The Hidden Oracle

Clytemnestra the daughter of the king and queen of Sparta; married and later murdered Agamemnon Colosseum an elliptical amphitheater in the center of Rome, Italy, capable of seating fifty thousand spectators; used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas Colossus Neronis (Colossus of Nero) a gigantic bronze statue of Emperor Nero; was later transformed into the sun god with the addition of a sunray crown Cretan of the island of Crete

Crommyon a village in ancient Greece where a giant wild sow wreaked havoc before it was killed by Theseus cuirass leather or metal armor consisting of a breastplate and backplate worn by Greek and Roman soldiers; often highly ornamented and designed to mimic muscles Cyclops (Cyclopes, pl.) a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his or her forehead Cyrene a fierce huntress with whom Apollo fell in love after he saw her wrestle a lion; Apollo later transformed her into a nymph in order to extend her life Daedalus a skilled craftsman who created the Labyrinth on Crete in which the Minotaur (part man, part bull) was kept Daphne a beautiful naiad who attracted Apollo’s attention; she was transformed into a laurel tree in order to escape him Demeter the Greek goddess of agriculture; a daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos; Roman form: Ceres dimachaerus a Roman gladiator trained to fight with two swords at once Dionysus the Greek god of wine and revelry; the son of Zeus; activities director at Camp Half-Blood Domus Aurea Emperor Nero’s extravagant villa in the heart of ancient Rome, built after the Great Fire of Rome Doors of Death the doorway to the House of Hades, located in Tartarus; doors have two sides—one in the mortal world, and one in the Underworld drakon a gigantic yellow-and-green serpentlike monster, with frills around its neck, reptilian eyes, and huge talons; it spits poison dryads tree nymphs

Erebos a place of darkness between earth and Hades

Eros the Greek god of love

Erythaea an island where the Cumaean Sibyl, a love interest of Apollo, originally lived before he convinced her to leave it by promising her a long life Fields of Punishment the section of the Underworld where people who were evil during their lives are sent to face eternal punishment for their crimes after death Gaea the Greek earth goddess; mother of Titans, giants, Cyclopes, and other monsters

Germani (Germanus, sing.) tribal people who settled to the west of the Rhine river Golden Fleece this hide from a gold-haired winged ram was a symbol of authority and kingship; it was guarded by a dragon and fire-breathing bulls; Jason was tasked with obtaining it, resulting in an epic quest Gorgons three monstrous sisters (Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa) who have hair of living, venomous snakes; Medusa’s eyes can turn the beholder to stone Great Fire of Rome a devastating fire that took place in 64 CE, lasting for six days; rumors indicated that Nero started the fire to clear space for the building of his villa, Domus Aurea, but he blamed the Christian community for the disaster greaves shin armor

Greek fire an incendiary weapon used in naval battles because it can continue burning in water Grove of Dodona the site of the oldest Greek Oracle, second only to the Delphi; the rustling of trees in the grove provided answers to priests and priestesses who journeyed to the site Hades the Greek god of death and riches; ruler of the Underworld

harpy a winged female creature that snatches things

Hebe the Greek goddess of youth; daughter of Zeus and Hera

Hecate goddess of magic and crossroads

Hephaestus the Greek god of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths; the son of Zeus and Hera, and married to Aphrodite Hera the Greek goddess of marriage; Zeus’s wife and sister

Hermes Greek god of travelers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication

Herodotus a Greek historian known as the “Father of History”

Hestia Greek goddess of the hearth

hippocampi (hippocampus, sing.) half-horse, half-fish creatures hippodrome an oval stadium for horse and chariot races in ancient Greece

Hittites a group of people who lived in modern Turkey and Syria; often in conflict with Egyptians; known for their use of chariots as assault weapons House of Hades a place in the Underworld where Hades, the Greek god of death, and his wife, Persephone, rule over the souls of the departed Hunters of Artemis a group of maidens loyal to Artemis and gifted with hunting skills and eternal youth as long as they reject men for life Hyacinthus a Greek hero and Apollo’s lover, who died while trying to impress Apollo with his discus skills Hypnos the Greek god of sleep

ichor the golden fluid that is the blood of gods and immortals

imperator a term for commander in the Roman Empire