Glossary
- Absyrtus
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A prince of Colchis, son of Aeetes and brother of Medea. Known for being killed by either Medea or Jason as they fled Colchis.
Featured in chapter 18 and chapter 19. - Achelous
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A large river in Greece, or the god personifying this river. Known for fighting Heracles for the marriage of Deianira.
Featured in chapter 17. - Acheron
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One of the five rivers of the underworld, or the personification of this river.
Appears in chapter 41. - Achilles
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A Greek hero, son of Thetis and Peleus, and father of Neoptolemus. Known for his large role in the Trojan War.
Featured in chapter 27 and chapter 29. - Acrisius
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A king of Argos and father of Danae. Known for casting Danae and baby Perseus out to sea because of a prophecy that Perseus would kill him.
Featured in chapter 21. - Actaeon
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A hero from Thebes and daughter of Autonoe. Known for being killed by his hunting dogs as punishment from Artemis.
Featured in chapter 13. - Adonis
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Son of Myrrha, raised by Persephone. Known for his relationship with Aphrodite (despite being mortal) which resulted in him being killed by a wild boar, and for being the origin of the Adonia festival.
Featured in chapter 4 and appears in chapter 24. - Adrastus
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A king of Argos, known for leading the Seven Against Thebes.
- Aeacus
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A king of Aegina, son of Zeus and Aegina, and father of Telamon and Peleus. Known for becoming a judge in the Underworld after his death.
Appears in chapter 41. - Aeetes
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A king of Colchis. Son of Helius, brother of Pasiphae and Circe, and father of Medea.
Featured in chapter 18 and chapter 19. - Aegeus
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A king of Athens, in some traditions the father of Theseus. Known for giving Medea shelter in Athens after she fled Corinth.
Featured in chapter 19 and chapter 22. - Aegina
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A nymph, daughter of Asopus and mother of Aeacus and Menoetius. Known for her abduction by Zeus, and for the island of Oenone being renamed after her.
Appears in chapter 9 and chapter 26. - Aegipan
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A figure associated with goats and nature, sometimes equated with the god Pan. Known for helping Zeus battle Typhon.
Mention in chapter 5. - Aegis
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A protective object carried by Zeus or Athena, interpreted either as a shield or an animal skin.
Featured in chapter 9 and chapter 20. - Aegisthus
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A king of Mycenae and partner of Clytemnestra. Known for killing Atreus and for helping Clytemnestra kill Agamemnon.
Featured in chapter 30 and appears in chapter 41. - Aeneas
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The son of Aphrodite and Anchises. Known for fighting in the Trojan War and for his role in the foundation of Rome.
Featured in chapter 28, chapter 31, and chapter 41. Also appears in chapter 4. - Aeolus (Keeper of the Winds)
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A King of Aeolia. Known for being tasked with keeping the winds, and for helping Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. In later tradition, considered a god.
Appears in chapter 3 and chapter 30 - Aeolus (of Thessaly)
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A Greek king and son of Hellen. Known for being the founder of the Aeolian Greeks for having the region of Aeolia (Thessaly) named after him.
- Aeson
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A king of Iolcus, brother of Pelias and father of Jason.
Featured in chapter 18 and chapter 19. - Aether
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The upper area of the sky or heavens, or the primordial deity personifying this space.
- Aethra
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A princess of Troezen, daughter of Pittheus, and mother Theseus with either Poseidon or Aegeus.
Featured in chapter 22. - Agamemnon
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A king of Mycenae. Son of Atreus, brother of Menelaus, husband of Clytemnestra, and father of Iphigenia, Orestes, and Electra. Known for his participation in the Trojan War, for sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia, and for being killed by his wife Clytemnestra.
Featured in chapter 26, chapter 27, and chapter 30, and appears in chapter 41. - Agave
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A leader of the maenads. Daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and mother of Pentheus. Known for being a nurse of Dionysus, and for killing her son.
Featured in chapter 15. - Agenor
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A Phoenician king, son of Poseidon, and father of Cadmus and Europa (in some traditions).
Appears in chapter 22. - Aglaurus
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A princess of Athens and daughter of Cecrops. Known for fostering Erichthonius on behalf of Athena.
Appears in chapter 9. - Aidoneus
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Epithet for Hades (see chapter 41), or a king of Epirus associated with Hades and the myth of the abduction of Persephone.
Appears in chapter 22. - Aidos/Pudicitia
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Greek: Aidos
Roman: Pudicitia
Personification of respect, humility, shame, and (sexual) modesty. - Ajax (the Great)
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A Greek hero, son of Telamon and Periboea. Known for his role in the Trojan war and for his friendship with Achilles.
Featured in chapter 27 and chapter 29, and appears in chapter 41. - Ajax (the Lesser)
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A hero of Locris and son of Oileus. Known for fighting on the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War, and for being killed by Athena in retribution for his rape of Cassandra.
Appears in chapter 7. - Alcides
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The birth name of Heracles.
See chapter 17. - Alcinous
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A king of the Phaeacians, husband of Arete, and father of Nausicaa. Known for helping Medea and Jason escape Aeetes, and for hosting Odysseus on his way home from Troy.
Appears in chapter 18, chapter 30, and chapter 41. - Alcmaeon
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The leader of the Epigoni, and son of Eriphyle and Amphiaraus. Known for killing his mother Eriphyle, and for being killed in a conflict over the robe and necklace of Harmonia.
Featured in chapter 37. - Alcmene
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A queen of Tiryns, wife of Amphitryon, and mother of Heracles and Iphicles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Aloadae
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A pair of Giant twins (Otus and Ephialtes). Sons of Poseidon and Iphimedia. Known for attempting to stack up mountains to invade Mount Olympus, for trapping Ares in a jar, and for being killed by Artemis and Apollo.
Appear in chapter 9, chapter 11, chapter 13, chapter 18, and chapter 41. - Althaea
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A queen of Calydon, wife of Oeneus and mother of Meleager. Known for killing Meleager by throwing the piece of wood upon which his life depended into the fire.
Featured in chapter 24. - Amazons
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A mythical nation of warrior women.
See chapter 23. - Amnisus/Caeratus
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Called Amnisus or Caeratus, a river in Crete or the deity personifying this river.
Appears in chapter 13. - Amphiaraus
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A seer of Argos and Argonaut, and husband of Eriphyle. Known for being killed by Zeus, for participating in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and for leading the Seven Against Thebes. Worshipped as a god in some traditions.
Appears in chapter 18, chapter 21, and chapter 24. - Amphion
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A son of Antiope and Zeus, husband of Niobe, and twin brother of Zethus. Known for being said to have built the walls of Thebes (with his brother).
Featured in chapter 37. Also appears in chapter 13. - Amphitrite/Salacia
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Greek: Amphitrite
Roman: Salacia
A nereid and sea goddess. Wife of Poseidon and mother of many sea creatures, monsters, and deities.
Featured in chapter 7. Also appears in chapter 1 and chapter 22. - Amphitryon
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A king of Tiryns. Husband of Alcmene, father of Iphicles, and stepfather of Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Amulius
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A king of Alba Longa before the founding of Rome, and brother of Numitor. Known for attempting to kill Romulus and Remus in infancy, and for later being killed by Romulus.
Featured in chapter 32. - Amycus (of Bithynia)
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A king of the Bebryces, and son of Poseidon. Known for killing guests in boxing matches, and for being killed by Pollux.
Appears in chapter 18. - Ananke/Adrastea/Necessitas
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Greek: Ananke or Adrastea
Roman: Necessitas
Personification of inevitability and necessity. Mother of the Fates. - Ancaeus
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A hero of Tegea and Argonaut. Son of Lycurgus and brother of Cepheus. Known for participating in and being killed on the Calydonian Boar Hunt.
Appears in chapter 18 and chapter 24. - Anchises
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A man from Troy, father of Aeneas and consort of Aphrodite.
Featured in the chapter 4 and chapter 41. - Androgeus
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A son of Minos and Pasiphae. Known for being killed in Athens, prompting Minos to go to war against Athens.
Appears in chapter 22. - Andromache
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Wife of Hector and mother of Astyanax, and later slave of Neoptolemus. Known for her role in the Iliad, and as a symbol of women suffering in the Trojan War.
Featured in chapter 28 and chapter 30. Also appears in chapter 23. - Andromeda
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A princess of Ethiopia, daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Known for being rescued from a sea serpent by Perseus.
Featured in chapter 21. Also appears in chapter 20. - Antaeus
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A son of Poseidon and Gaia. Known for forcing passersby to wrestle him, and for being killed by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Anteia
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A queen of Argos and wife of Proetus. Known for accusing Bellerophon of assaulting her, resulting in Proetus and Xanthus sending Bellerophon on the quest for the Chimera.
Featured in chapter 21. - Antenor
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The advisor of Priam. Known for advocating for Helen to be returned (in some traditions even betraying the Trojans) during the Trojan War, and for founding the city of Patavium/Padua.
- Anticleia
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The daughter of Autolycus and Amphithea, wife of Laertes, and mother of Odysseus.
Appears in chapter 41. - Antigone
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A daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, and sister of Polynices and Eteocles. Known for defying her uncle Creon by burying Polynices, as told in Sophocles' play Antigone.
Featured in chapter 37. - Antilochus
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A prince of Pylos and son of Nestor. Known for being a suitor of Helen of Troy, and for fighting in the Trojan War.
- Antinous
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One of the leaders of the Suitors of Penelope.
Appears in chapter 30. - Antiope (Amazon)
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An Amazon and sister of Hippolyte. Known for being kidnapped by either Theseus or Heracles.
Featured in chapter 22. - Antiope (of Thebes)
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A daughter of Nycteus or of Asopus, and mother of Amphion and Zethus. Known for fleeing Thebes after becoming pregnant with Zeus' children, and for being persecuted by and involved in the deaths of Lycus and Dirce.
Appears in chapter 37. - Aphrodite/Venus
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Greek: Aphrodite
Roman: Venus
Goddess of love and passion.
See chapter 4. - Apollo
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God of medicine, archery, oracles, and the sun.
See chapter 12. - Arachne
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A young woman skilled at weaving, transformed into a spider by Athena for refusing to be humble before the gods.
Featured in chapter 9. - Archaic Period
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Approximately 750 – 479 BCE
- Areopagus
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"The hill of Ares," a rocky outcropping near the Acropolis in Athens and the place where trials for murders as well as other criminal cases were held.
- Areopagus/Hill of Ares
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Called the Areopagus or Hill of Ares.
A court in Classical Athens that tried cases of murder, wounding, religious matters, and arson. - Ares
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Greek: Ares
Roman: Mars
God of war.
See chapter 10. - Arete
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A queen of the Phaeacians, wife of Alcinous and mother of Nausicaa. Known for helping Medea and Jason escape Aeetes by marrying them, and for hosting Odysseus on his journey home from Troy.
