Mythology & Beliefs
In Roman mythology, Vertumnus - also Vortumnus or Vertimnus -
is the god of seasons, change[1] and plant growth, as well as
gardens and fruit trees. He could change his form at will;
using this power, according to Ovid's Metamorphoses (xiv), he
tricked Pomona into talking to him by disguising himself as an
old woman and gaining entry to her orchard, then using a
narrative warning of the dangers of rejecting a suitor (the
embedded tale of Iphis and Anaxarete) to seduce her. The tale
of Vertumnus and Pomona was the only purely Latin tale in
Ovid's Metamorphoses.[2]...
Read More
Vertumnus
or VORTUMNUS, is said to have been an Etruscan divinity
whose worship was introduced at Rome by an ancient Vulsinian
colony occupying at first the Caelian hill, and afterwards
the vicus Tuscus. (Propert 4.2. 6, &c.; Ov. Miet. 14.642.)
The name is evidently connected with verto, and formed on
the analogy of alumnus from alo, whence it must signify "
the god who changes or metamorphoses himself." For this
reason the Romans connected Vertumnus with all occurrences
to which the verb verto applies, such as the change of
seasons, purchase and sale, the return of rivers to their
proper beds, &c. (Comp. Horat. Sat. 2.7. 14.) But in reality
the god was connected only with the transformation of
plants, and their progress from being in blossom to that of
bearing fruit. (Schol. ad Horat. List. 1.20. 1 Ascon. in
Cic. Verr. 1.59; Propert. 4.2. 10, &c.) Hence the story,
that when Vertumnus was in love with Pomona, he assumed all
possible forms, until at last he gained his end by
metamorphosing himself into a blooming youth. (Propert 4.2.
21, &c.; Ov. l.c.) Gardeners accordingly offered to him the
first produce of their gardens and garlands of budding
flowers. (Propert. 4.2. 18 and 45.) But the whole people
celebrated a festival to Vertumnus on the 23d of August,
under the name of the Vortumnalia, denoting the transition
from the beautiful season of autumn to the less agreeable
one. He had a temple in the vicus Tuscus, and a statue of
him stood in the vicus Jugarius near the altar of Ops.
(Propert. l.c. ; Cic. in Verr. 1.59.) The story of the
Etruscan origin seems to be sufficiently refuted by his
genuine Roman name, and it is much more probable that the
worship of Vertumnus was of Sabine origin, which in fact is
implied in his connection with T. Tatius. (Varro, De L. L.
5.75.) The importance of the worship of Vertumnus at Rome is
evident from the fact, that it was attended to by a special
flamen (flamen Vortumnalis ; see Varro, De L. L. 7.45, with
Müller's note; Festus, p. 379; Plin. Nat. 23.1; Müller, Anc.
Art and its Rem. § 404). - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family
in Roman religion. Vesta's presence was symbolized by the
sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples. Her closest
Greek equivalent is Hestia...
Read More
one of the great Roman divinities, identical with the Greek
Hestia both in name and import. She was the goddess of the
hearth, and therefore inseparably connected with the
Penates, for Aeneas was believed to have brought the eternal
fire of Vesta from Troy, along with the images of the
Penates; and the praetors, consuls, and dictators, before
entering upon their official functions, sacrificed not only
to the Penates, but also to Vesta at Lavinium. (Verg. A.
2.296, &c., 10.259, 5.744; Macr. 3.4.) In the ancient Roman
house, the hearth was the central part, and around it all
the inmates daily assembled for their common meal (coena,
κοινή), and every meal thus taken was a fresh bond of union
and affection among the members of a family, and at the same
time an act of worship of Vesta combined with a sacrifice to
her and the Penates. (Ov. Fast. 6.305; Verg. G. 4.384; Serv.
ad Aen. 1.734.) Every dwelling house therefore was, in some
sense, a temple of Vesta (August. De Civ. Dei, 4.11), but a
public sanctuary united all the citizens of the state into
one large family. This sanctuary stood in the Forum, between
the Capitoline and Palatine hills, and not far from the
temple of the Penates. (Dionys. A. R. 2.65.) That temple was
round with a vaulted roof, like the impluvium of private
houses, so that there is no reason to regard that form as an
imitation of the vault of heaven (Ov. Fast. 6.269, &c., 282;
Plut. Num. 11.) The goddess was not represented in her
temple by a statue, but the eternal fire burning on the
hearth or altar was her living symbol, and was kept up and
attended to by the Vestals, her virgin priestesses. As each
house, and the city itself, so also the country had its own
Vesta, and the latter was worshipped at Lavinium, the
metropolis of the Latins, where she was worshipped and
received the regular sacrifices at the hands of the highest
magistrates. The goddess herself was regarded as chaste and
pure like her symbol, the fire, and the Vestals, who kept up
the sacred fire, were likewise pure maidens. Respecting
their duties and obligations, see Dict. of Ant. s. v.
Vestales. As regards her worship, it is stated, that every
year, on the 1st of March her sacred fire, and the laurel
tree which shaded her hearth, were renewed (Macr. 1.12; Ov.
Fast. 3.143), and that on the 15th of June her temple was
cleaned and purified. The dirt was carried into an
angiportus behind the temple, which was locked by a gate
that no one might enter it. (Ov. Fast. 6.227, &c.; Fest.
1.344, ed. Müller.) The day on which this took place was a
dies nefastus, the first half of which was thought to be so
inauspicious, that the priestess of Juno was not allowed to
comb her hair, to cut her nails, or to approach her husband,
while the second half was very favourable to contracting a
marriage or ente ring upon other important undertakings. A
few days before that solemnity, on the 9th of June, the
Vestalia was celebrated in honour of the goddess, on which
occasion none but women walked to the temple, and that with
bare feet. On one of these occasions an altar had been
dedicated to Jupiter Pistor. (Ov. Fast. 6.3. 50; comp.
Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. vol. ii. p. Ill, &c.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Vulcan (Latin: Vulcanus), aka Mulciber, is the god of
beneficial and hindering fire,[1] including the fire of
volcanoes in ancient Roman religion and Roman Neopaganism. He
is known as Sethlans in Etruscan mythology. He was worshipped
at an annual festival on August 23 known as the Volcanalia.
The god belongs to the most ancient stage of Roman religion:
Varro citing the Annales Maximi, recalls that king Titus
Tatius had dedicated altars to a series of deities among which
Vulcan is mentioned.[2]
Vulcan was identified with the Greek god of fire and smithery,
Hephaestus...
Read More
the Roman god of fire, whose name seems to be connected with
fulgere, fulgur, and fulmen. His worship was of considerable
political importance at Rome, for a temple is said to have
been erected to him close by the comitium as early as the
time of Romulus and Tatius, in which the two kings used to
meet and settle the affairs of the state, and near which the
popular assembly was held. (Dionys. A. R. 2.50, 6.67; Plut.
Quaest. Rom. 47.）
Tatius is reported to have established the worship of Vulcan
along with that of Vesta, and Romulus to have dedicated to
him a quadriga after his victory over the Fidenatans, and to
have set up a statue of himself near the temple. (Dionys. A.
R. 2.54; Plut. Rom. 24.) According to others the temple was
built by Romulus himself, who also planted near it the
sacred lotus-tree which still existed in the days of Pliny.
(H. N. 16.44; P. Victor, Reg. Urb. iv.) These circumstances,
and what is related of the lotus-tree, shows that the temple
of Vulcan, like that of Vesta, was regarded as a central
point of the whole state, and hence it was perhaps not
without a meaning that subsequently the temple of Concord
was built within the same district. (Liv. 9.46, 40.19,
36.46.) The most ancient festival in honour of Vulcan seems
to have been the Fornacalia or Furnalia, he being the god of
furnaces (Isidor. 19.6. 2; Fest. p. 88); but his great
festival was called Vulcanalia, and was celebrated on the
23d of August. (Dict. of Ant. s. v.) The Roman poets
transfer all the stories which are related of the Greek
Hephaestus to their own Vulcan, the two divinities having in
the course of time been completely identified. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Anemoi (in Greek, Ἄνεμοι - "winds")
were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction,
from which their respective winds came, and were each
associated with various seasons and weather conditions. They
were sometimes represented as mere gusts of wind, at other
times were personified as winged men, and at still other times
were depicted as horses kept in the stables of the storm god
Aeolus, who provided Odysseus with the Anemoi in the Odyssey.
Astraeus, the astrological deity sometimes associated with
Aeolus, and Eos, the goddess of the dawn, were the parents of
the Anemoi, according to the Greek poet Hesiod...
Read More
Zephyrus, or just Zephyr (Greek: Ζέφυρος, Zéphuros, "the west
wind"), in Latin Favonius, is the Greek god of the west wind.
The gentlest of the winds, Zephyrus is known as the
fructifying wind, the messenger of spring. It was thought that
Zephyrus lived in a cave in Thrace...
Read More
（*Ze/furos), the personification of the west wind, is
described by Hesiod (Theog. 579) as a son of Astraeus and Eos.
Zephyrus and Boreas are frequently mentioned together by
Homer, and both dwelt together in a palace in Thrace. (Il.
9.5, Od. 5.295.) By the Harpy Podarge, Zephyrus became the
father of the horses Xanthus and Balius, which belonged to
Achilles (Hom. Il. 16.150, &c.); but he was married to
Chloris, whom he had carried off by force, and by whom he had
a son Carpus. (Ov. Fast. 5.197; Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 5.48.)
On the sacred road from Athens to Eleusis, there was an altar
of Zephyrus. (Paus. 1.37.1.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology Zeus (pronounced /ˈzuːs/ or /ˈzjuːs/;
Ancient Greek: Ζεύς; Modern Greek: Δίας, Dias) is the "Father
of Gods and men", according to Hesiod's Theogony, who ruled
the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family;
he was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. As
Walter Burkert points out in his book, Greek Religion, "Even
the gods who are not his natural children address him as
Father, and all the gods rise in his presence."(Iliad, book
1.503;533) For the Greeks, he was the King of the Gods, who
oversaw the universe. As Pausanias observed, "That Zeus is
king in heaven is a saying common to all men".[3] In Hesiod's
Theogony, Zeus assigns the various gods their roles. In the
Homeric Hymns he is referred to as the chieftain of the gods.
His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In
addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical
"cloud-gatherer" also derives certain iconographic traits from
the cultures of the Ancient Near East, such as the scepter.
Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two
poses: standing, striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled
in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty...
Read More
（Ζεύς), the greatest of the Olympian gods, and the father
of gods and men, was a son of Cronos and Rhea, a brother of
Poseidon, Hades (Pluto), Hestia, Demeter, Hera, and at the
same time married to his sister Hera. When Zeus and his
brothers distributed among themselves the government of the
world by lot, Poseidon obtained the sea, Hades the lower
world, and Zeus the heavens and the upper regions, but the
earth became common to all (Hom. Il. 15.187, &c., 1.528,
2.111; Verg. A. 4.372). Later mythologers enumerate three
Zeus in their genealogies two Arcadian ones and one Cretan;
and tne first is said to be a son of Aether, the second of
Coelus, and the third of Saturnus (Cic. de Nat. Deor. 3.21).
This accounts for the fact that some writers use the name of
the king of heaven who sends dew, rain, snow, thunder, and
lightning for heaven itself in its physical sense. (Hor.
Carm. 1.1.25 ; Verg. G. 2.419.)
According to the Homeric account Zeus, like the other
Olympian gods, dwelt on Mount Olympus in Thessaly, which was
believed to penetrate with its lofty summit into heaven
itself (Il. 1.221, &c., 354, 609, 21.438). He is called the
father of gods and men (1.514, 5.33; comp. Aeschyl. Sept.
512), the most high and powerful among the immortals, whom
all others obey (Il. 19.258, 8.10, &c.). He is the highest
ruler, who with his counsel manages every thing (1.175,
8.22), the founder of kingly power, of law and of order,
whence Dice, Themis and Nemesis are his assistants (1.238,
2.205, 9.99, 16.387; comp. Hes. Op. et D. 36 ; Callim. Hymn.
in Jov. 79). For the same reason he protects the assembly of
the people (ἀγοραῖος, the meetings of the council
(βουλαῖος), and as he presides over the whole state, so also
over every house and family (ἑρκεῖος, Od. 22.335; comp. Ov.
Ib. 285). He also watched over the sanctity of the oath
(ὅρκιος), the law of hospitality (ξένιος), and protected
suppliants (ἱκέσιος, Od. 9.270; comp. Paus. 5.24.2). He
avenged those who were wronged, and punished those who had
committed a crime, for he watched the doings and sufferings
of all men (ἐπόψιος, Od. 13.213; comp. Apollon. 1.1123). He
was further the original source of all prophetic power,
front whom all prophetic signs and sounds proceeded
(πανομφαῖος, Il. 8.250 ; comp. Aeschyl. Eum. 19 ; Callim.
Hymn. in Jov. 69). Every thing good as well as bad comes
from Zeus, and according to his own choice he assigns their
good or evil lot to mortals (Od. 4.237, 6.188, 9.552, Il.
10.71, 17.632, &c.), and fate itself was subordinate to him.
He is armed with thunder and lightning, and the shaking of
his aegis produces storm and tempest (Il. 17.593) : a number
of epithets of Zeus in the Homeric poems describe him as the
thunderer, the gatherer of clouds, and the like. He was
married to Hera, by whom he had two sons, Ares and
Hephaestus, and one daughter, Hebe (Il. 1.585, 5.896, Od.
11.604). Hera sometimes acts as an independent divinity, she
is ambitious and rebels against her lord, but she is
nevertheless inferior to him, and is punished for her
opposition (Il. 15.17, &c., 19.95, &c.) ; his amours with
other goddesses or mortal women are not concealed from her,
though they generally rouse her jealousy and revenge (Il.
14.317). During the Trojan war, Zeus, at the request of
Thetis, favoured the Trojans, until Agamemnon made good the
wrong he had done to Achilles. Zeus, no doubt, was
originally a god of a portion of nature, whence the oak with
its eatable fruit and the fertile doves were sacred to him
at Dodona and in Arcadia (hence also rain, storms, and the
seasons were regarded as his work, and hence the Cretan
stories of milk, honey, and cornucopia) ; but in the Homeric
poems, this primitive character of a personification of
certain powers of nature is already effaced to some extent,
and the god appears as a political and national divinity, as
the king and father of men, as the founder and protector of
all institutions hallowed by law, custom. or religion.
Hesiod (Theog. 116, &c.) also calls Zeus the son of Cronos
and Rhea 1, and the brother of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades,
and Poseidon. Crones swallowed his children immediately
after their birth, but when Rhea was near giving birth to
Zeus, she applied to Uranus and Ge for advice as to how the
child might be saved. Before the hour of birth came, Uranus
and Ge sent Rhea to Lyetos in Crete, requesting her to bring
up her child there. Rhea accordingly concealed her infant in
a cave of Mount Aegaeon, and gave to Cronos a stone wrapped
up in cloth, which he swallowed in the belief that it was
his son. Other traditions state that Zeus was born and
brought up on Mount Dicte or Ida (also the Trojan Ida),
Ithome in Messenia, Thebes in Boeotia, Aegion in Achaia, or
Olenos in Aetolia. According to the common account, however,
Zeus grew up in Crete. In the meantime Cronos by a cunning
device of Ge or Metis was made to bring up the children he
had swallowed, and first of all the stone, which was
afterwards set up by Zeus at Delphi. The young god now
delivered the Cyclopes from the bonds with which they had
been fettered by Cronos, and they in their gratitude
provided him with thunder and lightning. On the advice of
Ge. Zeus also liberated the hundred-armed Gigantes,
Briareos, Cottus, and Gyes, that they might assist him in
his fight against the Titans. (Apollod. 1.2. § 1; Hes.
Theog. 617, &c.) The Titans were conquered and shut up in
Tartarus (Theog. 717), where they were henceforth guarded by
the Hecatoncheires. Thereupon Tartarus and Ge begot
Typhoeus, who began a fearful struggle with Zeus, but was
conquered. (Theog. 820, &c.) Zeus now obtained the dominion
of the world, and chose Metis for his wife. (Theog. 881,
&c.) When she was pregnant with Athena, he took the child
out of her body and concealed it in his own, on the advice
of Uranus and Ge, who told him that thereby he would retain
the supremacy of the world. For Metis had given birth to a
son, this son (so fate had ordained it) would have acquired
the sovereignty. After this Zeus, by his second wife Themis.
became the father of the Horae and Moerae; of the Charites
by Eurynome, of Persephone by Demeter, of the Muses by
Mnemosyne, of Apollo and Artemis by Leto, and of Hebe, Ares,
and Eileithyia by Hera. Athena was born out of the head of
Zeus; while Hera, on the other hand, gave birth to
Hephaestus without the co-operation of Zeus. (Theog. 8866,
&c.) The family of the Cronidae accordingly embraces the
twelve great gods of Olympus, Zeus (the head of them all),
Poseidon, Apollo, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Hestia, Demeter,
Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, and Artemis. These twelve Olympian
gods, who in some places were worshipped as a body, as at
Athens (Thueyd. 6.54), were recognised not only by the
Greeks, but were adopted also by the Romans, who, in
particular, identified their Jupiter with the Greek Zeus.
