GODS AND OTHER MALE FIGURES IN MYTHOLOGY
Zeus = Jupiter-the king of the gods
Poseidon = Neptune-god of the seas and earthquakes
Hades = Pluto-god of the Underworld
Ares = Mars-god of war
Hephaestus = Vulcan-god of the forge
Apollo = Apollo-god of the sun, medicine, and music. He was also known as Phoebus.
Dionysus = Bacchus-god of wine
Hermes = Mercury-messenger god
Cronus = Saturn-not actually a god, but was a Titan and the father of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia
Eros = Cupid-god of love
Heracles = Hercules-half god; son of Zeus
Pan = Faunus-god of shepherds and goatherds
Hypnos (Morpheus) = Somnus-god of sleep
Odysseus = Ulysses-the great hero who first fought ten years in the Trojan War only to wander the Seas for ten more years until reaching his homeland, Ithaca
GODDESSES AND OTHER WOMEN IN MYTHOLOGY
Artemis = Diana-goddess of the hunt, moon, and chastity. Phoebe and Selene (the moon) are other names for Artemis.
Athena = Minerva-goddess of wisdom and patron of soldiers
Hestia = Vesta-goddess of hearth
Demeter = Ceres-goddess of the harvest
Hera = Juno-queen of the gods
Aphrodite = Venus-goddess of love
Eris = Discordia-goddess of discord. She loved to ride in her brother's (Ares) chariot and scream at the top of her lungs.
The Fates = Morae-the three sisters (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) determined the life of all mortals. Clotho spun the threads of life, Lachesis measured them, and Atropos cut them.
Erinyes = Furiae-or the Furies. Three Hell-hags with brass wings and claws whose only job was to torture anyone who angered the gods
Gaia = Earth-the first mother who gave birth to Uranus, the hundred handed ones, and the Cyclopes
Graces = Charites-daughters of Zeus and Euphrosyne who went around the world spreading peace and joy. Their names were Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Festivity), and Thalia (Rejoicing).
Hours = Horae-daughters of Zeus and Themis. Their main priority was to regulate the seasons. Their names were Eunomia (Harmony), Dyke (Justice), and Eirene (Peace).
Persephone = Prosperina-the daughter of Demeter and Hades' queen. The fight between Demeter and Hades over Persephone, is the cause of the seasons.
OTHER GODS AND GODDESSES
Achelous-a river god
Doris-green-haired ocean goddess
Aeolus-king of the winds who aided Odysseus
Alpheus-river god
Amphitrite-queen of the sea and wife of Poseidon
Hecate-goddess of the Underworld. Some say she was Persephone, very cruel, the torturer of ghosts, and the mistress to the Furies.
Asclepius-father of medicine and son of Apollo
Nyx-goddess of night
Helios-depending on the myth, he is described as the sun, the sun god, and the Charioteer.
Iris-rainbow goddess
Boreas-the North Wind
Eurus-the East Wind
Notus-the South Wind
Zephyrus-the West Wind
Eos-goddess of the dawn
Nike (just like the shoe)-winged goddess called the Bestower of Victory.
Hermaphroditus-son of Aphrodite and Hermes. Was both male and female
Sangarius-river god
Rhadamanthys-one of the three judges in the Underworld
Sarpedon-son of Zeus and Europa. Hades did not think him wise enough to be one of the three judges of the Underworld.
Minos-judge in the Underworld
Pelops-the third judge of the Underworld
Scamander-river god
Muses-nine beautiful goddesses: Calliope-epic poetry, Clio-history, Melpomene-tragedy, Euterpe-lyric poetry, Erato-love lyrics, Terpsichore-dance, Urania-astronomy and astrology, Thalia-comedy, Polyhymnia-music and geometry. Some say that the great poet, Sappho, was the tenth muse.
Calypso-beautiful Titaness who aided Odysseus
Dione-oak goddess
Circe-beautiful witch who turned Odysseus' men into swine. She even gave him a son, Telegonus.
MONSTERS/CREATURES
Echidna-mother of all monsters. Birthed Cerberus, Chimera, Hydra, and Sphinx, and Scylla
Nemean Lion-giant lion big as an elephant with ivory daggers for teeth, razor sharp claws, and a hide that could not be pierced with any tool. Heracles had to defeat him during his First Labor.
