1. Real and Imagined Journeys: Italy, Epic, and the Self
Harry Potter: Classical
Elements of a Modern Epic
By ELISA LERNER
3/28/2013

2. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, is the single most read series on the planet
other than the Bible 1. Many scholars have criticized Rowling’s work because of its simplicity.
Some believe that the impression of simplicity is a bad one. The writer Ursula LeGuin even said
in an interview that Harry Potter “…seemed a…good fare for its age group, but stylistically
ordinary, imaginatively derivative, and ethically rather mean-spirited” 2. Obviously, literature
preference is a personal one. This essay is not meant as a defense of the series or an articulation
of love for the books, but rather as a critical look at what Rowling took from mythology to use in
her books and why she chose to do so.
Rowling derives much of her world from Greek culture, the Latin language, and Greek
and Roman mythology. She does this for many reasons, the most important of which is to give
the magical world a root in our own. Rowling uses many Latin roots in the names of spells.
Some examples are “Aguamenti”, the spell that summons water, comes from the root “aqua”
which means water and “Lumos”, a spell that creates light, is based on the root “lumen”, which
means light 3. Rowling’s creation of a world that mirrors our own allows us to learn about hers
by learning in ours.
By examining her characters’ names, we can grasp a better understanding of this idea. In
many instances, it is possible to figure out a character’s actions and purpose in the story by
simply learning about the history behind their name. The heads of each of the four Hogwarts
houses has a mythologically-relevant name. Pomona Sprout, who teaches Herbology (the study
of magical plants), has a name based in Roman Mythology. Professor Sprout is described as
being “a dumpy little witch” (“The Sorcerer’s Stone”, pg.133) who is very dedicated to the
education and safety of her students. This is proven in “The Chamber of Secrets” when she

3. grows Mandrakes to revive the victims of the Basilisk. According to myth, Pomona was a
nymph “devoted to the cultivation of fruit trees” 4. Professor Sprout is not only dedicated to the
cultivation of trees, but also to the cultivation of her students’ minds. “Sprout” may also be a
reference to both the plants and young minds she nurtures.
Minerva McGonagall’s name also originated from Roman Mythology. Minerva was the
Roman name for Athena, the goddess of wisdom 5. Although she was not in Ravenclaw, the
house known for intellect, the Sorting Hat only decided to place her in Gryffindor after long
consideration. Professor McGonagall shows her wisdom throughout the books, often in
unconventional ways. McGonagall is acknowledged to be an Animagus, a witch or wizard who
can change to another species at will. In the first chapter of the series Professor Dumbledore
comments on this:
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall. “He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone.
Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses
exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes” (“The Sorcerer’s Stone”, pg.
9).
In “The Prisoner of Azkaban”, the students learn that there are only seven registered Animagi.
This is a clear display of McGonagall’s intellect because, "Only very powerful and skilled
wizards are able to become Animagi…” (“The Prisoner of Azkaban”).
In “The Sorcerer’s Stone”, it is Professor McGonagall who first realizes Harry’s knack
for Quidditch. Instead of punishing him for flying his broom against the wishes of Madam
Hooch, she introduces Harry to the Captain of the Quidditch team, Oliver Wood, and
recommends him to be the team’s Seeker. In “The Order of the Phoenix”, she shows wisdom of
a different kind. When she finds out that Harry has gotten himself detention with Dolores
Umbridge for a second time, instead of being angry, she feeds him cookies and advises to be
careful. This displays the wisdom of common sense because McGonagall knows that she does

4. not have the power to remove Umbridge but does have the ability to guide Harry to act well
within the constraints of his situation.
Filius Flitwick teaches Charms at Hogwarts and is the Head of Hufflepuff. Professor
Flitwick’s appearance and character are described in his name. His first name means “son” in
Latin, while his last is a city in Britain 3. “Son” may be a simply be a reference to his small
stature but it also implies his familial loyalty to Hogwarts since it is the only magical school in
Britain (“The Goblet of Fire”). Professor Flitwick proves his loyalty when he defends Hogwarts
from Snape, screaming “No! You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!” (“The Deathly Hallows”,
pg. 599).
Severus Snape, the head of Slytherin, teaches Potions throughout most of the books, and
then Defense of the Dark Arts in “The Half-Blood Prince”. Although his name may be a
reference to his severe personality and his membership in Slytherin House, whose house symbol
is a snake, Snape’s name is much more than it appears. Snape is the exception to the way that
Rowling named her characters. By having his story not be part a reference to Greek or Roman
mythology or language, Rowling adds mystery to Snape’s character. Throughout the series,
Snape’s loyalty it is often questioned. At the end of series, Snape exposes that he exchanged his
loyalty for Dumbledore agreeing to protect Harry’s mother, Lily Evans, from Voldemort. Snape
agreed because he and Lily had been childhood friends and he had loved her since they met.
After Lily’s murder, Snape continued to serve Dumbledore faithfully. Snape’s devotion to Lily
is clear in his naming. “Severus Snape” is an anagram for “pursues Evans”. This is relevant
because anagrams were originally a Greek invention that were used to display deeper meaning6.
Although there is no story to go along with Snape’s name, Rowling uses this Greek innovation to
show that Snape is far more than he appears to the reader.