In surveying the different local traditions about Zeus, it
would seem that originally there were several, at least
three, divinities which in their respective countries were
supreme, but which in the course of time became united in
the minds of the people into one great national divinity. We
may accordingly speak of an Arcadian, Dodonaean, Cretan, and
a national Hellenic Zeus.
1 * As Rhea is sometimes identified with Ge, Zeus is also
called a son of Ge. (Aeschyl. Suppl. 901.） - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith,
Ed.
Read More
（*Thle/maxos), the son of Odysseus and Penelope (Hom. Od.
1.216). He was still an infant at the time when his father
went to Troy, and in his absence of nearly twenty years he
grew up to manhood. After the gods in council had determined
that Odysseus should return home from the island of Ogygia,
Athena, assuming the appearance of Mentes, king of the
Taphians, went to Ithaca, and advised Telemachus to eject
the troublesome suitors of his mother from his house, and to
go to Pylos and Sparta, to gather information concerning his
father. Telemachus followed the advice, but the suitors
refused to quit his house; and Athena, in the form of
Mentes, accompanied Telemachus to Pylos. There they were
hospitably received by Nestor, who also sent his own son to
conduct Telemachus to Sparta. Menelaus again kindly received
him, and communicated to him the prophecy of Proteus
concerning Odysseus. (Hom. Od. i.--iv.) From Sparta
Telemachus returned home; and on his arrival there, he found
his father, with the swineherd Eumaeus. But as Athena had
metamorphosed him into a beggar, Telemachus did not
recognise his father until the latter disclosed to him who
he was. Father and son now agreed to punish the suitors ;
and when they were slain or dispersed, Telemachus
accompanied his father to the aged Laertes. (Hom. Od. xv.--
xxiv.; comp. ODYSSEUS.) In the Post-Homeric traditions, we
read that Palamedes, when endeavouring to persuade Odysseus
to join the Greeks against Troy, and the latter feigned
idiotcy, placed the infant Telemachus before the plough with
which Odysseus was ploughing. (Hygin. Fab. 95 ; Serv. ad
Aen. 2.81; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 384 ; Aelian, Ael. VH 13.12.)
According to some accounts, Telemachus became the father of
Perseptolis either by Polycaste, the daughter of Nestor, or
by Nausicaa, the daughter of Alcinous. (Eustath. ad Hom. p.
1796; Dict. Cret. 6.6.) Others relate that he was induced by
Athena to marry Circe, and became by her the father of
Latinus (Hygin. Fab. 127 ; comp. TELEGONUS), or that he
married Cassiphone, a daughter of Circe, but in a quarrel
with his mother-in-law he slew her, for which in his turn he
was killed by Cassiphone. (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 808.) He is
also said to have had a daughter called Roma, who married
Aeneas. (Serv. ad Aen. 1.273.) One account states that
Odysseus, in consequence of a prophecy that his son was
dangerous to him, sent him away from Ithaca. Servius (Serv.
ad Aen. 10.167) makes Telemachus the founder of the town of
Clusium in Etruria. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
another form for terra, the name under which the earth was
personified among the Romans, as Ge was among the Greeks.
She is often mentioned in contrast with Jupiter, the god of
heaven, and connected with Dis and the Manes. When an oath
was taken by Tellus, or the gods of the nether world, people
stretched their hands downward, just as they turned them
upwards in swearing by Jupiter. (Varro, de Re Rust. 1.1, 15
; Macr. 3.9; Liv. 8.9, 10.29.) During the war against the
Picentians, an earthquake having been felt during the
battle, the consul P. Seampronius Sophus caused a temple of
Tellus to be built on the spot where the house of Spurius
Cassius had stood, in the street leading to the Carinae.
(Liv. 2.41; Flor. 1.19.2; V. Max. 6.3.1; Dionys. A. R. 8.79;
Plin. Nat. 34.6, 14.) A festival was celebrated in honour of
Tellus on the 15th of April, which was called Fordicidia or
Hordicalia, from hordus or fordus, a bearing cow. (Ov. Fast.
4.633; Arnob. 7.22; Hor. Ep. 2.1. 143.) In private life
sacrifices were offered to Tellus at the time of sowing and
at harvest-time, especially when a member of the family had
died without due honours having been paid to him, for it was
Tellus that had to receive the departed into her bosom. (Ov.
Fast. 4.629, &c.) At the festival of Tellus, and when
sacrifices were offered to her, the priests also prayed to a
male divinity of the earth, called Tellumo. (Varro, apud
August. de Civ. Dei, 7.23.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman religion, Terminus was the god who protected boundary
markers; his name was the Latin word for such a marker.
Sacrifices were performed to sanctify each boundary stone, and
landowners celebrated a festival called the "Terminalia" in
Terminus' honor each year on February 23. The Temple of
Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill was thought to
have been built over a shrine to Terminus, and he was
occasionally identified as an aspect of Jupiter under the name
"Jupiter Terminalis"...
Read More
a Roman divinity presiding over boundaries and frontiers.
His worship is said to have been instituted by Numa who
ordered that every one should mark the boundaries of his
landed property by stones to be consecrated to Jupiter (Ζεὺς
ὅριος), and at which every year sacrifices were to be
offered at the festival of the Terminalia. (Dionys. A. R.
2.9, 74.) These sacred boundaries existed not only in regard
to private property, but also in regard to the state itself,
the boundary of which was not to be trangressed by any
foreign foe. But in later times the latter must have fallen
into oblivion, while the termini of private property
retained their sacred character even in the days of
Dionysius, who states that sacrifices of cakes, meal, and
fruit (for it was unlawful to stain the boundary stones with
blood), still continued to be offered. The god Terminus
himself appears to have been no other than Jupiter himself,
in the capacity of the protector of boundaries. (Ov. Fast.
2.639, &c.; Lactant. 1.20, 37.) The Terminus of the Roman
state originally stood between the fifth and sixth milestone
on the road towards Laurentum, near a place called Festi,
and that ancient/boundary of the ager Romanus continued to
be revered with the same ceremonies as the boundaries of
private estates. (Ov. Fast. l.c. ; Strab. v. p.230.) Another
public Terminus stood in the temple of Jupiter in the
Capitol, and above it there was an opening in the roof,
because no Terminus was allowed to be under cover. (Fest. p.
368, ed. Müller.) This is another proof that Terminus was
only an attribute of Jupiter, although tradition gave a
different reason for this circumstance; for when that temple
was to be founded, and it was necessary to exaugurate other
sanctuaries standing on the same site, all the gods readily
gave way to Jupiter and Juno, but the auguries would not
allow the sanctuaries of Terminus and Juventas to be
removed. This was taken as an omen that the Roman state
would remain ever undiminished and young, and the chapels of
the two divinities were inclosed within the walls of the new
temple. (Serv. ad Aen. 2.575, 9.448; Ov. Fast. 2.671.) Here
we may ask, what had a Terminus to do on the Capitol, unless
he was connected or identical with Jupiter? (Comp. Liv.
1.55, 5.54, 43.13, 45.44; Plb. 3.25 ; Hartung, Die Relig.
der Röm. ii. p. 50, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (pronounced /tərpˈsɪkəri/)
(Τερψιχόρη) "delight of dancing" was one of the nine Muses,
ruling over dance and the dramatic chorus. She lends her name
to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to
dance". She is usually depicted sitting down, holding a lyre,
accompanying the dancers' choirs with her music. She is
sometimes said to be the mother of the Sirens by Achelous. Her
name comes from the Greek words τέρπω ("delight") and χoρός
("dance")...
Read More
Terpsi'chora
（*Teryixo/ra), one of the nine Muses, presided over choral
song and dancing. (Hes. Theog. 78 ; Pind. Isthm. 2.7; Plat.
Phaedr. p. 259 ; comp. MUSAE.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Terra Mater or Tellus was a goddess personifying the Earth in
Roman mythology. The names Terra Mater and Tellus Mater both
mean "Mother Earth" in Latin; Mater is an honorific title also
bestowed on other goddesses...
Read More
[TELLUS.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Thalia (Θαλία / Thalía, "Abundance") was
one of the three Graces or Charites with her sisters Aglaea
and Euphrosyne, and a daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid
Eurynome or the hour Eunomia. She presided over festive
celebrations and rich and luxurious banquets...
Read More
Thaleia
or THALIA (Θάλεια, Θαλία).
1. One of the nine Muses. and, at least in later times,
regarded as the Muse of Comedy. (Hes. Theog. 77.) She became
the mother of the Corybantes by Apollo. (Apollod. 1.3.4; Plut.
Sympos. 9.14.) 2. A daughter of Nereus and Doris. (Hom. Il.
18.39; Hes. Theog. 248 ; Verg. G. 4.338, Aen. 5.826.) 3. A
daughter of Hephaestus, and by Zeus, the mother of the Palici.
(Serv. ad Aen. 9.584; Steph. Byz. s. v. παλική.) 4. One of the
Charites. (Hes. Theog. 909 ; Apollod. 1.1.3; Paus. 9.35.1.) -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Thánatos (in Greek, Θάνατος – "Death") was
the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in
Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in
person. His name is transliterated in Latin as Thanatus, but
his equivalent in Roman mythology is Mors or Letus/Letum, and
he is sometimes identified erroneously with Orcus (Orcus
himself had a Greek equivalent in the form of Horkos, God of
the Oath)...
Read More
（*Qa/natos), Latin Mors, a personification of Death. In the
Homeric poems Death does not appear as a distinct divinity,
though he is described as the brother of Sleep, together
with whom he carries the body of Sarpedon from the field of
battle to the country of the Lycians. (Il. 16.672, 14.231.)
In Hesiod (Theog. 211, &100.756) he is a son of Night and a
brother of Ker and Sleep, and Death and Sleep reside in the
lower world. (Comp. Verg. A. 6.277.) In the Alcestis of
Euripides, where Death cones upon the stage, he appears as
an austere priest of Hades in a dark robe and with the
sacrificial sword, with which he cuts off a lock of a dying
person, and devotes it to the lower world. (Alcest. 75, 843,
845.) On the whole, later poets describe Death as a sad or
terrific being (Hor. Carm. 1.4.13, Sat. 2.1. 58), but the
best artists of the Greeks, avoiding any thing that might be
displeasing, abandoned the ideas suggested to them by the
poets. and represented Death under a more pleasing aspect.
On the chest of Cypselus, Night was represented with two
boys, one black and the other white (Paus. 5.18.1), and at
Sparta there were statues of both Death and Sleep. (3.18.1.)
Both were usually represented as slumbering youths, or as
genii with torches turned upside down. There are traces of
sacrifices having been offered to Death (Serv. ad Aen.
11.197; Stat. Theb. 4.528; Lucan, 6.600; Philostr. Vit.
Apoll. 5.4), but no temples are mentioned anywhere. Comp.
the excellent Treatise of Lessing, Wie die Alton den Tod
gebildet. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Themis (Greek: Θέμις) is an ancient Greek Titan. She is
described as "of good counsel", and is the embodiment of
divine order, law, and custom. Themis means "law of nature"
rather than human ordinance, literally "that which is put in
place", from the verb τίθημι, títhēmi, "to put". To the
ancient Greeks she was originally the organizer of the
"communal affairs of humans, particularly assemblies".[1]
Moses Finley remarked of themis, as the word was used by Homer
in the 8th century, to evoke the social order of the 10th- and
9th-century Greek Dark Ages:...
Read More
（*Qe/mis).
1. A daughter of Uranus (others say Helios, Tzetz. ad
Lycoph. 129) and Ge, was married to Zeus, by whom she became
the mother of the Horae, Eunomia, Dice (Astraea), Eirene,
and the Moerae. (Hes. Theog. 135, 901, &c.; Apollod. 1.3.1.)
In the Homeric poems, Themis is the personification of the
order of things established by law, custom, and equity,
whence she is described as reigning in the assemblies of men
(Od. 2.68, &c.), and as convening, by the command of Zeus,
the assembly of the gods. (Il. 20.4.) She dwells in Olympus,
and is on friendly terms with Hera. (15.87, &c.) This
character of Themis was recognised in the fact that at
Thebes she had a sanctuary in common with the Moerae and
Zeus Agoraeus (Paus. 9.25.4), and at Olympia in common with
the Horae. (Paus. 5.14.8, 17.1; comp. Diod. 5.67.) Besides
this she is also described as an ancient prophetic divinity,
and is said to have been in possession of the Delphic oracle
as the successor of Ge, and previous to Apollo. (Ov. Met.
1.321, 4.642; Apollon. 4.800; Serv. ad Aen. 4.246; Apollod.
1.4.1 ; Paus. 10.5.3; Aeschyl. Eum. init.) The worship of
Themis was established at Thebes, Olympia, Athens (Paus.
1.22.1), at Tanagra (9.22.1), and at Troezene, where an
altar was dedicated to the Themides. (2.31.8.) Nymphs
believed to be daughters of Zeus and Themis lived in a cave
on the river Eridanus (Apollod. 2.5.11 ; Schol. ad Apollon.
Rhod. 4.1396; Hesych. s. v. Θεμιστιάδες), and the Hesperides
also are called daughters of Zeus and Themis. (Schol. ad
Eur. Hipp. 737.) She is often represented on coins
resembling the figure of Athena with a cornucopia and a pair
of scales. (Gellius, 14.4; Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. p. 112;
Müller, Anc. Art and its Rem. § 406.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Theseus (Greek: Θησεύς) was the mythical founder-king of
Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon,
both of whom Aethra lay with in one night. Theseus was a
founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus or Heracles, all of whom
battled and overcame foes that were identified with an archaic
religious and social order.[1] As Heracles was the Dorian
hero, Theseus was the Ionian founding hero, considered by
Athenians as their own great reformer. His name comes from the
same root as θεσμός ("thesmos"), Greek for institution. He was
responsible for the synoikismos ("dwelling together")-the
political unification of Attica under Athens, represented
emblematically in his journey of labours, subduing highly
localized ogres and monstrous beasts. Because he was the
unifying king, Theseus built and occupied a palace on the
fortress of the Acropolis that may have been similar to the
palace that was excavated in Mycenae. Pausanias reports that
after the synoikismos, Theseus established a cult of Aphrodite
Pandemos ("Aphrodite of all the People") and Peitho on the
southern slope of the Acropolis...
Read More
（Θησεύς), the great legendary hero of Attica, is one of
those mythological personages, whose legends it is by no
means easy to disentangle, and represent in their original
shape. The later belief of the Athenians, adopted and
strengthened by writers of authority, represented him as a
very much more historical person than he really was; and, in
consequence, the rationalistic mythologists took
considerable pains to draw up a narrative of his life in
which the supernatural should be kept as much as possible in
the back ground, and the character in which the Athenians
loved to regard him, as the founder of Attic nationality, be
exhibited in as prominent a light as the received traditions
allowed. This was avowedly the method upon which Plutarch
proceeded.
According to the commonly received traditions Theseus was
the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and Aethra, the daughter
of Pittheus, king of Troezen [AEGEUS]. Other legends,
however, maintained their ground, which represented him as
the son of Poseidon by Aethra. (Plut. Thes. 6 ; Diod. 4.59;
Paus. 1.17.3; comp. AETHRA.) When no reached maturity,
Theseus, by his mother's directions took the sword and
sandals, the tokens which had been left by Aegeus, and
proceeded to Athens. Eager to emulate Hercules, he went by
land, displaying his prowess by destroying the robbers and
monsters that infested the country. Periphetes, Sinis, Phaea
the Cromyonian sow, Sciron, Cercyon, and Procrustes fell
before the invincible hero. Arrived at Cephisus, he was
purified by the Phytalidae. At Athens he was immediately
recognised by Medea, who laid a plot for poisoning him at a
banquet to which he was invited. By means of the sword which
he carried, Theseus was recognised by Aegeus, acknowledged
as his son, and declared his successor. The sons of Pallas,
thus disappointed in their hopes of succeeding to the
throne, attempted to secure the succession by violence, and
declared war; but, being betrayed by the herald Leos, were
destroyed. The capture of the Marathonian bull was the next
exploit of Theseus [comp. HECALE]. It was this same
enterprise in which Androgeos, the son of Minos, had
perished. When the occasion returned on which the Athenians
had to send to Minos their tribute of seven youths and seven
maidens, Theseus voluntarily offered himself as one of the
youths, with the design of slaying the Minotaur, or
perishing in the attempt. When they arrived at Crete,
Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, became enamoured of Theseus,
and provided him with a sword with which he slew the
Minotaur, and a clue of thread by which he found his way out
of the labyrinth. Having effected his object, and rescued
the band of victims, Theseus set sail, carrying off Ariadne.
