Erebos the Greek primordial god of darkness; a place of darkness between Earth and Hades
fasces a ceremonial ax wrapped in a bundle of thick wooden rods with its crescent-shaped blade projecting outward; the ultimate symbol of authority in ancient Rome; origin of the word fascism
Fates three female personifications of destiny. They control the thread of life for every living thing from birth to death.
faun a Roman forest god, part goat and part man
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; wife of Ouranos; mother of the Titans, giants, Cyclopes, and other monsters
Ganymede a beautiful Trojan boy whom Zeus abducted to be cupbearer to the gods
Gaul the name that Romans gave to the Celts and their territories
Germanus (Germani, pl.) a bodyguard for the Roman Empire from the Gaulish and Germanic tribal people who settled to the west of the Rhine river
glámon the ancient Greek equivalent of dirty old man
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. It now hangs on Thalia’s tree at Camp Half-Blood to help strengthen the magical borders.
Gray Sisters Tempest, Anger, and Wasp, a trio of old women who share a single eye and a single tooth and operate a taxi that serves the New York City area
Greek fire a magical, highly explosive, viscous green liquid used as a weapon; one of the most dangerous substances on earth
griffin a flying creature that is part lion, part eagle
Grove of Dodona the site of the oldest Greek Oracle, second only to Delphi in importance; the rustling of trees in the grove provided answers to priests and priestesses who journeyed to the site. The grove is located in Camp Half-Blood Forest and accessible only through the myrmekes’ lair.
Hades the Greek god of death and riches; ruler of the Underworld. Roman form: Pluto
Harpocrates the god of silence
harpy a winged female creature that snatches things
Hecate goddess of magic and crossroads
Helios the Titan god of the sun; son of the Titan Hyperion and the Titaness Theia
Hephaestus the Greek god of fire, including volcanic, and of crafts and blacksmithing; the son of Zeus and Hera, and married to Aphrodite. Roman form: Vulcan
Hera the Greek goddess of marriage; Zeus’s wife and sister; Apollo’s stepmother
Hermes Greek god of travelers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication. Roman form: Mercury
Herophile the Oracle of Erythraea; she spouts prophecies in the form of word puzzles
Hestia Greek goddess of the hearth
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
Icarus the son of Daedalus, best known for flying too close to the sun while trying to escape the island of Crete by using metal-and-wax wings invented by his father; he died when he didn’t heed his father’s warnings
Imperial gold a rare metal deadly to monsters, consecrated at the Pantheon; its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors
Julius Caesar a Roman politician and general whose military accomplishments extended Rome’s territory and ultimately led to a civil war that enabled him to assume control of the government in 49 BCE. He was declared “dictator for life” and went on to institute social reforms that angered some powerful Romans. A group of senators conspired against him and assassinated him on March 15, 44 BCE.
Jupiter the Roman god of the sky and king of the gods. Greek form: Zeus
karpos (karpoi, pl.) grain spirit; a child of Tartarus and Gaea
King Midas a ruler who was famous for being able to turn everything he touched into gold, an ability granted by Dionysus
Koronis one of Apollo’s girlfriends, who fell in love with another man. A white raven Apollo had left to guard her informed him of the affair. Apollo was so angry at the raven for failing to peck out the man’s eyes that he cursed the bird, scorching its feathers. Apollo sent his sister, Artemis, to kill Koronis, because he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Kronos the Titan lord of time, evil, and the harvest. He is the youngest but boldest and most devious of Gaea’s children; he convinced several of his brothers to aid him in the murder of their father, Ouranos. He was also Percy Jackson’s primary opponent. Roman form: Saturn
Labyrinth an underground maze originally built on the island of Crete by the craftsman Daedalus to hold the Minotaur
Lar (Lares, pl.) Roman house gods
leontocephaline a being with the head of a lion and the body of a man entwined with a snake without a head or tail; created by Mithras, a Persian god, to protect his immortality
Leto mother of Artemis and Apollo with Zeus; goddess of motherhood
Lugus one of the major gods in ancient Celtic religion
Lupa the wolf goddess, guardian spirit of Rome
Mars the Roman god of war. Greek form: Ares
Marsyas a satyr who lost to Apollo after challenging him in a musical contest, which led to Marsyas being flayed alive
Meliai Greek nymphs of the ash tree, born of Gaea; they nurtured and raised Zeus in Crete
Mercury Roman god of travelers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication. Greek form: Hermes.
Minerva the Roman goddess of wisdom. Greek form: Athena
Minoans a Bronze Age civilization of Crete that flourished from c. 3000 to 1100 BCE; their name comes from King Minos
Minotaur the half-man, half-bull son of King Minos of Crete; the Minotaur was kept in the Labyrinth, where he killed people who were sent in; he was finally defeated by Theseus
Mist a magical force that prevents mortals from seeing gods, mythical creatures, and supernatural occurrences by replacing them with things the human mind can comprehend
Mithras a Persian god who was adopted by the Romans and became the god of warriors; he created the leontocephaline
Morpheus the Titan who put all the mortals in New York to sleep during the Battle of Manhattan
Mount Olympus home of the Twelve Olympians
naiad a female water spirit
nectar a drink of the gods that can heal demigods
Nero ruled as Roman Emperor from 54 to 58 CE; he had his mother and his first wife put to death; many believe he was responsible for setting a fire that gutted Rome, but he blamed the Christians, whom he burned on crosses; he built an extravagant new palace on the cleared land and lost support when construction expenses forced him to raise taxes; he committed suicide
New Rome both the valley in which Camp Jupiter is located and a city—a smaller, modern version of the imperial city—where Roman demigods can go to live in peace, study, and retire
Nine Muses goddesses who grant inspiration for and protect artistic creation and expression; daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; as children, they were taught by Apollo. Their names are: Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania, and Calliope.
nymph a female deity who animates nature
omphalos Greek for navel of the world; the nickname for Delphi, a spring that whispered the future to those who would listen
Oracle of Delphi a speaker of the prophecies of Apollo
pandos (pandai, pl.) a man with gigantic ears, eight fingers and toes, and a body covered with hair that starts out white and turns black with age