NEO-MYTHOLOGY: 3001 Word Odyssey

By John Schissler Jr.

The author, a wordsmith of the English language, will demonstrate how these classical entities are actually steeped in the Greek or Latin languages. Armed with that knowledge, the reader will learn derivatives for English words in an easy and relateable fashion: learning vocabulary minus the rote memorization of vocabulary lists. This newly-gained knowledge of the power of words will increase with the recognition of the root words found in the names of of these gods, denigods, and heroes. Even the significance of our modern-day superheroes will also be scrutinized and so will the challenges of today's world of technology. Let the adventure begin with Neo-Mythology: 3001 Word Odyssey!
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Born in 1943, JOHN SCHISSLER JR. and his family arrived in the USA in 1950. After learning the English language from childhood, Schissler went on to earn his post-secondary degree in Education at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He taught high school Latin, and English from 1968 to 2000. Since his retirement, Schissler has written four additional book: PASSAGE, IMMIGRANTS, FOUR_LEAF COVER, and I TEACH! Therefore, I Can.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669878599

John Schissler Jr.

JOHN SCHISSLER, ML. roen je u Jugoslaviji 1943. godine. Prije nego li je navrio godinu dana, njegova je obitelj prisiljena napustiti svoj dom i protjerana iz Hrvatske u izbjeglitvo u Austriji i Njemakoj gdje provode sljedeih est godina. 1950. godine dolazi u Sjedinjene Amerike Drave, u saveznu dravu Wisconsin u kojoj i danas ivi. Diplomirao je na sveuilitu University of Wisconsin u Milwaukeeju. Glavni predmeti bili su mu Njemaki i Latinski jezik, a sporedni Engleski jezik. Predavao je u srednjoj koli John Marshall u Milwaukeeju od 1968. do 2000. godine. U posljednjih dvadeset godina putovao je u Njemaku sedam puta, a Hrvatsku je posjetio 2015. godine. Trenutno ivi u Milwaukeeju sa svojom suprugom, roje djece i etvero unuka.

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Copyright © 2023 by John Schissler Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 07/20/2023

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Word Inventories in this Text

Pronunciation Guide

Prologue

Chapter 1     Cosmic Chaos

Chapter 2     Clash of the Titans

Chapter 3     First Generation Olympians

Chapter 4     Second Generation Olympians

Chapter 5     Demigods - Offspring of the Gods

Chapter 6     The Nether Regions

Chapter 7     The 5 Ages of Man

Chapter 8     The Second Element - The Silver Age

Chapter 9     The Third Element - The Bronze Age

Chapter 10   The Fourth Age - The Age of Heroes

Chapter 11   Super Heroes, Old And New

Chapter 12   Ulysses’ Odyssey

Chapter 13   The Twelve Labors of Hercules

Chapter 14   Jason and the Argonauts

Chapter 15   Hero Worship

Chapter 16   The Gay Greeks

Chapter 17   The Last Element - Age Five - The Iron Age

Chapter 18   Superstitions

Chapter 19   The Naming Business

Chapter 20   Technology & Mythology

Chapter 21   Robotnik

Chapter 22   Physiology & Mythology

Chapter 23   Psychology & Mythology

Chapter 24   Myth & Lit 101

Epilogue

Bibliography

WORD INVENTORIES

IN THIS TEXT

To find more complete lists of Latin and Greek derivatives, go to the following pages:

