Classical Mythology/Characters: Difference between revisions

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Here is a list of the [[Loads and Loads of Characters]] in [[Classical Mythology]]. These are the gods that the Hellenes (which is what the Ancient Greeks called themselves) and Romans worshiped.

== Olympians ==

===Zeus===

Zeus was the father-god of the pantheon; his domain was the sky and thunder, associated with leadership and law . His Roman equivalent is '''Jupiter''', with whom he was identified.<ref>(or more accurately, ''Iuppiter'', a contraction of older ''Iou pater'' (literally "sky father"). The alternative English name '''Jove''' is derived from the oblique stem of Jupiter, ''Iov-''.</ref>

 

 

== Minor deities ==

 

The god of love, he was dainty and non-threatening, [[The Power of Love|but still managed to best even the greatest of gods]] (usually by [[Combat Pragmatist|taking potshots from far away]] with his bow, which had arrows that could inspire both love and hate). Early sources thought of him as a protogenos who emerged [[Spontaneous Generation|self formed]] from an egg at the beginning of creation, but later ones saw him as the [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|young]] son and/or servant of Aphrodite. His more famous Roman name is '''Cupidus''' (Cupid).

* [[Winged Humanoid]]

 

 

Former [[Every Thing Is Better With Princesses|mortal princess]] of Sicily, and now [[Happily Married|wife]] of the God of Love and personification of the Soul. Very [[World's Most Beautiful Woman|beautiful]] and [[Curious as a Monkey|insatiably curious]], both traits tend to get her into (and occasionally out of) trouble. [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence|Gained her immortality]] through [[Redemption Quest|completing]] several [[Impossible Task|tasks]] on behalf of her [[Obnoxious In-Laws|mother-in-law]] after giving into her [[Curiosity Is a Crapshoot|curiosity]] and betraying her husband’s trust. [http://www.shmoop.com/cupid-psyche/summary.html Longer synopsis here.]

* [[Youngest Child Wins]]

 

 

Son of Hermes. God of nature, mountains, shepherds and sexuality (especially males). A satyr-like [[Trickster Archetype]] who is mainly concerned with the preservation of Nature and the enjoyment of earthly pleasures such as music and sex. The panflute is named after him. An overall "free-spirit" who often pals with Dionysus but generally doesn't interact with other gods simply because he doesn't care about political schemes unless it concerns him directly. His name is root of the word "Panic".

 

 

 

A personification of (peaceful) Death, son of Nyx and Erebos and twin brother of Hypnos. Because he is Death, he was hated by mortals and even the deathless gods - rather moot since he hated them as well. His Roman counterpart is '''Mors'''.

* [[Pretty Boy]]: Despite the [[Grim Reaper|modern depiction]] of Death, Thanatos was generally shown as a winged, bearded man, or as a handsome, winged youth, depending on the artist and period.

 

 

The ferryman of the River Acheron, where he helps the souls of the dead to cross, for a small price. Less powerful than Thanatos, it is he however who inspires the modern image of the [[Grim Reaper]] as a cloaked figure. Coins were placed in the mouths of the dead to pay the ferrymans toll. Modern interpretations have changed it to the River Styx instead of Acheron that he ferries souls accross, or perhaps both. The River Acheron is also known as the river of pain and Styx as the river of hate, so you don't want to fall into or try wading through either.

* [[Psychopomp]]

 

 

Goddess of magic, crossroads and ghosts. Had three appearances, or sometimes just three heads. Lived in the Underworld with Hades and Persephone and was a close friend to the latter. Feared and revered by night travelers, but worshiped by about-to-deliver mothers. She was identified with the Roman goddess '''Trivia'''.

* [[Sadly Mythtaken]]: Despite the modern depictions, she was actually never depicted as "maiden, mother, and crone." When she's manifested in three bodies, they're all the same age.

 

 

Alecto, Megaera and Tisiphone, the godesses of vengeance. Born from the blood of the castrated Ouranos. They were depicted as ugly, winged women with hair, arms and waists entwined with poisonous serpents. They wielded whips and were clothed either in the long black robes of mourners, or the short-length skirts and boots of huntress- maidens.

* [[Winged Humanoid]]: Greek Mythology is big on this.

 

 

 

* [[Handicapped Badass]]: In one Aesop fable, he appears as a lame man.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

The personification of Sleep, son of Nyx and Erebos and twin brother of Thanatos. Generally not shunned like his twin brother, who is alway at his side in visual art. In [[Homer]] he allowed Hera to harass Heracles by putting Zeus to sleep. Zeus was understandably angry when he woke up but found Hypnos already hidden in Nyx's place, so he held the [[Bolt of Divine Retribution]] back since it risked an [[Mama Bear|angry Nyx]]. Apparently, Hypnos disturbed Zeus a few more times, but always ran behind his mom for protection afterward. His Roman counterpart is '''Somnus'''.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

A less known deity worshipped by the Romans, he actually came from the [[Lusitanian Mythology]], but after the Romans conquered the Iberian Peninsula he became quite a popular deity, until of course the arrival of Christianity. He was a god of healing and light, and was often referred to as ''Deus'', a title now used when referring to the Christian God in Portugese.

* [[Spell My Name with an "S"]]: Aendovelicus and, in Portuguese, Endovaelico are alternative spellings/pronounciations of the name.

 

 

Roman goddess of spring, grain and flowers with no Greek equivalent, first worshipped by other Italic tribes. Her feast, the ''Floralia'' ran from April 28 to May 3 and was a bit raucous.

* [[Victim Falls For Rapist]]: Ovid depicts her as completely fine with the way the West Wind abducted her, raped her, and forced her to marry him.

