PRONUNCIATION KEY
a as in cat
ah as in father ai as in light aw as in raw ay as in day dew as in dew e as in pet
ee as in street ehr as in air er as in bird eu as in lurk g as in good
i as in sit
j as in joke
k as in kite o as in pot oh as in no
oo as in boot or as in bore ow as in now oy as in toy
s as in mess ts as in ants u as in us ur as in sir
you as in you zh as in vision
´ marks a stressed syllable.
Each entry ends with a reference to the book and line number of the name’s first appearance in the poem.
Acastus (a-kas´-tus): king of Dulichium. 14.340.
Achaean (a-kee´-an): the collective name for inhabitants of Achaea, as mainland Greece was called.
1.272.
Acheron (a´-ker-on): a mythical river in the land of the dead; also a real river in Thesprotia. 10.516.
Achilles (a-kil´-eez): important Greek warrior, central character in The Iliad. Son of Peleus and the Sea Goddess Thetis. Leader of a band of fighters known as the Myrmidons. 3.106.
Acroneüs (ak-ro´-nee-us): Phaeacian nobleman; the name suggests “Topship.” 8.108.
Actoris (ak´-to-ris): slave woman owned by Penelope. 23.230.
Adraste (ad-ra´-stee): slave girl of Helen. 4.122. Aeaea (ee-ee´-a): the mythical island of Circe. 10.135. Aeetes (ee-ee´-teez): brother of Circe. 10.138.
Aegae (ee´-jee): a city in northern Peloponnese, sacred to Poseidon. 5.381.
Aegisthus (ee-jis´-thus): son of Thyestes; onetime ruler of Mycenae. Aegisthus killed his uncle Atreus to restore his father to the throne, exiling Menelaus and Agamemnon to Sparta. Menelaus later drove Atreus and Aegisthus out of Sparta, and put his brother Agamemnon on the throne. When Agamemnon and Menelaus were gone to Troy, Aegisthus seduced Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra and took the throne of Mycenae back. When Agamemnon returned, Aegisthus and Clytemnestra killed him, but Agamemnon’s son Orestes eventually returned from exile and killed Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, his own mother. 1.29.
Aegyptius (ee-jipt´-ee-us): nobleman of Ithaca; father of Eurynomus. 2.15.
Aeolus (ee-oh´-lus): the guardian of the winds, sometimes said to be the son of Poseidon (although this is not mentioned in The Odyssey). The Aeolus mentioned at 11.236 as the father of Cretheus may be a different character. 10.1
Aeson (ee´-son): son of Tyro and Cretheus, and father of Jason. 11.260.
Aethon (ee´-thon): an assumed name used by Odysseus in disguise; suggests “Burning,” “Blazing,” or “Reddish Brown.” 19.184.
Agamemnon (ag´-a-mem´-non): king of Mycenae and brother of Menelaus. The leader of the Greek forces against Troy, he was killed by his wife’s lover, Aegisthus, on his return home from the war. 1.30.
Agelaus (a-je-lay´-us): one of Penelope’s suitors; he speaks up for Telemachus and later tries to spread the word to the Ithacans about the massacre, but is killed by Odysseus. 20.322.
Ajax (ay´-jax): (1) Greek (Achaean) warrior in the Trojan War, son of Telamon, known for his sturdy shield and physical strength; in myth, he hoped to win the armor of Achilles after that hero’s death. When the armor was instead won by Odysseus, Ajax killed himself. Odysseus meets the spirit of the dead Ajax in Book 11, and he refuses to speak to him. 3.109. (2) Greek warrior, son of Oileus, known as Locrian or Lesser Ajax. 4.499.
Alcandre (al-kand´-ree): wife of Polybus; queen of Egyptian Thebes. 4.125.
Alcimus (al´-sim-us): father of Mentor. 22.234.
Alcinous (al-sin´-oh-wus): king of the Phaeacians. 6.11. Alcippe (al-sip´-ee): slave woman owned by Helen. 4.123. Alcmaeon (alk-mai´-on): son of Amphiarus. 15.250.
Alcmene (alk-mee´-nee): mother of Heracles. 2.120.
Alector (al-ek´-tor): a Spartan man whose daughter marries Menelaus’ son, Megapenthes. 4.11.
Aloeus (al-oh´-us): husband of Iphimedeia, mentioned in the parade of heroines. 11.306.
Alpheus (al´-fee-us): god associated with a river of the same name, in the western Peloponnese.
3.490.
Amnisus (am-nee´-sus): a port city of Knossos in northern Crete. 19.190.
Amphialus (am-fee´-al-us): Phaeacian nobleman whose name means “Sea-Girt.” 8.112.
Amphiaraus (am-fai´-a-rus): king of Argos, one of the seven warriors who fought against Thebes— all were killed. 15.245.
Amphilochus (am-fi´-lo-kus): son of Amphiaraus. 15.250.
Amphimedon (am-fi´-me-don): one of Penelope’s suitors; killed by Telemachus. He is a guest-friend of Agamemnon, and after death, his spirit explains to the spirit of Agamemnon what happened to the suitors. 22.242.
Amphinomus (am-fin´-o-mus): one of Penelope’s suitors, said to be intelligent and liked by Penelope. He is kind to Odysseus in his guise as beggar. Odysseus warns him to leave the palace before the slaughter, but Athena prompts him to stay. He is killed by Telemachus. 16.350.
Amphion (am-fee´-yon): (1) son of Zeus and Antiope; co-founder of Thebes. 11.263. (2) king of Orchomenos. 11.283.
Amphithea (amf-i-thee´-ya): wife of Autolycus; grandmother of Odysseus. 19.416.
Amphitrite (amf-i-tree´-tee): sea goddess. 3.91.
Amphitryon (amf-i´-tree-yon): husband of Alcmene. 11.268.
Amythaeon (am-ee´-thee-yon): son of Tyro and Cretheus; mentioned in the parade of heroines.
11.260.
Anchialus (an-keye´-a-lus): (1) father of Mentes. 1.180. (2) young Phaeacian nobleman; his name suggests “Seaside.” 8.110.
Andraimon (an-drai´-mohn): father of Thoas. 14.500.
Anticleia (an-ti-klay´-a): daughter of Autolycus; wife of Laertes; mother of Odysseus. 11.85.
Anticlus (an´-ti-klus): Greek warrior, one of those hiding inside the Trojan Horse. Helen imitated the voice of his wife, Laodameia, to persuade him to come out; Odysseus clamped his hands over his mouth to stop him from talking. According to some versions, not The Odyssey, Odysseus killed him by strangling him. 4.286.
Antilochus (an-ti´-lo-kus): (1) dead son of Nestor. 3.112; (2) son of Amphiaraeus. 11.469.