Appears in chapter 18, chapter 30, and chapter 41. - Arete/Virtus
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Greek: Arete
Roman: Virtus
Personification of virtue. Note that the Greek personification is personified female, while the Roman is personified male and associated with masculinity. - Argeiphontes/Slayer of Argus
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Epithet for Hermes (see chapter 16), refers to his slaying of Argus Panoptes.
- Argives/Achaeans/Danaans/Hellenes
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A term to describe all the Greeks and people of Greek origin, notably the Greek armies in Homer's Iliad.
- Argo
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The ship sailed by Jason and the Argonauts on the quest for the Golden Fleece. Built by Argus son of Phrixus and sacred to Hera.
Featured in chapter 18. - Argonauts
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The crew of the Argo and companions of Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece. Includes many heroes, including Heracles, the Boreads, and Hylas.
See chapter 18. - Argos
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An ancient Greek city-state (polis) in the Peloponnese.
- Argus (Builder of the Argo)
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An Argonaut, the builder of the Argo ship. Either a son of Phrixus, or of Arestor.
Featured in chapter 18. - Argus Panoptes
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A many-eyed giant known for serving Hera in her plot against Io and Zeus.
Featured in chapter 6 and chapter 16. - Ariadne
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A princess of Crete, daughter of Pasiphae and Minos, and wife of Dionysus. Known for helping Theseus defeat the Minotaur.
Featured in chapter 22. - Aristaeus
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A god of many minor pastoral crafts. Husband of Autonoe and father of Actaeon.
- Artemis/Diana
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Greek: Artemis
Roman: Diana
Maiden goddess of wilderness and the hunt, and twin sister of Apollo.
See chapter 13. - Ascanius
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A king of Alba Longa, and son of Aeneas with either Creusa or Lavinia.
Featured in chapter 32. - Asopus
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May refer to four different rivers of the same name, or to their personifications as a river god.
- Assaracus
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A king of Dardania. Brother of Ilus, son of Tros, and grandfather of Anchises.
- Asterion I/Asterius
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Called Asterion or Asterius.
A king of Crete, husband of Europa, and stepfather of Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Asterion II/Minotaur
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Called Asterion or the Minotaur.
A half-bull half-human man, and son of Pasiphae. Known for being imprisoned in the Labyrinth of Minos and for being killed by Theseus.
Featured in chapter 22. - Astraea
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Goddess of purity, innocence, and justice. Known for becoming the constellation Virgo after she fled the wickedness that was on earth.
Appears in chapter 2. - Atalanta
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A hunter heroine, variously from Arcadia or Boetia. Known for her archery, her deeds in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and her speed.
See chapter 24. - Atë
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Greek personification of mischief and downfall.
- Athamas
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A king of Boeotia. Son of Aeolus, husband of Nephele, Ino, and Themisto, and father of Phrixus and Melicertes. Known for being cursed by Hera as punishment for helping raise Dionysus.
Featured in chapter 15 and chapter 18. - Athena
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TEST
- Athena/Minerva
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Greek: Athena
Roman: Minerva
Goddess of warfare, wisdom, and craft.
See chapter 9. - Athens
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A city in the region of Attica. Associated with Athena, Theseus, and Cecrops. Site of the Acropolis, Parthenon, and Agora.
See chapter 36. - Atlantiades
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Epithet for Hermes (see chapter 16), refers to his grandfather being the Titan Atlas.
- Atlas
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A Titan, and father of the Pleiades and Hesperides. Known for being punished to hold up the heavens for eternity.
Featured in chapter 17. Also appears in chapter 21. - Atrahasis Epic
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The original title is Enûma ilû awëlum, translated as When the Gods were / like men.
- Atreus
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A king of Mycenae, father or ancestor of Agamemnon and Menelaus, and son of Pelops.
Featured in chapter 39. - Atrytone
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Epithet for Athena (see chapter 9), meaning "untiring."
- Attis
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Consort of Cybele and one of the Galli. In some traditions a mortal, in others a Phrygian plant god. Known for being forced by Cybele to castrate himself.
Featured in chapter 15. - Augeas
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A king of Elis and Argonaut. Known for his great cattle herds, and for Heracles cleaning his stables as the fifth labour.
Featured in chapter 17. - Augury
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The practice of divining the will of the gods by looking at the patterns of birds.
Featured in chapter 32 and chapter 33. - Augustus
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The first Roman emperor and successor of Julius Caesar.
Featured in chapter 35. - Aurae
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Personifications of gentle breezes. The singular Aura also refers to one such maiden wind deity associated with Artemis.
- Autolycus
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A robber from Mount Parnassus, son of Hermes (usually), and father of Anticleia. Known for his skill at thievery, and for naming Odysseus.
Appears in chapter 17. - Autonoe
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A maenad, daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and mother of Actaeon. Known for being a nurse of Dionysus.
Featured chapter 15. - Avernus
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A volcanic crater and lake, portrayed in myth as an entrance to the Underworld.
Appears in chapter 41. - Axius
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A river in Macedonia, or the personification of this river.
- Bellerophon
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A hero of Corinth. Known for taming Pegasus and fighting the Chimera.
See chapter 21. - Bia/Vis
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Greek: Bia
Roman: Vis
Personification of anger and force.
Featured in chapter 14. - Boreads
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Two winged sons of Boreas and Oreithya, called Zetes and Calais. Known for sailing with the Argonauts.
Featured in chapter 18. - Boreas
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Greek: Boreas
Roman: Aquilo
God of the north or northeast wind. - Briseis
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A woman of Lyrnessus, daughter of Briseus and slave of Achilles. Known for being the subject of the conflict that arose between Agamemnon and Achilles during the Trojan War.
- Bromius
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Epithet for Dionysus (see chapter 15), meaning "loud" or "roaring."
- Busiris
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A king of Egypt, known for attempting to sacrifice his visitors and for being killed by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Cadmus
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Founder and first king of Thebes, husband of Harmonia, and father of Ino, Semele, Agave, and Autonoe.
Featured in chapter 15 and chapter 37. - Caeneus/Caenis
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Called Caenis (before his encounter with Poseidon) or Caeneus (after his encounter with Poseidon).
A hero of Thessaly and Argonaut. Known for the story of his rape by Poseidon, for his invulnerability to weapons, for participating in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and for being killed in the Centauromachy.
Appears in chapter 22. - Caius Mucius Scaevola
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A Roman soldier, known for attempting to sneak into the Etruscan camp and assassinate Porsena during the war with the Etruscans.
Featured in chapter 33. - Calchas
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A priest of Apollo, known for providing the Greeks with prophecies during the Trojan War, and for prophesying the sacrifice of Iphigenia.
Featured in chapter 26. Also appears in chapter 30. - Callichorus
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A well or spring at Eleusis where Demeter rests in her search for Persephone.
Featured in chapter 10. - Callisto
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A nymph and worshipper of Artemis, and daughter of Lycaon. Known for becoming pregnant with Zeus' child, and for then being transformed into a bear by Artemis in punishment. Later made into a constellation (Ursa Major) by Zeus.
Featured in chapter 13. - Calydonian Boar Hunt
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A quest to kill the Calydonian Boar, a boar that was sent by Artemis to terrorize Calydon after the king Oeneus neglected to give her a sacrifice. Many heroes, including Atalanta, Meleager, the Dioscuri, Theseus, Jason, and Telamon participated in the hunt.
Featured in chapter 24. - Calypso
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A nymph and one of the Pleiades. Known for keeping Odysseus on her island (Ogygia) during his journey home from Troy.
Appears in chapter 30. - Capaneus
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One of the Seven Against Thebes, known for being killed by Zeus as punishment for boasting.
- Cassandra
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A princess of Troy, daughter of Hecuba and Priam, and sister of Hector and Paris. Known for being cursed by Apollo to make accurate prophecies, but for people never to believe her.
Featured in chapter 28 and chapter 30. - Cassiopeia
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A queen of Ethiopia, wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda. Known for angering Poseidon by claiming to be more beautiful than the nereids.
Featured in chapter 21. - Castor
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A prince of Sparta and Argonaut. Son of Leda and Tyndareus, brother of Helen and Clytemnestra, twin brother of Polydeuces/Pollux, and one of the Dioscuri.
Appears in chapter 22. - Caucasus
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Mountain range between Asia and Europe. In Greek mythology, this is the area where Prometheus was chained.
- Cecrops
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The founding king of Athens, born from the earth with the torso of a human and bottom half of a serpent.
Featured in chapter 9 and chapter 36. - Celeus
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A king of Eleusis, husband of Metaneira, and father of Triptolemus and Demophon. Known for hosting Demeter during her search for Persephone.
Featured in chapter 10. - Centaurs
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A mythical half-humanoid, half-horse people, usually associated with foreigners and with violence. Known for their war with the Lapiths (the Centauromachy). Notable centaurs include Nessus and Chiron.
- Cephalus (of Phocis)
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A prince of Thessaly. Known for being a skilled hunter, for being kidnapped by Eos to be her partner, and for accidentally killing his wife Procris.
- Cepheus (of Aethiopia)
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A king of Ethiopia, father of Andromeda and husband of Cassiopeia. Known for offering Andromeda as prey to a sea monster to calm Poseidon's anger.
Featured in chapter 21. - Cepheus (of Tegea)
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A king of Tegea and Argonaut. Known for fighting alongside Heracles against Hippocoon.
Appears in chapter 17. - Cerberus
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The three-headed dog guardian of the underworld, and a son of Echidna. Known for being captured by Heracles in his 12 Labours.
Featured in chapter 17. - Cercopes
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Two mischievous spirits who play tricks in the night. Known for stealing Heracles' weapons.
- Cercyon
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A king of Eleusis, and a son of either Hephaestus, Branchus or Poseidon. Known for wrestling passersby on the road, and for being killed by Theseus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Cerynitian Hind
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A deer sacred to Artemis. Known for being captured by Heracles as his third labour.
Featured in chapter 17. - Ceto
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A primordial sea goddess. Mother of many monsters including the Gorgons, the Graeae, and Echidna.
Featured in chapter 20. Also appears in chapter 1. - Chaos
-
The primordial void, and the void from which many early deities were born.
Featured in chapter 1 and chapter 2. - Chariclo (Follower of Athena)
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A nymph, worshipper of Athena, and mother of Teiresias.
Featured in chapter 9. - Chariclo (Wife of Chiron)
-
A nymph, wife of Chiron, and nurse of heroes including Jason and Achilles.
- Charites/Graces
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Called Charites or Graces.
3 goddesses of beauty, charm, and grace. - Charon
-
Figure in the underworld who ferries the souls of the dead across the river Styx.
Appears in chapter 41. - Charybdis
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A whirlpool monster who guards an ocean strait (across from Scylla).
Featured in chapter 30. Also appears in chapter 18. - Chimera
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A fire-breathing monster hybrid of a lion, goat, and snake. Known for being killed by Bellerophon.
