Greek Gods’ Roman Forms
The Romans know him as Bacchus
Who is Dionysus?
One of the weapons forged by the elder Cyclopes, given to Hades before the Titanomachy (the war between the Titans and Gods), it doesn't just turn the wearer invisible, it makes them literally become shadow, melting away into the darkness
What is the Helm of Darkness?
The slayer of Medusa, who used her severed head to turn the sea monster Cetus to stone and save Princess Andromeda, who he married
Who is Perseus?
The Nymph Apollo fell in love with after being struck by a gold arrow by Eros, who Eros struck with a lead arrow, making her unable to reciprocate Apollo's love. She fled from Apollo, praying to Gaia to save her; Gaia turned her into a Laurel tree, saving her. Apollo mourned the loss of 'his love', taking her leaves and creating a laurel crown, which became the symbol for victory and the prize of the Olympics
Who is Daphne?
The beast which Heracles had to slay for his first labour, whose skin he wears as a cloak; no weapon was sharp enough to break this creature's hide, so Heracles wrestled the beast and strangled it to death. He used the beast's own claws to skin its hide
What is the Nemean Lion?
The Romans know him as Vulcan
Who is Hephaustus?
Athena's bronze shield with the severed head of Medusa cast into its surface, terrifying her enemies as she rides into battle
What is the Aegis?
The hero who sailed to Colchis on the Argo to bring the Golden fleece back to Greece, ending up with the fleece and the murderous sorceress Medea as a wife
Who is Jason?
Narcissus's admirer who failed to save him from himself, who had been cursed by Hera to only be able to repeat what others say, since she had wasted Hera's time by gossiping when the goddess needed information
Who is Echo?
The giant three-headed guard dog of the underworld that Heracles had to bring to King Eurystheus for his final labor
Who is Cerberus?
The Romans know her as Minerva
Who is Athena?
Hermes' staff entwined with two snakes, it has been taken incorrectly as the symbol for medicine when it should really be Asclepius' staff, with just one snake entwined
What is the Caduceus?
Her name translates to "equal in weight". This warrior princess was left in the wilderness as a baby and raised by a mother bear. She slew the Calydonian Boar. She had foot races with her suitors where she stabbed and murdered them if she caught up, which she always did until one of them, Hippomenes, won her heart with some golden apples given to him by Aphrodite
Who is Atalanta?
Apollo's lover, a Spartan prince whose beauty was also admired by the west wind Zephyrus. Zephyrus grew jealous of his and Apollo's relationship, until one day when he and Apollo were playing quoits/discus, Zephyrus curved the path of the sharp heavy metal disk so it hit this prince in the head, fatally wounding him. Apollo turned his lover into a flower that shares his name. Zephyrus, instantly regretting what he did in his jealousy and scared of what Apollo would do to him, took refuge with Eros, promising to be his servant forever in exchange for the powerful god of love's protection
Who is Hyacinth?
A group of birds with metal beaks that could pierce metal armor and metal feathers that they could launch like darts. Heracles had to get rid of them for one of his labors, which he did by yelling, shooting his bow at them, making noise with a bell, and running around like a madman until he scared them off. His impenetrable cloak protected him from their feathers
What are the Stymphalian Birds?
The Romans know her as Juno
Who is Hera?
The winged sandals of Hermes
What are the Talaria?
An accident-prone hero who got his name from one of the people he accidentally murdered. He managed to redeem himself with some help from Athena by befriending and riding Pegasus; together, he and Pegasus slew the Chimera and they won a war against the Amazons singlehandedly and singlehoovedly
Who is Bellerophon?
According to some stories, he's one of the Giants, son of Gaia and Tartarus, born to destroy the gods, specifically Artemis. He was blinded in Chios by the king for raping the princess Merope, but later Hephaestus took pity on him and gave him a pair of mechanical eyes. He rejected his destiny to destroy Artemis, falling in love with the virgin goddess and being accepted as her only male companion. According to one version of the story, he was killed by a giant scorpion, sent by Apollo. Another version says Apollo tricked Artemis into shooting him, as he was bobbing in the water far away, she couldn't tell what she was shooting at
Who is Orion?
The flesh-eating, fire-breathing horses that belonged to the king of Thrace, son of Cyrene and Ares. Heracles had to bring back four of these horses alive, which he made easy by appeasing their appetite for flesh by feeding them the tyrannical king of Thrace for whom they're named after
What are the Mares of Diomedes?
The Romans know her as Vesta
Who is Hestia?
The weapon used by Dionysus and his bloodthirsty drunken followers, the Maenads; it's a pinecone on a stick
What is a Thyrsus?
Son of Helios, against his overprotective mother's wishes, he went to the palace of the sun to see his father, who let him drive the chariot of the sun. He burned and froze the world with his poor driving, and the fiery horses eventually bucked and threw him to back earth
Who is Phaethon?
Dionysus' satyr companion, who died by falling from a tree he'd climbed, trying to reach an interesting vine. Dionysus, a mortal at the time. Filled with rage and anguish, Dionysus commanded the vine to bear delicious fruit, so that his friend's death wouldn't be meaningless
Who was Ampelos?
The giant doe with gold antlers and bronze hooves, sacred to Artemis, that Heracles pursued for over a year to capture for Eurystheus and fulfill his third labor
What is the Ceryneian Hind?