Vocabulary from Greek and Roman Mythology

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Getting to Know the Greeks

• Vocabulary from Greek and Roman Mythology

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Adonis very handsome man

• Adonis was a beautiful young man that Aphrodite
  fell in love with. He was killed while hunting a
  boar and died in her arms. In his honor, she
  created the flower, anemone, which was very
  beautiful short-lived

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Aegis a shield or protection

• The Aegis was the magical shield of Zeus. No one
  other than Zeus could wield the sword, except for
  Athena

Amazon a strong woman
The Amazons were a women-only tribe of fierce
warriors. They were renown for their fighting
skills, especially archery and throwing the
javelin.
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Atlas a book of maps
Ambrosial extremely delicious pleasing to taste
or smell

• Ambrosia was the food of the gods. Nectar was
  their drink.

Atlas was a titan who fought against the
Olympians. As punishment, he was sentenced to
bearing the world upon his shoulders.
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Bacchanalian wild with drunkenness

• Bacchus is the Roman name for the Greek god
  Dionysus, who was the god of wine.

Chimerical unreal or impossible
The Chimera was a monster killed by Bellerophon
that had a lion's head, a goat's body, and a
dragon's tail.
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Cupidity greedy for money or possessions

• Cupid was the Roman name for Eros, the god of
  love and desire

Herculean extremely difficult requiring great
strength
Hercules is the Roman name for Heracles, a hero
known for his great strength.
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Iridescent lustrous or brilliant appearance

• Iris was a messenger goddess whose trail was a
  rainbow.

Jovial cheerful or merry
Jove was one of the Roman names for Zeus, king of
the gods.
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Labyrinthine extremely complicated

• The Labyrinth was a complex maze designed by
  Daedulus to imprison the Minotaur, a monster with
  the head of a bull.

Martial warlike or military
Mars was the Roman name for Ares, the god of war.
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Mercurial lively, quick, and unpredictable

• Mercury was the Roman name for Hermes, messenger
  god who was also the god of thieves, pranksters.

Mnemonic memory aid
Mnemosyne was the goddess of memory and mother of
the nine Muses.
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Nemesis bitter enemy who seems unbeatable

• Nemesis was the goddess of revenge.

Odyssey long journey
Odysseus was a hero who travelled for ten years
to get home after fighting in the Trojan War.
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Panic to be scared beyond reason

• Pan was the goat-legged god of fear, nature, the
  wild, and shepherds

Promethean creative and original
Prometheus was a titan who stole fire from the
gods and gave it to humans.
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Siren loud warning noise

• The Sirens were monsters who sang so sweetly that
  sailors would wreck their ships trying to hear
  them.

Tantalize to tease with something desirable
Tantalus was a person whose punishment was to be
forever hungry and thirsty with food and drink
just out of reach
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Titanic enormous

• Titans race of giants who rule until they were
  overthrown by the Olympians