(For the variations in the story, given by Cleidemus, the
reader is referred to Plut. Thes. 19.) There were various
accounts about Ariadne [ARIADNE], but most of them spoke of
Theseus as having either lost or abandoned Ariadne on the
island of Naxos. He was generally believed to have had by
her two sons, Oenopion and Staphylus. As the vessel in which
they sailed approached Attica, they neglected to hoist the
white sail, which was to have been the signal that the
expedition had had a prosperous issue. The neglect led to
the death of Aegeus [AEGEUS]. A vessel was in existence up
to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, which it was pretended
was the very ship in which Theseus had sailed to Crete. It
was this vessel which was sent every year to Delos with the
sacred envoys. It is worth noting, that although Homer
mentions Ariadne as having been carried off by Theseus from
Crete (Od. 11.321), he says nothing about the Minotaur. All
that part of the story is probably a later addition. The
expedition to Crete was probably, in its original form, only
one of the somewhat numerous amatory adventures of Theseus.
several of which are noticed by Plutarch (Thes. 29). Soon
after he landed, Theseus is said to have instituted the
festival termed Oschophoria (Dictionary of Antiquities, s.
v. Oschophoria). The origin of the Pyanepsia, and the
reinstitution of the Isthmian games, were also ascribed to
Theseus.
One of the most renowned of the adventures of Theseus was
his expedition against the Amazons. He is said to have
assailed them before they had recovered from the attack of
Hercules, and to have carried off their queen Antiope. The
Amazons in their turn invaded Attica, and penetrated into
Athens itself, the final battle in which Theseus overcame
them having been fought in the very midst of the city. Of
the literal truth of this fact Plutarch (Thes. 27) finds
evidence in the names of the localities and the tombs of the
fallen Amazons. Cleidemus pretended even to point out the
precise position of the contending forces and the
fluctuatins of the combat. (Compare the remarkable passage
of Aeschylus, Eumen. 685.) By Antiope Theseus was said to
have had a son named Hippolytus or Demophoon, and after her
death to have married Phaedra [HIPPOLYTUS,;PHAEDRA]. Theseus
figures in almost all the ancient heroic undertakings. He
was one of the Argonauts (the anachronism of the attempt of
Medea to poison him does not seem to have been noticed); he
joined in the Calydonian hunt, and aided Adrastus in
recovering the bodies of those slain before Thebes. He
contracted a close friendship with Peirithous, and aided him
and the Lapithae against the Centaurs. Aided by Peirithous
he carried off Helen from Sparta while she was quite a girl,
and placed her at Aphidnae under the care of Aethra. In
return he assisted Peirithous in his attempt to carry off
Persephone from the lower world. Peirithous perished in the
enterprise, and Theseus was kept in hard durance until he
was delivered by Hercules. Later writers endeavored to turn
this legend into history by making Peirithous attempt to
carry off Core, the daughter of Aidoneus, a king of the
Molossians. (Plut. 100.31.) Meantime Castor and Pollux
invaded Attica, and carried off Helen and Aethra, Academus
having informed the brothers where they were to be found
[ACADEMUS]. Menestheus also endeavoured to incite the people
against Theseus, who on his return found himself unable to
re-establish his authority, and retired to Scyros, where he
met with a treacherous death at the hands of Lycomedes. The
departed hero was believed to have appeared to aid the
Athenians at the battle of Marathon. In B. C. 469 a skeleton
of large size was found by Cimon in Sevros [CIMON], and
brought to Athens. It was believed to be that of Theseus, in
whose honour a temple was erected, in which the bones were
deposited. A considerable part of this temple still remains,
forming one of the most interesting monuments of Athens. A
festival in honour of Theseus was celebrated on the eighth
day of each month, especially on the eighth of Pyanepsion.
Connected with this festival were two others : the
Connideia, in memory of Connidas, the guardian of Theseus;
and the Cybernesia, having reference to his voyage. (Dict.
of Antiq. s. v. Thescia.）
There can be little question that Theseus is a purely
legendary personage, as thoroughly so as his contemporary
Hercules. Nevertheless, in later times the Athenians came to
regard him as the author of a very important political
revolution in Attica. Before his time Attica had been broken
up into a number of petty independent states or townships
(twelve is the number generally stated) acknowledging no
head, and connected only by a federal union. Theseus, partly
through persuasion, partly by force, abolished the separate
council chambers and governments, did away with all separate
political jurisdiction, and erected Athens into the capital
of a single commonwealth. The festival of the Synoecia was
celebrated in commemoration of this change. The festival
which was called Athenaea was now reinstituted and termed
the Panathenaea (Thuc. 2.15). Theseus is said to have
established a constitutional government, retaining in his
own hands only cartain definite powers and functions. The
citizens generally he is said to have distributed into the
three classes of. Eupatridae, Geomori, and Demiurgi (Plut.
Thes. 24-26). That this consolidation took place some time
or other, there can be no doubt. Whether is was accomplished
by Theseus is another question. The authority of Thucydides
has usually been allowed to settle the matter. Thucydides,
however, did but follow the prevailing opinion of his
countrymen ; and if his belief raises Theseus to the rank of
an historical king, it must also make the Trojan war a
matter of history. It is a vain task now to attempt to
decide whether there is any historical basis for the
accounts of Theseus that were handed down, and still more so
to endeavour to separate the historical from the legendary
in what has been preserved. The Theseus of the Athenians was
a hero who fought the Amazons, and slew the Minotaur, and
carried off Helen. A personage who should be nothing more
than a wise king, consolidating the Athenian commonwealth,
however possible his existence might be, would have no
historical reality. It has been urged that we have no ground
for denying the personality of Theseus. In matters of this
kind the question is rather " Have we any ground for
affirming it ?" And for this we find nothing but the belief
of the Athenians. The connection of Theseus with Poseidon,
the national deity of the Ionic tribes, in various ways (the
name Aegeus points to Aegae, the sanctuary of Poseidon), his
coming from the Ionic town Troezen, forcing his way through
the Isthmus into Attica, and establishing the Isthmia as an
Ionic Panegyris, rather suggest that Theseus is, at least in
part, the mythological representative of an Ionian
immigration into Attica, which, adding perhaps to the
strength and importance of Ionian settlers already in the
country, might easily have led to that political aggregation
of the disjointed elements of the state which is assigned to
Theseus. It was probably from the relation in which he stood
to the Athenian commonwealth as a whole, that his name was
not connected with any particular phyle. (Plut. Theseus ;
Diod. l.c. ; Grote, Hist. of Greece, vol. i. p. 281, &c.,
vol. ii. p. 29, vol. iii. p. 91; Wachsmuth, Hellenische
Alterthumskunde, § 40. vol. i. p. 351, &c., § 128. vol. ii.
p. 488.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
The love story of Pyramus and Thisbe, is a part of Roman
mythology, and is also a sentimental romance.
The tale is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses...
Read More
（Θίσβη).
1. A beautiful maiden at Babylon, was beloved by Pyramus. The
lovers living in adjoining houses, often secretly conversed
with each other through an opening in the wall, as their
parents would not sanction their marriaqge. Once they agreed
upon a rendezvous at the tomb of Ninus. Thisbe arrived first,
and while she was waiting for Pyramus, she perceived a lioness
who had just torn to pieces an ox, and took to flight. While
running she lost her garment, which the lioness soiled with
blood. In the mean time Pyramus arrived, and finding her
garment covered with blood, he imagined that she had been
murdered, and made away with himself under a mulberry tree,
the fruit of which henceforth was as red as blood. Thisbe, who
afterwards found the body of her lover, likewise killed
herself. (Ov. Met. 4.55-165; comp. Anthol. Lat. i. p. 106, &c.
ed. Burrn.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Thyestes (Θυέστης) was the son of Pelops,
King of Olympia, and Hippodamia and father of Pelopia and
Aegisthus. Thyestes and his twin brother, Atreus, were exiled
by their father for having murdered their half-brother,
Chrysippus, in their desire for the throne of Olympia. They
took refuge in Mycenae, where they ascended to the throne upon
the absence of King Eurystheus, who was fighting the
Heracleidae. Eurystheus had meant for their lordship to be
temporary; it became permanent due to his death in conflict...
Read More
（Θυέστης), a son of Pelops and Hippodameia, was the brother
of Atreus and the father of Aegisthus. (Horn. Il. 2.107;
Aeschyl. Agam. 1242 ; Eurip. Or. 1008 ; comp. ATREUS ; PELOPS;
AGAMEMNON.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Tiresias (Greek: Τειρεσίας, also
transliterated as Teiresias) was a blind prophet of Thebes,
famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman
for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the
nymph Chariclo;[1] Tiresias participated fully in seven
generations at Thebes, beginning as advisor to Cadmus
himself...
Read More
Teire'sias
（Τειρησίας), or TIRE'SIAS, a son of Everes (or Phorbas,
Ptolem. Hephaest. 1) and Chariclo, whence he is sometimes
called Εὐηρείδης. (Callim. Lav. Pall. 81 ; Theocrit. Id.
24.70.) He belonged to the ancient family of Udaeus at
Thebes, and was one of the most renowned soothsayers in all
antiquity. He was blind from his seventh year, but lived to
a very old age. The cause of his blindness was believed to
have been the fact that he had revealed to men things which,
according to the will of the gods, they ought not to know,
or that he had seen Athena while she was bathing, on which
occasion the goddess is said to have blinded him, by
sprinkling water into his face. Chariclo prayed to Athena to
restore his sight to him, but as the goddess was unable to
do this, she conferred upon him the power to understand the
voices of the birds, and gave him a staff, with the help of
which he could walk as safely as if he had his eyesight
(Apollod. 3.6.7; Callim. Lav. Pall. 7.5, &c., with
Spanbeim's note.) Another tradition accounts for his
blindness in the following manner. Once, when on Mount
Cythaeron (others say Cyllene), he saw a male and a female
serpent together; he struck at them with his staff, and as
he happened to kill the female, he himself was metamorphosed
into a woman. Seven years later he again saw two serpents.
and now killing the male, he again became a man. It was for
this reason that Zeus and Hera. when they were disputing as
to whether a man or a woman had more enjoyments, referred
the matter to Teiresias, who could judge of both, and
declared in favour of the assertion of Zeus that women had
more enjoyments. Hera, indignant at the answer, blinded him,
but Zeus gave him the power of prophecy, and granted him a
life which was to last for seven or nine generations.
(Apollod. l.c. ; Hygin. Fab. 75 ; Ov. Met. 3.320, &c.;
Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 682 ; Pind. N. 1.91.) In the war of the
Seven against Thebes. he declared that Thebes should be
victorious, it Menoeceus would sacrifice himself (Apollod.
l.c. ; Hygin. Fab. 68); and during the war of the Epigoni,
when the Thebans laid been defeated, he advised them to
commmence negotiations of peace, and to avail themselves of
the opportunity that would thus be afforded them, to take to
flight. He himself fled with them (or, according to others,
he was carried to Delphi as a captive), but on his way he
drank from the well of Tilphossa and died. (Apollod. 3.7.3;
Paus. 9.33.1; Diod. 4.66.) His daughter Manto (or Daphne)
was sent by the victorious Argives to Delphi, as a present
to Apollo. (Diod. l.c. ; Apollod. 3.7.4.) Another daughter
of his is called Historis. (Paus. 9.11.2.) Even in the lower
world Teiresias was believed to retain the powers of
perception, while the souls of other mortals were mere
shades, and there also he continued to use his golden staff.
(Hom. Od. 10.492, 11.190, &c.; Ly-coph. Cuss. 682 ; Cic. de
Div. 1.40; Paus. 9.33.1.) His tomb was shown in the
neighbourhood of the Tilphusian well near Thebes (Paus.
9.18.3, 33.1, 7.3. § I), but also in Macedonia (Plin. Nat.
37.10); and the place near Thebes where lie had observed the
birds (οἰωνοσκόπιον) was pointed out as a remarkable spot
even in later times. (Paus. 9.16. § I; Soph. Oed. Tyr. 493.)
The oracle connected with his tomb lost its power and became
silent at the time of the Orchomenian plague. (Plut. De
Orac. Defect.) He was represented by Polygnotus in the
Lesche at Delphi. (Paus. 10.29.2.) The blind seer Teiresias
acts so prominent a part in the mythical history of Greece
that there is scarcely any event with which he is not
connected in some way or other, and this introduction of the
seer in so many occurrences separated by long intervals of
time, was facilitated by the belief in his long life. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Tisiphone (Ancient Greek: Τισιφόνη, "avenging murder") is the
name of two figures in Greek mythology. Erinyes
Tisiphone was one of the Erinyes or Furies, and sister of
Alecto and Megaera. She was the one who punished crimes of
murder: parricide, fratricide and homicide. A myth recounts
how Tisiphone fell in love with Cithaeron, and caused his
death by snakebite, specifically, by one of the snakes from
her head. In Book VI of Virgil's Aeneid, Tisiphone is
recognized as the furious and cruel guardian of the gates of
Tartarus...
Read More
（Τισιφόνη).
1. The name of one of the Erinnyes (the avenger of murder,
Orph. Arg. 966 ; comp. ERINNYES). 2. A daughter of Alcmaeon
and Manto. (Apollod. 3.7.7.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Titans (Greek: Τιτάν - Ti-tan; plural:
Τιτᾶνες - Ti-tânes) were a race of powerful deities,
descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the
legendary Golden Age.
In the first generation of twelve[1] Titans the males were
Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius and Iapetus and the
females were Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea and
Themis. The second generation of Titans consisted of
Hyperion's children Eos, Helios, and Selene; Coeus's daughters
Leto and Asteria; Iapetus's sons Atlas, Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Menoetius; and Crius's sons Astraeus, Pallas,
and Perses...
Read More
（Τιτάν).
1. This name commonly appears in the plural Τιτᾶνες, from
Τιτανίδες, as the name of the sons and daughters of Uranus
and Ge, whence they are also called Οὐρανίωνες or Οὐρανίδαι.
(Hom. Il. 5.898; Apollon. 2.1232.) These Titans are Oceanus,
Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Theia, Rheia,
Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys, to whom Apollodorus
(1.1.3) adds Dione. (Hes. Theog. 133, &c.) Some writers also
add Phorcys and Demeter. (Heyne, ad Apollod. 1.1.1; Clemens,
Homil. 6.2.) Stephanus of Byzantium (s. v. Ἄσανα) has the
following as the names of the children of Uranus and Ge :
Adanus, Ostasus, Andes, Cronus, Rhea, Iapetus, Olymbrus; and
Pausanias (8.37.3) mentions a Titan Anytus, who was believed
to have brought up the Arcadian Despoena. Uranus, the first
ruler of the world, threw his sons, the Hecatoncheires,
Briareus, Cottys, Gyes (Hes. Theog. 617), and the Cyclopes,
Arges, Steropes, and Brontes, into Tartarus. Gaea, indignant
at this, persuaded the Titans to rise against their father,
and gave to Cronus an adamantine sickle (ἅρπη). They did as
their mother bade them, with the exception of Oceanus.
Cronus, with his sickle, unmanned his father, and threw the
part into the sea, and out of the drops of his blood there
arose the Erinnyes, Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera. The
Titans then deposed Uranus, liberated their brothers who had
been cast into Tartarus, and raised Cronus to the throne.
But he again threw the Cyclopes into Tartarus, and married
his sister Rhea (Ovid, Ov. Met. 9.497, calls her Ops). As,
however, he had been foretold by Gaea and Uranus, that he
should be dethroned by one of his own children, he, after
their birth, swallowed successively his children Hestia,
Demeter, Hera, Pluto and Poseidon. Rhea therefore, when she
was pregnant with Zeus. went to Crete, gave birth to the
child in the Dictaean Cave, and entrusted him to be brought
up to the Curetes, and the daughters of Melissus, the nymphs
Adrasteia and Ida. The armed Curetes guarded the infant in
the cave, and struck their shields with their spears, that
Cronus might not hear the voice of the child. Rhea,
moreover, deceived Cronus by giving him a stone wrapped up
in cloth, which he swallowed, believing it to be his newly-
born son. (Apollod. 1. §§ 1-5; Ov. Fast. 4.179, &c.) When
Zeus had grown up he availed himself of the assistance of
Thetis, the daughter of Oceanus who gave to Cronus a potion
which caused him to bring up the stone and the children he
had swallowed. United with his brothers and sisters, Zeus
now began the contest against Cronus and the ruling Titans.
