Classical Literacy TermsIntroductory

A.D./anno Domini"in the year of the Lord," designating the time

period after Christ's birth

A.M./ante meridiem"before midday," in the morning, before noon

P.M. / post meridem“after midday”

after noon

Achilles' heel: 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

ad infinitum"to infinity," to continue forever, without limit

ad nauseam"to the point of sickness" - doing/saying

something over and over until everyone is sick and tired of it

Aegean Seasea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus after he drowned himself in the sea

thinking his son Theseus was dead

agenda"the things that must be done" - a to-do list

agora/forummarket place/business center

ambrosia and nectarthe food of the gods; some believe it kept

them immortal

Aphrodite/Venus:goddess of love

Apollo/Apollo:god of the sun, light, reason, and the lyre

apple of discordliterally, 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

aqueducta system created by the Romans which

carried water over long distances

Arachnechallenged Athena to a weaving contest and

was turned into a spider for her excessive pride

Ares/Marsgod of war

Ariadnethe daughter of king Minos of Crete, who helped Theseus escape from the labyrinth

after he killed the minotaur

Artemis/Dianagoddess of the hunt

Athena/Minervagoddess of wisdom

Athens/Acropolisa 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

Atlastitan who had to hold up the heavens on his

shoulders as punishment for rebelling against Zeus

ego"I"

e.g./exempli gratia"for the sake of an example" - abbreviation

used when providing an example

e pluribus unum"one out of many" - found on most US minted

coins and the back of the dollar bill

Dionysus/Bacchusgod of wine and revelry; son of Zeus and

Semele

Demeter/Ceresgoddess of grain, the harvest, and the

seasons; mother of Persephone/Proserpina

Delphic Oraclethe oracle of Apollo; people visited the oracle

for guidance and predictions of the future

Cyclopsone-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

Cronus/Saturnone of the 12 Titans, father of Zeus/Jupiter,

who swallowed his children in an attempt to keep from being overthrown

cornucopia"horn of plenty" a symbol of food and

abundance

Why was this called the Cornucopia in The Hunger Games?

consulthe highest political office in the Roman

Republic; 2 were elected every year

Colosseum:the arena for gladiatorial games in Rome

(also known as the Flavian Amphitheater)

Circus Maximusa large horse and chariot racing track in

Rome

Charonthe ferryman for the river Styx going into the

underworld

Chaosa state of disorganized matter from which the

gods and the world were created

Cerberusthe three-headed dog that guarded the gates

of the Underworld

cave canem"beware of the dog"

Carthagethe city in Northern Africa that the Romans

fought and destroyed during the Punic Wars (264-146 BC.)

carpe diem"seize the day"

Caesarusually referring to Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator who was assassinated on the Ides of

March (March 15th) 44 BCE

Augustusfirst emperor of the Roman Empire; adopted

son of Julius Caesar; member of the 2nd Triumvirate; also known as Octavian

atriumreception hall (like the living room) in a

Roman house