The New York Times
Gameplay |10 Greek Mythological Characters to Help You Raise Your Crossword Game
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Gameplay |Words to Know
By SAM EZERSKY
Crossword puzzles expect solvers to have a good grasp of general knowledge, but sometimes that know-how is just not in our personal wheelhouses.
That’s O.K. We’re here to help you solve … and to help you expand those wheelhouses.
Even if you’ve never read a Greek myth in your life, use this print-and-save list of mythological characters frequently seen in crosswords to help take your puzzling to the next level.This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the names included here appear frequently enough thatknowing them will definitely help you out.
We’ll also show you different ways these terms might be clued, so you’ll be able to recognize them the next time they come up. The clues that involve wordplay meant to trick you arebold, to make them easier to spot and to teach you to think like the puzzle makers.
1.AJAX
Ajax, the son of Telamon,is depicted in Homer’s “Iliad” as a mighty Greek soldier in the Trojan War. He faced off against Hector, Troy’s strongest fighter, and later rescued Achilles.
When Odysseus laid claim to Achilles’ armor, Ajax fell on his sword out of jealousy. The Sophocles work “Ajax” describes this series of tragic events in detail.
Note: Ajax is also a popular household cleaning brand, and may be clued as such.
Possible clues: “Trojan war hero,” “Sophocles tragedy,” “‘Iliad’ figure,” “Role in ‘Troy’,” “Son of Telamon,” “War hero who killed himself with a onetime rival’s sword,” “Comet competitor,” “‘Stronger than dirt’ sloganeer,” “Cleanser whose name comes from Greek myth”
Sources:Britannica.com,XWordInfo.com
2.ARES
Ares, the Greek god of war, is one of the 12 Olympian deities and a son of Zeus and Hera. He fathered several children with Aphrodite: Phobos and Deimos, who fought alongside him in combat, as well as Harmonia and, by some accounts, Eros.
In Greek sculpture, pottery or other artwork, Ares is usually depicted in battle attire, especially a helmet. Ares is said to have sported golden armor and ridden in a chariot pulled by four immortal, fire-breathing horses.
Unlike Mars, the Roman equivalent, Ares was not well-liked by the gods around him, and was consequently worshiped less by the Greeks.
Possible clues: “Greek war god,” “God of war,” “Lover of Aphrodite,” “Mars’ counterpart,” “Son of Zeus,” “Bellicose deity,” “Father of Harmonia,” “Vultures were sacred to him,” “Trojan ally, in the ‘Iliad’,” “God whose name is a hom*ophone of a zodiac sign”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
3.EOS
Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn,is the daughter of the titans Hyperion and Theia, and the sister of sun and moon deities Helios and Selene. In Homer’s “Iliad,” Eos is said to have “rosy fingers” that create the dawn view.
Her lovers included Orion, Cephalus and the mortal Tithonus, for whom Eos notably requested immortality from Zeus yet accidentally left out eternal youth. Thus, while Tithonus was able to live forever, he still aged over time.
Note: EOS is also a line of Canon cameras, and may be clued this way in New York Times crosswords as well.
Possible clues: “Dawn goddess,” “Daughter of Hyperion,” “Aurora’s Greek counterpart,” “Sister of Selene,” “Sister of Helios,” “‘Rosy-fingered’ Greek goddess,” “Lover of Tithonus, in myth,” “Canon camera,” “Camera named for a goddess”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
4.ERATO
Erato is one of the nine Muses, a group of sisters serving as patron goddesses for the liberal arts. In particular, Erato is the Muse of love poetry and bears a lyre in artistic depictions.
Her father is Zeus, and her mother is Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. Her other sisters are: Calliope (Muse of epic poetry, by many accounts), Clio (history), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polymnia (sacred poetry), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy) and Urania (astronomy).
Possible clues: “Muse of poetry,” “Sister of Clio,” “Poetic Muse,” “Sister of Thalia,” “Muse of love poetry,” “Sappho’s Muse,” “One of nine sisters,” “Lyre player of mythology,” “Odist’s inspiration,” “Muse whose name means ‘beloved’”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
5.EROS
Eros is the god of love, ruling over both passion and fertility. Though he is widely considered to be the son of Aphrodite and either Zeus, Ares or Hermes, Eros has been said to be created from Chaos in Hesiodic accounts.