Antinous (an-ti´-no-us): a leading suitor whose father, Eupeithes, was protected by Odysseus and whom Odysseus held on his lap when he was a little boy. Antinous jeers at Telemachus and is an instigator in the plan to kill the prince. He is cruel to Eumaeus and to Odysseus in his guise as a beggar, hurling a stool at him. Antinous instigates the fight between Odysseus and the real beggar, Irus. He is the first suitor killed by Odysseus, with an arrow through the neck. In Book 24, Antinous’ father speaks in grief of his murdered boy, and calls for revenge. 1.383.
Antiope (an-ti´-oh-pee): mother of Amphion and Zethus by Zeus; mentioned in the parade of heroines. 11.262.
Antiphates (an-ti´-fa-teez): (1) king of the Laestrygonians. 10.108. (2) son of Melampus and the father of Oïcles. 15.244.
Antiphus (an´-ti-fus): (1) son of Aegyptius, who goes as a crew member with Odysseus and is killed by the Cyclops. 2.17. (2) Ithacan elder. 17.68.
Apeire (a´-pay-ree): mythical home of Eurymedusa, the slave of Nausicaa; location unknown. 7.9.
Apheidas (a-fay´-das): fictional father of Odysseus. 24.307.
Aphrodite (a-fro-dai´-tee): goddess associated with sexual desire, and the daughter of Zeus. Born from the sea with no other mother, she is traditionally accompanied by the Graces (lowlier female divinities representing three aspects of attractiveness). She is married to Hephaestus, the metal- working god, but has a long-standing affair with Ares. 4.15.
Apollo (a-pol´-oh): son of Zeus and Leto, and a god associated with the sun and with music, poetry, and archery; he typically carries a bow and a lyre. He is also referred to by the epithet Phoebus. It is a festival day to Apollo at the end of The Odyssey, when Odysseus uses his bow to kill the suitors. 3.279.
Arcesius (ar-kes´-ee-us): son of Zeus (or, according to other sources, son of a she-bear and a human named Cephalus). Father of Laertes and grandfather of Odysseus. Zeus doomed Arcesius to have
a single line, of only sons. 14.182.
Ares (air´-eez): the god of war; son of Zeus and Hera. He has an affair with Aphrodite. 8.115.
Arete (a-ree´-tee): queen of Phaeacia. When Odysseus visits Phaeacia, he is first told that the queen is the most important person in the court, although later, Alcinous, the king, seems to be more powerful. 7.54.
Arethusa (a-re-thoo´-sa): a spring in Ithaca. 13.409.
Aretias (a-ree´-tee-as): grandfather of Amphinomus. 18.414.
Aretus (a-ree´-tus): son of Nestor. 3.413.
Argives (ar´-gaivs): inhabitants of Argos, in the Peloponnese; used as a general name for Greeks.
2.173.
Argo (ar´-go): mythical ship, imagined in Greek legend to be the first large-scale ship in the world, used by Jason and the Argonauts to travel in search of the Golden Fleece. 12.70.
Argos (ar´-gos): (1) a city in the northeast Peloponnese and the area surrounding it, or, more vaguely, mainland Greece. 1.211. (2) giant with a hundred eyes. 5.75. (3) old dog owned by Odysseus. 17.291.
Ariadne (ar-ee-ad´-nee): daughter of Minos. She helped the Greek hero Theseus kill the Minotaur (her bull-headed brother), and went away with him, only to be abandoned on an island; the god Dionysus then took her as a bride. In the Odyssey version, she was denounced by Dionysus and killed by Artemis, for reasons that are not explained. 11.323.
Arnaeus (ar-nai´-us): the real name of the beggar Irus (q.v.). 18.6.
Artaky (ar´-ta-kee): a spring on the island of the Laestrygonians. 10.107.
Artemis (ar´-te-mis): virgin goddess associated with hunting, wild places, the moon, childbirth, and diseases of women. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. 4.121.
Arybas (a´-ri-bas): nobleman in Sidon and the father of Eumaeus’ nurse. 15.426.
Asphalion (as-fa´-lee-on): a slave of Menelaus. 4.216.
Asteris (as´-ter-is): island near Ithaca. 4.846.
Athena (ath-ee´-na): the goddess associated with technical and strategic skill, warfare, weaving, and other kinds of expertise. Her plant is the olive tree; she is associated with birds of prey and has particularly quick sight. She is the daughter of Zeus by Metis (a Titan representing cleverness): Zeus, afraid of a prophecy that said Metis’ son would overthrow him, turned her into a fly and swallowed her, but Athena, who was already conceived in Metis, grew inside Zeus’ head and sprang out, already fully armed. She is also referred to by the epithet Pallas. 1.44.
Athens (ath´-ens): a city in Attica, a region of mainland Greece. 3.306.
Atlas (at´-las): the Titan who holds up the sky. 1.52.
Atreus (ai´-tree-us): father of Agamemnon and Menelaus; king of Mycenae. Along with his brother Thyestes, he was exiled for killing their half brother; later, suspecting Thyestes of having an affair with his wife, Atreus killed Thyestes’ children and made him eat them. This myth is not mentioned in Homer. 3.136.
Autolycus (aw-to´-li-kus): father of Anticleia and maternal grandfather of Odysseus. His name means “The Wolf Himself” or “Real Wolf.” He gives Odysseus his name. 11.85.
Autonoe (aw-to´-noh-ee): slave of Penelope. 18.184.
Boethoedes (boh-ee´-thoy-deez): slave in Menelaus’ household. 15.138.
Boreas (bor´-ee-as): the North Wind. 5.296.
Cadmus (kad´-mus): the founder of Thebes; hence “Cadmeans” (kad´-mee-ans) = Thebans. 5.334.
Calypso (kal-ip´-so): a goddess (or nymph) who lives on the island of Ogygia and hopes to keep Odysseus there as her husband. Daughter of Atlas, the Titan who holds up the world. 1.14.
Cassandra (kas-ahn´-dra): one of the daughters of Priam, king of Troy; she was raped by Apollo and rewarded with the gift of true prophecy—but with the inability to make anybody believe her
words. She was taken as a slave concubine by Agamemnon, brought back to his home in Greece, and then murdered by Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus. 11.422.
Castor (kas´-tor): (1) son of Zeus and Leda, and the brother of Helen, Clytemnestra, and Polydeuces.
11.301. (2) son of Hylax (“Castor Hylacides”) and fictional father of Odysseus. 14.200.
Cauconians (kaw-koh´-nee-yanz): a tribe of southwest Pylos. 3.367.
Cetians (see´-tee-yanz): a people led by Eurypylus. 11.521.
Chalcis (kal´-sis): a town in western Greece, not the Chalcis in Euboea. 15.294 Charybdis (ka-rib´-dis): a monstrous goddess in the form of a giant whirlpool. 12.104. Chios (kee´-os): an Aegean island. 3.172.
Chloris (klor´-is): wife of Neleus and mother of Nestor. 11.282.
Chromios (krom´-ee-os): son of Neleus and Chloris. 11.287.
