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GTF Ulysses: Ulysses, the Latin equivalent of the Greek Odysseus, was the king of Ithaca, a Greek island. He was married to Penelope and they had a son named Telemachus. He was one of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War. GTF Hercules: Hercules, the Latin equivalent of Heracles, was the son of Jupiter and Alcmene. His jealous stepmother, Juno, tried to murder the infant Hercules by putting a serpent in his cradle. Luckily for Hercules, he was born with great strength and killed the serpent. By the time Hercules was an adult, he had already killed a lion. Eventually, Juno drove Hercules insane. Due to his insanity, Hercules killed his wife, Megara, and their three children. Hercules exiled himself because of the shame that he had brought on himself through his lack of sanity. GTF Hercules MarcII: See above GTF Ares: Ares, the Greek god of war, is tall and handsome, but vain and as cruel as his brother Hephaestus was kind. His sister Eris, the goddess of strife, is his constant companion, but he is also attended by his sons Deimos and Phobos, as well as Enyo, an old war-goddess. GTF Erinyes: In Greek mythology, they are the three goddesses of revenge, sometimes called the daughters of Night. They were brought about by murder, perjury, ingratitude, disrespect, harshness, violation of filial piety and the laws of hospitality. They are impartial and impersonal and pursue these wrongdoers until they are driven mad and die. But even in death, the criminal does not find rest until he shows remorse. Then the Erinyes become the Eumenides ("protectors of the suppliant", "the well-disposed ones") or the Semnai ("the venerable ones"). GTF Loki: Loki is one of the major deities in the Norse pantheon. He is a son of the giant Farbauti ("cruel striker") and the giantess Laufey. He is regarded as one of Aesir, but is on occasion their enemy. He is connected with fire and magic, and can assume many different shapes (horse, falcon, fly). Loki is handsome and has a friendly appearance, but an evil nature. He is crafty and malicious, but is also heroic. GTF Pegasus: In Greek mythology, Pegasus is the winged horse that was fathered by Poseidon with Medusa. When her head was cut of by the Greek hero Perseus, the horse sprang forth from her pregnant body. His galloping created the well Hippocrene on the Helicon (a mountain in Boeotia). GTF Perseus:Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Danae's father, King Acrisius, set Danae and her son adrift on the sea because of a prophecy that Perseus would kill him. The two were taken in by Polydectes, the king of Seriphus. Polydectes later conceived a passion for Danae, but was unable to force his attentions on her because Perseus had grown into a redoubtable protector. To get rid of Perseus, Polydectes sent him on a quest to bring back the head of the Gorgon Medusa, a snake-haired maiden who turned all who saw her into stone. GTF Myrmidon: in Greek legend, any of the inhabitants of Phthiotis in Thessaly. According to some authorities, the Myrmidons later crossed over from Thessaly to Aegina. Their name derives from one of two sources: (1) a supposed ancestor, son of Zeus and Eurymedusa, the daughter of King Myrmidon of Thessaly, who was seduced by Zeus in the form of an ant (Greek myrmex). © 1999-2000 Britannica.com Inc. GTB Artemis: The daughter of Leto and Zeus, and twin sister of Apollo. Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals, and fertility (she became a goddess of fertility and childbirth mainly in cities). She was often depicted with the crescent of the moon above her forehead and was sometimes identified with Selene (goddess of the moon). Artemis was one of the Olympians and a virgin goddess GTB Artemis: See above. GTB Medusa: One of the Gorgons, and the only one who was mortal. Her gaze could turn whoever she looked upon to stone. There is a particular myth in which Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden. She desecrated Athena's temple by lying there with Poseidon. Outraged, Athena turned Medusa's hair into living snakes. GTB Ursa: (Latin: "Greater Bear"), also called THE GREAT BEAR, in astronomy, a constellation of the Northern Hemisphere, at about 10 hours 40 minutes right ascension (the coordinate on the celestial sphere analogous to longitude on the Earth) and 56º north declination (angular distance north of the celestial equator). Thanks to