This online glossary is a sample which includes only the first 4 letters. For the entire alphabet see All-power-fighting, the third volume in The Broken Dance trilogy, or the upcoming print version of this book.
A
Greek terms beginning with alpha, the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet
A-aptos: “invincible”
A-blntos: “un-hit by projectile”
Akademy: a park/gymnasium at Athens from 385 B.C. to A.D. 529
Akrokhersites: high-hander
Akropolis: “high city”
Adamas: “steel”
Adiaphoria: “indifference to outward things”
Aegis: “cloak”
A-philaktos: “un-guarded”
Agathe: “good”
Agkho: “strangle”
Agoge: “training”
Agon: “contest”, “place of contest”, “place where men contest like leaders”, “athletic
festival”
Agonia: “a struggle for victory”
Agoniao: “to compete”
Agonios: “Lord of the Contests” and/or “God of the Palaestra” cult title of Roman
Emperors and the god Hermes, also any patron or judge presiding over an agon
Agonisis: “contending for a prize”
Agonisma: “a contest for a prize”, or “the prize”: in plural exploits, achievements
Agonisomai: “to contend for a prize”, “to fight”
Agonistics: athletics practiced in preparation for an agon, agonistiks.
Agonistns: “a combatant”, “a contestant”, “a rival”
Agonistikos: “fit for contesting/winning”
Agonothetai: “festival organizers”
Agonothetes: director of contests
Agony: “suffering of the contestant”
Agora: the town marketplace which usually abutted the entrance to the palaestra
Agrarian: Greek socio-economic ideal based on independent farmers serving as hoplites
Agrotera: “border-lands” where most hoplite battles were fought for possession of
farmland
Aidos: sportsmanship –the opposite of insolence—dignity and modesty expected of the
Athlete
Aikhmi: “spear”, “spear-point”, “body of spearmen”, also war, battle
Aikhmitis: “spearman”, “warrior”, also warlike, brave
Aima: “blood”
Aiodos: “bard” or “singer”, a singing poet
Aischrologiai: ritual exchange of insults and rod strokes between women
Aisimnitis: an elected or ruling judge, umpire, president or manager of games
Aiti: a battle-cry
Aito-skhesios: a close “hand-to-hand” fight
Akataplexia: “undisturbedness”
Akinakis: a straight Persian short sword, also Acinaces
Akis: “barb”
Akmitos: “untiring”
Akonsilos: “without blows”
Akoniti: “no-duster”, a no-contest, walk-over victory
Akontion: “javelin”
Akontistes: “javelin instructor”
Akontistikos: “skilled javelin thrower”
Akroboleo: “to be a slinger”, “to skirmish”
Akrobolos: “slinger”, “skirmisher”
Akrokheirismos: high-handedness
Akrokheirisomai: “to struggle at arm’s length”, wrestling without clasping the body
Akrolenion: “point of the elbow”
Akroporos: “pierce with the point”
Aleipterion: the massage or oiling room of the palaestra
Aleiptes: “oiler” or assistant athletic trainer
Aleo: “bruise”, “grind”, “pound”
Alexandrini: the synod of traveling athletes of Alexandria
Alexibelemnos: defending against arrows/darts
Alkai: “feats of strength”
Alkaios: “strong”
Alkantos: “brave”
Alki: “prowess”, “might”
Alkimakhos: “brave-fighter”
Allilothonia: “mutual slaughter”
Alosimos: “easy to win/conquer”
Alotos: to be captured or acquired
Alox: a gash or wound in the earth [furrow] or of the skin
Altikos: “nimble”
Altis: sacred precinct at Olympia
Amazon: 1. a warrior of a mythical female race, 2. a woman-warrior of a nomadic tribe,
3. a class of gladiator from the Imperial period of undetermined armament
Amblis: a dulled edge or clipped point
Ameilikhus: “relentless”
Amilla: a struggle, rivalry or contest
Amintip: “defender”
Amphidexios: “ambidexterity” or “having two right hands”
