The impasse at Thermopylae was eventually resolved when a local inhabitant named Ephialtes showed the Persians a mountain trail which would allow the Persians to mount a surprise attack on the Greeks from the rear; Xerxes had his first taste of Greek determination and tactics but he did not think that any amount of gall or intelligence could stand against his massive military; the Persian Empire was the most powerful governmental state on earth and the Greeks, although they were the only civilized people in Europe, were, by comparison, simply a loosely organized and constantly bickering conglomeration of nations who happened to share a common language and heritage. See Xanthippe by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). It seems that the women of the city of Athens have decided to kill the poet, Euripides, because of the demeaning way in which he portrays women in his plays; the women put Euripides in the same category as the accursed Persians and declare him an enemy of the state; Euripides persuades his father-in-law, Mnesilokhos (Mnesilochus), to dress like a woman and attend the Womens Assembly in order to speak out on Euripides behalf; at first, Mnesilokhos speaks well for Euripides and seems to be generating some sympathy for the doomed poet but an informant arrives and tells the women that a male spy has invaded their assembly; it doesnt take long for the women to deduce that the only woman to speak out for Euripides is the intruder. For more detailed information on Zeus I suggest that you return to the Home Page of this site and consult the Immortals section. The son of Laertes and Antikleia (Anticleia); the husband of Penelope and the father of Telemakhos (Telemachus). One of the three sons of Hellen; his brothers were Doris and Aiolos (Aeolus); he was the husband of Kreusa (Creusa) and the stepfather of Ion. The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus voyage home after the fall of Troy; after killing Poseidons son, Polyphemos (Polyphemus), Odysseus and his crew endured all types of deadly ordeals; when Odysseus did not return for ten years, a group of suitors gathered in the hopes of marrying Penelope; when Odysseus arrived home he had to confront the suitors in order to regain his home and property; with the assistance of the goddess Athene, his son Telemakhos, his father Laertes and a few devoted servants Odysseus fought and killed the suitors. As the army moved down the eastern coast of the Greek mainland, each independent Greek nation was either threatened or beaten into submission; the first major disappointment for Xerxes came at the battle of Thermopylae; a Spartan commander named Leonidas blockaded the pass with a small troop of soldiers; Xerxes was certain that when the Greeks saw his vast army they would simply run away, so he camped for four days in full view of the defiant Greeks; on the fifth day it became obvious that the Greeks were not going to surrender their fortifications without a fight; Xerxes sent a detachment of Medes and Kissians (Cissians) against the Greeks assuming that the Greek defenses would collapse with one aggressive assault; after a full days fighting, the Persians suffered heavy losses and failed to dislodge the Greeks; on the next day Xerxes sent in his best troops, the Immortals, to attack the Greeks but they could not force their way through the Greek lines; wave after wave of soldiers were hurled against the Greeks but the Persians remained ineffectual; this went on for several days and the Greeks seemed to never tire or decrease in number. he was writing for the Athenian audience of his day; he would use puns, parody regional accents and speak directly to the audience in ways that force modern translators to seek out the contextual meaning rather than the literal meaning of the poets words; for that reason, I suggest that if you find a translation that is difficult to enjoy, please dont blame Aristophanes, simply look for a translation that you can enjoy; when trying to find a readable translator, I suggest Patric Dickinson; you may find his books at your local library in the 882 section but his books are out of print and sometimes difficult to find. When Agamemnon and Menelaos (Menelaus) asked Odysseus to join them in the siege of Troy, he gathered an army and sailed with them; during his ten years at Troy, Odysseus was a fearless leader and a skillful strategist; he was characterized as resourceful and crafty but his unfailing devotion to the Immortals, especially Athene (Athena), garnered him the intelligence and strength to survive the perils of the battlefield and withstand the treachery of the Trojans and the Immortals. Kydoimos (Cydoimos); a Spirit; the personification of Confusion or Uproar. At this point the play takes a unique turn; I have to admit that I was more than a little surprised when Mnesilokhos snatched up a baby from a woman in the assembly and threatened to kill it unless he was allowed to leave the hall unharmed; I wont tell you how the situation is resolved but I will say that its scenes like this which demonstrate Aristophanes true comic genius. See X by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). See Xanthos (5) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). An Okeanid, i.e. The Aeneid was written between the years 29-19 BCE during the reign of Augustus Caesar, i.e., Octavian, and was an undisguised attempt to re-instill the noble values on which Rome had been founded and to give new faith to the Roman people after the flagrant excesses of Julius Caesar and Marcus Antony. After ten years of an unsuccessful siege on the walls of Troy, the Greeks devised a plan by which they would pretend to abandon the war and retreat back