5. Rowling uses these ancient origins for more than just the Heads of the four Houses; she
uses it for virtually every character. Examples of Rowling’s use of ancient origins continue
throughout the series. Some of the most notable are that of Hermione, Professor Lupin, and
Professor Trelawney.
Rowling named Hermione after the daughter of Helen of Troy, who was abandoned when
her mother ran off with Paris to Troy. Although Hermione’s mother is not important in the
series, it is a recurring subject that Hermione has non-magical parents. Since Muggles are not
part of the magical world, Hermione’s parents are unaware of the majority of her life. In “The
Chamber of Secrets” Ron gets into a fight with Malfoy because Malfoy calls Hermione a
“mudblood” (a derogatory term for her parentage) (pg. 112). Although this seems to be a minor
incident, the term comes back with significance in the later books: when the Ministry of Magic
begins putting people on trial because of their non-magical blood. By naming Hermione after
the daughter of the woman whose actions lead to the Trojan War, Rowling foreshadows the
conflict that her parentage later becomes.
Remus Lupin is one of Rowling’s most inventive characters. He is important for many
reasons: he is Harry’s favorite teacher, he was a friend of Harry’s late parents, and he crucial to
the Order of the Phoenix. Lupin’s name has a double meaning. “Lupin” is a reference the Latin
word “Lupus”, which means wolf7. Rowling uses a reference to wolves again in his last name.
“Remus” is a reference to the story of Romulus and Remus in which Romulus and Remus were
the sons of the god Mars and a princess, but were left to be drowned by a riverside. They were
found, nursed, and raised by a she-wolf. They became Robin Hood figures and eventually
reestablished themselves as rulers and founded Rome 8. In this way, Rowling in hitting the
reader over the head with Lupin’s secret: that he is a werewolf. There is clearly a correlation

6. between the she-wolf and Lupin’s identity as a werewolf. It is also important to notice that
although Romulus and Remus were raised by a she-wolf, they were great men. This is similar to
Lupin, who is one of the strongest characters in the series, despite his affliction. By mentioning
the references to wolves twice, Rowling may be trying to draw attention to the historical
significance of his name as well as the literal meaning.
Another great example of Rowling naming a character for their personality and purpose
in the plot is Sibyll Trelawney. Her first name comes from the Sybil, or seer, in “The Aeneid”.
In the story, Aeneas and his men go to the Sybil to get their fortune told with tea leaves “…the
Sybil feared by men. In her the Delian god of prophecy inspires uncanny powers of mind and
soul, disclosing things to come” (pg. 159). Professor Trelawney teaches Divination, the art of
seeing into the future, which includes reading tea leaves. The description of Trelawney and the
Sybil are also comparable. Trelawney is described as wearing glasses that magnify her eyes and
speaking in a dazed manner (“The Order of the Phoenix”, pg. 236) while her classroom is also
said to be full of fumes from her fire. This is a reference to the Sybil’s location: a sulfuric area
next to a volcano.
The geographic location of the Sybil was also said to affect her behavior because she was
high off of the fumes. Trelawney’s behavior is often described as being odd throughout the
books. She acts as if she were living in a lucid dream, which along with her obvious or false
predictions lead students to believing that she is a fraud. In “The Prisoner of Azkaban”
Dumbledore says that she has only made two true predictions (pg. 426). This is similar to the
character of the Sybil because although all the predictions the Sybil makes in “The Aeneid” come
true, in Roman times the fortunes were often so vague that they often could not be interpreted
until after something relevant happened. This allowed people to continue believing in the