spikezom@adelphia.net for this one. GTB Zeus: Zeus, the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, he was the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the Pantheon of gods who resided there. Being the supreme ruler he upheld law, justice and morals, and this made him the spiritual leader of both gods and men. Zeus was a celestial god, and originally worshiped as a weather god by the Greek tribes. GTB Boanerges: Boanerges, sons of thunder, a surname given by our Lord to James and John (Mark 3:17) on account of their fervid and impetuous temper (Luke 9:54). Thanks to Warren for this one. GTC Fenris: The Fenris is a gigantic and terrible monster in the shape of a wolf. He is the eldest child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. The gods learned of a prophecy which stated that the wolf and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. They caught the wolf and locked him in a cage. Only the god of war, Tyr, dared to feed and take care of the wolf. GTC Leviathan: The Leviathan is some sort of chaos animal in the shape of a crocodile or a serpent. In other bible texts it is taken to mean a whale or dolphin, because the animal is there described as living in the sea. Later the Leviathan became a symbol of evil, an anti-divine power (some sort of devil) which will be destroyed on Judgement Day. GTM Hippocrates: Greek physician of antiquity who is traditionally regarded as the father of medicine. His name has long been associated with the so-called Hippocratic Oath--certainly not written by him--which in modified form is still often required to be taken by medical students on graduating. © 1999-2000 Britannica.com Inc. GTSC Faustus: the word "Faustus" could be a other word for "Faust", a tale from the german author W. Goethe. Thanks to Deacon for this one. GTC Aeolus: Custodian of the four winds. A minor deity, he is the son of a king called Hippotes, and lived on one of the rocky Lipara islands, close to Sicily. In the caves on this island were imprisoned the winds, and Aeolos, directed by the higher gods, let out these winds as soft breezes, gales, or whatever the higher gods wished. GTD Hecate: Hecate is the Greek goddess of the crossroads. She is most often depicted as having three heads; one of a dog, one of a snake and one of a horse. She is usually seen with two ghost hounds that were said to serve her. GTD Hades: Hades is the lord of the dead and ruler of the nether world, which is referred to as the domain of Hades or, by transference, as Hades alone. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea. When the three sons of Cronus divided the world among each other, Hades was given the underworld, while his brothers Zeus and Poseidon took the upperworld and the sea respectively. GTI Arcadia: A district of the Peloponnesus named after Arcas. It was chiefly inhabited by shepherds and the abode of Pan. According to Virgil it was the home of pastoral simplicity and happiness. GTVA Colossus: The Colossus of Rhodes (the sixth the seven wonders of the ancient world) was built in his honor. This huge statue, measuring 32 meters (100ft), was built in 280 BC by Charès of Lindos. In the earthquake of 224-223 BC the statue broke off at the knees. On other places where he was worshipped, there were herds dedicated to him, such as on the island of Thrinacia (occasionally equated with Sicily). GTC Deimos: The personification of dread. Deimos ("fear") is considered as a son of Ares, and brother of Phobos. He accompanied Ares on the battlefields. NTF Iceni: in ancient Britain, a tribe that occupied the territory of modern Norfolk and Suffolk and, under its queen Boudicca (Boadicea), revolted against Roman rule. GTDr Amazon: Probably just named after the Amazon jungle, but could be Warrior women, who are described in the Iliad as "antianeirai", meaning: those who go to war like men. They were also described by Herodotus as "androktones", killers of males. It is believed they resided in Pontus, Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) but there are differing views as to how many nations of Amazons there were. GTDr Amazon Advanced: See above. GTS Hygeia: In Greek mythology, Hygieia is the personification of health. She is closely associated with Asclepius's cult and is sometimes considered to be his daughter. Her sacred animal is a snake, depicted drinking from a cup held in her hand. GTFr Triton: In Greek mythology, Triton is