Featured in chapter 21. - Chiron
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A wise centaur, known for training many famous heroes including Jason, Achilles, Theseus, and Perseus.
Appears in chapter 17 and chapter 26. - Chloris/Flora
-
Greek: Chloris
Roman: Flora
A fertility goddess of flowers and spring. - Chrysaor
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A man with a golden sword. Son of Medusa and Poseidon, brother of Pegasus, and father of Geryon. Known for being born from Medusa's neck when she was beheaded.
Featured in chapter 21. - Chryseis/Astynome
-
Called Chryseis or Astynome.
A Trojan woman, and daughter of Chryses. Known for being given to Agamemnon as a spoil of war at the start of the Iliad but later released.
Appears in chapter 12 - Chryses
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A Trojan priest of Apollo in the Iliad, and father of Chryseis.
- Cicones
-
A people of Thrace whose city (Ismara) was sacked by Odysseus and his crew in Homer's Odyssey.
Featured in chapter 30. - Circe
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An enchantress, either a daughter of Helius and Perse, or of Aeetes and Hecate. Known for transforming Odysseus' crew into pigs, and for helping Medea and Jason escape Aeetes.
Featured in chapter 19 and chapter 30. Also appears in chapter 18 and chapter 41. - Classical Period
-
479 – 323 BCE
- Cloelia
-
A Roman hero, known for freeing a group of prisoners of war from the Etruscans during the war with Porsena.
Featured in chapter 33. - Clytemnestra
-
A queen of Mycenae, wife of Agamemnon, and daughter of Leda and Tyndareus. Known for killing Agamemnon, and for being killed by her son Orestes.
Featured in chapter 26 and chapter 30. Also appears in chapter 9 and chapter 41. - Cocytus
-
A river of the Greek underworld, represents lamentation and despair.
Appears in chapter 41. - Coeus
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A Titan, partner of Pheobe and father of Leto.
- Core/Maiden
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Epithet for Persephone (see chapter 10).
- Cratos/Potestas
-
Greek: Cratos
Roman: Potestas
Personification of strength and power.
Featured in chapter 14. - Creon (of Corinth)
-
A king of Corinth and father of Creusa/Glauce.
Featured in chapter 19. - Creon (of Thebes)
-
A king of Thebes, and brother of Jocasta. Known for refusing to bury Polynices, leading to the deaths of his wife, his son Haemon, and his niece Antigone.
Featured in chapter 37. - Cretan Bull
-
A bull from Crete. Known for its association with various myths, including Pasiphae and the birth of the Minotaur, the abduction of Europa, and the seventh Labour of Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17 and chapter 22. - Cretheus
-
A king and founder of Iolcus. Son of Aeolus of Thessaly, and father of Aeson.
- Creusa (of Troy)
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A princess of Troy, daughter of Priam and Hecuba, and first wife of Aeneas.
- Creusa/Glauce
-
Called Creusa or Glauce.
A princess of Corinth, daughter of Creon and partner of Jason. Known for being killed by Medea in revenge for her relationship with Jason.
Featured in chapter 19. - Crommyonian Sow/Phaea
-
Called the Crommyonian Sow or Phaea.
A sow, offspring of Echidna and Typhon, and sometimes mother of the Calydonian Boar. Known for terrorizing the lands around Crommyon, and for being killed by Theseus. In some variations, the name refers to a human bandit woman who was given the derogatory nickname "Sow."
Appears in chapter 22. - Cronus
- Cronus/Saturn
-
Greek: Cronus
Roman: Saturn or Saturnus
Titan father of many of the gods, including Zeus and Hera. Son of Gaia and Uranus.
Featured in chapter 1. - Cteatus
-
A son of Molione and either Actor or Poseidon, and twin brother of Eurytus. Known for being born conjoined with Eurytus, for participating in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and for being killed by Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17. - Cumaean Sibyl
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A prophetic woman from Cumae, known for accompanying Aeneas to the Underworld.
Featured in chapter 41. - Curetes/Corybantes
-
Called Curetes or Corybantes.
Worshippers of the goddess Cybele, known for playing loud music and associated with Mount Ida.
Appear in chapter 15. - Cyclopes
-
One-eyed giant humanoids, and children of Gaia. Known for their skill at crafting, and particularly for forging weapons of the gods. Notable Cyclopes include Polyphemus.
- Cycnus
-
A man from Thessaly or Macedonia, known for killing all his houseguests and for being killed by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Cyllenius
-
Epithet for Hermes (see chapter 16), refers to his birth on Mount Kyllini.
- Cytherea
-
Epithet for Aphrodite (see chapter 4), refers to her birth from the sea at Kythera.
- Cyzicus
-
A king of the Doliones. Known for showing hospitality to the Argonauts, but later accidentally fighting them in the night.
Featured in chapter 18. - Daedalus
-
Father of Icarus. Known for his great inventions, particularly creating the labyrinth of Minos.
Featured in chapter 22. - Danae
-
A princess of Argos, mother of Perseus, and daughter of Acrisius.
Featured in chapter 21. - Danaids
-
50 daughters of Danaus. Known for all (except one) of them killing their husbands on their wedding night, and for being punished by being made to attempt to carry water in a sieve forever.
Appear in chapter 21. - Danaus
-
A king of Libya. A descendant of Zeus and Io, and the father of the Danaids.
Appears in chapter 21. - Daphne
-
A nymph, and daughter of Peneus. Known for being pursued by Apollo, and for being transformed into a tree by her father.
Featured in chapter 12. - Dardanus
-
Founder of the Phrygian city of Dardanus, son of Zeus, and ancestor of many Trojans.
- Deianira
-
A princess of Calydon and second wife of Heracles. Known for accidentally killing Heracles by giving him a poisoned tunic.
Featured in chapter 17. - Deiphobus
-
A prince of Troy, and son of Priam and Hecuba. Known for being killed and mutilated by either Menelaus or Odysseus, and for meeting Aeneas in the Underworld.
Appears in chapter 41. - Delos
-
An island sacred to Apollo as his birthplace. Often personified as feminine.
Featured in chapter 12. - Delphi/Pytho
-
Called Delphi or Pytho.
A pan-hellenic sanctuary sacred to Apollo as the location of the Delphic Oracle.
See chapter 43. Also featured in chapter 12. - Delphyne
-
A Dracaena, known for being killed by Apollo when he established the oracle at Delphi. In some traditions, given as the etymology for the place name of "Delphi."
- Demeter/Ceres
-
Greek: Demeter
Roman: Ceres
Goddess of agriculture.
See chapter 10. - Demophon
-
A son of Metaneira and Celeus, and brother of Triptolemus. Known for Demeter attempting to make him immortal by placing him in the fire, and for being killed by the fire when Demeter's ritual is interrupted.
Featured in chapter 10. - Deo
-
Epithet for Demeter (see chapter 10).
- Deucalion
-
A son of Prometheus, husband of Pyrrha, and father of Hellen. Known for being one of the two people (along with his wife) to survive the flood in Ovid's account.
Featured in chapter 3. - Dictys
-
A man of Seriphus (possibly a fisherman) and brother of Polydectes. Known for rescuing Perseus and Danae from the sea.
Featured in chapter 21. - Dido
-
Founder and first queen of Carthage. Known for her romantic relationship with Aeneas, and for committing suicide when he left her.
Appears in chapter 41. - Diomedes (of Argos)
-
A king of Argos, known for fighting in the Trojan War as a favoured warrior of Athena. Deified upon his death.
Featured in chapter 27. - Diomedes (of Thrace)
-
A king of Thrace and son of Ares. Known for owning a herd of flesh-eating horses which Heracles stole as the eighth Labour.
Featured in chapter 17. - Dione
-
May refer to any of a few possible sea goddesses or nymphs. In some traditions, the mother of Aphrodite with Zeus. Sometimes equated with or used as an epithet for Aphrodite (see chapter 4).
- Dionysus/Bacchus
-
Greek: Dionysus
Roman: Bacchus
God of wine and revelry.
See chapter 15. - Dioscuri
-
Castor and Pollux (or Polydeuces), the two sons of Leda (with Tyndareus and Zeus respectively). Known for sailing with the Argonauts, for participating in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, for defending their sister Helen, and for being deified.
Appear in chapter 22. - Dirce
-
A queen of Thebes and wife of Lycus, or a spring near Thebes where Dirce became a nymph after her death. Known for helping raise Heracles and Dionysus.
Featured in chapter 37. Also appears in chapter 15 and chapter 17. - Dis Pater
-
A Roman Underworld deity, or a name for the Underworld itself. Sometimes conflated with or used as an epithet for Hades (featured in chapter 41).
- Dithyramb(us)
-
A song sung in honour of Dionysus, or an epithet for Dionysus (see chapter 15).
- Dodona
-
The site of a prophetic oracle of Zeus.
Appears in chapter 14 and chapter 18. - Doliones
-
A mythical people living in Asia Minor, ruled by king Cyzicus. Known for their encounter with the Argonauts.
Featured in chapter 18. - Doris
-
An Oceanid daughter of Ocean and Tethys, and mother of the Nereids. Known for rescuing Danae and baby Perseus from the sea (in some accounts).
Featured in chapter 21. - Dracaenae
-
Female serpent or dragon creatures, often part-human.
- Dryads
-
Nature spirits or nymphs of trees.
- Earth-Shaker
-
Epithet for Poseidon (see chapter 7).
- Echidna
-
A dracaena, and the mother of many famous monsters including Cerberus, the Hydra, and the Nemean Lion.
Featured in chapter 1. - Echo
-
A mountain nymph cursed by Hera to only be able to repeat what others say.
- Egeria
-
A nymph and consort of Numa Pompilius. Known for helping establish the laws and rites of Rome.
Appears in chapter 33. - Eileithyia/Lucina
-
Greek: Eileithyia
Roman: Lucina
Goddess of childbirth and labour pains, sometimes depicted as two goddesses called eileithyiae.
Featured in chapter 17. - Eirene/Pax
-
Greek: Eirene
Roman: Pax
Personification of peace and one of the Horae. - eitiological
- Electra
-
A princess of Mycenae, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and sister of Iphigenia and Orestes. Known for helping Orestes plan to kill Clytemnestra.
Featured in chapter 30. - Eleusis
-
A city sacred to Demeter. In myth, she takes refuge there in her search for Persephone on earth. The cite of the Eleusinian Mysteries, one of the most prominent ritual cults to Demeter.
Featured in chapter 10. - Elpenor
-
A hero in the Trojan war and companion of Odysseus. Known for dying on the island of Circe, and for speaking to Odysseus as a shade.
Appears in chapter 41. - Elysium
-
The blissful paradise part of the Underworld, populated with heroes and good souls.
Appear in chapter 41. - Enipeus
-
A river in Thessaly, and the god personifying this river. Known for his beauty, and for his role in the story of Tyro.