Chapter 1- COSMIC CHAOS word inventory, pp. 5-8

Chapter 2 - CLASH OF THE TITANS inventory, pp. 11-18

Chapter 3 - THE OLYMPIANS word inventory, pp. 29-32, 42-44

Chapter 4 - 2nd GENERATION OLYMPIANS, - pp. 70-75

Chapter 5 - DEMIGODS = THE OFFSPRING,- pp. 82-84

Chapter 6 - NETHER REGIONS inventory, - pp. 108-110

Chapter 9 - BRONZE AGE word inventory,- pp. 133-135

Chapter 10 - THE TROJAN WAR inventory, - pp. 153-154

Chapter 12 - ULYSSES’ ODYSSEY inventory - pp. 177-178

Chapter 13 - The 12 LABORS OF HERCULES - pp. 198-199

Chapter 14 - JASON & THE ARGONAUTS, - pp. 217-218

Chapter 16 - THE GAY GREEKS word inventory, - p. 242

Chapter 17 - THE IRON AGE word inventory, - p. 255

Chapter 19 - THE NAMING BUSINESS, - pp. 277-280

Chapter 20 - TECHNOLOGY & MYTHOLOGY, - pp. 287-290, 292-293

Chapter 22 - PHYSIOLOGY & MYTHOLOGY, - pp. 314-317, 320-321

Chapter 23 - PSYCHOLOGY & MYTHOLOGY, - pp. 328-331

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

ABYSSUS, [ah BIS us] bottomless Pit

ACHERON, [EH ker on] Underworld’ stream of woe

ACHILLES, [a Kill eez} great Greek Hero of Trojan War

ACIDALIA, [ah SID day lee ah] Venus’ favorite pool on earth

ACTOR, [AK tor] son of Poseidon

AEGYPTUS, [ee GIBT us] founder of Egypt

AENEAS, [ee NEE us] Trojan hero of the Aeneid

AENEID [eye NEE id] Virgil’s epic

AETHER, [eye ther] personification of the sky

AETHIOPS, [eye THEE ups] founder of the Ethiopian race

AGAMEMNON, [egg uh MAM nun] Greek leader in Trojan War

AJAX, [AY jaks] strong Greek warrior

ALBION, [ahl BEE on] giant who guarded early England

ALEXANDER, [ehl ex AN dur] another name for Paris

AMAZONS, fierce women warriors [AM uh zonz]

AMBROSIA, food of the deities [am BRO zee uh]

AMOR, another name for Eros [UH mor]

AMPHITRYON, foster father of Hercules [am FIT tree on]

AMP-SANCTUS, Roman Underworld entrance [AMP sunk tus]

ANDROMACHE, the brave Hector’s wife [an DRAMA key]

ANIMA, Roman spirit or soul [AH nee mah}

ANTEROS, Eros’ brother, had arrows of hate [on TIR ohs}

APHRODITE, Greek name for Venus [af row DIE tee]

APOLLO, god of music and medicine [ah POL oh]

AQUARIUS, Ganymede, Zeus’s butler [ah QUER ee us]

ARES, Greek name for Mars [AIR eez]

ARGONAUTAE, sailors of the Argo [are go NOW tie]

ARGUS, 100-eyed friend of Juno [ARE gus]

ARIES, flying ram with the golden fleece [AIR eez]

ARISTAEUS, son of Apollo and beekeeper [ah riss TAY us]

ARTEMIS, Roman name for goddess Diana [are Tem us]

ASCANIUS, Aeneas’ young son [ass KAY nee us]

ASCLEPIUS, greatest demigod physician [ass CLAY pee us]

ASKE, first man of Norse mythology [AHS kay]

ASTRAEUS, father of the winds [ass TRAY us]

ATE, Greek goddess of hate [Ah tay]

ATHENA, Greek goddess of wisdom [ah THEE nah]

ATLANTADES, daughters of Atlas [at LAN tuh deez]

ATLAS, the Titan forced to hold up the earth [AT less]

ATROPOS, one of the 3 Fates [At row poss]

AURAGENIA, impregnated by a golden shower [ow row JEN ee ah]

AURORA Greek goddess of the dawn [uh ROW rah]

AUTOMEDON, Captain of a fleet of Greek ships [ow TOM meh done]

AVALON, Isle of the golden apples for knights [Aaa vel on]

AVERNUS, LAKE, entrance to the Underworld [ah VER nus]

BABYLON, huge tower to reach heaven [BAB beh lon]

BACCHUS, Roman name for Dionysus [BACK uss]

BELLONA, Roman goddess of war [Beh LONE nuh]

BIA, personification of force [Buy uh]

BIFRONS, title for Janus, the two-faced god [BUY fronz]

BIFROST, Norse mythology giants [BUY frost]

BROMIUS, title given to Dionysus [bro MEE us]

BRONTES, forger of thunder and lightning [BRON teez]

CACUS, 3-headed, flame-spitting giant [KAY cuss]

CADUCEUS, snaky staff carried by Mercury [kah DOO see us]

CAELUM, Roman personification of the sky [KYE luhm]

CAESAR, JULIUS, famous Roman general [SEE zer]

CALLIOPE, one of the 9 muses [kuh LYE oh pee]