the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite and lives with them in a golden palace in the depths of the sea. He rides the waves on horses and sea monsters and he carries a twisted conch shell, upon which he blows either violently or gently, to stir up or calm the waves. Triton is represented as having the body of a man with the tail of a fish, but sometimes also with the forefeet of a horse. GTFr Poseidon: Poseidon is a god of many names. He is most famous as the god of the sea. The son of Cronus and Rhea, Poseidon is one of six siblings who eventually "divided the power of the world." His brothers and sisters include: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Zeus. The division of the universe involved him and his brothers, Zeus and Hades. Poseidon became ruler of the sea, Zeus ruled the sky, and Hades got the underworld. GTG Zephyrus: Zephyrus is the Greek god of the west wind, believed to live in a cave on Thrace. He is the son of Eos and Astraeus, the brother of Boreas, Eurus and Notus. He abducted the goddess Chloris and gave her dominion over flowers. In Roman myth, he is Favonius, the protector of flowers and plants. GTA Charybdis: Charybdis was once a nymph-daughter of Poseidon and Gaia who flooded lands for her father's underwater kingdom until Zeus turned her into a monster and have her suck in and out water three times an day. She lived in a cave at one side of the Strait of Messina, opposite the monster Scylla, the two of them forming a dangerous threat to passing ships. GTT Elysium: Elysium is the land of Orchards, a wonderful, heavenly place. GTT Argo: The Argo was the ship, built by Argos with the help of Athena, in which Jason and the Argonauts sailed in quest of the Golden Fleece. It was the largest ship ever built, and its crew included Heracles, Orpheus, and a host of other heros from all over Greece. Athena fitted the bow of the ship with a speaking timber, cut from the sacred oaks of Dodona. GTI Ganymede: Ganymede is the young, beautiful boy that became one of Zeus’ lovers. One source of the myth says that Zeus fell in love with Ganymede when he spotted him herding his flock on Mount Ida. Zeus then came down in the form of an eagle or sent an eagle to carry Ganymede to Mount Olympus where Ganymede became cupbearer to the gods. Knossos: city in ancient Crete, capital of the legendary king Minos, and the principal centre of the Minoan, the earliest of the Aegean civilizations (see Minoan civilization). The site of Knossos stands on a knoll between the confluence of two streams and is located about 5 miles (8 km) inland from Crete's northern coast. © 1999-2000 Britannica.com Inc. GTSG Cerbrus:In greek mythology, Cerberus is the 3-headed "guard dog" of the underworld. A watchdog basically. Thanks to psychogerbil@canada.com for finding this one out GTSG Alastor: In Greek mythology, Alastor is an avenging demon, associated with blood feuds between families, and the Greek term for an avenging power that visits the sins of the fathers on their children. It is also an evil genius of a house that leads a man to commit crimes and sin. He was originally a mortal, the son of Neleus, king of Pylos. He became a (minor) demon when he and his brothers were slain by Heracles. GTSG Mjolnir: This was the Hammer of Thor, forged for him by dwarves at the request of Odin, father of Thor. Only Thor could lift it and it would return to his hand after he threw it. The flash of lightning was said to be Thor flinging the hammer at giants and thunder the sound of its strike. Thanks to trak-e23 for this one. GTEP Hermes: Hermes, the herald of the Olympian gods, is son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, daughter of Atlas and one of the Pleiades. Hermes is also the god of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weights and measures, oratory, literature, athletics and thieves, and known for his cunning and shrewdness. He was also a minor patron of poetry. He was worshiped throughout Greece especially in Arcadia. Meson Bomb: any member of a family of subatomic particles composed of an even number of quarks and antiquarks. Mesons are sensitive to the strong force (the force that binds the components of the nucleus) because their constituent quarks are strongly interacting. Mesons consist of an even number of quarks with half-integral spin, and so they have integral spin. They vary widely in mass, ranging from 140 MeV to nearly 10 GeV. © 1999-2000 Britannica.com Inc. |