LATIN MYTHS AND GODS

Aphrodite, Venus

goddess of sexual passion and fertility

Apollo

god of light and inspiration, arts, healing

Ares, Mars

god of war

Artemis, Diana

virgin goddess of the hunt, protector of wild animals, children

Athena, Minerva

goddess of practical wisdom, arts and crafts

Demeter, Ceres

goddess of grain and fertility

Dionysus (Bacchus)

god of wine and flowing fertility who inspires madness

Hades - Plutos, Saturnus - Pluto

ruler of the underworld

Hephaestus, Vulcan

blacksmith and fire god

Hera, Juno

wife and consort of Zeus (Jupiter), patroness of the family

Hermes, Mercury

messenger of the gods

Nemesis

goddess of retribution

Pan

god of shepherds and flocks

Poseidon, Neptune

ruler of the sea

Prometheus

a Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mortals

the Titans

generation of gods who ruled before being overthrown by the Olympians (ruled by Zeus)

Zeus, Jupiter - Jove

ruler of the Olympians and mortals

the Fates

determiners of human destiny, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos

Augean stables

filthy

Elysium, Elysian Fields

dwelling place of mortals granted happiness

Labyrinth

maze built to imprison the minotaur

Lethe

river in underworld whose waters caused the dead to forget their past life (apathetic, drowsy)

Mount Olympus

residence of the Olympians

Styx

river in the underworld, dead buried with a coin to pay

Cerberus

three headed dog guarding the underworld entrance

Chimera

monster, fanciful or unrealistic

Harpies

female monsters, bird like, greedy and filthy

Medusa

hair of snakes, ugly, terrifying

Phoenix

someone or something that has been renewed after its apparent destruction

Sirens

seductive women who entice men, mermaid like

Sphinx

female monster, eats those who cannot solve riddle, anyone who gives responses that are difficult to interpret

Atlas

held the sky on his shoulders, bound collection of maps or charts

Amazons

women who lived without men, tall and physically powerful

King Midas

golden touch, positive now

the labors of Hercules

to gain immortal fame, 12 seemingly impossible labors, unconquerable spirit

Pandora’s box

opened all the evils to the world, hope remained in the box, source of unforeseen trouble or problems

Procrustes

arbitrary and violent means of ensuring conformity

Prometheus

stole fire and gave to mortals, bound to a rock, boldly original and creative

Proteus

changed himself into whatever form he wished, variable or changeable

Sisyphus

condemned to forever push a boulder to the top of a hill, only to watch it roll back down, futility 

Tantalus

extremely desirable but unobtainable

Apple of Discord

chooses who is the fairest

the judgment of paris

chose Aphrodite as the fairest

Helen

launched a thousand ships

Achilles

held by his heel in invulnerable pool, weakness

myrmidons

anyone who blindly follows the commands of his leader

Hector

acting or speaking in an overbearing way

Cassandra

anyone who predicts gloom and disaster

Trojan horse

anyone or anything that seeks to destroy from within

Stentor

person with a loud or powerful voice

Odysseus

long and wandering journey

Penelope

model of a faithful wife

Mentor

wise counselor or teacher

Arcadia

idealized rural existence

Draconian

unusually severe measure

Laconic

individual who is concise in his remarks

Mausoleum

elaborate monument to the dead

Meander

go or behave in an aimless or wandering way

Pyrrhic Victory

gained at too great a cost

Croesus

someone with untold wealth

Solecism

incorrect usage of language or manners

Solon

wise statesman or lawmaker

Spartan

rigorous, disciplined, and simple way of life

Sybaritic

enjoyment of sensuous and indulgent pleasures

Cynicism

independence of action and complete freedom from social conventions

Epicureanism

the highest good is pleasure

Hedonism

physical pleasure or happiness is the highest good

Platonism

the highest form of love was that of the soul

Skepticism

since sense perceptions are deceptive, there is no possibility of absolute knowledge of anything

Stoicism

one should submit to fate and go with the flow