Hercules (Heracles): Hero of great strength who completed twelve labors
Perseus: Hero who defeated Medusa using a mirror-like shield
Theseus: Hero who found his way out of the Labyrinth
Odysseus: Clever hero whose long trip home from Troy is told in the Odyssey
Achilles: The greatest Greek warrior at Troy; his weak spot was his heel
Jason: Hero who sailed on the Argo to find the Golden Fleece
Atalanta: A famous runner and hunter
Orpheus: A musician whose songs charmed animals and trees
Bellerophon: Hero who rode the winged horse Pegasus
Pegasus: A winged horse
Medusa: A monster with snakes for hair
Minotaur: A bull-headed creature in the Labyrinth
Cyclops: A one-eyed giant
Polyphemus: The Cyclops that trapped Odysseus
Hydra: A many-headed water serpent that regrew heads
Cerberus: The three-headed dog guarding the underworld
Chimera: A fire-breathing mix of lion, goat and snake
Sphinx: A creature with a riddle that people had to answer
Sirens: Sea creatures whose singing lured sailors
Scylla and Charybdis: A sea monster and a whirlpool on either side of a narrow strait
Harpies: Winged creatures that snatched food
Gorgon: A monster like Medusa
Phoenix: A bird that bursts into flame and is reborn from its ashes
Griffin: A creature with an eagle's head and wings and a lion's body
Trojan Horse: A giant wooden horse used to sneak soldiers into the city of Troy
Helen of Troy: A woman whose story started the Trojan War
Paris: The prince of Troy who took Helen
Hector: The bravest defender of Troy
Penelope: Odysseus's wife who waited twenty years
Circe: A sorceress who turned men into pigs
Calypso: A nymph who kept Odysseus on her island
Daedalus: The inventor who built the Labyrinth and wings of wax and feathers
Icarus: Daedalus's son who flew too near the sun
Midas: A king whose touch turned things to gold
Pandora: The first woman in a tale about a jar of troubles and hope
Narcissus: A youth who fell in love with his own reflection
Echo: A nymph who could only repeat the last words she heard
Arachne: A weaver who became a spider
Sisyphus: A king who had to roll a boulder uphill again and again
The Golden Fleece: A magical golden sheepskin sought by Jason
Argonauts: The crew of heroes who sailed with Jason
The Twelve Labors: The twelve tasks given to Hercules
Labyrinth: A maze built to hold the Minotaur
The Iliad: Homer's epic poem about the Trojan War
The Odyssey: Homer's epic poem about Odysseus's journey home
Achilles' heel: A single weak spot, now meaning any hidden weakness
Pandora's box: Something that causes many problems when opened
Midas touch: A talent for making money
Herculean: Needing great strength
Odyssey (word): Any long, adventurous journey

Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/fun-greek-heroes-monsters