CAMPBELL, JOSEPH

CALYPSO, one of the 9 muses [kuh LIP sew]

CANDELIFERA, goddess of childbirth [kahn DEL ee fair uh]

CAPRICORNUS, the goat who nourished Zeus [cap ree KORN us]

CAPTA, Roman title given to Athena [KAP tuh]

CARNA, Roman god of physical healing [KAR nuh]

CASSANDRA, Trojan prophetess [kuh SAND rah]

CENTAUR, half-man and half-horse [SEN tower]

CENTIMANI, 100-handed giants [sen tee MAH nee]

CERBERUS, 3-headed hellhound of Hades [SIR buh russ]

CERES, Roman goddess of the harvest [like SERIES]

CESTUS, Venus’ belt of beauty and love [SESS tus]

CHAOS, personification of the universe [like "chaos’]

CHARITIES, another name for the 3 Graces [car EE tayz]

CHARME, Diana’s nymph attendant [CAR muh]

CHARON, centaur taught Hercules archery [KAY ron]

CHRYSEIS, priestess of Apollo in Trojan War [cry SEE iss]

CLOTHO, one of the 3 Fates [CLAW tho]

CLUSIUS, surname for Janus as god of doorways [Clue SEE us]

CLYTEMNESTRA, wife of Agamemnon [kly tem NESS trah]

COMUS, Roman pseudonym for Bacchus [Koh mus]

CRATUS, Personification of strength [CRAY tuss]

CRONUS, King of the Titans [CROW nuss]

CUPID, Roman name for Eros [CUE pid]

CURETES, caretakers of the infant Zeus [coo REH teez]

CYCLOPES, one of the one-eyed giants [See KLO peas]

DAEMON, demonic spirits in Underworld [DYE mun]

DANTE, A [DON tay]

DAPHNE, Nymph pursued by Apollo [DAFF nee]

DEMETER, goddess of fertility and harvest [dee ME ter]

DEUCALION, the Noah of Greek mythology [Doo KAY lee un]

DIANA, goddess of the hunt and the moon [dye ANN uh]

DIDO, queen of Carthage in the Aeneid [DYE doe]

DIES, Roman personification of days [DEE ez]

DIONYSUS, god of wine and revelry [die o knee suss]

DISCORDIA, Roman goddess of discord [dis CORE dee ah]

DOMIDUCA, title for Juno as homemaker [doo me DOO kah]

DRACO, multi-headed dragon [DRAH ko]

EASTRE, Norse goddess of spring [AYES trah]

ECHO, nymph who adored Narcissus [Like echo]

EDEN, the Garden of Paradise [Like Eden]

ELATUS, Polyphemus the Cyclops’ father [eh LAH tus]

ELECTRA, daughter of Agamemnon [eh LEK tah]

ELPIS, Greek goddess of hope and help [EL pis]

ELYSIUM, Greek version of heaven [eh LEE see um]

EMBLA, first woman in Norse mythology [EM blah]

EOS, Goddess of the dawn [EE oss]

EPIMETHEUS, brother of Prometheus [e pee MEE thee us]

EROS, earliest of the love deities [AIR uss]

EUNOMIA, Horae of law and order [you KNOW mee uh]

EUROPA, abducted by Zeus in form of a bull [You ROW pah]

EURYSTHEUS, assigned Hercules’ labors [you RISS thee us]

EVE, first woman created by God

FAUNUS, Roman god of fields and flock [FAW nus]

FEBRIS, Roman goddess of fevers [Fehb riss]

FONS, Roman god of fountains [Fonz]

FORTUNA, Roman goddess of fortune [for TOO nah]

FREYA, Norse goddess of spring [FRAY ah]

FURIAE, Roman deities known as the Furies [foor REE aye]

FURINA, Roman goddess of stealth [foo REE nah]

GAEA, the goddess earth and mother of Uranus [GUY ah]

GALACTICA, BATTLESTAR the modern Aeneid

GANYMEDE, Zeus’ cupbearer, Aquarius [gan ah MEE dee]

GILGAMESH, hero in the Epic of Gilgamesh [GILL gah mesh]

GORGONS, 3 snake-haired female monstrosities [GORE guns]

GRAEAE, 3 one-eyed, one-toothed witches [GRY eye]

