Theros block/Trivia

Cards throughout the Theros block heavily reference Greek mythology. The following is a list of specific analogs and references in concepts and cards within the Theros block.

Theros block

 * Before designing the block, Mark Rosewater gave Shawn Main the task of compiling a booklet in order to catalog how Magic has used Greek mythology in the past.
 * While the block has representatives of four of Magics iconic creature types (Demon, Dragon, Hydra and Sphinx), the white representative is missing as Angels are not a part of Greek mythology. Their role has been taken over by Archons for the set.
 * The sets have multiple different creatures types inspired by Greek mythology such as Minotaur, Pegasus, Hydra, Satyr and Centaur. However, in Greek mythology some of these creatures are unique and only a single Minotaur, a single Pegasus and a single Hydra exists, while there are multiple Satyrs and Centaurs.
 * The city of Akros is modeled after the city of Sparta, said to be centered around a more rough and unforgiving lifestyle and known for its warriors. The city of Meletis is modeled after Athens, often thought of as a more civil and refined society. The city of Setessa is styled after the Amazones, focusing on female warriors while men are expected to wander and find their place elsewhere.
 * The Pantheon of Gods has analogs in Greek mythology. Heliod is reminiscent of Zeus and Helios, Thassa of Poseidon and Thalassa, Erebos of Hades and Erebos, Purphoros of Prometheus and Hephaestus, and Nylea of Artemis. Their weaponry also has close analogues, such as Bident of Thassa referring to Poseidon's Trident.
 * The minor gods also mirror deities. Ephara is Athena, Karametra is Demeter etc.
 * The Theriad, an epic story from which excerpts are given through flavor text throughout the block, is a close analogue to the ancient Greek epic poem The Iliad, traditionally attributed to Homer circa 1260 BC.
 * Theros was almost a block that jumped thousands of years between sets. The idea was killed because the creative team didn't have the resources at the time to pull it off.

Theros

 * The characters of Anax and Cymede were inspired by Leonidas and Gorgo, the king and queen of ancient Sparta.
 * Hundred-Handed One mimics the Hekatonkheires, a monster with one-hundred arms and fifty heads who would later be used as guardians.
 * The artwork of Ordeal of Heliod depicts a human about to decapitate a Minotaur, a reference to Theseus.
 * Wingsteed Rider shows a Knight in gold armor riding a pegasus similar to Bellerophon, a hero of Greek myth.
 * Curse of the Swine is a reference to The Odyssey in which the Witch-Goddess Circe transforms a number of soldiers into pigs.
 * A Hippocamp, such as Breaching Hippocamp, is a mythical creature that is half-horse and half-fish.
 * Omenspeaker appears to depict Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi.
 * Swan Song</c> seems to be a more distant reference to Leda and the Swan, in which the god Zeus transforms himself into a Swan in order to rape Leda.
 * Gorgon's head</c> is a reference to the myth of to Medusa.
 * Rescue from the Underworld</c> is modeled after Orpheus's descent to the underworld in order to rescue his wife.
 * Sip of Hemlock</c> depicts a real-world form of execution in ancient Greece, in which the prisoner would be forced to drink an extract of hemlock. A famous person that was executed this way was the philosopher Socrates.
 * Titan of Eternal Fire</c> and Chained to the Rocks</c> both refer to the story of Prometheus, a titan that give the gift of fire to the Humans and was punished by the gods for it. His punishment was being chained to a rock face for eternity, with a bird eating the liver out of his body every day.
 * Titan's Strength</c> depicts a person having to push up a boulder up a hill, similar to the legend of Sisyphus who was punished with this futile task as the boulder inevitably would roll down the hill, forcing Sisyphus to start over.
 * The activated ability on Bow of Nylea</c> is meant to represent the four seasons. Each result also refers to a number, which increases from 1 to 4 within it.
 * Vulpine Goliath</c> references the Teumessian Fox.
 * Fleecemane Lion</c> is analogous to the Nemean lion, a monstrous lion whose golden fur was impervious to attack as happens when the card becomes monstrous.
 * Shipwreck Singer</c> mechanically mimics sirens, luring seafarers into their demise.
 * The card Triad of Fates</c> mimics the Moirai, a trio of women weaving the thread of life.
 * Underworld Cerberus</c> is a more literal interpretation of the mythical creature of Cerberus, a three-headed dog who guards the gates of the underworld. Mechanically there must be a blocker for each head, while the card is on the battlefield the graveyard cannot be accessed, but when the Cerberus is slain all the dead can escape the underworld.
 * Akroan Horse</c> mirrors the Trojan Horse, a trick in which warriors infiltrated the city of Troy inside a wooden horse that was offered to their enemies.
 * Colossus of Akros</c> is Magic's equivalent to the Colossus of Rhodes.
 * Fleetfeather Sandals</c> refer to Hermes, the messenger of the gods who wore winged sandals.
 * <c>Pyxis of Pandemonium</c> alludes to Pandora's box, said to release unimaginable horrors if opened.
 * <c>Witches' Eye</c> alludes to the Graeae, a trio of witches who shared one eye and one tooth among them.
 * <c>Loathsome Catoblepas</c> alludes to a legendary creature from Ethiopia, described by Pliny the Elder. It is said to have the body of a buffalo and the head of a wild boar. The name was earlier considered for a creature in Mercadian Masques.