Cicones (si´-koh-neez): Trojan allies in Thrace, north of Troy. 9.41.
Cimmerians (sim-air´-ee-anz): a people living near the land of the dead. 11.13.
Circe (sur´-see): daughter of Helius, the Sun God, and a sea nymph (Perse); she lives on the island of Aeaea and has magical powers, especially the ability to change humans into animals. 8.448.
Clitus (klee´-tus): human son of Mantius, taken by the goddess Dawn. 15.251.
Clymene (kli´-men-ee): the name of several mythical characters, including an Amazon, a Titan, and a sea-nymph; it is not clear which is meant. 11.328.
Clytemnestra (kli-tem-nes´-trah): twin sister of Helen; daughter of Zeus and Leda; wife of Agamemnon. 3.263.
Clytius (kli´-tee-us): father of Piraeus. 16.328.
Clytoneus (kli-toh´-nee-us): son of Alcinous and Arete, and the brother of Nausicaa. 8.119.
Cocytus (ko´-see-tus): a river in the land of the dead, literally meaning “lamentation.” 10.514.
Corax (kor´-ax): a rock in Ithaca; since the name means “raven,” presumably it is a black rock.
13.408.
Cratais (kra´-tais): a sea monster; mother of Scylla. The name suggests “Force.” 12.125.
Creon (kree´-on): king of Thebes, and the father of Megara. 11.270.
Cretheus (kree´-thee-us): husband of Tyro. 11.236.
Cronus (kro´-nus): a titan-god; son of Uranus and father of Zeus. Cronus castrated Uranus with a sickle and overthrew him. Cronus had many children by his wife, Rhea, and ate them all, because they were destined to overthrow him. But Rhea hid Zeus, who grew up, freed his siblings from his father’s belly, and killed him and the other titans—beginning the reign of the Olympian gods. 1.386.
Crouni (kroo´-nee): a place-name meaning “streams”; location unknown. 15.294.
Ctesippus (ktee-si´-pus): one of Penelope’s suitors; killed by Philoetius. 20.288.
Ctesius (ktee´-see-us): father of Eumaeus, and the king of the two provinces of Syria. 15.413.
Ctimene (kti´-men-ee): younger sister of Odysseus. 15.363.
Cyclopes (sai´-klo-peez): a race of one-eyed giants. Their name suggests “round-eyed” or “round- faced. 1.71.
Cydonians (si-doh´-nee-ans): a people from northwest Crete. 3.291.
Cyprus (sai´-prus): a large island in the eastern Mediterranean. 4.82.
Cythera (si´-the-ra): an island south of Cape Malea, at the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese. 9.82.
Deiphobus (day-if´-o-bus): son of Priam; killed by Odysseus and Menelaus during the sack of Troy.
According to some traditions, he married Helen after the death of Paris. 4.276.
Delos (dee´-los): one of the Cycladic islands in the Aegean; sacred to Apollo, it is the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. 6.162.
Demeter (de-mee´-ter): the goddess of agriculture and the harvest; daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and mother of Persephone. 5.125.
Demodocus (de-mod´-o-kus): the court bard of the Phaeacians. 8.44.
Demoptolemus (day-mop-tol´-e-mus): one of Penelope’s suitors, killed by Odysseus. 22.241.
Deucalion (dew-kayl´-ee-on): king of Crete; son of Minos; father of Idomeneus and Aethon, whose identity Odysseus assumes. 19.181.
Día (dee´-a): an island in the Aegean Sea, off the northern coast of Crete. 11.326.
Diocles (dai´-o-kleez): king of Pherae; son of Ortilochus and grandson of Alpheus. 3.488.
Diomedes (dai-o-mee´-deez): son of Tydeus, king of Argos; he fought on the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War. 3.167.
Dionysus (dai-o-nai´-sus): the god of wine; son of Zeus and Semele. 11.327.
Dmetor (dmee´-tor): king of Cyprus to whom Odysseus, in diguise, claims to have been enslaved.
17.444.
Dolius (do´-lee-us): an Ithacan herdsman, and the father of Melantho and Melanthius. 4.734.
Dorians (dor´-ee-ans): one of the major ethnic and linguistic subgroups into which the archaic Greeks classified themselves. Dorians are included in the list of tribes that inhabit Crete. 19.177.
Dulichium (doo-lik´-ee-um): one of the islands under Odysseus’ rule, mentioned together with Same, Zacynthus, and Ithaca; its precise location has been debated since antiquity. 1.246.
Dymas (doo´-mas): Phaeacian sailor; father of Nausicaa’s unnamed friend. 6.23.
Echeneus (ek-ee´-nee-us): Phaeacian elder. 7.155.
Echephron (ek´-e-fron): one of Nestor’s sons. 3.412.
Echetus (ek´-e-tus): king in mainland Greece, infamous for his cruelty. 18.84.
Eidothea (ay-do´-thee-a): a sea-nymph; she helps Menelaus and his men escape from Egypt by explaining how to capture her father, Proteus. 4.363.
Eileithyia (ay-lay-thwee´-a): the goddess associated with childbirth. 19.191.
Elatreus (e-lat´-ree-us): Phaeacian nobleman who excels at discus throwing. His name means “Driver.” 8.109.
Elatus (e´-lat-us): one of Penelope’s suitors; killed by Eumaeus. 22.268.
Elis (el´-is): an area in the northwestern Peloponnese. 4.636.
Elpenor (el-pee´-nor): crewmate of Odysseus who dies after he falls drunkenly from an upper room in Circe’s house. His is the first shade Odysseus encounters in Hades. He asks Odysseus and his men to return to Aeaea to bury him, which they do at the beginning of Book 12. 11.50.
Elysium (e-lis´-ee-um): a paradise inhabited after death by the most famous Greek warriors. 4.562.
Enipeus (e-nip-ee´-us): a river and a river god with whom Tyro fell in love. Ancient scholars placed the river in Thessaly or Elis. 11.237.
Epeians (e-pee´-ans): a group of people that rules Elis, in the northwestern Peloponnese. 13.276.
Epeius (e-pee´-us): son of Panopeus, who built the Trojan Horse with Athena’s help. 8.494.
Eperitus (e-pe-ree´-tus): fictional name of Odysseus, suggesting “Picked” or “Chosen.” 24.306.
Ephialtes (ef-ee-alt´-eez): giant; son of Iphimedeia and Poseidon. With his brother, Otus, he waged war with the Olympians and was killed by Apollo. 11.309.
Ephyra (e-fai´-ra): a city in Thesprotia, on the western mainland of Greece. 1.260.
Epicaste (e-pi-kast´-ee): mother of Oedipus; wife of Laius, king of Thebes. In other versions of the myth, she is known as Jocasta. 11.272.
Erebus (e´-reb-us): a dark underworld location. 10.530.
Erechtheus (e-rek´-thee-us): legendary king of Athens. 7.81.