This contest (usually called the Titanomachia), which was
carried on in Thessaly, the Titans occupying Mount Othrys,
and the sons of Cronus Mount Olympus, lasted for ten years,
when at length Gaea promised victory to Zeus, if he would
deliver the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires from Tartarus. Zeus
accordingly slew Campe, who guarded the Cyclopes, and the
latter furnished him with thunder and lightning, Pluto wave
him a helmet, and Poseidon a trident. The Titans then were
overcome, and hurled down into a cavity below Tartarus (Hom.
Il. 14.279; Hes. Theog. 697, 851 ; Hom. Hymn. in Apoll. 335
; Paus. 8.37.3), and the Hecatoncheires were set to guard
them. (Hom. Il. 8.479; Hes. Theog. 617, &c.; Apollod.
1.2.1.) It must be observed that the fight of the Titans is
sometimes confounded by ancient writers with the fight of
the Gigantes. 2. The name Titans is also given to those
divine or semi-divine beings who were descended from the
Titans, such as Prometheus, Hecate (Hes. Theog. 424 ; Serv.
ad Aen. 4.511), Latona (Ov. Met. 6.346), Pyrrha (1.395), and
especially Helios and Selene (Mene), as the children of
Hyperion and Theia, and even the descendants of Helios, such
as Circe. (Serv. ad Aen. 4.119, 6.725 ; Schol. ad Apollon.
Rhod. 4.54; Ov. Fast. 1.617, 4.943, Met. 3.173, 14.382; Tib.
4.1. 50.) 3. The name Titans, lastly, is given to certain
tribes of men from whom all mankind is descended. Thus the
ancient city of Cnosos in Crete is said to have originally
been inhabited by Titans, who were hostile to Zeus, but were
driven away by Pan with the fearful sounds of his shell-
trumpet. (Hom. Hymn. in Apoll. 336 ; Diod. 3.57, 5.66 ;
Orph. Hymn. 36. 2 ; comp. Höck, Creta, p. 171, &c.; Lobeck,
Aglaoph. p. 763; Völcker, Mythol. des Iapet. Geschl. p. 280,
&c.)
[L.S] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Tithonus or Tithonos (Ancient Greek:
Τιθωνός) was the lover of Eos, Titan[1] of the dawn. He was a
Trojan by birth, the son of King Laomedon of Troy by a water
nymph named Strymo (Στρυμώ). In the mythology known to the
fifth-century vase-painters of Athens, Tithonus was envisaged
as a rhapsode, as the lyre in his hand, on an oinochoe of the
Achilles Painter, ca. 470 BC–460 BCE (illustration) attests.
Competitive singing, as in the Contest of Homer and Hesiod, is
also depicted vividly in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo and
mentioned in the two Hymns to Aphrodite.[2]...
Read More
（Τιθωνός), a son of Laomedon, and brother of Priam (Hom. Il.
20.237), or according to others (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 1.447,
3.48), a brother of Laomedon. Others, again, call him a son of
Cephalus and Eos. (Apollod. 3.14.3.) By the prayers of Eos who
loved him he obtained from the immortal gods immortality, but
not eternal youth, in consequence of which he completely
shrunk together in his old age, whence an old decrepit man was
proverbially called Tithonus. (Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 219 ; Hes.
Theog. 984 ; Apollod. 3.12.4 ; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 18 ; Hor. Carm.
1.28. 8; Ov. Fast. 1.461.)
[L.S] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Triton (Τρίτων, gen: Τρίτωνος) is a mythological Greek god,
the messenger of the sea. He is the son of Poseidon, god of
the sea, and Amphitrite, goddess of the sea, whose herald he
is. He is usually represented as a merman, having the upper
body of a human and the tail of a fish, "sea-hued", according
to Ovid[1] "his shoulders barnacled with sea-shells"...
Read More
（Τρίτων).
1. A son of Poseidon and Amphitrite (or Celaeno), who dwelt
with his father and mother in a golden palace on the bottom
of the sea, or according to Homer (Hom. Il. 13.20) at Aegae.
(lies. Theog. 930, &c.; Apollod. 1.4.6.) Later writers
describe this divinity of the Mediterranean as riding over
the sea on horses or other sea-monsters. (Ov. Heroid. vii.
.50; Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1.28; Claudian, 28.378.) Sometimes
also Tritons are mentioned in the plural, and as serving
other marine divinities in riding over the sea. Their
appearance is differently described, though they are always
conceived as presenting the human figure in the upper part
of their bodies, while the lower part is that of a fish.
Pausanias (9.21.1) says : the Tritons have green hair on
their head, very fine and hard scales, breathing organs
below their ears, a human nose, a broad month, with the
teeth of animals, sea-green eyes, hands rough like the
surface of a shell, and instead of feet, a tail like that of
dolphins. (Comp. Orph, Hymn 23. 4 ; Plin. Nat. 36.4, 7.) The
chief characteristic of Tritons in poetry as well as in
works of art is a trumpet consisting of a shell (concha),
which the Tritons blow at the command of Poseidon, to soothe
the restless waves of the sea (Ov. Met. 1.333), and in the
fight of the Gigantes this trumpet served to frighten the
enemies. (Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.23; comp. Paus. 8.2.3; Mosch.
2.20; Verg. A. 10.209, &c.; Ov. Met. 2.8; Plin. Nat. 9.5.)
Tritons were sometimes represented with two horse's feet
instead of arms, and they were then called Centaur-Tritons
or Ichthyocentaurs. (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 34, 886, 892.) Their
figures are frequently mentioned in works of art, as in the
sanctuary of Poseidon on the Corinthian isthmus (Paus.
2.1.7), in the temple of Dionysus at Tanagra (9.20.4; comp.
Aelian, Ael. NA 13.21), in the pediment of the temple of
Saturn at Rome. (Macr. 1.8; comp. Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. p.
152; Müller, Anc. Art. and its Rem. § 402.) 2. The god of
like Tritonis in Libya, is, like Glaucus, a marine divinity
connected with the story of the Argonauts. (Apollon. 4.1552,
&c. ; Orph. Argon. 337; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 34, 754 ; Hdt.
4.179.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Virgil's Aeneid, Turnus was the King of the Rutuli, and the
chief antagonist of the hero Aeneas. Prior to Aeneas' arrival
in Italy, Turnus was the primary potential suitor of Lavinia,
daughter of Latinus, King of the Latin people. Upon Aeneas'
arrival, however, Lavinia is promised to the Trojan prince.
Juno, determined to prolong the suffering of the Trojans,
prompts Turnus to demand a war with the new arrivals. King
Latinus is greatly displeased with Turnus, but steps down and
allows the war to commence...
Read More
（*Tu/rnos), a son of Daunus and Venilia, and king of the
Rutulians at the time of the arrival of Aeneas in Italy.
(Verg. A. 10.76, 616.) He was a brother of Juturna and related
to Amata, the wife of king Latinus. (12.138.) Alecto, by the
command of Hera, stirred him up to fight against Aeneas after
his landing in Italy. (7.408, &c.) He appears in the Aeneid as
a brave warrior, but in the end he fell by the hand of the
victorious Aeneas (12.926, &c.). Livy (1.2) and Dionysius also
mention him as king of the Rutulians, who allied himself with
the Etruscans against the Latins, consisting of Aborigenes and
Trojans. The Rutulians according to their account indeed were
defeated, but Aeneas fell. (Comp. AENEAS.)
[L.S] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Odysseus (pronounced /oʊˈdɪsiəs/ or /oʊˈdɪsjuːs/; Greek:
Ὀδυσσεύς, Odusseus) or Ulysses (pronounced /juːˈlɪsiːz/;
Latin: Ulyssēs, Ulixēs) was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca
and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also
plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic
Cycle...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Urania (Οὐρανία, which stems from the
Greek word for 'heavenly' or 'of heaven', pronounced /jʊ
ˈreɪnɪ.ə/ in English), was the muse of astronomy. Some
accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus. She is
usually depicted as having a globe in her left hand. She is
able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars.
She is often associated with Universal Love and the Holy
Spirit. She is dressed in a cloak embroidered with stars and
keeps her eyes and attention focused on the Heavens. Those who
are most concerned with philosophy and the heavens are dearest
to her...
Read More
Uranus (pronounced /ˈjʊərənəs, jʊˈreɪnəs/) is the Latinized
form of Ouranos (Οὐρανός), the Greek word for sky (a cognate
of the English word air). His equivalent in Roman mythology
was Caelus, likewise from caelum the Latin word for "sky". In
Greek mythology, Ouranos, or Father Sky, is personified as the
son and husband of Gaia, Mother Earth (Hesiod, Theogony).
Uranus and Gaia were ancestors of most of the Greek gods, but
no cult addressed directly to Uranus survived into Classical
times,[2] and Uranus does not appear among the usual themes of
Greek painted pottery. Elemental Earth, Sky and Styx might be
joined, however, in a solemn invocation in Homeric epic.[3]...
Read More
Venus was a Roman goddess principally associated with love,
beauty and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman
religious festivals and myths. From the third century BC, the
increasing Hellenization of Roman upper classes identified her
as the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite...
Read More
the goddess of love among the Romans, and more especially of
sensual love. Previously to her identification with the
Greek Aphrodite, she was one of the least important
divinities in the religion of the Romans, and it is observed
by the ancients themselves, that her name was not mentioned
in any of the documents relating to the kingly period of
Roman history. (Macr. 1.12.) This is further evident from
the fact that at no time a festival was celebrated in honour
of Venus, for the Vinalia (on the 23d of April and 19th of
August) were quite a different festival, and were connected
with this goddess only by a misinterpretation of the name
(Dict. of Ant. s. v. Vinalia), which led courtesans to
regard the 23d of April as a holiday of their own, and to
worship the goddess on that day in their peculiar way in a
temple outside the city. (Ov. Fast. 4.865.) In later times
several other solemnities were celebrated to Venus in the
month of April, partly because that month being the
beginning of spring, was thought to be particularly sacred
to the goddess of love, and partly because the belief had
gradually gained ground that Venus, as the beloved of Mars,
was concerned in the origin of the Roman people. This latter
point gained support from the legend which made Aeneas a son
of Anchises and Aphrodite (identified with Venus ; see Ov.
Fast. 4.135; Plut. Num. 19; Macrob. l.c.; Laur. Lyd. De
Mens. 4.45). There was at Lavinium a sanctuary of Venus
common to all Latium, the ceremonies at which were performed
by the people of Ardea, but its age cannot be defined.
(Strab. p. 232.) At Rome we may notice the following
circumstances as proving the worship of Venus to have been
established there at an early time. There was a stone chapel
with an image of Venus Murtea or Murcia in the Circus near
to the spot where the altar of Consus was concealed. (Fest.
p. 149, ed. Miller; Apul. Met. 6.395 ; Tertull. De Spect. 8;
Varro, De L. L. 5.154; Liv. 1.33; August. De Civ. Dei,
4.16.) The surname Murtea or Murcia shows that the myrtle-
tree stood in some relation to the goddess, and it is
actually said that in ancient times there was a myrtle grove
in front of her sanctuary below the Aventine. (Plin. Nat.
15.36; Serv. ad Aen. 1.724; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 20.) It must
however be observed that some of the ecclesiastical writers
preferred taking the surname Murcia in the sense of "
stupid" or " dull" (from murcus). Another ancient surname of
Venus was Cloacina, which, according to Lactantius (1.20),
was derived from the fact that her image was found in the
great sewer (cloaca), and was set up by the Sabine king, T.
Tatius, in a temple near the forum. (Comp. Liv. 3.48 ;
Plaut. Curcul. 4.1. 10.) If Venus had been one of the
divinities of the lower world, this story might be
intelligible enough, but as such was not the case, it
appears to be nothing but an etymological inference from the
name. Cloaca is connected with cluere, Cluilia, Cloelia,
κλύζειν, luere (i. e. purgare), and there is a tradition
that T. Tatius and Roranlus, after the war which had arisen
out of the rape of the Sabine women, ordered their subjects
to purify themselves before the image of Venus Cluacina.
(Plin. Nat. 15.29 ; comp. Serv. ad Aen. 1.724, where purgare
must be read for pugnare.) This explanation agrees perfectly
with the belief of the ancients that T. Tatius was the
founder of marriage; and Venus Cloacina, accordingly, is the
goddess presiding over and purifying the sexual intercourse
in marriage. A third ancient surname of the goddess is
Calva, under which she had two temples in the neighbourhood
of the Capitol. Some believed that one of them had been
built by Ancus Marcius, because his wife was in danger of
losing her hair ; others thought that it was a monument of a
patriotic act of the Roman women, who during the siege of
the Gauls cut off their hair and gave it to the men to make
strings for their bows, and others again to the fancies and
caprices of lovers, calvere signifying " to teaze." (Serv.
ad Aen. 1.724; Lactant. 1.20; Nonius, p. 6.) But it probably
refers to the fact that on her wedding day the bride, either
actually or symbolically, cut off a lock of hair to
sacrifice it to Venus. (Pers. Sat. 2.70, with the Schol.) In
these, the most ancient surnames of Venus, we must recognise
her primitive character and attributes. In later times her
worship became much more extended, and the identification
with the Greek Aphrodite introduced various new attributes.
At the beginning of the second Punic war, the worship of
Venus Erycina or Erucina was introduced from Sicily, and a
temple was dedicated to her on the Capitol, to which
subsequently another was added outside the Colline gate.
(Liv. 22.9, 10, 23.30, 31, 40.34; Ov. Rem. Am. 549; P.
Victor, Reg. Urb. v.) In the year B. C. 114, a Vestal virgin
was killed by lightning, and her body was found naked; as
the general moral corruption, especially among the Vestals,
was believed to be the cause of this disaster, the Sibylline
books were consulted which contained the order to build a
temple of Venus Verticordia (the goddess who turns the
hearts of men) on the via Salaria. (Ov. Fast. 4.160; V. Max.
8.15.12.) After the close of the Samnite war, Fabius Gurges
founded the worship of Venus Obsequens and Postvota; Scipio
Africanus the younger that of Venus Genitrix, in which he
was afterwards followed by Caesar, who added that of Venus
Victrix. (Serv. ad Aen. 1.724.) The antiquity of the worship
of Venus Militaris, Barbata and Equestris is unknown (Serv.
l.c.; Macr. 3.8); but the sanctuaries of Venus Rhamnusia,
Placida, and Alma are all of a very late date. (P. Vict.
Reg. Urb. v. x. xii.) Lastly, we may remark, that Venus is
also said to have presided over gardens. (Varro, De R. R.
1.1; Plin. Nat. 19.4; Fest. p. 58, ed. Müller ; compare
Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. vol. ii. p. 248, &c.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（*Sku/lla）
1. Scylla and Charybdis, the names of two rocks between
Italy and Sicily, and only a short distance from one
another. In the midst of the one of these rocks which was
nearest to Italy, there dwelt, according to Homer, Scylla, a
daughter of Crataeis, a fearful monster, barking like a dog,
with twelve feet, six long necks and mouths, each of which
contained three rows of sharp teeth. The opposite rock,
which was much lower, contained an immense fig-tree, under
which there dwelt Charybdis, who thrice every day swallowed
down the waters of the sea, and thrice threw them up again :
both were formidable to the ships which had to pass between
them (Hom. Od. 12.73, &c., 235, &c.). Later traditions
represent Scylla as a daughter of Phorcys or Phorbas, by
Hecate Crataeis (Apollon. 4.828, &c., with the Scholiast),
or by Lamia; while others make her a daughter of Triton, or
Poseidon and Crataeis (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1714), or of
Typhon and Echidna (Hygin. Fab. praef.). Some, again,
describe her as a monster with six heads of different
animals, or with only three heads (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 650 ;
Eustath. l.c.). One tradition relates that Scylla originally
was a beautiful maiden, who often played with the nymphs of
the sea, and was beloved by the marine god Glaucus. He
applied to Circe for means to make Scylla return his love;
but Circe, jealous of the fair maiden, threw magic herbs
into the well in which Scylla was wont to bathe, and by
these herbs the maiden was metamorphosed in such a manner,
that the upper part of her body remained that of a woman,
while the lower part was changed into the tail of a fish or
serpent, surrounded by dogs (Ov. Met. 13.732, &c., 905,
14.40, &c.; Tib. 3.4. 89). Another tradition related that
Scylla was beloved by Poseidon, and that Amphitrite, from
jealousy, metamorphosed her into a monster (Tzetz. ad
Lycoph. 45 ; Serv. ad Aen. 3.420). Heracles is said to have
killed her, because she had stolen some of the oxen of
Geryon; but Phorcys is said to have restored her to life
(Eustath., Tzetz., Hygin., l.c.). Virgil (Aen. 6.286) speaks
of several Scyllae, and places them in the lower world
(comp. Lucret. 5.893). Charybdis is described as a daughter
of Poseidon and Gaea, and as a voracious woman,who stole
oxen from Heracles, and was hurled by the thunderbolt of
Zeus into the sea, where she retained her voracious nature.