Amphitomos: “double-edged”
Amphora: double handled vase, often decorated with athletic images and filled with
olive oil, commonly given as prizes to combat athletes in Athens
Amphoterodexios: a double-edged blade
Amphotide: light sparring head-gear similar to modern wrestling head-gear
Ampikazo: to bind or wreath the hair
Anabasis: an expedition upland from the coast
Anabatis: “one who is mounted”, a horseman
Ana-feiyo: to escape
An-afis: “untouched”
An-aimakti: “without bloodshed”
An-aimaktos: “unstained with blood”
Anaklitos: “leaning back”
An-akopto: to beat, force or drive back
An-alkis: without strength, impotent, unwarlike
An-antayonistos: “undisputed”
Anapale: “armed dance”
Ana-peiraomai: to attempt again, or to practice military exercises
Anar-ronnimi: to regain strength or spirit
An-askitos: “untrained”
Ana-stefo: to crown or wreath, as in victory
Ana-sfallo: to recover from a fall
Anatharseo: to regain one’s courage
Anaxuein: an exercise consisting of scrapping the wrestling ground or skamma to remove twigs, thorns and stones
Anaykazo: to force, harass, annoy, compel by torture
Andragathia: “manly virtue”
Andreia: “courage”
Anekkletos: “unchallenged”
Anephedros: “winning an agon without a bye”
An-epistimon: “unskillful”
Aniketos: “unconquered”
Anno Domini [L]: “the year of our Lord”, abbreviated as A.D., designated in A.D. 531 by
the scholar Dionysius Exiguus, previously A.D. meant “”the year of
Diocletian” which began in A.D 284, A.D. is currently being
challenged by the more politically correct C.E., or “common era”
AnoOlympiad: non-Olympiads, as the Eleans called the Olympic agons that were
usurped by invaders, and therefore invalid
An-oitatos: “unwounded”
An-oplos: without the large shield, not heavy-armed, unarmed
Anthreia: manliness, courage
Anthrei-fontis: man-slaying, also anthro-ktonos
Anthrayathia: bravery, manly virtue
Anthr-ayria: the spoils of a slain enemy
Anthro-ktasia: “man-slaughter”
Anti-ktipeo: to clash against
Antilabe: hand-grip of the aspis
Anti-makhomai: to fight against
Anti-nikao: to conquer in succession
Antioomai: to meet in battle
Antipalos: properly wrestling against, also evenly matched
Anti-polemeo: to wage war against one
Anti-polemos: warring against
Antipherizo: to fight against for a prize
Aoede: “song”
Aor: a “dreadful” tapering sword with a broad thick blade of various lengths
Aoros: “sword”
Apatheia: “absence of feeling”
Ap-enarizo: to loot an enemy’s weapons
Apite: “Go!”
Aphobia: “fearlessness”
Apobatai: young soldiers who jumped on and off moving chariots, singular = Apobates
Apoduterion: “undressing room” of the palaestra
Apokopos: “castrated”
Apollonius: the first period of the Olympic truce, when athletes trained at Elis, corresponding roughly to our month of August
Aporthetos: “un-plundered”, the boast of Sparta
Apo-sio: to strip off the arms of the slain
Apo-skithizo: scalping
Apo-timpanizo: to beat or club severely
Arkhon: administrator of an athletic synod, also archon
Areia: “warlike”
Arei-tolmos: full of warlike energy
Arei-phatos: slain in war
Arete: the virtues of a warrior
Argyraspidae: “Silver-shields”, a division of elite Macedonian hoplites
Ariste: “best”
Arist-athlos: victorious in the athletic contest
Ariste: “best”
Aristeia: fears of a hero.
Aristo-makhos: best-fighter, also aristo-makhus or aristo-machus
Arkis: hunter’s net
Arma: chariot
Armat-ilatis: charioteer
Arosis: “harrowing”, “hazing”
Aryballos: personal oil-flask of an athlete
Asai: to hurt.
Askisis: “exercise”, “training”, “discipline” [also askesis].