Appears in chapter 41. - Enyo/Bellona
-
Greek: Enyo
Roman: Bellona
Personification of war. Sometimes conflated or equated with Eris (Strife). - Eos/Aurora
-
Greek: Eos
Roman: Aurora
Personification of the dawn.
Appears in chapter 4. - Epaphus
-
A king of Egypt, son of Zeus and Io, and ancestor of many important figures of Argos including Danaus and Perseus.
- Epeius
-
A hero in the Trojan War, known for building the Trojan Horse after he was inspired by a dream from Athena.
Featured in chapter 29. - Ephialtes
-
A Giant, the brother of Otus, and one of the Aloadae.
Appears in chapter 9, chapter 11, chapter 13, chapter 18, and chapter 41. - Epigoni
-
Collective term for the sons of the Seven Against Thebes. Known for attempting to avenge their fathers.
Featured in chapter 37. - Epimetheus
-
A Titan. Son of Iapetus, brother of Prometheus and Atlas, father of Pyrrha, and husband of Pandora. Known for his foolishness.
Featured in chapter 14. - Er
-
A character in Plato's "Myth of Er." After being killed in battle, Er witnesses the afterlife, and then is sent back to life to tell people what he saw.
Featured in chapter 41. - Erebus
-
Primordial personification of darkness.
Appears in chapter 1. - Eriboea
-
A princess of Salamis, and mother of Ajax with Telamon. Known for being one of the youths sent to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, and for being rescued by Theseus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Erichthonius/Erectheus I
-
Called Erichthonius or Erectheus.
A founding king of Athens, born from the earth and Hephaestus.
Featured in chapter 9. Also appears in chapter 36. - Erinyes/Eumenides/Furies
-
Called Erinyes, Eumenides, or Furies.
Three goddesses of vengeance and punishment.
Featured in chapter 9 and chapter 41. - Eriphyle
-
Wife of Amphiaraus, known for convincing Amphiaraus to join the Seven Against Thebes despite knowing that he would die.
- Eris/Discordia
-
Greek: Eris
Roman: Discordia
Personification of conflict and strife. Known for provoking the Judgement of Paris at the start of the Trojan War.
Featured in chapter 26. - Eros/Cupid/Amor
-
Greek: Eros
Roman: Cupid or Amor
God of love and desire, either born alongside Aphrodite at the beginning of creation, or a child of Aphrodite and Ares.
Featured in chapter 4. - Erotes
-
A group of love deities associated with Aphrodite.
Appear in chapter 4. - Erymanthian Boar
-
A giant boar from mount Erymanthos. Known for being captured by Heracles as his fourth labour.
Featured in chapter 17. - Erysichthon (of Thessaly)
-
A man of Thessaly. Known for being cursed by Demeter to be forever hungry as punishment for desecrating her sacred grove.
Featured in chapter 10. - Eteocles
-
A son of Oedipus and Jocasta, and brother of Polynices. Known for defending against the Seven Against Thebes, and for dying in a duel with his brother Polynices.
Featured in chapter 37. - Etiological Myth
-
A myth that describes the cause or origin of a person, place, thing, natural phenomenon, ritual, or custom.
- euhemerism
-
Interpretation of myths as rational, traditional accounts of historical people and events.
- Eumaeus
-
Swineheard and friend of Odysseus. Known for remaining loyal during Odysseus' absence and for helping him defeat the Suitors.
Appears in chapter 30. - Europa
-
A Phoenician princess, the first queen of Crete, and mother of Minos. Known for being abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull and taken to Crete.
Featured in chapter 22. - Eurycleia
-
Nurse of Odysseus and Telemachus. Known for her loyalty and for being the only person to recognize Odysseus upon his return to Ithaca.
Appears in chapter 30. - Eurydice
-
Wife of Orpheus, known for being killed by a snake bite, and for then prompting Orpheus' journey to the Underworld.
Featured in chapter 41. - Eurylochus
-
A companion of Odysseus on his journey in Homer's Odyssey. Known for helping save the crew from Circe, and for persuading the crew to eat the forbidden cattle of Helius.
Appears in chapter 30. - Eurymachus
-
One of the leaders of the Suitors of Penelope.
Appears in chapter 30. - Eurynome (Oceanid)
-
An Oceanid, daughter of Ocean and Tethys, and mother of the Graces. Known for nursing Hephaestus when he was thrown from Olympus.
Featured in chapter 8. - Eurynome (of Ithaca)
-
The housekeeper of Penelope and Odysseus. Known for helping Odysseus upon his return to Ithaca.
Appears in chapter 30. - Eurypylus
-
A king of Cos and son of Poseidon. Known for being killed by Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17. - Eurystheus
-
A king of Tiryns and descendant of Perseus. Known for assigning Heracles the 12 Labours.
Featured in chapter 17. - Eurytus (of Oechalia)
-
A king of Oechalia and father of Iole. Known for his skill in archery, and for being killed by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Eurytus (son of Molione)
-
A son of Molione and either Actor or Poseidon, and twin brother of Cteatus. Known for being born conjoined with Cteatus, for participating in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and for being killed by Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17. - Evadne
-
Wife of Capaneus. Known for throwing herself onto her husbands funeral pyre after he was killed in the battle of the Seven Against Thebes.
Appears in chapter 37 and chapter 41. - Gaia/Terra
-
Greek: Gaia
Roman: Terra
Goddess of the earth.
Featured in chapter 1. - Galatea
-
A Nereid, and daughter of Nereus and Doris. Known for turning her partner Acis into a river after Polyphemus killed him in jealousy.
Featured in chapter 7. - Galli
-
A group of eunuch priests of Cybele and Attis.
Featured in chapter 15. - Ganymede
-
A young hero of Troy, variously a son of Laomedon, Dardanus, Ilus, or Tros. Known for being kidnapped by Zeus and taken to Olympus to be a cup-bearer.
Featured in chapter 5. - Geryon
-
A giant and son of Chrysaor. Known for having three torsos, for his cattle, and for his role in the tenth Labour of Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Giants
-
Giant humanoids, often with snake-like limbs and features. Offspring of Gaia, born where the blood of Uranus landed on the earth. Known for their role in the Gigantomachy.
Featured in chapter 1. - Glaucus (of Corinth)
-
A son of Sisyphus and Merope, and father of Bellerophon. Known for being killed by his horses during or after a chariot race.
Featured in chapter 21. - Glaucus (of Lycia)
-
A hero of Lycia and descendant of Bellerophon. Known for fighting on the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War, and for his friendships with Diomedes and Sarpedon.
Appears in chapter 5. - Golden Fleece
-
The golden-haired skin of a legendary ram. Known for its role in the founding myth of Colchis, and for being the object of the quest of Jason and the Argonauts.
Featured in chapter 18. - Gorgons
-
Three women with snakes for hair, named Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. The singular ("Gorgon" or "Gorgo") may also be used as a proper noun referring to Medusa alone.
Featured in chapter 20 and chapter 21. - Graeae
-
Three sisters (Enyo, Deino, and Pemphredo), daughters of Phorcus and Ceto. Known for sharing one eye and one tooth between the three of them, and for aiding Perseus on his quest for Medusa's head.
Featured in chapter 21. - greaves
-
Armour worn on the shin.
- Hades/Pluto
-
Greek: Hades
Roman: Pluto
God of the underworld. Hades may also refer to the underworld itself, the kingdom of Hades.
See chapter 42. - Harmonia/Concordia
-
Greek: Harmonia
Roman: Concordia
Personification of harmony. Wife of Cadmus, and mother of Semele, Ino, Autonoe, and Agave.
Featured in chapter 15. - Harpies
-
Female half-bird, half-human creatures. Sometimes personified storm wind spirits, sometimes agents of torment or punishment.
Featured in chapter 18. - He of the Bright Trident
-
Epithet for Poseidon (see chapter 7).
- Hebe/Juventas
-
Greek: Hebe
Roman: Juventas
Goddess of youth and third wife of Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17. - Hecate
-
Goddess of magic, nighttime rituals, and mystery. Often connected with Medea and Circe, and known for helping Demeter on her search for Persephone.
Appears in chapter 10 and chapter 19. - Hecatomb
-
A sacrifice of a hundred animals.
- Hecatoncheires
-
Called Hecatoncheires or Hundred-Handers.
3 hundred-armed giant humanoids (Briareus, Gyges, and Cottus). Children of Gaia and Uranus. Known for being imprisoned by Uranus.
Appear in chapter 1. - Hector
-
A Trojan prince and hero, son of Priam and Hecuba, and husband of Andromache. Known for his role in the Trojan War, and for being killed by Achilles.
Featured in chapter 28 and chapter 29. - Hecuba
-
A queen of Troy, wife of Priam and mother of Paris and Hector.
Featured in chapter 28 and chapter 30. - Hedone/Voluptas
-
Greek: Hedone
Roman: Voluptas
Personification of (sensual) pleasure. - Helen (of Sparta/Troy)
-
A Spartan princess, daughter of Leda and Zeus, and wife of Menelaus. Known for her beauty, and for being abducted by Paris and taken to Troy, sparking the Trojan War.
Featured in chapter 26, chapter 28, and chapter 30. Also appears in chapter 22. - Helios/Sol
-
Greek: Helios
Roman: Sol (but in some Roman traditions equated with Apollo)
Personification of the sun.
Appears in chapter 10 and chapter 30. - Hellanicus
-
Ancient Greek historian from the 5th century BCE. He played an important role in the development of historiography.
- Helle
-
A princess of Boeotia, and daughter of Nephele and Athamas. Known for dying by falling off of the golden ram as she and her twin brother Phrixus flew to Colchis to escape their stepmother Ino.
Featured in chapter 18. - Hellen
-
Son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, and father of Aeolus. Known for being the forefather of the Hellenes (Greeks).
- Hellenistic Period
-
Approximately 323 – 31 BCE
- Hemera/Dies
-
Greek: Hemera
Roman: Dies
Primordial goddess and personification of day. - Hephaestus/Vulcan
-
Greek: Hephaestus
Roman: Vulcan
God of fire, smiths, and craftspeople.
See chapter 8. - Hera/Juno
-
Greek: Hera
Roman: Juno
Goddess of marriage, wife of Zeus.
See chapter 6. - Heracles/Hercules
-
Greek: Heracles
Roman: Hercules
A hero of Tiryns, and son of Zeus and Alcmene. Known for completing the 12 Labours. Deified upon his death.
See chapter 17. Also appears in chapter 41. - Hermaphroditus
-
A child of Hermes and Aphrodite, known for his encounter with the naiad Salmacis.
Featured in chapter 16. - Hermes/Mercury
-
Greek: Hermes
Roman: Mercury
God of travelers and trickery.
See chapter 16. - Hermione
-
The daughter of Helen and Menelaus, and wife of Neoptolemus and later of Orestes.
- Hesione
-
A princess of Troy, sister of Priam, and wife of Telamon. Known for being rescued by Heracles from being sacrificed to a sea monster.
