Who is Ethan in Greek mythology?

There is a lot of work that goes into building each and every world Magic visits, both from the creative team and the rest of R&D.

So when trying to determine how to tackle Greek mythology for Theros, R&D designer Ethan Fleischer wrote a short book called Classical Mythology in Magic: The Gathering, which he described a few months ago in an article on adapting the mythology to Magic.

Extinquish All Hope | Art by Chase Stone

While we don't have room to share the entire book today, Ethan went through a pretty cool exercise where he figured out what colors many of the best-known Greek gods would be if transported into the world that ended up being Theros. See if you can guess how Ethan thought the Greek Pantheon matched up with Magic's five colors, then click to reveal Ethan's take on each of the gods. Note that not even Ethan thought he got them exactly right!

If you need a hint, click on any of the gods' names to learn more about them.

Zeus

Red, White, and Blue: The king of the gods' domain is the sky; his perception of fate is acute. However, his weapon is the thunderbolt and he is ruled by his passions, especially in love. In the later tales, Zeus is also an arbiter of justice, watching out for all of the people.

Hera

White and Red: Hera is the wife of Zeus and the goddess of marriage. She is filled with rage at Zeus's peccadilloes, and takes vengeance upon the women he dallies with.

Poseidon

Blue: Poseidon is the king of the sea. It's pretty straightforward.

Dionysus

Black, Red, and Green: Dionysus is a fertility god and the god of wine. He is the Greek version of Baldr in that he dies and is reborn. He is killed many times in many stories, but always comes back to life. He is also a source of chaos, as his drunken followers, the maenads, rampage through the land, tearing people to pieces and eating them raw.

Apollo

White: Apollo is strongly associated with the sun, with archery, with truth-telling, and with healing.

Artemis

Green: Artemis is the goddess of the hunt. While her twin brother, Apollo, is of the sun, she is of the moon.

Hermes

Blue and Black: Hermes is the messenger god and the patron of thieves. He also conducts the souls of the dead down to the Underworld.

Athena

Blue and Red: Athena represents the glorious aspects of warfare. She is the goddess of the city, particularly of Athens, and benefactor of civilization.

Ares

Red: Ares is the horror of war, bloodlust, cowardice, and slaughter. The Greeks abhorred him but the Romans loved him.

Aphrodite

Red: She is the goddess of love and of beauty.

Hephaestus

Blue and Red: Hephaestus is the smith god, the artificer. He lives in volcanoes and makes the most cunning inventions.

Demeter

Black and Green: Demeter, like Dionysus, is of both life and of death. During the months each year that her daughter, Persephone, is with Persephone's husband Hades in the Underworld, Demeter lets the plants die. When Persephone returns in the springtime, Demeter makes the plants live again.

Ethan means "firm, enduring, strong, and long-lived" in Hebrew. The most notable, and perhaps the earliest Ethan, is mentioned in the Bible several times. He's thought to have authored a passage of the Bible (Psalm 89) and was known for his great wisdom. Some also hypothesize that Ethan was a musician in King David's court.

From Europe to Israel to the United States, Ethan is truly an enduring boy's name. It's one of those ancient, religious names that have withstood eras, generations, and cultures. Yet, it continues to appeal to modern parents – and popular culture.

In books and on screen, characters named Ethan are often handsome and mysterious heroes. Tom Cruise's infamous secret agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible film series is just one example. But Ethans are more than smooth heroes, as the name has been given to actors, scientists, politicians, and athletes.

Around the world, Ethan is most commonly a boy's name. It may also be spelled Etan, Eitan, Eithan, and Eytan, depending on the country. In Israel, Ethan is also a common last name, though it's spelled Eitan or Eytan.

Ethan first appeared on the Social Security Administration's list of the 1,000 most popular baby names in 1901, but then fell out of favor until the 1950s. It's remained on the list ever since then, leaping into the top 100 in 1989. Ethan almost made it to the number-one spot twice – in 2009 and again in 2010 – but lost to Jacob both years. It's declined somewhat in popularity since then, but remains a top-20 name.

A name that conveys both wisdom and strength, with ties to the Bible and pop culture, Ethan has earned its place among the most popular names for boys in the U.S. – and it looks like it will stay there.

Is Ethan a Greek name?

What does Ethan stand for?

Where does Ethan come from?

Is the name Eric in the Bible?