Heroes of Olympus

by Philip Freeman

  Atropos (A-tro-pos): One of the three Fates, she cut the thread of life.

  Augeas (AW-je-as): King and owner of Aegean stables cleaned by Hercules.

  Bacchus (BAK-kus) (see Dionysus [di-o-NI-sus])

  Baucis (BAW-kis): Wife of Philemon. An elderly peasant woman who welcomed the disguised Zeus and Hermes to her home and was rewarded along with her husband.

  Bellerophon (bel-LER-o-fon): Son of the king of Corinth who accidentally killed his brother. He was sent to Lydia to be killed but instead impressed the king with his heroic achievements, aided by the flying horse Pegasus.

  Briareus (bri-A-re-us): One of the hundred-handed monsters who helped Zeus defeat the Titans.

  Brutus (BRU-tus): Roman who expelled Tarquin the Proud, the last king of Rome, after the suicide of Lucretia.

  Cacus (KA-kus): Monster who inhabited the future site of Rome and was killed by Hercules.

  Cadmus (KAD-mus): Son of the Phoenician king, Agenor, he left his home to search for his missing sister, Europa, and founded the Greek city of Thebes.

  Calais (KA-la-is): Brother of Zetes and a son of the North Wind who sailed with the Argonauts.

  Calchas (KAL-kas): A gifted seer who accompanied the Greeks to Troy.

  Calliope (kal-LI-o-pe): Muse of epic poetry and mother of Orpheus.

  Callisto (kal-LIS-to): Follower of Artemis and unwilling lover of Zeus, she was turned into a bear by Hera.

  Calydonian (ka-li-DO-ni-an) boar : Ferocious boar sent by Artemis to punish the people of Calydon for neglecting her worship. The greatest heroes of the age gathered to successfully hunt down the beast.

  Calypso (ka-LIP-so): Divine daughter of Atlas who held Odysseus captive on the island of Ogygia.

  Cassandra (kas-SAN-dra): Daughter of Trojan king, Priam, she was punished by Apollo for rejecting him. He granted her the gift of prophecy but made sure that no one would ever believe her. She was taken as a war prize by Agamemnon and murdered at Mycenae.

  Cassiopeia (kas-i-o-PEE-a): Wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda.

  Castor (KAS-tor): Brother of Pollux as well as Helen and Clytemnestra, he sailed with Jason and the Argonauts.

  Cecrops (SE-krops): First king of Athens, born with a man’s body and the tail of a snake.

  Centaurs (SEN-tawrs): Creatures with the head and chest of a man, but the body of a horse, they were often described as uncivilized in Greek myths, but wise centaurs such as Chiron became the tutors of heroes.

  Cephalus (SE-fa-lus): Husband of Procris who tested his wife’s faithfulness, he failed a similar trial when his wife came to him in disguise.

  Cepheus (SE-fe-us): King of Ethiopia, husband of Cassiopeia, and father of Andromeda.

  Cerberus (SER-ber-us): The three-headed watchdog of Hades and the offspring of the monstrous Typhon and Echidna.

  Ceyx (SEE-iks): King of Trachis and husband of Alcyone, he drowned but was revived and turned into a kingfisher along with his wife.

  Chaos (KA-os): The ancient chasm from which sprang the first divine beings.

  Charon (KA-ron): The ferryman of Hades who transported souls across the river Styx.

  Charybdis (ka-RIB-dis): Deadly whirlpool opposite the monster Scylla in the narrow straits between Sicily and Italy.

  Chimaera (ki-MEE-ra): A Lycian monster with the front of a lion, the middle of a goat, and the tail of a serpent, which was killed by Bellerophon.

  Chione (ki-O-ne): A beautiful maiden who gave birth to sons by both Hermes and Apollo. She was later killed by Artemis for bragging.

  Chiron (KI-ron): Wise centaur who tutored Jason and Achilles.

