List of references to Greek mythology in the Halo series

Many names of locations, vehicles, ships and operations have been taken from the Greek mythology. Below are some examples of them:

• Tartarus: Tartarus was named after the worst, most cruel part of the Underworld, where the original Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires were sealed by their Titan parents, and later the Titans themselves became inhabitants of Tartarus. The worst people and things were said to go to Tartarus for eternal torture.

• Déjà: One of the lessons Déjà taught involved the famous Greek Battle of Thermopylae. Déjà took on the appearance of an ancient Greek goddess, and although which one is not specified, she seems to look like Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war.

• Iris: In Greek mythology, Iris was a minor god of the rainbow and the messenger of the gods, like Hermes.

• Operation: PROMETHEUS: This operation was named after Prometheus, a Titan who stole fire from god Zeus and gave it to mortals. He was subsequently punished by Zeus and his brother Poisedon, the kings of Olympus by being forced to endure his liver being pecked out in the mornings by the vulture Ethon, having it regrown, and then pecked out again the next day. Also, 300 Spartan-IIIs fought in this battle and died; this is much like the Battle of Thermopylae, were 300 Spartan soldiers fought the Persians. At this battle, all of the Spartans died fighting but also put a heavy loss on the Persians losing many soldiers. This is like the Covenant losing all their ships during Operation: PROMETHEUS.

• SPARTAN Program: This programs was named after the [[wikipedia:Spartan_Army|Spartan warriors] who originated in Sparta in the southern part of ancient Greece. The city-state retained the superior military power in the region between 650 and 363 B.C. Its citizens were following the simplest way of life possible. They all exercised, and their children, like those used in the SPARTAN program, were trained from a very young age for many years.

• Leonidas, the third movement of the Delta Halo Suite from the Halo 2 Original Soundtrack: Leonidas was a Spartan king from around 488 B.C. to 480 B.C. He died during the Battle of Thermopylae.

• Chiron TL-34: This multiplayer map is named after Chiron, a Centaur who trained Heracles.

• Cyclops: This unit is named after the Cyclops, a kind of mythical giant with only one eye in the middle of their head. Some were descendants of the Titans, while another was the son of Poseidon. Odysseus, while returning to his homeland, was captured by a Cyclops; he used his intelligence to get out, saving his friends from it.

• UNSC Heracles: This warship was named after Heracles, a divine hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, nephew of Amphitryon, famous for doing the Labors of Heracles.

• Archimedes: Archimedes was an Ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and inventor.

• Arcadia: This important human colony might have taken its name from the region in the Peloponnesus of southern Greece.

• Melissa: Melissa, is the Greek word for bee. Considering the fact that the AI Melissa is afraid of bees, we can say that her name is inspired by the insect melissa.

• Movements of the Odyssey: The Movements of the Odysseys were a collection of 4 songs included in the Halo 2 Soundtrack. Odyssey is a ancient Greek novel written by Homer. It talks about the adventures of Odysseus since he left the Battle of Troy until he reached Ithaca, his homeland.

• Kurt Ambrose: Kurt-051's surname, Ambrose, comes from the Greek word Ambrosia (Αμβροσία). Ambrosia is the drink the immortal Gods of ancient Greece enjoyed to drink, and the source of their power.

• Station Delphi: Station Delphi is a deep space construction platform. In Greek mythology, Delphi was an important religious center and a key city in Greece. The well-known Oracle of Delphi, is located in this town.

• Ichor: Ichor was used as the word for "blood" in the novel Halo: The Flood. Ichor was the blood of the gods of Olympus. Though they were immortal they could still bleed the golden blood Ichor.

• Pallas Athena: Pallas Athena was an AI that worked as a librian at the Boston Public Library. Athena, was the Greek goddess of Wisdom, Craft, and War. Pallas was her second name.

• Mount Erebus: Erebus was the Greek underworld palace were Hades lived.

• Hesiod: Hesiod is a gas giant inhabited by Insurrectionists mentioned in Halo: The Cole Protocol. The name of the planet is likely a reference to the early Greek poet and rhapsode Hesiod, whose writings serve as a major source on Greek mythology, farming techniques, archaic Greek astronomy and ancient time-keeping.

• Charybdis IX: Charybdis IX is a UNSC Colony World, that was the site of Human rebel activity, and later the site of the Battle of Charybdis IX during the Human-Covenant War. Charybdis was the daughter of Poseidon. Originally a sea-nymph, she was turned into a sea monster by Zeus, after angering him by stealing Heracles' cattle.

• Herodotus: UNSC Herodotus was a UNSC Destroyer that took part in the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV and was finally destroyed by a Covenant assault Carrier. In real life, Herodotus was a Greek historian.

Images

• Mr. Mohawk from HGN.PNG

  The Brute Chieftain, Tartarus.

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  Chiron TL-34, in Halo: Combat Evolved.

• H3 Elephant Sharpened2.jpg

  The UNSC's Behemoth-class Troop Transport

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  John-117, or Master Chief, a Spartan super soldier of the UNSC.

• Movie Concept 2.jpg

  SPARTAN training on Reach.

• Melissa-detail.jpg

  Melissa. Note the Marathon symbol on her shoulder.

• Spartans-never-die.jpg

  Kurt-051, another Spartan super soldier, just before his death.