Greek References

Horae

{ˈhȯr-ˌē,}

•  Eunomia [yoo-noh-mee-uh]- law, legislation
• Dicê {dee-say} - justice
• Eirene {/aɪˈriːni/} - Peace
• Goddesses of the seasons, connected to the order of the natural world

Persephone
{pur-sef'-uh-nee}

• ·      Wife of Hades, from whom she was abducted while she was gathering flowers and taken to the underworld. Zeus convinced Hades to release her, but she had to return for a part of each year because she ate a seed of a pomegranate.  She is youthful vitality, which stem’s from Demeter’s fertility.  She is in the underworld in the winter and she reappears for spring and summer.  She represents springtime fertility.
• ·      Persephone is an object of worship.  She is depicted with her mother wearing long gowns.  Demeter carries a scepter, a sheaf of wheat, ears of corn, and a crown of flowers.  Persephone carries a four-tipped Eleusian torch or a scepter

Demeter
{dih-mee'-tur}

• ·      Goddess of Agriculture, fertility of crops
• ·      Punished Erysichton for cutting down a grove of trees, cursed him with perpetual hunger.
• ·      Searched for Persephone under the guise of an old woman. Her grief after her disappearance caused a famine. 

Aethon, Eous, Phlegon, and Pyrois
{ee-thon},{ee'-ahs}, {flee-jon}, {peer-us}

• Horses that pulled the sun (Helios) from East to West

Achilles
{uh-kil'-eez}

• Featured in The Illiad; the son of Thetis dipped him in the river of Styx by his heel and his entire body (except his heel) became invulnerable.
• It had been prophesied that Troy could not be taken without his help.
• He had been disguised as a girl and sent to live away from Troy for his protection.  While under disguise at Lycomedes' court.  Achilles had an affair with Lycomedes' daughter and had a child with her.
• He became a great Greek warrior in the Trojan war, until he was shot with an arrow in the heel by Paris.

Paris and the Apple of Discord

• Prince of Troy, regarded as "the most beautiful man alive"
• "Peleus and Thetis had not invited Eris, the goddess of discord, to their marriage and the outraged goddess stormed into the wedding banquet and threw a golden apple onto the table. The apple belonged to, Eris said, whomever was the fairest.Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each reached for the apple. Zeus proclaimed that Paris, prince of Troy and thought to be the most beautiful man alive, would act as the judge.Hermes went to Paris, and Paris agreed to act as the judge. Hera promised him power, Athena promised him wealth, and Aphrodite promised the most beautiful woman in the world.Paris chose Aphrodite, and she promised him that Helen, wife of Menelaus, would be his wife. Paris then prepared to set off for Sparta to capture Helen. Twin prophets Cassandra and Helenus tried to persuade him against such action, as did his mother, Hecuba. But Paris would not listen and he set off for Sparta."

Cassandra's Curse

• Cassandra was a Princess of Troy.
• Apollo attempted to rape her. When she resisted, he cursed with the gift of prophecy- but no one would ever believe her foreboding.

Gaia

{jee'-uh}

• Personification of Earth, born from the emptiness of the universe
• without a mate, she "gave birth" to Uranus (sky), Ourea (mountains), and Pontus (sea)

Graeae

• Three sisters who guard the Gorgons (monsters that turned those who looked at it into stone.  They have indestructible scales, hair of living snakes, brass hands, fangs, and beards)
• The Graeae were born with gray hair and one tooth and one eye that they share among them

Peleus
{pe-lay'-uhs}

• King of Aegina, father of Achilles