  Circe (SIR-se): Daughter of Helios and a powerful witch who changed Scylla into a monster. She purified Jason and Medea, then entertained Odysseus after changing his men into pigs.

  Clio (KLI-o): Muse of history.

  Cloelia (KLOY-li-a): Roman maiden who was given as a hostage to the Etruscan Lars Porsenna, but escaped back across the Tiber River.

  Clotho (KLO-tho): One of the three Fates, she spun the thread of destiny for each person.

  Clytemnestra (KLI-tem-nes-tra): Wife of Agamemnon and mother of Orestes who joined with Aegisthus to murder her husband, she was later killed by her son.

  Coeus (SEE-us): Son of Earth and Sky and father of Leto and Asteria.

  Cottus (KOT-tus): One of the hundred-handed monsters who helped Zeus overthrow the Titans.

  Creon (KREE-on): Brother-in-law of Oedipus and king of Thebes, he condemned Antigone to death.

  Creusa (kre-U-sa): (1) Mother of Ion with Apollo; (2) First wife of Aeneas and mother of Iulus, she perished at the fall of Troy.

  Cronus (KRO-nus) (Roman Saturn): Son of Earth and Sky who defeated his own father and then took his place as ruler of the universe. He was later tricked and overthrown by his own son, Zeus.

  Cupid (KU-pid) (Greek Eros): Son of Aphrodite, he prompted irresistible desire in others with his arrows, but fell in love himself with the maiden Psyche.

  Cybele (SI-be-le): Phrygian mother-goddess adapted into Greek mythology, sometimes identified with Rhea.

  Cyclopes (si-KLOP-es) (singular Cyclops [SI-klops]): Sons of Poseidon who lived as brutes in the distant west. One of their number, named Polyphemus, killed some of Odysseus’s men but was tricked and blinded by the hero when Odysseus escaped from the cave.

  Cyparissus (si-pa-RIS-sus): Handsome boy who loved a pet deer, which he accidentally killed. Apollo turned him into a cypress tree to mourn the animal forever.

  Daedalus (DEE-da-lus): Master craftsman and father of Icarus, he built the Labyrinth for King Minos in Crete. He later escaped prison on homemade wings with his son, but the boy plunged to his death when he flew too near the sun.

  Danae (DA-na-e): Daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos, and the mother of Perseus.

  Daphne (DAF-ne): Nymph beloved by Apollo, transformed into a laurel tree by Earth to save her from the god’s advances.

  Dardanus (DAR-dan-us): Italian-born ancestor of the Romans who migrated to Asia and became king of Troy. The Greeks claimed he was born on Crete or Samothrace.

  Deianira (de-ya-NI-ra): Wife of Hercules who unknowingly gave him a poisoned cloak that caused his death.

  Demeter (de-ME-ter) (Roman Ceres): Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, goddess of the bountiful earth and mother of Persephone.

  Deucalion (du-KA-li-on): Son of Prometheus, husband of Pyrrha, and the lone male survivor of the great flood sent by Zeus to destroy humanity.

  Diana (dee-AN-a) (see Artemis [ART-e-mis])

  Dido (DI-do): Phoenician founder and queen of Carthage, she was loved and abandoned by Aeneas.

  Diomedes (di-o-MEE-deez): (1) Greek king of Argos who fought at Troy; (2) Thracian king who was fed to his own flesh-eating mares by Hercules.

  Dionysus (di-o-NI-sus) (Roman Liber): Son of Zeus and Semele, god of wine and a balanced life. Also known as Bacchus.

  Earth (Greek Gaia or Ge): Sprung from Chaos, she bore Sky and then mated with him to produce many children, including Cronus, father of Zeus.

  Echidna (e-KID-na): Monster born of Earth and Tartarus who produced many terrible children of her own, including Typhon, the Chimaera, and Cerberus.

  Echo (E-ko): Nymph who loved and was rejected by Narcissus. She faded away into a voice that could only repeat the last words spoken by another.

