Classical mythology

Classical mythology is the mythology of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. There are several references to classical mythology in the works by Agatha Christie.

Hercules
The name Hercule Poirot can be seen as a reference to the hero Hercules/Heracles, especially in the short story collection The Labours of Hercules which is loosely based on the Twelve Labours of Heracles.

In The Big Four, Arthur Hastings believes that he has met Hercule's brother. The brother is named Achille Poirot (mirroring another Greek hero; Achilles). It is almost certain that it is Hercule in disguise.

Hermes
In the short story The Harlequin Tea Set, Harley Quin has a dog named Hermes.

Nemesis
Mr Rafiel likened Miss Marple to the goddess Nemesis, who enacts retribution against those who succumb to hubris.

According to some ancient sources, Nemesis was the sister of the three Moirai (also known as the Fates). Their names were Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. These names appear to mirror the names of the three Bradbury-Scott sisters from the novel Nemesis: Clotilde Bradbury-Scott, Lavinia Glynne and Anthea Bradbury-Scott.

Paris of Troy
In the novel Lord Edgware Dies one of the victims realises that something is wrong when a woman, who is known to be knowledgeable in classical mythology, thinks of the French capital when people are speaking of Paris.