Myths Flashcards
Crony
Long standing friends; friends who remain friendly over a long period of time; contemporaries. Chronus was the primeval god of time.
Epidemic
A disease rapidly spread to all people of a region or area
Fauna
The animals characteristic of a region,period, or special environment. Roman fertility goddess, Fauna.
Flora; floral
Plant or bacterial life. Flora was the goddess of flowers and spring.
Gorgon
An ugly, frightening, or repulsive woman. Ex. Medusa
Harpy
A predatory woman; a shrewish woman. Greek monster.
Hectoring
Bullying; intimidating; or dominating I.e. hector the hero of Troy
Hedonist
Someone in pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. He’d one is a beautiful mortal woman.
Herculean
Having or needing extraordinary strength, power, or size. From Hercules, a hero with extraordinary strength.
Hypnotic
Inducing or tending to induce sleep; soporific. Hypnos was the god of sleep.
Iridescent
The property of certain surfaces(like soap bubbles, rainbows, and seashells, eyes) which appear to change color as the angle of view changes. Greek goddess Iris who is personification of a rainbow.
Janitor
An usher or doorkeeper; one who keeps the key of the house; one in charge of the of the household. Janus was the god of beginnings and endings.
Jovial
Good-humored. Jove (Jupiter or Zeus) would be in this mood when not tossing around thunder bolts.
Labyrinthine
Confusing, winding, or something complex or tortuous in structure, arrangement, or character. Constructed by Daedalus for king Minos of Crete.
Laconic
Concise, almost to the point of rudeness; short and to the point. Spartans had a habit of being terse in speech, which relates to their city, Laconicus.
Lethargic; lethargy
The feeling of having no energy or ambition;tired;lazy. The Lethe was called the river of forgetfulness or oblivion.
Libation
The act of pour a liquid(wine or olive oil) as an offering or sacrifice to a deity; the drink being poured; a drink. Very common in both Greece and Rome.
Lyric poem
A type of short poem expressing personal emotion, sometimes sung. Used on famous sarcophagus during the Mycenean occupation of Crete (1400 B.C.)
Marathon
A long race. A plains area in Ancient Greek.
Martial
Of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior; relating to an army or military life. From the roman god,Mars.
Mentor
A trusted counselor or guide; a tutor. Mentor was an old man and friend of Odysseus.
Mercurial
Sprightly, volatile, quick, or sneaky. Roman god,Mercury, who was god of tradesmen and thieves.
Metamorphosis
A change of form or shape, especially by witchcraft. Morpheus was the “shaper of dreams” god in Greek mythology.
Mnemonic
A device for remembering information Mother of the muses and a titan, Mnemosyne.
Muse
To be absorbed in thought; a protector or inspiration for the arts. 9 muses of the protectors of the arts.
Narcissism
Love of one’s self or own body; egoism, egocentrism Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection.
Nectar
The sweet liquid in flowers; a sweet drink. “ drink of the gods “
Nemesis
One that inflict a retribution or vengeance; one that demands justice. Greek goddess of divine retribution, Nemesis.
Odyssey
A long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune. Ancient Greek epic poem by Homer.
Oracle
One who gives wise counsel or foretells the future. Relayed the word of the gods to humans.
Panacea
A remedy for all diseases or ills. Panacea was the goddess of healing.
Pandora’s box
Something that will cause a lot of problems. Zeus gave pandora this box and told her not to open it.
Pandemonium
A time of wild, lawless confusion. Pandora released evil into the world and this resulted.
Panic
A sudden overpowering fright. From Greek god pan, who was source of this contagious fear.
Platonic
Broad love for spiritual or ideal beauty; love of others; related to Plato Word comes from Plato, a Greek philosopher
Plutocrat
The rule or power of the wealthy or of wealth. Zeus blinded Plutus to dispense gifts of wealth without prejudice.
Siren
A woman who sings with enchanting sweetness. A device often electrically operated for producing a penetrating warning sound. These were Greek sea nymphs.
Somnolent
Sleepiness, related to a deep sleep Somnos is the Greek name for the roman god of sleep, Hypnos.
Sophomore
A student in the second year of university (or high school study) study. Considered to be foolishly wise or wisely foolish.
Stoic
One who is seemingly indifferent or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain. Stoic school of philosophy was founded by Zeno.
Thespian
Of or pertaining to dramatic acting Thespis was a Greek poet.
Trojan horse
A subversive group or device placed within enemy ranks; a malicious software virus hidden inside a harmless program. The Trojan war ended with this horse.
Zephyr
A breeze from the west, or a gentle breeze. Zephyrus was the Greek god of the west wind.
Adonis
A handsome suitor,; an extremely attractive young man. Adonis was the beautiful, young man beloved by Aphrodite.
Amazon
A strong, tall woman. Legendary nation of female warriors in Greek myth.
Ambrosia
Something extremely pleasing to taste or smell. Food or drink of the Greek gods.
Aegis
Protection, sponsorship The shield or buckler belonging to Zeus.
Achilles’ heel
A weakness or weak spot; a point of vulnerability . Achilles was dipped into the river Styx to make him invulnerable
Aphrodisiac
An agent (as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse desire . Relates to Aphrodite
Atlas
A bound collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter. Atlas (Titan)- holds sky upon shoulders
Chronicle
A timeline of important events; written record of the events, especially historical events, written chronologically Khronos- primeval god of time