Greek mythology is a massive soap opera filled with magic, monsters, and very questionable decision-making. Whether you are looking for a powerful god, a tragic hero, or a monster to haunt your dreams, here is an A-Z guide to 5 key figures for every major letter.
A
Achilles The ultimate warrior of the Trojan War. He was invulnerable everywhere except for his heel. He was moody, brilliant in battle, and his rage basically drives the entire plot of the Iliad.
Aphrodite The Goddess of Love and Beauty. She was born from sea foam (it’s a long story). While beautiful, she could be jealous and petty, often starting wars just because she felt slighted.
Apollo The overachiever of Olympus. He is the god of the sun, music, archery, prophecy, and healing. He drove the sun chariot across the sky and was the patron of the arts.
Arachne A talented human weaver who bragged she was better than the goddess Athena. They had a weave-off, and although Arachne won (or tied), Athena turned her into the world’s first spider out of spite.
Atlas A Titan who fought against Zeus and lost. His punishment? He has to hold up the sky (or the celestial spheres) on his shoulders for all eternity.
B
Bellerophon Before Hercules, he was the greatest hero. He tamed the flying horse Pegasus and killed the Chimera (a lion-goat-snake monster). Sadly, he got arrogant and tried to fly to Olympus, so Zeus struck him down.
Boreas The North Wind. He was the literal personification of winter and cold air. He had a temper as icy as the winds he brought.
Bia The personification of Force. She isn’t a chatterbox; she is the silent muscle who helped chain Prometheus to the rock.
Briseis A Trojan queen captured during the war. She became the center of the dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon, which caused Achilles to go on strike.
Briareus A Hecatoncheir (Hundred-Hander). Imagine a giant with fifty heads and one hundred arms. He was a terrifying ally to Zeus during the war against the Titans.
C
Calliope The Muse of Epic Poetry. She was the “leader” of the Muses and the inspiration behind works like the Odyssey. She is also the mother of the musician Orpheus.
Cerberus Hades’ favorite pet. A giant three-headed dog who guards the gates of the Underworld to keep the dead in and the living out.
Charon The Ferryman of the Dead. If you wanted to cross the river Styx into the afterlife, you had to pay him a coin. No coin? You waited on the shore for 100 years.
Chiron The “Good Centaur.” Unlike his rowdy, party-loving horse-men brethren, Chiron was wise, civilized, and acted as the trainer for heroes like Hercules, Achilles, and Jason.
Cronus The Titan King of Time and father of Zeus. Terrified his kids would overthrow him, he swallowed them whole. Zeus eventually defeated him and freed his siblings.
D
Daedalus The brilliant inventor who built the Labyrinth to hold the Minotaur. He also built wax wings to escape captivity, though that ended tragically for his son, Icarus.
Daphne A nymph who really didn’t want to date Apollo. When he chased her, she begged for help and was turned into a laurel tree. Apollo made the laurel his sacred symbol in her honor.
Demeter The Goddess of the Harvest. When her daughter Persephone is in the Underworld, Demeter gets depressed and winter happens. When she returns, it’s spring.
Dionysus The God of Wine, Madness, and Parties. He is the only Olympian with a mortal mother. He traveled the world teaching people how to make wine and generally causing chaos.
Deimos The personification of Terror. He is the son of Ares (War) and accompanies his father into battle to spread fear among soldiers.
E
Echo A nymph cursed to only repeat the last words spoken to her. She fell in love with Narcissus, but he ignored her, and she faded away until only her voice remained.
Eos The Goddess of the Dawn. She wakes up every morning to open the gates of heaven for the sun to rise.
Epimetheus His name means “Afterthought.” He was Prometheus’s brother and foolishly accepted the gift of Pandora (and her box) from Zeus, despite being warned not to.
Eros The God of Love (Cupid in Latin). Depending on the story, he is either a primordial force or the mischievous son of Aphrodite who shoots people with love arrows.
Eurydice A dryad (tree nymph) and the wife of Orpheus. She died of a snakebite. Orpheus tried to save her from the Underworld but looked back at the last second, losing her forever.
