GREEK MYTHOLOGY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Greek mythology mean? 

• GREEK MYTHOLOGY (noun)
  The noun GREEK MYTHOLOGY has 1 sense:

1. the mythology of the ancient Greeks

  Familiarity information: GREEK MYTHOLOGY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GREEK MYTHOLOGY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The mythology of the ancient Greeks

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("Greek mythology" is a kind of...):

classical mythology (the system of mythology of the Greeks and Romans together; much of Roman mythology (especially the gods) was borrowed from the Greeks)

Domain member category:

Trojan War ((Greek mythology) a great war fought between Greece and Troy; the Greeks sailed to Troy to recover Helen of Troy, the beautiful wife of Menelaus who had been abducted by Paris; after ten years the Greeks (via the Trojan Horse) achieved final victory and burned Troy to the ground)

Augean stables ((Greek mythology) the extremely dirty stables that were finally cleaned by Hercules who diverted two rivers through them)

Pandora's box ((Greek mythology) a box that Zeus gave to Pandora with instructions that she not open it; she gave in to her curiosity and opened it; all the miseries and evils flew out to afflict mankind)

Delphic oracle; Oracle of Apollo; oracle of Delphi; Temple of Apollo ((Greek mythology) the oracle at Delphi where a priestess supposedly delivered messages from Apollo to those who sought advice; the messages were usually obscure or ambiguous)

Elysian Fields; Elysium ((Greek mythology) the abode of the blessed after death)

Charybdis ((Greek mythology) a ship-devouring whirlpool lying on the other side of a narrow strait from Scylla)

Colchis ((Greek mythology) a region on the Black Sea to the south of the Caucasus that was the site of an ancient country where (according to Greek mythology) Jason sought the Golden Fleece)

Acheron; River Acheron ((Greek mythology) a river in Hades across which the souls of the dead were carried by Charon)

Cocytus; River Cocytus ((Greek mythology) a river in Hades that was said to be a tributary of the Acheron)

Lethe; River Lethe ((Greek mythology) a river in Hades; the souls of the dead had to drink from it, which made them forget all they had done and suffered when they were alive)

Liakoura; Mount Parnassus; Parnassus ((Greek mythology) a mountain in central Greece where (according to Greek mythology) the Muses lived; known as the mythological home of music and poetry)

River Styx; Styx ((Greek mythology) a river in Hades across which Charon carried dead souls)

Augeas ((Greek mythology) the mythical Greek king who for 30 years did not clean his stables which contained his vast herd of cattle)

Alcyone; Halcyon ((Greek mythology) a woman who was turned into a kingfisher)

Demogorgon ((Greek mythology) a mysterious and terrifying deity of the underworld)

Argus ((Greek mythology) a giant with 100 eyes; was guardian of the heifer Io and was slain by Hermes)

Cadmus ((Greek mythology) the brother of Europa and traditional founder of Thebes in Boeotia)

Calypso ((Greek mythology) the sea nymph who detained Odysseus for seven years)

sea nymph ((Greek mythology) a water nymph who was the daughter of Oceanus or Nereus)

Cyclops ((Greek mythology) one of a group of giants having a single eye in the middle of their forehead)

Scylla ((Greek mythology) a sea nymph transformed into a sea monster who lived on one side of a narrow strait; drowned and devoured sailors who tried to escape Charybdis (a whirlpool) on the other side of the strait)

Stentor (the mythical Greek warrior with an unusually loud voice who died after losing a shouting contest with Hermes)

Cerberus; hellhound ((Greek mythology) the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades; son of Typhon)

Charon ((Greek mythology) the ferryman who brought the souls of the dead across the river Styx or the river Acheron to Hades)

Chimaera; Chimera ((Greek mythology) fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head and a goat's body and a serpent's tail; daughter of Typhon)

Chiron ((Greek mythology) the learned centaur who tutored Achilles, Asclepius, Hercules, Jason, and other heroes)

Circe ((Greek mythology) a sorceress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine)

Dardanus ((Greek mythology) founder of Troy)

Ganymede ((Greek mythology) a Trojan boy who was so beautiful that Zeus carried him away to serve as cupbearer to the gods)

Geryon ((Greek mythology) a mythical monster with three heads that was slain by Hercules)

Gorgon ((Greek mythology) any of three winged sister monsters and the mortal Medusa who had live snakes for hair; a glance at Medusa turned the beholder to stone)

Grace ((Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors)

