Myths and Legends: Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - Middle 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. Aphrodite
    goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Zeus in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Venus
  12. Apollo
    Greek god of light
  13. Ares
    Greek god of war
  14. Argonaut
    (Greek mythology) one of the heroes who sailed with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece
  15. argonaut
    someone who sets off on a daring adventure
  16. Aristophanes
    an ancient Greek dramatist remembered for his comedies
  17. Artemis
    the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon
  18. Athena
    goddess of wisdom and useful arts and prudent warfare
  19. catharsis
    purging of emotional tensions
  20. centaur
    a mythical being that is half man and half horse
  21. Cerberus
    the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades
  22. Charybdis
    (Greek mythology) a ship-devouring whirlpool lying on the other side of a narrow strait from Scylla
  23. chorus
    actors who comment on the action in a classical Greek play
  24. Circe
    (Greek mythology) a sorceress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine
  25. colossus
    someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
  26. comedy
    light and humorous drama with a happy ending
  27. Cyclops
    (Greek mythology) one of a race of giants having a single eye in the middle of their forehead
  28. Daedalus
    an Athenian inventor who built the labyrinth of Minos
  29. Demeter
    (Greek mythology) goddess of fertility and protector of marriage in ancient mythology; counterpart of Roman Ceres
  30. deus ex machina
    an agent who appears unexpectedly to solve a difficulty
  31. dialogue
    the lines spoken by characters in drama or fiction
  32. Dionysus
    god of wine and fertility and drama
  33. dragon
    a mythological creature with a reptile body and wings
  34. drama
    the literary genre of works intended for the theater
  35. dryad
    a deity or nymph of the woods
  36. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  37. epic
    a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
  38. epilogue
    a short speech by an actor at the end of a play
  39. Euripides
    one of the greatest tragic dramatists of ancient Greece
  40. foil
    a person or thing that serves to contrast with another
  41. Fury
    (classical mythology) the hideous snake-haired monsters (usually three in number) who pursued unpunished criminals
  42. god
    any supernatural being worshipped as controlling the world
  43. goddess
    a female deity
  44. 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
  45. 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
  46. griffin
    mythical creature with an eagle's head and a lion's body
  47. Hades
    the god of the underworld in ancient mythology
  48. halcyon
    a mythical bird said to breed at the winter solstice
  49. Harpy
    vicious winged monster
  50. 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
  51. Hephaestus
    the lame god of fire and metalworking in ancient mythology
  52. Hera
    queen of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology
  53. herculean
    extremely difficult; requiring great strength
  54. Hercules
    a hero noted for his strength
  55. hero
    a being of great strength celebrated for bold exploits
  56. Hesiod
    Greek poet whose existing works describe rural life and the genealogies of the gods and the beginning of the world (eighth century BC)
  57. Homer
    ancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey (circa 850 BC)
  58. hubris
    overbearing pride or presumption
  59. Hydra
    monster with nine heads
  60. hydra
    trouble that cannot be overcome by a single effort because of its many aspects or its persistent and pervasive quality
  61. Icarus
    son of Daedalus
  62. Iliad
    a Greek epic poem describing the siege of Troy
  63. immortal
    not subject to death
  64. labyrinth
    complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
  65. lyre
    a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment
  66. lyric
    of or relating to poetry that expresses emotion
  67. manticore
    a monster having the head of man and the body of a lion
  68. mask
    a covering to disguise or conceal the face
  69. Medea
    (Greek mythology) a princess of Colchis who aided Jason in taking the Golden Fleece from her father
  70. Medusa
    a woman transformed into a Gorgon by Athena
  71. metamorphosis
    a complete change of physical form or substance
  72. Midas
    (Greek legend) the greedy king of Phrygia who Dionysus gave the power to turn everything he touched into gold
  73. mortal
    subject to death
  74. myth
    a traditional story serving to explain a world view
  75. mythology
    the body of stories associated with a culture or institution
  76. narcissism
    an exceptional interest in and admiration for yourself
  77. Narcissus
    (Greek mythology) a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection
  78. Nemean lion
    (Greek mythology) an enormous lion strangled by Hercules as the first of his 12 labors
  79. Nemesis
    the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance
  80. nemesis
    a personal foe or rival that cannot be easily defeated
  81. nymph
    a minor nature goddess depicted as a beautiful maiden
  82. ode
    a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
  83. Odysseus
    a famous mythical Greek hero
  84. Odyssey
    a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the journey of Odysseus after the fall of Troy
  85. odyssey
    a long wandering and eventful journey
  86. 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
  87. Olympus
    a mountain peak in northeast Greece near the Aegean coast
  88. oracle
    a shrine where a prophet is consulted
  89. Pandora
    the first woman
  90. 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
  91. Perseus
    (Greek mythology) the son of Zeus who slew Medusa (with the help of Athena and Hermes) and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster
  92. phoenix
    a legendary bird that burned to death and emerged reborn
  93. Pindar
    Greek lyric poet remembered for his odes (518?-438? BC)
  94. Poseidon
    the god of the sea and earthquakes in ancient mythology
  95. prologue
    an introductory section of a novel or other literary work
  96. prophecy
    a prediction uttered under divine inspiration
  97. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  98. satyr play
    an ancient Greek burlesque with a chorus of satyrs
  99. 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
  100. Sophocles
    one of the great tragedians of ancient Greece (496-406 BC)
  101. Sphinx
    (Greek mythology) a riddling winged monster with a woman's head and breast on a lion's body; daughter of Typhon
  102. Styx
    a river in Hades across which Charon carried dead souls
  103. supernatural
    not able to be explained by physical laws
  104. tetralogy
    a series of four related works (plays or operas or novels)
  105. 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
  106. thespian
    a theatrical performer
  107. 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)
  108. titan
    a person of exceptional importance and reputation
  109. tragedy
    drama exciting terror or pity
  110. Trojan War
    a great war fought between Greece and Troy
  111. Troy
    an ancient city in Asia Minor that was the site of the Trojan War
  112. underworld
    (religion) the place of the dead
  113. unicorn
    an imaginary horse with a long horn on its forehead
  114. Zephyr
    (Greek mythology) the Greek god of the west wind
  115. zephyr
    a slight wind
  116. Zeus
    the supreme god of ancient Greek mythology
Created on Tue Jan 10 16:09:09 EST 2017 (updated Fri Mar 31 13:24:56 EDT 2017)

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