Minotaur-half man and half bull. The word "Minotaur" actually means "Minos' bull".
Cyclopes-giant one-eyed monsters. Polyphemus, a Cyclops and son of Poseidon, ate Odysseus' men
Antaeus-giant who Heracles had to defeat, although the giant could not be pinned
Gorgons-three beautiful sisters. Medusa, the youngest of her sisters, made Athena jealous by courting Poseidon, so Athena turned her into a hideous creature. The other two sisters protested and Athena transformed them into monsters also.
Arachne-women who boasted that she could weave better than even Athena. She lost the contest and Athena turned her into a spider.
Cacus-three-headed giant, and son of Hephaestus and Medusa, who could emit fire from each mouth. Heracles defeated him
Griffins-winged lions with an eagle's head
Python-huge snake hired by Hera to chase down Leto, one of Zeus' mistresses
Centaurs-half men and half horse
Phoenix-bird who is born from fire and water. Its feathers were red, gold, and blinding white, just as the sun. Its eyes were green as the sea.
Laestrygones-cannibal giants whose favorite food was the flesh of humans. Odysseus ran into them on his adventures.
Procrustes-man who tortured travelers. He would offer them a place to stay. However, if they were too short for his bed, he would stretch them. If they were too tall, he would trim their legs to make them fit. Theseus defeated him.
Scylla-six-headed sea monster who was located near Charybdis. She swallowed six of Odysseus' men.
Cerberus-three headed dog that guarded the gates to the Underworld
Ladon-giant serpent of Hera instructed to guard her Golden Apples, who was killed by Heracles during his Eleventh Labor.
Lamia-half woman and half serpent. Once, she was a beautiful women. She waited near roads at night to devour travelers. Some say that she was Lilith.
Chimaera-half ram and half dragon
Pegasus-gorgeous winged horse, the last of its kind
Stymphanlian Birds-the most dangerous winged creatures in the world. The resembled giant cranes with iron beaks that could pierce anything. They also ate everything in sight. Heracles defeated these birds for his Sixth Labor.
Charon-boatman of the River Styx
Typhoon-son of Uranus and Gaia. He was the youngest and most powerful of all their children. Typhoon married Echidna and had many monster children
Sphinx-a winged lion with a girl's face and a serpent's tail. She would eat all travelers who crossed her path and could not answer her riddle. Oedipus answered her riddle and then killed her.
Charybdis-whirlpool
Sirens-three half women and half bird sisters. Their song could seduce any man to coming towards them only to crash and sink on the rocks
HEROES AND HEROINES
Achilles-great warrior in the Trojan War
Ajax-another great Trojan War hero
Orpheus-greatest poet and musician of his time. He is only one of two mortals to pass through the gates of the Underworld. He did this to save his wife, Eurydice.
Amazons-group of powerful Greek women
Antiope-Amazon princess
Orion-giant and son of Poseidon. He was killed by Artemis.
Perseus-the hero who slew Medusa and defeated the sea creature to rescue his beloved Andromeda
Deucalion-the Greek equivalent of Noah
Antigone-woman who demanded proper burial for her brother and was denied. She then took his body and did it herself. Her uncle, Creon, then ordered her to be buried alive.
Jason-hero who retrieved the Golden Fleece
Argonauts-men who went with Jason on his quests
Hippolyta-queen of the Amazons
Atalanta-woman who was raised by bears and could hunt better than any man
Daedalus-great engineer and inventor who killed the Minotaur
Bellerephon-man who rode Pegasus and killed the Chimaera
Castor-greatest wrestler of ancient times and the twin brother of Polydeuces
Polydeuces-the greatest boxer of ancient times and the twin brother of Castor
Gemini-an alternate name for the twins, Castor and Polydeuces
Chiron-wisest of the Centaurs who taught Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Peleus, and Asclepius various techniques
Cadmus-hero who rescued his beautiful sister, Europa, from Zeus
NOTE: ALL SPELLINGS WERE TAKEN FROM "GODS, DEMIGODS, AND DEMONS: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY" BY BERNARD EVSLIN. ALTERNATE SPELLINGS ARE FREQUENTLY USED IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY DEPENDING ON THE BOOK THAT HAPPENS TO BE YOUR REFERENCE.
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