GRATIAE, the 3 Graces [GRAH tea eye]

GRAVES, ROBERT

GRIM, mythological Norse god [grim]

HADES, Lord of the Underworld, Pluto [HAY deez]

HARMONIA, Roman goddess of harmony [Hahr MOE nee ah]

HARPIES, obnoxious and pesky bird-women [HAHR peas]

HEBE, goddess of youth and beauty [HEE bee]

HECATE, another title for Diana [HECK ah tea]

HECTOR, commander of the Trojan army [HECK tore]

HEL Norse deity who ruled the nether regions [Hell]

HELEN, beautiful woman abducted by Paris [HELL un]

HELIOS, sun-god, brother of moon deity, Selene [HEE lee us]

HELLE, fell off the flying ram Aries [HELL eh]

HERA, Queen of the gods and Zeus’ wife [HAIR ah]

HERACLES, the strongman of Greek mythology [HAIR ah kleez]

HERCULES, the strongman of Roman mythology [HER cue leez]

HERMAPHRODITUS, a double-sexed child of Hermes [her maf row DIE tuss]

HERMES, messenger of the gods and commerce [HER meez]

HERO, the maiden who died for her lover [HAY row]

HESPERIDES, nymphs with the golden apples [Hess PAIR ah deez]

HIPPOLYTA, queen of the Amazons [hip POL i tah]

HIPPOCRATES, actual person, the father of medicine [Hip POCK rah teez]

HODITES, son of Hercules [HOE dee tez]

HOMER, author of Iliad & Odyssey

HYBRIS, the sin of too much pride [HIH briss]

HYDRA, multi-headed serpent killed by Hercules [HEE drah]

HYGEIA, daughter of Apollo and goddess of health [hee GEE ah]

HYPERBOREANS, race of giants in the north [Hye per BO ree unz]

HYPERION, Titan and ruler over the sun [hee PEER ih on]

HYPNOS, Roman god of sleep [HIP noss]

ILIAD, Homer [Ih lEE id}

ILIUM, another name for Troy [ILL ih um]

INFERNO, another name for the nether regions [inFERno]

IPHIGENIA, sacrificial daughter of Agamemnon [if ih juh NYE uh]

IRIS, Juno’s messenger and goddess of rainbows [EYE riss]

ITALUS, King of Latium [ih TAHL us]

IULUS, son of Aeneas as a Roman [eye YOU luss]

JANUS, two-faced god of portals and beginnings [JAY nuss]

JASON, leader of the Argonauts, husband to Medea [JAY sun]

JOVE, another name for Jupiter [Jooveh]

JUNO, Roman name for Hera, queen of the gods [JEW no]

JUPITER, Roman name for Zeus, king of the gods [Jew pih ter]

JUSTITIA, Roman goddess of justice [Juuss TEA ti ah]

JUVENTAS, Roman goddess of youth [Jew VEN tuss]

KOSMOS, Greek for the universe [KAZ mos]

LAELAPS, goddess Diana’s faithful hound [LEE laps]

LARVAE, white underground spirits [LAR vee]

LATINUS, king of Latium and father of Lavinia [lah TEE nuss]

LEO, the lion slain by Hercules [LEE oh]

LETHE, the river of forgetfulness in Hades [LETH eh]

LILITH, the first woman with a flawed soul [LILith]

LINUS, flaxen-haired son of Apollo [LYE nuss]

LUCIFER, the bearer of light and angel turned bad [LEW see fer]

LUNA, Roman goddess of the moon [LEW nah]

LYCAON, king whom Zeus turned into a wolf [lye KAY on]

MAIA, the mother of Mercury [MY ah]

MAJESTA the wife of Poseidon [Mah JESS tah]

MANNUS German god who founded 3 tribes [MAHN nuss]

MARS, The Roman god of war [MARZ]

MECHANAEUS, title for Jupiter as manager of men [Meh KAN eh uss]

MEDEA, Jason’s wife and also a sorceress [mee DEE ah]

MEDITRINA, Roman goddess of medicine [meh deh TREE nah]

MEDUSA, Gorgon who changed men into stone [meh DOO sah]

MELAENIS, pseudonym given to Aphrodite (me LYE niss]

MELISSA, goddess who took care of infant Zeus [meh LISS ah]

