Glossary
Acropolis the ancient citadel of Athens, Greece, containing the oldest temples to the gods Actaeon a hunter who spied Artemis while she was bathing. She was so angered by the idea of a mortal seeing her naked that she turned him into a stag.
Ad aciem Latin for Assume battle stance
Aeolus lord of all winds
Alcyoneus the eldest of the giants born to Gaia, destined to fight Pluto
amphora a tall ceramic wine jar
Antinous the leader of the suitors for Odysseusa€?s wife, Queen Penelope. Odysseus killed him by shooting him through the neck with an arrow.
Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was married to Hephaestus, but she loved Ares, the god of war. Roman form: Venus Aphros the music and poetry teacher at an underwater camp for mer-heroes. He is one of the half brothers of Chiron.
Apollo the Greek god of the sun, prophecy, music and healing; the son of Zeus, and the twin of Artemis. Roman form: Apollo Aquilo Roman god of the north wind. Greek form: Boreas
ara (arai, pl.) female spirits of curses; wrinkled hags with bat-like wings, brass talons and glowing red eyes; daughters of Nyx (night) Ares the Greek god of war; the son of Zeus and Hera, and half brother to Athena. Roman form: Mars Artemis the Greek goddess of nature and hunting; the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and twin to Apollo. Roman form: Diana Asclepeion a hospital and medical school in Ancient Greece
Asclepius the healing god; son of Apollo; his temple was the healing centre of Ancient Greece Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom. Roman form: Minerva
Augustus the founder of the Roman Empire and its first emperor, ruling from 27 B.C.E. until his death in 14 C.E.
auxilia Latin for helps; the standing non-citizen corps of the Imperial Roman army Ave Romae Latin for Hail, Romans
Bacchus the Roman god of wine and revelry. Greek form: Dionysus
Banastre Tarleton a British commander in the American Revolution who gained infamy for his part in the slaughter of surrendering Continental Army troops during the Battle of Waxhaws Barrachina a restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico; birthplace of the pi?±a colada
Bellona a Roman goddess of war
bifurcum Latin for private parts
Boreas god of the north wind. Roman form: Aquilo
Briares older brother of the Titans and Cyclopes; son of Gaia and Ouranos. The last of the Hundred-Handed Ones still alive.
Bythos combat trainer at an underwater camp for mer-heroes; half brother of Chiron
Calypso the goddess nymph of the mythical island of Ogygia; a daughter of the Titan Atlas. She detained the hero Odysseus for many years.
Ceres the Roman goddess of agriculture. Greek form: Demeter
chlamys a Greek garment; a white wool cloak loosely wrapped and pinned at the shoulder Circe a Greek sorceress who once turned Odysseusa€?s men into pigs
Clytius a giant created by Gaia to absorb and defeat all of Hecatea€?s magic
coqu? the common name for several species of small frogs indigenous to Puerto Rico cuneum formate a Roman military manoeuvre in which infantry formed a wedge to charge and break enemy lines Cupid Roman god of love. Greek form: Eros
Cyclops (Cyclopes, pl.) a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his or her forehead cynocephali (cynocephalus, sing.) dog-headed monsters Damasen giant son of Tartarus and Gaia; created to oppose Ares; condemed to Tartarus for slaying a drakon that was ravaging the land Deimos fear, the twin of Phobos (panic), son of Ares and Aphrodite
Delos the island birthplace of Apollo and Artemis in Greece
Demeter the Greek goddess of agriculture, a daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos. Roman form: Ceres Diana the Roman goddess of nature and hunting. Greek form: Artemis
Dies Roman goddess of the day. Greek form: Hemera
Diocletian the last great pagan emperor, and the first to retire peacefully; a demigod (son of Jupiter). According to legend, his sceptre could raise a ghost army.