 

 

A trio of godesses: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. They are the daughters of Nyx and Erebus, or of Zeus and Themis. They determine fate and control the life cycle. Clotho would determine when someone is born by spinning a length of thread on a spinning wheel, Lachesis would allot the length of time a person had to live by measuring the thread, and Atropos would sever the thread with a pair of shears when it was time for them to die. By the Romans, they were known as '''Nona''', '''Decima''' and '''Morta''' respectively, and collectively called the '''Parcae'''.

* [[Sadly Mythtaken]]: Often they're portrayed as the goddesses of past, present, and future, like Kronos, or as a maiden, mother, crone trio. Neither is true to the original depictions.

 

 

In Greek mythology, the patron of medicine and son of Apollo. He not only cured the sick, but recalled the dead to life. This rare authority over Hades may have derived from the circumstances of his own birth. Koronis, a lake nymph, was impregnated by Apollo, yet dared to take in secret a human being as a second lover. So furious was the god on discovering the infidelity that he sent his sister Artemis to slay Koronis. This she did with a pestilence. When the fire was already blazing round the lake nymph on the funeral pyre, Apollo felt compassion for his unborn son, and removed him from the corpse. In this manner Asclepius came into the world and was taught the art of healing by Chiron, the wisest of the Centaurs, beast-like monsters who dwelt in the woodlands. The success of this instruction was so great that Zeus, fearing lest men might contrive to escape death altogether, killed Asclepius with lightning; but at Apollo's request he was revived, according to some authors. Was associated with the Roman god '''Vejovis''' and his staff, The Rod of Asclepius, remains a symbol of medicine to this day.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

Goddess of youth and the original cupbearer for Olympus. She was a daughter of Zeus and Hera, and later married Heracles, after which she gave up her job as cupbearer; she was succeeded in that role by the Trojan prince Ganymede. Her name comes from a Greek word that means "youth" or "prime of life". She was also worshiped as a goddess of forgiveness and pardons

 

 

Also know as the '''The Graces''' in Roman mythology, these goddesses (Aglaea ("Splendor"), Euphrosyne ("Mirth"), and Thalia ("Good Cheer")) were the patrons of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. While Charis is technically the single form of their name and what they could be referred to as individually, in some stories, Charis is the name of a fourth member of their group and not the singular form. There are also sometimes mentioned other members, such as Pasithea, but the first three are always included. Have many possible parents, most notably Zeus and Eurynome, but also Dionysus and Aphrodite, or Helios and a naid named Aegle.

 

 

Completely unlike the gospel singing, [[Ambiguously Brown]] character of the Disney Hercules film, the Muses were the Greek goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science and the arts. One of the largest groups in Olympus, their members were: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania. Each goddess represented a different domain (for example, Calliope represented Epic Poetry) and the goddesses were said to be the source of knowledge passed through the oral legends and myths.

* [[The Muse]]: [[Ur Example]], [[Trope Namer]], and [[Trope Codifier]]

 

 

The goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time. Started out as general personifications of nature itself in its different seasonal aspects, but later evolved into being the goddesses of order in general and natural justice in particular. Were noted to guard the gates of Olympus, promote the Earth's fertility, and rally stars and constellations. If all of this sounds a little confusing [[Continuity Snarl|it is]]. Lack of unity among the myths has lead to disagreement on some things about these goddesses, including their exact number and even ''who they are''. The most agreed upon number is that there are three of them at any given time, and there are two generations: Thallo, Auxo and Carpo, who were goddesses of the order of nature, and Eunomia, Diké, and Eirene, who were law and order goddesses.

And then, finally, there was a completely different group of Hours, who personified the twelve hours, (originally ten) of the day.

 

 

Greek goddess of persuasion and seduction. Was know in Roman mythology as '''Suadela'''. Was an attendant and/or companion of Aphrodite and thus is very connected to her. The two were so intertwined, that sometimes they were combined into one character, a reflection of how closely connected the Greeks saw persuasion and love (or lust). Her ancestry is disputed but she maybe the daughter of the titans Tethys and Oceanus.

 

 

As her overly weird name might attest to, this goddess is not a native Greek one, but a transplant from Crete, who became the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery. She was the divine helper of women in labor, and, though its agreed upon generally that here mother is Hera, her father's identity is disputed.

* [[Canon Immigrant]]: More than likely did not originate from Greece but with the Minoans of Crete.

 

 

The son of Ares and Aphrodite, his name means "fear" or "terror". [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|That should tell you all you need to know about him]]. For those who are a little slower than most, he is a personification of fear for the Greeks, in particular, the fear brought about through war. He notably road into war with his father Ares, the Goddesses Enyo and Eris, and his brother Deimos. His association seems to have made him unpopular with the Greeks, as he doesn't appear in any major Greek myths as a character. His Roman equivalent is '''Timor'''. It is from his name that we get the word "phobia".

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

A war goddess alongside Ares, she was his companion and counterpart. May have had a son by him named Enyalius in earlier legends, but that name was later conflated with Ares himself (helps that Enyalius was also a war god). Enyo, a daughter of Hera and Zeus, was responsible for orchestrating the destruction of cites, much to her enjoyment, and often accompanied Ares directly into battle. Alongside Eris, Deimos, and Phobos, she instigated the horrors of war. Tied to the Roman goddess '''Bellona''' whose name is related to the Latin word for war, ''bellum''. The older form of Bellona's name was "Duellona" and she was sometimes identified as Mars's wife, sometimes as his sister. When Rome declared war on someone, the Fetial priests had to throw a spear from a column in front of her temple. Bellona was later identified with the Cappadocian Earth and Mother goddess Ma.

* [[War Is Hell]]: She makes it like this and would have it no other way.

 

 

The goddess of Strife and Discord, she is found in Roman mythology as '''Discordia''' and has a dwarf planet named after her. Is widely considered a less than pleasant goddess with even more than unpleasant children. She is the daughter of Nyx, which may explain how she got her job. Homer equated her with Enyo, though they are clearly not the same god. Actually escorted the monster Typhon into his battle with Zeus and had a hand in causing the war between Greece and Troy. Has become a deity in the modern religion of Discordianism.

