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The Big List of Mythology Terms
Achates The faithful friend and companion of Aeneas. In Vergil's Aeneid he is
often called fidus Achates, "faithful Achates."
Achilles The son of Peleus and the Nereid Thetis, and king of the Myrmidons, a
Thessalian tribe. He is the hero of Homer's Iliad and became the prototype of
the Greeks' conception of manly valor and beauty. He took part in the Trojan
War on the side of the Greeks as their most illustrious warrior, and slew the
Trojan hero Hector. Achilles had been dipped in the Styx by his mother, which
rendered him invulnerable except in the heel by which she held him and where he
was fatally wounded by an arrow shot by Paris, Hector's younger brother, or,
according to another version of the story, by the god Apollo, who had assumed
Paris' shape.
See Iliad Index
Actaeon A celebrated huntsman, son of Aristaeus and Autonoe, the daughter of
Cadmon. Having seen Diana bathing, he was changed by her into a stag and torn
to pieces by his own dogs.
Adonis A beautiful youth, beloved by Venus. When he was killed by a wild boar,
Venus changed his blood into the flower which is still called Adonis after him.
Aeneas A Trojan hero, the son of Anchises and Venus. He is the hero of
Vergil's Aeneid, which describes his exploits after the fall of Troy until his
arrival in Italy. He is revered as the ancestral hero of the Romans.
Aeolus King of the Aeolian islands, father of Halcyone; appointed by Jupiter
keeper of the winds and later considered to be the wind god. He received
Ulysses hospitably and gave him, tied up and made harmless in a leather bag,
all the ill winds which were later let out by his companions.
Aesculapius The god of medicine. Son of Apollo and Coronis and father of
Machaon. His foster father was the Centaur Chiron. He became a great healer,
able to restore life to the dead. Alarmed by this, Pluto, the lord of the realm
of the dead, induced Zeus to kill him. At the request of Apollo he was placed
among the stars. His oracles on earth were numerous.
Agamemnon King of Mycenae, brother of Menelaus and leader of the Greek
expedition against Troy. Because of his refusal to release Chryseis, Achilles
withdrew from the fight. Things went bad for the Greeks. Agamemnon, like most
of the other leaders, was wounded, but finally he managed to reconcile
Achilles. After the return of the victorious Greek army, Agamemnon was killed
by his wife's, Clytemnestra's, lover Aegisthus.
Ajax (Gr. Aias) Son of Telamon; as a hero in the Trojan War second only to
Achilles. He was sent to placate Achilles after the latter's quarrel with
Agamemnon. He had an undecided encounter with the Trojan hero Hector and later
defended and rescued the bodies of Patroclus and Achilles. He died by his own
hand after having seen the coveted armor of Achilles go to Ulysses. From his
blood sprang the Hyacinth, which bears the letters "ai" on its leaves, the
first letters of his name and also the Greek for "woe."
Alcestis
Daughter of Pelias, wife of Admetus, who had won her by driving a
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chariot drawn by lions and boars. When Admetus fell ill, Alcestis saved his
life by agreeing to die in his stead. Hercules saved her by laying in wait for
Death, whom he forced to abandon his prey. According to another version,
Persephone released her from the underworld.
Amazons A word of unknown origin, interpreted by the Greeks as signifying
"without breast." A legendary race of warlike women forming a state from which
men were excluded, and dwelling on the coast of the Black Sea. Many Greek
heroes got involved with them. One of Hercules' labors was the task to fetch
the girdle of the Amazon Queen Hippolyta, whom he had to kill in the process.
Theseus carried off the Amazon Queen Antiope and had to give battle to her
female warriors in the heart of Athens. Achilles slew the Amazon Queen
Penthesilea who had come to the assistance of the Trojans.
Amaterasu Japanese sun goddess. Literally, "the great illuminating queen of
heaven." Child of Izanami and Izanagu, the first man and woman of Shinto
mythology. She is the mythological ancestress of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Frequently shown in masculine dress and invoked before battle, she is also the
goddess of weaving. After her brother, the moon god Tsukinoye, murdered her
favorite lady in waiting, she hid in a cave. Without sun, the crops withered
and died, and the Gods began to age. Finally, she was tricked into coming out
by Ama-No-Uzume (literally, queen of laughter), who performed a bawdy dance.
When she heard laughter, she followed the sound and saw Ama-No-Uzume dancing.
Amaterasu laughed so hard she fell down and rolled out of the cave.
Ambrosia
Celestial food used by the gods.
Amphitrite One of the Nereids. As the wife of Neptune, she was the successor
to Tethys, the wife of Oceanus, who had been the Titan ruling over the watery
element. She was a daughter of Nereus and Doris, and the mother of Triton.
Anansi African spider god. Intermediary god of the Ashanti, he helped to
create the world by molding some of his spider webbing. He is a trickster diety
who gave mankind fire by tricking the gods. His mythology survives in the "Aunt
Nancy" stories of the old South.
Andromache The wife of Hector and mother of Astyanax. After Hector's death and
the fall of Troy she was allotted to Neoptolemus of Epirus, but eventually
became the wife of Hector's brother Helenus.
Andromeda The daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia. To placate Neptune she had
to be chained to a rock, but was delivered by Perseus who married her and
killed his rival Phineus. After death she was placed among the stars.
Antaeus A gigantic wrestler (son of Earth and Sea, Ge and Poseidon), whose
strength was invincible so long as he touched the earth. Hercules succeeded in
killing him by lifting him up from the earth and squeezing him to death.
Antigone Daughter of Oedipus, and the Greek ideal of filial and sisterly
fidelity.
Antilochus Son of Nestor and friend of Achilles. He was chosen to break to
Achilles the news of Patroclus' death. Antilochus himself was killed by Memnon,
the son of Aurora and Tithonus. The three friends, Antilochus, Achilles, and
Patroclus were buried in the same mound. Ulysses saw them walking together in
the underworld.
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Anubis Egyptian god of embalming, son of Nephtys and Osiris. His aunt Isis
taught him the art of embalming. He is one of the most important gods of the
underworld because he leads the dead soul to judgment and lies in wait to eat
the souls of those whose evil deeds outweigh their good ones.
Aphrodite
See Venus.
Apollo One of the great gods of Olympus, son of Jupiter and Latona; like his
sister Diana, born on Delos, which is sacred to him. He was the god of archery,
prophecy, music, and healing. As the leader of the Muses, he was given the lyre
which Mercury had invented, and in turn gave music to woman when she was
created. The musician Orpheus was his son. As the god of healing he bore the
name of Paeon, sharing it with other gods, and became the father of
Aesculapius. He was the successor of Hyperion as sun god and became identified
with Helios, in whose stead he was considered the father of Phaethon. See also
Phoebus.
Apollo's exploits in myth and poetry are numerous. He killed the serpent
Python; he loved the nymph Daphne and changed her at her request into a bay
tree, he supplied king Midas with a pair of asses' ears for having voted for
Pan and against Apollo in a trial of musical skill; inadvertently he killed
Hyacinthus; with his sister he took revenge on Niobe for having insulted his
mother; for one year he was the servant of king Admetus to atone for his unjust
attack on the Cyclopes who had made the bolt with which Jupiter killed Apollo's
son Aesculapius; he induced Diana to kill Orion; in the Trojan war he
intervened on behalf of Chryseis and thus precipitated the quarrel of Agamemnon
and Achilles; he healed Hector and assisted him in his struggle with Patroclus;
he guided the arrow which killed Achilles; it was he who gave Cassandra, whom
he loved, the gift of prophecy; etc.
Apollo was the incarnation of the Greek ideal of youthful manhood. As such he
became a favorite subject of Greek and later art.
Apollo, oracles of Apollo had several oracles: one in Ionia, one on the island
of Delos, and one famous one in Delphi, known as the Delphic or Delphian
oracle.
Arachne A maiden skilled in weaving, who was changed to a spider by Minerva
for having the presumption to challenge the goddess to a contest in weaving.
Arcadia A district of the Peloponnesus which, according to Vergil, was the
home of pastoral simplicity and happiness.
Ares Called Mars by the Romans. The Greek god of war, and one of the great
Olympian deities.
Argonauts
Jason's crew in search of the Golden Fleece.
Ariadne The daughter of King Minos of Crete. She fell in love with Theseus and
gave him a sword and a clew of thread with which to kill the Minotaur and find
his way out of the labyrinth. Theseus fled with her to Naxos and abandoned her
there. Her laments aroused the compassion of Bacchus, who married her and gave
her a crown which after her death was transformed into the celestial
constellation of the crown of Ariadne.