(Serv. ad Aen. 3.420.) 2. A daughter of King Nisus of
Megara, who, in consequence of her love of Minos, cut off
the golden hair from her father's head, and thereby caused
his death (Apollod. 3.15.8). She has sometimes been
confounded with the monster Scylla. - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Selene (Greek Σελήνη /selɛ́ːnɛː/ 'moon';
Doric Σελάνα; Aeolic Σελάννα) was an archaic lunar deity and
the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia.[1] In Roman
mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon".
Like most moon deities, Selene plays a fairly large role in
her pantheon, which preceded the Olympic pantheon. However,
Selene, a Titan, was eventually largely supplanted by Artemis,
an Olympian; the Romans similarly deemed Luna predecessor to
Diana. In the collection known as the Homeric hymns, there is
a Hymn to Selene (xxxii), paired with the hymn to Helios. In
it, Selene is addressed as "far-winged", an epithet ordinarily
applied to birds. Selene is mentioned in Nonnus, Dionysiaca
48.581; Pausanias 5.1.4; and Strabo 14.1.6...
Read More
（Σελήνη), also called Mene, or Latin Luna, was the goddess
of the moon, or the moon personified into a divine being.
She is called a daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and
accordingly a sister of Helios and Eos (Hes. Theog. 371,
&c.; Apollod. 1.2.2; Schol. ad Pind. Isthm. 5.1, ad Apollon.
Rhod. 4.55); but others speak of her as a daughter of
Hyperion by Euryphaessa (Hom. Hymn. 31. 5), or of Pallas
(Hom. Hymn. in Merc. 99, &c.), or of Zeus and Latona (Schol.
ad Eur. Phoen. 175), or lastly of Helios (Eurip. l.c.; comp.
Hygin. Praef. p. 10, ed. Muncker). She is also called
Phoebe, as the sister of Phoebus, the god of the sun. By
Endymion, whom she loved, and whom she sent to sleep in
order to kiss him, she became the mother of fifty daughters
(Apollod. 1.7.5; Cic. Tusc. 1.38; Catull. 66. 5; Paus.
5.1.2); by Zeus she became the mother of Pandeia, Ersa, and
Nemea (Hom. Hymn. 32. 14 ; Plut. Sympos. iii. in fin.;
Schol. ad Pind. Nem. Hypoth. p. 425, ed. Böckh). Pan also is
said to have had connexion with her in the shape of a white
ram (Verg. G. 3.391). Selene is described as a very
beautiful goddess, with long wings and a golden diadem (Hom.
Hymn. 32. 1, 7), and Aeschylus (Sept. 390) calls her the eye
of night. She rode, like her brother Helios, across the
heavens in a chariot drawn by two white horses, cows, or
mules (Ov. Fast. 4.374, 3.110, Rem. Am. 258 ; Auson. Ep.
5.3; Claudian, Rapt. Proserp. 3.403; Nonn. Dionys. 7.244).
She was represented on the pedestal of the throne of Zeus at
Olympia, riding on a horse or a mule (Paus. 5.11.3); and at
Elis there was a statue of her with two horns (Paus.
6.24.5). In later times Selene was identified with Artemis,
and the worship of the two became amalgamated (Callim. Hymn.
in Dian. 114, 141 ; Soph. Oed. Tyr. 207 ; Plut. Sympos.
l.c.; Catull. 34. 16; Serv. ad Aen. 4.511, 6.118). In works
of art, however, the two divinities are usually
distinguished; the face of Selene being more full and round,
her figure less tall, and always clothed in a long robe; her
veil forms an arch above her head, and above it there is the
crescent. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. p. 38.)
At Rome Luna had a temple on the Aventine. (Liv. 40.2; Ov.
Fast. 3.884.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography
and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Semele (Σεμέλη), daughter of Cadmus and
Harmonia, was the mortal mother[1] of Dionysus by Zeus in one
of his many origin myths. (In another version of his mythic
origin, he had two mothers, Persephone and Semele.) The name
"Semele", like other elements of Dionysiac cult (e.g., thyrsus
and dithyramb), is manifestly not Greek[2] but apparently
Thraco-Phrygian;[3] the myth of Semele's father Cadmus gives
him a Phoenician origin. Herodotus, who gives the account of
Cadmus, estimates that Semele lived sixteen hundred years
before his time, or around 2000 B.C.[4]...
Read More
（Σεμέλη), a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, at Thebes, and
accordingly a sister of Ino, Agave, Autonoe, and Polydorus.
She was beloved by Zeus (Hom. Il. 14.323, Hymn. in Bacch. 6,
57 ; Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 2.40), and Hera, stimulated by
jealousy, appeared to her in the form of her aged nurse
Beroe, and induced her to pray Zeus to visit her in the same
splendour and majesty with which he appeared to Hera. Zeus,
who had promised that he would grant her every request, did
as she desired. He appeared to her as the god of thunder,
and Semele was consumed by the fire of lightning; but Zeus
saved her child Dionysus, with whom she was pregnant
(Apollod, 3.4.3; Ov. Met. 3.260, &c.; Hygin. Fab. 179).
Pausanias (9.2.3) relates that Actaeon was in love with her,
and that Artemis caused him to be torn to pieces by his
dogs, to prevent his marrying her. The inhabitants of
Brasiae, in Laconia, related that Semele, after having given
birth to Dionysus, was thrown by her father Cadmus in a boat
upon the sea, and that her body was driven to the coast of
Brasiae, where it was buried ; whereas Dionysus, whose life
was saved, was brought up at Brasiae (Paus. 3.24.3). After
her death, the common account continues, she was led by her
son out of the lower world, and carried up to Olympus as
Thyone (Pind. O. 2.44, Pyth. xi 1; Paus. 2.31.2, 37.5; A
pollod. 3.5.3). A statue of her and her tomb were shown at
Thebes. (Paus. 9.12.3, 16.4.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
The word sibyl comes (via Latin) from the Greek word sibylla,
meaning prophetess. The earliest oracular seeresses known as
the sibyls of antiquity, "who admittedly are known only
through legend"[1] prophesied at certain holy sites, under the
divine influence of a deity, originally- at Delphi and
Pessinos- one of the chthonic earth-goddesses. Later in
antiquity, sibyls wandered from place to place...
Read More
（*Si/bulla) is the name by which several prophetic women
are designated who occur in various countries and at
different times in antiquity. The name is said to be formed
from Διὸς and βουλή, so that it would signify the counsel of
Zeus (Plut. Phaedr. p. 244; Serv. ad Aen. 3.445). The first
Sibyl, from whom all the rest are said to have derived their
name, is said to have been a daughter of Dardanus and Neso.
Some authors mention only four Sibyls, the Erythraean, the
Samian, the Egyptian and the Sardian (Aelian, Ael. VH
12.35); but it was more commonly believed that there were
ten, namely the Babylonian, the Libyan, the Delphian (an
elder Delphian, who was a daughter of Zeus and Lamia, and a
younger one, Paus. 10.12.1), the Cimmerian, the Erythraean
(here too we find an elder and a younger one, who is called
Herophile, Strab. xiv. p.645), the Samian, the Cumaean (who
is sometimes identified with the Erythraean, Aristot. Mir.
97), the Hellespontian or Trojan (comp. Tib. 2.5. 19), the
Phrygian and the Tiburtine (Paus. 10.12; Lactant. Instil.
1.6). The most celebrated of these Sibyls is the Cumaean,
who is mentioned under the names of Herophile, Demo,
Phemonoe, Deiphobe, Demophile, and Amalthea (Paus. l.c. ;
Serv. ad Aen. 3.445, 6.72; Tib. 2.5. 67; Suidas, s. v.). She
was consulted by Aeneas before he descended into the lower
world (Ov. Met. 14.104, &c., 15.712; Verg. A. 6.10). She is
said to have come to Italy from the East (Liv. 1.7), and she
is the one who, according to tradition, appeared before king
Tarquinius, offering him the Sibylline books for sale (Plin.
Nat. 13.28; Gel. 1.19). Pausanias also mentions a Hebrew
Sibyl of the name of Sabbe, who is called a daughter of
Berosus and Erymanthe. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Silenus (in Greek, Σειληνός) was a
companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. The plural
Seleni (in Greek, Σειληνοί) usually refers to drunken
followers of Dionysus...
Read More
a Latin divinity of the fields and forests, to whom in the
very earliest times the Tyrrhenian Pelasgians are said to
have dedicated a grove and a festival (Verg. A. 8.600). He
is described as a god watching over the fields and
husbandmen, and is also called the protector of the
boundaries of fields (Horat. Epod. 2.22). Hyginus (De Limit.
Const. Praef.) tells us that Silvanus was the first to set
up stones to mark the limits of fields, and that every
estate had three Silvani, a Silvanus domesticus (in
inscriptions called Silvanus Larum and Silvanus sanctus
sacer Larum), Silvanus agrestis (also called salutaris), who
was worshipped by shepherds and Silvanus orientalis ; that
is, the god presiding over the point at which an estate
begins. Hence Silvani are often spoken of in the plural. In
connection with woods (sylvestris deus), he especially
presided over plantations, and delighted in trees growing
wild (Tib. 2.5. 30; Lucan, Phars. 3.402; Plin. Nat. 12.2;
Ov. Met. 1.193); whence he is represented as carrying the
trunk of a cypress (δενδροφόρος, Verg. G. 1.20). Respecting
the cypress, however, the following story is told. Silvanus,
or according to others, Apollo (Serv. ad Aen. 3.680; Ov.
Met. 10.106, &c.), was in love with the youth Cyparissus,
and once by accident killed a hind belonging to Cyparissus.
The latter died of grief, and was metamorphosed into a
cypress (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 1.20, Eclog. 10.26, Aen.
3.680). He is further described as the divinity protecting
the flocks of cattle, warding off wolves, and promoting
their fertility (Verg. A. 8.601; Tib. 1.5. 27; Cato, De Re
Rust. 83; Nonn. 2.324). Being the god of woods and flocks,
he is also described as fond of music; the syrinx was sacred
to him (Tib. 2.5. 30), and he is mentioned along with the
Pans and Nymphs (Verg. G. 1.21; Lucan, l.c.). Later
speculators even identified Silvanus with Pan, Faunus, Inuus
and Aegipan (Plut. Parall. Min. 22). Cato (l.c.) calls him
Mars Silvanus, from which it is clear that he must have been
connected with the Italian Mars, and it is further stated
that his connection with agriculture referred only to the
labour performed by men, and that females were excluded from
his worship (Schol. ad Juven. 6.446). In the Latin poets, as
well as in works of art, he always appears as an old man,
but as cheerful and in love with Pomona (Verg. G. 2.494;
Horat. Epod. 2.21, Carm. 3.8; Ov. Met. 14.639). The
sacrifices offered to him consisted of grapes, corn-ears,
milk, meat, wine and pigs. (Horat. Epod. 2.22, Epist. 2.1.
143; Tib. 1.5. 27 ; Juv. 6.446; comp. Voss. Mythol. Briefe,
2.68; Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. vol. ii. p. 170, &c.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（Σειληνός), or SEILE'NUS. It is remarked in the article
Satyrus, that the older Satyrs were generally termed Sileni
(comp. Schol. ad Nicand. Alex. 31), but one of these Sileni
is commonly the Silenus, who always acts a prominent part in
the retinue of Dionysus, from whom he is inseparable, and
whom he is said to have brought up and instructed. (Diod.
4.14; Orph. Hymn. 53. 1.) Like the other Satyrs he is called
a son of Hermes (Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 6.13), but others
call him a son of Pan by a nymph, or of Gaea (Nonn. Dionys.
14.97, 29.262; Aelian, Ael. VH 3.18; comp. Porphyr. Vit.
Pythag. 16 ; Clemens, Cohort. ad Gent. p. 24.) Being the
constant companion of Dionysus, he is, like the god, said to
have been born at Nysa (Catull. 64, 253), and Diodorus
(3.72) even represents him as king of Nysa ; he moreover
took part in the contest with the Gigantes, and slew
Enceladus, putting the others to flight by the braying of
his ass. (Eurip. Cycl.) He is described as a jovial old man,
with a bald head, a puck nose, fat and round like his wine
bag, which he always carried with him, and generally as
intoxicated. As therefore he cannot trust to his own legs,
he is generally riding on an ass (Ov. Fast. 1.399, 3.749),
or he is supported by other Satyrs and Satyrisci. (Verg.
Ecl. 6.13 ; Lucian, Deor. Cone. 4.) In every other respect
he is described as resembling his brethren in the fondness
for sleep, wine and music. He is mentioned along with
Marsyas and Olympus as the inventor of the flute which he is
often seen playing (Strab. x. p.470), and a special kind of
dance was called after him Silenus, while he himself is
designated as the dancer. (Anacr. 38. 11; Paus. 3.25.2;
Lucian, Icarom. 27.) But it is a peculiar feature in his
character that he was conceived also as an inspired prophet,
who knew all the past and the most distant future (Aelian,
Ael. VH 3.18; Virg. Eclog. vi, 31, &c.), and as a sage who
despised all the gifts of fortune (Cic. Tuscul. 1.48); so
that he becomes the representative of that wisdom which
conceals itself behind a rough and uncouth external
appearance, whence he is likened to Socrates. (Plat. Sympos.
32 ; Xenoph. Sympos. 5 § 7.) When he was drunk and asleep,
he was in the power of mortals who might compel him to
prophesy and sing by surrounding him with chains of flowers.
(Aelian, Ael. VH 3.18; Philostr. Imay. 1.22, Vit. Apoll.
6.27; Ov. Met. 11.91.) Silenus had a temple at Elis, where
Methe (Drunkenness) stood by his side handing him a cup of
wine. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. p. 164, &c.; C. O. Muller,
Ancient Art and its Remains, § 386.) - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Silvanus (Latin: "of the woods") was a Roman tutelary spirit
or deity of woods and fields. As protector of forests
(sylvestris deus), he especially presided over plantations and
delighted in trees growing wild.[1][2][3][4] He is also
described as a god watching over the fields and husbandmen,
protecting in particular the boundaries of fields.[5] He was
apparently inherited from the Etruscan deity Selvans.
Silvanus is described as the divinity protecting the flocks of
cattle, warding off wolves, and promoting their
fertility.[1][6][7][8] Hyginus states that Silvanus was the
first to set up stones to mark the limits of fields, and that
every estate had three Silvani:[9]...
Read More
or SINNIS (Σίνις or Σιννις), a son of Polypemon, Pemon or
Poseidon by Sylea, the daughter of Corinthus. He was surnamed
according to some Pityocamptes, and according to others
Procrustes. He dwelt on the isthmus of Corinth as a robber,
destroying the travellers whom he had conquered, by fastening
them to the top of a fir-tree, which he curbed, and then let
spring up .gain. He himself was killed in this manner by
Theseus (Apollod. 3.16.2; Plut. Thes. 8; Paus. 2.1.3, &c.;
Diod. 4.59 ; Eur. Hipp. 977; Ov. Met. 7.440, &c. ; Hyg. Fab.
38; Schol. Pind. Hypoth. Isthm.). When Theseus had
accomplished this, he caused himself to be purified by
Phytalus at the altar of Zeus Meilichios, because Theseus
himself was related to Sinis (Paus. 1.37.3), or according to
others, he propitiated the spirit of Sinis by instituting in
his honour the Isthmian games (Schol. Pind. l.c. ; Plut. Thes.
25; Welcker, Nachtrag, p. 133). The name is connected with
σίνομαι, expressing the manner in which he tore his victims to
pieces. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Sirens (Greek singular: Σειρήν Seirēn;
Greek plural: Σειρῆνες Seirēnes) were three dangerous bird-
women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with
their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky
coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island
called Sirenum scopuli. In some later, rationalized traditions
the literal geography of the "flowery" island of Anthemoessa,
or Anthemusa,[1] is fixed: sometimes on Cape Pelorum and at
others in the islands known as the Sirenuse, near Paestum, or
in Capreae.[2] All such locations were surrounded by cliffs
and rocks...
Read More
Sire'nes
or SEIRE'>NES (Σειρῆνες), mythical beings who were believed
to have the power of enchanting and charming, by their song,
any one who heard them. When Odysseus, in his wanderings
through the Mediterranean, came near the island on the
lovely beach of which the Sirens were sitting, and
endeavouring to allure him and his companions, he, on the
advice of Circe, stuffed the ears of his companions with
wax, and tied himself to the mast of his vessel, until he
was so far off that he could no longer hear their song (Hom.
Od. 12.39, &c., 166, &c.). According to Homer, the island of
the Sirens was situated between Aeaea and the rock of
Scylla, near the south-western coast of Italy. Homer says
nothing of their number, but later writers mention both
their names and number some state that they were two,
Aglaopheme and Thelxiepeia (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1709); and
others, that there were three, Peisinoe, Aglaope, and
Thelxiepeia (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 712), or Parthenope, Ligeia,
and Leucosia (Eustath. l.c. ; Strab. v. pp. 246, 252; Serv.
ad Virg. Georg. 4.562). They are called daughters of Phorcus
(Plut. Sympos. 9.14), of Achelous and Sterope (Apollod.