G
Gaia Mother Earth. She is the literal ground we walk on. She gave birth to the Titans, the mountains, and the seas. She is the grandmother of Zeus.
Galatea Originally a statue carved by Pygmalion. He fell in love with his creation, and Aphrodite brought her to life so they could get married.
Ganymede A Trojan prince so handsome that Zeus turned into an eagle and kidnapped him to be the cupbearer (drink server) for the gods on Olympus.
Glaucus A mortal fisherman who ate a magical herb and turned into a sea god. He grew a fish tail and became immortal, but he couldn’t live on land anymore.
Gorgons Three monstrous sisters with snakes for hair. Medusa is the famous one, but her sisters Stheno and Euryale were actually immortal (Medusa was not).
H
Hades God of the Underworld. He isn’t actually “evil,” he just has a gloomy job. He is rich (all gems come from the earth) and generally stays out of the drama on Olympus.
Hecate The Goddess of Magic and Witchcraft. She is often depicted holding torches and standing at crossroads. She helped Demeter look for Persephone.
Hephaestus The God of Fire and the Forge. He was the blacksmith of the gods, making their weapons and armor. He was physically disabled and was once thrown off Mount Olympus by his own mother, Hera.
Hera The Queen of the Gods and Goddess of Marriage. She is Zeus’s wife (and sister). She spends most of her time trying to punish the women Zeus has affairs with.
Hermes The Messenger God. He wears winged sandals and moves incredibly fast. He is also the god of thieves, travelers, and merchants. He guides dead souls to the Underworld.
I
Icarus The boy who flew too close to the sun. Using wings made of wax and feathers by his dad (Daedalus), he ignored instructions, the wax melted, and he fell into the sea.
Io A princess Zeus had a fling with. To hide her from Hera, Zeus turned her into a cow. Hera wasn’t fooled and sent a gadfly to chase the poor cow around the world.
Iris The Goddess of the Rainbow. Like Hermes, she is a messenger for the gods, specifically for Hera.
Ixion The first human to murder a family member. He was invited to Olympus but tried to hit on Hera. Zeus punished him by tying him to a fiery wheel that spins for eternity.
Iphigenia The daughter of King Agamemnon. He accidentally offended Artemis, who stopped the winds for his ships. To get to Troy, Agamemnon had to sacrifice Iphigenia (though some versions say Artemis saved her last minute).
J
(Note: Ancient Greek didn’t have a “J”. These are Anglicized versions of names starting with I).
Jason The leader of the Argonauts. He went on an epic quest to find the Golden Fleece to reclaim his throne. He succeeded, mostly thanks to the sorceress Medea.
Jocasta The tragic mother (and wife) of Oedipus. She didn’t know he was her son until it was too late. When she found out, the result was… not good.
Japetus (Iapetus) A Titan associated with mortality. He is the father of Prometheus and Atlas. His name implies “the piercer” or “wounder.”
Judgement of Paris Not a person, but a famous event. Paris had to judge who was fairest: Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite. He picked Aphrodite, and that decision started the Trojan War.
Jinx (Iynx) A nymph who tried to make Zeus fall in love with her using a magic potion. Hera turned her into a bird (the wryneck) used in love spells.
K
Keres Terrifying female spirits of violent death. They hung around battlefields drinking the blood of the dying. Not the kind of spirits you want to meet.
Keto A primordial sea monster goddess. She is the mother of most of the scary monsters in Greek myth, including the Gorgons and the Sea Serpent.
Kore Another name for Persephone. It simply means “The Maiden.” It refers to her identity before she was kidnapped by Hades.
Kratos The personification of Strength. He isn’t the complex character from video games; in myth, he is a brutal enforcer for Zeus who helped chain up Prometheus.
Kronos (See Cronus). The spelling varies, but he is the Titan King who ate his kids.
L
Ladorn The hundred-headed dragon that guarded the Golden Apples in the Garden of the Hesperides. Hercules had to get past him (or get Atlas to do it).
Laocoon A Trojan priest who warned the Trojans not to bring the wooden horse inside the city (“I fear Greeks bearing gifts”). Poseidon sent sea serpents to silence him.
