Greek Allusions IV

Iphigenia

• Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra

• Sacrificed by Agamemnon to Artemis

  • Prompted her mother (Clytemnestra) to kill Agamemnon

Leda

• Wife of King Tyndareus, Queen of Sparta

• Mother to (mortal) Castor and Clytemnestra

• Swan-form Zeus bore (immortal) Pollux and Helen

Jocasta

• Mother of Oedipus, married Oedipus

• Bore Oedipus four children

  • two girls including Antigone

• Hung herself, Oedipus gouged out his eyes

Hera

• Wife of and Sister to Zeus

• Brought up by Titans Ocean and Tethys

• Protector of Marriage, esp. married women

• Punished women Zeus got involved with

• Gracious protector of heroes

• Inspirer of heroic deeds

Hydra

• Creature w/ Nine Heads

• Lived in a swamp in Lerna

• One immortal head; chopped off mortal heads grew into two separate heads

Jason

• Leader of the Argonauts

• Lead quest for Golden Fleece

• Son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus

• Married to sorceress Medea

• On par with Heracles and Odysseus

Hermes

• Son of Zeus and Atlas’ daughter, Maia

• Graceful and swift of motion

• Winged sandals and winged hat

• Shrewdest and most cunning

• Solemn guide of the dead

• God of Commerce and Market

• Master Thief

• the Staff of Hermes is Caduceus

Lethe

The river of forgetfulness that runs through Hades

Heracles

• Son of Zeus and Alcmene

• Foster son of Amphitryon

• Great-grandson of Perseus

• Famed for extraordinary strength, courage, ingenuity, and sexual prowess w/ (wo)men

• Used his wits on several occasions

• Associated with club and lion cape

Laocoon

• He and his sons were suspicious of the Trojan Horse

• Warned the Trojans; ultimately ignored

• Killed by two serpents sent by Poseidon or Athena

Menelaus

• King of Ancient Sparta

• Son of Atreus and Aerope

• Key in the Illiad

• Won Helen from Tyndareus

  • Helen stolen by Paris

Hyacinth

• Apollo’s favorite companion

  • Killed her during discus throwing competition

• Started a festival

Janus

• Originally on the Numina

• God of good beginnings, doors, gates, and transitions

• Represents the middle ground between life/death, beginning/end, youth/adulthood, etc.

Medusa

• One of the three Gorgons

• Killed by Perseus

  • Used her head as a weapon

  • Gave to Athena to place on her shield

• Gaze could turn men to stone

Mentor

The Ithacan that Odysseus trusted most

Iris

• God of the Rainbow

• Messenger of the Gods

  • only messenger in the Iliad

• Hermes appears as first messenger in Odyssey, but does not replace Iris

Medea

• Daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis

• Niece of Circe

• Granddaughter of sun god, Helios

• Wife to hero Jason, has two children

• Killed children to get revenge on Jason

Icarus

• Son of Daedalus

• Flew too close to sun when escaping labyrinth

  • Wax wings melted, sent him to watery death

Lucifer

• Father to Ceyx

• the Light-bearer; the Star that brings in the Day

• Had a bright gladness

Hestia

• AKA Vesta (Roman vestal virgins)

• Sister to Zeus; virgin goddess

• Goddess of the Hearth

  • symbol of the Home

  • Newborn children must be carried around hearth before being received into the family