Featured in chapter 17. - Hesperides
-
Called Hesperides of Antlantides.
Nymphs of the evening, daughters of Atlas, and guardians of the Garden of the Hesperides, where golden apples grow.
Featured in chapter 17. - Hesperus/Vesper
-
Greek: Hesperus
Roman: Vesper
Personification of the "evening star" (the planet Venus). - Hestia/Vesta
-
Greek: Hestia
Roman: Vesta
Maiden goddess of the home and hearth.
Featured in chapter 41. - Himeros
-
Personification of (sexual) desire, and one of the Erotes.
- Hippocoon
-
A king of Sparta and brother of Tyndareus. Known for seizing the throne from Tyndareus, and for later being ousted and killed by Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17, - Hippodamia
-
A queen of Pisa, daughter of Oenomaus and wife of Pelops. Known for being married to Pelops after he "won" her in a chariot race.
Appears in chapter 39. - Hippolyte
-
A queen of the Amazons, and daughter of Ares and Otrera. Killed either by Heracles during the ninth labour, or by Theseus.
Featured in chapter 17, chapter 22, and chapter 23. - Hippolytus
-
The son of Theseus and Hippolyte. Known for being falsely accused of assaulting his stepmother Phaedra, and being killed in a chariot crash as punishment.
Featured in chapter 22. - Hippomenes/Melanion
-
Called Hippomenes or Melanion.
A hero of Arcadia and husband of Atalanta. Known for "winning" Atalanta in a footrace with the help of Aphrodite.
Featured in chapter 24. - Horae/Hours
-
Called Horae or Hours.
Goddesses of the seasons, daughters of Zeus with either Aphrodite or Themis. - Horatius Cocles
-
A Roman officer, known for defending Rome from the invasion of the Etruscans during the Republic.
Featured in chapter 33. - Host of Many
-
Epithet for Hades (featured in chapter 41).
- Hyades
-
A group of nymphs of rain thought to have lived in Nysa. Daughters of Atlas. Known for helping raise Dionysus, and for being immortalized by Zeus as a constellation as a reward.
- Hylas
-
An Argonaut and companion of Heracles. Known for his beauty, and for being abducted by nymphs in Mysia.
Featured in chapter 18. - Hyllus
-
A son of Heracles and Deianira, and husband of Iole. Known for building Heracles' pyre, and for being the forefather of the Heraclaidae, a famous line of descendants of Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17. - Hymen/Talasius
-
Greek: Hymen
Roman: Talasius
God of marriage ceremonies, and one of the Erotes. - Hyperboreans
-
A mythical people who lived in the north, often associated with Apollo.
Appear in chapter 21. - Hyperion
-
Titan associated with the sun, and father of Helios.
- Hypermnestra
-
A daughter of Danaus and one of the Danaids. Known for being the only Danaid to choose to disobey her father and not murder her husband.
Appears in chapter 21. - Hypnos/Somnus
-
Greek: Hypnos
Latin: Somnus
Personification of sleep. - Hypsipyle
-
A queen of Lemnos. Known for saving her father (while all the other women of Lemnos killed their male relatives), and for her encounter with the Argonauts.
Appears in chapter 18. - Iambe
-
A woman of Eleusis, known for lifting Demeter's spirits during her search for the missing Persephone. Often conflated with the deity Baubo.
Featured in chapter 10. - Iapetus
-
A Titan, son of Gaia and Uranus, and father of many other Titans including Atlas and Prometheus.
- Icarus
-
A son of Daedalus. Known for dying by falling from the sky when the mechanical wings, which his father had made, broke.
Featured in chapter 22. - Ilus
-
Founder of Troy ("Ilium"), and father of Laomedon.
- Imperial Period
-
27 BCE – 476 CE
- Inachus
-
The first king of Argos and personification of the river Inachus. Father of Io and ancestor of many important figures including Perseus, Cadmus, and Europa.
Featured in chapter 6. - Ino/Leucothea
-
Called Ino (mortal) or Leucothea (after apotheosis).
Daughter of Cadmus, sister of Semele, and mother of Melicertes/Palaemon. Known for being a maenad and a nurse of Dionysus. Upon her death, she was transformed into a sea goddess and worshipped as "Leucothea".
Featured in chapter 15 and chapter 18. - Io/Inachis
-
A priestess of Hera at Argos. Daughter of Inachus, wife of Telegonus, and mother of Epaphus. Known for being transformed into a cow by Zeus in an attempt to protect her from Hera's anger.
Featured in chapter 6 and chapter 14. - Iobates/Amphianax
-
A king of Lycia and father-in-law of Proetus. Known for sending Bellerophon on the quest for the Chimera.
Featured in chapter 21. - Iolaus
-
A son of Iphicles and cousin of Heracles, known for aiding Heracles in the battle with the Lernean Hydra.
Featured in chapter 17. - Iole
-
A princess of Oechalia and daughter of Eurytus. Known for being courted by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Iphicles
-
A hero of Tiryns, son of Alcmene and Amphitryon, and half-brother of Heracles. Known for his adventures with Heracles, and for participating in the Calydonian Boar Hunt.
Featured in chapter 17. - Iphigenia
-
A daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and sister of Orestes and Electra. Known for being sacrificed to Artemis by her father, and (in some versions) for being made immortal upon her death.
Featured in chapter 13, chapter 26, and chapter 30. - Iphitus
-
A prince of Oechalia, son of Eurytus. Known for being killed by Heracles while helping him retrieve stolen cattle.
Featured in chapter 17. - Iris
-
Goddess of rainbows, and the messenger of the gods.
- Ismenus
-
A river near Thebes, or the personification of this river.
- Ixion
-
A king of the Lapiths and the forefather of the centaurs. Known for violating rules of hospitality, both by killing his father-in-law, and by lusting after Hera when he was invited to Olympus. Punished by the gods by being bound to a fiery wheel in Tartarus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Janus
-
A Roman god of choices and crossroads.
Featured in chapter 35. - Jason
-
A hero from Thessaly. Son of Aeson and Alcimede, and husband of Medea and later of Creusa. Known for his adventures with the Argonauts and quest for the Golden Fleece.
See chapter 18. Also featured in chapter 19. - Jocasta
-
A queen of Thebes, wife of Laius and later (accidentally) of her son Oedipus.
Featured in chapter 37. - katabasis
-
A journey to and return from the underworld.
- Kibisis
-
A wallet or bag given to Perseus by the nymphs on his quest for Medusa's head.
Featured in chapter 21. - Laertes
-
A king of Cephallonia, and father of Odysseus. Known for sailing with the Argonauts and for participating in the Calydonian boar hunt.
- Laestrygonians
-
Cannibalistic giants, known for their encounter with Odysseus on his voyage home from Troy.
- Laius
-
A king of Thebes, husband of Jocasta and father of Oedipus. Known for being killed by Oedipus, according to a prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi.
Featured in chapter 37. - Laocoon
-
A Trojan priest of Apollo and seer, known for being suspicious of the Trojan Horse and for being punished by Athena because of this.
Appears in chapter 29. - Laomedon
-
A king of Troy, father of Priam and Hesione. Known for his divine horses, for his war with Heracles, and for his conflict with Poseidon.
Featured in chapter 7 and chapter 17. - Lapiths
-
A mythical people from Thessaly, known for their war with the centaurs ("centauromachy").
- Lars Porsena
-
A king of Etruria, known for his war against Rome during the Republic.
Featured in chapter 33. - Latinus
-
A king of Latium before the arrival of Aeneas.
Featured in chapter 32. - Lavinia
-
A woman of Latium, wife of Aeneas and daughter of Latinus. Known for having the city of Lavinium named after her.
Featured in chapter 32. - Leda
-
A queen of Sparta, wife of Tyndareus, and mother of Helen, Clytemnestra, and the Dioscuri. Known for being assaulted by Zeus in the form of a swan.
- Lemnian Women
-
Women who lived on the island of Lemnos. Known for killing all their husbands and living without men until the arrival of the Argonauts at Lemnos.
Featured in chapter 18. - Lernean Hydra
-
A monster with many heads that would regrow when cut off. Known for being killed by Heracles and Iolaus.
Featured in chapter 17. - Lethe/Oblivio
-
Greek: Lethe or Lemosyne
Roman: Oblivio
A river of the underworld that caused forgetfulness, or the personification of this river.
Appears in chapter 41. - Leto/Latona
-
Greek: Leto
Roman: Latona
Titan mother of Artemis and Apollo.
Featured in chapter 12 and chapter 13. - Liber
-
A Roman god of wine, fertility, and freedom, often conflated or equated with Bacchus.
Featured in chapter 15. - Linus
-
A son of Hermes, Apollo, Poseidon, or others in various traditions. Known for being a great musician, and for being killed either by Apollo, or by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Lotus-Eaters
-
A mythical people that lived on an island and ate lotus flowers. Known for appearing in Homer's Odyssey, where eating their lotuses makes the crew forget about their desire to return home.
Appear in chapter 30. - Loxias
-
Epithet for Apollo (see chapter 12), refers to his prophetic aspect.
- Lucius Tarquinius Priscus
-
A king of Rome. Husband of Tanaquil, father-in-law of Servius Tullius, and father of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus.
Featured in chapter 33. - Lucius Tarquinius Superbus
-
The last king of Rome. Husband of Tullia, son of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, and father of Sextus Tarquin. Known for becoming king by killing Servius Tullius, and for being overthrown.
Featured in chapter 33. - Lucretia
-
A woman of Rome, known as a symbol of a wife's fidelity and for prompting the coup against king Sextus Tarquin.
Featured in chapter 33. - Lycaon
-
A king of Arcadia, known for being turned into a wolf as punishment for attempting to trick Zeus into eating human flesh.
Appears in chapter 3. - Lycurgus (of Nemea)
-
A king of Nemea or a priest of Zeus in Nemea. Known for originating the Nemean Games after the death of his son, and for his encounter with the army of the Seven Against Thebes.
Appears in chapter 37. - Lycurgus (of Thrace)
-
A king of Thrace. Known for attempting to ban the worship of Dionysus and being forced to kill his son Dryas as a result.
Appears in chapter 15. - Lycus (of Thebes)
-
A king of Thebes and husband of Dirce. Known for being killed either by his grandsons, or by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 37. Also appears in chapter 17. - Lycus (son of Dascylus)
-
A king of Mysia, known for siding with Heracles in his war with the Bebryces, and for naming his land after Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17. - Lynceus (of Argos)
-
A king of Argos and husband of Hypermnestra.
Appears in chapter 21. - Maenads/Bacchae/Bacchantes
-
Women worshippers of Dionysus, known for acting wildly and in a frenzy.
Featured in chapter 15. - Maia
-
A nymph and one of the Pleiades, and mother of Hermes.
Featured in chapter 16. - Marsyas
-
A satyr, known for being killed by Apollo as punishment for engaging him in a music contest.
