Abae a place north of Thebes, where an oracle of Apollo presided.
Acheron a river in Hades, often identified as the river across which Charon ferries the dead.
Aegeus a king of Athens who drowns himself when he thinks his son Theseus is dead.
Aetolia region of ancient Greece, on the Gulf of Corinth.
Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty.
Apollo the god of music, poetry, prophecy, and medicine in Greek and Roman mythology. Here, Apollo is most important as the source of the prophecies of the oracle.
Arcadia ancient, relatively isolated pastoral region in the central Peloponnesus.
Arcturus a giant orange star in the constellation Bootes, the brightest star in the northern celestial sphere. Here, for the ancient Greeks, its appearance marked the beginning of the winter season.
Ares the god of war, the son of Zeus and Hera.
Argos ancient city-state in the northeast Peloponnesus from the seventh century B.C. until the rise of Sparta. Here, used to represent the forces led by Polynices to take back Thebes.
Artemis the goddess of the moon, wild animals, and hunting in Greek mythology. She is the twin sister of Apollo.
Athena the goddess of wisdom, skills, and warfare.
augury a divination from omens. Here it refers to the ritual sacrifice of an animal and the examination of its organs for an indication of the future.
Bacchus another name for Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry.
Cadmus a Phoenician prince and founder of Thebes; he kills a dragon and sows its teeth, from which many armed men rise, fighting each other, until only five are left to help him build the city.
Castalia spring on Mount Parnassus, Greece; in ancient times it was sacred to the Muses and was considered a source of poetic inspiration to all who bathed in it.
Cephisus a river of Attica.
Cerberus the three-headed dog guarding the gate of Hades.
Cithaeron the mountain range between Thebes and Corinth. Here, the place where Oedipus was abandoned.
Colonus a village to the north of Athens. Here, the setting for the tragedy.
Corinth ancient city of Greece located in the north east Peloponnesus, in the islands off central Greece. A city noted for its luxury, here, it is the home of Oedipus after his adoption.