Artemis
A Greek deity identified by the Romans with Diana. See Diana.
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Atalanta A beautiful maiden who participated in the Calydonian boar hunt. When
Meleager bestowed on her as trophies the head and the hide of the boar which he
had killed, she became the innocent cause of a conflict in which Meleager and
two of his uncles lost their lives. According to another legend, Atalanta had
been warned by an oracle not to marry. In order to make things difficult for
her suitors she promised to be the prize in a race. She lost the race to
Hippomenes, who then forgot to thank Venus and was changed into a lion as was
also his bride.
Athena (Athene) The goddess of wisdom and of the arts and sciences in Greek
mythology, corresponding to the Roman Minerva. She sprang full-armored from the
head of Zeus. Athens was called after her as the result of a contest in which
the prize went to the deity that had bestowed upon man the most useful boon.
Athene's was the olive tree; Neptune's the horse.
Athens The capital of Attica, about four miles from the sea, between the small
rivers Cephissus and Ilissus.
Atlantis A mythic island of great extent which was supposed to have existed in
the Atlantic Ocean. It is first mentioned by Plato (in the Timaeus and
Critias), and Solon was told of it by an Egyptian priest, who said that it had
been overwhelmed by an earthquake and sunk beneath the sea 9000 years before
his time.
Atlas One of the Titans warring against the gods and condemned to uphold the
heavens on his shoulders. He was a brother of Prometheus, son of Iapetus and
father of the Pleiades. A king by the name of Atlas had the garden of the
Hesperides in his realm and was their uncle or father.
Attica
A division of ancient Greece, the chief city of which was Athens.
August Personage of Jade Chinese god of heaven, husband of Wang Muyiang. Lord
of the sky, he rules over humankind and lives at the center of the earth.
Aurora
Identical with Eos, goddess of the dawn.
Bacchus In Roman mythology, the god of wine, the Dionysus of the Greeks, son
of Jupiter and Semele, also known as Libus. Semele, at the suggestion of Juno,
asked Jupiter to appear before her in all his glory, but the foolish request
proved her death. Jupiter saved the child which was prematurely born by sewing
it up in his thigh until it came to maturity. His foster-father was Silenus.
Bacchus entered Thebes in a chariot drawn by elephants, and, according to some
accounts, he married Ariadne after Theseus had deserted her in Naxos.
Baldur Norse sun god. Son of Freya and Odin, he was compassionate to a fault.
At his birth, which was witnessed by all living beings, Freya made them all
individually swear not to harm her son. The one object she forgot to ask was
mistletoe. Loki, jealous at Baldur's popularity with the gods, remembered this
and dared a blind man to throw a sprig of mistletoe at Baldur. Baldur instantly
fell dead. However, he was resurrected after Ragnarok and placed in charge of
the new earth that had sprung from the disaster.
Baucis
See Philemon and Baucis.
Bellerophon A grandson of Sisyphus. Riding on Pegasus he slew the fire
-breathing Chimaera. He was worshipped as a demigod at Corinth.
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Bellona
The Roman goddess of war, represented as the sister or wife of Mars.
Boreas A personification of the north wind. He tried to be gentle with the
nymph Orithyia, whom he loved dearly, but he could not breathe soothingly or
sigh softly, and, true to his real character, he carried her off and became by
her the father of Zetes and Calais. Boreas is at times called a son of Aeolus,
the ruler of the winds, who lived in a cave in Mount Haemus in Thrace.
Cadmus King of Phoenicia and Telephassa, by his wife Harmonia father of
Actaeon and Ino. He was reputedly the introducer of the Greek alphabet. Seeking
his sister Europa, carried off by Jupiter, he had strange adventures -- sowing
in the ground teeth of a dragon he had killed, which sprang up as armed men who
slew each other. The five survivors helped him to found the city of Thebes.
Caduceus The staff of Mercury, which he received from Apollo in exchange for
the lyre. It was originally of olive wood. Its garlands were later replaced by
serpents. At the top there were two wings.
Calliope One of the nine Muses, mother of Orpheus by Apollo; the patroness of
epic poetry.
Calypso The queen of the island Ogygia, on which Ulysses was wrecked. She kept
him there for seven years, and promised him perpetual youth and immortality if
he would remain with her forever.
Cassandra The daughter of Priam and Hecuba, gifted with the power of prophecy;
but Apollo, whose advances she had refused, brought it to pass that no one
believed her predictions, although they were invariably correct, as in the case
of the coming of the Greeks.
Castor and Pollux Twin brothers, offspring of Leda and Jupiter in the guise of
a swan. Castor was famous as a horseman. Pollux as a pugilist. They accompanied
the Argonauts and became the patron deities of seamen and voyagers. They were
the brothers of Clytemnestra and Helen, whom they rescued when she was carried
off by Theseus. During their war with Idas and Lynceus, Castor was slain.
Pollux being inconsolable, Jupiter placed both brothers among the stars. They
are also known as the Dioscuri (sons of Zeus) and Tyndaridae after Tyndareus,
their mother's husband.
Centaurs Originally, an ancient race, inhabiting Mount Pelion in Thessaly; in
later accounts, they are represented as half horse and half man.
Cerberus Watch dog at the entrance to Hades; offspring of Typhaon and Echidna;
generally represented with three heads, a mane of serpents' heads and a
serpent's tail.
Ceres The Roman name of Mother Earth, the protectress of agriculture and of
all the fruits of the earth; later identified with the Greek Demeter.
Ceridwen Welsh mother goddess, and mother of the famous bard Taliesin. She is
usually portrayed stirring a cauldron, which contains simmering herbs that
grant wisdom to the drinker. She is featured briefly in The Mabinogion, a
collection of Welsh myths.
Chaos Original Confusion in which earth, sea, and air were mixed up together.
It was personified by the Greeks as the most ancient of the gods. The egg of
Nyx, the daughter of Chaos, was floating on Chaos and from it arose the world.
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Charon The son of Erebos, who conveyed in his boat the shades of the dead
across the rivers of the lower regions.
Charybdis A sea monster which sucked in and discharged the sea three times a
day in a terrible whirlpool. Charybdis was a maiden above but ended in a fish
begirt with dogs. Together with Scylla she was placed in the Strait of Messina.
Chimaera A fire-breathing monster of divine origin. It was part lion, part
goat, and part dragon. It dwelled in Lycia and was finally killed by
Bellerophon bridling Pegasus with a golden bridle given him by Minerva. Aeneas
found it in the infernal regions.
Chiron The wisest of the centaurs, son of Cronos and Philyra. He was
instructed by Apollo and Diana and became in turn the teacher of Aesculapius
and many distinguished Grecian heroes. He helped Peleus to win the hand of the
goddess Thetis. On his death he was placed by Jupiter among the stars where he
appears in the shape of the constellation Sagittarius.
Circe A sorceress, sister of Aeetes, who lived in the island of Aeaea. When
Ulysses landed there, Circe turned his companions into swine, but Ulysses
resisted the metamorphosis by virtue of a herb called moly, given him by
Mercury.
Clio
One of the nine Muses, the patroness of history.
Clotho One of the three Fates, daughter of Themis (Law). Her name signifies
"spinner." She spins the thread of human life.
Clytemnestra The wife of Agamemnon, whom she and her paramour Aegisthus
murdered after his return from Troy. She was slain by her son Orestes.
Corn Mother Native American. According to this myth, corn was created when a
warrior, who had gone into the forest seeking a vision to save his people from
starvation, was met by a warrior woman dressed in silky white strands, who
challenged him to wrestle with her. Not wanting to harm a woman, at first he
was very gentle, until she told him that if he could not defeat her, she would
kill him. After he had defeated the warrior woman in battle, she told him to
take her body and bury it because it would become food for his people.
Cornucopia Also called the horn of plenty or the horn of Amalthaea. According
to one legend it was broken off the goat Amalthaea by the infant Jupiter, who
endowed it with the magic power of becoming filled with whatever its owner
wished, and gave it to his nurses.
Crete One of the largest islands of the Mediterranean Sea, lying south of the
Cyclades.
Cronus One of the Titans, son of Uranus and Ge, father (by Rhea) of Hestia,
Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. He dethroned his father as ruler of
the world, and was in turn dethroned by his son, Zeus or Jupiter. By the Romans
he was identified with Saturn.
Cupid The god of love in Roman mythology (Lat. cupido, desire, passion),
identified with the Greek Eros; son of Mercury and Venus. He is represented as
a winged boy, carrying a bow and arrows. One legend says that he wets with
blood the grindstone on which he sharpens his arrows. Cupid and Psyche is an
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episode in the Golden Ass of Apuleius. See Psyche.
