Names of Greek Gods and Heroes Flashcards

1
Q

Athena

A

= Virgin goddess of victory, intelligence, self-discipline, war

  • Metis (intelligence, swallowed by Zeus) + Zeus
  • born from Zeus’ head
  • always fully armed, defender of civic life (opposite of Artemis who is wilderness)
  • protector of
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2
Q

Dionysus

A

= god of wine and intoxication, emotional freedom

  • born from Zeus’ thigh
  • married to Ariadne (mortal) of Crete
  • associated with wild plants, wild animals, vital fluids
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3
Q

Muses

A

9 daughters from Zeus + Mnemosyne (memory)

  • daughters are subordinate to Zeus therefore everything the muses say could technically be taken as “said by Zeus”
  • since mom is memory, everything muses say is said to be taken from memory and is correct
  • Live on Mount Helikon
  • -> ADDS lot of AUTHORITY to the MUSES and the STORY OF THE BARD

= divine patrons of poetry and dance, led by Apollo
- entertain the gods

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4
Q

Gaia

A

= mother Earth

  • her bosom is foundation of everything
  • asexual: oursons, mountains, sea
  • sexual (Ouranos): 12 Titans, 3 Cyclopes, 3 Hundred-handed ones
  • sexual (Tartarus): Typhoios dragon
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5
Q

Eros

A

= desire

  • just came into being at the beginning
  • important for continuing creation
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6
Q

Ouranos

A

= sky/heaven

  • produced asexually by Gaia, perfectly fits above her
  • sexual (Gaia): 12 Titans, 3 Cyclopes, 3 Hundred-handed ones
  • from his body (castration): Giants, Furies (from the drops of blood), Aphrodite (genitals + seafoam)
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7
Q

Mnemosyne

A

= memory

- a titan

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8
Q

Herakles

A

= Zeus + Alkmene (mortal)

  • wins immortality, marries Hebe
  • born 13 generation after the 50 daughters
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9
Q

Iapetos

A
  • a titan

- sexual (Clymene): Atlas, Menoitios, Epimetheus, Prometheus

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10
Q

Clymene

A
  • a titan’s daughter

- sexual (Iapetos): Atlas, Meiotios, Epitmetheus, Prometheus

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11
Q

Kronos

A
  • roman = Saturn

- Titan

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12
Q

Epaphus

A
  • son of Io and Zeus
  • born by miraculous conception
  • founds a line of kings in Egypt
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13
Q

Inachus

A

river god

- father of Io

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14
Q

Thetis

A
  • her son will be more powerful than the father

- married off to Peleus accord`ing to PB after Zeus finds out the prophecy

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15
Q

Hermes

A
Mercury
- messenger god
- Zeus + Maia
- associated with caduceus and messenger hat
- patron of messengers, traveler, oracles
- model of social mobility
- trickster, investor, liar, thief
- "Argeiphontes"
instrument = reed pipes
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16
Q

Zeus

A

Jove, Jupiter

  • divine champion and enforcer of dike, xenia, supplication
  • weapon = thunderbolt
  • animal = eagle
  • cult centre = Dodona
17
Q

Hera

A

Juno

  • sanctity of marriage
  • animal = peacock
18
Q

Ares

A

Mars

  • god of war and bloodlust
  • son of Zeus and Hera
  • affair with Aphrodite: Harmonia, Panic, Fear
  • hated by all, more respected by Romans
19
Q

Poseidon

A

Neptune
= god of sea and natural forces of the earth
- married to Amphitrite
- kids: monsters like Pegasus, Polyphemus
- weapon = trident
- animal = horses, bulls

20
Q

Hestia

A

Vesta
= goddess of the hearth
- virgin sister of Zeus
- first and last born

21
Q

Hades

A

Dis

= god of the underworld

22
Q

Aphrodite

A

Venus
= goddess of sexual attraction, love, deceit, violence
- patron god of Rome
- Hesiod: born out of Ouranos’ genitals and seafoam
- Homer: Zeus and Dione (titan)
- arranged married to Hephaestus, affair with Ares, kid with Anchises
- animal = the dove
- cult centre = Cyprus

23
Q

Aeneas

A
  • son of Aphrodite + Anchises
  • raised my mountain nymphs, given to his father once childhood
  • flees Greece during Trojan War carrying Anchises on his back, founds new country (Rome) –> why Aphrodite becomes patron goddess of Rome
24
Q

Demeter

A

Ceres

  • goddess of the grain and harvest
  • “mother”
25
Q

Persephone

A

Proserpina

- Zeus + Demeter

26
Q

Keleos and Metaneira

A

King and Queen of Eleusis

- 4 daughters and infant son (demophoon)

27
Q

Leto

A

daughter of Kronos

- mother of Apollo and Artemis

28
Q

Apollo

A

Phoebus

  • weapon = bow
  • instrument = lyre
  • tree = palm tree
  • cult centre = Delos
  • leader of the muses
29
Q

Artemis

A

Diana

  • goddess of the hunt
  • mistress of wild animals (tamed)
  • presided over rites of passage from young girls to adolescence
  • tree = olive tree
30
Q

Eileithyia

A

goddess of childbirth

Hera stops her from helping Leto give birth

31
Q

Asclepius

A

son of Apollo

god of medicine

32
Q

Niobe

A

queen with 14 children

  • bragged she was better than Leto
  • Artemis and Apollo killed all her children in defense
  • referenced by Achilles and Antigone
33
Q

Actaeon

A

hunter who saw Artemis changing

  • changed into a stag
  • sparagmos
34
Q

Hephaestus

A

Vulcan

  • craftsman, technology god
  • oversees the Cyclopes
  • cult site = Lemnos, volcanic site
  • thrown out of Olympus by Hera, cared for by Thetis
  • temple = Hephaestion, Athens
35
Q

Medea

A

= scary helper-maiden

  • daughter of Aeetes
  • from Colchis
  • speaking name: “active intellect”
36
Q

Procne

A
  • Athenian princess
  • Tereus’ wife
  • killed son Ityus to get revenge on her sister being raped
  • turned into a nightingale
37
Q

Philomela

A

Procne’s sister, raped by Tereus, turned into a swallow

38
Q

Tereus

A
  • King of Thracia
  • raped Procne’s sister, Philomela
  • turned into a bird of prey