* [[Disproportionate Retribution]]: started the Trojan War over not being invited to a wedding

 

 

Brother of Phobos (and, like him, had a moon of mars named after him), and the son of Ares, Phobos is the god of fear who commonly accompanied his father, brother, Aunt Enyo, and Eris into war, along with his father's attendants, Trembling, Fear, Dread, and Panic. More of an abstract personification of sheer terror, especially that which is brought on by war, he doesn't really appear in any tales. His Roman equivalent is '''Formido''' or '''Metus'''.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

The opposite of Eris, she is the goddess of Harmony and Concord, and, fittingly, her Roman counterpart is named, '''Concordia'''. Generally thought to be another child of Ares and Aphrodite (or a daughter of Zeus and the Pleiad Electra), she married the Phoenician prince, Cadmus. Most well known for necklace, the Necklace of Harmonia, which, ironically, brought misfortune to all who came in possession of it.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

A minor goddess of concord, unanimity, and oneness of mind. Was so similar to Harmonia as to sometimes be equated with her.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Probably one of the most well known of the minor goddesses, she was the goddess of victory (and strength and speed) and was the daughter of Styx and Pallas. Her siblings were Kratos ([[God of War|not that Kratos]]), Bia, and Zelus. She and her companions were close to Zeus, and she herself was Zeus's divine charioteer who led him into battle with the Titans. Is noted for having wings, even into classical times and being a friend of Athena. While she doesn't have a planet, moon, or other celestial body named after her, she does have a brand of shoe! Her Roman counterpart was '''Victoria'''.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

A group of little love gods that resembled little boys with wings, they were part of Aphrodite's retinue. Four of them (Eros, Anteros, Himeros, and Pothos) were the sons of Aphrodite and Ares.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

This goddess with a hell of a name was the personification of revenge, in particular, that of divine judgement for hubris before the gods, and was the daughter of Nyx. Her Roman equal was '''Invidia'''.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Another goddess of revenge, she was also a goddess of balance and appears to have been tied with war, like her father Ares.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

This goddess is a unique one within the pantheon. While every god was usually heavily worshiped only in specific places, like Athena was the patron god of Athens, Tyche had a unique role, in that was the deity that governed the prosperity and fortune of a city state (aka, its destiny or fate). As such, she was a tutelary goddess: a protector of a specific locations, but every city had their own iconic version of her and considered her their protector. She is believed to have controlled the fortunes of humanity.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

A Greek goddess of justice (similar to the Horae, Dike, who she is sometimes equated with) and also of innocence and purity. She is not to be confused with the goddess Asteria. Called the Celestial Virgin, she is said to be one of the last goddess to come to Earth during man's Golden Age,and, according Ovid, abandoned Earth during the Iron Age. Fleeing humanity's wickedness, she fled to heaven and became the constellation Virgo, her scales of justice becoming the constellation Libra. Like Dike, she is associated with the Roman goddess '''Justitia''' (also known as Lady Justice). One day, it is said that she will return to Earth, bringing with her the return to the utopic Golden Age.

* [[The Messiah]]: Possibly the closest equivalent Greece has

 

 

The goddess of judicial punishment and the exactor of vengeance, she is closely related to Nemesis in that regard, and also related the the Horae Dike, also a goddess of order and justice. Her daughters Homonoia and (especially) Arete, are more well known.

 

 

At its basic level, Arete was a concept that was extremely important to the Greeks, commonly thought of as meaning "virtue", its meaning is closer to something like, "being the best you can be," or "reaching your highest human potential." So its natural that there was a goddess that represented the concept. Arete, as a goddess, was the personification of this idea, and was the daughter of Praxidike and the sister of Homonoia. Her contested Roman equivalent is '''Virtus'''. The only know tale of her has her and her counterpart Kakia, offering Herakles a [[Secret Test of Character]], which he of course passed.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

The counterpart to Arete, Kakia was the goddess of vice and, literally, "moral badness" (as in sin or crime). She's generally depicted as a vain, plump, and heavily made up woman who where's revealing clothing. Her job was to try to lead others to fall into evil.

* [[Satan]]: Though predating the man in red himself, she is obviously meant to be the Greek version of him as an archetype of The Tempter.

 

 

The daughter of Nyx and Erebos, Apate was the Greek personification of deceit and was one of the evil spirits released from Pandora's box. Her Roman equivalent is '''Fraus''', from which we get the word ''fraud''. She had many siblings, including Nemesis and Keres. Her counterpart is '''Dolos''', the god of trickery, who was also a spirit released from pandora's box.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

The god of old age, and the counterpart to Hebe. It was said that the the more geras a man had, the more kleos(fame) and arete (excellence and courage) he had. Generally considered a son of Nyx and Erebus, he was usually portrayed as a shriveled up old man. His Roman equivalent was '''Senectus'''. In vases, he's usually portrayed alongside Hercules, but the story that inspired these illustrations has been completely lost.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Goddess of Misery, daughter of Nyx, and twin of the god Momos. Her Latin Counterpart is '''Miseria''', from which the word ''misery''is derived.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Brother of the Moirai (Fates) and son of Nyx, whom she conceived without any male help. He is the god of impending doom, and actively drives mortals to horrible, deadly fates.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Yet, another child of Nyx, Momus was the god of satire, mockery, censure, writers, and poets. [[Insane Troll Logic|Which basically means he was evil!]] He was, however, a twisted god of evil-spirited blame and unfair criticism, because apparently the Greeks didn't appreciate satire, or overly critical views. He notably mocked Hephaestus for not having made man with a doorway in his heart so that his thoughts may be seen. He also mocked Aphrodite for being talkative and having creaky sandals, and even mocked Zeus for being a violent bastard and unrepentant womanizer, and for having children as violent as he was. For his constant stream of critiques, he was booted out of Olympus (According the a fable by Aesop, he was actually booted out because he was jealous of the creations of three gods, and criticized them for it). For his wily ways, Momus has become quite popular (unsurprisingly) with writers.