Born of the Gods

 * <c>Archetype of Endurance</c> is a reference to the Erymanthian Boar. One of Hercules' 12 labors was to capture the Boar because it is known to be impossible to catch.
 * <c>Brimaz, King of Oreskos</c> is a reference to Leonidas I, king of Sparta. He is also often referred to as "The Lion King" by Magic players.
 * The artwork for <c>Ornitharch</c> depicts a chariot drawn by doves, similar to the Chariot of Aphrodite drawn by the Peleiades.
 * <c>Divination</c> depicts Cymede of <c>Anax and Cymede</c> having a vision of the Gods.
 * <c>Fate Unraveler</c> is another reference to the Fates or the Graeae.
 * <c>Fated Infatuation</c> is a reference to Narcissus who kissed his own reflection he saw in a pool. The personality disorder Narcissism is named after him.
 * <c>Whelming Wave</c> names Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents. The only other card that makes such a reference is <c>Quest for Ula's Temple</c>.
 * <c>Gild</c> is a reference to the tale of King Midas, who had the ability to turn everything he touched (hand wise) into gold.
 * <c>Impetuous Sunchaser</c> is an analog to the tale of Icarus who, with his father Daedalus, created wings from bird feathers and wax. Icarus became overly confident in this invention and plummeted to his death after flying too close to the sun, causing the wax in his wings to melt.
 * <c>Reckless Reveler</c> depicts the burning of a wooden horse statue, which may be another allusion to the Trojan Horse.
 * <c>Peregrination</c> depicts a young man who, after coming of age, leaves the city of Setessa.
 * <c>Raised by Wolves</c> is akin to the legend of Romulus and Remus, a pair of brothers raised by a pack of wolves who would later become the founders of the city of Rome.
 * <c>Weight of the Underworld</c> references the myth of Sisyphus who was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top, repeating this action for eternity.

Journey into Nyx

 * <c>Aegis of the Gods</c> refers by name to the mythical Aegis carried by Athena (the original is traditionally pictured with <c title="the gorgon Medusa's head">Gorgon's Head</c> on it).
 * <c>Launch the Fleet</c> seems to be a reference to the fleets involved in the Trojan War.
 * <c>Skybind</c> may be a reference to the practice of turning people into constellations, although that was usually a reward.
 * <c>Interpret the Signs</c> appears to depict the Ancient Roman practice of augury, divination through observation of birds' flight.
 * <c>King Macar, the Gold-Cursed </c> is a representation of King Midas.
 * <c>Thoughtrender Lamia</c> is named after the myth of Lamia, a lover of Zeus cursed to consume the children of others.
 * <c>Bearer of the Heavens</c> is a representation of Atlas, the titan condemned to hold the celestial sphere.
 * <c>Gluttonous Cyclops</c>' interest in sheep appears to be a reference to the best known of the cyclops, Polyphemus, who raised a flock of them and was blinded by Odysseus.
 * The <c>Golden Hind</c> was another name of the Ceryneian Hind.
 * <c>Ravenous Leucrocota</c> is named after a fictional wolf-dog described by an ancient naturalist.
 * <c>Renowned Weaver</c> is a representation of the myth of Arachne.
 * <c>Deserter's Quarters</c>'s art is a representation of the Brazen Bull, a classical Greek and Roman instrument of torture.
 * <c>Sage of Hours</c> is pictured with a device similar in appearance to the Antikythera Mechanism.