Minotaur
The Minotaur was the infamous child of Minos' wife Pasiphae and a bull that she had inexpicably conjured a sudden lust for. Its bizarre origins and terrible strength caused King Minos to hide it in Daedalus' labyrinth and feed it only once a year, on the flesh of young men and women.
When creating a minotaur costume, you're probably safest to go for the classics. Ring through the nose, cardboard hooves, and some badass horns. If you're feeling particularly confident stick with the traditional hide loincloth, but always remember that October weather is rarely -ahem- forgiving. It's also best to remember that Medicine usually has a 'No Massive Evil-Looking Axes" rule.
Furies
The Furies, or 'Erinyes' were the godesses of revenge. In the Oresteia, they pursued Orestes for the crime of matricide (although he was eventually saved by Athena.) They are generally portrayed as fearsome women, sometimes with blood dripping from their eyes and snakes entwined around their waist.
In order to really capture the spirit of the Erinyes, think dark. Think: angry. We're looking for greys, blacks and reds here, with maybe a little side-helping of snakeskin and feathers. Go heavy on the kohl and light on the fake tan; these are creatures of Dis, after all.
NB: above picture is for illustration, and not recommended for direct imitation.
Centaur
Centaurs, like the Minotaur, are a half-animal half-human hybrid. In this case, they are obviously half horse. They have appeared in myths as both soldiers and teachers; they famously battled the Lapiths in a long and bloody conflict. Centaurs are traditionally the symbol of untameable nature and strength, mostly depicted with a bow and arrow (as above.)
This costume presents some obvious problems i.e. our lack of quadrapedal status. There are a few solutions to this problem, each less practical than the last. First, you could create some kind of extra legs from a spare pair of jeans attached to your belt or several milk cartons taped together and painted a disturbing shade of brown; second, you could convince a particularly suggestible friend to follow you round all night, bent in half like the back end of a pantomime horse; or lastly, you could actually attach your torso to the body of a horse and earn a place in the 'Most Interesting Deaths' hall of fame. Just don't forget the bow and arrow.
Phoenix
The phoenix is not a particularly prominent character in Greek mythology. It appeared in basically all early myths, from Persia to Greece to China. It was portrayed as a fire-creature (hence the name phoenix, from the Greek for 'crimson') and it was said that Apollo stopped his chariot every morning to listen to its song.
Though the Phoenix may not be a popular animal in mythology, it certainly presents some very exciting costume options. My recommendation would be to just go crazy with all the fire colours you can find; sparkle, shine and glitter as much as possible. Sequins are ideal, as are coloured hairsprays in red or gold. Feathers are an obvious yes, although potentially difficult to find and/or apply in the quantities you'll be needing. I would definitely not recommend trying a Katniss Everdeen and literally setting fire to yourself before heading out on the town. Third degree burns may ensue.
Cyclopes
The Cyclopes are primordial giants, possessing one eye in the middle of their forehead and, usually, a terrible temper. According to Callimachus they were assistants at Vulcan's forge, and in Homer Odysseus escapes the cyclopic monster Polyphemus by blinding him. They are rarely portrayed as having any particular supernatural place except as blacksmiths, owing to their massive strength but relatively undeveloped nature.
Much like the centaur, you can probably see the big problem with a cyclops costume. If you're unwilling to go the whole hog and poke your eyes out in the name of Classics, it's probably best to just draw one on your forehead and hope it'll distract everyone enough to get away with the whole 'other eyes' thing. Hooves are also a good idea, and as rudimentary clothing as you can find. A few smudges of soot wouldn't go amiss for authenticity; after all, you have been at the smithy all day forging Zeus' thunderbolts.
The event will be held on Wednesday 31st in Medicine (we'll be the strangely dressed ones at the back.) Looking forward to seeing all your inventions!
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