* [[Take That]]: was probably a take that to people like him, but really ended being a take that to the Greek gods themselves

 

 

The Keres (singular Ker), were goddesses and sisters, the daughters of Nyx and Erebus (how many kids do these two have?) Their Latin counterpart was the '''Tenebrae''' (The Darkness) or '''Letum''' (Death). They were dark beings with gnashing teeth and claws, and a thirst for (human) blood. They favored violent death (as opposed to Thanatos who watched over peaceful death) and hovered over battlefields looking for wounded and dying men to devour and send to Hades.

* [[Psychopomp]]: One of the scariest out there

 

 

One of the goddesses suffering from a [[Multiple Choice Past]] due to [[Continuity Snarl]], Achlys is either a primordial god that predates possibly even Khaos, or a daughter of Nyx, in which case she is sometimes portrayed as one of the Keres. Achlys is the goddess of the eternal night, aka the Mist of Death, which clouds the eyes of the dying. She is depicted as a pale, emaciated, and weeping woman, with chattering teeth, swollen knees, long nails on her fingers, bloody cheeks, and her shoulders thickly covered with dust.

* [[Nightmare Face]]: Just read the description!

 

 

The daughter of Zeus and Hera, she was the goddess of mischief, delusion, and folly. In Homer's Iliad, she is said to be Zeus's oldest daughter, and her mother is not mentioned. Hera used Ate to make Zeus swear that, on that very day, a mortal son of his would be born who would be a great ruler. Afterward, Hera sought to delay Hercules's birth and to birth prematurely Eurystheus, Hera's hero and direct counterpoint to Hercules. In anger, Zeus punished Ate by throwing her down to Earth and forbidding her from ever returning to Heaven or Mt. Olympus. Ate wanders the Earth now, making hell for everybody who meets her. Supposedly followed by the ''Litae'' (Prayers), who act as her healers, but cannot keep up with Ate, who runs too fast.

* [[Walking the Earth]]: Her punishment, though it is said she walks on the heads of men rather than the ground.

 

 

Son of Pallas and Styx, brother to Nike, Kratos, and Bia. Had wings like his siblings and was an enforcer for Zeus that stood about his throne. He is the personification of dedication, emulation, eager rivalry, envy, jealousy, and zeal, and the word Zeal is derived from his name.

* [[Our Angels Are Different]]: While he and his siblings are not identified as angels, their description parallels that of angels as described in the [[The Bible|Old Testament]].

 

 

The goddess and personification of force, Bia, had four other siblings (already mentioned dozens of times now, just see Zelus above) and was the daughter of Pallas and Styx. She and her siblings were Zeus's constant companions, as they, along with their mother, help Zeus fight the Titans. In Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, she along with Hephaestus and Kratos bound the Titan Prometheus.

* [[Our Angels Are Different]]: Same as Zelus above

 

 

[[God of War|No, not that Kratos]]. This Kratos (the final child of Pallas and Styx's children) was the god and personification of strength and power, and, along with his siblings, was a winged enforcer of Zeus. Helped to bound Prometheus.

* [[Our Angels Are Different]]: Same as his two preceding siblings

 

 

Greek god of competition and competitive games, in particular, the Olympic Games. Among the words we get from his name are agony, antagonism, protagonist, etc.

* [[Satellite Character]]: Even more so than most Greek gods.

 

 

More than likely children of Nyx (though [[Multiple Choice Past]] strikes again here) these gods were the gods of dreams, and were close siblings to Hypnos. There were three (or just three prominent ones depending on the myth), and they were '''Morpheus''' ( a god who appeared in dreams as human figures), '''Phobetor''', also called Icelus, (a goddess who appeared in dreams as various animals and monsters, being the personification of nightmares), and Phantasos (a god who appeared in dreams as inanimate objects). Together, the siblings lived together in the Dream World, a realm located somewhere in the Underworld.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Called '''Penae''' in Latin, Penia was the Greek goddess of poverty and need, sometimes considered the mother of Eros.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

The Greek god of plenty and son of Metis, making him the brother of Athena. He was seduced by Penia at Aphrodite's birthday celebration while drunk, and from that sexual escapade, its possible that Eros was born. Porus is also a god in the Roman pantheon, the personification of abundance.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Sister of Penia and Greek goddess of helplessness. Often traveled around with her sisters.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Greek goddess of beggary, who was a sister of Amechania and Ptocheia. She ofter traveled around with her sisters

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Probably more well known by his Roman name '''Plutus'''. Ploutos was the ancient Greek god of wealth and was the son of Demeter and the Demigod Iasion. Has a complex relationship in the Roman pantheon with the god of the underworld, Plouton (Pluto), who is also a god of riches, leading to conflation. Was blinded by Zeus so that he could dispense of his riches without prejudice. He is also lame, but has wings, so he arrives slowly, but leaves quickly (sounds like there's significance to that). In the play ''Plutus'', his sight is restored, thus raising hell as he is now able to determine who is most deserving of wealth. From the root of his (and Plouton's) name, we get the words like plutocracy, plutonomics, plutolatry, and plutomania.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Greek goddess of prosperity, who had three sisters: Eucleia, Philophrosyne, and Eupheme. Sometimes regarded as a younger Charity, along with her sisters. her and here sisters' parents were Hephaestus and Aglaea

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

The Greek goddess of glory and good repute, sister to Euthenia. Often shown alongside Aphrodite as an attendant, where she represents the good repute of a young bride.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

The Greek goddess of welcome, friendliness, and kindness.