Cybele Anatolian earth goddess. Cybele's priests were called Corybantes, and
they ritually castrated themselves to make themselves more like her.
Cyclopes Creatures with one circular eye in the middle of their foreheads, of
whom Homer speaks as a gigantic and lawless race of shepherds in Sicily, who
devoured human beings; they helped Vulcan to forge the thunderbolts of Zeus
under Aetna.
Daedalus Literally, the cunning worker. A personification of skill in the
mechanical art; the patron of artists' and craftsmen's guilds. As the hero of
legends and tales, Daedalus was an inventive Athenian, son of Metion and
grandson of Erechtheus, who originated axes, awls, bevels, and the like. He was
the architect who built the labyrinth for King Minos of Crete. Imprisoned in it
himself, Daedalus fashioned wings for himself and his son Icarus and escaped to
Sicily. Icarus fell into the sea, but his father reached Sicily safely.
Daedalus also had a nephew, Perdix, of whose skill he was envious. He tried to
kill him by pushing him off a tower but Minerva intervened, saving the boy's
life by changing him into a partridge.
Danae Daughter of King Acrisius of Argos who did not want her to marry and
kept her imprisoned because he had been told that his daughter's son would kill
him. Jupiter came to her in the disguise of a shower of gold and she became the
mother of Perseus. She and her child were set adrift in a chest and saved by a
fisherman on the island of Seriphos.
Daphne A nymph, daughter of a river god and loved by Apollo, who killed his
rival Leucippus. Daphne escaped and was later changed into a laurel or bay tree
which remained henceforth the favorite tree of the sun god.
Delphi A town of Phocis at the foot of Mount Parnassus, famous for a temple of
Apollo and an oracle which was silenced only in the 4th century a.d.
Demeter One of the great Olympian deites of Greece, identified with the Roman
Ceres. She was the goddess of vegetation and the protectress of marriage.
Persephone (Proserpine) was her daughter. See Proserpine.
Diana A Roman goddess, later identified with the Olympian Artemis, who was
daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin-sister of Apollo. She was the goddess of
the moon and of hunting, protectress of women, and -- in earlier times at least
-- the great mother goddess of Nature.
Dido The name given by Vergil to Elissa, founder and queen of Carthage. She
fell in love with Aeneas, who was compelled by Mercury to leave the hospitable
queen. Elissa, in grief, burns herself to death on a funeral pyre.
Dionysus
See Bacchus.
Dryad A nymph whose life was bound up with that of a tree. Also called
hamadryad or in English, wood nymph.
Echo The nymph of Diana, who, shunned by Narcissus, faded to nothing but a
voice. She was punished by Juno because her prattling had prevented Jupiter's
irate wife from surprising him in the company of the nymphs; she was condemned
never to speak first and never to be silent when anyone else spoke.
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Electra Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Electra, with the help of her
brother, Orestes, avenged Clytemnestra's murder of Agamemnon by murdering, in
turn, Clytemnestra and her new husband, Aegisthus.
Elysium A happy land, where there is neither snow, nor cold, nor rain. Hither
favored heroes like Menelaus, pass without dying, and live happy under the rule
of Rhadamanthus. In the Latin poets, Elysium is part of the lower world, and
the residence of the shades of the blessed.
Erebus A place of darkness through which the souls passed on their way to
Hades. Hence loosely, the nether regions of which Proserpine and Pluto were the
rulers. Personified, Erebus was among the first beings, son of Chaos, brother
of Nyx, and, dwelling in Hades, father of Aether and Day.
Erinys
See Fury.
Eris The goddess of discord, sister of Ares or Mars. At the wedding of Peleus
and Thetis, Eris, being uninvited, threw into the gathering an apple bearing
the inscription "For the Fairest," which was claimed by Juno, Venus, and
Minerva. Paris, being called upon for judgment, awarded it to Venus.
Eros The Greek god of love, the youngest of all the gods; equivalent to the
Roman Cupid. See Cupid.
Eteocles and Polynices The two sons of Oedipus. After the expulsion of their
father, they agreed to reign alternate years in Thebes. Eteocles took the first
turn, but at the close of the year refused to resign the scepter to his
brother. This was the cause of the "Seven against Thebes." Eteocles and
Polynices met in combat and each was slain by the other's hand.
Eumenides Literally, the gracious ones. A euphemistic term, used by the Greeks
to refer to the terrible Erinyes or Furies in order to propitiate them. See
Fury.
Europa A daughter either of Phoenix or of Agenor, famed for her beauty.
Jupiter in the form of a white bull carried her off and swam with her to the
island of Crete. She was the mother of Minos, Rhadamanthus and Evandros and
according to some forms of the legend, of the Minotaur.
Eurydice The wife of Orpheus. Fleeing from an admirer, she was killed by a
snake and borne to Tartarus, where Orpheus sought her and was permitted to
bring her to earth if he would not look back at her following him. He could not
resist, however, and Eurydice was forced to return to the shades.
Eurynome
Female Titan, the wife of Ophion.
Eurytion The Centaur, who, at the marriage feast of Pirithous with Hippodamia,
became intoxicated and offered violence to the bride, thus causing the
celebrated battle of the Lapithae and Centaurs. Eurytion was also the name of
the giant guarding Geryon's cattle and slain by Hercules.
Fates The three goddesses determining the course of human life. They are
described as daughters of Night -- to indicate the darkness and obscurity of
human destiny -- or of Zeus and Themis, that is, "daughters of the just
heavens." They were Clotho, who spun the thread of life; Lachesis, who held it
and fixed its length; and Atropos, who cut it off.
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Faunus In Roman mythology, a rural deity; son of Picus, grandson of Saturn and
father of Acis, the suitor of Galatea, and of Latinus, the father of Lavinia.
He, as well as Silvanus, came to be more and more identified with the Greek
Pan, with whom he had many traits in common. His priests were the Luperci, his
main festival the Lupercalia. When not viewed as an individual, he appeared in
the multiformity of the fauns, possibly under the influence of the Greek panes,
satyrs, etc., in their relation with Pan.
Freya Warrior goddess and goddess of marriage in Teutonic mythology. Wife of
Odin, she was the mother of Baldur and a formidable warrior, often fighting
beside Odin and Thor. She was the goddess to whom the Valkyries brought the
fallen heroes before whisking them away to Valhalla. Loki frequently promised
her to various giants and monsters in order to get his way. Friday is named
after her.
Frigga or Frigg In Scandinavian mythology, the supreme goddess, wife of Odin.
She presided over marriages, and may be called the Juno of Asgard. In Teutonic
mythology she is confused with Freya.
Fury The Furies, in Greek Erinyes or euphemistically Eumenides, were avenging
spirits of retributive justice. Their names, when in course of time their
number had come to be fixed at three, were Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.
Their task was to punish crimes not within the reach of human justice. Through
Aeschylus the tradition developed that after the time when they had intervened
in the case of Orestes, their functions no longer covered cases of "guiltiness"
free from moral guilt. In spite of their inexorable sternness, they wept when
they heard Orpheus implore the deities of the underworld to restore Eurydice to
life.
Gaea or Ge The personification of the Earth, called Tellus by the Romans;
described as the first being that sprang from Chaos. She gave birth to Uranus
and Pontus. Gaea and Uranus, that is Earth and Heaven, were the parents of the
Titans. According to another story, Gaea, Erebus, and Love were the first of
beings. By Gaea's powers plants potent for enchantment are produced. To her as
to Neptune, Themis, and others prophetic influence was attributed.
Ganymede The most beautiful of all mortals. He was carried off to Olympus that
he might fill the cup of Zeus and live among the immortal gods.
Gemini The constellation Twins, that is, the brothers Castor and Pollux, whom
Jupiter rewarded for their brotherly attachment by placing them together among
the stars when Castor was slain and Pollux was inconsolable.
Golden Fleece The story is that Ino persuaded her husband, Athamas, that his
son Phryxus was the cause of a famine which desolated the land. Phryxus was
ordered to be sacrificed but made his escape over sea on the winged ram,
Chrysomallus, which had a golden fleece. At Colchis, he sacrificed the ram to
Zeus and gave the fleece to King Aeetes. It later formed the quest of Jason's
Argonautic expedition, and was stolen by him.
Gorgons Three monstrous females with huge teeth, brazen claws, and snakes for
hair, the sight of whom turned beholders to stone; Medusa, the most famous, was
slain by Perseus.
Graces Three goddesses who enhanced the enjoyments of life by refinement and
gentleness; they were Aglaia (brilliance), Euphrosyne (joy), and Thalia
(bloom).