Dionysus the Greek god of wine and revelry, a son of Zeus. Roman form: Bacchus
dracaena (dracanae, pl.) female reptilian humanoids with snake trunks instead of legs drakon gigantic yellow and green serpent-like monster, with frills around its neck, reptilian eyes and huge talons; it spits poison Earthborn Gegenees in Greek; monsters with six arms that wear only a loincloth Eiaculare flammas Latin for Launch flaming arrows
Enceladus a giant created by Gaia specifically to destroy the goddess Athena Ephialtes a giant created by Gaia specifically to destroy the god Dionysus/Bacchus; twin brother of Otis Epidaurus a Greek coastal town where the sanctuary of the physician god Asclepius was located Epirus a region presently in northwestern Greece, site of the House of Hades
Erechtheion the temple to both Athena and Poseidon in Athens
Eros Greek god of love. Roman form: Cupid
espresso strong coffee made by forcing steam through finely ground dark-roast coffee beans Eurymachus one of the suitors of Odysseusa€?s wife, Queen Penelope
?‰vora a Portuguese city still partially enclosed by mediaeval walls, with a large number of historic monuments, including a Roman temple fartura a Portuguese pastry
Field of Mars a publicly owned area of Ancient Rome; also the practice field at Camp Jupiter filia Romana girl of Rome
frigidarium a room in a Roman bath with cold water
Furies Roman goddesses of vengeance; usually characterized as three sisters a€“ Alecto, Tisiphone and Magaera; the children of Gaia and Ouranus. They reside in the Underworld, tormenting evil-doers and sinners. Greek form: the Erinyes Gaia the Greek earth goddess; mother of Titans, giants, Cyclopes and other monsters. Roman form: Terra Gaius Vitellius Reticulus a member of the Roman legion when it was first created; a medic during the time of Julius Caesar; now a Lar (ghost) at Camp Jupiter geminus (gemini, pl.) half human, half snake; the original Athenians Hades the Greek god of death and riches. Roman form: Pluto
Hasdrubal of Carthage king of Ancient Carthage, in present day Tunisia, from 530 to 510 B.C.E.; he was elected as a€?kinga€? eleven times and was granted a triumph four times, the only Carthaginian ever to receive this honour Hebe the Greek goddess of youth; daughter of Zeus and Hera. Roman form: Juventas
Hecate goddess of magic and crossroads; controls the Mist; daughter of Titans Perses and Asteria Hemera Greek goddess of day; daughter of Erebos (darkness) and Nyx (night). Roman form: Dies
Hephaestus the Greek god of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths; the son of Zeus and Hera, and married to Aphrodite. Roman form: Vulcan Hera the Greek goddess of marriage; Zeusa€?s wife and sister. Roman form: Juno
Hermes Greek god of travellers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication. Roman form: Mercury Hippias a tyrant of Athens who, after he was deposed, sided with the Persians against his own people hippodrome an oval stadium for horse and chariot races in Ancient Greece Hippolytus a giant created to be the bane of Hermes
House of Hades a place in the Underworld where Hades, the Greek god of death, and his wife, Persephone, rule over the souls of the departed; also the name of an old temple in Epirus in Greece Hundred-Handed Ones children of Gaia and Ouranos with one hundred hands and fifty faces; elder brothers of the Cyclopes; primeval gods of violent storms Hygeia goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation; daughter of the god of medicine, Asclepius Hypnos Greek god of sleep. Roman form: Somnus
Invidia the Roman goddess of revenge. Greek form: Nemesis
Iris goddess of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods
Iros an old man who ran errands for the suitors for Odysseusa€?s wife, Queen Penelope, in exchange for scraps of food Ithaca a Greek island and home to Odysseusa€?s palace, which the Greek hero had to rid of suitors for his queen after the Trojan War Janus Roman god of doorways, beginnings and transitions; depicted as having two faces, because he looks to the future and to the past Juno the Roman goddess of women, marriage and fertility; sister and wife of Jupiter; mother of Mars. Greek form: Hera Jupiter the Roman king of the gods; also called Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the best and the greatest). Greek form: Zeus Juventas the Roman goddess of youth; daughter of Zeus and Hera. Greek form: Hebe
Kekrops leader of the gemini a€“ half human, half snake. He was the founder of Athens and judged the dispute between Athena and Poseidon. He chose Athena as the citya€?s patron and was the first to build a shrine to her.