* [[Flat Character]]: not much really to set her apart from the other goddesses, or even her own sisters

 

 

Greek goddess of words of good omen, praise, acclaims, shouts of triumph, and applause. Her opposite was Momus. Was the nurse of the Muses and the mother of Krotos with Pan, who became the constellation Sagittarius.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

These beings were Greek wind gods who were each ascribed a Cardinal direction from their particular special winds came, and each of them as ascribed to certain seasons and weather patterns. They were variously represented as gusts of wind, winged men, and as horses kept in the stables of the storm god Aeolus. Astraeus and Eos were their parents. Their Roman equivalent was the '''Venti'''.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

The Greek goddess of the soothing of pain, the wife of Asklepios, and the mother of some of his children.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

As her name more than amply implies, Hygieia is the goddess and personification of health, cleanliness, and sanitation, the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Of course, her name is obviously the root for hygiene and its associated words. While Asclepius was associated in healing illness and injury, Hygieia was associated with prevention of disease. in Rome, she was initially identified with the goddess of personal health '''Valetudo''', but she was eventually identified with the goddess of social welfare, '''Salus'''.

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

Daughter of Asclepius and the goddess of recuperation from illness.

* [[Flat Character]]: Very little is know about Iaso in the grand scheme of things.

 

 

The daughter of Asclepius and Epione, and goddess of the healing process.

* [[Flat Character]]: Even less is said about Aceso than Iaso.

 

 

Greek goddess of the Universal Remedy, daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Always carried a potion around with her that could heal the sick, and this idea was the beginning of the idea of the panacea in medicine (i.e. a substance that could cure all disease)

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]

 

 

An ancient sea goddess within the Greek pantheon, she is most well known for being the mother of the Greek hero, Achilles, whom she had with a mortal, Peleus. Is generally thought to have been a powerful goddess at one time, and it is even mentioned that she helped stop a rebellion against Zeus on Olympus, but is not mentioned much in Classical Greek works.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

An early Greek sea god, sometimes called the god of "elusive sea change", reflecting the sea's constant changes. Like many gods and goddesses, he suffers from [[Multiple Choice Past]], but he is a herdsman of Poseidon's seals. He has the ability to predict the future, but constantly changes his shape, so that only those who can catch him will get the prediction. From this we get the word protean. He lives on the island of Pharos off the coast of the Nile River Delta and his primary purpose was to be caught by other heroes and used to help them solve their problems.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

Sea goddess most well known for being Poseidon's wife, in Rome she was conflated with Neptune's wife, '''Salacia''', goddess of saltwater. [[Multiple Choice Past]] strikes again: Some call her a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, thus making her an Oceanid and possibly a Titan, while other tales identify her as the daughter of Nereus and Doris, making her a Nereid, and still others say she is a personification of the sea itself. She and Poseidon had a son, named Triton, and at least one daughter, named Rhode and possibly another, named Benthesikyme. Though originally a very powerful, important goddess, she lost her importance to the Olympic pantheon.

** [[Physical God]]: what she is if an Oceanid

 

 

Sometimes considered a sea nymph, Rhode was the goddess of the island of Rhodes and daughter of Poseidon. Consort of Helios, she considered the little island under her own protection.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

[[Running Gag|No, not]] [[The Little Mermaid|that Triton]]. This Triton is the most famous son of Poseidon. A Greek god, he was a messenger of the sea, similar to how Hermes was a messenger of Olympus. One thing the Disney film got right is that Triton is usually represented as a merman, having a human's upper body and the tail-end of a fish, and he, like his father, carried a trident. He also carried a conch shell, which he blew like a horn to control the waves. had a daughter named Pallas (not the same Pallas mentioned farther up) and raised Athena as his own daughter. Athena would later accidentally kill Pallas. Triton would be the progenitor of an entire race similar to himself, called Tritons.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

An early, powerful sea goddess, sometimes conflated with Hecate. Mother of a race of monsters with Phorcys, called the Phorcydes, which include Echidna, and (sometimes) The Gorgons (including Medusa), Ladon, Scylla, and The Graeae.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

Also called the Grey Witches, the Graeae were three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth amongst themselves. Though usually depicted as old, grey haired women, sometimes, storytellers would portray them as beautiful, and in some legends they were portrayed as being half-swan. They were apparently so old that they couldn't grasp the concept of human childhood. Their names were '''Deino''' (dread), '''Enyo''' (horror, not the same Enyo as the goddess of war), and '''Pemphredo''' (alarm). There is sometimes also a fourth named '''Persis''' (destroyer, slayer) or '''Perso'''. Perseus was able to get the women to tell him how to kill Medusa by stealing their one eye.

* [[Sadly Mythtaken]]: The Disney Hercules film gave their defining trait, sharing one eye, to the Moirai (Fates), causing confusion.

 

 

God of the mysterious dangers of the deep, identified as a son of Gaia and Pontus or a son of Tethys and Oceanus. Married Ceto and had many "nice" children. Is depicted as a fish-taled merman, with crab claws for fore-legs and red-spiked skin.

* [[Multiple Choice Past]]

 

 

A minor goddess of magic, sometimes called a witch, sorceress, enchantress, or nymph. [[Multiple Choice Past]] again, however, she is usually seen as a daughter of Helios and Perse, though some see her as the daughter of Hecate. Called "The loveliest of all immortals", she was known for turning people she didn't like into animals and having a truly massive knowledge of drugs and herbs. She lives in a large mansion, which she surrounded with feral predators she culled with her magic. She is most well know for her run in with Odysseus: She turned some of his crew into pigs and Odysseus set out to rescue them from her, using advice given by Athena as an aid. Following Athena's advice, Odysseus succeeded in freeing his men and gaining Circe's trust, and she helped him on his journey.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