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Grail or Graal The Holy Grail or Sangreal is the cup from which the Saviour
drank at the Last Supper. It was taken by Joseph of Arimathea to Europe, where
it was lost. Its recovery became the sacred quest for King Arthur's knights.
Gryphon or griffin A fabulous animal, with the body of a lion and the head and
wings of an eagle, dwelling in the Rhipaean mountains, between the Hyperboreans
and the one-eyed Arimaspians, and guarding the gold of the North.
Hades Originally, the god of the nether world. Later the name was used to
designate the gloomy subterranean land of the dead. After the river Styx; also
called Stygian realm.
Halcyone Daughter of Aeneas and wife of Ceyx. When Ceyx was drowned, she flew
to his floating body, and the pitying gods changed them both into birds,
kingfishers, who nest at sea during a certain calm week in winter, the "halcyon
days."
Harmonia The daughter of Venus and Mars; given by Jupiter in marriage to
Cadmus of Thebes. Vulcan's wedding gift to her was a necklace which proved
fatal to all its successive owners.
Harpies Winged monsters, half women, half birds, armed with sharp claws, and
defiling everything they touched. They were driven away by the Argonauts from
their victim Phineus and withdrew to an island where Aeneas found them, one of
them predicting dire sufferings for the Trojans. In the legends of Charlemagne,
Astolpho freed king Senapus of Abyssinia from the Harpies that had blinded him
and snatched away his food.
Hebe The goddess of youth, and cup-bearer of the immortals before Ganymede
superseded her. She was the wife of Hercules, and had the power of making the
aged young again.
Hecate One of the Titans, the only one that retained her power under the rule
of Zeus. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria, and became a deity of the
lower world after taking part in the search for Persephone. She taught
witchcraft and sorcery, was a goddess of the dead, and became identified with
Selene, Artemis, and Persephone.
Hector Eldest son of Priam, the noblest of all the Trojan chieftains in
Homer's Iliad. After holding out for ten years, he was slain by Achilles, who
dragged the dead body thrice around the walls of Troy.
Hecuba In Homer's Iliad, second wife of Priam, and mother of nineteen
children, including Hector. When Troy was taken by the Greeks she fell to the
lot of Ulysses. She was afterwards metamorphosed into a dog, and threw herself
into the sea.
Helen of Troy The daughter of Zeus and Leda, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta.
She eloped with Paris and brought about the destruction of Troy, which forms
the subject of Homer's Iliad. After the Trojan War Helen returned to Menelaus.
Later legends state that Helen did not accompany Paris all the way to Troy but
was detained in Egypt.
Helenus In Vergil's Aeneid, the prophet, the only son of Priam that survived
the fall of Troy. He was allowed to marry Andromache, his brother Hector's
widow.
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Helios Ancient Greek sun god. He drove his chariot from East to West each day.
The center of his worship was Rhodes. His position as sun god was gradually
assumed by Apollo.
Hera The Greek Juno, daughter of Cronus and Rhea, the wife and sister of Zeus.
The word means "chosen one."
Hercules A mighty Greek hero, son of Jupiter and Alemena, who took part in the
expedition of the Argonauts and won immortality by accomplishing twelve feats
which are known as the Labors of Hercules. He was killed by Deianira, his wife,
who gave him the fatal garment steeped in the blood of Nessus which she thought
to be a love-spell. After death, Hercules was placed among the stars. He was
worshiped as the god of physical strength. See also Labors of Hercules; Pillars
of Hercules.
Hermes
See Mercury.
Hero and Leander Hero, a priestess of Venus, fell in love with Leander, who
swam across the Hellespont every night to visit her. One night he was drowned,
and heartbroken Hero drowned herself in the same sea.
Hippolyta The queen of the Amazons who consented to yield her girdle to
Hercules and was slain by him when he thought erroneously that she had betrayed
him. Hippolyta is also given instead of Antiope as the name of the queen of the
Amazons whom Theseus espoused.
Hippolytus The son of Theseus. He repulsed the advances of his stepmother
Phaedra, the daughter of Minos, who thereupon managed to arouse falsely the
jealousy of her husband. At Theseus' request Neptune frightened Hippolytus'
horses, thus causing a fatal accident. When the innocence of the youth became
evident, Aesculapius with the help of Diana restored him to life, and Phaedra
committed suicide.
Hippomenes The youth who won Atalanta in a foot race, beguiling her with
golden apples thrown for her to pick up. Failing to thank Venus, he was changed
into a lion, as was also his bride.
Homer
The blind poet of Greece, about 850 b.c.
Horus The Elder (Hor) Egyptian sky god. He was usually represented as a falcon
and his eyes were the sun and the moon. He was the god of goodness and light,
and Egyptian kings were believed to be incarnations of him.
Horus The Younger Egyptian god, born to Isis and Osiris. Best known as the
avenger of Osiris, he fought Set (Osiris's brother and murderer) and returned
him to the desert. Horus is usually portrayed as a child suckling at Isis's
breast.
Hydra A monster of the Lernean marshes, in Argolis. It had nine heads, and it
was one of the twelve labors of Hercules to kill it. As soon as he struck off
one of its heads, two shot up in its place.
Hygeia Goddess of health and daughter of Aesculapius. Her symbol was a serpent
drinking from a cup in her hand.
Hyperboreans
Literally, those beyond the north wind. A happy people, living in
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the north in blissful inaccessibility, in a land of sunshine and abundance,
exempt from disease and the ravages of war. Their lives lasted a thousand years
which they spent in the worship of Apollo.
Hyperion A Titan, son of Uranus and Ge, father of Helios, Selene, and Eos,
precursor of Apollo the sun god. He was the owner of the island of Thrinakia
where Lampetia and Phaethusa tended his cattle.
Icarus The son of Daedalus. He flew with his father from Crete; but the sun
melted the wax with which his wings were fastened on, and he fell into the sea,
hence called the Icarian.
Iliad
Epic poem of the Trojan War by Homer.
Ilium
See Troy.
Io The beautiful daughter of Inachus, king of Argos. Jupiter, who had been
flirting with her, changed her into a heifer to conceal her from Juno. Argus,
who had a hundred eyes, was charged by Juno to watch the heifer. Mercury, at
Jupiter's request, killed Argos, and Juno sent a gadfly to chase the heifer all
over the world. On the Nile Io finally recovered her shape and was returned to
her family after Jupiter had promised not to pay her any more attentions. Io
was by Jupiter the mother of Epaphus, the ancestor of Aegyptus, Damaus,
Cepheus, and Phineus. In the allegorical interpretation of mythology Io is the
moon.
Iris Goddess of the rainbow; the messenger of the gods when they intended
discord. The rainbow is the bridge or road let down from heaven for her
accommodation.
Isis Egyptian goddess of magic, wife of Osiris, sister of Nephtys. As the
Egyptian goddess of magic, she was invoked by the priests of ancient Egypt. In
her most famous myth, her brother Set, jealous of her husband, Osiris, murdered
him and tore his body into 14 pieces so that Isis would not be able to find
them. With her sister Nephtys, she roamed all of Egypt until she found the
pieces. Putting them back together, she embalmed him and gave him a proper
burial.
Ithaca
The home of Ulysses and Penelope.
Janus A solar deity; doorkeeper of heaven and patron of the beginning and end
of things. He had two faces, one for the rising sun and one for sunset. The
first month of the year was named for him. The gates of his temples were kept
open in time of war. He was the builder of the Janiculum, which Aeneas saw when
he set foot on Italian soil.
Jason Son of the Thessalian king Aeson and nephew of the usurper Pelias. He
took part in the Calydonian Hunt and was the leader of the Argonautic
expedition to secure the Golden Fleece from Aeetes, king of Colchis. This he
accomplished with the help of Aeetes' daughter Medea, whom he married and later
deserted for the Corinthian princess Creusa. See Medea.
Jove Another name of Jupiter, the latter being Jovis pater, father Jove. See
Jupiter.
Juno The "venerable ox-eyed" wife of Jupiter, and queen of heaven, of Roman
mythology. She is identified with the Greek Hera, was the special protectress
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of marriage and of woman, and was represented as a war goddess.
Jupiter From Jovis pater, "father Jove." Also called Jove and, in Greek, Zeus.