MELPOMENE, one of the 9 muses [mel POM ih nee]

MENA, Roman goddess of women’s health [MEH nah]

MENELAUS, King of Sparta and husband of Helen [men ah LAY uss]

MENTOR, A wise teacher and mentor in the Odyssey [MEN tore]

MEPHITIS, god who protected people from bad air [meh FYE tis]

MERCURY, messenger of the gods and merchants [mer CUE ree]

METAMORPHOSES, process of taking human form [meh tah MORE for sees]

MIDAS, the king with the golden touch [MY duss]

MIDGARD, Norse version of middle earth [MITT gart]

MILTON, JOHN author of Paradise Lost

MINERVA, Roman goddess of wisdom and arts [mih NUR vah]

MISERIA, Roman goddess of misery [mih ZER ee ah]

MNEMOSYNE, mother of the 9 muses [nee MOZ ih nee]

MOIRAI, Greek name for the 3 Fates [MOY rye]

MONTINUS, Roman god of mountains [moan TEE nuss]

MORBOS, Roman god of dread [MOR buss]

MORS, Roman god of death [Morss]

MUSAE, the 9 Muses of the arts [MOO sigh]

MYSCELUS, muscular son of Hercules [my SKI luss]

NARCISSUS, youth who adored himself too much [nar SIS sus]

NECESSITAS, mother of the Fates [neh KESS ih tass]

NEMESIS, goddess of retribution [NEM uh siss]

NEOPTOLEMOS,, son of Achilles [knee up TO ich muss]

NEPTUNE, Roman name for the god of the seas [NEPtune]

NIFLHEIM, Norse version of the Underworld [Nifil HYME]

NIKE, Greek goddess of victory [KNEE key]

NJORD, Where the Norse lived [knee yort]

NOAH, builder of the famous ark

NOX, Roman goddess of the night [Nocks]

NYMPHS, beautiful and youthful spirits of love [nimfas]

NYX, Greek goddess of the night [nicks]

OBSTETRIX, the Roman name for the midwife [op STET tricks]

OCEANUS, God of bodies of water; son of Uranus [oh SEE ah nuss]

ODIN, Norse king of the gods [oh DIN]

ODYSSEY, Homer [odd DIH see]

ODYSSEUS, Trojan war hero and king of Ithaca [oh DIS see uss]

OEDIPUS, murdered his father and married his mother [EE dih pus]

OLYMPUS, MT., home of the gods and goddesses [oh LIM puss]

ORCUS, Another name for Pluto [OAR cuss]

ORNIS, mother of the dangerous Stymphalian birds [OAR niss]

OVID, author of Metamorphoses [OV id]

PAN, god of forests and fertility [pan]

PANACEA, daughter of Apollo, the god of medicine [pan ah SEE ah]

PANDEMONIUM, Satan’s palace in Hell [pan deh MOAN ih um]

PANDORA, first woman created by the gods [pan DOE rah]

PARIS, Prince of Troy and abductor of Helen [PAIR iss]

PARTULA, Roman goddess of infants [par TOO lah]

PATROCLUS, page and lover of Achilles [Pah TROE kluss]

PAX, Roman goddess of peace [pocks]

PEGASUS, the flying, winged horse [PEG ah suss]

PENELOPE, faithful wife of Odysseus [pa NEL uh pee]

PERSEPHONE, Demeter’s daughter; queen of Hades [per SEF uh nee]

PERSONA, masks worn by ancient actors [per SEW nah]

PHANTASTES, god of dreams and inanimate objects [fon TASS teez]

PHLEGETHON, River of fire in the Underworld [FLEG a ton]

PHOBOS, Greek god of fear and panic [FOE buss]

PHOSPHORUS, Greek version of Lucifer [FOSS for uss]

PISCES, the two fish in the constellations [PIE seez]

PLUTO, Roman god of the Underworld [PLOO tow]

PLUVIUS, designation for Jupiter as rain giver [PLOO vee uss]

POLITES, Son of Priam [POH lee tez]

POLYPHEMUS, man-eating Cyclops; son of Neptune [pol ih FEE muss]

POLYPOETES, son of Apollo and writer of poetry [pol ih POE eh tez]

POMONA, Roman goddess of fruit and orchards [puh MOANA ah]

PONTUS, Roman god of rivers [POHN tuss]