  Eileithyia (ee-li-THI-a): Daughter of Zeus and Hera, the goddess of childbirth.

  Electra (e-LEK-tra): (1) Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra who helped her brother Orestes gain revenge on their mother; (2) Daughter of Atlas who bore two sons by Zeus, Dardanus and Iasion.

  Endymion (en-DI-mi-on): Lover of Selene who, given whatever he wished by Zeus, chose to sleep forever, never growing old.

  Eos (E-os) (Roman Aurora): Goddess of the dawn, most famous for transforming her lover Tithonus into a cicada.

  Epimetheus (ep-i-ME-the-us): Brother of Prometheus, he accepted Zeus’s gift of troublesome Pandora.

  Erato (ER-a-to): Muse of lyric poetry.
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  Erebus (ER-e-bus): The dark underworld, he was born of Chaos.

  Eris (ER-is) (see Strife)

  Eros (ER-os) (Roman Cupid): The ancient spirit of rebirth, born of Chaos. Later authors depict him as a son of Aphrodite.

  Eteocles (e-TEE-o-kleez): Younger son of Oedipus, killed by his brother Polynices at Thebes.

  Eumaeus (u-ME-us): Faithful swineherd of Odysseus.

  Europa (u-RO-pa): Daughter of Agenor, she was kidnapped by Zeus in the form of a bull and taken to Crete, where the god abandoned her.

  Eurydice (u-RID-i-se): Wife of Orpheus, rescued from Hades then lost by her husband when he turned to look at her before they left the underworld.

  Eurynome (u-RI-no-me): Mother of the Graces by Zeus.

  Eurystheus (u-RIS-the-us): Cowardly cousin of Hercules and king of Argos. Hercules was forced to complete twelve labors in his service.

  Euterpe (u-TER-pe): Muse of flute playing.

  Evander (e-VAN-der): Greek king, ally of Aeneas, and father of Pallas, he ruled at the future site of Rome before the city was founded by Romulus and Remus.

  Fates: The divine rulers of human destiny, they are usually described as three in number (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos), though there are conflicting stories.

  Furies (Greek Erinyes): Avenging spirits of murder, especially among blood relatives. There are multiple stories of their creation.

  Gaia (GE-a) or Ge (GE) (see Earth)

  Ganymede (GAN-i-med): Handsome young man of Trojan royal blood, he was kidnapped by Zeus to be his cupbearer.

  Geryon (JER-i-on): Monstrous creature who lived in the far west. Hercules robbed him of his cattle and then slew him.

  Glaucus (GLAW-kus): Originally a mortal fisherman, he ate a magical herb and became a sea god who fell in love with the beautiful maiden Scylla.

  Golden Bough: The magical branch used by Aeneas to gain entrance to the underworld.

  Golden Fleece: The priceless fleece guarded by a dragon in distant Colchis. Stolen by Jason with the help of Medea.

  Gorgons (GOR-gonz): Three ferocious, snake-haired creatures (Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa), the first two of which were immortal.

  Graces (Greek Charites): Usually three in number, they were kindly divinities of various origins.

  Graeae (GREE-ee): Ancient gray-haired hags who shared a single eye among them, which was stolen by Perseus.

  Hades (HA-deez) (Roman Pluto or Dis): The name for both Zeus’s brother, who served as god of the underworld, and the land of the dead itself.

  Harmonia (har-MON-i-a): Daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, and the wife of Cadmus the founder of Thebes.

  Harpies (HARP-eez): Foul female monsters with the bodies of birds, best known for ruining the food of Phineus, king of Thrace, and Aeneas on his voyage to Italy.

  Hebe (HE-be): Daughter of Zeus and Hera who married Hercules.

  Hecate (HEK-a-te): Goddess of the underworld and the dark forces of the universe.

  Hector (HEK-tor): Son of Priam and the greatest hero of the Trojans.