7. Sybil’s gift of seeing into the future, but in Trelawney’s case her vagueness works against her
credibility.
Rowling uses mythology in her use of symbolism as well. An example of this is Harry’s
lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. He obtains the scar when Voldemort attempts to murder
him and his parents. Dumbledore tells Harry that by attacking him, Voldemort marked him as an
equal. The lightning shape of the scar is crucial to this suggestion. Lightning was the symbol of
the Greek god Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. Zeus reigned over humans by controlling both
thunder and sky. Marking Harry with such a significant symbol shows that he is destined to be a
great and powerful leader himself.
Rowling adds to the connection between Harry and Zeus in a few ways. The order of
Harry’s brooms’ names show his ascension to power. In The Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry receives a
Nimbus Two Thousand, one of the fastest brooms in the world. The word “Nimbus” is a
reference to Cumulonimbus clouds, which are storm clouds 9. Harry’s Nimbus is destroyed in
“The Prisoner of Azkaban” by the Whomping Willow, a deadly tree. He then receives the gift of
a Firebolt, a top of the line racing broom. The name “Firebolt” is a reference to lightning as it
strikes the earth. By changing the name of Harry’s broom, Rowling changes Harry from a
developing character to one of pure power.
Rowling contrasts Harry, represented by Zeus, with Voldemort, represented by Hades.
Throughout the books there is the recurring episode of Voldemort’s fear of death and his chase
towards immortality through difference sources: whether it be Horcruxes, Hallows, or the
Sorcerer’s Stone. To Harry, Voldemort symbolizes death because Voldemort killed his parents
and his existence lead to the death of many of his friends. The symbolism of Voldemort as death
is literal as well. In French, "vol de mort” means “flight from death” or “steal from death”.

8. Voldemort not only runs away from death, he attempts to control it by collecting magical objects
and using his army of dead people.
Although Hades and Zeus are not enemies in mythology, they do symbolize things that
oppose each other. Hades represents power of the dead and of the Underworld, while Zeus
represents the absolute power of the gods from the heavens. When Voldemort marked Harry as
a Zeus-like figure he gave Harry the power to destroy him. Harry’s greatest strength is his
courage, and his ability to face death. This acceptance of his mortality allows Harry to defeat
Voldemort by doing that which Voldemort is incapable.
Although these examples clearly show that J.K. Rowling used Greek and Roman
mythology to create the world of Harry Potter, they should also go a step further. They should
illustrate that Rowling was not simply replicating mythology for lack of imagination, but rather
to reward the informed reader with a hint of what is to come. In this way, J.K. Rowling put the
Harry Potter series in the position to become an epic. She followed the example of classic stories
such as “The Odyssey” and “The Aeneid” in order to connect to the stories we already know.
An example of this is in “The Sorcerer’s Stone” when Harry, Ron, and Hermione attempt
to get past Fluffy and down into the trapdoor. Fluffy is obviously an ode to Cerberus, the three-
headed dog in Dante’s “Inferno” and “The Aeneid” 10. Rowling not only uses Cerberus’
description, but entire representation. Only when Harry, Ron and Hermione play music does
Fluffy fall asleep, similar to how Cerberus falls asleep after eating drugged food in “The
Aeneid”. Like Cerberus, the guard dog of the Underworld, Fluffy is a guard dog to the world
below. Since Harry, Ron, and Hermione know that they head into unknown dangers that may
lead to their deaths, going through the trapdoor is the magical equivalent of going to the
Underworld.

9. J.K. Rowling uses her extensive knowledge of mythology to shape the foundation of
Harry’s world. She uses fully formed stories and ideas, incorporates them into the magical
world, and adds new meaning to them. Not only does Rowling build upon many past stories, she
incorporates the stories into her characters, giving depth to what might be seen as a simple story.
Much of modern education is focused on math and science rather than language and
history, like in Greek and Roman times. This has had the unfortunate side effect of forcing
English teachers to teach literature the same way that science teachers teach science: where there
is always a correct way of doing something and work is done and graded systemically. This
hinders students from learning about literature in an interesting and comprehensive way.
Rowling has given us a tool to fix this problem. Our society needs to reexamine the
importance of learning literature for the experience of knowledge alone. In order to understand
the literature of past, we can learn about classical mythology in a contemporary way. In other
words, we need to interject meaning from our current reality. By applying Rowling’s idea to
education, teachers should be able to use Harry Potter to teach the stories of the past. If students
know the Harry Potter (or a similar), story and are taught about the contextual meaning behind it,
they would be more apt to apply the classical stories to the basis of their previous knowledge.
J.K. Rowling has written a modern epic by adding on to stories that were already popular. She
has given us a template for a new kind of epic that draws on the old and introduces it to a modern
world.

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