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AP Literature: Mythological Allusions Flashcards

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3324302068Achilles' heelone spot that is most vulnerable; one weakness a person may have. Achilles was invulnerable except for his heel (Achilles' tendon)0
3324307065Adonishandsome young man; Aphrodite loved him1
3324308665Aeoliananything pertaining to win; god who was Keeper of Wind2
3324310144Apolloa physically perfect male; the God of music and light; known for his beauty3
3324311550Argus-eyedomniscient, all-seeing; from Argus, the 100-eyed monster that Hera had guarding Io4
3324448399Athena/Minervagoddess of wisdom, the city, and arts; patron goddess of the city of Athens5
3324450098Atlanteanstrong like Atlas, who carried the globe (world) on his shoulders6
3324452130Auroraearly mornings or sunrise; from the Roman personification of Dawn or Eos7
3324454119Bacchanaln. wild, drunken party or rowdy celebration; from Bacchus, the god of wine8
3324456258Bacchanalianadj. pertaining to a wild, drunken party or celebration from god of wine, Bacchus (Roman), Dionysus (Greek)9
3324459503Calliopeseries of whistles (circus organ) / from the Muse of eloquence or beautiful voice10
3324461608Cassandraa person who continually predicts misfortune but often is not believed; from a daughter of Priam cursed by Apollo for not returning his love; he left her with the gift of prophecy but made it so no one believed her11
3324464767Centaura monster that has a head, arms, and chest of man, but the body/legs of a hourse12
3324466895Chimeraa horrible creature of the imagination, an absurd or impossible idea; wild fancy; a monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail, supposed to breath out fire13
3324474956Cupidityeager "desire" to possess something; greed or avarice; Roman god of love (Greek = Eros)14
3324477065Erotichaving to do with sexual passion or love; Greek god of love, Eros15
3324479063Furorwild enthusiasm or excitement, rage; fury16
3324481326Gorgona very ugly/terrible person, especially a repulsive woman; Medusa, one or three sisters have snakes for hair and faces so horrible that anyone who looked at them would turn into stone17
3324487581Halcyonclam, peaceful, tranquil--Archaic bird supposed to breed in a nest on the sea and calm water; identified with the kingfisher18
3324489311Harpya predatory person or nagging woman; from harpy, a foul creature that was part woman and part bird19
3324491458Hectorto bully; from Hector, the son of Priam (king of Troy) and the braves Trojan warrior. Killed Achilles' friend Patroclus.20
3324494387Helen (of Troy)Hellenistic; of or relating to Greece; symbol of a beautiful woman; from Helen of Troy, the daughter of Leda and Zeus--the cause of the Trojan war21
3324496376Herculeanvery strong or extraordinary power; from Hercules, Hera's glory, the son of Zeus. He performed the 12 labors imposed by Hera.22
3324503105Hydra-Headedhaving many centers of branches, hard to bring under control; something bad that you cannot eradicate; from Hydra, the nine-headed serpent serpent that was sacred to Hera. Hercules killed him in one of the 12 labors.23
3324509591Iridiscenta play of colors producing a rainbow effect; from Iris, the goddess of the rainbow24
3324511347Jovialgood humored; from the word Jove, used to express surprise or agreement (Jupiter)25
3324513221Junoesquemarked by stately beauty; comes from the word Juno, the wife of Jupiter, the Goddess of light, birth, women, and marriage26
3324515762Lathargyn. abnormal drowsiness or inertia; from the word Lethe, a rive in Hades that caused drinkers to forget their past27
3324518151Martialsuited for war or a warrior; from Mars, the Roman God of War28
3324521028Medeasorceress or enchantress; from Medea who helped Jason and the Argonatus capture the Golden Fleece; known for her revenge against Jason when he spurned her for the princess of Corinth29
3324524780Mentora trusted counselor or guide; from Mentor, a friend of Odysseus' son, who was entrusted with his education30
3324526817Mercurialsuddenly, cranky, or changeable; related to the Roman god Mercury31
3324527953Mercury/Hermesa carrier or tidings, a newsboy, a messenger; messenger of the gods, conductor of souls to the lower world, and god of eloquence; the fabled inventor, wore winged hat and sandals32
3324532028Mnemonicsa device used to aid memory; the personification of memory, Mnemosyne, who gave birth to nine Muses that have a good memory in story-telling33
3324534955Morphinea bitter white, crystalline alkaloid used to relieve pain and induce sleep; Morpheus was a god that could easily change form or shape34
3324537837Musesome creature of inspiration; the daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, divine singers that presided over thought in all of its form35
3324567534Narcissismin love with one's own image; name for Narcissus, a handsome young man who despised love. Echo, a nymph, who was in love with him, was rejected and decreed, "Let he who loves not others, love himself." Hearing this, he fell in love with himself and while gazing a image of himself in the pond, fell and drowned as he tried to recapture it.36
3324575909Nemesisjust punishment, one who inflicts due punishment; goddess who punished crime; she is the power charged with curbing all excess, such as excessive good fortune or arrogant pride.37