In art, Eros is usually depicted as a boy bearing a bow and arrows, much like his Roman counterpart, Cupid. In psychological contexts, “Eros” is used to represent one’s life instinct or, specifically, sex drive.
Possible clues: “Son of Aphrodite,” “Love god,” “Winged Greek god,” “Piccadilly Circus statue,” “Love child?,” “Cupid’s Greek counterpart,” “One taking a bow?,” “Lover of Psyche,” “Symbol of love,” “Libido,” “The libido, in psychiatry”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
6.HERA
The daughter of Titans,Herawas the wife of Zeus – as well as his sister – thus making her the queen of Mount Olympus. As a goddess,Herastood for the protection of women as well as for marriage. She was also the patron deity of the Greek cities Argos and Samos, where celebrations would be held in her honor.
At times,Herawould be depicted as hateful and hostile because of her envy of Zeus’ other lovers. However, along with her rancor came respect for her as a strong, majestic leader of the gods during times of both war and peace.
Possible clues:“Wife of Zeus,”“Daughter of Cronus,” “Queen of the heavens,” “Mother of Ares,” “Queen of Olympus,” “Jealous wife in Greek myth,” “Juno, to the Greeks,” “Bickerer in the ‘Iliad’,” “Goddess in a chariot drawn by peaco*cks”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
7.LEDA
Leda was a Spartan queen best known as the mother of Troy’s Helen and Clytemnestra, as well as the Gemini twins, Castor and Pollux.
Legend states that Leda was once approached by Zeus disguised as a swan; Pollux, the initially divine twin, and Helen, princess of Troy, were hatched from eggs. This inspired many artistic and literary interpretations throughout the years, most notably W.B. Yeats’s “Leda and the Swan.”
Possible clues: “Mother of Castor and Pollux,” “Helen of Troy’s mother,” “Mother of Helen,” “Mother of twins, in myth,” “Clytemnestra’s mother,” “Yeats’s ‘___ and the Swan’,” “Zeus visited her as a swan,” “Queen of Sparta”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
8.MEDEA
Medea was a sorceress who helped Jason and the Argonauts obtain the legendary Golden Fleece. Jason would go on to marry Medea, yet eventually abandon her for King Creon’s daughter.
The ancient tragedian Euripides wrote the play “Medea” to chronicle the events around Jason’s abandonment of Medea.
According to Herodotus, the ancient Medes derive their name from Medea, as she fled to their eventual settlement.
Possible clues: “Euripides tragedy,” “Greek sorceress,” “Princess who helped Jason,” “Jason’s sorceress wife,” “Sorceress who aided Jason’s quest,” “Tragic woman in Greek drama,” “Whom Jason jilted,” “Jiltee of myth”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
9.NIOBE
The legend of Niobe, daughter of Tantalus and wife of Thebes’ King Amphion, revolves around the idea that mortals would be punished for their arrogance toward the gods.
When Niobe boasted to a titan, Leto, about her 12 children, Apollo and Artemis killed all dozen of them in return. Niobe was then petrified into rock by Zeus, and is said to still be crying for her offspring at present-day Turkey’s Weeping Rock.
Fun fact: The chemical element niobium (Nb) is named after Niobe.
Possible clues: “Weeper of myth,” “Daughter of Tantalus,” “Legendary weeper,” “Mythical queen of Thebes,” “Zeus turned her to stone,” “Tragic figure in Greek myth,” “Amphion’s wife,” “Personification of Turkey’s Weeping Rock,” “Mythical eponym of element #41”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
10.SATYR
Satyrs were half-man, half-goat attendants of Dionysus (or Bacchus, in Roman legend).
Throughout ancient times, satyrs’ appearances changed drastically. They were once depicted as rather vulgar, sexually aroused humanoids with horse bodies. However, a younger and cleaner look eventually emerged, inspired by Greek sculptor Praxiteles.
The happy-go-lucky nature of satyrs inspired “satyr plays,” in which a central tragedy was lightened by a cheerful surrounding atmosphere.
Possible clues: “Bacchus attendant,” “Dionysus attendant,” “Nymph chaser,” “Lustful deity of myth,” “Lecherous figure of Greek myth,” “Lecher,” “Lascivious sort,” “Mythical being with horns,” “Lecherous goat-man,” “Debaucher,” “Woodland reveler of myth”
Sources: Britannica.com, XWordInfo.com
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