  Helen (HEL-en): Queen of Sparta who left Menelaus for Paris, causing the Trojan War.

  Helenus (HEL-e-nus): Son of Priam and a Trojan seer.

  Helios (HEE-li-os) (Latin Sol): Son of the Titan Hyperion, he was god of the sun and father of Phaethon.

  Hephaestus (he-FE-stus) (Roman Vulcan): Crippled god of the forge, usually described as a son of Hera.

  Hera (HE-ra) (Roman Juno): Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, goddess of marriage and women. She joined with her brother Zeus in an often quarrelsome marriage.

  Heracles (HE-ra-kles) (see Hercules [HER-ku-leez])

  Hercules (HER-ku-leez): Known in Greek as Herakles or Heracles, the greatest hero of ancient Greece.

  Hermes (HER-meez) (Roman Mercury): Son of Zeus and Maia, messenger of the gods, and guide for the dead to the underworld.

  Hero (HE-ro): Priestess of Aphrodite and secret bride of Leander, she killed herself rather than live without him.

  Hesperides (hes-PER-i-deez): The nymphs who guarded the tree that grew gold apples, fetched by Hercules as one of his labors.

  Hestia (HE-sti-a) (Roman Vesta): Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, she was the goddess of the hearth.

  Hippolyte (hip-POL-i-te): Amazon queen who was killed by Hercules for her belt as part of his ninth labor.

  Hippolytus (hip-POL-i-tus): Son of Theseus and the Amazon queen, Antiope. He died after refusing the advances of his father’s wife, Phaedra.

  Horatii (ho-RA-ti-i): Triplet brothers who fought as champions for Rome against three brothers from the town of Alba Longa. The last surviving Horatii brother killed the three enemy champions.

  Horatius (ho-RA-ti-us): Called Cocles or “one-eyed,” he held back the entire invading army of the Etruscan king, Lars Porsenna, on a bridge across the Tiber to protect Rome.

  Hyacinth (HI-a-sinth): A prince of Sparta who was killed accidentally by Apollo, who then transformed him into a flower.

  Hylas (HI-las): Friend of Hercules who accompanied the hero on the voyage of the Argonauts until he was lured into a spring by a nymph.

  Hyperion (hi-PER-i-on): Son of Earth and Sky, he was the father of Eos, Helios, and Selene.

  Hypermnestra (hi-perm-NES-tra): Daughter of Danaus who refused her father’s orders to kill her new husband Lynceus.

  Icarus (I-ka-rus): Son of Daedalus who died when he flew too close to the sun.

  Inachus (IN-a-kus): River god in Argos, father of Io.

  Ino (I-no): Daughter of Cadmus, sister of Semele. She became a minor sea goddess.

  Io (I-o): Unfortunate lover of Zeus who was turned into a cow by the god. Long tormented by Hera.

  Ion (I-on): Son of Creusa and Apollo. He became a priest at Delphi.

  Iphicles (IF-i-kleez): Mortal brother of Hercules.

  Iphigenia (if-i-je-NI-a): Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, she was sacrificed at Aulis to gain a favorable wind for the Greek fleet sailing to Troy.

  Iris (I-ris): Goddess of the rainbow and divine messenger.

  Ismene (is-ME-ne): Daughter of Oedipus and sister of Antigone.

  Iulus (U-lus): Also known as Ascanius, he was the son of Aeneas and his first wife, Creusa.

  Ixion (iks-I-on): King of Thessaly who angered Zeus and was then chained to a fiery wheel that revolves in the sky.

  Jason (JA-son): Leader of the Argonauts who retrieved the Golden Fleece with the help of Medea.

  Jocasta (jo-KAS-ta): Mother and wife of Oedipus.

  Juno (JU-no) (see Hera [HE-ra])

  Jupiter (JU-pi-ter) (see Zeus [ZUS])

  Lachesis (LA-ke-sis): One of the three Fates, she measured out the thread of life.