POSEIDON, Greek god of the seas [poh SIGH done]

PRAM, king of Troy [PRY um]

PROMETHEUS, creator and savior of the human race [pro MEE thee uss]

PROSERPINA, Roman name for Persephone [pro SER pee nah]

PROTEUS, first offspring of Oceanus [PRO tea uss]

PROTOGENIA, first woman created after Great flood [pro toe JEN ih ah]

PSYCHE, beautiful woman loved secretly by Cupid [SIGH key]

PSYCHOPOMPOS, Mercury as guide to Hades [sigh koh PALM puss]

PYRRHA, Deucalion’s wife; survivor of the flood. [PURR ah]

REGINA, title for Juno as queen of the gods [Ray GEE nah]

RHEA, ancient earth goddess and Titaness [REE ah]

RHODUS, son of Aphrodite [ROW duss]

ROBOTNIK, czech word for worker or robot [row BOT nick]

ROMULUS, founder of city of Rome, twin to Remus [ROM you luss]

RUMOR, flying, wicked woman who spread lies [ROO more]

SAGITTARIUS, the archer and famous Centaur [Sa jit TEAR ih uss]

SALUS, The Roman god of health [SAH luss]

SANTA CLAUS, modern man with a flying chariot

SATAN, the fallen angel Lucifer

SATURN, Roman god of fertility a.k.a. Cronus [SAT urn]

SATYRS, woodland, half-man, half-goat spirits [SAY terss]

SAURUS, infamous robber killed by Hercules [SOW russ]

SCORPIO, the giant scorpion in the sky [SCOR pee oh]

SENECTUS, Roman god of old age [say NECK tuss]

SERVATOR, title given to Jupiter as savior of men [sehr VAH tore]

SIBYLL, very old prophetess who could change shapes [SIB ill]

SISYPHUS, punished in the Underworld with rock [SIS ih fuss]

SHAZAM, acronym for Captain. Marvel

SIDERA, god of stars and offspring of Astraeus [SID eh rah]

SIN, incestuous daughter; hideous creature of Satan

SIRENS, women who lured sailors to the rocky waters

SOL, Roman name for Apollo, god of the sun [Saul]

SPARTAE, soldiers who sprang from the earth [SPAR tye]

SPES, The Roman goddess of hope [space]

STATOR, Jupiter as one who steadies the world [STAH tore]

STAR WARS, man vs machine; futuristic movie

STRENUA, gave Romans the strength to fight disease [STREN uh ah]

STYX, the river souls have to cross in the Underworld [sticks]

SUPERI, 12 Olmpians living on Mt. Olympus [SOO pair ee]

SUPERMAN, well-known superhero; archetype of Achilles

SYLVANUS, Roman deity of the forests [sil VAUN uss]

SYMPLEGADES,huge floating rocks in the sea that clash[sim PLAGUE ah deez]

SYRINX, the nymph loved by Pan and turned into reeds [SIR inks]

TALOS, the first robot built by Vulcan [TAY loss]

TANTALUS, punished in Hades with fruit just out of reach [TAN tah luss]

TARTARUS, Greek version of Hell [TAR tah russ]

TARZAN, king of the jungle and archetype for Hercules

TAURUS, the Cretan Bull captured by Hercules, [TAR uss]

TELEMACHUS, Son of Odysseus and Penelope [Tah LEM ah kuss]

TERMINUS, the Roman god of boundaries and fields [TARE mee nuss]

TERPSICHORE, one of the 9 muses [terp SICK oh reh]

TERRA, Roman goddess of the earth

TERROR, Roman god of terror

THANATOS, Greek god of death [THAN ah toss]

THEA, Titaness who was daughter of Uranus [THEY ah]

THEMIS, mother of the Moirai or Fates [THEE miss]

THOR, Norse god with the huge hammer

TITANES, 12 offspring of Gaea and Uranus [TIE than ess]

TREMO, son of Mars and Bellona [TREM oh}

TRITON, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite [TRY ton]

TRIVIA, title for Diana as Hecate at the crossroads {TRIH vee ah]

TROY, also known as Ilum; location for the Iliad

TYPHON, the most hideous of all monsters

UMBRAE, shades or specters of the Underworld [UUM brye}

URANUS, early deity of the sky and father of the Titans [YOU rah nuss}

UTOPIA, another name for Paradise or Nirvana

VALHALLA, Norse version of heaven for fallen warriors [VAHL hahl lah]