Featured in chapter 12. - Medea
-
A princess and enchantress of Colchis, daughter of Aeëtes, and wife of Jason and later of Aegeus.
See chapter 19. Also featured in chapter 18 and chapter 22. - Medusa
-
One of the three Gorgons.
See chapter 20. Also featured in chapter 21. - Megara
-
A princess of Thebes and first wife of Heracles. Known for being killed by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 16. - Melampus
-
A seer from Pylos and ruler of Argos. Known for being able to speak with animals and for spreading Dionysus worship.
- Melanthius
-
Goatherd of Odysseus, known for betraying Odysseus and siding with the Suitors.
Appears in chapter 30. - Meleager
-
A prince of Calydon and Argonaut. Son of Oeneus and Althaea. Known for killing the Calydonian boar, and for his life being bound to a piece of wood.
Featured in chapter 24. - Melicertes/Palaemon
-
Called Melicertes (before apotheosis) or Palaemon (after apotheosis)
A son of Athamas and Ino. Known for becoming a god after being thrown into the sea by his mother.
Appears in chapter 15 and chapter 18. - Menelaus
-
A king of Sparta, husband of Helen, and brother of Agamemnon. Known for his role in the Trojan War.
Featured in chapter 26 and chapter 27. - Menoetius (of Opus)
-
A king of Opus and Argonaut. Son of Aegina and father of Patroclus.
- Metaneira
-
A queen of Eleusis, wife of Celeus and mother of Triptolemus and Demophon. Known for hosting Demeter during her search for Persephone.
Featured in chapter 10. - Metis
-
Titan of wisdom. Daughter of Ocean and Tethys, and mother of Athena.
Featured in chapter 9. - Minos
-
A king of Crete, father of Ariadne and husband of Pasiphae. Known for commissioning the creation of the labyrinth of the Minotaur, and for becoming a judge in the underworld after his death.
Featured in chapter 22. Also appears in chapter 41. - Mnemosyne/Moneta
-
Greek: Mnemosyne
Roman: Mnemosyne
Titan of memory. Daughter of Gaia and Uranus, and mother of the Muses. - Moirai/Fates
-
Called Moirai or Fates.
3 goddesses who appear as old women and control the destinies of living things. - Mopsus
-
A Lapith seer and Argonaut. In some accounts, participated in the Calydonian Boar Hunt.
Appears in chapter 20. - Mount Cithaeron
-
A mountain sacred to Dionysus. Known for being the site of the deaths of Pentheus and Actaeon.
Featured in chapter 15. Also appears in chapter 13. - Mount Etna
-
A mountain in Sicily. Known for being both the location of the forge of Hephaestus, and the mountain under which Zeus trapped Typhon.
- Mount Helicon
-
A mountain in Hesiod's native Boeotia that was sacred to the Muses. Writers of myth often associate their hometowns to significant mythic events, which lends prestige to both their place of origin and authority to themselves as writers.
- Mount Ida
-
The name for 2 sacred mountains: Ida in Crete, and Ida in Anatolia. Mount Ida in Crete is sacred to Zeus as his birthplace, while Ida in Anatolia is sacred to Cybele. The two are sometimes conflated.
- Mount Nysa
-
A mountain or mountainous region associated with the worship of Dionysus. Nysa is located in different locations according to different authors, but is always outside of Greece (often in Africa).
Featured in chapter 15. - Mount Olympus
-
A mountain in Greece, and the mythical home of the gods on this mountain.
- Mount Othrys
-
A mountain in central Greece, said to be the home of Cronus and the birthplace of many of the gods.
- Mount Pelion
-
A mountain in Thessaly, named after Peleus. Known for being the home of Chiron and training ground of many heroes, and for being the site of the Judgement of Paris.
- Muses
-
9 deities of art, music, poetry, and creativity.
- Mycenae
-
A city in the Argolis. Associated with the line of Perseus, Tantalus, and the house of Atreus.
See chapter 39. - Mycenaean Bronze Age
-
1550 – 1050 BCE
- Myrmidons
-
The soldiers under Achilles' command in the Trojan war.
- Mystery Religions
-
Called "mystery religions" or "mysteries."
A religion whose beliefs, tenants, practices, and rituals are kept secret from those who are uninitiated and often pertains to knowledge about the afterlife. - Naiads
-
Nature spirits or nymphs of freshwater lakes, streams, and pools.
- Neleus
-
A king of Pylos and brother of Pelias. Sometimes counted among the Argonauts. Known for being killed by Heracles for refusing to settle his blood debt.
Featured in chapter 17 and Homer's Odyssey. - Nemean Lion
-
A lion with invulnerable skin, known for being killed by Heracles as his first labour.
Featured in chapter 17. - Nemesis/Adrastea/Invidia
-
Greek: Nemesis or Adrastea
Roman: Invidia
Personification of revenge, particularly divine retribution against those who show arrogance. - Neoptolemus/Pyrrhus
-
Called Neoptolemus or Pyrrhus.
Founder of the Molossians, and son of Achilles. Known for fighting for the Greeks in the Trojan War, and for killing Priam.
Featured in chapter 27 and chapter 29. - Nephele
-
A cloud nymph, mother of Phrixus and Helle, and ancestor of the Centaurs. Known for giving the golden ram (which later became the Golden Fleece) to Phrixus.
Featured in chapter 18. - Nereids
-
Nature spirits or nymphs of the sea.
- Nereus
-
Called Nereus or "The Old Man of the Sea."
A sea god with shapeshifting and prophetic powers. Father of the Nereids and son of Gaia. - Nessus
-
A centaur ferryman. Known for assaulting Deianira, for providing the poison that killed Heracles, and for being killed by Heracles.
Featured in chapter 17. - Nestor
-
A king of Pylos and Argonaut. Known for participating in the Calydonian Boar Hunt and the Trojan War, for his wisdom, and for hosting Telemachus in Homer's Odyssey.
- Nike/Victoria
-
Greek: Nike
Roman: Victoria
Personification of victory. Often represented in art alongside another god (particularly Athena) to show their victory. - Niobe
-
A queen of Thebes and daughter of Tantalus. Known for being the mother of 7 sons and 7 daughters, all of whom were killed by Artemis and Apollo as vengeance for an insult to Leto.
Featured in chapter 13. - Notus/Auster
-
Greek: Notus
Roman: Auster
God of the south wind and hot, dry winds. - Numa Pompilius
-
A king of Rome and the successor of Romulus. Known for his wisdom and for establishing many formal institutions.
Featured in chapter 33. - Numitor
-
A king of Alba Longa, father of Rhea Silvia and brother of Amulius. Known for being usurped from the throne by Amulius, and later for being reinstated as king by Romulus and Remus.
Featured in chapter 32. - Nycteus
-
A king of Thebes, brother of Lycus and father (in some accounts) of Antiope.
Appears in chapter 37. - Nymphs
-
Minor nature deities.
- Nyx/Nox
-
Greek: Nyx
Roman: Nox
Primordial personification of night. Mother of many deities including Hemera, the Moirai (sometimes), and the Erinyes.
Appears in chapter 1. - Oceanus/Ocean
-
Called Oceanus or Ocean.
The river encircling the earth, or its personification as a Titan. Husband of Tethys and father of the Oceanids. - Odysseus/Ulysses
-
Greek: Odysseus
Roman: Ulysses
King and hero of Ithaca. Known for his cunning, for fighting for the Greeks in the Trojan War, and for his long and challenging journey home from the war, as recounted in Homer's Odyssey.
Featured in chapter 27, chapter 29, chapter 30, and chapter 41. Also appears in chapter 26. - Oedipus
-
A king of Thebes, and son of Jocasta and Laius. Known for accidentally killing his father and marrying his mother Jocasta in fulfilment of an oracle.
Featured in chapter 37. - Oeneus
-
A king of Calydon, husband of Althaea, and father of Deianira and Meleager. Known for neglecting to sacrifice to Artemis, prompting her to send the Calydonian Boar to terrorize the land.
Featured in chapter 24. - Oenomaus
-
A king of Pisa and father of Hippodamia. Known for dying in a chariot race against Pelops after an oracle foretold that he would be killed by his son-in-law.
- Olympus
-
A famous mythical musician, sometimes credited with inventing the flute.
- Omphale
-
A queen of Lydia. Known for having Heracles given to her in servitude by the gods to atone for his murders.
Featured in chapter 17. - Orestes
-
A son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and brother of Iphigenia and Electra. Known for killing his mother as revenge for her killing of Agamemnon.
Featured in chapter 9 and chapter 30. Also appears in chapter 26. - Orion
-
A legendary hunter. Known for his association with Artemis, for having his vision restored by Helius after he was blinded, and for being made into a constellation after he died.
Featured in chapter 13. - Orpheus
-
A hero and Argonaut, and brother of Linus. Known for his ability to charm all with his lyre music, and for his attempt to rescue his lover Eurydice from the Underworld.
Featured in chapter 41. Appears in chapter 18 and chapter 19. - Orthus
-
A two-headed dog and the hound of Geryon. A son of Echidna and Typhon, and brother of Cerberus. Known for being killed by Heracles during the tenth Labour.
Featured in chapter 17. - Otrera
-
The first queen of the Amazons, and mother of Hippolyte and Penthesilea.
- Otus
-
A Giant, the brother of Ephialtes, and one of the Aloadae. Known for competing with Orion in beauty, and for attempting to court Artemis.
Appear in chapter 9, chapter 11, chapter 13, chapter 18, and chapter 41. - Paean
-
Epithet for Apollo (see chapter 12), or a type of hymn to Apollo.
- Palinurus
-
Helmsman of Aeneas' ship, known for falling overboard and drowning, and for encountering Aeneas in the Underworld.
Appears in chapter 41. - Pallas (Athena)
-
Epithet for Athena (see chapter 9), likely refers to her status as a maiden or young woman.
- Pallas (Titan)
-
A Titan of warfare. Husband of Styx and father of Scylla.
- Pan
-
God of shepherds, the wild, and wild music.
- Pandion
-
A king of Athens and father of Aegeus. Known for being exiled from Athens by his cousins (the Metionids).
- Pandora
-
The first woman, molded from earth by Hephaestus. Known for introducing evils into the world (in Hesiod's account).
Featured in chapter 14. - Paris Alexander
-
Called Paris or Alexander.
A prince of Troy, son of Priam and Hecuba. Known for his abduction of Helen, which provoked the Trojan War.
Featured in chapter 26 and chapter 28. - Parthenogenesis
-
Asexual reproduction, or the act of reproducing on one's own, without a partner.
- Parthenopaeus
-
A son of Atalanta, and one of the Seven Against Thebes.
- Pasiphae
-
A queen of Crete. Wife of Minos, daughter of Helius, and mother of Ariadne and the Minotaur.
Featured in chapter 22. - Paterfamilias
-
The free, male head of household in ancient Rome.