The supreme deity of classical antiquity, father of gods and men; son of Saturn
and Rhea, brought up by the daughters of King Melisseus of Crete on the milk of
the goat Amalthea, escaped the fate of his brothers and sisters who were
swallowed by their father, defeated the Titans and banished them to Tartarus,
and installed himself with his wife, Juno, on Olympus, where Themis (Law)
occupies a place near his throne. He is the father of Vulcan by Juno, of the
Muses by Mnemosyne, of Apollo by Latona, of Mercury by Maia, of Rhadamanthus
and Minos by Europa, of Perseus by Danae, of Hercules by Alemena, of Castor,
Pollux, Helen, and Clytemnestra by Leda, of Bacchus by Semele, of Amphion by
Antiope, etc., and of Minerva, who sprang from his head without a mother. In
his flirtations, as with Io and Callisto, he is troubled by Juno's jealousy and
appears often in the shape of an animal. He carries away Europa as a bull,
appears before Leda as a swan, and escapes the monsters in the shape of a ram.
Jupiter wields the thunder and has used it to kill Phaeton, Aesculapius,
Capaneus, and many others. He has the power to place mortals among the stars
and did so, for instance, in the case of Chiron, Orpheus, and the Pleiades. His
activities are varied and numerous. He created woman and sent her as a
punishment to Prometheus; he brought about the Deucalian Flood; he fastened the
floating island of Delos; instituted the Olympian games, etc. His oracle was at
Dodona. He was identified with the Egyptian god Amen as Jupiter Ammon. The
Sibylline books were kept in his temple at Rome. His statue by Phidias is known
as the Olympian Jupiter.
Khnum Egyptian creator god. He created humankind out of clay and is frequently
depicted at a potter's wheel.
Kwan-Yin Chinese goddess of compassion. She is frequently depicted in Chinese
statues as sitting on a lotus flower, sometimes carrying a child in her arms.
She was one of the first goddesses assimilated into Buddhist culture, and she
is called "The Buddha of Compassion" because she sacrificed her treasures in
heaven to come to the aid of mankind. In the famous Chinese saga The Journey to
the West, which talks about the journey of a T'ang priest and his disciple the
Monkey King, she frequently comes to their aid.
Labors of Hercules The twelve tasks which won Hercules immortality. They were:
(1) to slay the Nemean lion; (2) to kill the Lernean hydra; (3) to catch the
Arcadian stag; (4) to destroy the Erymanthian boar; (5) to cleanse the stables
of King Augeas; (6) to destroy the cannibal birds of the Lake Stymphalis; (7)
to capture the Cretan bull; (8) to catch the horses of the Thracian Diomedes;
(9) to get possession of the girdle of Queen Hippolyta of thc Amazons; (10) to
capture the oxen of the monster Geryon; (11) to get possession of the apples of
the Hesperides; (12) to bring up from Hades the monstrous dog Cerberus.
Laius Greek king, father of Oedipus, he was cursed by the gods because he
raped the young son of a neighboring king. Because of his crime, Apollo cursed
him; telling him that his son would murder him and marry his mother. In order
to avoid this, he sent a footman with his son, Oedipus, into the wilderness
with orders that the child be left on a mountaintop to die. The footman felt
pity on the baby, and gave it to a nearby shepherd, who raised him as his own
son. Oedipus, at maturity, met his father on the road and, not knowing who he
was, killed him, thereby fulfilling the prophecy.
Latinus In Roman legend, a king of Latium, the son of Faunus and father of
Lavinia. He was told in a dream by his father that his daughter's union with a
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foreigner would produce a race destined to subdue the world. That foreigner was
Aeneas.
Leda Wife of Tyndareus and mother of Helen, Clytemnestra, Castor and Pollux.
In later legends the father of her children was the Swan, under which disguise
Jupiter concealed himself.
Legba African god of crossroads. Literally, "tricky spirit." He is the son of
Yemoja, the sea goddess, and Obatala, the sky god of Nigerian mythology. He is
usually portrayed as a "court jester" and brings messages from the gods to man.
(See Mercury.) In African art, he is portrayed wearing traveling clothes in
black and red. These are not his colors, but the colors of his best friends,
Oggun (god of iron) and Chango (god of thunder).
Lethe One of the rivers of Hades, which the souls of all the dead taste, that
they may forget everything said and done when alive. Gr. letho, latheo,
lanthano, to cause persons not to know.
Loki Norse god of fire. In Norse mythology, it is Loki who sets the wheel of
fate in motion, causing many problems along the way. Loki was originally a
friend of the other gods, sometimes helping them (as in the case of Thor's
hammer) or harming them (Loki's murder of Baldur). During Ragnarok (The
Twilight of the Gods mentioned in Warner's operas), he sided with the giants
and wolves who were destroying the castle in which the gods lived.
Lotus-eaters or Lotophagi Name of a people who ate the fruit of a plant called
lotus. The companions of Ulysses who landed among them and partook of their
food lost all memory of home and had to be dragged away before they would
continue their voyage.
Mars The Roman god of war; identified in certain aspects with the Greek Ares.
He was also the patron of husbandmen.
Medea A sorceress, daughter of Aeetes, king of Colchis and possessor of the
Golden Fleece. By her sorcery she helped Jason to secure the Golden Fleece. As
Jason's wife, she rejuvenated her father-in-law Aeson and killed Jason's uncle
Pelias. When Jason deserted her to marry the Corinthian princess Creusa, Medea
sent her a poisoned robe, killed her own and Jason's children, and, after
setting fire to the palace, escaped to Athens, where she married Aegeus, the
father of Theseus. As Aegeus' wife, she tried to make her husband poison his
own son. Detected in her scheming she had to flee to Asia where the country
called Media still bears her name.
Medusa One of the Gorgons. Once a beautiful maiden, a goddess punished her by
changing her hair into serpents and herself into a frightful monster, the sight
of which turned all living things into stone. Perseus cut off her head which
was then fixed in Minerva's Aegis. From her blood sinking into the earth, the
winged horse Pegasus arose.
Megaera
In Greek mythology, one of the Furies. See Fury.
Menelaus King of Sparta and husband of Helen of Troy, one of the principal
figures in the Trojan conflict.
Mentor A friend of Ulysses whose form Minerva assumed when she accompanied
Telemachus in his search for his father.
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Mercury The Roman equivalent of the Greek Hermes, son of Maia and Jupiter, to
whom he acted as messenger. He was the god of science and commerce, patron of
travellers and rogues, vagabonds and thieves.
Metamorphoses A series of tales in Latin verse by Ovid, chiefly mythological,
beginning with the creation of the world, and ending with the deification of
Caesar and the reign of Augustus.
Midas A king of Phrygia, son of Gordius and Cybele. He assisted Bacchus'
teacher Silenus, whereupon the grateful god granted his wish that everything he
touched should turn into gold. When he found that even his food was not exempt
from his new influence, he managed to have it transferred to the river
Pactolus. In a contest between Apollo and Pan, Midas insisted that the prize
should go to Pan. Thereupon Apollo had his ears changed into asses' ears.
Milo A Greek athlete of the last part of the sixth century b.c. He was born in
Crotona and led the triumphant army of his native city against the city of
Sybaris in 510 b.c. He won six prizes as a wrestler at the Olympic games, six
more at the Pythian games, and crowned his glories by carrying a four-year-old
heifer through a huge stadium, then killing it and eating it all in a single
day. He was eaten by wolves while his hands were caught in a split tree which
he had tried to tear apart.
Minerva The Roman goddess of wisdom, patroness of the arts and trades, sprung
fully armed from the head of Jupiter. She is identified with the Greek Athene,
and was one of the three chief deities, the others being Jupiter and Juno. The
most famous statue of this goddess was by Phidias, and was anciently one of the
Seven Wonders of the World.
Minos A legendary king and lawgiver of Crete, the son of Jupiter and Europa,
who became after his death one of the judges in the underworld. He is often
identified with his grandson, the father of Ariadne and Phaedra, who built the
labyrinth for the Minotaur and exacted a tribute from the Athenians until
Theseus intervened and killed the monster. The word Minos is now generally
considered to have been a title rather than a proper name.
Minotaur A monster, half bull and half man, offspring of a bull sent by
Neptune and Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos of Crete. Hence the name (Gr.
tauros, ''a bull"). Minos kept it in the labyrinth built by Daedalus and fed it
human bodies exacted as a tribute from the Athenians. When Theseus arrived as
one of the victims, he managed to kill the monster with the help of Minos'
daughter Ariadne, who had fallen in love with him.
Monkey King Chinese trickster god. A popular god with the Chinese, he was also
assimilated into the Buddhist pantheon. He frequently gets into trouble because
of his insatiable hunger and has a longstanding friendship with Kwan-Yin,
goddess of compassion. In one of his most famous myths, he found out about the
banquets given by Wang Muyiang, goddess of jade. Arriving before everyone else,
he took bites out of all the foods displayed, including the peaches of
immortality. When the Imperial Court of Heaven realized what he had done, they
tried to destroy him with fire, thunder, and water but could not because he had
eaten of the peaches and was now immortal. Because of his ability to see
through the disguises of demons, he was sent to the west with the T'ang priest
as a disciple and protector.