Aglaia; Euphrosyne; Thalia ((Greek mythology) one of the three Graces)

Harpy ((Greek mythology) vicious winged monster; often depicted as a bird with the head of a woman)

Hydra ((Greek mythology) monster with nine heads; when struck off each head was replaced by two new ones)

Hyperborean ((Greek mythology) one of a people that the ancient Greeks believed lived in a warm and sunny land north of the source of the north wind)

Hypnos ((Greek mythology) the Greek god of sleep; the son of Nyx)

Niobe ((Greek mythology) the daughter of Tantalus whose boasting about her children provoked Apollo and Artemis to slay them all; Niobe was turned to stone while bewailing her loss)

Perseus ((Greek mythology) the son of Zeus who slew Medusa (with the help of Athena and Hermes) and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster)

Andromeda ((Greek mythology) an Ethiopian princess and daughter of Cassiopeia; she was fastened to a rock and exposed to a sea monster that was sent by Poseidon, but she was rescued by Perseus and became his wife)

Cepheus ((Greek mythology) king of Ethiopia and husband of Cassiopeia)

Cassiopeia ((Greek mythology) the wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda)

Medusa ((Greek mythology) a woman transformed into a Gorgon by Athena; she was slain by Perseus)

Stheno; Euryale ((Greek mythology) one of the three Gorgons)

Minotaur ((Greek mythology) a mythical monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man; slain by Theseus)

Narcissus ((Greek mythology) a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection)

Nemean lion ((Greek mythology) an enormous lion strangled by Hercules as the first of his 12 labors)

Bellerophon ((Greek mythology) a mythical hero of Corinth who performed miracles on the winged horse Pegasus (especially killing the monster Chimera))

Paris ((Greek mythology) the prince of Troy who abducted Helen from her husband Menelaus and provoked the Trojan War)

Patroclus ((Greek mythology) a friend of Achilles who was killed in the Trojan War; his death led Achilles to return to the fight after his quarrel with Agamemnon)

Pegasus ((Greek mythology) the immortal winged horse that sprang from the blood of the slain Medusa; was tamed by Bellerophon with the help of a bridle given him by Athena; as the flying horse of the Muses it is a symbol of highflying imagination)

Python ((Greek mythology) dragon killed by Apollo at Delphi)

Sarpedon ((Greek mythology) a son of Zeus who became king of Lycia; fought on behalf of the Trojans in the Trojan War and was killed by Patroclus)

Sphinx ((Greek mythology) a riddling winged monster with a woman's head and breast on a lion's body; daughter of Typhon)

Typhoeus ((Greek mythology) son of Gaea and Tartarus who created the whirlwinds; had a terrifying voice and 100 dragon heads that spurted fire)

Typhon ((Greek mythology) a monster with a hundred heads who breathed out flames; son of Typhoeus and father of Cerberus and the Chimera and the Sphinx)

Adonis ((Greek mythology) a handsome youth loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone)

Echo ((Greek mythology) a nymph who was spurned by Narcissus and pined away until only her voice remained)

Atlantides; Hesperides ((Greek mythology) group of 3 to 7 nymphs who guarded the golden apples that Gaea gave as a wedding gift to Hera)

Hyades ((Greek mythology) 7 daughters of Atlas and half-sisters of the Pleiades; they nurtured the infant Dionysus and Zeus placed them among the stars as a reward)

Oread ((Greek mythology) one of the mountain nymphs)

Pleiades ((Greek mythology) 7 daughters of Atlas and half-sisters of the Hyades; placed among the stars to save them from the pursuit of Orion)

Asterope; Sterope ((Greek mythology) one of the 7 Pleiades)

water nymph ((Greek mythology) any nymph of the water)

Daphne ((Greek mythology) a nymph who was transformed into a laurel tree to escape the amorous Apollo)

naiad ((Greek mythology) a nymph of lakes and springs and rivers and fountains)

Nereid ((Greek mythology) any of the 50 sea nymphs who were daughters of the sea god Nereus)

Thetis ((Greek mythology) one of the 50 Nereids; mother of Achilles by Peleus)

Oceanid ((Greek mythology) sea nymph who was a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys)

Apollo; Phoebus; Phoebus Apollo ((Greek mythology) Greek god of light; god of prophecy and poetry and music and healing; son of Zeus and Leto; twin brother of Artemis)

Hero ((Greek mythology) priestess of Aphrodite who killed herself when her lover Leander drowned while trying to swim the Hellespont to see her)