- Patroclus
-
A Greek hero and son of Menoetius. Known for being a close companion (and possibly romantic and/or sexual partner) of Achilles, for fighting in the Trojan war, and for being killed by Hector.
Featured in chapter 27. - Pegasus
-
A winged horse, child of Medusa and Poseidon, and sibling of Chrysaor. Known for being born from Medusa's neck when she was beheaded, and for being tamed by Bellerophon.
Featured in chapter 21. - Peleus
-
A king of Phthia and Argonaut. Father of Achilles, husband of Thetis, and son of Aeacus.
- Pelias
-
A king of Thessaly, brother of Aeson and son of Poseidon. Known for sending Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece, and for being killed in a plot by his daughters and Medea.
Featured in chapter 18 and chapter 19. - Pelops
-
A king of Pisa (though originally from Lydia or Phrygia). A son of Tantalus (in most traditions), husband of Hippodamia, and father of Atreus and Pittheus. Known for his victory in a chariot race at Olympia.
Appears in chapter 39. - Penelope
-
A queen of Ithaca. Wife of Odysseus, mother of Telemachus, and daughter of Autolycus. Known for hosting the Suitors while Odysseus was away at Troy.
Featured in chapter 30. - Peneus
-
A river god and father of Daphne. Known for transforming Daphne into a tree to save her from Apollo.
Featured in chapter 12. - Penthesileia
-
A queen of the Amazons, and daughter of Ares and Otrera. Known for siding with the Trojans in the Trojan War, and for being killed by Achilles.
Featured in chapter 23 and chapter 28. - Pentheus
-
A king of Thebes and son of Agave. Known for being killed by his mother as punishment for refusing to worship Dionysus.
Featured in chapter 15. - peplos
-
long, draped garment worn by women in ancient Greece
- Periclymenus
-
A hero of Pylos and Argonaut, and son of Neleus. Known for his ability to shapeshift, and for being killed by Heracles.
- Periphetes
-
A bandit and son of Hephaestus. Known for killing people with a club (earning him the nickname "Clubman"), and for being killed by Theseus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Persephone/Proserpina
-
Greek: Persephone
Roman: Proserpina
Goddess of springtime.
See chapter 10. - Perseus
-
A hero from Argos, and son of Zeus and Danae. Known for beheading the Gorgon Medusa.
See chapter 21. - Phaedra
-
A princess of Crete, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, and a wife of Theseus. Known for unsuccessfully pursuing a relationship with her stepson Hippolytus.
Featured in chapter 22. - Pheme/Fama
-
Greek: Pheme
Roman: Fama
Personification of rumours and fame. - Philoctetes
-
A hero in the Trojan war. Known for lighting Heracles' pyre, and for receiving Heracles' bow after Heracles' death.
Featured in chapter 29. Also appears in chapter 17. - Philoetius
-
Cowherd of Odysseus, known for remaining loyal during Odysseus' absence and for helping him defeat the Suitors.
Appears in chapter 30. - Philyra
-
An Oceanid, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and mother of Chiron. Known for being the nurse of many heroes, including Jason and Achilles.
- Phineus (of Aethiopia)
-
The brother of Cepheus and uncle of Andromeda. Known for being one of the suitors of Andromeda before the arrival of Perseus.
Appears in chapter 21. - Phineus (of Thrace)
-
A king of Thrace and seer. A son of Cassiopeia with either Agenor, Poseidon, or Phoenix. Known for his encounter with the Argonauts and the Harpies.
Featured in chapter 18. - Phlegethon
-
One of the five rivers of the Underworld, or the personification of this river. A river of fire.
Appears in chapter 41. - Phoebus
-
Epithet for Apollo (see chapter 12), meaning "bright one."
- Phoenix (of Phoenicia)
-
Eponym of the region of Phoenicia, a son of Agenor, and variously the brother or the father of Cadmus and Europa.
- Phoenix (of the Dolopians)
-
A king of the Dolopians. Known for fighting in the Trojan War and as the tutor of Achilles.
- Phoinix
-
An uncle of Andromeda. Known for being one of the suitors of Andromeda before Perseus' arrival, and in some accounts for kidnapping her.
Featured in chapter 21. - Phorcus
-
A primordial sea god. Father of many deities and monsters, including the Gorgons and the Graeae.
- Phrixus
-
A prince of Boeotia, son of Nephele and Athamas, and stepson of Ino. Known for fleeing to Colchis on the back of the golden ram when Ino made an attempt on his life.
Featured in chapter 18. - Pirithous
-
A king of the Lapiths and son of Ixion. Known for his role in the Centauromachy and for his adventures with Theseus in the Underworld.
Appears in chapter 22. - Pistis/Fides
-
Greek: Pistis
Roman: Fides
Personification of faith, fidelity, and obligation. - Pittheus
-
A king of Troezen, son of Pelops and father of Aethra. Known for his role in the birth of Theseus, and for fostering Hippolytus.
Featured in chapter 22. - Plantae/Wandering Rocks
-
Called the Plantae or Wandering Rocks.
A dangerous rocky channel, often conflated with the Clashing Rocks (Symplegades). The Argo was said to be the only ship to ever safely pass through them. - Pleiades
-
A group of 7 nymphs associated with stars and the night sky. Daughters of Atlas.
- Plutus
-
Greek god of wealth and riches, often conflated with the Roman Pluto.
- Polydectes
-
A king of Seriphus and brother of Dictys. Known for sending Perseus on the quest for Medusa's head.
Featured in chapter 21. - Polydeuces/Pollux
-
Called Polydeuces or Pollux.
A prince of Sparta and Argonaut. Son of Leda and Zeus, half brother of Helen and Clytemnestra, twin brother of Castor, and one of the Dioscuri.
Appears in chapter 22. - Polyidus
-
A seer of Corinth.
- Polymede
-
A daughter of Autolycus, and in some traditions mother of Jason.
- Polynices
-
A son of Oedipus and Jocasta, brother of Eteocles, and one of the Seven Against Thebes. Known for dying in his duel with his brother Eteocles.
Featured in chapter 37. - Polyphemus (Argonaut)
-
A Lapith hero and Argonaut. Known for fighting the Centaurs, and for founding a city in Mysia after the abduction of Hylas.
Appears in chapter 18. - Polyphemus (Cyclops)
-
A Cyclops, and son of Poseidon and Thoösa. Known for his encounter with Odysseus in the Odyssey, and for courting the nymph Galatea.
Featured in chapter 7 and chapter 30. - Pontus
-
Primordial god and personification of the (Mediterranean) sea. Son of Gaia and father of Nereus, Phorcys, and Ceto.
- Portunus
-
Roman god of doors, ports, and keys.
- Poseidon/Neptune
-
Greek: Poseidon
Roman: Neptune
God of the sea.
See chapter 7. - Pothos
-
Personification of longing and passion, and one of the Erotes.
- Priam
-
A king of Troy. Son of Laomedon, husband of Hecuba, and father of Hector, Cassandra, and Paris. Known for leading Troy during the Trojan War, and for being killed by Neoptolemus.
Featured in chapter 28 and chapter 29. - Priapus
-
A fertility god associated with gardens, agriculture, farms, and vineyards.
Appears in chapter 40. - Procris
-
A daughter of Erectheus and wife of Cephalus. Known for being accidentally killed by her husband Cephalus when he is out hunting.
- Procrustes/Damastes/Polypemon
-
Called Procrustes, Damastes, or Polypemon.
A bandit, son of Poseidon and father of Sinis. Known for killing people with beds by the road, and for being killed by Theseus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Proetus
-
A king of Argos, brother of Acrisius and husband of Anteia. Known for sending Bellerophon to be killed by Xanthus as punishment for allegedly assaulting Anteia.
Featured in chapter 21. - Prometheus
-
A Titan. Known for creating humankind, for tricking the gods on various occasions, and for being punished (by Zeus) to have his liver eaten daily by an eagle.
See chapter 13. - Proteus
-
A king of Egypt, known for hosting Helen and Paris in Memphis (in some accounts).
Featured in chapter 26. - Providentia
-
Roman personification of providence and foresight.
- Psyche
-
Roman goddess of the soul, born a mortal but made a goddess by Cupid upon her death. Known for her relationship with Cupid and conflict with Aphrodite.
Featured in chapter 4. - Pylades
-
A prince of Phocis and nephew of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Known for helping Orestes kill Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
Featured in chapter 30. - Pyrrha
-
A daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora, wife of Deucalion, and mother of Hellen. Known for being one of the two people (along with her husband) to survive the flood in Ovid's account.
Featured in chapter 3. - Pythia
-
The oracular priestess of Apollo at Delphi.
Featured in chapter 42. Also appears in chapter 12. - Python
-
A serpent, known for living at Delphi before the arrival of Apollo, and for being killed by Apollo.
Featured in chapter 12. - Quirinus
-
A god associated with the founding of Rome. Sometimes equated with or used as an epithet for Janus (featured in chapter 35). In later traditions, equated with deified Romulus (featured in chapter 32).
- Remus
-
The twin brother of Romulus, and son of Mars and Rhea Silvia. Known for being killed by Romulus in conflict over rulership of Rome.
Featured in chapter 32. - Republican Period
-
509 – 27 BCE
- Rhadamanthus
-
A king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa, and in some traditions the husband of Ariadne. Became a judge in the Underworld after his death.
Appears in chapter 41. - Rhea Silvia
-
A Vestal Virgin and the mother of Romulus and Remus.
Featured in chapter 32. - Rhea/Magna Mater/Cybele/Ops
-
Greek: Rhea or Cybele
Roman: Magna Mater, Cybele, or Ops
Nature goddesses of various origins who were often equated or conflated. Generally refers to the Titan wife and sister of Cronus, and mother of many of the gods including Zeus and Hera. Her worship often included loud music and wild processions, and she was often associated with Mount Ida.
Featured in chapter 15 (as Cybele). Also appears in chapter 1 (as Rhea). - Rhesus
-
A king of Thrace, known for having his fine horses stolen by Diomedes and Odysseus on the way to Troy, and for being killed by Diomedes.
- Romulus
-
The legendary founder of Rome. A son of Mars and Rhea Silvia, and twin brother of Remus.
Featured in chapter 32. - Salmacis
-
A nymph or naiad, known for her assault of Hermaphroditus.
Featured in chapter 16. - Sarpedon
-
A Trojan hero and son of Zeus. Known for fighting in the Trojan war, and for being killed by Patroclus.
Featured in chapter 5 and chapter 28. - Saturnia
-
Latin epithet for Hera (see chapter 6).
- Satyrs/Fauns
-
Half-goat, half-human minor woodland deities associated with lust and revelry.
- Scamander/Xanthus
-
Called Scamander or Xanthus.
A river at Troy, or the personification of this river. Known for siding with the Trojans in the Trojan War.
