Achilles (Odyssey) - ID: A heroic figure who fought in the battle at Troy

but died
SIGNIFICANCE: He told Odysseus that he hated death and would rather
be a poor man alive than the richest dead man
Aegisthus - ID: Son of Thyestes and the lover of Clytemnestra
SIGNIFICANCE: Convinces Clytemnestra to kill Agamemnon because of
the father situation.
Agamemnon - ID: He led the Greek expedition to Troy in victory
SIGNIFICANCE: Murdered by Clytemnestra as revenge for his father
(Atreus) feeding his nephews to his brother (Thyestes)
Antigone - ID: A piece written about humans and their progress
SIGNIFICANCE: Antigone talks about death being our only limit in life
because we can escape anything except for death
Aphrodite - ID: Goddess of Beauty and Desire who slept with a mortal
SIGNIFICANCE: She slept with a mortal man after she denied being a
god, which crossed the boundary between gods and humans.
Apollo - ID: Son of Zeus and Leto and twin brother of Artemis; god of
music and prophecy
SIGNIFICANCE: Apollo chose the priests for his Oracle based upon who
recognized him as a dolphin, showing that recognition was important
to him
Ares - ID: God of War whose Greek name is Mars
SIGNIFICANCE: Flying divinity in sky; He can bring about both war and
peace
Artemis - ID: Twin Sister of Apollo and Goddess of chastity and virginity
SIGNIFICANCE: She has a double-sided nature by killing the animal and
making the earth shutter, while also delighting everyone with beauty
and joy
Athena - ID: Daughter of Zeus born from his head
SIGNIFICANCE: Born from Zeus' head covered in armor
Athens - ID: City where Theseus established government
SIGNIFICANCE: Athens was unified under one government and is
protected by the statue of Athena
Cassandra - ID: The prophet who tries to warn of Agamemnon's death
SIGNIFICANCE: Apollo cursed Cassandra with no one believing her
prophecy so she isn't believed when prophesying Agamemnon's death

Clytemnestra - ID: The legal wife of Agamemnon, having an affair with

Aegisthus
SIGNIFICANCE: She kills Agamemnon because he sacrificed their
daughter, Phigenia
Delphi - ID: The city where Apollo established his Oracle
SIGNIFICANCE: The ideal place where Apollo was told to place his
oracle, despite being in a rocky place
Demeter - ID: goddess of motherhood; mother of Persephone
SIGNIFICANCE: She grieves for a period of time because Persephone is
with Hades instead of her which causes the seasons
Dionysus - ID: Son of Zeus and Semele (mortal), most human god
SIGNIFICANCE: Transformed into lion on the pirate ship and rewarded
the one who recognized and punished those who did not recognize him
Eleusis - ID: City where Demeter disguises herself as a mortal woman
SIGNIFICANCE: Mother at Eleusis doesn't recognize Demeter and
therefore will not have an immortal son
Genesis - ID: Book in the Bible that gives an account of the origins of
the cosmos
SIGNIFICANCE: Shows a contrast between the Creator and creation; no
challenge of God being overthrown
Heracles - ID: Mortal son of Zeus who completed trials to go up to
Olympus
SIGNIFICANCE: Heracles is the only being to exist both in the
underworld and also in Olympus
Hermes - ID: Son of Zeus and Maia; god who stole Apollo's cattle
SIGNIFICANCE: He was born of a nymph mother making him partly
human, and we see some human characteristics in the hymn to
Hermes
Kronos - ID: Father of Zeus and Son of Ouranos and Gaia
SIGNIFICANCE: Overthrown by Zeus and the Titans, continuing the
legacy of sons overthrowing their parents
Materialism - ID: The belief that the physical world is all there is and
only matter exists
SIGNIFICANCE: If this is true, then there would be no purpose on Earth
because there would be no afterlife

Monotheism - ID: Belief in one God

SIGNIFICANCE: Dualistic cosmos highlights the divide between the
Creator and his creation
Odysseus - ID: Main character in Odyssey 11; travels to underworld to
make offerings
SIGNIFICANCE: He encounters the shades and learns about the
negative experiences of the underworld from some of his old friends
and colleagues.
Odyssey 11 - ID: A book from Homer about Odysseus traveling to the
underworld
SIGNIFICANCE: Odysseus encounters the shades and learns about the
negative experiences of the underworld from some of his old friends
and colleagues.
Orestes - ID: Son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and sister of
Electra
SIGNIFICANCE: Orestes killed his mother in the same way his mother
killed Agamemnon, which could have either been the right or wrong
decision
Orphic Beliefs - ID: Belief that Creation happened from a single egg
SIGNIFICANCE: There is no special divinity that is in charge of
everything
Pan - ID: Son of Hermes whom he gives his pipes
SIGNIFICANCE: He is named Pan because he is a general delight to
everyone around him playing his pipes
Pindar - ID: An account of the after life from Pindar's view
SIGNIFICANCE: He explains that if an immortal soul never combines
with a mortal body, then you will be immortal
Plato's Republic - ID: An account of the afterlife from Plato's view
including punishment/rewards and reincarnation
SIGNIFICANCE: This shows that even though the body may die, the soul
will remain immortal because they can reincarnate into either an
animal or a human
Polytheism - ID: Belief that there are many gods
SIGNIFICANCE: In a unitary cosmos there is nothing that exists outside
of the cosmos that could make it work
Prometheus - ID: A titan who was a protector of mankind

SIGNIFICANCE: He stole fire and gave it to the humans, causing Zeus to

punish him by chaining him to a rock and having an eagle eat his liver
every day
Prometheus Bound - ID: A piece written about human origins where
Prometheus giving humans gifts
SIGNIFICANCE: Prometheus rebelled against Zeus and gave fire to
humans.
Shades - ID: The beings who Odysseus encounters in the underworld
SIGNIFICANCE: The shades can't do much without blood, showing that
they are eager to have anything representing mortality
Sma Sma - ID: In Greek, "The body is a tomb"
SIGNIFICANCE: The body is just a vessel that the soul will be in until it
goes on to another being once the body dies.
Spiritualism - ID: The belief that there is a spirit in a person in addition
to just a body
SIGNIFICANCE: This was important because if this was true then your
soul would go somewhere after death.
Theogony - ID: Written by Hesiod giving an explanation of the origins of
the world
SIGNIFICANCE: Theogony states that all things come to being from
sexual union which creates stability in the world
Theseus - ID: Proclaimed son of Poseidon, but the actual son of King
Aegus
SIGNIFICANCE: Brought Democracy to Athens and proved that serving
the city was more important than himself; also killed the Minotaur in
the Labyrinth showing Brawn and Brains
Titans - ID: Sons of Ouranos and Gaia, including Kronos
SIGNIFICANCE: Titans overthrow their parents, which follows suit with
history where generations overthrow their parents; eventually replaced
by Zeus and Olympians
Works and Days - ID: Piece by Hesiod describing the human origins
SIGNIFICANCE: Hesiod talks about the 5 races of humans and how we
have gradually digressed
Zeus - ID: Son of Kronos and the Most powerful Olympian god
SIGNIFICANCE: Stopped the cycle of fathers being overthrown by
swallowing Metis while she was pregnant with Athena