CLCV Names & Terms

tallest mountain in Greece, home of the the Olympians, was formed after the fight with the titans

Mt Olympus

the food and drink of the gods that creates long life, it was brought to the Olympians by doves, simply means immortality

Ambrosia

similar to ambrosia, may have been a drink instead of food. Simply means not dying

Nectar

golden fluid that is the blood of the gods, toxic to mortals

Ichor

temple to all the gods, but also the religion itself. Set of all gods of a polytheistic religion

Pantheon

all power, gods are NOT

omnipotent

all knowing, gods are NOT

omniscient

ability to transform into another form, zeus changes shape the most

metamorphasis

combining all Indo-European names for sky god

Dyaus

ancient temple in Argos dedicated to Hera

Argive Heaion

Greek goddess of childbirth, possible child of Hera, or Hera herself

Eileithyia

a spring where Hera bathes every year to become a virgin again

Kanathos

sea goddess, personification of the sea itself. Counterpart is Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon

Thalassa

Poseidon is called “lord of helicon”

Mt Heliconw

winged horse, said to be the child of Poseidon and Medusa

pegasus

Pegasus struck his hoof on a stone and a spring burst forth, the Hippocrene. This took place on Mt helicon.

hippocrene

daughter of Demeter and zeus, queen of the underworld. Vegetation goddess, wife of hades

persephone

a great hall, was one of the primary centers of the ceremonies devoted to Demeter and Persephone

telesterion

demeter saved him with her breast milk and then taught him the art of agriculture. He then taught all of Greece how to farm.

triptolemus

the idea that something always happens in a cycle. An example is the seasons

eternal return

mythical people who lived beyond the north wind

hyperborean

adolescent. Apollo is a child without a beard

ephebe

female divinities associated with animals

potnia theron

mother of Artemis and Apollo. Impregnated by Zeus.

Leto (Latona)

place where leto gave birth to Apollo and artemis. Did it here because hera banned her from giving birth on anyplace on earth. It was an island that wasn't attached to the ocean floor so she could give birth here

Mt Cynthus/Delos

mother of Athena. She was swallowed by zeus so as to not conceive the child he bore her, but Athena still erupted from his head fully grown and armed.

metis

wooden cult image of ancient Greece

xoanan

greek temple on the north side of the acropolis dedicated to Athena and Poseidon

erectheion

temple dedicated to Athena in the city of Athens.

parthenon

carried by zeus or Athena, it might have been an animal skin or shield.

aegis

protective amulet worn by Zeus and Athena with the head of a gorgon on it

gorgoneion

the gorgan was an apotropaic, a way to turn away evil

apotropaic

"fireplace," Hestia goddess of

hearth

great hall of the Grecian palace complexes, usually has a large central hearth

megaron

sacred object of stone connected with the cult of hermes

herm

oldest places of worship for hermes was found here

arcadia

"The Seven Sisters": the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. Maia, eldest of the seven Pleiades, was mother of Hermes by Zeus.

They were the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Hyades, and the Hesperides. The Pleiades were nymphs in the train of Artemis, and together with the seven Hyades were called the Atlantides, Dodonides, or Nysiades, nursemaids and teachers to the infant Dionysus. They were thought to have been translated to the night sky as a cluster of stars, the Pleiades, and were associated with rain.

pleiades

Dione is one of the Titanides or Titanesses. She is called a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, hence an Oceanid. She and Zeus are called the parents of Aphrodite by some ancient sources

dione

a ritual of ancient Greece and Rome which used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques (like dance and music) to remove inhibitions and social constraints, liberating the individual to return to a natural state.

mystery cult

In Dionysian rite as represented in myth and literature, a living animal, or sometimes even a human being, is sacrificed by being dismembered.

sparagmos

-eating of raw flesh

omophagy

roman name for Dionysus, also known as the frenzy he induces

bacchus

female followers of Dionysus

maenad

a troop of ithyphallic male companions of Dionysus with horse-like (equine) features, including a horse-tail, horse-like ears, and sometimes a horse-like phallus.