1.7.10), of Terpsichore (Apollon. 4.893), of Melpomene
(Apollod. 1.3.4), of Calliope (Serv. ad Aen. 5.364), or of
Gaea (Eurip. Hel. 168). Their place of abode is likewise
different in the different traditions, for some place them
on cape Pelorum others in the island of Anthemusa, and
others again in the Sirenusian islands near Paestum, or in
Capreae (Strab. i. p.22; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1709; Serv.
l.c.). The Sirens are also connected with the legends about
the Argonauts and the rape of Persephone. When the
Argonauts, it is said. passed by the Sirens, the latter
began to sing, but in vain, for Orpheus rivalled and
surpassed them ; and as it had been decreed that they should
live only till some one hearing their song should pass by
unmoved, they threw themselves into the sea, and were
metamorphosed into rocks. Some writers connected the self-
destruction of the Sirens with the story of Orpheus and the
Argonauts, and others With that of Odysseus (Strab. v.
p.252; Orph. Arg. 1284; Apollod. 1.9.25; Hygin. Fab. 141).
Late poets represent them as provided with wings, which they
are said to have received at their own request, in order to
be able to search after Persephone (Ov. Met. 5.552), or as a
punishment from Demeter for not having assisted Persephone
(Hygin. l.c.), or from Aphrodite, because they wished to
remain virgins (Eustath. l.c. ; Aelian, Ael. NA 17.23;
Apollon. 4.896). Once, however, they allowed themselves to
be prevailed upon by Hera to enter into a contest with the
Muses, and being defeated, they were deprived of their wings
(Paus. 9.34.2; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 85). There was a temple
of the Sirens near Surrentum, and the tomb of Parthenope was
believed to be near Neapolis. (Strab. i. p.23, v. p. 246.) -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology Sisyphus (pronounced /ˈsɪsəfəs/; Greek:
Σίσυφος sísypʰos /ˈsisifos/ ( listen)) was a king punished by
being compelled to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to
watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout
eternity. He is also found in Roman mythology.
The word sisyphean means, according to the American Heritage
Dictionary, "endless and unavailing, as labor or a task."...
Read More
（*Si/sufos), a son of Aeolus and Enarete, whence he is
called Aeolides (Hom. Il. 6.154; Hor. Carm. 2.14. 20). He
was accordingly a brother of Cretheus, Athamas, Salmoneus,
Deion, Magnes, Perieres, Canace, Alcyone, Peisidice, Calyce
and Perimede (Apollod. 1.7.3; Paus. 10.31.2). He was married
to Merope, a daughter of Atlas or a Pleiad (Apollod. 1.9.3;
Ov. Fast. 4.175; comp. MEROPE), and became by her the father
of Glaucus, Ornytion (or Porphyrion, Schol. ad Apollon.
Rhod. 3.1094), Thersandrus, and Halmus (Paus. 2.4.3,
9.34.5). In later accounts he is also called a son of
Autolycus, and the father of Sinon (Serv. ad Aen. 2.79) and
Odysseus. who is hence called Sisyphides (Ov. Met. 13.31;
Serv. ad Aen. 6.529; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 344; Eustath. ad Hom.
p. 1701). He is said to have built the town of Ephyra,
afterwards Corinth (Hom. Il. 6.153; Apollod. 1.9.3), though,
according to another tradition, Medea, on leaving Corinth,
gave him the government of that city (Paus. 2.3. in fin.).
As king of Corinth he promoted navigation and commerce, but
was fraudulent, avaricious, and altogether of bad character,
and his whole house was in as bad repute as he himself (Hom.
Il. 6.153; Theogn. 703, 712; Schol. ad Aristoph. Ach. 390,
ad Soph. Aj. 190; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1701; Tzetz. ad
Lycoph. 980; Ov. Ep. 12.204; Horat. Sat. 2.17. 12). He is
said to have found the body of Melicertes on the coast of
Corinth, to have buried it on the isthmus, and to have
founded the Isthmian games in honour of him (Ino and
Palaemon, Paus. 2.1.3; Apollod. 3.4.3; Schol. ad Apollon.
Rhod. 3.1240; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 107, 229). His wickedness
during life was severely punished in the lower world, where
he had to roll up hill a huge marble block, which as soon as
it reached the top always rolled down again (Cic. Tusc. 1.5;
Verg. G. 3.39; Ov. Met. 4.459, Ib. 175; Lucret. 3.1013). The
special reasons for this punishment are not the same in all
authors; some say that it was because he had betrayed the
designs of the gods (Serv. ad Aen. 6.616; Schol. ad Hom. Il.
1.180, 6.153), others because he attacked travellers. and
killed them with a huge block of stone. He was slain,
according to some, by Theseus (Schol. ad Stat. Theb. 2.380),
while other traditions relate that Sisyphus lived in enmity
with his brother Salmoneus, and consulted the oracle how he
might get rid of him. Apollo answered, that if he begot sons
by Tyro, the wife of his brother, they would avenge him.
Sisyphus indeed became the father of two sons by Tyro, but
the mother killed them immediately after their birth.
Sisyphus took cruel vengeance on her, and was punished for
it in the lower world (Hyg. Fab. 60). Another tradition
states that when Zeus had carried off Aegina, the daughter
of Asopus, from Phlius, Sisyphus betrayed the matter to
Asopus, and was rewarded by him with a well on
Acrocorinthus, but Zeus punished him in the lower world.
(Apollod. 1.9.3, 3.12.6; Paus. 2.5.1 ; Tzetz. ad Lycoph.
176.) Others, again, say that Zeus, to avenge his treachery,
sent Death to Sisyphus, who, however, succeeded in putting
Death into chains, so that no man died until Ares delivered
Death, whereupon Sisyphus himself also expired (Eustath. ad
Hom. pp. 631, 1702). Before he died he desired his wife not
to bury him. She having complied with his request, Sisyphus
in the lower world complained of his being neglected, and
desired Pluto, or Persephone, to allow him to return to the
upper world to punish his wife. When this request was
granted, he refused to return to the lower world, until
Hermes carried him off by force; and this piece of treachery
is said to be the cause of his punishment (Eustath. l.c. ;
Theogn. 700, &c.; Schol. ad Pind. Isthm. 1.97, ad Soph. Aj.
625; Hor. Carm. 2.24. 20). His punishment was represented by
Polygnotus in the Lesche at Delphi (Paus. 10.31.2). He was
believed to have been buried on the isthmus, but very few
even among his contemporaries knew the exact place. (Paus.
2.2.2; comp. Völcker, Mythol. des Iapet. Geschl. p. 241.) -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Sol was the solar deity in Ancient Roman religion. He became
identified with Janus at an early period, and only in the late
Roman Empire re-appears as an independent Sun god, as Sol
Invictus...
Read More
[HELIOS.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hypnos (Ὕπνος, "sleep") was the
personification of sleep; the Roman equivalent was known as
Somnus. His twin was Thánatos (Θάνατος, "death"); their mother
was the primordial goddess Nyx (Νύξ, "night"). His palace was
a dark cave where the sun never shines. At the entrance were a
number of poppies and other hypnogogic plants...
Read More
the personification and god of sleep, the Greek Hypnos, is
described by the ancients as a brother of Death (θάνατος), and
as a son of Night (Hes. Theog. 211, &c.; Verg. A. 6.277). At
Sicyon there was a statue of Sleep surnamed ἐπιδώτης, the
giver (Paus. 2.10.2). In works of art Sleep and Death are
represented alike as two youths sleeping or holding inverted
torches in their hands. (Comp. THANATOS.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
A sphinx (Ancient Greek: Σφίγξ /sphinx, sometimes Φίξ /Phix)
is a mythological creature that is depicted as a recumbent
feline with a human head. It has its origins in sculpted
figures of lionesses with female human heads (unless the
pharaoh was depicted as the son of the deity) of Old Kingdom
Egypt in association with their solar deities, Bast or
Sekhmet. The ancient Greeks adapted this image and applied
their own name for a male monster, the "strangler", an archaic
figure of Greek mythology. Similar creatures of either gender
appear throughout South and South-East Asia. In European
decorative art, the sphinx enjoyed a major revival during the
Renaissance. Later, the sphinx image, something very similar
to the original Ancient Egyptian concept, was exported into
many other cultures, albeit often interpreted quite
differently due to translations of descriptions of the
originals and the evolution of the concept in relation to
other cultural traditions...
Read More
（Σφίγξ 1), a monstrous being of Greek mythology, is said to
have been a daughter of Orthus and Chimaera, born in the
country of the Arimi (Hes. Theog. 326), or of Typhon and
Echidna (Apollod. 3.5.8; Schol. ad Enrip. Phoen. 46), or
lastly of Typhon and Chimaera (Schol. ad Hes. and Eurip. l.
.c.). Some call her a natural daughter of Laius (Paus.
9.26.2). Respecting her stave at Thebes and her connection
with the fate of the house of Laius, see OEDIPUS. The middle
which she there proposed, she is said to have learnt front
the Muses (Apollod. 3.5.8), or Laius himself taught her the
mysterious oracles which Cadmus had received at Delphi
(Paus. 9.26.2). According to some she had been sent into
Boeotia by Hera, who was angry with the Thebans for not
having punished Lains, who had carried off Chrysippus from
Pisa. She is said to have come from the most distant part of
Ethiopia (Apollod. l.c. ; Schol. ad Eur. Phoen. 1760);
according to others she was sent by Ares, who wanted to take
revenge because Cadmus had slain his son, the dragon (Argum.
ad Eurip. Phoen.), or by Dionysus (Schol. ad Hes. Th. 326),
or by Hades (Eurip. Phoen. 810), and some lastly say that
she was one on the women who, together with the daughters of
Cadmus, were thrown into madness, and was metamorphosed into
the monstrous figure. (Schol. ad Eur. Phoen. 45.）
The legend itself clearly indicates from what quarter this
being was believed to have been introduced into Greek
mythology. The figure which she was conceived to have had is
originally Egyptian or Ethiopian; but after her
incorporation with Grecian story, her figure was variously
modified. The Egyptian Sphinx is the figure of an unwinged
lion in a lying attitude, but the upper part of the body is
human. They appear in Egypt to have been set up in avenues
forming the approaches to temples. The greatest among the
Egyptian representations of Sphinxes is that of Ghizeh,
which, with the exception of the paws, is of one block of
stone. The Egyptian Sphinxes are often called ἀνδρόσφιγγες
(Hdt. 2.175; Menandr. Fragm. p. 411, ed. Meineke), not
describing them as male beings, but as lions with the upper
part human, to distinguish them from those Sphinxes whose
upper part was that of a sheep or ram. The common idea of a
Greek Sphinx, on the other hand, is that of a winged body of
a lion, having the breast and upper part of a woman (Aelian,
Ael. NA 12.7; Auson. Griph. 40 ; Apollod. 3.5.8; Schol. ad
Eur. Phoen. 806). Greek Sphinxes, moreover, are not always
represented in a lying attitude, but appear in different
positions, as it might suit the fancy of the sculptor or
poet. Thus they appear with the face of a maiden, the
breast, feet, and claws of a lion, the tail of a serpent,
and the wings of a bird (Schol. ad Aristoph. Frogs 1287 ;
Soph. Oed. Tyr. 391 ; Athen. 6.253; Palaephat. 7); or the
fore part of the body is that of a lion, and the lower part
that of a man, with the claws of a vuiture and the wings of
an eagle (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 7). Sphinxes were frequently
introduced by Greek artists, as ornaments of architectural
and other works. (Paus. 3.18.8, 5.11.2; Eurip. Elect. 471.)-
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Sterope (pronounced /ˈstɛrəpiː/, Greek:
Στερόπη [sterópɛː]), also called Asterope (Ἀστερόπη), was one
of the seven Pleiades (the daughters of Atlas and Pleione,
born to them at Mount Cyllene in Arcadia) and the wife of
Oenomaus (or, according to some accounts, his mother by Ares).
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（Στερόπη).
1. A Pleiad, the wife of Oenomaus (Apollod. 3.10.1), and
according to Pausanias (5.10.5), a daughter of Atlas. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
Stheno (Greek: Σθεννώ, English translation: "forceful"), in
Greek mythology, was the eldest of the Gorgons, vicious female
monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and "hair" made of
living venomous snakes. The daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, she
was born in the caverns beneath Mount Olympus. She and her
sister Euryale were immortal while the third sister, Medusa,
was mortal.
Of the three Gorgons, she was known to be the most independent
and ferocious, having killed more men than both of her sisters
combined. In Roman mythology she became this way by standing
with her sister, Medusa, when Medusa was cursed by Athena.
Medusa was cursed by Athena for meeting at Athena's temple
with the sea god, Poseidon, and was changed into a terrible
monster. - Wikipedia
Read More
Stheino
or STHENO (Σθεινώ or Σθενώ), one of the Gorgons. (Hes. Theog.
276 ; Apollod. 2.4.2.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
The River Styx (Greek: Στύξ, Stux, also meaning "hate" and
"detestation") (adjectival form: Stygian (pronounced /
ˈstɪdʒi.ən/) was a river in Greek mythology which formed the
boundary between Earth and the Underworld (often called Hades
which is also the name of this domain's ruler). It circles the
Underworld nine times. The rivers Styx, Phlegethon, Acheron,
and Cocytus all converge at the center of the underworld on a
great marsh. The other important rivers of the underworld are
Lethe and Eridanos, and Alpheus. The ferryman was called
Charon...
Read More
（Στύξ), connected with the verb στυγέω, to hate or abhor,
is the name of the principal river in the nether world,
around which it flows seven times. (Hom. Il. 2.755, 8.369.
14.271; Verg. G. 4.480, Aen. 6.439.) Styx is described as a
daughter of Oceanus and Tethys (Hes. Theog. 361 ; Apollod.
1.2.2; Callim. Hymn. in Jov. 36), and as a nymph she dwelt
at the entrance of Hades, in a lofty grotto which was
supported by silver columns. (Hes. Theog. 778.) As a river
Styx is described as a branch of Oceanus, flowing from its
tenth source (789), and the river Cocytus again is a branch
of the Styx. (Hom. Od. 10.511.) By Pallas Styx became the
mother of Zelus (zeal), Nice (victory), Bia (strength), and
Cratos (power). She was the first of all the immortals that
took her children to Zeus, to assist him against the Titans;
and, in return for this, her children were allowed for ever
to live with Zeus, and Styx herself became the divinity by
whom the most solemn oaths were sworn. (Hes. Theog. 383 ;
Hom. Od. 5.185, 15.37; Apollod. 1.2.5; Apollon. 2.191; Verg.
A. 6.324, 12.816; Ov. Met. 3.290; Sil. Ital. 13.568.) When
one of the gods was to take an oath by Styx, Iris fetched a
cup full of water from the Styx, and the god, while taking
the oath, poured out the water. (Hes. Theog 775.) Zeus
became by her the father of Persephone (Apollod. 1.3.1), and
Peiras the father of Echidna. (Paus. 8.18.1.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith,
Ed.
Read More
The Symplegades (pronounced /sɪmˈplɛɡədiːz/; Greek:
Συμπληγάδες, Sumplēgades) or Clashing Rocks, also known as the
Cyanean Rocks, were, according to Greek mythology, a pair of
rocks at the Bosphorus that clashed together randomly. They
were defeated by Jason and the Argonauts, who would have been
lost and killed by the rocks except for Phineas' advice. Jason
let a dove fly between the rocks; it lost only its tail
feathers. The Argonauts rowed mightily to get through and lost
only part of the stern ornament. After that, the Symplegades
stopped moving permanently...
Read More
In classical mythology, Syrinx (Greek Συριγξ) was a nymph and
a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the
amorous Greek god Pan, she ran to the river's edge and asked
for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, she was
transformed into hollow water reeds that made a haunting sound
when the god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the
reeds to fashion the first set of pan pipes, which were
thenceforth known as syrinx.[1] The word syringe was derived
from this word...
Read More
an Arcadian nymph, who being pursued by Pan, fled into the
river Ladon. and at her own request was metamorphosed into a
reed. which Pan then made his flute. (Ov. Met. 1.690. &c.;
comp. Voss. Virg. Ecl. p. 33.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Tantalus (Greek Τάνταλος) was the ruler of an ancient western
Anatolian city called either under his name, as "Tantalis",[1]
"the city of Tantalus", or as "Sipylus", in reference to Mount
Sipylus at the foot of which his city was located and whose
ruins were reported to be still visible in the beginning of
the Common Era,[2] although few traces remain today. Pausanias
further reports that there was a port under his name and a
sepulchre of him "by no means obscure", in the same region. In
Greek mythology he was the father of Pelops, Niobe and
Broteas, and a son of Zeus[3] and the nymph Plouto...
