Mythology and Folklore Flashcards
A beautiful boy loved by Aphrodite
Adonis
Sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to Artemis, then murdered by his wife and her lover
Agamemnon
Food of the gods, makes one immortal
Ambrosia
A play by Sophocles about the daughter of Oedipus. Her two brothers killed each other in combat over the throne
Antigone
Goddess of love and beauty, mother of Eros and Aenas. Paris gave her the apple of discord
Aphrodite (Venus)
God of poetry, prophecy, medicine, and light often depicted with a bow and a lyre. His sister was Artemis and his chariot was the sun
Apollo
God of war, son of Zeus and Hera. March is named for him
Ares (Mars)
100 eyed monster who was watching Io on behalf of Hera. Zeus sent Hermes to kill him
Argos
The virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon. Also known as Diana and Cynthia
Artemis
Goddess of wisdom often depicted with an owl. Born fully formed from Zeus’s forehead. The protector of Odysseus
Athena (Minerva)
God of wine and revelry, often depicted with grapes
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Daughter of King Priam of Troy who was given the sight of prophesy by Apollo. Because she rejected his advances, he cursed her so that no one believed her prophecies
Cassandra
The three headed dog that guards Hades
Cerberus
Goddess of agriculture who grieved for her daughter Persephone, causing winter and the seasons.
Demeter (Ceres)
Ferryman who carried the dead souls across the rivers Styx and Acheron in Hades
Charon
A trojan warrior and founder of Rome. Carried his father out of Troy. Shipwrecked at Carthage, Dido fell in love with him and eventually committed suicide because he could not stay with her
Aeneas
The sorceress who turned Odysseus’s crew into swine
Circe
God of love and son of Aphrodite/Venus
Cupid (Eros)
The creator of the labyrinth, father of Icarus
Daedalus
Two best friends who proved loyalty to each other and were willing to sacrifice themselves for one another
Damon and Pythias
A priestess who delivered messages from Apollo
Oracle of Delphi
Daughter of Agamemnon. Her brother Orestes and her killed their mother and lover
Electra
Goddess of earth, mother of the titans and cyclops
Gaia (Terra)
One of the only people who could see the holy grail
Sir Galahad
The patron saint of England
Saint George
The flying ram was pursued by Jason and his Argonauts for this
Golden Fleece
Ruler of the dead
Hades (Pluto)
Daughter of Zeus and Leda with the “face that launched 1000 ships”
Helen (of Troy)
Brothers of Helen, twins of Gemini
Castor and Pollux
God of fire and metalworking
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Goddess of protected marriage
Hera (Juno)
12 impossible tasks (hydra was one)
Labors of Hercules
Messenger god, wings on sandals and cap, son of Zeus, father of Pan
Hermes (Mercury)
God of doors and gateways, namesake for month of January
Janus
Which god was the inspiration for Jupiter?
Zeus
Who killed the minotaur in the labyrinth on Crete?
Theseus
Warned people not to accept the trojan horse. Poseidon sent snakes to kill him and his two sons
Laocoon
Which animal did Zeus disguise himself as to seduce Leda?
Swan
A river flowing through Hades that dead souls drink from to forget their lives
Lethe
The sorceress who helped Jason obtain the golden fleece
Medea
Killed Medusa using the reflection of his shield, aided by Hermes and Athena
Perseus
Given a wish by Dionysus, everything he touched turned to gold. He washed his hands in a river to rid himself of the curse
Midas
God of sleep and dreams. Morphine was named for him
Morpheus
Nine goddesses in charge of learning and the arts
Muses
Goddess of revenge, causes Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection
Nemesis
Ruler of the sea, often depicted with a trident
Poseidon (Neptune)
The namesake of Wednesday
Odin
The person who created the idea of the Trojan Horse. It took him ten years to get home after the Trojan War
Odysseus (Ulysses)
Written by Sophocles, the main character blinds himself after realizing he killed his father King Laius and married his mother Jocasta
Oedipus Rex
A great musician who played the lyre, husband of Eurydice. Torn to pieces by followers of Bacchus
Orpheus
God of flocks, forests, meadows, and shepherds. He has horns and feet of a goat. He plays pipes and is responsible for scary noises in the wilderness of night. The word “panic” comes from him
Pan
A mountain in Greece where the muses and oracle of Delphi lived
Parnassus
Tamed by the hero Bellerophon (son of Poseidon) with a golden bridle given by Athena
Pegasus
The wife of Odysseus who weaved a shroud to keep suitors at bay
Penelope
The villain of Popeye
Bluto
King of Troy, father of Paris and Hector
Priam
A giant who was a thief and murderer, tying people to an iron bed
Procrustes
The titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. Zeus chained him to a rock, a great eagle gnawed at his liver. Rescued by Hercules
Prometheus
The god who served Poseidon, a shape changer
Proteus
Visited nightly by Eros. Venus made her do laborious tasks, Jupiter gave her immortality and then she married Eros
Pysche
A sculptor who falls in love with his statue (play by George Bernard Shaw)
Pygmalion
The nature god and ruler of the Toltecs people. Represented as a plumed serpent
Quetzalcoatl
One twin killed the other and was the name sake for Rome
Romulus and Remus
The titan father of Zeus, namesake for Saturday
Cronus (Saturn)
Half goat, half human creature. A friend of Dionysus and pursuer of nymphs
Satyr
A six headed monster on the side of the rock
Scylla
A whirlpool near Scylla
Charybdis
Punished in Hades and had to roll a boulder up a hill but could never achieve it
Sisyphus
Punished in Hades and could not eat or drink. Up to his chin in water but when he bent to drink, the water level would decrease
Tantalus
A Swiss hero who had to shoot an apple off his son’s head
William Tell
Killed Procrustes and the minotaur. Married Hippolyta of the Amazons
Theseus
Namesake for Thursday
Thor
The heaven in Asgard
Valhalla
Goddess of hearth and home
Hestia (Vesta)
God of the west wind and spring
Zephyr
