Greek Terms

Question 1

Athloi

Answer 1

The twelve Panhellenic Heraklean Labors

Question 2

Parergon

Answer 2

Side quests within other major quests

Question 3

Katabasis

Answer 3

Journey to the underworld. Mark of a true hero.

Question 4

Xenia

Answer 4

Guest friendship relationship.

Question 5

Daimones

Answer 5

The Graiai. Sisters of the gorgon. Share one eye and tooth. Perseus stole them in order to learn whereabouts of gorgon Medusa. Gave hi, cap of invisibility, winged sandals, and kibisis

Question 6

Kibisis

Answer 6

Sack to contain the head of Medusa

Question 7

Hubris

Answer 7

Fatal flaw.

Question 8

Aegis

Answer 8

Shield of Zeus with head of Medusa on it. Often used by Athena.

Question 9

Didactic

Answer 9

Type of poetic meter.

Question 10

Bougonia

Answer 10

Practice involving spontaneous generation of bees from sacrificed cattle. Used as a way fir Aristaeus to redeem himself after death of Euridice.

Question 11

maenads

Answer 11

Female followers of Bacchus

Question 12

Bacchic frenzy

Answer 12

Used by Bacchus against non-believers in his status of god. Often caused his maenads to tear the person to pieces.

Question 13

Catasterism

Answer 13

Process of being turned into a constellation

Question 14

Deus ex machina

Answer 14

Timely intervention by Poseidon to allow the escape of Medea after the murder of Creon, Glauce, and her own children.

Question 15

Nostoi/Nostos

Answer 15

Process of traveling home after a journey. Involves physical journey, but also the return to position within the oikos.

Question 16

Penteconter

Answer 16

50 oared ship.

Question 17

Bireme

Answer 17

Greek ship. 2 tiers of oars.

Question 18

Trireme

Answer 18

Greek ship. 3 tiers of oars.

Question 19

Oikos

Answer 19

Role within home and family, loyalty to kin, duty to bury kin.

Question 20

In media res

Answer 20

Narrative starts in middle.

Question 21

Lotophagoi

Answer 21

The Lotus-Eaters

Question 22

Outis Nemo

Answer 22

Name given to Polyphemus by Odysseus. Meaning Nobody.

Question 23

Lares & Penates

Answer 23

Religious figurines of Rome. Vergil’s version of the Aeniad tells of Aenias carrying these figurines from burning Troy.

Question 24

Spartoi

Answer 24

Men that spring from ground sown with serpent teeth by Cadmus after finding the land that will become Thebes/Cadmia.

Question 25

Thyrsus

Answer 25

Fennel staff used by the Thiasus (Bacchic followers)

Question 26

Thiasus

Answer 26

Retinue of Bacchus

Question 27

Sparagmos

Answer 27

Ritual act of tearing someone apart. Used by Bacchus after inducing a state of Bacchic frenzy.

Question 28

Anagnorisis

Answer 28

Moment of critical discovery.

Question 29

Oida

Answer 29

Perfect sight unrelated to the sense itself. Idea of the blind prophet.

Question 30

Nomos

Answer 30

Customary law, namely civil law.

Question 31

Phusis

Answer 31

Natural Law, namely, oikos.

Question 32

Polis

Answer 32

City. Involves ideas of loyalty to king and civil law.

Question 33

Causus belli

Answer 33

Causes/Events leading up to Trojan War.

Question 34

Hetairos

Answer 34

Intense homosocial/homosexual relationship

Question 35

Teichnoskopia

Answer 35

Narratives looking down on the battlefield from the city.

Question 36

Ab ovo

Answer 36

Narratives told from the beginning. References birth of Helen.

Question 37

Aoidoi

Answer 37

Improvisational poets/performers

Question 38

Rhapsodes

Answer 38

Poetic reciters

Question 39

Menis

Answer 39

Vengeful wrath.

Question 40

Timai/Time

Answer 40

Public externalized representation of honor. Often material objects gained in sacking cities.

Question 41

Geras

Answer 41

Prizes of honor. Representations of time.

Question 42

Kleos aphthiton

Answer 42

Epic poem as a vehicle for everlasting glory "kleos".

Question 43

Aristeia

Answer 43

A moment of excellence by a hero. Often involves a marathon of slaughter of enemy soldiers.

Question 44

Theomachy

Answer 44

Gods participating in battle against one another.

Question 45

Autochthony

Answer 45

To be born of the earth/Gaia

Question 46

Dodecatheoi

Answer 46

The Twelve Olympians

Question 47

Geranos

Answer 47

Crane dance developed in Delos that represents the windings of the labyrinth of Crete.

Question 48

Synoikismos

Answer 48

Unification of Attica under Theseus

Question 49

Demos

Answer 49

The people

Question 50

Kratos

Answer 50

Power

Question 51

Phratrios/Phratria

Answer 51

Sacrifices to Zeus and Athena by the Athenians

Question 52

Panhellenic

Answer 52

Involving all of Greece

Question 53

Prohedria

Answer 53

Honorary seats to an event.

Question 54

Amazonomachy

Answer 54

Battle between Theseus & Herakles and Amazons. Antiope, sister of Queen Hippolyte, mothers son of Thesesu, Hippolytus.

Question 55

Centauromachy

Answer 55

Wedding of Pirithous (Lapiths), friend of Theseus, ends in battle after drunken centaurs attempt to abduct his bride.

Question 56

Theoria

Answer 56

Religious trip to give tribute.

Question 57

Parthenogenesis

Answer 57

Born of only a female parent