harpy a winged female creature that snatches things
Hercules the Roman equivalent of Heracles; the son of Jupiter and Alcmene, who was born with great strength
Hyperboreans peaceful northern giants
ichor the golden blood of immortals
Imperial gold a rare metal deadly to monsters, consecrated at the Pantheon; its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors
Iris the rainbow goddess
Juno Roman goddess of women, marriage, and fertility; sister and wife of Jupiter; mother of Mars. Greek form: Hera
Jupiter Roman king of the gods; also called Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the best and the greatest). Greek form: Zeus
karpoi grain spirits
Laistrygonians tall cannibals from the north, possibly the source of the Sasquatch legend
Lar house god, ancestral spirit (Lares, pl.)
legion the major unit of the Roman army, consisting of infantry and cavalry troops
legionnaire a member of a legion
Liberalia a Roman festival that celebrated a boy’s rite of passage into manhood
Lupa the sacred Roman she-wolf that nursed the foundling twins Romulus and Remus
Mars the Roman god of war; also called Mars Ultor. Patronof the empire; divine father of Romulus and Remus. Greekform: Ares
Minerva Roman goddess of wisdom. Greek form: Athena
Mist magic force that disguises things from mortals
Mount Othrys the base of the Titans during the ten-year war with the Olympian gods; Saturn’s headquarters
muster formal military inspection
nebulae cloud nymphs
Neptune the Roman god of the sea. Greek form: Poseidon
Otrera first Amazon queen, daughter of Ares
pallium a cloak or mantle worn by the Romans
Pantheon a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome
Penthesilea a queen of the Amazons; daughter of Ares andOtrera, another Amazon queen
Periclymenus a Greek prince of Pylos and a son ofPoseidon, who granted him the ability to shape-shift. He was renowned for his strength and participated in the voyage of the Argonauts.
Phineas a son of Poseidon, who had the gift of prophecy. When he revealed too much of the plans of the gods, Zeuspunished him by blinding him.
pilum a Roman spear
Pluto the Roman god of death and riches. Greek equivalent: Hades
Polybotes the giant son of Gaea, the Earth Mother
praetor an elected Roman magistrate and commander of the army
Priam the king of Troy during the Trojan War
principia the headquarters of a Roman camp
probatio testing period for a new recruit in a legion
pugio a Roman dagger
Queen Hippolyta’s belt Hippolyta wore a golden waist belt, a gift from her father, Ares, that signified her Amazonian queenship and also gave her strength.
retiarius Roman gladiator who fought with a net and trident
River Styx the river that forms the boundary betweenEarth and the Underworld
Romulus and Remus the twin sons of Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia who were thrown into the RiverTiber by their human father, Amulius. They were rescued and raised by a she-wolf and, upon reaching adulthood, founded Rome.
Saturn the Roman god of agriculture, the son of Uranus and Gaea and the father of Jupiter. Greek equivalent:Kronos
scorpion ballista a Roman missile siege weapon that launched a large projectile at a distant target
Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) “The Senate and People of Rome”; refers to the government of the Roman Republic and is used as an official emblem of Rome
shades spirits
Sibylline Books a collection of prophecies in rhyme writtenin Greek. Tarquinius Superbus, a king of Rome, bought them from a prophetess named Sibyl and consulted them in times of great danger.
spartus a skeleton warrior
spatha a cavalry sword
Stygian iron like Celestial bronze and Imperial gold, amagical metal capable of killing monsters
Tartarus husband of Gaea; spirit of the abyss; father of the giants; also the lowest region of the world
Terminus the Roman god of boundaries and landmarks
Thanatos the Greek god of death. Roman equivalent: Letus
Tiber River the third-longest river in Italy. Rome wasfounded on its banks. In ancient Rome, executed criminals were thrown into the river.
trireme a type of warship
triumph a ceremonial procession for Roman generals and their troops in celebration of a great military victory
Trojan War the war that was waged against the city of Troyby the Greeks after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband, Menelaus, the king of Sparta. It started with a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite.
Coming Fall 2012
The Heroes of Olympus, Book Three
THE MARK OF ATHENA
Praise for The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan:
The Lightning Thief
“Perfectly paced, with electrifying moments chasing each other like heartbeats.”
—The New York Times Book Review
The Sea of Monsters
★ “In a feat worthy of his heroic subjects, Riordan crafts a sequel stronger than his compelling debut.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review) The Titan’s Curse
“All in all, a winner of Olympic proportions.”
—School Library Journal