Leander ((Greek mythology) a youth beloved of Hero who drowned in a storm in the Hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her)

Pygmalion ((Greek mythology) a king who created a statue of a woman and fell in love with it; Aphrodite brought the sculpture to life as Galatea)

Galatea ((Greek mythology) a maiden who was first a sculpture created by Pygmalion and was brought to life by Aphrodite in answer to Pygmalion's prayers)

Ares ((Greek mythology) Greek god of war; son of Zeus and Hera; identified with Roman Mars)

Eris ((Greek mythology) goddess of discord; sister of Ares)

Thanatos ((Greek mythology) the Greek personification of death; son of Nyx)

Nyx ((Greek mythology) Greek goddess of the night; daughter of Chaos; counterpart of Roman Nox)

Artemis; Cynthia ((Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana)

Boreas ((Greek mythology) the god who personified the north wind)

Athena; Athene; Pallas; Pallas Athena; Pallas Athene ((Greek mythology) goddess of wisdom and useful arts and prudent warfare; guardian of Athens; identified with Roman Minerva)

Chaos ((Greek mythology) the most ancient of gods; the personification of the infinity of space preceding creation of the universe)

Cronus ((Greek mythology) the supreme god until Zeus dethroned him; son of Uranus and Gaea in ancient Greek mythology; identified with Roman Saturn)

Demeter ((Greek mythology) goddess of fertility and protector of marriage in ancient mythology; counterpart of Roman Ceres)

Dionysus ((Greek mythology) god of wine and fertility and drama; the Greek name of Bacchus)

Doris ((Greek mythology) wife of Nereus and mother of the Nereids)

Erebus ((Greek mythology) Greek god of darkness who dwelt in the underworld; son of Chaos; brother of Nox; father of Aether and Day)

Eros ((Greek mythology) god of love; son of Aphrodite; identified with Roman Cupid)

Daedal; Daedalus ((Greek mythology) an Athenian inventor who built the labyrinth of Minos; to escape the labyrinth he fashioned wings for himself and his son Icarus)

Damon and Pythias ((Greek mythology) according to a Greek legend: when Pythias was sentenced to be executed Damon took his place to allow Pythias to get his affairs in order; when Pythias returned in time to save Damon the king was so impressed that he let them both live)

Gaea; Gaia; Ge ((Greek mythology) goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology)

Hebe ((Greek mythology) the goddess of youth and spring; wife of Hercules; daughter of Zeus and Hera; cupbearer to the Olympian gods)

Helios ((Greek mythology) ancient god of the sun; drove his chariot across the sky each day; identified with Roman Sol)

Icarus ((Greek mythology) son of Daedalus; while escaping from Crete with his father (using the wings Daedalus had made) he flew too close to the sun and the wax melted and he fell into the Aegean and drowned)

Hecate ((Greek mythology) Greek goddess of fertility who later became associated with Persephone as goddess of the underworld and protector of witches)

Hephaestus; Hephaistos ((Greek mythology) the lame god of fire and metalworking in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Vulcan)

Hermes ((Greek mythology) messenger and herald of the gods; god of commerce and cunning and invention and theft; identified with Roman Mercury)

Hermaphroditus ((Greek mythology) son of Hermes and Aphrodite who merged with the nymph Salmacis to form one body)

Hygeia ((Greek mythology) the goddess of health; daughter of Aesculapius and sister of Panacea)

Io ((Greek mythology) a maiden seduced by Zeus; when Hera was about to discover them together Zeus turned her into a white heifer)

Hestia ((Greek mythology) the goddess of the hearth and its fire in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Vesta)

Hymen ((Greek mythology) the god of marriage)

Hyperion ((Greek mythology) a Titan who was the son of Gaea and Uranus and the father of Helios and Selene and Eos in ancient mythology)

Calliope ((Greek mythology) the Muse of epic poetry)

Clio ((Greek mythology) the Muse of history)

Erato ((Greek mythology) the Muse of lyric and love poetry)

Euterpe ((Greek mythology) the Muse of music (or the flute))

Melpomene ((Greek mythology) the Muse of tragedy)

Polyhymnia ((Greek mythology) the Muse of singing and mime and sacred dance)

Terpsichore ((Greek mythology) the Muse of the dance and of choral song)

Thalia ((Greek mythology) the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry)

Urania ((Greek mythology) the Muse of astronomy)

Nemesis ((Greek mythology) the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance)

Nereus ((Greek mythology) a sea god son of Pontus and Gaea; lived in the depths of the sea with his wife Doris and their daughters the Nereids)