satyr

companion and tutor to Dionysus, he was described as the oldest, wisest and most drunken of the followers of Dionysus

Silenus

associated with Dionysus and his followers is a symbol of prosperity, fertility, hedonism, and pleasure/enjoyment in general

thyrsus

combining different, seemingly contradictory beliefs into one

syncretism

a rationalizing method of interpretation, which treats mythological accounts as a reflection of historical events, or mythological characters as historical personages but which were shaped, exaggerated or altered by retelling and traditional mores

euhemerism

collective term for 4 separated sports festivals held in Greece to honor the gods

panhellenic festival

series of athletic competitions held in honor of Zeus. The oldest Panhellenic games. The games were held every 4 years in Olympia

olympic

series of athletic competitions held in honor of Athena. The games were held every 4 years in Athens

Panathenaea

an object offered in fulfillment of a vow, such as a candle used as a vigil light.

votive

a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing. "Richard the Lion-Hearted" is an epithet of Richard; a characterizing word or phrase firmly associated with a person or thing and often used in place of an actual name, title, or the like, as "man's best friend" for "dog.".

epithet

being part god and part mortal, had great powers and abilities and often featured in the mythology of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The Demigods were fabulous famous heroes such as Achilles, Hercules, Theseus and Perseus.

demigod

godliness; state or quality of being divine

divinity/deity

the visual images, symbols, or modes of representation collectively associated with a person, cult, or movement.

iconography

—also called the Pythian Apollo—is a celebrated marble sculpture from Classical Antiquity.

Apollo Belvedere

the triangular upper part of the front of a building in classical style, typically surmounting a portico of columns.

pediment

altar built in asia minor. The statue shows the chief Greek gods, gigantomachy

pergamon altar

depicted in triple form, goddess of magic, represents dark side. Also represents moon

hecate

god of medicine, son of Apollo

asclepius

was the greek god of the underworld. hell is described as having 4 rivers, styx and Acheron being 2 of them. Achilles described dying as awful, and hades offers no peace or paradise, and it’s better to be alive then dead. The tortures of hades are also described.

hades

a multiheaded dog, or hellhound, who guards the entrance to the underworld

cerberus

river of woe

acheron

ferryman who transported the newly dead across either styx of Acheron into hades

charon

tells the story of Aeneas entering the underworld to visit his father

vergils aenid

Trojan hero, his mother is Aphrodite

aeneas

priestess who helps aeneas travel into the underworld

sibyl of cumae

branch that symbolizes that Aeneas was destined to travel to the underworld

golden bough

portrayed as entrance to the underworld in virgils aeneid

avernus

term for traveling into the underworld

katabasis

a judge of the dead in the underworld a.

Minos

a judge of the dead in the underworld b.

Rhadamanthys

a judge of the dead in the underworld c.

Aeacus

deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as a prison for the titans. Also a place where souls were judged after death

tartarus

famous for his eternal punishment in tartarus. He was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches, but the fruit always evaded his grasp, and the water always receding before he could drink. He was punished for cutting up his son and serving him to the gods

tantalus

was punished for 2 things. The first was holding back information from esposus when his daughter was taken away by Jupiter. The second was after he refused to return to the underworld when he was granted permission to leave for a short time to yell at his wife who essentially killed him. His punishment was to ceaselessly roll a rock up a hill, only to have the rock roll back down when it got to the top

sisyphus

son of Elara and Zeus. He was a giant who was commanded by Hera to rape Leto but was slain by her children artemis and Apollo. His punishment was to be stretched out in tartarus and have his liver eaten by vultures

titysus

the first man accused of kin slaying, he killed his father in law after he stole some of his horses in retaliation for him not paying the bride price. Zeus was willing to offer him a pardon, until he lusted after Zeus's wife Hera. Zeus fashioned together a cloud that looked like Hera and he impregnated the cloud and the cloud gave birth to first centaur. Zeus punished him by binding him to a winged fiery wheel that is always spinning

ixion

50 daughters who were to marry 50 sons. All but one of them killed their husbands on their wedding night, and their punishment was to spend eternity carrying water in a sieve.