Morpheus
Ovid's name for the son of Sleep and god of dreams; so called from
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Gr. morphe, form, because he gives these airy nothings their form and fashion.
Muses Daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne (Memory). They were goddesses of
memory and later of the arts and sciences. Their number came eventually to be
fixed as nine. They lived on Mt. Helicon and were put in charge of Pegasus by
Minerva. Their names and special domains were: Calliope -- epic poetry; Clio -history, Erato -- love poetry; Euterpe -- lyric poetry; Melpomene tragedy;
Polyhymnia -- sacred poetry; Terpsichore -- choral dance; Thalia -- comedy; and
Urania -- astronomy. Apollo was their guardian and leader and was hence called
Musagetes.
Mycenae
Ancient Greek city, capital of Agamemnon's kingdom.
Naiad A nymph of a lake, river, fountain, etc. The naiads derived their
vitality and in turn gave life to the water in which they dwelled.
Narcissus The son of Cephisus; a beautiful youth who saw his reflection in a
fountain, and thought it the presiding nymph of the place. He gradually pined
away for love of this unattainable spirit, and nothing remained but a flower
which the nymphs called by his name. He was beloved by Echo and his fate was a
punishment for his cruel indifference to her passion.
Nemesis The goddess of just distribution. Because of her persecution of the
excessively rich or proud, she came to be regarded as a goddess of retributive
justice. She was represented with wings, the wheel of fortune, in a chariot
drawn by griffins, and was often confused with Adrastea, the goddess of the
inevitable.
Nephtys Egyptian goddess of the desert, sister of Isis, mother of Anubis.
Although she was the wife of Set, he could not give her children, and so with
Isis's help, she bore a son (Anubis) by Osiris. After Osiris's murder she left
Set in disgust and joined the house of Isis.
Neptune
The Roman god of the sea, corresponding with the Greek Poseidon.
Nereids Sea nymphs, beautiful daughters of Nereus and Doris. They were fifty
(or one hundred) in number; they played, danced, and were wooed by the Tritons.
The most famous were Amphitrite, Thetis, and Galatea.
Nestor A king of Pylos, son of Neleus, renowned for his wisdom, justice, and
knowledge of war, the oldest councilor of the Greeks before Troy.
Niobe Daughter of Tantalus, proud Queen of Thebes, whose seven sons and seven
daughters were killed by Apollo and Diana, at which Amphion, her husband,
killed himself, and Niobe wept until she was turned to stone.
Nu Kua Chinese goddess of marriage and gardening. Originally half-woman, half
-dragon, she created the race of human beings with legs and liked the legs so
much that she fashioned a pair for herself. She taught humankind to garden so
that she would not have to feed them herself.
Nymphs Beautiful maidens, lesser divinities of nature: dryads and hamadryads,
tree-nymphs; naiads, spring-, brook-, and river-nymphs; Nereids, sea-nymphs;
oreads, mountain-or hillnymphs.
Odin Chief god of the Norse, though not necessarily the most popular (See
Thor), he is best known for the ways in which he gained wisdom. In one myth, he
16
gave his eye to the blind keeper of the Well of Wisdom in order to take a
drink. In another, he hung upside down from the "world tree" -- Yggdrasil -- so
that he might be able to read the rune stones that lay at its base.
Odysseus
See Ulysses.
Odyssey Homer's epic poem, relating the wandering of Ulysses from the end of
the Trojan War until his return to Ithaca.
Oedipus Greek hero and king. Son of Laius and Jocasta. Because of a curse
placed upon his father, Laius, Oedipus was sent into the wilderness, not
knowing that he was the son of royalty. On the road to Thebes, he met Laius,
who demanded that Oedipus get out of the way. In the ensuing argument, Oedipus
killed his father. Once he arrived at Thebes, he answered the riddle of the
Sphinx and was unknowingly allowed to marry Jocasta, Queen of Thebes and his
mother. They had four children -- Ismene, Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices.
When a plague struck Thebes, the Delphic oracle (the oracle of Apollo) declared
that until the murderer of Laius was found, the plague would continue. It was
then that Tiresias, the blind seer of Thebes, revealed to Oedipus who he really
was. His wife and mother, Jocasta, hung herself in remorse at her unknowing
crime, and Oedipus blinded himself with the pins from her gown. Oedipus fled to
Colonus with his two daughters and was welcomed there. However, Creon, Laius's
brother and the new king, kidnapped Ismene and Antigone. It was at Colonus that
Oedipus was taken into heaven by the gods. His daughters remained with Creon,
while his grown sons, Eteocles and Polynices, fought over the kingdom and
eventually killed one another in battle.
Olympus The dwelling-place of the dynasty of gods of which Zeus or Jupiter was
the head, corresponding to the Norse Valhalla.
Ophion The king of the Titans who ruled Olympus until dethroned by the gods
Saturn and Rhea.
Oracles Answers from the gods to questions from mortals seeking knowledge or
advice on the future. They were usually given in equivocal form so as to fit
any event. Also, the places where such answers were given forth by a priest or
priestess.
Orestes The son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Because of his crime in killing
his mother he was pursued by the Furies until purified by Minerva.
Orion A giant and hunter, son of Neptune. In the attempt to gain possession of
Merope, he was blinded by her father Oenopion but restored to sight by Apollo.
He became a favorite with Diana, whose brother Apollo made her kill him
inadvertently. Diana placed him among the stars where he appears as the
constellation Orion with dog Sirius following him.
Orpheus A Thracian poet, son of Apollo and Calliope, whose music moved even
inanimate objects. He took part in the Argonautic expedition and appeased a
storm. When his wife, Eurydice, died, he charmed Pluto, who released her on
condition that he would not look back. He did turn round and lost her again. He
perished, torn to pieces by infuriated Thracian maenads.
Osiris Egyptian god of the dead, brother of Set and Nephtys, husband of Isis,
father of Horus the Younger. Osiris was the god of vegetation, until his death
at the hands of his brother. Out of compassion for his sister Nephtys, who was
childless, he lay with her in order that she might have a child.
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Ovid A Latin poet in the time of Augustus who wrote the poetical fables called
Metamorphoses.
Pallas Athene
Pan
See Minerva.
Called Faunus by the Romans, the Greek god of nature and the universe.
Pandora Literally, the all-gifted. The first woman, dowered with gifts by
every god, yet entrusted with a box she was cautioned not to open. Curious, she
opened it, and out flew all the ills of humanity, leaving behind only hope,
which remained. She is to be compared with Eve.
Pantheon
The gods, goddesses, and mythical heroes of a culture.
Paris The son of Priam, king of Troy, and Hecuba; through his abduction of
Helen he is the cause of the Trojan War. It was he who awarded the Apple of
Discord and the title of "Fairest" to Venus, who in return assisted him to
carry off Helen, for whom he deserted his wife, Oenone. At Troy, Paris earned
the contempt of all by his cowardice; he killed Achilles with a poisoned arrow
and suffered the same fate at the hands of Philoctetes when the city was taken.
Parnassus A mountain near Delphi, Greece, with two summits, one of which was
consecrated to Apollo and the Muses, the other to Bacchus.
Parthenon The great temple on the Acropolis at Athens to Athene Parthenos
(i.e.,the Virgin).
Patroclus The loyal friend of Achilles. When Achilles refused to fight to
annoy Agamemnon, he sent Patroclus in his own armor to the battle. Patroclus
was slain by Hector.
Pegasus The winged horse of the Muses, born of the sea foam and the blood of
the slaughtered Medusa. He was caught by Bellerophon, who mounted him and
destroyed the Chimaera, when Bellerophon attempted to ascend to heaven, he was
thrown from the horse, and Pegasus mounted alone to the skies to become the
constellation of the same name. When the Muses contended with the daughters of
Pieros, Mount Helicon rose heavenward, Pegasus gave it a kick and brought out
of the mountain the soul-inspiring waters of the fountain Hippocrene.
Pele Hawaiian fire goddess. One of the most important of the Hawaiian pantheon
and one of its few survivors. She created the Hawaiian archipelago as a result
of her ongoing feud with her sister Na-Maka-Ka-Ahi, the ocean.
Pelias Jason's uncle, who usurped the Argonaut's kingdom, promising to return
it to him if Jason would bring him the Golden Fleece.