Appears in chapter 28. - Schoeneus
-
A king of Boeotia, son of Athamas and Themisto, and father of Atalanta (in mosts accounts).
Featured in chapter 24. - Sciron
-
A bandit, and son of Pelops or Poseidon. Known for killing people by kicking them off a cliff, and for being killed by Theseus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Scylla
-
A many-headed monster who guards an ocean strait (across from Charybdis).
Featured in chapter 30. Also appears in chapter 18. - Scylla (of Megara)
-
A princess of Megara. Known for helping Minos in his war against Athens by killing her father Nisus, and for later being killed by Minos.
Appears in chapter 22. - Scythia
-
Region located east of Thrace, and north of the Black Sea, near present-day Iran.
- Selene/Luna
-
Greek: Selene
Roman: Luna
Personification of the moon. - Semele/Thyone
-
Called Semele (when mortal) or Thyone (after apotheosis).
A princess of Thebes, daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and mother of Dionysus. Born a mortal, but made a goddess after her death.
Featured in chapter 15. - Servius Tullius
-
A king of Rome, known for being born a slave, and credited with the invention of Roman coinage.
Featured in chapter 33. - Sextus Tarquin
-
A prince of Rome, son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. Known for prompting the overthrow of his father and of the monarchy because of his rape of Lucretia.
Featured in chapter 33. - Sileni
-
Horse-like humanoid creatures associated with the wild (similar to satyrs). The singular form (Silenus) may also refer to the nature god Silenus.
- Simoeis
-
A river near Troy, or the personification of this river. Daughter of Ocean and Tethys, and ancestor of heroes including Assaracus and Anchises. Known for siding with the Trojans in the Trojan War.
- Sinis
-
A bandit known for killing people on the road by bending pine trees, and for being killed by Theseus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Sirens
-
Half-woman, half-bird creatures who would lure sailors to their deaths with their song.
Featured in chapter 19 and chapter 40. Also appear in chapter 41. - Sisyphus
-
Founder of Ephyre (later Corinth) and son of Aeolus of Thessaly. Known for attempting to cheat death (twice), and for being punished in the underworld to push a boulder up a hill forever. In some traditions, father of Odysseus.
Appears in chapter 41. - Smintheus
-
Epithet for Apollo (see chapter 12), meaning "of mice."
- Solymi
-
Inhabitants of the Milyas mountains in Anatolia, named after their ancestor Solymus. Known for being defeated by Bellerophon on his quest for the Chimera.
Appear in chapter 21. - Sophrosyne/Continentia
-
Greek: Sophrosyne
Roman: Continentia
Personification of modesty and restraint. - Spartoi
-
Soldiers grown from dragon teeth planted in the soil. Known for being one of Jason's challenges on his quest for the Golden Fleece, and for appearing in the foundation myth of Thebes.
Featured in chapter 18 and chapter 37. - Sphinx
-
A creature hybrid of a lion, bird, and woman, and a child of Echidna and Typhon. Known for learning the art of riddles from the Muses, and for her encounter with Oedipus (who solved the Sphinx's riddle).
Appears in chapter 37. - Stymphalian Birds
-
Flesh-eating birds that live near the water in Stymphalia. Known for being killed by Heracles as his sixth labour.
Featured in chapter 17. - Styx
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A river of the Underworld, or the deity personifying it. Serious oaths were sworn on the Styx.
Appears in chapter 1 and chapter 41. - Suitors
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A group of men of Ithaca who, believing Odysseus to have died, court Penelope and take up residence in her palace. Killed by Odysseus upon his return.
Featured in chapter 30. - Symplegades/Clashing Rocks
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Called the Symplegades or Clashing Rocks.
Two mythical rocks in the Bosphorus strait that clashed together when creatures passed between them. Encountered by Jason and the Argonauts.
Featured in chapter 18. - syncretic
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Syncretic myths combine images/symbols/figures/etc, from various traditions, such as Greek and Egyptian
- Talos
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A bronze man known for guarding the island of Crete and for being killed by the Argonauts.
Appears in chapter 18. - Tanaquil
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A queen of Rome and wife of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. Known for using her prophetic powers to help her husband become king, and later to help Servius Tullius, become king.
Featured in chapter 33. - Tantalus
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A son of Zeus, and father of Pelops and Niobe. Known for stealing nectar and ambrosia for the gods, and for attempting to feed his son Pelops to the gods in stew. For this crime, he was punished in the afterlife and his descendants (the house of Atreus) were cursed.
Featured in chapter 5, chapter 39, and chapter 41. - Tartarus
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The deep abyss of the Underworld where the Titans were imprisoned, or the primordial deity personifying the abyss.
- Taurus
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A Cretan general under king Minos. Known for being suspected on having an affair with Pasiphae, and for being defeated by Theseus.
Appears in chapter 22. - Teiresias
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A seer and priest of Apollo from Thebes, and son of Chariclo. Lives for many generations, and known for his roles in many myths.
Featured in chapter 15. Also appears in chapter 9, chapter 17, chapter 30, and chapter 41. - Telamon
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A prince of Aegina, and the father of Ajax. Known for sailing with the Argonauts, participating in the Calydonian boar hunt, and fighting alongside Heracles.
Appears in chapter 17. - Telchines
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A people native to the island of Rhodes, sometimes described as having flippers. Known for their skill as smiths, and often associated with sorcery.
- Telegonus
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The son of Circe and Odysseus, and second husband of Penelope.
Appears in chapter 30. - Telemachus
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A prince of Ithaca, and son of Penelope and Odysseus. Known traveling in search of Odysseus after the Trojan War.
Featured in chapter 30. - Telephassa
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A Phoenician queen, mother of Cadmus and Europa, and wife of either Agenor or Phoenix.
Appears in chapter 22. - Telphusa
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A spring in Boetia, or the naiad personification of the spring. Known for being crushed by Apollo for trying to prevent him from setting up his shrine there.
Featured in chapter 12. - Tethys
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Titan of freshwater, wife of Oceanus, and mother of many nymphs and other deities.
- Teucer
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A son of Telamon and Hesione, and half-brother of Ajax. Known for his skill at archery, for fighting for the Greeks in the Trojan War, and for founding the city of Salamis.
- Thanatos/Mors
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Greek: Thanatos
Roman: Mors
Personification of death. - Thebes
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A city in Boeotia. Associated with Dionysus, the house of Cadmus, the Seven Against Thebes, and the myth of Oedipus.
See chapter 37. - Themis
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Titan of justice and order.
Featured in chapter 3. - Thersites
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A soldier in the Trojan War, known for being portrayed in the Iliad as being unintelligent, and for being killed by Achilles in revenge for desecrating Penthesileia's body.
Appears in chapter 23. - Theseus
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A king and founder of Athens. The son of Aegeus and Aethra, husband of Hippolyte and later of Phaedra, and father of Hippolytus. Known for his encounters on the road to Athens, and for killing the Minotaur.
See chapter 22. Also appears in chapter 36 and chapter 41. - Thesmophoria
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A religious festival of fertility, dedicated to Demeter and Persephone.
Featured in chapter 10. - Thetis
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A nereid, daughter of Nereus, and mother of Achilles. Known for raising Hephaestus.
Featured in chapter 8. - Thrace
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Region located east of Greece, between present-day Bulgaria and Turkey
- Thyestes
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A king of Olympia, son of Pelops and brother of Atreus. Known for quarrelling with Atreus for the throne.
Appears in chapter 29 and chapter 30. - Thyrsus
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A staff adorned with vines and plants, carried by Dionysus and his worshippers.
Featured in chapter 15. - Tiber River
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A large river flowing through Rome.
- Timé
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The office or sphere of influence of an individual (generally a deity).
- time
- Titans
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The early deities that ruled before Zeus and the Olympian gods. May refer specifically to the twelve children of Gaia and Uranus, or more broadly to the generations of deities before the Olympians.
- Tithonus
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A prince of Troy and son of Laomedon. Known for being abducted by Eos to be her partner.
Appears in chapter 4. - Tityus
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A giant, and son of Zeus. Known for being killed by Artemis and Apollo for assaulting Leto.
Featured in chapter 13. Also appears in chapter 12 and chapter 41. - Triptolemus
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A young man of Eleusis, either a mortal son of Celeus and Metaneira, or descended from the Titans. Known for being taught agriculture by Demeter, and being tasked with teaching agriculture to humans.
Featured in chapter 10. - Tritogeneia
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Epithet for Athena (see chapter 9), refers to the manner of her birth. Apollonius of Rhodes gives the etymology of triton = head, an uncommon meaning of triton in ancient Greek. It is not related to the number 3.
- Tritons
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Fish-tailed sea deities in Poseidon's retinue. The singular form (Triton) may also refer to one sea god, a son of Amphitrite and Poseidon.
- Tros
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The mythical founder of Troy and father of Ganymede.
- Troy
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Called Troy or Ilium.
A city in Anatolia. Associated with Ilus and Dardanus, Priam and Paris, and the Trojan War.
See chapter 38. On the Trojan War, see chapters 25 to 30. - Tullia
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The last queen of Rome, daughter of Servius Tullius and wife of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. Known for killing her father, and for being driven out of Rome after the overthrow of the monarchy.
Featured in chapter 33. - Tyche/Fortuna
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Greek: Tyche
Roman: Fortuna
Personification of good luck and prosperity. - Tydeus
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One of the Seven Against Thebes, father of Diomedes of Argos and son of Oeneus.
- Tyndareus
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A king of Sparta, husband of Leda, father of Clytemnestra and Castor, and stepfather of Helen. Known for being ousted from the throne by his brother Hippocoon, and later restored to it by Heracles.
- Typhon/Typhoeus
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Called Typhon or Typhoeus.
A snake-like son of Gaia and Tartarus (usually, though traditions of his parentage vary), known for being defeated by Zeus and for fathering many monsters.
Featured in chapter 1 and chapter 5. - Tyro
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A princess of Thessaly. Wife of Cretheus and later of Sisyphus, and mother of Neleus and Pelias (with Poseidon), and Aeson (with Cretheus). Known for the story of her rape by Poseidon (disguised at the river god Enipeus), and for killing two of her children.
Appears in chapter 41. - Uranus/Caelus
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Greek: Uranus
Roman: Caelus
Primordial deity of the sky and heavens, partner of Gaia and father of the Titans.
Appears in chapter 1 and chapter 4. - Vestal Virgins
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A group of virgin women who served as priestesses of Vesta in Rome.
Featured in chapter 40. - xenia
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the shared Greek code of hospitality
- Zephyrus/Favonius
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Greek: Zephyrus
Roman: Favonius
God of the west wind and gentle spring and summer breezes. - Zethus
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A son of Antiope and Zeus, and twin brother of Amphion. Known for being said to have built the walls of Thebes (with his brother).
Appears in chapter 37. - Zeus
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Greek: Zeus
Roman: Jupiter or Jove
God of the sky, ruler of the Olympian gods.
See chapter 5.