Classical Literacy Terms

Classical Literacy TermsIntroductory1A.D./anno Domini"in the year of the Lord," designating the time period after Christ's birth2A.M./ante meridiem"before midday," in the morning, before noon3P.M. / post meridemafter middayafter noon 4Achilles' 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 spot5ad infinitum"to infinity," to continue forever, without limit

6ad nauseam"to the point of sickness" - doing/saying something over and over until everyone is sick and tired of it7Aegean Seasea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus after he drowned himself in the sea thinking his son Theseus was dead

8agenda"the things that must be done" - a to-do list9agora/forummarket place/business center10ambrosia and nectarthe food of the gods; some believe it kept them immortal11Aphrodite/Venus:goddess of love12Apollo/Apollo:god of the sun, light, reason, and the lyre

13apple 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 dispute14aqueducta system created by the Romans which carried water over long distances

15Arachnechallenged Athena to a weaving contest and was turned into a spider for her excessive pride16Ares/Marsgod of war17Ariadnethe daughter of king Minos of Crete, who helped Theseus escape from the labyrinth after he killed the minotaur18Artemis/Dianagoddess of the hunt19Athena/Minervagoddess of wisdom20Athens/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 located21Atlastitan who had to hold up the heavens on his shoulders as punishment for rebelling against Zeus22ego"I"23e.g./exempli gratia"for the sake of an example" - abbreviation used when providing an example24e pluribus unum"one out of many" - found on most US minted coins and the back of the dollar bill

25Dionysus/Bacchusgod of wine and revelry; son of Zeus and Semele26Demeter/Ceresgoddess of grain, the harvest, and the seasons; mother of Persephone/Proserpina27Delphic Oraclethe oracle of Apollo; people visited the oracle for guidance and predictions of the future28Cyclopsone-eyed children of Ouranos/Uranus and Gaea (Mother Earth); sided with Zeus during the war with the Titans; were helpers of the smith-god Hephaestus29Cronus/Saturnone of the 12 Titans, father of Zeus/Jupiter, who swallowed his children in an attempt to keep from being overthrown30cornucopia"horn of plenty" a symbol of food and abundance

Why was this called the Cornucopia in The Hunger Games?31consulthe highest political office in the Roman Republic; 2 were elected every year32Colosseum:the arena for gladiatorial games in Rome (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater)

33Circus Maximusa large horse and chariot racing track in Rome

34Charonthe ferryman for the river Styx going into the underworld35Chaosa state of disorganized matter from which the gods and the world were created36Cerberusthe three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld

37cave canem"beware of the dog"

38Carthagethe city in Northern Africa that the Romans fought and destroyed during the Punic Wars (264-146 BC.)

39carpe diem"seize the day"40Caesarusually referring to Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator who was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15th) 44 BCE

41Augustusfirst emperor of the Roman Empire; adopted son of Julius Caesar; member of the 2nd Triumvirate; also known as Octavian

42atriumreception hall (like the living room) in a Roman house

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