Kerkopes a pair of chimpanzee-like dwarfs who steal shiny things and create chaos
Keto an ancient marine goddess and the mother of most sea monsters; daughter of Pontus and Gaia; sister of Phorcys Khione the Greek goddess of snow; daughter of Boreas
Khios the fifth largest of the Greek islands, in the Aegean Sea, off the west coast of Turkey Kronos the youngest of the twelve Titans; the son of Ouranos and Gaia; the father of Zeus. He killed his father at his mothera€?s bidding. Titan lord of fate, harvest, justice and time. Roman form: Saturn Kymopoleia minor Greek goddess of violent sea storms; nymph daughter of Poseidon and wife of Briares, a Hundred-Handed One Laistrygonian ogre a monster giant cannibal from the far north
Little Tiber a river that flows in Camp Jupiter. Though not as large as the original Tiber River in Rome, it flows with as much power and is able to wash away Greek blessings.
Lupa the sacred Roman she-wolf that nursed the foundling twins Romulus and Remus Lycaon a king of Arcadia who tested Zeusa€?s omniscience by serving him the roasted flesh of a guest. Zeus punished him by transforming him into a wolf.
makhai the spirits of battle and combat
mania a Greek spirit of insanity
manticore a creature with a human head, a liona€?s body and a scorpiona€?s tail
Mars the Roman god of war; also called Mars Ultor. Patron of the empire; divine father of Romulus and Remus. Greek form: Ares medius Latin for middle
Medusa a priestess whom Athena turned into a gorgon when she caught Medusa with Poseidon in Athenaa€?s temple. Medusa has snakes for hair and can turn people to stone if they look directly into her eyes.
Mercury Roman messenger of the gods; god of trade, profit and commerce. Greek form: Hermes Merope one of the seven Pleiades, star-nymph daughters of the Titan Atlas
Mimas a giant created to be the bane of Ares
Minerva the Roman goddess of wisdom. Greek form: Athena
mofongo a fried plantain-based dish from Puerto Rico
Mykonos a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos Nemesis the Greek goddess of revenge. Roman form: Invidia
Neptune the Roman god of the sea. Greek form: Poseidon
Nereids fifty female sea spirits; patrons of sailors and fishermen and caretakers of the seaa€?s bounty Nestora€?s Cave the spot where Hermes hid the cattle he stole from Apollo
Nike the Greek goddess of strength, speed and victory. Roman form: Victoria
numina montanum Roman mountain god. Greek form: ourae
Nyx goddess of night, one of the ancient, firstborn elemental gods
Odysseus legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homera€?s epic poem The Odyssey. Roman form: Ulysses Olympia the most ancient and probably most famous sanctuary in Greece, and home of the Olympic Games. Located in the western region of the Peloponnese.
onager a giant siege weapon
Oracle of Delphi a speaker of the prophecies of Apollo. The current Oracle is Rachel Elizabeth Dare.
Orbem formate! At this command, Roman legionnaires assumed a circle-like formation with archers placed among and behind them to provide missile fire support.
Orcus the Underworld god of eternal punishment and broken vows
Orion a giant huntsman who became the most loyal and valued of Artemisa€?s attendants. In a jealous rage, Apollo drove Orion mad with bloodlust until the giant was slain by a scorpion. Heartbroken, Artemis transformed her beloved hunting companion into a constellation to honour his memory.
Otis a giant created by Gaia specifically to destroy the god Dionysus/Bacchus; twin brother of Ephialtes ourae Greek for mountain gods. Roman form: numina montanum
Ouranos father of the Titans; the sky god. The Titans defeated him by calling him down to the earth. They got him away from his home territory, ambushed him, held him down and cut him up.
panader?a Spanish for bakery
Parthenon a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its construction began in 447 B.C.E., when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power.