Nike ((Greek mythology) winged goddess of victory; identified with Roman Victoria)

Ouranos; Uranus ((Greek mythology) god of the heavens; son and husband of Gaea and father of the Titans in ancient mythology)

goat god; Pan ((Greek mythology) god of fields and woods and shepherds and flocks; represented as a man with goat's legs and horns and ears; identified with Roman Sylvanus or Faunus)

Pasiphae ((Greek mythology) daughter of Helios and mother of Ariadne)

Pontos; Pontus ((Greek mythology) ancient personification of the sea; father of Nereus)

Poseidon ((Greek mythology) the god of the sea and earthquakes in ancient mythology; brother of Zeus and Hades and Hera; identified with Roman Neptune)

Proteus ((Greek mythology) a prophetic god who served Poseidon; was capable of changing his shape at will)

Cora; Despoina; Kore; Persephone ((Greek mythology) daughter of Zeus and Demeter; made queen of the underworld by Pluto in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Proserpina)

Procrustes ((Greek mythology) a mythical giant who was a thief and murderer; he would capture people and tie them to an iron bed, stretching them or hacking off their legs to make them fit; was killed by Theseus)

Phaethon ((Greek mythology) son of Helios; killed when trying to drive his father's chariot and came too close to earth)

Pythia; Pythoness ((Greek mythology) the priestess of Apollo at Delphi who transmitted the oracles)

Rhadamanthus ((Greek mythology) a judge of the dead in the underworld)

Selene ((Greek mythology) goddess of the Moon in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Luna)

Eos ((Greek mythology) the winged goddess of the dawn in ancient mythology; daughter of Hyperion; identified with Roman Aurora)

Eurydice ((Greek mythology) the wife of Orpheus)

Orion ((Greek mythology) a giant Boeotian hunter who pursued the Pleiades and was eventually slain by Artemis; was then placed in the sky as a constellation)

Orpheus ((Greek mythology) a great musician; when his wife Eurydice died he went to Hades to get her back but failed)

Titan ((Greek mythology) any of the primordial giant gods who ruled the Earth until overthrown by Zeus; the Titans were offspring of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth))

Titaness ((Greek mythology) any of the primordial giant goddesses who were offspring of Uranus (heaven) and Gaea (earth) in ancient mythology)

Triton ((Greek mythology) a sea god; son of Poseidon)

Tyche ((Greek mythology) the goddess of fortune; identified with Roman Fortuna)

Zephyr ((Greek mythology) the Greek god of the west wind)

Zeus ((Greek mythology) the supreme god of ancient Greek mythology; son of Rhea and Cronus whom he dethroned; husband and brother of Hera; brother of Poseidon and Hades; father of many gods; counterpart of Roman Jupiter)

Oceanus ((Greek mythology) god of the stream that flowed around the earth in ancient mythology)

Cocus; Crius ((Greek mythology) one of the Titans)

Iapetus ((Greek mythology) the Titan who was father of Atlas and Epimetheus and Prometheus in ancient mythology)

Atlas ((Greek mythology) a Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders)

Epimetheus ((Greek mythology) brother of Prometheus; despite Prometheus's warning against gifts from Zeus he accepted Pandora as his wife)

Prometheus ((Greek mythology) the Titan who stole fire from Olympus and gave it to mankind; Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock where an eagle gnawed at his liver until Hercules rescued him)

Thea; Theia ((Greek mythology) the Titaness who was mother of Helios and Selene and Eos in ancient mythology)

Themis ((Greek mythology) the Titaness who was goddess of justice in ancient mythology)

Mnemosyne ((Greek mythology) the Titaness who was goddess of memory; mother of the Muses)

Phoebe ((Greek mythology) a Titaness who became identified with Artemis as goddess of the Moon)

Tethys ((Greek mythology) a Titaness and sea goddess; wife of Oceanus)

Psyche ((Greek mythology) a beautiful princess loved by Cupid who visited her at night and told her she must not try to see him; became the personification of the soul)

Pandora ((Greek mythology) the first woman; created by Hephaestus on orders from Zeus who presented her to Epimetheus along with a box filled with evils)

Argonaut ((Greek mythology) one of the heroes who sailed with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece)

Jason ((Greek mythology) the husband of Medea and leader of the Argonauts who sailed in quest of the Golden Fleece)

Medea ((Greek mythology) a princess of Colchis who aided Jason in taking the Golden Fleece from her father)