Read More
（*Ta/ntalos).
1. A son of Zeus by Pluto, or according to others (Schol. ad
Eur. Orest. 5 ; Tzetz. Chil. 5.444; Apostol. Cent. 18.7) a
son of Tmolus. (Hygin. Fab. 82, 154; Ant. Lib. 36.) His wife
is called by some Euryanassa (Schol. ad Eurip. l.c. ; Tzetz.
ad Lycoph. 52), by others Taygete or Dione (Hygin. Fab. 82;
Ov. Met. 6.174), and by others Clytia or Eupryto (Schol. ad
Eur. Orest. 11; Apostol. l.c. He was the father of Pelops,
Broteas, and Niobe. (Schol. ad Eur. Orest. 5 ; Diod. 4.74.)
All traditions agree in stating that he was a wealthy king,
but while some call him king of Lydia. of Sipylus in Phrygia
or Paphlagonia, others describe him as king of Argos or
Corinth. (Hygin. Fab. 124; Serv. ad Aen. 6.603; Diod. l.c.)
Tantalus is particularly celebrated in ancient story for the
severe punishment inflicted upon him after his death in the
lower world, the causes of which are differently stated by
the ancient authors. The common account is that Zeus invited
him to his table and communicated his divine counsels to
him. Tantalus divulged the secrets intrusted to him, and the
gods punished him by placing him in the nether world in the
midst of a lake, but rendering it impossible for him to
drink when he was thirsty, the water always withdrawing when
he stooped. Branches laden with fruit, moreover, hung over
his head, but when he stretched out his hand to reach the
fruit, the branches withdrew. (Hom. Od. 11.582.) Over his
head there was suspended a huge rock ever threatening to
crush him. (Pind. O. 1.90, &c., Isthm. 8.21; Eurip. Or. 5,
&c.; Diod. 5.74; Philostr. Vit. Apollon. 3.25; Hygin. Fab.
82; Horat. Sat. 1.1. 68; Tib. 1.3. 77 ; Ov. Met. 4.457, Art.
Am. 2.605; Senec. Here. Fur. 752 ; Cic. de Fin. 1.18,
Tuscul. 4.16.) Another tradition relates that he, wanting to
try the gods, cut his son Pelops in pieces, boiled them and
set them before the gods at a repast. (Hygin. Fab. 83 ;
Serv. ad Aen. 6.603, ad Georg. 3.7.) A third account states
that Tantalus stole nectar and ambrosia from the table of
the gods and gave them to his friends (Pind. O. 1.98; Tzetz.
Chil. 5.465); and a fourth lastly relates the following
story. Rhea caused the infant Zeus and his nurse to be
guarded in Crete by a golden dog, whom sub. sequently Zeus
appointed guardian of his temple in Crete. Pandareus stole
this dog, and, carrying him to Mount Sipylus in Lydia, gave
him to Tantalus to take care of. But afterwards, when
Pandareus demanded the dog back, Tantalus took an oath that
he had never received him. Zeus thereupon changed Pandareus
into a stone, and threw Tantalus down from Mount Sipylus.
(Ant. Lib. 36.) Others again relate that Hermes demanded the
dog of Tantalus, and that the perjury was committed before
Hermes. (Pind. O. 1.90.) Zeus buried Tantalus under Mount
Sipylus as a punishment. (Schol. ad Pind. O. 90, 97.) There
his tomb was shown in later times. (Paus. 2.22.4, 5.13.4.)
In the Lesche of Delphi Tantalus was represented by
Polygnotus in the situation described in the common
tradition : he was standing in water, with a fruit-tree over
his head, and threatened by an overhanging rock. (Paus.
10.31.2.) The punishment of Tantalus was proverbial in
ancient times, and from it the English language has borrowed
the verb "to tantalize," that is, to hold out hopes or
prospects which cannot be realized. Tzetzes (ad Lycoph. 355)
mentions that Tantalus was in love with Ganymede, and
engaged with Ilus in a contest for the possession of the
charming youth. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography
and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In classic mythology, below Uranus, Gaia, and Pontus is
Tartarus, or Tartaros (Greek Τάρταρος, deep place). It is a
deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of
torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In
the Gorgias, Plato (c. 400 BC) wrote that souls were judged
after death and those who received punishment were sent to
Tartarus.
Like other primal entities (such as the earth and time),
Tartarus is also a primordial force or deity...
Read More
（*Ta/rtaros), a son of Aether and Ge, and by his mother Ge
the father of the Gigantes, Typhoeus and Echidna. (Hygin.
Praef. p. 3, &c., Fab. 152 ; Hes. Theog. 821 ; Apollod.
2.1.2.) In the Iliad Tartarus is a place far below the earth,
as far below Hades as Heaven is above the earth, and closed by
iron gates. (Hom. 2.8.13 &c., 481; comp. Hes. Theog. 807.)
Later poets describe Tartarus as the place in the lower world
in which the spirits of wicked men are punished for their
crimes, and sometimes they use the name as synonymous with
Hades or the lower world in general; and pater Tartarus is
used for Pluto. (V. Fl. 4.258.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Taygete (pronounced /teɪˈɪdʒətiː/; Greek
Ταϋγέτη [taːyɡétɛː], Mod. [taiˈɟeti]) was a nymph, one of the
Pleiades according to Apollodorus (3.10.1) and a companion of
Artemis, in her archaic role as potnia theron, "Mistress of
the animals". Mount Taygetos in Laconia, dedicated to the
Goddess, was her haunt...
Read More
（Ταϋγέτη), a daughter of Atlas and Pleione, one of the
Pleiades. (Apollod. 3.10.1.) By Zeus she became the mother of
Lacedlaemon (Apollod. 3.10.3; Paus. 3.1.2, 18.7, 20.2) and of
Eurotas. (Steph. Byz. s. v. Ταν̈́γετον.) Mount Taygetus, in
Laconia, derived its name from her. (Schol. ad Eur. Orest.
615.) According to some traditions, Taygete refused to yield
to the embraces of Zeus, and in order to secure her against
him, Artemis metamorphosed her into a cow. Taygete showed her
gratitude towards Artemis by dedicating to her the Cerynitian
hind with golden antlers. (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 3.53.) Some
traditions, moreover, state that by Tantalus she became the
mother of Pelops. (Hygin. Fab. 82.) - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Telemachus (pronounced /təˈlɛməkəs/; Greek: Τηλέμαχος,
Tēlemakhos, literally "far-fighter")[1] is a figure in Greek
mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central
character in Homer's Odyssey. The first four books in
particular focus on Telemachus's journeys in search of news
about his father; they are, therefore, traditionally accorded
the collective title the Telemachy.[2]...
Read More
In Greek mythology Procrustes (Προκρούστης) or "the stretcher
[who hammers out the metal]", also known as Prokoptas or
Damastes (Δαμαστής) "subduer", was a rogue smith and bandit
from Attica who physically attacked people, stretching them,
or cutting off their legs so as to make them fit an iron bed's
size. In general, when something is Procrustean different
lengths or sizes or properties are fitted to an arbitrary
standard...
Read More
（Προκρούστης), that is, "the Stretcher," is a surname of the
famous robber Polypemon or Damastes. He used to force all the
strangers that fell into his hands into a bed which was either
too small or too large, and in which he had their limbs
stretched by force until they died. He was slain by Theseus,
on the Cephissus in Attica; the bed of Procrustes is used
proverbially even at the present day. (Plut. Thes. 11; Paus.
1.38.5; Ov. Met. 7.438.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Proetus (Ancient Greek: Προῖτος) was a mythical king of Argos
and Tiryns. His father Abas, son of the last surviving and
diedDanaid, had ruled over Argos and married Ocalea. However,
Proetus quarreled continually with his twin brother Acrisius,
inventing shields or bucklers in the process. Proetus started
out as king of Argos, and held the throne for about seventeen
years, but Acrisius defeated and exiled him and he fled to
King Jobates or Amphianax in Lycia, and mar ried his daughter
Antea or Stheneboea. Jobates, thereupon, attempted to restore
Proetus to his kingdom by armed force. After the war had gone
on for a while the kingdom was divided in two. Acrisius then
shared his kingdom with his brother, surrendering to him
Tiryns and the eastern half of Argolis, i.e. the Heraeum,
Midea and the coast of Argolis. Later Proetus' son,
Megapenthes, exchanged kingdoms with Acrisius' grandson
Perseus...
Read More
（*Proi=tos).
1. A son of Abas and Ocaleia, and a twin-brother of
Acrisius. In the dispute between the two brothers for the
kingdom of Argos, Proetus was defeated and expelled (Paus.
2.25.6). The cause of this quarrel is traced by some to the
conduct of Proetus towards Danai, the daughter of Acrisius
(Apollod. 2.4.1), and Ovid (Ov. Met. 5.238) represents
Acrisius as expelled by Proetus, and Perseus, the grandson
of Acrisius, avenges his grandfather by changing Proetus
into a block of stone, by means of the head of Medusa. But
according to the common tradition, Proetus, when expelled
from Argos, fled to Jobates or Amphianax in Lycia, and
married his daughter Anteia or Stheneboea (Hom. Il 6.160;
Eustath. ad Hom. p. 630, &c.; comp. Serv. ad Virg. Eclog.
6.48). Jobates, thereupon, restored Proetus to his kingdom
by armed force. Tirynth was taken and fortified by the
Cyclopes (Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 953; Paus. 2.16.4), and
Acrisius then shared his kingdom with his brother,
surrendering to him Tirynth, i. e. the Heraeum, Midea and
the coast of Argolis (Paus. 2.16.2). By his wife Proetus
became the father of three daughters, Lysippe, Iphinoe, and
Iphianassa (Servius, l.c., calls the two last Hipponoe and
Cyrianassa, and Aelian, V.H. 3.42, mentions only two
daughters, Elege and Celaene). When these daughters arrived
at the age of maturity, they were stricken with madness, the
cause of which is differently stated by different authors;
some say that it was a punishment inflicted upon them by
Dionysus, because they had despised his worship (Apollod.
l.c. ; Diod. 4.68), and according to others, by Hera,
because they presumed to consider themselves more handsome
than the goddess, or because they had stolen some of the
gold of her statue (Serv. ad Virg. Ecl. 6.48). In this state
of madness they wandered through Peloponnesus. Melampus
promised to cure them, if Proetus would give him one third
of his kingdom. As Proetus refused to accept these terms,
the madness of his daughters not only increased, but was
communicated to the other Argive women also, so that they
murdered their own children and ran about in a state of
frenzy. Proetus then declared himself willing to listen to
the proposal of Melampus; but the latter now also demanded
for his brother Bias an equal share of the kingdom of Argos.
Proetus consented (Herod. 9.34; Schol. ad Pind. Nem. 9.30),
and Melampus having chosen the most robust among the young
men, gave chase to the mad women, amid shouting and dancing,
and drove them as far as Sicyon. During this pursuit,
Iphinoe, one of the daughters of Proetus, died, but the two
others were cured by Melampus by means of purifications, and
were then married to Melampus and Bias. There was a
tradition that Proetus had founded a sanctuary of Hera,
between Sicyon and Titane, and one of Apollo at Sicyon
(Paus. 2.7.7, 12.1). The place where the cure was effected
upon his daughters is not the same in all traditions, some
mentioning the well Anigros (Strab. viii. p.346), others the
well Cleitor in Arcadia (Ov. Met. 15.325), or Lusi in
Arcadia (Paus. 8.18.3). Some even state that the Proetides
were cured by Asclepius. (Pind. P. 3.96.)
Besides these daughters, Proetus had a son, Megapenthes
(Apollod. 2.2.2; comp. MEGAPENTHES). When Bellerophontes
came to Proetus to be purified of a murder which he had
committed, the wife of Proetus fell in love with him, and
invited him to come to her : but, as Bellerophontes refused
to comply with her desire, she charged him before Proetus
with having made improper proposals to her. Proetus then
sent Bellerophontes to Jobates in Lycia, with a letter in
which Jobates was desired to murder Bellerophontes. (Hom.
Il. 6.157, &c.; Apollod. 2.3.1; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 17 ; comp.
HIPPONOUS.） - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Ancient Greek: Προμηθεύς,
"forethought")[1] is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis,
and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a
champion of human-kind known for his wily intelligence, who
stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals.[2] Zeus then
punished him for his crime by having him bound to a rock while
a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow
back to be eaten again the next day. His myth has been treated
by a number of ancient sources, in which Prometheus is
credited with – or blamed for – playing a pivotal role in the
early history of humankind...
Read More
（Προμηθεύς), is sometimes called a Titan, though in reality
he did not belong to the Titans, but was only a son of the
Titan lapetus (whence he is designated by the patronymic
Ἰαπετιονίδης, Hes. Th. 528; Apollon Rhod. 3.1087), by
Clymene, so that he was a brother of Atlas, Menoetius, and
Epimetheus (Hes. Th. 507). His name signifies "forethought,"
as that of his brother Epimetheus denotes "afterthought."
Others call Prometheus a son of Themis (Aeschyl. Prom. 18),
or of Uranus and Clymene, or of the Titan Eurymedon and
HIera (Potter, Comment. ad Lyc. Cass. 1283; Eustath. ad
Horn. p. 987). By Pandora, Hesione, or Axiothea, he is said
to have been the father of Deucalion (Aesch. Prom. 560 ;
Tzetz. ad Lyc. 1283; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1086), by
Pyrrha or Clymene he begot Hellen (and according to some
also Deucalion; Schol. ad Apollon. l.c.; Schol. ad Pind. Ol.
9.68), and by Celaeno he was the father of Lvcus and
Chimareus (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 132, 219), while Herodotus (4.45)
calls his wife Asia. The following is an outline of the
legends related of him by the ancients. Once in the reign of
Zeus, when gods and men were disputing with one another at
Mecone (afterwards Sicyon, Schol. ad Pind. Nem. 9.123),
Prometheus, with a view to deceive Zeus and rival him in
prudence, cut up a bull and divided it into two parts : he
wrapped up the best parts and the intestines in the skin,
and at the top he placed the stomach, which is one of the
worst parts, while the second heap consisted of the bones
covered with fat. When Zeus pointed out to him how badly he
had made the division, Prometheus desired him to choose, but
Zeus, in his anger, and seeing through the stratagem of
Prometheus, chose the heap of bones covered with the fat.
The father of the gods avenged himself by withholding fire
from mortals, but Prometheus stole it in a hollow tube
(ferula, νάρθηξ, Aeschyl. Prom. 110). Zeus now, in order to
punish men, caused Hephaestus to mould a virgin, Pandora, of
earth, whom Athena adorned with all the charms calculated to
entice mortals; Prometheus himself was put in chains, and
fastened to a pillar, where an eagle sent by Zeus consumed
in the daytime his liver, which, in every succeeding night,
was restored again. Prometheus was thus exposed to perpetual
torture, but Heracles killed the eagle and delivered the
sufferer, with the consent of Zeus, who thus had an
opportunity of allowing his son to gain immortal fame (Hes.
Th. 521, &c., Op. et Dies, 47, &c. ; Ilygin. Poet. Astr.
2.15; Apollod. 2.5.11). Prometheus had cautioned his brother
Epimetheus against accepting any present from Zeus, but
Epimetheus, disregarding the advice, accepted Pandora, who
was sent to him by Zeus, through the mediation of Hermes.
Pandora then lifted the lid of the vessel in which the
foresight of Prometheus had concealed all the evils which
might torment mortals in life. Diseases and sufferings of
every kind now issued forth, but deceitful hope alone
remained behind (Hes. Op. et Dies, 83, &c.; comp. Hor. Carm.
1.3.25, &c.). This is an outline of the legend about
Prometheus, as contained in the poems of Hesiod. Aeschylus,
in his trilogy Prometheus, added various new features to it,
for, according to him, Prometheus himself is an immortal
god, the friend of the human race, the giver of fire, the
inventor of the useful arts, an omniscient seer, an heroic
sufferer, who is overcome by the superior power of Zeus, but
will not bend his inflexible mind. Although he himself
belonged to the Titans, he is nevertheless represented as
having assisted Zeus against the Titans (Prom. 218), and he
is further said to have opened the head of Zeus when the
latter gave birth to Athena (Apollod. 1.3.6). But when Zeus
succeeded to the kingdom of heaven, and wanted to extirpate
the whole race of man, the place of which he proposed to
give to quite a new race of beings, Prometheus prevented the
execution of the scheme, and saved the human race from
destruction (Prom. 228, 233). He deprived them of their
knowledge of the future, and gave them hope instead (248,
&c.). He further taught them the use of fire, made them
acquainted with architecture, astronomy, mathematics, the
art of writing, the treatment of domestic animals,
navigation, medicine, the art of prophecy, working in metal,
and all the other arts (252, 445, &c., 480, &c.). But, as in
all these things he had acted contrary to the will of Zeus,
the latter ordered Hephaestus to chain him to a rock in
Scythia, which was done in the presence of Cratos and Bia,
two ministers of Zeus. In Scythia he was visited by the
Oceanides; Io also came to him, and he foretold her the
wanderings and sufferings which were yet in store for her,
as well as her final relief (703, &c.). Hermes then likewise
appears, and desires him to make known a prophecy which was
of great importance to Zeus, for Prometheus knew that by a
certain woman Zeus would beget a son, who was to dethrone
his father, and Zeus wanted to have a more accurate
knowledge of this decree of fate. But Prometheus steadfastly
refused to reveal the decree of fate, whereupon Zeus, by a
thunderbolt, sent Prometheus, together with the rock to
which he was chained, into Tartarus (Hor. Carm. 2.18, 35).
