The Gods Roman and Greek Flashcards
Pantheon
A term used to speak of all the gods collectively
Iconography
The symbols attached to a particular character when represented in an image
Anthropomorphism
Giving human form of atributes to something that is otherwise not human
Epithet
An adjectival word or phrase regularly added to a name to denote a personal or physical quality
Chthonic
Relating to the gods that were connected with the earth and the underworld
Cornucopia
A horn shell that contained an endless supply of food and drink
Diadem
A crown often associated with gods or kings
Aegis
The breastplate or shield of Athena that contained an image of a gorgon in the centre
Acropolis
The highest point in a Greek city usually reserved for religious buildings
Caduceus
A traveller’s staff
Thyrsus
A staff associated with the god Dionysus, which was tipped with a pine cone; it could also be interwined with ivy
Maenads
Female followers of Dionysus
Seer
a person who is reputed to be able to see the future
Etruscans
it is believed that they inhabited Italy from at least the ninth/eight century BC.
Well established by Rome’s founding
Hellenes
a collective name for the Greeks
Magna Graecia
‘Great Greece’, the term used to describe the region of southern Italy and Sicily where there were many independent Greek cities
Sarcophagus (pl. Sarcophagi)
a stone coffin, especially one bearing sculpture and inscriptions
Plebeians
the lowest social class of Romans, making up the majority of the Roman populatoin
Cerealia
a major festival in honour of Ceres held in Rome every year between 12th and 19th April
Vulcanalia
A festival held in Rome each year on 23rd August in honour of the god vulcan
Actium
port on the west coast of Greece, it is now called Preveza
Votive
an offering to the gods
Lararium
a small shrine to the household gods (Lares) that was found in Roman homes
Bacchanalia
A Roman festival in honour of Bacchus
Hydra
a many-headed serpent monster
hind
a deer
Pithos (pl. pithoi)
a large clay storage jar
Pisa
a town near Olympia in the Greek Peloponnese
Linchpin (pl. linchpins)
a fastener used to stop a wheel from coming off its axis
Pediment
triangular area at the top of each end of a temple, which could contain a sculpture
metope (pl. metopes)
square decorative spaces that ran around a Doric temple and could contain sculpture
Tiber
the main river running through Rome
Pallas
A Giant who fought against the gods, not to be confused with Evander;s son, also called Pallas, or with Athene when called Pallas Athene
Centaur
a mythical creature with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse
pyre
a funderal mound made of wood on which to cremate a body
Semi-engaged column
a supporting column that is embedded in a wall, half protruding from it
Pax deorum
the peace of the gods
Pontifex (pl. pontifices)
a Roman priest in charge of protecting temples, regulating religious law and overseeing the religious calendar
Pontifex Maximus
the head of the pontiffs, the greatest pontiff. The post was orgininally elected from the pontifices, but during the empire it was always held by the Emperor.
Vestal (pl. vestals)
female priests in charge of the cult of the goddess Vesta
Mola salsa
a mix of salt and flour made by the by the Vestal Virgins in Rome and sprinkled on the heads of sacrificial victimes
Haruspex (pl. haruspices)
a Roman priest who read omens from entrails
augur
A priest who read omens from the behavior of animals and direction of thunder. The taking of augers was commonly before a battle, marriage, or business transaction
Lituus
staff used by a Roman auger
Popa
an official at a Roman sacrifice who struck the scrificial animal with a wooden rod to stun it
Cultrarius (Roman)
an official at a sacrifice who slit the throat of the sacrificial animal
Rotunda
a round Roman building, especially one with a dome
Oculus
a circular opening at the top of a dome
The Lapith
a mythical race of men based in Thessaly, Northern Greece
Centauromachy
a mythical battle between the centaurs and Lapiths
kylix
a drinking cup
attica
the region around Athens in south eastern Greece
patronage
the provision of help and support
lot
The random drawing of a name from a pot.
English idiom: “that’s your lot!”
Gaul
a Roman province to the west of the Alps encompassing much of modern-day France and northern Italy
Public penates
sacred objects dedicated to the city
Pietas
the most important heroic quality in the Aeneid, a Roman virtue that means ‘sense of duty’ and applies to a man’s duty towards his family, gods, and city
ENGLISH- “piety”
panathenaia
an annual Athenian festival celebrating Athena’s birthday
Great Panathenaia
an Athenian festival to Athena that took place every four years and contained more athletic and literary competitions that the annual Panathenaia
rhapsode (pl. rhapsodes)
someone who recites epic poetry at a festival competition
panathenaic amphora (pl amphorae)
storage jars containing olive oil given as prizes at the Great Panathenaia
apobates
in Greek means dismounter – a chariot race in which the rider would dismount and remount his chariot while driving
peplos
a Greek dress
Eleutherae
a town on the northern border of Attica
eponymous archon
an Athenian magistrate elected for one year (eponymous meaning that the civil year was named after him)
choregos
chorus director – the financial backer of a set of plays at the City Dionysia in Athens
dithyramb
a choral dance in honour of the god Dionysus
pompe
a grand procession
komos
meaning revel – a party that took place in the streets in honour of the god Dionysus
libation
a drink offering poured in honour of the gods
theoric fund
a supply of money that was used to pay for the poor to attend the theatre in ancient Athens
lupercus
a roman god of fertility and purification
luperci
a priest of Lupercus
noble
a member of the upper class in Rome
Lupercal
the cave in the Palatine Hill of Rome where the Lercallia took place
Amazons
a mythical race of women from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
the western two thirds of modern Turkey
Amazonomachy
mythic battle between the Greeks and Amazons
consul
the most important public official in Rome after the emperor; two consuls were elected annually
Hispania
a Roman province covering the area of Spain
Hiera and religio
Ancients did not have a word for religion
Greeks used hiera ‘holy affairs’
Romans used religio ‘the correct worship of the gods’
prothesis
during the preparation of the body in Greece, the deceased were laid out for two days to receive mourners
lament
a passionate expression of grief or sorrow
ekphora
the funeral procession in Greece
Kerameikos
an area of Athens that included the main burial ground outside the city
stele (pl. stelai)
stone slabs often with carvings commonly used as tombstones
Anthesteria
3 day Greek festival to Dionysus and the dead
Late January, early Febuary
Genesia
A Greek festival to the dead ancestors celebrated in late September
funeral club
a social club set up to support the less wealthy members of Roman society
Atrium
main room of the Roman domus where the family received friends and clients
funerary mask
a mask made by placing wax on the deceased face to take their image. When it was dry, it was taken off and stored in the family shrine
Manes
Meaning ‘the deified ancestors’ were the spirits of the dead in the Roman World
oral tradition
the passing on of information by word of mouth
Muse
nine sister goddesses who presided over various arts
taenarus
the traditional entrance to the underworld in the south of the Peloponnese