VENTI, the god of the winds [WHEN tee]

VENUS, Roman name for Aphrodite, goddess of beauty

VERTUMNUS, Roman god of changing season [Wear TUM nuss]

VESTA, Roman name for Hestia, goddess of the hearth [WES ta]

VICILINUS, title given to Jupiter as the vigilant one [Wick ih LEE nuss]

VICTORIA, Roman goddess of victory like Nike [VICK tore ih ah]

VIRGO, title given to Diana and a sign in the zodiac [WIR go]

VITUMNUS Roman god who bestowed life to infants [wih TUM nuss]

VULCAN, Roman blacksmith of the gods

WODAN, another Norse name for Odin {WOE done]

WONDER WOMAN, a modern-day Amazon

WYRD SISTERS, Norse version of the Fates (weird]

ZELUS, deity of zeal and brother to Nike [ZEE luss]

ZEUS, King of the Olympians, a.k.a Jupiter [ZOOSS]

PROLOGUE

My interest in mythology goes all the way back to my high school years when my Latin teacher introduced me to so many of those fascinating stories. I then decided to continue my studies in Latin at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where I also took a course in mythology as an elective. I majored in German as well at the time. As the Latin teacher at John Marshall Jr.-Sr. High School, I incorporated these legendary stories into my Latin classes because my students consistently begged me to tell them each Friday as part of what I labeled culture day.

When I eventually joined the English department, I was chosen to teach a course which emphasized Roman and Greek mythos. With my background in the classics, this Myth and Folklore class appealed to me immediately and I went to work making a course outline for the semester. I was given the text and proceeded working on my lesson plans. I was excited because I decided my approach was going to be a novel one. The students were not only going to read the stories in the text, but I also hoped to enrich their vocabulary as well.

Words are my world. My lexicon of English words is a product of learning three languages. I started to learn English when I came to this country at the age of seven. I could only speak German at the time. No matter, English is a Germanic language and, therefore, was somewhat helpful. Most beneficial, however, was the fact that about 65% of English words come from Latin as well as some Greek. Moreover, a whopping 90% of our scientific and technological terms are derived from those classical languages. As a result, I was able to get to the roots of those American words to discover where our thoughts originated. I was excited to share my findings with my students.

The example I gave my students to prove my point about the origin of 65% of English words and to show them where the words which describe the basic tenets of our belief originated, I wrote on the blackboard one of the most well known documents describing our value system:

"We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union,

establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common de-

fense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to

ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for

The United States of America."

Now, I didn’t add, change, or subtract any words. So, here is what my pupils saw after I erased all the words (and, therefore, ideas) which came from Latin:

We, the…..of the…… ……, .. ….. to….a more……. ….., ……… ……, …… …….. ……….., …….for the …… ……. …….the……. ……., and…… the blessings of…….to ourselves and our ………, do…… and………this………… for the …… …… of America.

Doesn’t leave us much to the imagination or for any meaningful discussion, does it? I informed the kids that Latin tells us where our thoughts come from. As we speak, so we think, and as we think so we speak. Of course, they didn’t know that ancient Rome was once a democracy with an executive branch, a legislative body, and a judicial system.

I made sure my pupils knew the relevance of the course. I told them I was not going to waste their time with irrelevant information. I continued to explain to them how it would be impossible to not discuss different religions, especially those from the distant past. I cautioned them that if they felt uncomfortable hearing or reading about other people’s beliefs, they should please go to their counselors to sign up for another class. To my satisfaction, I never lost one pupil from those Myth and Folklore classes.

I pointed out to them the reason for the existence, persistence, and the purpose of myths. I reminded them how ancient societies didn’t have the benefit of the scientific knowledge we have at our fingertips today. Moreover, they didn’t have modern technology either. Whenever the Greeks and Romans (and others) looked up in wonder at the heavens or saw the extraordinary powers of nature, they wanted answers. For those ancients, any answer was better than no answer at all. So, they created their own explanations for these phenomena. These were especially reassuring because they created the illusion of order and sense for them.

