The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5)(102)

Chaos the first primordial deity and the creator of the universe; a shapeless void below even the depths of Tartarus Cistern a refuge for dryads in Palm Springs, California

cohort a group of legionnaires

Commodus Lucius Aurelius Commodus was the son of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius; he became co-emperor when he was sixteen and emperor at eighteen, when his father died; he ruled from 177 to 192 CE and was megalomaniacal and corrupt; he considered himself the New Hercules and enjoyed killing animals and fighting gladiators at the Colosseum Cumaean Sibyl an Oracle of Apollo from Cumae who collected her prophetic instructions for averting disaster in nine volumes but destroyed six of them when trying to sell them to Tarquinius Superbus of Rome Cyclops (Cyclopes, pl.) a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his or her forehead cynocephalus (cynocephali, pl.) a being with a human body and a dog’s head

Daedalus a Greek demigod, the son of Athena and inventor of many things, including the Labyrinth, where the Minotaur (part man, part bull) was kept Dante an Italian poet of the late Middle Ages who invented terza rima; author of The Divine Comedy, among other works Daphne a beautiful naiad who attracted Apollo’s attention; she transformed into a laurel tree in order to escape him Deimos Greek god of fear

Demeter the Greek goddess of agriculture; a daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos

denarius (denari, pl.) a unit of Roman currency

Diana the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon; the daughter of Jupiter and Leto, and the twin of Apollo. Greek form: Artemis Didyma the oracular shrine to Apollo in Miletus, a port city on the western coast of modern-day Turkey dimachaerus (dimachaeri, pl.) a Roman gladiator trained to fight with two swords at once Dionysus Greek god of wine and revelry; the son of Zeus. Roman form: Bacchus

drachma a unit of ancient Greek currency

drakon a gigantic yellow-and-green serpentlike monster, with frills around its neck, reptilian eyes, and huge talons; it spits poison dryad a spirit (usually female) associated with a certain tree

Elysium the paradise to which Greek heroes are sent when the gods grant them immortality Erebos the Greek primordial god of darkness; a place of darkness between Earth and Hades fasces a ceremonial ax wrapped in a bundle of thick wooden rods with its crescent-shaped blade projecting outward; the ultimate symbol of authority in ancient Rome; origin of the word fascism

Fates three female personifications of destiny. They control the thread of life for every living thing from birth to death.

faun a Roman forest god, part goat and part man

Fields of Punishment the section of the Underworld where people who were evil during their lives are sent to face eternal punishment for their crimes after death Gaea the Greek earth goddess; wife of Ouranos; mother of the Titans, giants, Cyclopes, and other monsters Ganymede a beautiful Trojan boy whom Zeus abducted to be cupbearer to the gods

Gaul the name that Romans gave to the Celts and their territories

Germanus (Germani, pl.) a bodyguard for the Roman Empire from the Gaulish and Germanic tribal people who settled to the west of the Rhine river glámon the ancient Greek equivalent of dirty old man

Golden Fleece this hide from a gold-haired winged ram was a symbol of authority and kingship; it was guarded by a dragon and fire-breathing bulls; Jason was tasked with obtaining it, resulting in an epic quest. It now hangs on Thalia’s tree at Camp Half-Blood to help strengthen the magical borders.

Gray Sisters Tempest, Anger, and Wasp, a trio of old women who share a single eye and a single tooth and operate a taxi that serves the New York City area Greek fire a magical, highly explosive, viscous green liquid used as a weapon; one of the most dangerous substances on earth griffin a flying creature that is part lion, part eagle

Grove of Dodona the site of the oldest Greek Oracle, second only to Delphi in importance; the rustling of trees in the grove provided answers to priests and priestesses who journeyed to the site. The grove is located in Camp Half-Blood Forest and accessible only through the myrmekes’ lair.

Hades the Greek god of death and riches; ruler of the Underworld. Roman form: Pluto Harpocrates the god of silence

harpy a winged female creature that snatches things

Hecate goddess of magic and crossroads

Helios the Titan god of the sun; son of the Titan Hyperion and the Titaness Theia

Hephaestus the Greek god of fire, including volcanic, and of crafts and blacksmithing; the son of Zeus and Hera, and married to Aphrodite. Roman form: Vulcan Hera the Greek goddess of marriage; Zeus’s wife and sister; Apollo’s stepmother

Hermes Greek god of travelers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication. Roman form: Mercury Herophile the Oracle of Erythraea; she spouts prophecies in the form of word puzzles Hestia Greek goddess of the hearth

Hunters of Artemis a group of maidens loyal to Artemis and gifted with hunting skills and eternal youth as long as they reject men for life Hyacinthus a Greek hero and Apollo’s lover, who died while trying to impress Apollo with his discus skills Icarus the son of Daedalus, best known for flying too close to the sun while trying to escape the island of Crete by using metal-and-wax wings invented by his father; he died when he didn’t heed his father’s warnings Imperial gold a rare metal deadly to monsters, consecrated at the Pantheon; its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors Julius Caesar a Roman politician and general whose military accomplishments extended Rome’s territory and ultimately led to a civil war that enabled him to assume control of the government in 49 BCE. He was declared “dictator for life” and went on to institute social reforms that angered some powerful Romans. A group of senators conspired against him and assassinated him on March 15, 44 BCE.