Penelope The wife of Ulysses, who, waiting twenty years for his return from
the Trojan War, put off the suitors for her hand by promising to choose one
when her weaving was done, but unravelled at night what she had woven by day.
Persephone
See Proserpine.
Perseus Son of Jupiter and Danae, slayer of the Gorgon Medusa, and deliverer
of Andromeda from the sea-monster
Phaedra
The daughter of Pasiphae and King Minos of Crete; sister of Ariadne.
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She became the wife of Theseus and fell in love with her stepson Hippolytus.
When her advances were repulsed, she aroused the jealousy of her infatuated
husband and Hippolytus was killed. When his innocence became evident, Phaedra
committed suicide and Aesculapius with the help of Diana restored Hippolytus to
life.
Phaethon The son of Phoebus, who undertook to drive his father's chariot, but
was upset and would have set the world on fire had not Zeus transfixed him with
a thunderbolt.
Philemon and Baucis Poor cottagers of Phrygia, husband and wife, who
entertained Jupiter so hospitably that he promised to grant them whatever
request they made. They asked that both might die together. Philemon became an
oak, Baucis a linden tree, and their branches intertwined at the top.
Philoctetes A famous archer, to whom Hercules, at death, gave his arrows. He
joined the Greeks against Troy but was left behind on Lemnos because of the
offensive smell of a festering wound. An oracle having declared that only the
arrows of Hercules could fell Troy, Philoctetes was sent for. He went to Troy,
slew Paris, and the prophecy came true.
Phoebus (from Greek phoibos, "bright"). An epithet of Apollo, particularly in
his quality as the sun god. See Apollo. The name often stands for the sun
personified.
Phoenix A messenger to Achilles; also, a miraculous bird, dying in fire by its
own act and springing up alive from its own ashes.
Pillars of Hercules Two mountains facing each other; one, Calpe (now the Rock
of Gibraltar), on the southwest corner of Spain in Europe, the other, Abyla, on
the northern coast of Africa.
Pleiades
Seven of Diana's nymphs who were changed into stars.
Pluto Identical with Hades and Dis. The ruler of the infernal regions, son of
Saturn, brother of Jupiter and Neptune, and husband of Proserpine.
Plutus In Greek mythology, the son of Iasion and Demeter. He was associated
with Irene, the goddess of peace. Jupiter blinded him to make sure that he
would bestow his gifts indiscriminately on good men and bad.
Polynices
See Eteocles and Polynices.
Polyphemus One of the Cyclopes, a giant with only one eye in the middle of his
forehead, who lived in Sicily. He was in love with Galatea and crushed his
successful rival Acis with a rock. He was blinded by Ulysses, whom he had taken
prisoner with twelve members of his crew.
Poseidon The Greek god of the sea; son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus and
Pluto, husband of Amphitrite. In Roman mythology, he became assimilated to
Neptune. See Neptune.
Priam In Greek legend, king of Troy when that city was sacked by the Greeks,
husband of Hecuba, and father of fifty sons and many daughters, among whom were
Hector, Helenus, Paris, Deiphobus, Agenor, Polyxena, Troilus, Cassandra, and
Polydorus. When Hector was slain, the old King went to the tent of Achilles and
made a successful plea for the body of his dead son. After the gates of Troy
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were thrown open by the Greeks concealed in the wooden horse, Pyrrhus, the son
of Achilles, slew the aged Priam.
Procrustes A robber of Attica who seized travelers and bound them on his iron
bed, stretching the short ones and cutting short the tall. Thus he was served
himself by Theseus.
Prometheus Literally, "forethought." One of the Titans, son of Iapetus and
Clymene. Jupiter entrusted him with the task of making men out of mud and
water. Out of pity for their state, he gave them fire, stealing it from heaven,
and was punished by being chained to Mount Caucasus, where an eagle preyed on
his liver. He was finally released by Hercules.
Proserpine (Greek Persephone) One of the greater goddesses; daughter of Ceres
and wife of Pluto, who carried her off to his realm against the will of her
mother and, by intervention of Jupiter, had to agree to a compromise by which
she was to pass half the time (winter) with her husband and the other half
(summer) with her mother. At times she was identified with Hecate. While queen
of the infernal regions, Theseus tried to carry her off. When Venus sent Psyche
to her to fetch some of her beauty in a little box, it developed to be a bit of
Stygian sleep.
Proteus Neptune's herdsman, an old man and a prophet, famous for his power of
assuming different shapes at will.
Psyche A beautiful maiden, personification of the human soul, sought by Cupid
(Love), to whom she responded. She lost him through curiosity, wanting to see
him though he only came to her by night, but was finally, through his prayers,
made immortal, and restored to him. Psyche is a symbol of immortality.
Pygmalion A sculptor, in love with a statue he had made, which was brought to
life by Venus; also, a brother of the Queen Dido.
Pyramus Lover of Thisbe, his nextdoor neighbor. Their parents opposing, they
talked through cracks in the housewall, and agreed to meet in the near-by
woods. There Pyramus, finding a bloody veil and thinking Thisbe slain, killed
himself, and she, seeing his body, killed herself. (Burlesqued in Shakespeare's
Midsummer Night's Dream).
Python A monstrous serpent which arose from the mud left by the deluge of
Deucalion. It lurked in the caves of Mount Parnassus and was slain by Apollo.
Ra Egyptian sky god. By himself, he created the set of nine deities known as
the Ennead. These include Shu, god of air; Tefnut, goddess of rain; Geb, god of
the earth; Nut, goddess of the sky; Horus the Elder; Nephtys, goddess of the
desert; Isis, goddess of magic; Osiris, god of the dead; and Set, god of the
desert. When Ra began to age, the Ennead feared that he would die. Isis agreed
to cure him if he taught her his secret name, known only to himself. Only when
he was near death would Ra give Isis his name. With this, Isis created a spell
and saved the dying king.
Remus
Twin brother of Romulus. See Romulus.
Rhea A female Titan, wife of Cronus, her brother, and "Mother of the Gods,"
for example, of Jupiter, Neptune, Juno, Ceres, etc. She became identified with
the Asiatic Cybele.
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Romanus In legend, the son of Histion, grandson of Japhet, great grandson of
Noah, and ancestor of the Romans.
Romulus With his twin brother, Remus, the legendary founder of Rome. They were
sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia. They were suckled by a she-wolf, and eventually
set about founding a city but quarrelled over the plans, and Remus was slain by
his brother. Romulus was taken to the heavens by his father in a fiery chariot,
and was worshipped by the Romans under the name of Quirinus.
Sagittarius A southern constellation, partly in the Milky Way, representing an
archer (Lat. sagittarius, "archer'') who is identified as the Centaur Chiron,
placed after his death among the stars by Jupiter. Also known by the English
name Archer.
Sappho Greek poetess who leaped into the sea from the promontory of Leucadia
in disappointed love for Phaon.
Saturn A Roman deity, identified with the Greek Cronus (time). He devoured all
his children except Jupiter (air), Neptune (water), and Pluto (the grave). The
reign of Saturn was celebrated by the poets as a ''Golden Age."
Satyrs A race of immortal goatmen who dwelt in the woodlands. The most famous
satyr was Silenus.
Scylla A sea-nymph beloved by Gilaucus, but changed by the jealous Circe to a
monster and finally to a dangerous rock on the Sicilian coast, facing the
whirlpool Charybdis. Many mariners were wrecked between the two. Also, the
daughter of King Nisus of Megara, who loved Minos, besieging her father's city;
he, however, disliked her disloyalty and drowned her. Also, a fair virgin of
Sicily, friend to the sea-nymph Galatea.
Set Egyptian god of the desert, brother of Isis and Osiris, husband of
Nephtys. Set was jealous and envious of his brother Osiris, and angered that he
had been given the barren desert to reign while his brother was given the
fertile Nile area. He therefore murdered Osiris and made sure to scatter the
pieces so that Isis, with her magic, would not be able to find and bury him.
Because of his crime he was banished to the desert forever.
Seven against Thebes, Expedition of the An expedition against the city of
Thebes by the heroes Adrastus (the only survivor), Polynices, Tydeus,
Amphiaraus, Hippomedon, Capancus, and Parthenopaeus.
Sibyl Any of a number of prophetesses whose special function it was to
intercede with the gods on behalf of human supplicants. The most famous is the
Cumaean Sibyl whom Aeneas consulted before descending to Avernus.
Silvanus or Sylvanus In Roman mythology, the divine protector of woods,
fields, cattle, etc. His characteristics were very much the same as those of
the Greek Pan.
Sirens Sea-nymphs, whose singing charmed mariners to leap into the sea;
passing their island, Ulysses stopped the ears of his sailors with wax, and had
himself lashed to the mast so that he could hear, but not yield to, their
music.
