Myths and Legends: Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - High School

It would be a tragedy if you didn't learn this epic list of words related to ancient Greek mythology and literature. Review the Greek gods and goddesses, from Aphrodite to Zeus, and encounter mythological creatures like the manticore, phoenix, and centaur. This list also covers important literary terms such as elegy, ode, and chorus.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. Achilles
    a mythical Greek hero of the Iliad
  2. Achilles' heel
    a seemingly small but actual mortal weakness
  3. Adonis
    a handsome youth loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone
  4. adonis
    a handsome young man
  5. Aeschylus
    Greek tragedian; the father of Greek tragic drama
  6. Amazon
    one of a nation of women warriors of Scythia
  7. amazon
    a large, strong, and aggressive woman
  8. amphitheater
    an oval large stadium with tiers of seats
  9. antagonist
    someone who offers opposition
  10. Antigone
    (Greek mythology) the daughter of King Oedipus who disobeyed her father and was condemned to death
  11. antistrophe
    the second of three sections of a classical Greek ode
  12. Aphrodite
    goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Zeus in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Venus
  13. Apollo
    Greek god of light
  14. Ares
    Greek god of war
  15. Argonaut
    (Greek mythology) one of the heroes who sailed with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece
  16. argonaut
    someone who sets off on a daring adventure
  17. Aristophanes
    an ancient Greek dramatist remembered for his comedies
  18. Artemis
    the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon
  19. Athena
    goddess of wisdom and useful arts and prudent warfare
  20. catharsis
    purging of emotional tensions
  21. centaur
    a mythical being that is half man and half horse
  22. Cerberus
    the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades
  23. Charybdis
    (Greek mythology) a ship-devouring whirlpool lying on the other side of a narrow strait from Scylla
  24. choragus
    leader of a group or festival; leader of a chorus
  25. chorus
    actors who comment on the action in a classical Greek play
  26. Circe
    (Greek mythology) a sorceress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine
  27. colossus
    someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
  28. comedy
    light and humorous drama with a happy ending
  29. Cyclops
    (Greek mythology) one of a race of giants having a single eye in the middle of their forehead
  30. Daedalus
    an Athenian inventor who built the labyrinth of Minos
  31. Demeter
    (Greek mythology) goddess of fertility and protector of marriage in ancient mythology; counterpart of Roman Ceres
  32. deus ex machina
    an agent who appears unexpectedly to solve a difficulty
  33. dialogue
    the lines spoken by characters in drama or fiction
  34. Dionysus
    god of wine and fertility and drama
  35. dithyramb
    a passionate hymn, usually in honor of Dionysus
  36. drama
    the literary genre of works intended for the theater
  37. dryad
    a deity or nymph of the woods
  38. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  39. epic
    a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
  40. epilogue
    a short speech by an actor at the end of a play
  41. Euripides
    one of the greatest tragic dramatists of ancient Greece
  42. foil
    a person or thing that serves to contrast with another
  43. Fury
    (classical mythology) the hideous snake-haired monsters (usually three in number) who pursued unpunished criminals
  44. god
    any supernatural being worshipped as controlling the world
  45. goddess
    a female deity
  46. Golden Fleece
    in Greek mythology, a fleece of gold owned by the king of Colchis and guarded in a sacred grove by a dragon; recovered by Jason and the Argonauts
  47. Gorgon
    (Greek mythology) any of three winged sister monsters and the mortal Medusa who had live snakes for hair; a glance at Medusa turned the beholder to stone
  48. griffin
    mythical creature with an eagle's head and a lion's body
  49. Hades
    the god of the underworld in ancient mythology
  50. halcyon
    a mythical bird said to breed at the winter solstice
  51. hamartia
    the character flaw or error of a tragic hero
  52. Harpy
    vicious winged monster
  53. harpy
    a malicious woman with a fierce temper
  54. Helen of Troy
    (Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
  55. Hephaestus
    the lame god of fire and metalworking in ancient mythology
  56. Hera
    queen of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology
  57. herculean
    extremely difficult; requiring great strength
  58. Hercules
    a hero noted for his strength
  59. hero
    a being of great strength celebrated for bold exploits
  60. Hesiod
    Greek poet whose existing works describe rural life and the genealogies of the gods and the beginning of the world (eighth century BC)
  61. hexameter
    a verse line having six metrical feet
  62. Homer
    ancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey (circa 850 BC)
  63. hubris
    overbearing pride or presumption
  64. Hydra
