Download Classical Literacy Terms

Introductory
"in the year of the Lord," designating the time period
after Christ's birth
"before midday," in the morning, before noon
“after midday”
after noon
: literally refers to the heel of Achilles (a character from
the Iliad who killed Hector) — his heel was the only
place on his body that could be pierced, thus killing
him; figuratively, it refers to a weak spot
"to infinity," to continue forever, without limit
"to the point of sickness" - doing/saying something
over and over until everyone is sick and tired of it
sea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus
after he drowned himself in the sea thinking his son
Theseus was dead
"the things that must be done" - a to-do list
market place/business center
the food of the gods; some believe it kept them
immortal
goddess of love
god of the sun, light, reason, and the lyre
literally, the apple that Eris (goddess of strife) threw in
front of Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena to cause a
dispute over who was the fairest; figuratively, anything
which causes a dispute
a system created by the Romans which carried water
over long distances
challenged Athena to a weaving contest and was
turned into a spider for her excessive pride
god of war
the daughter of king Minos of Crete, who helped
Theseus escape from the labyrinth after he killed the
minotaur
goddess of the hunt
goddess of wisdom
a polis (city-state) in Greece, center of art and philosophy,
named after Athena (its patron goddess); the Acropolis was
the hill in Athens where many temples (including the
Parthenon, the temple to Athena) were located
titan who had to hold up the heavens on his shoulders
as punishment for rebelling against Zeus
"I"
"for the sake of an example" - abbreviation used when
providing an example
"one out of many" - found on most US minted coins
and the back of the dollar bill
god of wine and revelry; son of Zeus and Semele
goddess of grain, the harvest, and the seasons; mother
of Persephone/Proserpina
the oracle of Apollo; people visited the oracle for
guidance and predictions of the future
one-eyed children of Ouranos/Uranus and Gaea
(Mother Earth); sided with Zeus during the war with
the Titans; were helpers of the smith-god Hephaestus
one of the 12 Titans, father of Zeus/Jupiter, who
swallowed his children in an attempt to keep from
being overthrown
"horn of plenty" a symbol of food and abundance
Why was this called the
Cornucopia in The Hunger Games?
the highest political office in the Roman Republic; 2
were elected every year
the arena for gladiatorial games in Rome (also known
as the Flavian Amphitheater)
a large horse and chariot racing track in Rome
the ferryman for the river Styx going into the
underworld
a state of disorganized matter from which the gods and
the world were created
the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the
Underworld
"beware of the dog"
the city in Northern Africa that the Romans fought and
destroyed during the Punic Wars (264-146 BC.)
"seize the day"
usually referring to Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator
who was assassinated on the Ides of March (March
15th) 44 BCE
first emperor of the Roman Empire; adopted son of
Julius Caesar; member of the 2nd Triumvirate; also
known as Octavian
reception hall (like the living room) in a Roman house