Leda A queen who was seduced by Zeus while he was disguised as a Swan. She laid eggs (yes, really) from which Helen of Troy and Pollux were hatched.
Leto The mother of Apollo and Artemis. She was chased endlessly by a jealous Hera and couldn’t find a place to give birth until she found the floating island of Delos.
Lycaon A King of Arcadia who tried to trick Zeus into eating human flesh to test if he was really a god. Zeus was disgusted and turned Lycaon into the first werewolf.
M
Medea A powerful sorceress who helped Jason get the Golden Fleece. When Jason dumped her later, she got revenge in the most horrific way possible (killing his new wife and her own children).
Medusa The only mortal Gorgon. If you looked her in the eye, you turned to stone. Perseus beheaded her by using a mirrored shield to avoid looking directly at her.
Midas A king who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. He realized his mistake when he tried to eat food (and hugged his daughter).
Minotaur A monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. He lived in the Labyrinth on Crete and ate human sacrifices until Theseus killed him.
Morpheus The God of Dreams. He is responsible for shaping the dreams of mortals. This is where the phrase “in the arms of Morpheus” (meaning sleeping) comes from.
N
Narcissus A hunter known for his beauty. He fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and stared at it until he died. A flower grew in his place.
Nemesis The Goddess of Revenge and Retribution. She ensures that people who commit crimes or have too much hubris (arrogance) get what they deserve.
Nike The Winged Goddess of Victory. She is often seen in the hand of Zeus or Athena. Yes, the shoe company is named after her.
Niobe A queen who bragged she was a better mother than Leto because she had more kids. Apollo and Artemis shot all her children, and Niobe turned into a weeping rock.
Nyx The Primordial Goddess of Night. She is ancient and powerful; even Zeus is afraid to make her angry.
O
Oceanus A Titan who represented the great river that the Greeks believed circled the entire world. He didn’t take sides in the Titan War.
Odysseus The King of Ithaca and the mastermind of the Trojan Horse. It took him 10 years to get home after the war, battling cyclopes, witches, and angry sea gods.
Oedipus A tragic king who was cursed to kill his father and marry his mother. He tried to avoid his fate, but by trying to run from it, he made it happen.
Orion A giant huntsman whom Artemis liked (a lot). However, her brother Apollo tricked her into shooting him. She placed him in the stars as a constellation to remember him.
Orpheus The greatest musician in history. His music could charm stones and animals. He went to the Underworld to save his wife but failed the final test of trust.
P
Pan The God of the Wild, shepherds, and rustic music. He has the legs and horns of a goat. His sudden shouts in the woods caused “panic.”
Pandora The first human woman. She was given a jar (mistranslated as a box) containing all the evils of the world. She opened it out of curiosity, releasing them, but closed it just in time to keep Hope inside.
Persephone The Queen of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring. Her time is split between her mother Demeter (Spring/Summer) and her husband Hades (Autumn/Winter).
Poseidon God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Horses. He is moody and violent like the ocean. He carries a trident and hates Odysseus.
Prometheus A Titan who loved humanity. He stole fire from the gods to give to humans. Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock where an eagle ate his liver every day.
R
Rhadamanthus One of the three Judges of the Underworld. He was known for being extremely strict but fair. He judged the souls of Asians (Asia Minor).
Rhea The Titan Mother of the Gods (Zeus, Poseidon, etc.). She tricked her husband Cronus by feeding him a rock wrapped in a blanket instead of baby Zeus, saving the child’s life.
Rhode A sea nymph and the wife of the Sun god Helios. The island of Rhodes is named after her.
Rome (Remus & Romulus) Technically Roman, but linked to Greek myth through Aeneas (a Trojan). They were twins raised by a wolf who founded the city of Rome.
Rhesus A Thracian King who fought at Troy. He had famous white horses that were stolen by Odysseus and Diomedes in a night raid.
S
Selene The Titan Goddess of the Moon. She drives the moon chariot across the night sky. She fell in love with a mortal shepherd, Endymion, and put him to eternal sleep so he’d never age.
Sisyphus A king who was too clever for his own good. He tricked death twice. His punishment in the Underworld is to push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down every time he nears the top.
