EEE Greek and Roman Mythology Many English words come from Greek and Roman mythology. Greek Mythology Phos (god of Light) Cyclops (chree giants each with one big round eye) Hekatoncheires (monster kids with ‘one hundred hands) Oceanus (god of oceans, also the name of ‘a river that circled the earth) Furies (monsters) Giants (monsters) Aphrodite (goddess of love) Eros (god of love, sex) ‘Mount Olympus (home of the gods) Crete (a Greek island) ‘Atlas (he held up the earth) ‘Typhon (monster) Pandora (so pretty that gods gave her gifts, ‘a box with many things—mostly bad) Europa (princess carried off by Zeus) Hippius (horse-tending god) ‘Athena (promised olive trees to people) Phobus (god of panic) Trojan (warrior) Paris (judge of beauty) ‘Amazons (women warriors) Mentor (teacher of Odysseus’ son) English Words photo, phosphorus, photon Eyclical, bicycle, encyclopedia, cycle, optical, optician, optometrist, myopia hectometer (100 meters) ocean, oceanic ‘rious, furor (anger) giant, gigantic aphrodisiac erotic Olympic Games cretin (deformed person) atlas (map book) typhoon Bandora’s box Europe hippopotamus, hippodrome Athens, Greece claustrophobia, acrophobia, and others popular mascot name city in France Amazon River mentor, mentoring Flectra (daughter of Agamemnon) electricity ‘Hygeia (goddess of health) hygiene Echo (nymph with only voice left) echo ‘Morpheus (god of dreams) morphine ‘Roman Mythology English Words Ceres (goddess of grain) cereal Egypt (a land to the south) Morta (goddess of death) Venus (goddess of love) Pluto (king of the underworld) Mars (god of war) Mercury (winged messenger) Di Penates (gods of indoors) ‘Janus (god of doors and gates, two-faced, beginners) ‘Arachne (a great weaver) Hermaphroditus (the gods put ¢ male ‘and female together) Orcus (god of the underworld) Panacea (goddess of health) Vulcan (god of fire) Pantheon (temple to all gods) Maia {mother of Mercury) Luna (goddess of the moon) Romulus (son of Mars) 58 gypsies, gypped (Note: Gypsies are originally from India, not Egypt) mortician, mortuary, mortal ‘venereal disease pplutonium (used in nuclear bombs) ‘martial arts, court martial ‘mercurial temperament dependents January ‘arachnid (scientific name for spiders) hermaphrodite (part of both sexes in one) ‘ogre (monster), orgy (unrestrained indulgence) panacea volcano, vulcanize Pantheism (sees God in all things) May lunacy, lunatic, lunar month Rome, Roman ‘The Vocabulary Teacher's Book of Lists copyright © 2004 by ohn Wey & Sons, ne‘The Reading Teacher's Book of Liss, Bd Edition, © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, nc. ust 41 135 3 VOCABULARY BUILDERS ‘Tuesday ‘Tiw’s day; Tiw was the Teutonic god of war Wednesday Woden’s day; Woden was the Norse god of the hunt Thursday ‘Thor's day; Thor was the Norse god of the sky Friday Fria’s day; Fria, the wife of Thor, was the Norse goddess of love and beauty Saturday Saturn's day; Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture January In honor of Janus, the Roman god with two faces, one looking forward and one looking backward February In honor of fébrua, the Roman feast of purification March In honor of Mars, the Roman god of war April A reference to spring, aprilis, the Latin word for opening May In honor of Maia, a Roman goddess and mother of Mercury June In honor of Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage July In honor of the Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar “August In honor of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar September Im reference to septem, the Latin word for seven; September was the seventh month of the Roman calendar October In reference to octo, the Latin word for eight; October was the eighth Roman month November In reference to nove, the Latin word for nine; November was the ninth Roman month December In reference to decem, the Latin word for ten; December was the tenth Roman month WORDS FROM ROMAN AND GREEK MYTHOLOGY Achilles heel Greek warrior and leader in the Trojan War whose only vulnerable spot was his heel amazon Amazons, in Greek mythology, were a tribe of female warriors aphrodisiac Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty atlas Atlas, in Greek mythology, was forced to hold the heavens on his shoulders cereal Ceres, a Roman goddess of agriculture echo Echo, in Greek mythology, was a wood nymph cursed with repeating the last words anyone said to her electricity Blectra, daughter of Agamemnon erotic Eros, Greek god of love and sori of Aphrodite hygiene Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health mentor Mentor, in Greek mythology, was a loyal friend and advisor to Odysseus and teacher to his son, Telemachus morphine Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams oedipus complex ogre panacea ‘voleano King Oedipus, in Greek mythology, unwittingly murdered his father and mierried-hie mother Oreus, the Roman god of the underworld Panacea, the Roman goddess of health Volcan, Roman god of fire See also List 34, Greek and Latin Roots.