A god of the sea, Glaucus was one of the very few mortals who attained immortality and godhood. It is believed that he comes to the rescue of fishermen and sailors caught in storms; this is because he was one himself. One day, when Glaucus was still mortal, he came across a weird herb that could resurrect dead fish, an tried eating it himself. The herb made him immortal, but at a steep cost: in place of his arms, he had fins, and his legs were replaced with a fish's tail (though there are versions of the story that say he just became a merman), forcing him to live in the sea forever. Though initially saddened by these turn of events, Oceanus and Tethys took Glaucus in as one of their own, teaching him the gift of prophecy and making him a god of the sea. Glaucus later fell in love with Scylla (who was a beautiful sea nymph at the time), and tried to marry her, but Scylla was repulsed by his physical appearance and ran away from him. Glaucus went to Circe for help in getting Scylla to fall for him, but Circe fell in love with ''him'' instead. Though Circe tried her best to win his heart, Glaucus was too in love with Scylla to go with her. Circe, in rage, poisoned the water where Scylla bathed, and turned her into the horrible monster we all know.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

Ancient Greek sea goddess, worshiped in the form of a mermaid, she was a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and was the third wife of Zeus, with whom she had her daughters, the Charities. When Hephaestus was cast from Olympus by Hera, it was Eurynome and Thetis who caught him and nursed him back to health. This Eurynome is closely associated with the Titan Eurynome, wife of Ophion, the first ruler of Olympus.

* [[Physical God]]

 

 

Goddess of Liberty, shown carrying the rod magistrates would tap slaves with upon their manumission. Still used in allegorical images of liberty to this day including the Statue of Liberty.

 

== Mortals and Demigods ==

Rustic fertility spirits, companions of Dionysus/Pan, originally quite different from the goat-like fauns (Or Panes), they were depicted as short, hairy men with assinine ears, snub-noses, horse-like ears and erect members.

 

* [[Magical Flutist]]: With panpipes, like Pan himself.

 

Beautiful female nature spirits, considered desirable mades by mortals and gods alike. Frequently appearing in the company of gods as loyal followers as well. There were many subgroupings of nymphs, but the most famous were the Hesperides (who tend the garden with the golden apples), [[Plant Person|Dryades]] (tree spirits), [[Our Mermaids Are Different|Naiads, Nereids, Oceanids]] (different kinds of water nymphs), Maenids (or Bacchai/Bacchantes, the one who hang out with Bacchus/Dionysus so they can party all the time), and the Muses.

 

 

 

Son of Zeus and mortal Queen Alcmene and the most famous classical hero, known as '''Hercules''' in Latin. His name means ''glory of Hera'' (explanations for this name are varied), but she hated him and tried her best to kill him since his infancy. His real name is Aclides (Aclaeus) but after seeing the priestess at Delphi, he changed his name. Most famous for his Twelve Labors (essentially one [[Fetch Quest]] after another), [[Massive Multiplayer Crossover|turning up in other people's stories]] whenever a strongman is needed, and eventually became a full god upon his death.

 

* [[Accidental Pornomancer]]: Hercules got a lot of action thrown his way. In particular, there was the matter of the fifty princesses...

* [[All Amazons Want Hercules]]: [[Trope Namer]]. [[Hot Amazon]] Queen Hippolyta was so impressed by his muscular frame that she gave up her belt freely.

* [[Ascended to A Higher Plane of Existence]]: After his death, it's said he became a full god himself.

* [[Arch Enemy]]: Hera.

* [[World's Strongest Man]]: [[Trope Namer|Well]], [[Captain Obvious|duh.]]

 

Perseus was the Greek hero who killed the Gorgon Medusa in order to fulfill the evil king Polydectes's demands and save his mother from the guy. Along the way he married Andromeda, having rescued her from a sea monster sent by Poseidon in retribution for Andromeda's Queen Cassiopeia declaring herself more beautiful than the sea nymphs.

 

* [[Taken for Granite]]: With Medusa’s head, he does this to both the sea monster (saving Andromeda) and Polydectes (saving his mother).

 

A powerful demi-goddess, sorceress, and princess of a distant kingdom, who ends up betraying her own father and brother for Jason. Jason proceeds to [[Idiot Ball|royally piss her off]]: see the tragedy named after her for the results.

 

* [[Psycho Ex-Girlfriend]]: Jason should have known what he was getting into; the woman ''killed and dismembered her own brother'' to slow down her father's pursuit.

* [[Woman Scorned]]: [[Trope Namer|The phrase comes from Euripides' play]] entitled, well, ''[[Medea]]'', making her the [[Trope Namer]].

 

Son of Muse Calliope and learned musical skill from Apollo. Even the famous Sirens couldn't beat Orpheus when it come to singing. After his wife Eurydice died, Orpheus travelled to the underworld and got past all obtacles by his music, even softening the hearts of Hades and Persephone. Hades agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world. Orpheus failed, either because he wass careless or just unable to trust Hades wholeheartly. Heartbroken, Orpheus disdained the worship of all gods save for Apollo. One morning, he went to salute Apollo, but was rent to pieces by Maenads for not honoring Dionysus.

 

 

 

King of Ithaca, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, and son of Laërtes and Anticlea, Odysseus is renowned for his guile and resourcefulness, and is hence known by the epithet Odysseus the Cunning (mētis, or "cunning intelligence"). He is most famous for the twenty eventful years he took to return home after the ten-year Trojan War and his famous Trojan Horse trick. The Romans called him '''Ulysses'''.

 

* [[You Can't Fight Fate]]: Odysseus was fated to die a death from the sea...Telegonus sails in and unknowingly kills him with a sting ray spear.

 

* [[Achilles' Heel]]: [[Trope Namer]]

* [[Achilles in His Tent]]: Once again, the [[Trope Namer]].

* [[Your Days Are Numbered]]: He was fully aware of it, but preferred a glorious death to an obscure old age.