  Laius (LI-us): Father of Oedipus who was murdered by his son.

  Laocoon (la-OK-o-on): Trojan priest of Apollo who told his countrymen to beware of Greeks bearing gifts. He was killed by a sea monster sent by Poseidon.

  Laomedon (la-O-me-don): King of Troy who cheated Apollo and Poseidon after they labored for him for a year.

  Lapiths (LA-piths): A tribe in northern Thessaly who battled the centaurs at the wedding of their king, Peirithous.

  Lars Porsenna (LARZ por-SEN-na): Etruscan king and enemy of Rome.

  Latinus (LA-tin-us): Elderly Italian king who at first welcomed Aeneas to his shores, then withdrew his support when war began.

  Lavinia (la-VIN-i-a): Daughter of Latinus and second wife of Aeneas.

  Leander (le-AN-der): Secret husband of Hero who swam the straits of the Hellespont each night to be with her.

  Leda (LE-da): Mother of Helen, Clytemnestra, Castor, and Pollox.

  Leto (LE-to): Daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis.

  Lucretia (lu-KRE-shi-a): Roman wife who killed herself after her husband’s best friend forced himself on her.

  Maia (MI-a): Daughter of Atlas and mother of Hermes by Zeus.

  Mars (MARZ) (see Ares [AR-eez])

  Marsyas (MAR-si-as): Foolish satyr who challenged Apollo to a flute c
ontest and was killed by the god when he lost.

  Medea (me-DEE-a): Daughter of Aeetes of Colchis, she sacrificed everything to help Jason retrieve the Golden Fleece and later murdered her children when Jason abandoned her.

  Medusa (me-DU-sa): Once a beautiful maiden, she became a hideous Gorgon and was killed by Perseus. He used her head to turn his enemies to stone.

  Megara (ME-ga-ra): First wife of Hercules, murdered by the hero in a fit of madness.

  Melampus (me-LAM-pus): Greek seer who could understand the language of animals.

  Meleager (me-le-A-jer): Greek hero who sailed with the Argonauts. The Fates told his mother he would live only as long as a certain log was not burned, but in anger she threw it on the fire.

  Melpomene (mel-PO-me-ne): Muse of tragedy.

  Menelaus (me-ne-LA-us): Son of Atreus, brother of Agamemnon, and husband of Helen before Paris took her to Troy.

  Metis (ME-tis): Daughter of Ocean and Tethys, she helped Zeus overthrow Cronus. Zeus then married her, but swallowed her whole when she became pregnant. Their daughter Athena later burst from his forehead.

  Mezentius (me-ZEN-ti-us): Cruel Etruscan king who fought against Aeneas.

  Midas (MI-das): King in Phrygia who was granted the power to turn anything he touched into gold. In a separate event, Apollo gave him the ears of an ass.

  Minerva (mi-NER-va) (see Athena [a-THEE-na])

  Minos (MI-nos): Son of Europa and king of Crete, he ordered Daedalus to build the Labyrinth to house the Minotaur.

  Minotaur (MI-no-tawr): Deadly half-human, half-bull offspring of Pasiphae and a bull.

  Mnemosyne (mne-MO-si-ne): Wife of Zeus and mother of the Muses.

  Muses (MUZ-ez): Goddesses who inspired poets, artists, and scholars. Includes Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania.

  Narcissus (nar-SIS-us): Beautiful son of a nymph and river god. He fell in love with his own reflection in a pool and starved to death.

  Nausicaa (naw-SIK-a-a): Daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of Phaeacia, she helped Odysseus when he washed ashore on their island.

  Nemesis (NE-me-sis): Goddess of revenge.

  Neptune (NEP-tun) (see Poseidon [po-SI-don])

  Nereus (NE-re-us): Sea god and father of fifty nymph daughters, the Nereids. He revealed the location of the golden apples to Hercules.