Sirius
Orion's dog, which was changed into the Dog-star.
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Sisyphus A legendary king of Corinth, condemned in Tartarus to perpetually
roll up hill a big rock which, when the top was reached, rolled down again.
Somnus In classic myth, the god of Sleep, the son of Night (Nox) and the
brother of Death (Mors).
Sphinx A monster, waylaying the road to Thebes, and propounding riddles to all
passers on pain of death for wrong guessing. She killed herself in rage when
Oedipus guessed correctly.
Styx The river of Hate (Greek stugein, to hate) -- that flowed nine times
round the infernal regions. The five rivers of hell are the Styx, Acheron,
Cocytus, Phlegethon and Lethe.
Tantalus Son of Jupiter and Pluto (daughter of Himantes); father of Pelops and
Niobe. As a king of Mount Sipylus in Lydia, he revealed the secrets of the gods
and was punished in Tartarus by having to stand under a loaded fruit tree up to
his chin in water, the fruit and water retreating whenever he tried to satisfy
his hunger or thirst.
Tartarus The infernal regions of classical mythology; used as equivalent to
Hades by later writers, but by Homer placed as far beneath Hades as Hades is
beneath the earth. It was here that Zeus confined the Titans.
Telemachus The only son of Ulysses and Penelope. He went to Pylos and Sparta
in search for his father and helped him on his return to Ithaca to slay
Penelope's suitors.
Terra
Goddess of the earth.
Thalia The Muse of comedy and bucolic poetry. Thalia is also the name of one
of the three Graces. It signifies "blooming."
Thebes
The chief city of Boeotia, Greece, founded by Cadmus, the Tyrian.
Theseus Chief hero of Attica; son of Aegeus and Aethra; a great hero of many
adventures.
Thetis
The chief of the Nereids. By Peleus she was the mother of Achilles.
Thor Warrior god of thunder. The most popular of the Norse gods because of his
patronage of sailors and laborers, who prayed to him for protection before
going to work. With his hammer, he broke up the icy rivers each spring. In one
of his myths, he dressed as a woman in order to fool the giants who had stolen
his hammer. The giant demanded Freya in marriage in return for the magic
hammer. So Thor, dressed as a young bride, went to the wedding as Freya. When
the giant placed the hammer in the "bride's" lap, Thor leapt up from the seat
and destroyed the giant.
Tiresias A Theban seer. He had seen Minerva bathing and was blinded by her.
Relenting, but unable to withdraw the punishment, she compensated him by giving
the gift of second sight. After his death, Ulysses, at the request of Circe,
consulted him in Hades.
Titans A race of primordial deities, children of Heaven and Earth, finally
overcome by the thunderbolts of rebellious Jupiter, who banished them to
Tartarus, where they lie prostrate at the bottom of the pit. According to the
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oldest accounts there were twelve Titans, six male and six female: Oceanus,
Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Tethys,
Mnemosyne, Phoebe.
Triton The son of Neptune and Amphitrite, represented as a fish with a human
head. It is this sea god that makes the roaring of the ocean by blowing through
his shell.
Trojan horse
See Wooden Horse.
Trojans Inhabitants of Troy, whose adventures under the leadership of Aeneas,
after the fall of their city, form the subject matter of Vergil's Aeneid.
Trojan War The legendary war sung by Homer in the Iliad as having been waged
for ten years by the confederated Greeks against the men of Troy and their
allies, in consequence of Paris, son of Priam, the Trojan king, having carried
off Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Lacedemon (or of Sparta). The last year of
the siege is the subject of the Iliad; the burning of Troy, and the flight of
Aeneas is told by Vergil in his Aeneid.
Troy City in Asia Minor, held to be identical with the Greek Ilium. In Greek
legend, the capital of King Priam and object of the Trojan War.
Typhon A fire-breathing monster, the father of the Sphinx, the Chimaera, and
other monsters. He is often identified with Typhoeus, a son of Tartarus and
Gaea, who begot the unfavorable winds or, according to other stories, is
himself one of them. As a hundred-headed giant he warred against the gods and
was banished by Jupiter to Tartarus under Mount Aetna. Typhon is also the name
used by the Greeks for the Egyptian Set, the god of evil, who killed his
brother (or father) Osiris.
Ulysses The Roman name of the Greek Odysseus, of hero of Homer's Odyssey, and
a prominent character in the Iliad.
Unicorn (Latin unum cornu, one horn) A mythical animal, represented as having
the legs of a buck, the tail of a lion, the head and body of a horse, and a
single horn in the middle of its forehead. The oldest author that describes it
is Ctesias (400 b.c.).
Uranus A personification of Heaven. The son of Gaea or Earth and by her the
father of the Titans.
Valhalla "Hall of Warriors," a heavenly resting place for Norse warriors who
had died bravely in battle. Warriors were chosen and carried to Valhalla by
Valkyries, who were warrior demi-goddesses. There, they sat at tables and were
given heavenly mead to drink.
Valkyries Norse demi-goddesses, daughters of Odin and Erda. They were nine in
number, the most famous being Brunhilde, who was Odin's favorite. The Valkyries
were trained as warriors by Odin and Thor themselves. They rode the heavens on
winged horses searching the battlefields for warriors who had died bravely to
bring into Valhalla, the final resting place of valiant men.
Venus In Roman mythology, the goddess of beauty and love. Originally of minor
importance, she became through identification with the Greek Aphrodite one of
the major characters in classical myths. She was the daughter of Jupiter and
Dione. According to another view (influenced by association with the Greek term
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aphros, "foam") she had sprung from the foam of the sea at Cyprus. Jupiter gave
her in wedlock to Vulcan. She was the mother, by Vulcan, of Eros and Anteros;
by Mars, of Harmonia; by Anchises, of Aeneas; etc. She wore a magic girdle
which enabled its wearer to arouse love in others. She plays an important part
in many legends and stories: she gave beauty as a gift to Pandora, the first
woman; she fell in love with Adonis and after his death changed his blood into
the anemone; she first objected and finally consented to her son Cupid's (Eros)
love for Psyche; she had Atalanta and Hippomenes changed into lions; she
consoled Ariadne and gave her Bacchus as her husband; she competed against Juno
and Minerva for the apple of discord and was given the prize by Paris; she
destined Helen, the wife of Menelaus, for Paris and caused thus the Trojan war;
she sided with the Trojans against the Greeks and enlisted the help of her
admirer Mars; etc.
Vergil Publius Vergilius Maro (70-19 b.c.) Famous Roman epic and idyllic poet.
Author of the Aeneid, which relates the adventures of Aeneas after he left
Troy.
Vesta In Roman mythology, one of the chief divinities, corresponding to the
Greek Hestia. She was the virgin goddess of the hearth and presided over the
central altar of family, city, tribe, and race. The vestals were her
priestesses.
Vestals Six stainless virgins, who watched as priestesses over the sacred fire
in the temple of Vesta. The fire had originally been brought to Rome by Aeneas.
When it went out, it was rekindled from the rays of the sun.
Vesuvius, Mount
Virgil
A famous volcano near Naples, Italy.
See Vergil.
Virgo Constellation of the Virgin, representing Astraea, goddess of innocence
and purity.
Vulcan A son of Jupiter and Juno, husband of Venus, god of fire and the
working of metals, identified with the Greek Hephaestus, and called also
Mulciber, for example, the softener. His workshop was on Mount Etna where the
Cyclops assisted him in forging thunderbolts for Jove.
Wang Muyiang Chinese goddess of heaven and weaving. It is Wang Muyiang who
gives the banquets attended by all in heaven. At the banquets, the peaches of
immortality are served as dessert, as well as elixirs and potions of
immortality. With her daughters, she weaves all of the garments of the Imperial
Court of Heaven.
Wooden Horse It was filled with armed men and left outside Troy as a pretended
offering to Minerva when the Greeks feigned to sail away. It was accepted by
the Trojans and brought into their city, but at night the hidden Greek soldiers
destroyed the town.
Zephyrus A personification of the west wind; the gentlest of all the sylvan
deities. Also known as Favonious. He fans the inhabitants of Elysium and is the
lover of Flora. When Apollo played at quoits with Hyacinthus Zephyris was
jealous and drove the missile Apollo had pitched so that it killed Hyacinthus.
He bore Psyche from her lonely mountain refuge to the flowery dale where Cupid
was waiting for her and also brought her sisters to see her.
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Zeus The Grecian Jupiter. The word means the "living one" (Sanskrit, Djaus,
heaven). See Jupiter.
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