    monster with nine heads
  65. hydra
    trouble that cannot be overcome by a single effort because of its many aspects or its persistent and pervasive quality
  66. Icarus
    son of Daedalus
  67. Iliad
    a Greek epic poem describing the siege of Troy
  68. immortal
    not subject to death
  69. labyrinth
    complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
  70. lyre
    a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment
  71. lyric
    of or relating to poetry that expresses emotion
  72. manticore
    a monster having the head of man and the body of a lion
  73. mask
    a covering to disguise or conceal the face
  74. Medea
    (Greek mythology) a princess of Colchis who aided Jason in taking the Golden Fleece from her father
  75. Medusa
    a woman transformed into a Gorgon by Athena
  76. metamorphosis
    a complete change of physical form or substance
  77. Midas
    (Greek legend) the greedy king of Phrygia who Dionysus gave the power to turn everything he touched into gold
  78. mortal
    subject to death
  79. myth
    a traditional story serving to explain a world view
  80. mythology
    the body of stories associated with a culture or institution
  81. narcissism
    an exceptional interest in and admiration for yourself
  82. Narcissus
    (Greek mythology) a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection
  83. Nemean lion
    (Greek mythology) an enormous lion strangled by Hercules as the first of his 12 labors
  84. Nemesis
    the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance
  85. nemesis
    a personal foe or rival that cannot be easily defeated
  86. nymph
    a minor nature goddess depicted as a beautiful maiden
  87. ode
    a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
  88. Odysseus
    a famous mythical Greek hero
  89. Odyssey
    a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the journey of Odysseus after the fall of Troy
  90. odyssey
    a long wandering and eventful journey
  91. Oedipus
    (Greek mythology) a tragic king of Thebes who unknowingly killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta; the subject of the drama `Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles
  92. Olympus
    a mountain peak in northeast Greece near the Aegean coast
  93. oracle
    a shrine where a prophet is consulted
  94. Pandora
    the first woman
  95. Pegasus
    (Greek mythology) the immortal winged horse that sprang from the blood of the slain Medusa; was tamed by Bellerophon with the help of a bridle given him by Athena; as the flying horse of the Muses it is a symbol of highflying imagination
  96. peripeteia
    a sudden and unexpected reversal of fortune
  97. Perseus
    (Greek mythology) the son of Zeus who slew Medusa (with the help of Athena and Hermes) and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster
  98. phoenix
    a legendary bird that burned to death and emerged reborn
  99. Pindar
    Greek lyric poet remembered for his odes (518?-438? BC)
  100. Poseidon
    the god of the sea and earthquakes in ancient mythology
  101. Procrustean
    enforcing conformity by violent or ruthless means
  102. prologue
    an introductory section of a novel or other literary work
  103. prophecy
    a prediction uttered under divine inspiration
  104. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  105. protean
    taking on different forms
  106. Sappho
    the Greek lyric poet of Lesbos
  107. satyr play
    an ancient Greek burlesque with a chorus of satyrs
  108. Scylla
    (Greek mythology) a sea nymph transformed into a sea monster who lived on one side of a narrow strait; drowned and devoured sailors who tried to escape Charybdis (a whirlpool) on the other side of the strait
  109. Sisyphean
    both extremely effortful and futile
  110. Sophocles
    one of the great tragedians of ancient Greece (496-406 BC)
  111. Sphinx
    (Greek mythology) a riddling winged monster with a woman's head and breast on a lion's body; daughter of Typhon
  112. strophe
    one section of a lyric poem or choral ode
  113. Styx
    a river in Hades across which Charon carried dead souls
  114. supernatural
    not able to be explained by physical laws
  115. tetralogy
    a series of four related works (plays or operas or novels)
  116. Theseus
    (Greek mythology) a hero and king of Athens who was noted for his many great deeds: killed Procrustes and the Minotaur and defeated the Amazons and united Attica
  117. thespian
    a theatrical performer
  118. Titan
    (Greek mythology) any of the primordial giant gods who ruled the Earth until overthrown by Zeus; the Titans were offspring of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth)
  119. titan
    a person of exceptional importance and reputation
  120. tragedy
    drama exciting terror or pity
  121. Trojan War
    a great war fought between Greece and Troy
  122. Troy
    an ancient city in Asia Minor that was the site of the Trojan War
  123. underworld
    (religion) the place of the dead
  124. Zephyr
    (Greek mythology) the Greek god of the west wind
  125. zephyr
    a slight wind
  126. Zeus
    the supreme god of ancient Greek mythology
Created on Tue Jan 10 14:49:24 EST 2017 (updated Fri Mar 31 13:36:09 EDT 2017)

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