Askitis: “practitioner”
Askitikos: “industrious”, “athletic”.
Aspides: “shields”
Aspis: “shield”, of the heavy bowl-shaped type
Aspis-apoblis: one who drops his shield, a runaway coward
Aspisi-phoros: “shield-bearer”, a warrior
Aspisi-piyos: “shield-maker”
Aspiso-phermon: living by the shield, a warrior
Aspistir: one armed with a shield
Aspisi-strophos: “shield-wielding”
Astragaloi: 4-sided dice used by Greeks to consult oracles and gamble
Asylia: “inviolability”
Asylos: “immune from reprisals”
Asynexostos: “never pushed out of the skamma”
Ataraxia: freedom from spiritual disturbance
Athlete: “prize-seeker”
Athlon: “prize”
Athlos: “contest”
Athlothetai: athletic commissioners
A-toikhos: “un-walled”, the boast of Sparta
Atraumatistos: “unwounded”
A-triaktos: “unconquered”
Augustanei: An athletic synod of Naples
Aulos: “flute”
Autokrater: “absolute ruler”, “supreme leader”
Agymnasia: want of exercise or training
A-gymnastos: “untrained”, “unpracticed”
Agy-makhos: “close-fighting”
B
From the Greek terms beginning with beta or vita, the 2nd letter
Baktron: a staff
Barbarian: a non Greek-speaker
Bareia heip: “heavy hand” or “right hand”
Baru-palamos: “heavy-handed”
Basileis: “kings”
Belemnon: a dart or javelin
Beloni: arrow-head or spear-point,
Bia: “force”
Bibasis: gymnastic dance
Biga [Latin]: a two-horse chariot
Bios: “life”
Bit-armon: a dancer
Blasphemia: “obsenity”
Boagrion: a shield of wild bull’s hide.
Bou-thoos: “warlike”
Boua: “class”
Boule: “council”
Bouleuterion: sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, where athletes are examined and sworn-in.
Brabeia: the office of umpire or presidency of the games.
Brabeion: an athletic prize.
Brabegs: the judge who assigns athletic prizes.
Brakhu-sithiros: a dart with short small head.
Brotos: blood or gore from a wound.
Britho: to out-weigh, prevail, to be superior in a fight, to be master.
Bucolic: “pastoral”, a type of poetic verse.
Bursini: a leather strap or thong
C
From the Greek terms beginning with kappa, the 10th letter, and khi or chi, the 22nd letter
Callinicus: “gloriously victorious”, properly kallinikus
Catapult: a bolt throwing engine “shield-piercer”, properly Katapult
Centaur: a mythical man-horse depicted in fighting scenes, properly kentaur
Ceryx: “herald/messenger”, properly keryx
Chalcos: bronze, brass or copper, properly khalkos
Note: a component in hundreds of martial terms describing brazen arms
Charax: a pointed stake, properly kharax
Note: the root for various terms describing fortification
Charmi: the joy of battle, properly kharmi
Cheir: “hand”, “hand and forearm”, properly kheir, also heiro
Cheir-thrakon: “one who asserts his right by force of hands”, properly kheir-
Cheiris: “glove”, “hand and forearm covering”, properly kheiris
Cheiroballistra: an advanced stone-throwing machine, properly kheiroballistra
Cheiroholos: “one whose hand is maimed, properly kheiroholos, also heiroholos
Cheiro-thaiktos: “slain by the hand”, properly kheiro-thaiktos
Cheiromakhos: “to fight with hands”, properly kheiromakhos
Cheiro-makhos: “fighting with the hand”, properly kheiro-makhos
Cheironomeo: “hand-drill”, to move the hands to a certain time or order, also
a form of shadow-boxing, properly kheironomeo
Chermathios: of the size of a large stone fit for throwing, properly khermathios
Chermas: “sling-stone”, properly khermas