to their homes; the Greeks built a hollow Wooden Horse, which was filled with Greek soldiers, and left it in front of the gates of Troy; the Trojans saw the horse and debated its significance and fate. When the noted statesman, Solon, reorganized the Athenian society (circa 594 BCE) he divided the citizens into four specific groups; the four classes under Solons constitution were: See Zeygitai by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). (circa 434-355 BCE) A Greek historian and essayist. A comic play by the Athenian poet, Aristophanes, which was produced in 422 BCE and presented at the Lenaea festival where it won second place. In the play, Antiope by Euripides, the story was expanded and the twin boys, now grown to manhood, avenged the harsh treatment their mother had received at the hands of her uncle and aunt, Lykus (Lycus) and Dirke (Dirce); Lykus was deposed as the king of Thebes and Dirke was killed cruelly on the horns of a bull. A river in Lykia (Lycia) in southwestern Asia Minor which flows southwards into the Mediterranean Sea. Roman and Greek Gods Names starting with 'V' - Roman Gods Family TreeThe Dictionary of Roman and Greek Gods Names starting with 'V' provides short definitions of the gods and goddesses that feature in myths and legends. Thank you!Greek Mythology > People, Places, & Things > U to Z. See Zeno (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). The Aeneid tells the story of the Greek hero, Aineias (Aeneas), the final battle of Troy and the eventual founding of Rome by Troys survivors; its impossible to read the Aeneid without comparing it to the Greek epics such as The Iliad and The Odyssey; one glaring difference is that The Iliad and The Odyssey were written for the people and the Aeneid was written for an emperor; Virgils loyalties aside, he created an important work of art and gave us a glimpse into the mind the Romans of antiquity; Virgil died before he could finish the Aeneid but Augustus Caesar had the unfinished poem copied and distributed. This term is used to identify the southern portion of the Nile river valley of Egypt. A large decorative vase, especially one with an ornamental foot or pedestal. See Zopyrus by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). A simple, carved image, especially one in which the original block of stone or wood is readily apparent. This is one of Aristophanes more ribald plays and might not be suitable for younger readers. Zmyrna was the mother of Adonis by the unnatural union with her father; she had dishonored Aphrodite (goddess of Love) and the goddess had her revenge by causing Zmyrnas father to seduce her; Adonis was the result of that union; when Kinyras came to his senses he intended to kill Zmyrna but the Immortals intervened and turned the disgraced girl into a myrrh tree. See Zephyros by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). See Urn by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). For the complete translations of the Epic Cycle I recommend the Loeb Classical Library volume 57, ISBN 0674990633; you can sometimes find this book at the library or you can order it from the Book Shop on this site which is linked to Amazon.com. It took a month for the Persian army to reach the narrow passage of the Hellespont where they intended to cross over into Europe; Xerxes lashed ships together side by side to create a 4,077 foot pontoon bridge across the Hellespont and prepared to march his army from Asia to Europe; when a violent wind broke the bridge to pieces, Xerxes had men with whips pronounce curses and deliver three hundred lashes on the water; he lowered a yoke into the water to symbolize his domination and finally branded the water with hot irons; the men who had been responsible for the bridges construction were beheaded; after he had calmed down, Xerxes repented and made offerings to the water spirits of the Hellespont so that he might be forgiven for his act of irreverence; to appease the waterway, he burned incense, poured libations, offered myrtle branches, a golden cup and bowl and also a sword; whether Xerxes did these things to appease the Hellespont or as a tribute to the sun god of Greece is not clear, regardless, the bridge was completed and the troops marched safely across. See Urania by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). Dictionary of Roman and Greek Gods Names starting with 'V'This is a comprehensive who's-who of the names of ancient Roman and Greek gods and goddesses starting with 'V' that feature in classical Greek mythology. Additional, comprehensive facts and information about Roman and Greek gods and goddesses are also available via: (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Dictionary of Roman and Greek Gods Names starting with 'V'This section of the Dictionary of Roman and Greek Gods Names provides provides useful facts and information about the vast number of gods that feature in Roman and Greek myths and legends. See Xanthos (3) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). See Zakynthus by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). See Xyst by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking). Approximate east longitude 20.44 and north latitude 37.52. The Trojans were ecstatic; they believed that they had survived ten years of fierce fighting and were now ready to accept the Greeks peace offering; after a day and night of celebration, the Trojans collapsed into a state of wine-induced exhaustion; the Greeks inside the Wooden Horse emerged from hiding and fell upon the unsuspecting Trojans; once the gates of the city were opened, the entire Greek army entered the city and leveled the walls of Troy and killed or enslaved every Trojan citizen.