Greek Mythology Lecture Notes

Flashcards generated from lecture notes following a VOCABULARY style.

Acrisius

King of Argos and father of Danae. An oracle warned his grandson would kill him, so he locked Danae away. After Zeus impregnated Danae, he put her and baby Perseus in a chest and threw them into the sea. Perseus later accidentally killed him, fulfilling the prophecy.

Andromeda

Princess of Ethiopia, daughter of Cepheus & Cassiopeia. Sacrificed to a sea monster due to her mother's boast, she was saved by Perseus with Medusa’s head and later married him.

Aphrodite / Venus

Goddess of love and beauty, born from sea foam. Married to Hephaestus but had an affair with Ares/Mars. Mother of Hermaphroditus and Aeneas. Represents love, sexuality, and desire.

Arachne

A mortal master weaver who challenged Athena. Her tapestry depicted the gods' crimes, and despite its perfection, Athena struck her down for hubris. Arachne hanged herself and was transformed into a spider to weave forever.

Ares / Mars

God of war, violence, and bloodlust. Had a notorious affair with Aphrodite and was caught in a net by Hephaestus, humiliating them.

Arethusa & Alpheus

Arethusa was a mortal maiden pursued by the river god Alpheus. She was transformed by Artemis into a spring with her waters flowing underground to Sicily to escape him.

Artemis / Diana

Virgin goddess of the hunt and protector of maidens. She intervened to save Arethusa from Alpheus by transforming her into a spring. Represents chastity and female independence.

Athamas

King of Orchomenus. His second wife, Ino, plotted against his children, Phrixus and Helle, from his first wife Nephele. Later, Hera drove him and Ino mad, causing him to kill his son.

Athanatoi

The "deathless ones," a term used collectively to describe the immortal Olympian gods.

Athena / Minerva

Goddess of wisdom, war strategy, and crafts. Won patronage of Athens, guided Perseus in slaying Medusa, and invented the double flute. Her shield bears Medusa’s head.

Bacchants / Maenads

Female followers of Dionysus who engaged in ecstatic worship, including frenzied rituals and sparagmos (tearing living things apart). They represent freedom from social order.

Cadmus

The founder of Thebes. He followed a cow, killed a dragon, sowed its teeth to create the first Thebans, and married Harmonia. He was later turned into a snake with her.

Cyane

A nymph of a spring who witnessed Persephone’s abduction by Hades and tried to block him. Out of grief, she dissolved into a pool of tears.

Danae

Daughter of Acrisius and mother of Perseus, impregnated by Zeus as golden rain while imprisoned. She and baby Perseus were put in a chest and rescued by Dictys.

Daughters of Minyas (Minyades)

Three sisters who refused to worship Dionysus, continuing to weave instead. They were punished by Dionysus, driven mad, and transformed into bats.

Demeter / Ceres & Persephone / Kore

A mother-daughter pair known as "The Two Goddesses." Persephone was abducted by Hades, causing Demeter's grief to stop crop growth, leading to the explanation of the seasons.

Dictys

A kind fisherman and brother of Polydectes who rescued Danae and Perseus from the chest and raised Perseus.

Dionysus / Bacchus

God of wine, theatre, and ecstasy. He grants joy to his followers but punishes nonbelievers, as seen with Pentheus.

Eleusinian Mysteries

Secret rites dedicated to Demeter and Persephone in Eleusis. Demeter taught humans these rituals, which promised a blessed afterlife.

Gaia & Ouranos

Earth (Gaia) and Sky (Ouranos). Ouranos imprisoned their children (Titans), leading Cronos to castrate him, separating the sky from the earth.

Gigantomachy & Titanomachy

Two great battles. The Titanomachy was the Olympians vs. Titans (Zeus won). The Gigantomachy was the Olympians vs. Giants, representing civilization defeating chaos.

Gorgons

Monsters with snake hair, including Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. Medusa, the mortal one, was beheaded by Perseus.

Graiae

Three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth. Perseus stole their eye to compel them to reveal the way to the Gorgons.

Hades / Pluto

God of the Underworld. He abducted Persephone to be his wife and rules the realm of the dead.

Harmonia

Wife of Cadmus. She received a cursed necklace at her wedding and was eventually turned into a snake with Cadmus.

Hephaestus / Vulcan

God of the forge and husband of Aphrodite. He famously caught Aphrodite and Ares in a golden net to expose their affair to the other gods.

Hermaphroditus

Son of Hermes and Aphrodite. Nymph Salmacis fell in love with him, and their bodies were fused into one, becoming both male and female.

Hermes / Mercury

Messenger god and psychopompos (guide of souls). He was the father of Hermaphroditus and helped Perseus with winged sandals.

Hesperides

Nymphs who guarded the golden apples in a far western garden, often appearing in heroic quests like Heracles’ 11th labor.

Ino / Leucothea

Wife of Athamas and aunt of Dionysus. Hera drove her mad, causing her to leap into the sea with her son, transforming her into the sea goddess Leucothea.

Kibisis

A magic bag used by Perseus to safely hold Medusa’s severed head.

Kykeion

A barley-water drink consumed during the Eleusinian Mysteries. Demeter drank it during her mourning at Eleusis.

Lyncus

King of Scythia who tried to kill Triptolemus after he taught agriculture. Demeter turned Lyncus into a lynx.

Medusa

The mortal Gorgon, once beautiful, cursed by Athena. Perseus beheaded her, and from her blood sprang Pegasus and Chrysaor.

Metaneira

Queen of Eleusis who hosted Demeter. She interrupted Demeter's attempt to make her son Demophon immortal.

Muses & Pierides

The 9 Muses are goddesses of the arts. The mortal sisters, Pierides, challenged the Muses to a singing contest, lost, and were turned into magpies.

Nephele

"Cloud," the first wife of Athamas. She sent a golden ram to save her children Phrixus and Helle from Ino's plot.

Pegasus & Chrysaor

Children of Medusa and Poseidon, who sprang from Medusa's blood when she was beheaded. Pegasus inspired Muses and helped kill the Chimera; Chrysaor fathered Geryon.

Pentheus & Sparagmos

Pentheus was the King of Thebes who forbade Dionysus worship. The Bacchants lured him into the forest and tore him apart (sparagmos), including his mother Agave.

Persephone / Proserpina / Kore

Daughter of Demeter, abducted by Hades to become Queen of the Underworld. Her story is a seasonal myth explaining the harvest cycle.

Perseus

A hero, son of Zeus and Danae. He was sent by Polydectes to fetch Medusa’s head, which he accomplished with divine help. He rescued Andromeda and turned Atlas to stone.

Phorcys & Ceto

Sea deities who were the parents of the Gorgons and Graiae.

Phrixus & Helle

Children of Athamas and Nephele. They escaped their stepmother’s plot on a golden ram; Helle fell into the sea (Hellespont), and Phrixus reached Colchis.

Polydectes

King of Seriphos and brother of Dictys. He desired Danae and sent Perseus on the quest for Medusa’s head to get rid of him. He was later turned to stone by Perseus.

Salmacis

A nymph who fell in love with Hermaphroditus. She clung to him and begged the gods to unite them, resulting in their bodies fusing into one.

Sirens

Companions of Persephone who were given wings and became bird-women while searching for her. Their enchanting songs lure sailors to their death.

Triptolemus / Demophon

Mortal youths of Eleusis. Triptolemus was taught agriculture by Demeter. Demophon was nearly made immortal by Demeter but was interrupted by his mother.

Typhon / Typhoeus

A monstrous giant with 100 snake heads. He fought Zeus in the final battle for cosmos control but was defeated and buried under Mt. Etna.