Pegasus a winged divine horse; sired by Poseidon in his role as horse god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa; the brother of Chrysaor Pelopion a funerary monument to Pelops located in Olympia, Greece
Peloponnese a large peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece, separated from the northern part of the country by the Gulf of Corinth Pelops According to Greek myth, the son of Tantalus and the grandson of Zeus. When he was a boy, his father cut him into pieces, cooked him and served him as a feast for the gods. The gods detected the trick and restored him to life.
Penelope Queen of Ithaca and Odysseusa€?s wife. During her husbanda€?s twenty-year absence, she remained faithful to him, fending off a hundred arrogant suitors.
Periboia a giantess; the youngest daughter of Porphyrion, the king of the giants Phobos panic, the twin of Deimos (fear), son of Ares and Aphrodite
Philip of Macedonia a king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon from 359 B.C.E. until his assassination in 336 B.C.E. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.
Phlegethon the River of Fire that flows from Hadesa€?s realm down into Tartarus; it keeps the wicked alive so they can endure the torments of the Field of Punishment Phorcys a primordial god of the dangers of the sea; son of Gaia; brother-husband of Keto piragua a frozen treat made of shaved ice and covered with fruit-flavoured syrup, from Puerto Rico Pluto the Roman god of death and riches. Greek form: Hades
Polybotes the giant son of Gaia, the Earth Mother; born to kill Poseidon
Pompeii In 79 C.E., this Roman town near modern Naples was destroyed when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered it in ash, killing thousands of people.
Pontifex Maximus Roman high priest to the gods
Porphyrion the king of the Giants in Greek and Roman mythology
Poseidon the Greek god of the sea; son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea, and brother of Zeus and Hades. Roman form: Neptune praetor elected Roman magistrate and commander of the army
propylon an outer monumental gateway standing before a main gateway (as of a temple) Pylos a town in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece
Python a monstrous serpent that Gaia appointed to guard the oracle at Delphi
Repellere equites Latin for Repel horsemen; a square formation used by Roman infantry to resist cavalry retiarius a gladiator who uses a trident and a weighted net
Romulus and Remus the twin sons of Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia. They were thrown into the River Tiber by their human father, Amulius, and rescued and raised by a she-wolf. Upon reaching adulthood, they founded Rome.
Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) meaning a€?The Senate and People of Romea€?, refers to the government of the Roman Republic and is used as an official emblem of Rome shadow-travel a form of transportation that allows creatures of the Underworld and children of Hades to travel to any desired place on earth or in the Underworld, although it makes the user extremely fatigued Sibylline Books a collection of prophecies in rhyme written in Greek. Tarquinius Superbus, a king of Rome, bought them from a prophetess named Sibyl and consulted them in times of great danger.
Somnus Roman god of sleep. Greek form: Hypnos
Spartans citizens of the Greek city Sparta; soldiers of Ancient Sparta, especially its renowned infantry Spes goddess of hope; the Feast of Spes, the Day of Hope, falls on 1 August
Straits of Corinth a shipping canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea Tartarus husband of Gaia; spirit of the abyss; father of the giants; also the lowest part of the Underworld Terminus the Roman god of boundaries and landmarks
Terra the Roman goddess of the earth. Greek form: Gaia
Thoon a giant born to kill the Three Fates
Three Fates Even before there were gods there were the Fates: Clotho, who spins the thread of life; Lachesis, the measurer, who determines how long a life will be; and Atropos, who cuts the thread of life with her shears.
Titans a race of powerful Greek deities, descendants of Ouranos and Gaia, who ruled during the Golden Age and were overthrown by a race of younger gods, the Olympians Ulysses Roman form of Odysseus
Venus the Roman goddess of love and beauty. She was married to Vulcan, but she loved Mars, the god of war. Greek form: Aphrodite Victoria the Roman goddess of strength, speed and victory. Greek form: Nike
Vulcan the Roman god of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths; the son of Jupiter and Juno, and married to Venus. Greek form: Hephaestus
Zeus Greek god of the sky and king of the gods. Roman form: Jupiter
Zo?? Nightshade a daughter of Atlas who was exiled and later joined the Hunters of Artemis, becoming the loyal lieutenant of Artemis