Eretmeus (e-ret´-mee-us): Phoenician athlete; the name suggests “Oarsman.” 8.110.
Eriphyle (e-rif-eel´-ee): wife of Amphiaraus; one of the shades of heroines Odysseus encounters in the underworld. 11.328.
Erymanthus (e-ree-man´-thus): a mountain range on the border between Achaea and Elis, in the northwestern Peloponnese. 6.103.
Eteoneus (e-tee-o´-nee-us): Menelaus’ guard in Sparta. 4.22.
Ethiopia (ee-thee-o´-pee-ya): the most distant place imaginable, located “between the sunset and the dawn”; a mythical place, not identical with the modern country. Poseidon’s visit to Ethiopia provides the opportunity for the gods to discuss Odysseus’ return home. 4.83.
Euanthes (you-anth´-eez): father of Maron. 9.199.
Euboea (you-bee´-a): a large island east of mainland Greece. Nestor lands there on his way back from Troy. 3.175.
Euenor (you-ee´-nor): father of Leocritus. 2.241.
Eumaeus (you-may´-us): loyal slave of Odysseus; he takes care of his pigs and helps Odysseus kill his wife’s suitors. 14.54.
Eumelus (you´-mel-us): husband of Penelope’s sister, Iphthime. 4.798.
Eupeithes (you-pay´-theez): father of Antinous; the name suggests “Persuasive.” 20.269.
Eurus (yor´-us): the East Wind. 5.295.
Euryades (yur-ai-ad´-eez): one of Penelope’s suitors; killed by Telemachus. 22.267.
Euryalus (yur-ai´-a-lus): Phaeacian; son of Naubolus. He is second only to Laodamas in beauty and strength, and he excels at wrestling. His name suggests “Wide-Sea.” 8.114.
Eurybates (yur-i´-ba-teez): squire of Odysseus. 19.245.
Eurycleia (yur-i-klay´-a): old slave woman who took care of Telemachus as a baby; she now protects Odysseus’ domestic stores. 1.427.
Eurydamas (yur-i´-da-mas): one of Penelope’s suitors; killed by Odysseus. 18.297.
Eurydice (yur-i´-di-see): queen of Pylos, and wife of Nestor. 3.452.
Eurylochus (yur-i´-lo-kus): a self-assertive member of Odysseus’ crew. 10.205.
Eurymachus (yur-i´-ma-kus): one the most prominent and vocal of Penelope’s suitors. 1.400.
Eurymedon (yur-i´-me-don): king of the Giants, whom he killed, and great-grandfather of Alcinous.
7.56.
Eurymedusa (yur-i-me-doo´-sa): old slave who attends to Nausicaa. 7.7.
Eurymus (yur´-i-mus): father of Telemus, who prophesied to Polyphemus that he would lose his sight at Odysseus’ hands. 9.509.
Eurynome (yur-i´-no-mee): servant of Penelope. 17.495.
Eurynomus (yur-i´-no-mus): one of Penelope’s suitors; son of Aegyptius. 2.21.
Eurypylus (yur-i´-pi-lus): son of Telephus, leader of the Cretans; he was killed by Neoptolemus during the Trojan War. 11.518.
Eurytion (yur-i´-tee-on): a centaur who, at the wedding of Pirithous, king of the Lapiths, got drunk and tried to abduct the bride; in the ensuing brawl, many on both sides (centaurs and Lapiths) were slaughtered. 21.297.
Eurytus (yur´-i-tus): king of Ochalia, and father of Iphitus; killed by Apollo when he proposed an archery contest with the god. 8.224.
Gaia (gai´-a): the earth; mother of Tityus. 7.324.
Geraestus (ger-ais´-tus): a promontory on the coast of Euboea, where Nestor puts in for a night on his way back from Troy. 3.178.
Gerenian (ger-ee´-nee-an): an epithet for Nestor, referring to Gerenia, the town in Messenia where Nestor took refuge when Heracles was attacking Pylos. 3.68.
Giants: a race of beings that waged war with the Olympians. They were ruled over, and eventually killed, by Eurymedon. 7.57.
Gorgon (gor´-gon): a legendary monster whose gaze could turn onlookers to stone. 11.635.
Gortyn (gor´-tin): a city in south central Crete. 3.293.
Graces: daughters of Zeus and Eurynome; attendants of Aphrodite. 6.19.
Greeks: Greek-speaking inhabitants of the southern Balkan penninsula, as well as of parts of southern Italy, Crete, the Aegean islands, and the coast of Asia Minor. The original text usually calls them “Achaeans.” 1.11.
Gyrae (gee´-rai): a (perhaps mythical) rocky outcropping in the Aegean Sea, onto which Poseidon drove the Lesser Ajax to shipwreck. 4.501.
Hades (hay´-deez): the land of the dead, and the god who rules there (a brother of Zeus, another son of Cronus and Rhea). 3.409.
Halitherses (hal-i-ther´-seez): old Ithacan; son of Mastor. He is noted for his skill in prophecy and augury, and he interprets the omen of the two eagles. 2.158.
Halius (ha´-lee-us): Phaeacian; son of Alcinous. 8.119.
Hebe (hee´-bee): daughter of Zeus and Hera, and the cup bearer for the Olympian gods. Goddess of youth, her name means “Youth.” 11.602.
Helen: daughter of Zeus and Leda, and wife of Menelaus; mother of Hermione, and sister of Castor, Pollux, and Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris prompted the Trojan War. 4.13.
Helius (hee´-lee-us): the Olympian god associated with the sun. Often referred to just as the Sun God (q.v.), and distinct from Apollo. 12.4.
Hephaestus (he-fais´-tus): the god of fire and metallurgy; a master craftsman, he is the son of Hera and husband of Aphrodite. 4.616.
Hera (hee´-ra): goddess associated with the hearth and marriage; she is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and the sister and wife of Zeus. 4.512.
Heracles (he´-ra-kleez): deified mortal hero; son of Zeus and Alcmene, he was persecuted by Hera.
8.224.
Hermes (her´-meez): the messenger of the gods; son of Zeus and Maia. 1.39.
Hermione (her-mai´-o-nee): daughter of Helen and Menelaus. 4.14.
Hippodamia (hip-o-da´-mee-ya): slave girl of Penelope. 18.183.
Hyperesia (hai-per-ee´-see-a): a town in Achaea, in the northern Peloponnese; home of Polypheides.
15.257.
Hyperia (hai-pehr´-ee-a): the former home of the Phaeacians, near the land of the Cyclopes. 6.4.
Hyperion (hai-pehr´-ee-on): father of Helius. 12.262.
Iasion (ya´-see-on): son of Zeus and Electra; loved by Demeter. 5.127.
Icarius (i-kar´-ee-us): father of Penelope and brother of Tyndareus. 2.52.
Icmalius (ik-may´-lee-us): Ithacan craftsman; he made Penelope’s footstool. 19.55.