 

Perhaps the most famous son of Poseidon—unless the mortal Aigeus was his real father after all. He is most well known for slaying the Minotaur and ruling the city of Athens. Among his other deeds are killing serial killers, with Heracles inventing the mixed martial art of pankration, and his interactions with other famous mythological people like Heracles, Oedipus, and Medea.

 

* [[The Unchosen One]]: Compared to Perseus he had to do everything all on his own.

 

 

* [[Abdicate the Throne]]: In [[Sophocles]]'s play ''[[Oedipus Rex]]'' he exiled himself from Thebes, although [[Homer]] had him continue ruling until his death.

* [[You Can't Fight Fate]]: Despite his best intentions to avoid it, Oedipus ends up fulfilling the prophecy.

 

One of the worst of Tartarus' residents, Sisyphus was damned to eternally roll a rock up a hill. The rock would inevitably turn and roll back down just as he was achieving anything. This was ''not'' [[Disproportionate Retribution]] for his crimes.

 

 

== Monsters ==

An offspring of Echidna and Typhon. [[Hell Hound|A three-headed hound with a tail and mane made of live serpents]], [[Artistic License|although most artists stopped reading after the word "hound"]]. Unlike his siblings, Hades took him as a guard dog of his realm. He prevents mortals from entering the underworld and keeps the dead inside. Although there is no tale where Hades actually [[Pet the Dog|pets him]], the king of the underworld cared about his pet dog enough, and only allowed Heracles to take him for the twelfth labor if the hero didn't injure him.

 

* [[Sweet Tooth]]: The Roman tale of Psyche had a girl get past him using cake. She was advised to use it because others had succeeded before with the same ploy.

 

One of the oldest monsters in [[Classical Mythology]], Ladon was an offsping of Typhon and Echidna or of some of the Titans or Protogenoi depending on which version you listen to. His form was that of a dragon, but one unlike either traditional European or Asian dragons, and indeed his own form is not even consistant in the different versions of the story. His job was to guard the golden apples of the Garden of Hesperides. Though tasked with retreiving them in his eleventh labour, Ladon was so fearsome an opponent that Hercules had to enlist the help of Atlas who was a relative of the Hesperide Nymphs to complete the task. Ladon was later seen by the passing Argonauts as well.

 

* [[Our Dragons Are Different]]: Very diffent, and different in different ways. He could have as many as one hundred heads, or just the one.

 

Medusa's grandson Geryon was a giant who lived on the island Erytheia. He had either three heads on one body or three bodies, either way he also had six hands, six feet and wings. Orthus was the two headed herd dog of Geryon and the brother of Cerberus. The guarded red cattle which Hercules was instructed to steal as his tenth labour.

 

* [[Our Giants Are Bigger]]

 

Wild horses trained to eat human flesh by the giant Diomedes, King of Thrace, Son of Ares and Cyrene. Some versions of the story tell that they breathed fire as well. Hercules' eighth labour was to steal them.

 

* [[Incendiary Exponent]]: If that is the version being told.

 

Father of the Minotaur by the king of Cete's, King Minos, wife who had angered Aphrodrite and was thus [[Heart Is an Awesome Power|cursed with love]] for the king's prized but uncontolably angry bull. The bull was a gift from Poseidon, and its anger was the result of Poseidon later becoming displeased with King Minos. Captured by Hercules as his seventh labour, when released in became known as the Marathon Bull after its new home until it was captured by Theseus and sacrificed to the Gods.

 

* [[Sacrificial Lion|Sacrificial Bull]]

 

Man eating birds with metal feather, bronze beaks and toxic poo that were driven to the Lake Stymphyalia by a pack of Arab wolves where they thrived in great numbers, much to the dismay of the local inhabitants. Hercules' sixth labour was to defeat them.

 

* [[Zerg Rush]]

 

A boar of immense size and ferocity that lived on Mount Ermanthos and was often sent by various gods in vengeance against villages. It may well have killed Adonis, unless that was Ares in the shape of a boar. Capturing it was Hercules' fourth labour.

 

 

 

A hind is doe (female deer) of a one of the larger species, of which the male would be a hart, buck or stag. This one had antlers like the male, only golden in color and matching fur as well as being sacred to the Goddess Artemis and fast enough to outrun an arrow. Hercules' third labour was to catch it, alive.

 

* [[Badass]]

 

Another child of Typhon and Echidna: A many headed serpent of the swamps of Lerna. For every head you cut off, two more grow in it's place. Oh, and one head is immortal. Killing it was the challenge set forth in Hercules' second labour.

 

* [[Our Dragons Are Different]]

 

Lived in Nemea. Its fur was impervious to attack by all mortal weapons and its claws could cut through any armour without difficulty. Sometimes counted amoung the children of Typhon and Echidna Killing it was Hercules' first labour.

 

* [[Nigh Invulnerability]]

 

The Crommyonian Sow was a wild pig named Phaea or Phaia, daughter of Echidna and Typhon and mother of the Calydonian Boar. It was killed by Theseus. The Calydonian Boar was hunted by a great gathering of heroes, which hurt alot of their pride when the woman Atalanta was the one to kill it.

 

* [[Full Boar Action]]

 

A magical dog that would catch anything that it chased, and a giant fox destined never to be caught. The fox was also one of Echidna and Typhon's children. Zeus turned them into a constellation when Laelaps was set to chase the Cadmian Vixen.

 

* [[Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object]]

 

Another of Typhon and Echidna's offspring, this one is one of the less famous. A gigantic eagle, it roamed the Earth until Zeus found use for it and made it the tormenter of Prometheus, flying every day to eat his liver and killing whoever tried to free him, until Hercules/Heracles killed it. Occasionally refered to as '''Ethon''', '''''Aethonem Aquilam''''' or the ''Griffin-Vulture'' (also the name of a real life bird of prey). Is the basis for the constellation Aquila.

