Theros Beyond Death/Trivia
Cards throughout Theros Beyond Death heavily reference Greek mythology. There are also some throwbacks to the art and flavor Theros block.
Greek mythology
- The Akroan War is the equivalent of the ancient Greek Trojan War.
- Alirios, Enraptured is a reference to Narcissus.
- Allure of the Unknown is a gender-flipped version of Pandora's box, with the name Pantor bearing similarities to Pandora.
- Athreos, Shroud-Veiled uses coin counters, thematically representing the Ancient Greek practice of placing coins in with the deceased for payment to be carried to the afterlife.
- Atris, Oracle of Half-Truths, is likely a perversion of the oracle at Delphi.
- The Binding of the Titans mirrors a similar event in Greek mythology, when the Olympian gods imprisoned the older Titans in Tartarus at the conclusion of the Titanomachy.
- Bronzehide Lion is a reference to the Nemean lion.
- The Callapheia (found in flavor texts), recounting the adventures of Callaphe, is a take on the Odyssey.
- Dalakos, Crafter of Wonders is a reference to Daedalus.
- Impending Doom depicts the sword of Damocles.
- The First Iroan Games is a reference to the Ancient Olympic Games.
- The Fruit of Tizerus references the Pomegranate, which was known as the "fruit of the dead" in ancient Greece.
- The mono-colored gods are named with Homeric epithets.
- Haktos the Unscarred is a reference to Achilles.[1]
- Ilysia (Ilysian Caryatid) mirrors Elysium or the Elysian Fields, the abode of the blessed in the lower world.
- Klothys, God of Destiny, is a take on Clotho, one of the Greek Fates.
- Kunoros, Hound of Athreos is a take on Cerberus, guardian of the Underworld. Mechanically, it prevents creatures from escaping the graveyard, nor players from casting spells from it, which mirrors the myth.
- The Labyrinth of Skophos is a play on the Labyrinth of Knossos that held the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the hero Theseus.
- The Nessian Boar is a reference to the Calydonian Boar.
- The Ox of Agonas is a reference to the Cretan Bull.
- Phylias (Dreadful Apathy) mirrors the Asphodel Meadows, a place for ordinary or indifferent souls who did not commit any significant crimes.
- Renata, Called to the Hunt is a take on on the virgin huntress Atalanta.
- Mount Velus, where the forge of Purphoros burns, is similar to Greek accounts of Mount Etna.
- Wings of Hubris is an allusion to Icarus
- The ability of the Woe Strider to scry after sacrificing a goat is reminiscent to the ancient Greek practice of haruspicy.
Throwbacks
- Daxos, Blessed by the Sun wears the mask of Daxos the Returned on his arm
- Grasping Giant is a Hundred-Handed One
- The flavor text of Revoke Existence (Theros Beyond Death) references Revoke Existence (Born of the Gods).
- The art of Taranika, Akroan Veteran features the statue of Gideon Jura in the background. Like Gideon Blackblade she creates an indestructible creature with base power and toughness 4/4.
- The two printed titans have the "titan trigger" from M11.[2]
References
- ↑ Ethan Fleischer (January 3, 2020). "Through the Stygian Waters". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ethan Fleischer (January 7, 2020). "I got really excited about the titans from Greek mythology.". Twitter.