Idomeneus (i-dom-i-nay´-us): Cretan king who fought on the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War.
3.191.
Ilus (ail´-us): king of Ephyra. 1.263.
Ino (ai´-no) : daughter of Cadmus; a sea goddess also called the White Goddess. 5.333.
Iolcus (yol´-kus): a city in Thessaly; the home of Nestor’s uncle Pelias, who sent Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece. 11.257.
Iphicles (if´-ik-lees): king of Phylace. 11.292.
Iphimedeia (if-i-me-day´-a): wife of Aloeus; mother, by Poseidon, of Otus and Ephialtes. 11.306.
Iphitus (if´-i-tus): son of Eurytus; he gives Odysseus his father’s bow. 21.13.
Iphthime (if-thee´-mee): daughter of Icarius; sister of Penelope; wife of Eumelus. 4.797.
Irus (ai´-rus): Ithacan beggar; also known as Arnaeus (q.v.). 18.7.
Ismarus (is´-mar-us): a city in Thrace; home of the Cicones. 9.41.
Ithaca (ith´-a-ka): an Ionian island in western Greece; home to the Ithacans, including Odysseus.
1.18.
Ithacus (ith´-a-kus): one of the builders of an ornate fountain in Ithaca. 17.206.
Itylus (i´-til-us): son of Zethus, the king of Thebes, and Aedon. He was accidentally killed by his mother. 19.525.
Jardan, River (jar´-dan): a river in Crete. 3.290.
Jason: Thessalian hero; he led the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece. 12.73.
Knossos (kuh-nos´-os): a city in Crete where King Minos ruled. 19.178.
Laerces (lay-ur´-seez): Pylian goldsmith. 3.424.
Laertes (lay-air´-teez): father of Odysseus; son of Arcesius. 1.188.
Laestrygonia (lai-stri-go´-nee-a): a mythical place visited by Odysseus, inhabited by a race of giant cannibals, the Laestrygonians. 10.81.
Lamos (lai´-mos): apparently, the founder of Laestrygonia. 10.82.
Lampetia (lam-pet´-ee-a): daughter of Helius and Neaira; one of the caretakers of Helius’ cattle on Thrinacia. Her name means “Shining.” 12.133.
Laodamas (lay-o´-da-mas): Phaeacian prince, son of Alcinous and Arete. 7.170.
Leda (lee´-da): wife of Tyndareus; mother by Zeus of Castor and Polydeuces. 11.300.
Lemnos (lem´-nos): an island in the northeast Aegean; inhabited by the Sintians. 8.283.
Leocritus (lee-ok´-ri-tus): one of Penelope’s suitors, and son of Euenor. He is killed by Telemachus.
2.241.
Leodes (lee-oh´-deez): the prophet of the suitors. 21.144.
Lesbos (les´-bos): a large island in the northeastern Aegean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor. 3.169.
Leto (lee´-to): goddess; mother by Zeus of Apollo and Artemis. 6.106.
Libya (lib´-ee-ya): a land on the northern coast of Africa; vaguely imagined and not necessarily co- extensive with the modern country. 4.84.
Maera (mai´-ra): one of the heroines whose shades Odysseus encounters in the underworld. 11.328.
Malea (ma´-lee-a): a cape at the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese, famous for its treacherous sailing conditions. 3.286.
Mantius (man´-tee-yus): son of Melampus; father of Clitus and Polypheides; grandfather of Theoclymenus. 15.243.
Marathon (ma´-ra-thon): a town northeast of Athens, near the northeast coast of Attica. 7.80.
Maron (mah´-ron): priest of Apollo; son of Euanthes. He gave Odysseus the wine that Odysseus uses to intoxicate Polyphemus. 9.199.
Mastor (mas´-tor): father of Halitherses. 2.158.
Medon (mee´-don): slave boy in Ithaca; spared by Odysseus. 4.676.
Megapenthes (me-ga-pen´-theez): son of Menelaus by a slave woman. 4.12.
Megara (me´-ga-ra): daughter of Creon and wife of Heracles; one of the shades of heroines Odysseus encounters in the underworld. 11.270.
Melampus (me-lam´-pus): prophet; great-grandfather of Theoclymenus. 11.293.
Melaneus (me-lan-ai´-us): father of the suitor Amphimedon. 24.104.
Melanthius (me-lanth´-ee-yus): goatherd for the suitors; brother of Melantho. He is killed by Odysseus. 17.212.
Melantho (me-lanth´-oh): sister of Melanthius and slave of Penelope. She has a sexual relationship with Eurymachus and is hanged by Telemachus, along with eleven others. 18.320.
Memnon (mem´-non): son of the Dawn Goddess; killed Antilochus at Troy. 11.520.
Menelaus (me-ne-lay´-us): king of Sparta; husband of Helen; brother of Agamemnon. 1.285.
Mentes (men´-teez): leader of the Taphians; a guest-friend of Odysseus whose identity is assumed by Athena. 1.105.
Mentor (men´-tor): son of Alcimus; a trusted friend of Odysseus whose identity is often assumed by Athena. 2.225.
Mesaulius (mes-ow´-lee-yus): slave of Eumaeus. 14.450.
Messenia (mes-ee´-nee-ya ): a region of the southwest Peloponnese. 21.16
Mimas (mai´-mas): a promontory on the coast of Asia Minor, opposite Chios. 3.173.
Minos (mai´-nos): son of Zeus; legendary king of Crete; judge of the dead in the underworld. 11.323.
Minyans (min´-yans): inhabitants of Orchomenus. 11.283.
Moulius (moo´-lee-yus): slave brought by Amphinomus from Dulichium. 18.423.
Muse: one of nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who preside over various arts. 1.2.
Mycenae (mai-see´-nee): a palatial city in the northeastern Peloponnese, and home of Agamemnon.
3.304.
Mycene (mai-seen´): legendary heroine. 2.120.
Myrmidons (mur´-mi-dons): a Thessalian tribe and Achilles’ men in The Iliad. Neoptolemus, Achilles’ son, led the tribe after his father’s death. 3.189.
Naubolus (now´-bo-lus): father of Euryalus. His name suggests “Ship-Launcher.” 8.114.
Nausicaa (now´-sik-ah): Phaeacian princess; daughter of Alcinous and Arete. 6.16.
Nausithous (now-sith´-o-wus): king of the Phaeacians before his son, Alcinous, succeeded him. He resettled the Phaeacians in Scheria due to harrassment from their neighbors, the Cyclopes. 6.7.
Nauteus (now´-tee-yus): Phaeacian who competes in the athletic contests during Odysseus’ stay in Scheria. His name suggests “Shipman.” 8.109.
Neaira (nee-ai´-ra): mother, by Helius, of Phaethousa and Lampetia. 12.134.
Neion, Mount (nay´-on): a mountain in Ithaca; alternative name for Mount Neriton. 3.81.
