Machaon son of the famous healer Asclepius. Machaon is from Thessalia and is often used as a healer in the Iliad.
Maenad a female votary of Dionysus who took part in the wild, orgiastic rites that characterized his worship; bacchante.
Muses nine goddesses, daughters of Zeus, who preside over various art forms. Homer invokes the Muse of Epic Poetry.
Mycenae Achaian kingdom of Agamemnon. Mycenae was probably the most famous of all the Greek kingdoms.
Myrmidons soldiers commanded by Achilles.
Nereids daughters of the sea-god, Nereus.
Niobe Phrygian woman whose twelve children were killed by Apollo and Artemis. Niobe is usually associated with mourning and weeping.
Ocean River the Greeks conceived of the ocean as a river rising in the west and encircling the world.
Old Man of the Sea Nereus, father of Thetis and the Nereids.
Olympiad the athletic contests held near Mount Olympos in honor of the gods. The funeral games of Patroklos seem to be based on the contests of the Olympiad.
omen a sign of impending doom. Natural events, such as the flight of an eagle, were often seen as omens.
oratory oratory, the art of speaking, was one of the classical areas of learning for ancient Greeks. A classical oratory consisted of prescribed sections: exordium, narratio, and conformatio. (See the Analysis on Book IX for a discussion of these terms.)
Orion's Dog the Dog Star, Sirius, named for the dog of the mythological hunter, Orion.