Since we all share the same human conditions like fears, needs and desires, these myths and legends are a universal invention. This is the main reason why there are so many great similarities to these tales. They are attempts to explain universal concerns like death, misfortune, success, love, the afterlife, war, and fate. Coincidentally, these are the same cares we continue to struggle with today. These wonderfilled myths then fill that need and void. Therefore, their significance cannot be ignored.

Furthermore, it is those exact qualities and realities which cannot be seen under a lab microscope that make us so uniquely human, Yet, they exist and their very existence makes our lives more meaningful . One should see them as metaphors for concepts which elude us even in today’s more sophisticated world.

I really wish the novel Origin by one of my favorite authors, Dan Brown, had been available at the time I was teaching. It corroborates many of our same concerns, I was explaining to my classes back then. Dan Brown gives voice to these age-old human concerns via Professor Robert Langdon, the fictionalized character, who appears in a number of his works. The following quotes should validate my claims:

"For the early Greeks, the ebb and flow of the ocean was attributed to the shifting mood of Poseidon…

"The seasonal change…was caused by the planet’s sadness at Persephone’s annual abduction into the underworld…

Volcanoes were believed to be the home of Vulcan—the blacksmith of the gods – who worked in a giant forge beneath the mountain, causing flames to spew out of his chimney…

The ancients invented countless gods, Langdon ‘s voice said, to explain not only the mysteries of their planet, but also the mysteries of their bodies.…

Infertility was caused by falling out of favor with the goddess Juno. Love was the result of being targeted by Eros. Epidemics were explained as a punishment sent from Apollo…

That is to say, when the ancients experienced gaps in their understanding of the world around them, they filled those gaps with gods…

As the gaps in our understanding of the natural world gradually disappeared, our pantheon of gods began to shrink.¹

In retirement, I have opted to share all this information with my readers who find interest in these stories and want to discover the sources to so many of our ideas. I repeat: for as we speak so we think, and as we think so we speak. The study of the origin of words is called etymology. Much of this book will be devoted to this particular field of study.

These Greco-Roman mythologies have furnished us with the inspiration, influence, plus subject matter for the masterpieces of poetry, prose, music, sculpture, as well as painting. The figures in these myths and sagas have also been a wellspring for thousands of words, which make up 65% of our expressions to this day..

The Greeks and Romans still speak to us today via their tales, which have survived the test of time to the point where just about every aspect of our lives has been affected by their stories. Likewise, the names of some of them are the best known characters in the repertoire of our vocabularies.

English is a dynamic language and is constantly evolving. In this modern age of science and new technology, the major players in these fields continue to go to Greek or Latin, which now make up 90% of their vocabulary.

The reader will also discover how superstitions, horoscopes, in addition to astrology are teeming with entities from these ancient legendary myths and folklore. They even continue to have influence on our daily lives. Furthermore, our modern-day scientists have found a treasure trove of terms and names for animals, plants, planets, constellations and – more recently in our space age – names for missiles and space vehicles like Gemini, Apollo, Mercury. Atlas, and Jupiter, just to mention a few

Each of these mythological names mean something in Greek or Latin. They form the helpful roots of so many of our English words. Indeed, one would agree it’s easier to remember definitions of words if they can be associated with the more interesting realm of influence of the god, goddess, or hero. These are the roots of our thoughts and our existential being. Words like psychology, fate, veneration, politics, commerce, and phobias are just a few examples.

One might ask why these Greco-Roman myths from millennia ago can still be of any relevance in the 21st Century? Well, let me see: this manuscript, for instance, has been generated on my ASUS computer. ASUS gets its name from Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology that symbolizes wisdom and knowledge. According to the manufacturer, ASUS embodies the strength, purity and adventurous spirit of this wonderful creature, and soars to new heights with each new product it creates. My purpose, then, is to prove that these myths are more than trite or meaningless stories. So let’s begin our 3001 word odyssey!

(In the body of this text, the reader will notice some words are in bold type. These English words have their roots in the names of the mythological entities since the names are actual Greek or Latin words. The italicized inventory words in parentheses at the end of the chapters the word inventories which include the translations of the names in addition to a larger number of words pertaining to those Greco-Roman names. There is also a pronunciation guide after the contents section at the beginning of this book.)

CHAPTER 1

Cosmic Chaos

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The best place to start is at the beginning, and In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ² Let’s look at the universal power of the word in this 3001 Word Odyssey.

Originally there was only