Neleus (nee´-lee-yus): father of Nestor, and his predecessor as king of Pylos. 3.79.
Neoptolemus (nee-op-tol´-e-mus): son of Achilles; leader of the Myrmidons at Troy after his father’s death. 11.508.
Nereids (nee´-ree-ids): nymphs of the sea. 13.104.
Neriton, Mount (ne´-rit-on): a mountain in Ithaca. Also referred to as Mount Neion. 9.24.
Neritus (ne´-ri-tus): one of the builders of an ornate fountain in Ithaca. 17.206.
Nestor (nes´-tor): king of Pylos; son of Neleus; father of Antilochus and Pisistrarus. 1.284.
Nisus (nai´-sus): son of Aretias, and father of Penelope’s suitor Amphinomus, from Dulichium.
16.396.
Noëmon (noh-wee´-mon): son of Phronius. He lends a ship to Telemachus. 2.387.
Notus (noh´-tus): the South Wind. 5.296.
Ocean: the vast river running around the landmass of the world; also a personage. 3.1.
Ocyalus (o-kee´-yal-us): Phaeacian who competes in the athletic contests during Odysseus’ stay in Scheria. His name suggests “Sharpsea.” 8.109.
Odysseus (o-dis´-ee-yus): king of Ithaca; son of Laertes and Anticleia; grandson of Arcesius and Autolycus; father of Telemachus. 1.21.
Oedipus (eed´-i-pus): king of Thebes who killed his father, Laius, and married his mother, Epicaste (known as Jocasta in other versions). 11.272.
Ogygia (o-ji´-ja): the mythical island home of Calypso, where Odysseus washes up and stays for seven years. 1.85.
Oïcles (oh´-i-kles): son of Antiphates and father of the famous Argive warrior-prophet Amphiaraus.
15.245.
Olympus (o-lim´-pus): a mountain in northeastern Thessaly. The tallest peak in Greece, it is home to the Olympian gods. 1.27.
Ops (ops): father of Eurycleia. 1.428.
Orchomenus (or-ko´-me-nus): a city in Boeotia, home to the Minyans. 11.284.
Orestes (o-res´-tees): son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Orestes went into exile after the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, but eventually returned to Mycenae and killed them. 1.30.
Orion (o-rai´-yon): mythical hunter, turned into a constellation after his death. 5.122. Orsilochus (or–sil´-o-kus): son of Idomoneus, the leader of Cretan forces at Troy. 13.261. Ortilochus (or-til´-o-kus): son of Alpheus and father of Diocles. 3.489.
Ortygia (or-ti´-ja): a small Sicilian island separated from the mainland by a very narrow channel, although the mention of Ortygia here does not seem to correspond to any real geographical place. 15.406.
Ossa (o´-sa): a mountain in the region of Thessaly, just south of Mount Olympus. 11.315.
Otus (oh´-tus): son of Iphimedeia and Poseidon. 11.309.
Pallas (pal´-las): an epithet used of Athena, of unknown origin and meaning. 1.125.
Pandareus (pan-dar´-ee-yus): king of Crete and father of Aedon, the wife of Theban founder Zethus.
19.520.
Panopeus (pan-oh´-pee-yus): a Greek town near the border of Boeotia. 11.579.
Paphos (pay´-fos): a city in southwest Cyprus; as the supposed site of Aphrodite’s birth, it was an important center of worship of the goddess. 8.362.
Parnassus, Mount (par-nas´-us): a mountain in central Greece where a boar wounded Odysseus during his childhood. 19.395.
Patroclus (pat-ro´-klus): Achilles’ companion; killed by Hector. 3.110.
Pelasgians (pe-las´-jee-ans): a people who were either pre-Greeks or the ancestors of the Greeks, inhabitating regions of Greece, including Crete, Thessaly, and Epirus, and parts of northwestern Asia Minor. 19.177.
Peleus (pee´-lee-us): son of Aeacus; father of Achilles; husband of the Sea Goddess Thetis. 5.311.
Pelias (pee´-lee-as): king of Iolcus and son of Tyro and Poseidon; murdered by his daughters at the persuasion of Medea. 11.254.
Pelion (pee´-lee-on): a mountain in Thessaly. 11.315.
Penelope (pe-ne´-loh-pee): daughter of the Arcadian king Icarius; wife of Odysseus, with whom she has a son, Telemachus. 1.222.
Periboea (pe-ri-boy´-ya): daughter of Eurymedon; mother, by Poseidon, of Nausithous; grandmother of the Phaeacian king Alcinous. 7.60.
Periclymenus (pe-ri-kli´-me-nus): son of Neleus and Chloris. 11.287.
Perimedes (pe-ri-mee´-dees): one of Odysseus’ men. 11.23.
Pero (pai´-ro): daughter of Neleus and Chloris; wooed by Melampus and his brother Bias. 11.288.
Perse (pur´-see): daughter of Ocean; mother, by the Sun God, of Circe and Aeetes. 10.140.
Persephone (pur-se´-fo-nee): goddess; daughter of Zeus and Demeter; and, after he abducted her, wife of Hades. According to mythological tradition, Persephone spends part of the year with her husband Hades in the underworld, and part of the year in the world above with her mother. 10.492.
Perseus (pur´-see-yus): a son of Nestor. 3.413.
Phaea (fai´-ya): a port on the coast of Elis. 15.297.
Phaeacians (fai-yay´-shuns): the inhabitants of the island of Scheria. 5.36.
Phaedimus (fai´-di-mus): king of Sidon. 4.617.
Phaedra (fai´-dra): elder daughter of Minos, the king of Crete; wife of Theseus. 11.322.
Phaestus (fai´-stus): a city in south central Crete. 3.295.
Phaethousa (fai-thoo´-sa): daughter of the Sun God Helius and Neaira; together with her sister, attendant of her father’s cattle. Her name means “Shining.” 12.133.
Pharos (fehr´-os): an island off the coast of Egypt. 4.355.
Pheidon (fay´-don): king of the Thesprotians. 14.316.
Phemius (fee´-mee-yus): bard in the household of Odysseus on Ithaca, 1.154. Pherae (fehr´-ai): a city in the Peloponnese, between Pylos and Sparta. 3.488. Pheres (fehr´-eez): son of Tyro and Cretheus. 11.260.
Philoctetes (fi-lok-tee´-teez): Thessalian hero and companion of Heracles. On the way to fight at Troy, Philoctetes was bitten by a snake. The wound festered and stank, so Philoctetes’ companions abandoned him on the island of Lemnos. It was later prophesied that Troy could be captured only with Philoctetes’ bow, so Odysseus was sent to Lemnos to retrieve him. Philoctetes returned to Troy and was healed. 3.190.
Philoetius (fi-loy´-tee-us): enslaved herdsman loyal to Odysseus. 20.186.
