10 Achilles: The Making of a Hero Flashcards
Achilles
The son of the sea goddess Thetis, who was destined to produce a son who would be greater than Zeus. (p. 459)
Aeneas
A refugee from the Trojan War who founded the Roman people on Italian soil. (p. 487)
Ariadne
The Cretan princess who helps Theseus defeat the Minotaur—by means of some helpful silver thread. (p. 454)
Cleomedes
A boxer who tore down a school building, killing sixty children, and yet was worshipped as a hero because he was “no longer mortal”. (p. 446)
Colonus
The ultimate refuge of Oedipus, after he had blinded himself in his self-discovery. (p. 456)
Deianira
The wife of Heracles who inadvertently poisons him with the blood of the centaur Nessus. (p. 453)
Heracles
The son of Zeus who is pursued by Hera—and yet achieves great things due to her rage. (p. 450)
Heracles’ labors
Twelve famous deeds accomplished by Heracles, as punishment for the murder of his wife and children. (p. 451)
Hero cult
The worship of heroes, generally where their bodies were believed to rest. (p. 447)
Hero Shrine
A “heroon” which could be located at a variety of places, such as in the center of a community or at its boundaries. (p. 446)
Hippolytus
The son of Theseus who is accused by his step-mother Phaedra of an attempted rape. (p. 455)
Hyllus
The son of Heracles and Deianira, who is forced to marry Iole against his wishes. (p. 453)
Jocasta
The mother of Oedipus and unwittingly his wife and mother of his four children. (p. 457)
Laius
The father of Oedipus, whom he kills, again unwittingly, at a crossroads. (p. 457)
Megara
The first wife of Heracles, whom he kills, together with their two sons, once he has been driven mad. (p. 450)
Minotaur
The half-human, half-bull creature who lived in a Cretan labyrinth and received the annual tribute of fourteen Athenian boys and girls. (p. 454)
Oedipus
The son and husband of Jocasta, who blinds himself with the pins from her robe. (p. 458)
Pyanopsia
The most important Athenian festival in honor of Theseus, during which young boys imitated Theseus’ destruction of the Minotaur. (p. 456)
Sphinx
The holder of a riddle that resulted in many deaths, until Oedipus solved it during his travels. (p. 457)
Theseus
A quintessentially Athenian hero, who uses his brains as well as his brawn to defeat his enemies. (p. 454)
Thetis
The mother of Achilles, who implores Zeus’ help on her son’s behalf. (p. 463)