danaids

the one good place in hades where mortals related to gods or heroes, the righteous, and the heroic would go to rest. They lived a happy and blessed life.

elysian fields

were semi-legendary islands in the Atlantic Ocean, variously treated as a simple geographical location and as a winterless earthly paradise inhabited by the heroes of Greek mythology.

isles of the blessed

deadliest monster of all mythology, last son of gaia and his father was tartarus. It attempts to destroy Zeus at the will of Gaia, because Zeus had imprisoned the Titans. He overcomes Zeus in their first battle, and tears out Zeus' sinews. However, Hermes recovers the sinews and restores them to Zeus. He is finally defeated by Zeus, who traps him underneath Mount Etna.

typhoeus

a prince who Zeus fell in love with. Zeus transformed into an eagle and took him to Olympus, where he served as cup bearer

Ganymede

Zeus thought this woman was very beautiful and came down to earth and raped her. Hera got suspicious and came to investigate only to see that Zeus had changed her into a cow. Hera then took her as a present and Zeus couldn't refuse her. Hera commanded Argos, who had 100 eyes, to keep watch over her. Zeus then asked Hermes to kill Argos. Hermes instead lulled him to sleep and Hera forced her to walk the earth with a fly stinging her the whole time. Eventually she meets Prometheus who tells her she will be returned to human form one day. She travels to Egypt where Zeus changes her back, and she gives birth to 2 children by him.

Io

She is pregnant with Jupiter's child. Juno, filled with rage at yet another dalliance of Jupiter's, disguises herself as an old woman and convinces her to ask Jupiter to make love to her with all his power as a god, just as he makes love to Juno. She gets Jupiter to promise her an unspecified gift. When she makes her request, Jupiter cannot go back on his word. He makes love to her with all his power. She cannot withstand it, and she dies. Jupiter brings their son, Bacchus, to full term in his thigh.

Semele

Zeus transformed himself into a bull and started hanging around her. At first she was scared of the bull, eventually she became less afraid and starting petting his back and rubbing his horns. Eventually the princess sat on his back and he abducted her from her home land.

Europa

As she picks violets in a grove, Hades rapes her and then takes her to his underworld kingdom. Cyane, a nymph of Sicily, sees the crime, but all she can do is weep. Her tears make her part of the spring she inhabited. Demeter, which is her mother, searches everywhere for her daughter. When she comes to Cyane's spring, Cyane manages to convey what happened. The rich soil of Sicily feels Demeters wrath. Arethusa, a sacred spring, explains to Demeter that Hades, not the earth, is to blame. After grieving, Demeter speaks to Zeus. Initially, Zeus says that Hades raped her out of love, and that she married well. The brother of Zeus is no insignificant son-in-law. Zeus says that if Demeter still wants her daughter back, she may have her, as long as she has not eaten anything from the underworld. She has eaten something, so Zeus offers a compromise. She will divide her time equally between Hades (winter) and Demeter.

Rape of Persephone

came forth from the earth by spontaneous self-generation and scared the people of Parnassus. Apollo, who before only practiced on gazelles and deer, killed it with a thousand arrows and black venom poured from it. To make sure the world never forgot this feat, Apollo created the pythian games.

slaying of the python

Apollo saw cupid shooting arrows and teased him and called him a little boy. To get back at Apollo, cupid shot 2 arrows, one at Apollo that would make him fall in love, and one at a woman, the child of the river Peneus. The arrow shot at the woman made her flee from the thought of a lover. Apollo chased the woman, trying to get her to consent to be with him. Eventually the woman, who loved the woods, begged her father to change her form, thus transforming her into a tree. Apollo still loved her and used her leaves to adorn him.