3324580839Neptunethe sea personified; the Roman god associated with Poseidon, god of water and oceans38
3324583239Niobemournful woman; from Niobe, whose children were slain by Apollo and Artemis because of her bragging; the gods pitied her and turned her into a rock that was always wet from weeping39
3324588508Odysseya long journey, named for Odysseus, the character in "The Odyssey" by Homer; Odysseus makes his long journey back from the Trojan War, encountering several long obstacles along the way40
3324593034Olympianmajestic in manner, superior to mundane affairs; any participant in the ancient or modern Olympic games; named after 12 gods that were supposed to reside on Mt. Olympus41
3324596373Paeana song of joy; a ritual epithet of Apollo the healer; In Homeric poems, an independent god of healing named Paean or Paeon, who took care of Hades when the latter was wounded42
3324600816Pandora's Boxsomething that opens the door for bad occurrences, opened by someone known for curiosity; named for Pandora, who was the first mortal, sent by Zeus, to punish man from Prometheus' theft of fire. For her curiosity on opening the box, Zeus gave her all human ills in the world, leaving only hope at the bottom43
3324607585ParnassusMountain was sacred to arts and literature; any center of poetic or artistic activity; poetry or poets collectively, a common title for selection of poetry; named after the hero of Mt. Parnassus, the son of Poseidon and a Nymph. He founded the oracle of Python, which was later occupied by Apollo44
3324615847PegasusPoetic inspiration; named after a winged horse which sprang from the blood of Medusa at her death; a stamp of his hoof caused Hippocrene, the fountain of Muses to issue poetic inspiration from Mount Helicone45
3324621445Phoenixsymbol of immortality or rebirth; named after the Egyptian phoenix, a long bird which lived in the Arabian desert and then consumed itself in fire, rising renewed from the flame to start another life46
3324631003Plutocracya government by the wealthy; named after Pluto, the "Rich Man," who was originally the god of the fields b/c the ground was the source of all wealth/ores/jewels47
3324635459Prometheanlife-bringing, creative, or courageously original; named after the Titan who brought man the use of fire which he had stolen from heaven for their benefit48
3324638331Proteanversatile, taking many forms; named after Proteus, a god of the sea, charged with tending the flocks of the sea creatures belonging to Poseidon. He had the ability to change himself into whatever he desired, using the power particularly when he wanted to elude certain questions.49
3324645813Psychethe human soul, self, the mind; named after Psyche, a main who, after undergoing many hardships due to Aphrodite's jealousy, reunited with Cupid and was made immortal by Jupiter; she personifies the soul joined to the heart of love50
3324650341Pygmalionsomeone (male) who tries to fashion someone into the person he desires; from a myth adapted into a play by George Bernard Shaw; a woman-hating sculptor who makes a female figure of ivory who Aphrodite brings into life51
3324654537Pyrrhic victoryadj. too costly victory; from Pyrrhus, a Greek king who defeated the Romans but suffered extremely heavy losses in fight52
3324657508Saturnaliaa period of unrestrained revelry' named after the ancient Roman festival of Saturn, with general feasting in revelry in honor of the winter solstice53
3324663120Sibyla witch or sorceress; a priestess who made known the oracles of Apollo and possessed the gift of prophecy54
3324668381Sisypheangreedy and avaricious; from the shrewd and greedy king of Corinth, Sisyphus who was doomed forever in Hades to roll uphill a heavy stone, which rolled back down again55
3325041484Stentorianhaving a loud voice; after Stentor, a character in the "Iliad" who could shout loudly as 50 men. He engaged in a shouting match with Hermes and was put to death after losing56
3325046243Stygiandark and gloomy; named after the river Styx, a river in the Underworld. The water is poisonous for human and cattle and said to break iron, metal, and pottery though it is said a horse's hoof is unharmed by it57
3325050113Tantalizefrom King Tantalus, who reigned on Mt. Sipylus and was condemned to reside in a beautiful river with sumptuous fruits just out of reach and the water undrinkable, always tempting him as punishment for excessive pride (he boiled his son and fed the broth to trick the gods)58
3325056468Terpsichoreanpertaining to dance; for Terpsichore, one of the nine muses, sometimes said to be the mother of the sirens and protector of dance59
3325059579Titaniclarge, grand, enormous; after Tityus, a giant, the son of Zeus and Elara. His body covers over 2 acres. Or after the titans, the offspring of Chronus and Rhea, who went to war against Zeus and the other Olympian gods60
3325065026Volcanoesoriginated from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, whose forge is said to be under mountains61
3325066499Vulcanizeto treat rubber with sulfur to increase strength and elasticity; from Roman God of Fore and Metallurgy, Vulcan/Hephaestus62
3325069219Zeusa powerful man; king of the gods, ruler of Mt. Olympus, vengeful hurler of thunderbolts63

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