Sphinx A monster with a woman’s head, lion’s body, and wings. She terrorized Thebes by asking a riddle. If you got it wrong, she ate you. Oedipus solved it.
Styx The Goddess of the River Styx (the river of hate). Gods swear their most binding oaths by her river. If a god breaks a promise made on the Styx, they are paralyzed for a year.
Syrinx A nymph who was chased by Pan. To escape, she turned into river reeds. Pan cut the reeds and made the first set of Panpipes.
T
Tantalus A king who committed a terrible crime (serving his son to the gods as food). His punishment is standing in a pool of water with fruit hanging above him. Whenever he reaches for water or fruit, they move away. (Origin of the word “Tantalize”).
Thanatos The personification of Death. He isn’t violent; he represents peaceful death. He is the twin brother of Hypnos (Sleep).
Theseus The hero of Athens. He navigated the Labyrinth and killed the Minotaur. Unfortunately, he forgot to change his ship’s black sails to white, causing his father to commit suicide in grief.
Triton The messenger of the sea and son of Poseidon. He is a merman (human top, fish tail) who blows a conch shell to calm or raise the waves.
Typhon The father of all monsters. He was a giant storm-demon so scary that most of the gods fled Olympus when he attacked. Zeus eventually defeated him and trapped him under Mount Etna.
U
Uranus The Primordial God of the Sky. He was the father of the Titans. He hated his children and stuffed them back into the earth (Gaia), until his son Cronus chopped him up.
Urania The Muse of Astronomy. She is often depicted holding a globe and looking at the stars. She represents the scientific side of the Muses.
Ulysses The Latin/Roman name for Odysseus. Since his story (The Odyssey) is so famous, the name Ulysses is often used interchangeably in literature.
Upis A nymph associated with Artemis. In some very old myths, Upis was actually an epithet (nickname) for Artemis herself as a healer.
Udaeus One of the “Spartoi” (Sown Men). When Cadmus sowed dragon teeth into the ground, fully armed warriors sprang up. Udaeus was one of the five survivors who helped found the city of Thebes.
X
Xanthus One of Achilles’ immortal horses. When Achilles yelled at him for letting Patroclus die, Hera gave Xanthus the power of speech, and the horse talked back, predicting Achilles’ own death.
Xenia Not a person, but a major concept: The Law of Hospitality. Zeus Xenos protects strangers. If you are a guest, you must be polite. If you are a host, you must feed and protect your guest. Breaking Xenia is a major sin (it’s why the Trojan War started).
Xenoclea A priestess of the Oracle at Delphi. She once refused to give a prophecy to Hercules because he hadn’t purified himself of a murder. Hercules got mad and stole her sacred tripod.
Xuthus A son of Hellen (the ancestor of all Greeks). He is the father of Ion and Achaeus, who founded two of the major tribes of Ancient Greece (Ionians and Achaeans).
Xylia Meaning “of the wood,” this is an older name often associated with forest nymphs or dryads, spirits tied to the trees.
Z
Zagreus A mysterious underworld god. In some myths, he is an early version of Dionysus who was torn apart by Titans. He was recently popularized by the game Hades.
Zelus The personification of Zeal and Rivalry. He is the brother of Nike (Victory) and stands by Zeus’s throne to represent dedication.
Zephyrus The West Wind. He is the gentlest of the winds, bringing the warm air of spring. He was the husband of Chloris (flowers).
Zetes A winged hero and son of the North Wind (Boreas). He and his brother Calais joined the Argonauts and chased away the Harpies who were tormenting King Phineus.
Zeus The King of the Gods. Ruler of Mount Olympus and God of the Sky, Lightning, and Thunder. He is powerful, commanding, and infamous for having children with almost everyone except his wife.
A Note on Missing Letters (F, Q, V, W, Y)
The Ancient Greek alphabet did not contain these letters.
- F: See P (for Ph names like Phaeton) or Roman names like Faunus.
- Q: Does not exist in Greek.
- V: See H (Hestia instead of Vesta) or A (Aphrodite instead of Venus).
- W: Does not exist (except for the lost letter digamma, usually pronounced as a soft ‘w’ but lost in classical Greek).
- Y: Usually written