 

* [[Giant Flyer]]

 

Half-man half-bull, this beast the offspring of the Cretan Bull and King Minos' wife in an odd combination of punishments from different gods. Fearing that it would anger the gods further to kill the beast, King Mino sealed it away in a Labyrinth beneith the city and fed its man-eating appitite with the flesh of slaves taken as tribute from Athens. That is, until an Athenian prince named Theseus took the place of one of the slaves, seduced the kings daughter into helping him find his way out of the labyrinth and killed it with his bare hands.

 

* [[The Maze]]: It's home, the Labrinth; possible [[Ur Example]].

 

A set of three sisters: Stheno, Euryale and Medusa. Most people only know the story of Medusa, who is most well known for having snakes for hair and a visage that turned mortals to stone. To some authors she and her sisters were born hideous, but another version has it that all three were born beautiful and Medusa, raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple, was [[Values Dissonance|turned into a monster as punishment]].

 

* [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]]: So very much.

 

One of the daughters of Typhon and Echidna, the Sphinx had the head of a woman and the body of a winged lioness. She was born in Ethiopia, and tasked by Hera to block the path to Thebes, where she asked travellers a [[Riddle of the Sphinx|tricky riddle]], and when they failed to answer she strangled and ate them. [[Oedipus Rex|Oedipus]] managed to figure out the answer, and she was so enraged she threw herself off a cliff.

 

* [[Smug Snake]]: Absolutely confident that no-one could guess the answer to her riddle.

 

This monster had the body of a winged lion, with a scorpion's tail and the head of a man, though this didn't mean it lacked the sharp teeth of any other man-eating predator. It could also shoot poisonous spines from its tail.

 

* [[Spike Shooter]]

 

One of Typhon and Echidna's children, the chimera was part lion, part goat and part snake, or dragon. Its body was that of a lioness, the snake or dragon head was its tail, and a goat head just popped out of its spine in the middle of its back. It breathed fire too. It lived in Lycia in Asia minor.

 

* [[Our Dragons Are Different]]

 

This Dragon was a child of Typhon and Echidna and the guardian of the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts.

 

* [[Our Dragons Are Different]]

 

Scylla was drakaina with six heads on long necks, attatched to a body with 4-6 more dogs heads around its waist, twelve tenacle like legs, and a cats tail. It lives on one side of a narrow straight with Charybdis on the other. Charybdis was a whirlpool, or in the earlier myths a whirlpool caused by a Nymph transformed into a sea monster that was essentially a giant bladder covered in mouths and flipper that sucked a great deal of water into its many mouths three times a day, and belching it forth the rest of the time. One or both of them may have been offspring of Typhon and Echidna

 

* [[Spell My Name with an "S"]]: Charybdis is also spelt Kharybdis.

 

Perseus found a princess being sacrificed to this beast to appease Poseidon. So he turned it to stone with the severed head of Medusa and married the princess. Hercules is also credited with killing a creature called cetus. The word has a very loose meaning and includes whales and big fish as well as more traditional sea monsters.

 

* [[Sea Monster]]

 

A drakaina set to guard the Hecatonchires by Cronus. She is described as having the head and torso of a woman, a scorpionlike tail, and snaky legs.

 

* [[Our Dragons Are Different]]

 

Three brothers: Steropes, Brontes and Arges. They are sons of Ouranos and Gaia. Embodiments of brute strength and power, they each have one single eye in the middle of the foreheads. Ouranos feared them for their power and violent tempers, and then sealed them away in Tartaros shortly after they were born with their other brothers, the Hekatonkheires. In some versions, Kronos either freed them and put them back in some time later of just kept them inside Tartaros, guarded by the Dragon, Kampe. In the final year of the Titanomachy, Zeus freed them and they forged the Olympians' weapons for them (if Hephaestus didn't do so already). Afterwords, they served as assistants to Hephaestus in his forge. They had the same names in Roman myths, both individually and collectively.

 

* [[With Friends Like These...]]: When Zeus killed Apollo's son Asclepius Apollo wanted revenge but could not directly injure Zeus. Some writers have him kill the cyclopes who forged the lightning bolt while others, noting that the sons of Gaia are immortal, have him kill the four sons instead. In some versions, the three had helped to make Apollo's bow beforehand.

 

The last children of Ouranus, born from his blood fertilizing Gaea when Kronos castrated him, possibly as Aphrodite was born from the sea. The didn't get involved much in the Titans affairs, including when the Olympians took power in the Titanomachy. However, they latter fought the Olympians in the Gigantomachy, which they would have won if not for Hercules' aiding the Olympians. Many individuals are named, though again their are multiple different accounts of just what occured with each of the Gigantes.

 

* [[War Arc]]: The Gigantomachy.

 

The biggest, nastiest, deadliest and most terrifying monster in Greek mythology, with arms that reached east and west - with a hundred dragon/serpent heads on each - huge wings that blackened the sky, fire blazing from his eyes and mouth, [[Depending on the Writer|sometimes]] [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|a head like a donkey]], sometimes with the head of a man, and sometimes with [[Multiple Head Case|a hundred dragon heads]].... yeah, Zeus had a pretty hard time defeating this guy. He also had numerous monster babies with Echidna. Zeus eventually trapped him under Mount Aetna, where he causes volcanic eruptions.

 

* [[Unholy Matrimony]]: With Echidna

 

The "Mother of All Monsters" (no, not ''that'' "[[Lady Gaga|mother monster]]"), usually depicted as half [[Our Fairies Are Different|nymph]] and half serpent. She was the mate of Typhon, mother to nearly all the notable monsters in Greek mythology.

 

* [[Unholy Matrimony]]: With Typhon

 

Half-bird, half-human monstrosities. Jason encountered them on his quest and they were being used to punish a man who spoke out against Zeus.

 

* [[Nausea Fuel]]: Literally. They were starving the man by vomiting on his food.

 

[[Category:Character Sheets/Mythology]]