Philomeleides (fi-lo-mee´-lee-dees): mythical king of Lesbos who challenged all vistors to wrestle him; most failed, but Odysseus won. In 17.135, he is known as Philomedes. 4.343.
Phoebus (fee´-bus): an epithet for Apollo meaning “Bright.” 3.279.
Phoenicia (fu-nee´-sha): the region of modern-day Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Syria that was dominated by the loosely organized seafaring civilization known as the Phoenicians. 4.83.
Phorcys (for´-kis): an ancient sea god who presides over a harbor on the island of Ithaca. 1.72.
Phronius (fro´-nee-yus): father of Noëmon. 2.386.
Phrontis (fron´-tis): the pilot of Menelaus’ ship; killed at Sounion by Apollo. 3.280. Phthia (fthee´-ya): the kingdom of Peleus and Achilles, located in central Greece. 11.497. Phylace (fee´-la-see): a city in the Greek region of Thessaly. 11.292.
Phylacus (fi´-la-kus): the founder of Phylace; father of Pero. 15.232.
Phylo (fai´-loh): slave of Helen. 4.124.
Pieria (pai-ree´-ya): a region in northern Greece. 5.50.
Piraeus (pai-ray´-yus): one of Telemachus’ companions. 15.541.
Pirithous (pe-ri´-tho-wus): a mythical hero, king of the Lapiths and son of Zeus. According to tradition, Pirithous—together with his friend and companion, the hero Theseus—attempted to kidnap Helen when she was a child; the pair also attempted to kidnap Persephone from the underworld. On the occasion of Pirithous’ wedding to Hippodameia, the Centaurs, the mythological half-horse, half-human race, attempt to kidnap the Lapith women, precipitating a major battle between the Centaurs and Lapiths. 11.631.
Pisander (pai-san´-dur): one of Penelope’s suitors. 18.299.
Pisenor (pai-see´-nor): Telemachus’ herald. 2.36.
Pisistratus (pai-sis´-tra-tus): youngest son of Nestor and companion of Telemachus. 3.37.
Pleiades (play´-a-deez): the seven daughters of Atlas; they were chased by Orion and turned into a constellation. 5.271.
Polites (po-lai´-teez): one of Odysseus’ men. 10.223.
Polybus (po´-li-bus): (1) father of Eurymachus, one of Penelope’s principal suitors. 2.177. (2) king of Thebes. 4.126. (3) a Phaeacian artisan. 8.373. (4) one of Penelope’s suitors. 22.243.
Polycaste (po-li-kas´-tee): Nestor’s eldest daughter. 3.465.
Polyctor (po-lik´-tor): one of the builders of an ornate fountain in Ithaca. 17.207.
Polydamna (po-li-dam´-na): wife of Thon. 4.229.
Polydeuces (po-li-dew´-seez): one of the two twin sons of Leda and Zeus, and thus a brother of Helen and Clytemnestra. With his twin, Castor, famed for abilities as horsemen and called the Dioscuri. On their deaths, they were given immortality to share, spending alternate days in the underworld or the world above. 11.301.
Polynaus (po-li-nay´-us): a Phaeacian; son of Tecton and father of Amphialaus. His name suggests “Many-Shipped.” 8.113.
Polypemon (po-li-pee´-mohn): fictional grandfather of Odysseus; the name suggests “Rich” or “Much Suffering.” 24.307.
Polypheides (po-li-fai´-deez): a prophet, son of Mantius. 15.253.
Polyphemus (po-li-fee´-mus): son of Poseidon and the nymph Thoösa. One of the Cyclopes (so he is a Cyclops), he lives in a cave with his sheep and goats. Odysseus’ mistreatment of Polyphemus is a major component in Poseidon’s rage against Odysseus. 1.70.
Ponteus (pon´-tee-yus): a Phaeacian. His name suggests “Deep-Sea.” 8.111
Pontonous (pon-to´-no-wus): slave of Alcinous. 7.179.
Poseidon (po-sai´-dun): a god; son of Cronus and brother of Zeus. After drawing lots with his brothers Zeus and Hades, Poseidon gained the sphere of the sea and earthquakes. He is often associated with horses. Much of the adversity that Odysseus faces is the result of Poseidon’s anger at Odysseus, caused by the Greek violation of Trojan temples in the sack of Troy (in, for example,
the rape of Cassandra in the temple of Athena), and Odysseus’ actions in tricking and blinding Poseidon’s son, Polyphemus. 1.20.
Priam (prai´-yam): son of Laomedon and the last king of Troy. With his wife, Hecuba, and many slave women, he had fifty sons and between twelve and fifty daughters. In The Iliad, after Achilles killed his son, Hector, and deliberately abused the dead body, Priam went by night to the Greek camp to ask his enemy to return the body for proper burial. During the sack of Troy, Priam was murdered by Achilles’ son Neoptolemus on the altar of Zeus. 3.108.
Procris (pro´-kris): daughter of Erechteus and wife of Cephalus. 11.322.
Proteus (proh´-tee-yus): a sea god who shape-shifts and makes prophecies. Menelaus captured Proteus in Egypt, and Proteus gave Menelaus news of his companions, including his brother Agamemnon. 4.349.
Prymneus (prim´-nee-yus): a Phaeacian. His name suggests “Sternman.” 8.111.
Psara (psa´-ra): an island in the Aegean Sea. 3.172.
Pylos (pai´-los): the city and kingdom of Nestor; located in Messenia on the Peloponnese. The inhabitants are Pylians. 1.94.
Pyriphlegethon (pi-ri-fle´-ge-thon): a tributary of the Styx in the underworld. Its name means “Stream of Fire.” 10.514.
Pytho (pai´-tho): another name for Delphi, as well as the oracle of Apollo based there. The name alludes to the earth dragon (the Python) that originally lived in Delphi, and which was killed by Apollo (who is therefore also known as Pythian Apollo). 8.80.
Rhadamanthus (ra-da-manth´-us): son of Zeus and Europa; a Cretan king. 4.563.
Rhexenor (rex-een´-or): son of Nausithous and brother of the Phaeacian king Alcinous. 7.64.
Salmoneus (sal-mohn´-ee-yus): father of Tyro. 11.235.
Same (say´-mee): an island in the eastern Aegean near Ithaca, also known in Homer as Samos. Note that this is not the same as the modern island of Samos. 1.246.
Scheria (ske-ree´-ya): the land of the mythological people, the Phaeacians, which does not seem to correspond to a real geographical place, although scholars have proposed many possible locations. 5.35.
Scylla (ski´-la): a sea goddess who lives in a cave near Charybdis. The daughter of Cratais and Phorcys, she has six heads, each with the voice of a hungry dog. 12.85.
Scyros (skai´-ros): an island in the Aegean Sea, and the home of Achilles’ son Neoptolemus. 11.509.
Sidon (sai´-don): a major Phoenician city, on the eastern coast of the Mediterannean; now in modern Lebanon. 4.84.
