenger of the gods; cunning and swift; winged sandals and helmet; carries the caduceus.

Cerberus

Three-headed dog guarding the gates of the Underworld.