Laertes ((Greek mythology) the father of Odysseus)

Odysseus ((Greek mythology) a famous mythical Greek hero; his return to Ithaca after the siege of Troy was described in the Odyssey)

Penelope ((Greek mythology) the wife of Odysseus and a symbol of devotion and fidelity; for 10 years while Odysseus fought the Trojan War she resisted numerous suitors until Odysseus returned and killed them)

Theseus ((Greek mythology) a hero and king of Athens who was noted for his many great deeds: killed Procrustes and the Minotaur and defeated the Amazons and united Attica)

Tantalus ((Greek mythology) a wicked king and son of Zeus; condemned in Hades to stand in water that receded when he tried to drink and beneath fruit that receded when he reached for it)

Atreus ((Greek mythology) the king of Mycenae and father of Agamemnon and of Menelaus)

Agamemnon ((Greek mythology) the king who lead the Greeks against Troy in the Trojan War)

Menelaus ((Greek mythology) the king of Sparta at the time of the Trojan War; brother of Agamemnon; husband of Helen)

Iphigenia ((Greek mythology) the daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon; Agamemnon was obliged to offer her as a sacrifice to Artemis when the Greek fleet was becalmed on its way to Troy; Artemis rescued her and she later became a priestess)

Clytemnestra ((Greek mythology) wife of Agamemnon who had him murdered when he returned from the Trojan War)

Aegisthus ((Greek mythology) the seducer of Clytemnestra and murderer of Agamemnon who usurped the throne of Mycenae until Agamemnon's son Orestes returned home and killed him)

Orestes ((Greek mythology) the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra; his sister Electra persuaded him to avenge Agamemnon's death by killing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus)

Cassandra ((Greek mythology) a prophetess in Troy during the Trojan War whose predictions were true but were never believed)

Antigone ((Greek mythology) the daughter of King Oedipus who disobeyed her father and was condemned to death)

Creon ((Greek mythology) the brother of Jocasta and uncle of Antigone who became king of Thebes after the fall of Oedipus)

Jocasta ((Greek mythology) queen of Thebes who unknowingly married her own son Oedipus)

Electra ((Greek mythology) the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra; persuaded her brother (Orestes) to avenge Agamemnon's death by helping her to kill Clytemnestra and her lover (Aegisthus))

Laocoon ((Greek mythology) the priest of Apollo who warned the Trojans to beware of Greeks bearing gifts when they wanted to accept the Trojan Horse; a god who favored the Greeks (Poseidon or Athena) sent snakes who coiled around Laocoon and his two twin sons killing them)

Laius ((Greek mythology) king of Thebes who was unwittingly killed by his son Oedipus)

Myrmidon ((Greek mythology) a member of the warriors who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy)

King Oedipus; Oedipus; Oedipus Rex ((Greek mythology) a tragic king of Thebes who unknowingly killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta; the subject of the drama 'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles)

Tiresias ((Greek mythology) the blind prophet of Thebes who revealed to Oedipus that Oedipus had murdered his father and married his mother)

Hector ((Greek mythology) a mythical Trojan who was killed by Achilles during the Trojan War)

Helen; Helen of Troy ((Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War)

Leda ((Greek mythology) a queen of Sparta who was raped by Zeus who had taken the form of a swan; Helen of Troy was conceived in the rape of Leda)

Amazon ((Greek mythology) one of a nation of women warriors of Scythia (who burned off the right breast in order to use a bow and arrow more effectively))

maenad ((Greek mythology) a woman participant in the orgiastic rites of Dionysus)

bacchant ((classical mythology) a priest or votary of Bacchus)

bacchante ((classical mythology) a priestess or votary of Bacchus)

Nestor ((Greek mythology) a wise old counselor to the Greeks at Troy)

Philemon ((Greek mythology) a simple countryman who offered hospitality to Zeus and Hermes when they came to earth without revealing their identities in order to test people's piety)

Priam ((Greek mythology) the last king of Troy; father of Hector and Paris and Cassandra)

ichor ((Greek mythology) the rarified fluid said to flow in the veins of the Gods)

Dionysian (of or relating to or worshipping Dionysus)

Domain member category:

Hades ((Greek mythology) the god of the underworld in ancient mythology; brother of Zeus and husband of Persephone)

 Context examples 

Hippocamp is a half-horse half-fish from Greek mythology.

(Tiny Neptune Moon Spotted by Hubble May Have Broken from Larger Moon, NASA)