Sintians (sint´-ee-yans): a mythical people who inhabited areas of Thrace and the island of Lemnos.
8.294.
Sirens: mythical female creatures whose seductive singing causes sailors to forget their homes and waste away until they die. 12.38.
Sisyphus (si´-see-fus): son of Aeolus, the mythical progenitor of the Aeolians, and father of Glaucus. A consummate trickster who seduced his brother’s wife and killed travelers and guests, Sisyphus was condemned to punishment in the underworld: he had to roll a rock up a mountain, but every time, just before he reached the top, the rock rolled back down. 11.593.
Solyma, Mount (sol´-im-a): a mountain in Lycia, in eastern Greece. Poseidon pauses here on his return from Ethiopia. 5.282.
Sounion (soo´-nee-yon): a cape located at the southernmost end of Attica; the site of an important temple dedicated to Poseidon. 3.278.
Sparta: a Doric city in the region of Lacedaemon in the Peloponnese, ruled by Menelaus. 1.94.
Stratius (stray´-tee-yus): a son of Nestor. 3.412.
Styx (stix): the river that forms the boundary of the underworld. 5.185.
Sun God: a Titan descended from Hyperion, the Olympian god associated with the sun. Also called Helius (q.v.), and distinct from Apollo. 1.8.
Syria (si´-ree-ya): a seemingly fictional geographical place that does not correspond to the modern state in the Middle East. 15.405.
Tantalus (tan´-ta-lus): king of an Anatolian city called Sipylus and, like Sisyphus, a mythological criminal. Tantalus’ crime varies according to mythological tradition: according to some, he was granted a wish by Zeus and asked to live like a god, while according to others he stole nectar and ambrosia from the gods. Tantalus’ punishment in the underworld is to stand in water that retreats whenever he tries to drink it, and to have fruit hovering above him that pulls back when he reaches for it. 11.584.
Taphos (tay´-fos): an island in the Ionian Sea; its inhabitants, the Taphians, are often described as pirates. 16.429.
Taygetus (tai´-ge-tus): a mountain range in the southern Peloponnese. 6.102.
Tecton (tek´-ton): a Phaeacian. His name means “Shipwright.” 8.113.
Telamon (te´-la-mon): son of Aeacus and brother of Peleus. He is the father of Ajax and Teucer, the Trojan War heroes. 11.553.
Telemachus (te-le´-ma-kus): the only son of Odysseus and Penelope. Telemachus goes in search of his father in Books 1–4 (often called the “Telemachy”). On his return to Ithaca, Telemachus assists his father in the massacre of the suitors. 1.113.
Telemus (te´-le-mus): son of Eurymus; he lived among the Cyclopes as a soothsayer. 9.508.
Telephus (te´-le-fus): the son of Heracles and Auge; he fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Troy and was killed by Neoptolemus. 11.519.
Telepylus (te-le-pai´-lus): a town in Laestrygonia; the name suggests “Far Gate.” 10.82.
Temese (te´-me-see): a city in Bruttium, the Greek colony in the “toe” region of Italy (modern-day Calabria). 1.185.
Tenedos (te´-ne-dos): an island in the northeast Aegean Sea. 3.159.
Thebes (theebs) (1) a city in Upper Egypt. 4.126. (2) a city in the Greek region of Boeotia. 11.264.
Theoclymenus (thee-yo-cli´-men-us): a seer from Argos, whom Telemachus brings back to Ithaca.
15.259.
Theseus (thee´-see-yus): son of Poseidon and Aethra, a mythological hero associated with Athens. With the help of Ariadne, daughter of Minos, Theseus killed the Minotaur, the son of Minos, a man-bull hybrid enclosed in the king’s labyrinth on Crete. Theseus and Ariadne fled, but Theseus abandoned her before he returned to Athens. 11.324.
Thesprotia (thes-proh´-sha): a region of Epirus in Greece. Its inhabitants are Thesprotians. 14.316.
Thetis (the´-tis): a sea goddess; daughter of Nereus and the sea goddess Doris; mother, with Peleus, of Achilles. According to most versions of the legend, she was engaged to Peleus against her will and attempted in vain to escape him by shape-shifting into various forms. 11.546.
Thoas (thoh´-was): Greek warrior in Odysseus’ fictional story to Eumaeus. 14.500.
Thon (thohn): Egyptian nobleman and husband of Polydamna. 4.229. Thoön (tho´-ohn): Phoenician athlete; the name suggests “Quick.” 8.110. Thoösa (tho-woh´-sa): mother, by Poseidon, of Polyphemus. 1.72.
Thrace (thrays): a region of northeastern Greece. 8.361.
Thrasymedes (thra-si´-mee-deez): a son of Nestor. 3.39.
Thrinacia (thri-nay´-sha): a mythical island where Helius the Sun God kept his cattle, attended by his daughters. 11.107.
Thyestes (thai-yes´-teez): son of Pelops; brother of Atreus; and father of Aegisthus. In exile with Atreus after their joint murder of their half brother, Thyestes seduced Atreus’ wife and attempted to seize the throne of Mycenae from Atreus, but was banished. According to some versions of the
legend, Atreus served Thyestes a meal of his own children, with the exception of Aegisthus, who lived to take revenge on Atreus’ son Agamemnon. 4.517.
Tiresias (tai-ree´-see-yas): famous blind Theban seer. 10.493.
Tithonus (ti-thoh´-nus): a son of Laomedon and the brother of Priam. He was abducted by Dawn to be her lover. According to legend, Dawn requested immortality for Tithonus but not eternal youth, so he aged and wasted away until only his voice was heard, chirping like a grasshopper. In some versions of the myth he was transformed into a cicada or grasshopper. 5.1.
Tityus (ti´-tee-yus): son of Zeus and Elara. To hide Elara’s pregnancy, Zeus concealed her under the earth, which then birthed out the giant Tityus. He was shot dead by Artemis and Apollo, and punished in the underworld by having two vultures eat away at his innards. 7.324.
Tyndareus (tin-da´-ree-yus): king of Sparta and husband of Leda. According to variations in traditions, either he or Zeus was the father of Helen, Castor, and Polydeuces; he is also the father, with Leda, of Clytemnestra. 11.299.
Tyro (tai´-roh): daughter of Salmoneus and wife of Cretheus. 2.120.
Zacynthus (za-kin´-thus): an island in the Ionian Sea. 1.246.
Zephyr (ze´-feer): the West Wind. 2.421.
Zethus (zee´-thus): son of Zeus and Antiope. Together with his brother Amphion, the founder of the city of Thebes in Greece. Zethus married Aedon, who mistakenly murdered their son. 11.263.
Zeus (zoos): most powerful of the pantheon of Greek gods, associated with masculine power, kingship, fatherhood, and hospitality. The husband of Hera, he is often linked with eagles. As the god of the sky, he controls lightning and thunderbolts. 1.9.
