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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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apotheosis |
Elevation of a mortal to divine status; e.g. Herakles; today, used to describe high point in development of something |
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apotropaic |
something believed to protect against evil/harm; e.g. Medusa's head in buildings and shields |
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aristeia |
a hero's finest moments in battle, where he can exhibit all his skill and bravery |
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athlos (plural athloi) |
A contest associated with sports, an action that requres a great deal of effort; e.g. the 12 labours of Herakles; today, athletics, athlete |
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Authochthon |
self+soil; people born from the soil who therefore have a right to the land; today, an aboriginal person |
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Cassandra |
daughter of Trojan king Priam, given gift of prophecy by Apollo; became a curse when her prophecies were never believed; today, someone who prophesises doom and is generally disregarded |
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Calypso |
"the hidden one"; nymph who lived on island of Ogygia, kept Odysseus as a lover for 7 years; no connection with African-Carribean music and dance |
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cereal |
associated with Ceres (Roman Demeter), goddess of harvest and earth's fertility |
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clue |
anything that serves to guide or direct in the solution of a problem, mystery, etc.; e.g. ball of yarn Ariadne gave to Theseus to find his way through the labyrinth |
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Delphi |
the prophetic center, sanctuary of Apollo; may derive from word dolphin (Apollo's transformation into a dolphin) or from delphys (womb; connection to Mother Earth) |
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ecstasis |
"out of normal state of mind"; intense trance such as spiritual awareness; today: elated, overjoyed |
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enthusiasm |
en-theos = "god is within"; e.g. someone possessed by divinity in a ritual; today: excitement, zeal, passion |
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galaxy |
Milky way (gala = milk); created from Hera's split milk after Herakles sucked her nipple too hard; today, a system of millions of stars |
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gorgon |
Medusa and her two sisters; grotesque winged women with snake hair, large eyes |
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gorgoneium |
the images of gorgons placed on buildings/temples/shields for apotropaic value |
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hamartia |
misjudgement, miscalcultaion, or error that a tragic hero makes; causes harm to themselves/philoi |
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Herakles |
Hera+kleos = glory of Hera; Hera created many obstacles in his life in order to give him accomplishments |
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hermaion |
a lucky find as a potential solution; Hermes is god of luck and the cunning/perceptive mind |
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hermaphrodite |
son of Hermes and Aphrodite turned into androgynous being after nymph Samalkis prayed to the gods to be united with him forever |
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Ilion |
another name for Troy; Ilos, ancestor of Priam and founder; Iliad is named for it |
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Iris |
the messenger goddess; personification of the rainbow; today: coloured portion of the eye and iridescent |
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kleos |
glory earned by achieving greatness in the battlefield or completing quests; gives immortality through remembrance |
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labyrinth |
giant maze built by Daedalus to house Minotaur; the place of the labrys (double axes) where religious ceremonies took place in the palace of Knossos; today, signifies a spiritual journey to your centre |
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laureate |
"crowned with laurels", a mark of honour; Daphne the nymph was turned into this tree to escape Apollo, who made it his symbol; today: someone who has been honored for achievement |
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mania and the maenads |
intensified state of mind and elevated energy brought through contact with the gods; female followers of Dionysus known for frenzied dance, physical power, eating raw meat |
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Medusa |
gorgon with petrifying glance, decapitated by Perseus |
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mercurial |
Roman equivalent of hermes; adjective to describe something quick to change temperament and mood, unpredictable |
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Mysteries and the Mysteria |
something secret, obscure; secret ceremonies for the initiates in cults of Demeter and Persephone; swore an oath of silence |
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nostalgia |
nostos + algos = return+guilt, a desire to go back home; sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past |
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omphalos |
Delphi was center of the world, navel of the earth; these sacred stones were dedicated to the oracle there |
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orgy |
religious gatherings for god Dionysus where ecstatic dances and animal sacrifices took place; today, means group sex |
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phallophoria |
carrying wooden penis in a parage to honor Dionysus |
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Plouton/Pluto |
Hades; underground fertility powers and riches; in Greek, means wealth |
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polymechanos |
a person of many skills, inventive and resourceful; characteristic of Odysseus |
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polymetis |
someone with a lot of cunning wisdom; characteristic of Odysseus |
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Psyche |
the soul that leaves the dead body in the last breath; today, the conscious/unconsious mind |
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Psychopompos |
Title for Hermes describing role as guide of souls into the underworld |
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Pythia |
priestesses of Apollo's temple; he killed Python and was named Pythios Apollon |
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Sisyphean |
Describes a difficult task that is often futile; Sisyphos was condemned to eternally push a stone up a hill in the underworld |
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Spartoi |
People grown from the dragon teeth sown by Kadmos |
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Styx |
underworld river, daughter of Oceanus; Charon ferried dead souls to Hades; unbreakable oath |
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Stygian |
Dark, gloomy, somber, forbidding |
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Tantalise |
Tantalus tricked the gods into eating human flesh, he was punished by being always hungry/thirsty but food is always beyond his reach; to tease/tempt without satisfaction |
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timé |
value in the Homeric Epics; privileges received by successful warrior |
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toxic |
from toxikon; poison used on arrows |
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xenia |
guest friendship; sacred bond created between guest and host sealed with gifts; protected by Zeus |