Chermastir: “slinger”, properly khermastir
Chiton: a tunic or coat of mail, properly khiton
Chlamis: “military cloak”, properly khalmis
Cholus: “the Lame”, properly kholus, also holos
Chorus: “dancing”, properly khorus
Cosmeterium: tiring-room of a city’s fortress, properly kosmeterium
Cretagenes: “Crete-born”, properly kretagenes
Cupido: “longing”, properly kupido
Cyanos: blued [tempered] sword-steel, properly kyanos
Cynegus: “the Huntsmen”, properly kynegus
D
From the Greek terms beginning with delta or thelta, the 4th letter
Daimon: “spirit”
Dais: “feast”
Deinon derkomenoi: “sharp looks and serious intent”, referring to boxers
Deirotomeo: to cut the throat or behead a person
Dekadarkhos: leader of ten, a squad-leader
Demiourgoi: “deputies”
Diadokhi: “successors” of Alexander the Great who ruled the Hellenistic world
Diagonizomai: to contend with earnestly, to fight to the end
Diagoridae: the blood-line of Diagoras of Rhodes
Di-aimos: “blood-stained”
Diaititis: “umpire”
Dia-lambano: to clasp around the waist, or grasp with both hands, also comprehend
Diamakhomai: to fight it out
Dia-palaio: to go on wrestling
Dia-pali: a hard struggle
Dia-pikteio: to box or fight with, also dia-pykteio
Dia-pliktizomai: to spar or skirmish
Dia-sphazo: to cleave apart, to slaughter
Dia-khalao: to limber up with gentle exercise
Dia-khazo: to draw back
Diaulos: “double-flute”, also “double-race”
Dia-xiphizomai: to fight to the death
Dibolos: “two-pointed”
Didaskalia: “training”
Dielasis: to charge, drive-through, or to exercise cavalry
Di-kella: a mattock with two teeth
Diphreia: chariot-driving
Diphrilatis: “charioteer”
Dipylon: double gateway in a city wall
Diskus: flat stone, wood or metal disc
Diskobolos: “disc-thrower”
Dis-makheo: to fight in vain, or for an unholy cause
Dis-makhos: hard to fight with, unconquerable
Dis-palaistos: hard to wrestle with, hard to conquer
Dithiktos: “two-edged”
Divatos: strong, powerful, able
Dmos: a slave taken in war, any slave
Dodek-aethlos: conqueror in twelve contests
Dodeka-makhanos: knowing twelve arts
Doir-inekes: a spear’s throw in distance
Doiro-doki: “spear-stand”
Doiro-phiki: “spear-case”
Dolikh-egkhis: with tall spear
Dolikhos: a race equal to 20-24 lengths of the track
Dolios: “craftiness”
Dora: a skin, hide
Dorata: “spears”
Doration: a dart or small spear
Dorato-pakhis: of a spear-shaft’s thickness
Dory: “spear”
Doryalotos: “spear-captive”, taken in war
Dorygambros: “spear-wooed”
Dorykanis: “spear-slain”
Doryktitos: “spear-won”
Doryktipos: “spear-clashing”
Dorymargos: “spear-raging”
Dorymistor: “spear-master”
Dorypaltos: “spear-wielding”
Doryponos: “spear-toiling”, doing most of the fighting
Dorystephanos: “spear-crowned”, awarded honors for bravery in war
Dorytinaktos: “spear-shaken”, disheartened by battle
Dorytmitos: “spear-pierced”
Dorytolmos: “spear-bold”
Dorypharis: “spear-daring”
Doryphoreo: “spear-duty”, guarding or attending with the spear
Doryphorima: “spear-guard”
Doryphoria: “spear-guarding”
Doryphoros: “spear-bearing”
Dorysphenis: “spear-mighty”
Dorysoos: “spear-brandishing”
Dorythiratos: “spear-taken”
Doryxenos: “spear-friend”
Doryxoos: “spear-maker”
Drepani: a sickle or scythe
Drepanon: a sickle or scimitar
Drepan-oirgos: “sword-maker”
Dromos: a course, race, running, fleeing, etc.
Dyktyon: “net”
Dyskolos: “bad-tempered”