daphne

the story starts with epaphus teasing Phathon about his father, telling him that he is not truly the child of the sun god. Phaethon goes to his mother, and asks her to give him proof that the sun is really his father. She tells him to go forth and find his father and get the proof from him. Phaeton travels to the palace of the Sun to get some answers about who his father is. The Sun approaches and reaffirms to Phaeton that he is, indeed, his father. Unconvinced, Phaeton asks his father to prove it to him by allowing him to drive his father's chariot and winged horses. The Sun pleads with Phaeton to ask for something else, but Phaeton is stubborn. The Sun tells Phaeton how to ride and rubs his face with sacred ointment to protect him from the heat. As soon as Phaeton takes flight, his excitement changes to abject fear. He realizes that he is not able to control his father's chariot. The earth suffers as he draws nearer. Moisture evaporates, mountain and forest are burned, rivers dry up, and the heat confines Neptune to the sea. The earth utters a lament, which is quickly silenced by heat and smoke. Jupiter sees what is going on and saves the day by hurling a thunderbolt at Phaeton, killing him. So devastated are Phaeton's sisters that they are transformed into amber trees. Phaeton's mother travels the world searching for her son's remains to give him a proper burial.

phaethon

a satyr challenged Apollo to a flute contest and lost. His punishment was to be flayed and his flesh was pulled from his body. The tears that were shed on his behalf created the river

marsyas

Apollo was in love with the boy and would forsake his duties to spend time with him. On one occasion the pair decided to play a game of discus. Apollo went first and threw a great throw. The boy went to pick it up, but the strength of the throw caused the disk to hit the earth and spring back up into his face. Apollo tried to save his lover, but to no avail. Apollo mourned for the youth and promised him he would be remembered. As he spoke a flower sprang up, the color a deep red. Each year he is remembered in the solemn festival of the boy

Hyacinthus

Hera saw that Zeus' lover, had given birth to a son, and jealous swept down to earth and transformed her into a bear. 15 years later she happens upon her son for the first time. Her son is scared of her, for he thinks she is only a bear, and readies himself to kill his mother, when Zeus transforms both of them into constellations

Callisto

this woman does not feel inferior to the gods. She has a great husband, Amphion, a distinguished lineage, a large kingdom, and many children. Tiresias's daughter, Manto, tells her to worship the goddess Latona and her two children, Apollo and Artemis. She ignores the advice and mocks her people for listening to Manto. She even wonders why people do not worship her. Latona is outraged. With her children, she causes disaster after disaster to strike Niobe's family. Seven of her sons and seven of her daughters are killed, she turns into tears, and fear of Latona spreads.

Niobe

While hunting this man, stumbles upon Artemis bathing in her sacred grove. Artemis is so offended that she transforms him into a deer, and his own hunting dogs kill him

Acteon

is a speedy woman whom an oracle has advised to avoid marriage. Hippomenes wants to marry her. She challenges him to a race. If he wins, she will marry him. If he loses, he will die. Before the start of the race, Aphrodite gives Hippomenes three golden apples with which to distract her during the race. Hippomenes defeats her but fails to thank Aphrodite for her help, so she turns her and Hippomenes into lions.

Atalanta

Athena approaches Arachne, her rival in the art of weaving. Disguised as an old woman, Athena advises Arachne to ask Athena for forgiveness. When Arachne will not comply, Athena drops the disguise and upbraids Arachne. They compete. Athena fashions a portrait that glorifies the gods in general and herself in particular. Arachne creates a flawless portrait of gods raping and deceiving humans. Athena is so enraged by Arachne's skill that she begins to beat her. Unable to endure such treatment, Arachne hangs herself, and Athena transforms her into a spider.

Arachne

Cupid accidentally pricks his mother, Venus, with one of his arrows, and she falls in love with this boy. She prefers him even to heaven. The boy goes hunting, and a boar gouges him to death. Venus mourns.

Aphrodite and Adonis

Was once a beautiful maiden with beautiful hair. Poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple, and Athena punished the sin by turning her hair into snakes. The product of the rape is said to be pegasus.

Medusa