After the lapse of a long time, Prometheus returned to the
upper world, to endure a fresh course of suffering, for he
was now fastened to mount Caucasus, and tormented by an
eagle, which every day, or every third day, devoured his
liver, which was restored again in the night (Apollon.
2.1247, &100.3.853; Strab. xv. p.688 ; Philostr. Vit. Apoll.
2.3; Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.15; Aeschyl. Prom. 1015, &c.).
This state of suffering was to last until some other god, of
his own accord, should take his place, and descend into
Tartarus for him (Prom. 1025). This came to pass when
Cheiron, who had been incurably wounded by an arrow of
Heracles, desired to go into Hades; and Zeus allowed him to
supply the place of Prometheus (Apollod. 2.5.4; comp.
CHEIRON). According to others, however, Zeus himself
delivered Prometheus, when at length the Titan was prevailed
upon to reveal to Zeus the decree of fate, that, if he
should become by Thetis the either of a son, that son should
deprive him of the sovereignty. (Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 6.42
; Apollod. 3.13.5; Hyg. Fab. 54; comp. Aeschyl. Pronm. 167,
&100.376.)
There was also an account, stating that Prometheus had
created men out of earth and water, at the very beginning of
the human race, or after the flood of Deucalion, when Zeus
is said to have ordered him and Athena to make nmen out of
the mud, and the winds to breathe life into them (Apollod.
1.7.1; Ov. Met. 1.81; Etym. Mag. s. v. Προμηθεύς).
Prometheus is said to have given to men something of all the
qualities possessed by the other animals (Horat Carm. 1.16.
13). The kind of earth out of which Prometheus formed men
was shown in later times near Panopeus in Phocis (Paus.
10.4.3), and it was at his suggestion that Deucalion, when
the flood approached, built a ship, and carried into it
provisions, that he and Pyrrha might be able to support
themselves during the calamity (Apollod. 1.7.2). Prometheus,
in the legend, often appears in connection with Athena, e.
g., he is said to have been punished on mount Caucasus for
the criminal love he entertained for her (Schol. ad Apollon.
Rhod. 2.1249) and he is further said, with her assistance,
to have ascended into heaven, and there secretly to have
lighted his torch at the chariot of Helios, in order to
bring down the fire to man (Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 6.42). At
Athens Prometheus had a sanctuary in the Academy, from
whence a torch-race took place in honour of him (Paus.
1.30.2; Schol. ad Soph. Oed. Col. 55; Harpocrat. s. v.
λαμπάς). The mythus of Prometheus is most minutely discussed
by Welcker, in his Aeschylische Trilogie Prometheus,
Darmstadt, 1824; by Völcker, Mythologie des Iapet.
Geschlechtes, 1824; and with especial reference to the
Prometheus of Aeschylus, by Schoemann, Des Aeschylus
Gefesselter Prometheus. Greifswald, 1844, and by Blackie, in
the Class. Mus. vol. v. p. 1, &c., which contain a very
sound explanation of the mythus, as developed by Aeschylus.
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Proserpina (sometimes spelt Proserpine, Prosperine or
Prosperina) is an ancient Roman goddess whose story is the
basis of a myth of Springtime. Her Greek goddess' equivalent
is Persephone[1]. The probable origin of her name comes from
the Latin, "proserpere" or "to emerge," in respect to the
growing of grain. Proserpina was subsumed by the cult of
Libera[2], an ancient fertility goddess, wife of Liber and is
also considered a life–death–rebirth deity.
She was the daughter of Ceres, goddess of agriculture and
crops[3] and Jupiter, the god of sky and thunder...
Read More
[PERSEPHONE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς) is an early sea-god, one
of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the
Sea"[1], whose name suggests the "first" (from Greek "πρῶτος"
- protos, "first"), as protogonos (πρωτόγονος) is the
"primordial" or the "firstborn". He became the son of Poseidon
in the Olympian theogony (Odyssey iv. 432), or of Nereus and
Doris, or of Oceanus and a Naiad, and was made the herdsman of
Poseidon's seals, the great bull seal at the center of the
harem. He can foretell the future, but, in a mytheme familiar
from several cultures, will change his shape to avoid having
to; he will answer only to someone who is capable of capturing
him. From this feature of Proteus comes the adjective protean,
with the general meaning of "versatile", "mutable", "capable
of assuming many forms". "Protean" has positive connotations
of flexibility, versatility and adaptability. The earliest
attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀡𐀫𐀳𐀄 po-
ro-te-u, written in Linear B syllabic script.[2]...
Read More
（Πρωτεύς), the prophetic old man of the sea (ἅλιος γέρων),
occurs in the earliest legends as a subject of Poseidon, and
is described as seeing through the whole depth of the sea,
and tending the flocks (the seals) of Poseidon (Hom. Od.
4.365, 385, 400; Verg. G. 4.392 ; Theocr. 2.58; Hor. Carm.
1.2.7; Philostr. Icon. 2.17). He resided in the island of
Pharos, at the distance of one day's journey from the river
Aegyptus (Nile), whence he is also called the Egyptian (Hom.
Od. 4.355, 385). Virgil, however, instead of Pharos,
mentions the island of Carpathos, between Crete and Rhodes
(Georg. 4.387; comp. Hom. Il. 2.676), whereas, according to
the same poet, Proteus was born in Thessaly (Georg. 4.390,
comp. Ace. 11.262). His life is described as follows. At
midday he rises from the flood, and sleeps in the shadow of
the rocks of the coast, and around him lie the monsters of
the deep (Hom. Od. 4.400; Verg. G. 4.395). Any one wishing
to compel him to foretell the future, was obliged to catch
hold of him at that time; he, indeed, had the power of
assuming every possible shape, in order to escape the
necessity of prophesying, but whenever he saw that his
eudeavours were of no avail, he resumed his usual
appearance, and told the truth (Hom. Od. 4.410, &100.455,
&c.; Ov. Art. Am. i. 761, Fast. 1.369; Philostr. Vit. Apoll.
1.4). When he had finished his prophecy he returned into the
sea (Hom. Od. 4.570). Homer (Hom. Od. 4.365) ascribes to him
one daughter, Eidothea, but Strabo (x. p.472) mentions
Cabeiro as a second, aud Zenodotus (apud Eustath. ad Hom. p.
1500) mentions Eurynome instead of Eidothea. He is sometimes
represented as riding through the sea, in a chariot drawn by
Hippocampae. (Virg. Georg. 4.389.)
Another set of traditions describes Proteus as a son of
Poseidon, and as a king of Egypt, who had two sons,
Telegonus and Polygonus or Tmolus. (Apollod. 2.5.9; Tzetz.
ad Lyc. 124.) Diodorus however observes (1.62), that only
the Greeks called him Proteus, and that the Egyptians called
him Cetes. His wife is called Psamathe (Eur. Hel. 7) or
Torone (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 115), and, besides the above
mentioned sons, Theoclymenus and Theonoe are likewise called
his children. (Eur. Hel. 9, 13.) He is said to have
hospitably received Dionysus during his wanderings (Apollod.
3.5.1), and Hermes brought to him Helena after her abduction
( Eur. Hel. 46), or, according to others, Proteus himself
took her from Paris, gave to the lover a phantom, and
restored the true Helen to Menelaus after his return from
Troy. (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 112, 820; Hdt. 2.112, 118.) The story
further relates that Proteus was originally an Egyptian, but
that he went to Thrace and there married Torone. But as his
sons by her used great violence towards strangers, he prayed
to his father Poseidon to carry him back to Egypt. Poseidon
accordingly opened a chasm in the earth in Pallene, and
through a passage passing through the earth under the sea he
led him back into Egypt. (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 124; Eustath. ad
Hom. p. 686.) A second personage of the name of Proteus is
mentioned by Apollodorus (2.1.5) among the sons of Aegyptus.
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
The legend of Cupid and Psyche (also known as The Tale of
Amour and Psyche and The Tale of Eros and Psyche) first
appeared as a digressionary story told by an old woman in
Lucius Apuleius' novel, The Golden Ass, written in the 2nd
century AD. Apuleius likely used an earlier tale as the basis
for his story, modifying it to suit the thematic needs of his
novel.
It has since been interpreted as a Märchen, an allegory and a
myth. Considered as a fairy tale, it is either an allegory or
a myth, but the folkloric tradition tends to blend
these.[1]...
Read More
（Ψυχή), that is, "breath" or "the soul," occurs in the
later times of antiquity, as a personification of the human
soul, and Apuleius (Met. 4.28, &c.) relates about her the
following beautiful allegoric story. Psyche was the youngest
of the three daughters of some king, and excited by her
beauty the jealousy and envy of Venus. In order to avenge
herself, the goddess ordered Amor to inspire Psyche with a
love for the most contemptible of all men : but Amor was so
stricken with her beauty that he himself fell in love with
her. He accordingly conveyed her to some charming place,
where he, unseen and unknown, visited her every night, and
left her as soon as the day began to dawn. Psyche might have
continued to have enjoyed without interruption this state of
happiness, if she had attended to the advice of her beloved,
never to give way to her curiosity, or to inquire who he
was. But her jealous sisters made her believe that in the
darkness of night she was embracing some hideous monster,
and accordingly once, while Amor was asleep, she approached
him with a lamp, and, to her amazement, she beheld the most
handsome and lovely of the gods. In her excitement of joy
and fear, a drop of hot oil fell from her lamp upon his
shoulder. This awoke Amor, who censured her for her
mistrust, and escaped. Psyche's peace was now gone all at
once, and after having attempted in vain to throw herself
into a river, she wandered about from temple to temple,
inquiring after her beloved, and at length came to the
palace of Venus. There her real sufferings began, for Venus
retained her, treated her as a slave, and inmposed upon her
the hardest and most humiliating labours. Psyche would have
perished under the weight of her sufferings, had not Amor,
who still loved her in secret, invisibly comforted and
assisted her in her labours. With his aid she at last
succeeded in overcoming the jealousy and hatred of Venus;
she became immortal, and was united with him for ever. It is
not difficult to recognise in this lovely story the idea of
which it is merely the mythical embodiment, for Psyche is
evidently the human soul, which is purified by passions and
misfortunes, and is thus prepared for the enjoyment of true
and pure happiness. (Comp. Manso, Versuche, p. 346, &c.) In
works of art Psyche is represented as a maiden with the
wings of a butterfly, along with Amor in the different
situations described in the allegoric story. (Hirt, Mythol.
Bilderb. p. 222, Tafel. 32.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Pygmalion is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion
[2] is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name
Pumayyaton,[3] he is most familiar from Ovid's Metamorphoses,
X, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a
statue he had carved.
In Ovid's narrative, Pygmalion was a Cypriot sculptor who
carved a woman out of ivory. According to Ovid, after seeing
the Propoetides prostituting themselves (more accurately, they
denied the divinity of Aphrodite and she thus ‘reduced’ them
to prostitution), he was 'not interested in women',[4] but his
statue was so fair and realistic that he fell in love with it.
In the vertex, Venus (Aphrodite)'s festival day came. For the
festival, Pygmalion made offerings to Venus and made a wish.
"I sincerely wished the ivory sculpture will be changed to a
real woman." However, he couldn’t bring himself to express it.
When he returned home, Cupid sent by Venus kissed the ivory
sculpture on the hand. At that time, it was changed to a
beautiful woman. A ring was put on her finger. It was Cupid’s
ring which made love achieved. Venus granted his wish...
Read More
（Πυγμαλίων).
1. A king of Cyprus and father of Metharme. (Apollod. 3.14.3.)
He is said to have fallen in love with the ivory image of a
maiden which he himself had made, and therefore to have prayed
to Aphrodite to breathe life into it. When the request was
granted, Pygmalion married his beloved, and became by her the
father of Paphus. (Ov. Met. 10.243, &c.) 2. A son of Belus and
brother of Dido. (Verg. A. 1.347 Ov. Fast. 3.574.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
The love story of Pyramus and Thisbe, is a part of Roman
mythology, and is also a sentimental romance.
The tale is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses...
Read More
[THISBE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology Python (Greek: Πύθων, gen.: Πύθωνος) was
the earth-dragon of Delphi, always represented in Greek
sculpture and vase-paintings as a serpent. She[1] presided at
the Delphic oracle, which existed in the cult center for her
mother, Gaia, "Earth," Pytho being the place name that was
substituted for the earlier Krisa.[2] Hellenes considered the
site to be the center of the earth, represented by a stone,
the omphalos or navel, which Python guarded.
Python became the chthonic enemy of the later Olympian deity
Apollo, who slew her and remade her former home and the
oracle, the most famous[3] in Classical Greece, as his own.
Changes such as these in ancient myths may reflect a profound
change in the religious concepts of Hellenic culture. Some
were gradual over time and others occurred abruptly following
invasion...
Read More
In Greek and Roman biography and mythology, the Python is a serpentine creature of great significance. It plays a notable role in several myths and stories, particularly in relation to the Greek god Apollo.
In Greek mythology, the Python was a monstrous serpent that guarded the Oracle of Delphi. It was said to have been born from the mud and waters after the great deluge sent by Zeus to punish humanity. Python's presence at Delphi prevented anyone from approaching the oracle. According to legend, the god Apollo, seeking to establish his authority, slew the Python with his bow and arrows. This act marked Apollo's victory over the forces of chaos and established his dominance as a god of prophecy.
The slaying of the Python led to the establishment of the Oracle of Delphi as a sacred site dedicated to Apollo. It was believed that the oracle's priestess, the Pythia, would deliver prophetic messages while under the influence of the god. This event is central to Greek mythology, highlighting Apollo's power and his association with prophecy, music, and healing.
The story of the Python is a symbolic representation of the triumph of order over chaos, as well as the assertion of divine authority. It has been depicted in various works of art and literature throughout history, showcasing its enduring significance in Greek and Roman culture.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Quirinus was an early god of the Roman
state. In Augustan Rome, Quirinus was also an epithet of
Janus, as Janus Quirinus.[1] His name is derived from Quiris
meaning "spear."...
Read More
according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus (2.48), a Sabine word,
and perhaps to be derived from quiris, a lance or spear. It
occurs first of all as the name of Romulus, after he had been
raised to the rank of a divinity, and the festival celebrated
in his honour bore the name of Quirinalia (Verg. A. 1.292:
Cic. De Nat. Deor. 2.24; Ov. Am. 3.8. 51, Fast. 4.56, 808,
6.375, Met. 15.862.) Owing to the probable meaning of the word
it is also used as a surname of Mars, Janus, and even of
Augustus. (Ov. Fast. 2.477; Serv. ad Aen. 7.610; Sueton. Aug.
22 Macr. 1.9; Verg. G. 3.27; Lydus, De Mens. p. 144; comp.
ROMULUS.)
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Romulus and Remus are Rome's twin founders in its traditional
foundation myth. They are descendants of the Trojan prince and
refugee Aeneas, and are fathered by the god Mars or the demi-
god Hercules on a royal Vestal Virgin, Rhea Silvia (also known
as Ilia), whose uncle exposes them to die in the wild. They
are found by a she-wolf who suckles and cares for them. The
twins are eventually restored to their regal birthright,
acquire many followers and decide to found a new city...
Read More
the twin brother of Romulus. [See ROMULUS.] - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Rhadamanthus (Ῥαδάμανθυς; also
transliterated as Rhadamanthys or Rhadamanthos) was a wise
king, the son of Zeus and Europa. Later accounts even make him
out to be one of the judges of the dead. His brothers were
Sarpedon and Minos (also a king and later a judge of the
dead). Rhadamanthus was raised by Asterion. He had two sons,
Gortys and Erythrus. Other sources (e.g., Plutarch; Thes. 20)
credit Rhadamanthys rather than Dionysus as the husband of
Ariadne, and the father of Oenopion, Staphylus and Thoas. In
this account, Ariadne was the daughter King Minos,
Rhadamanthys' brother; another Ariadne was the daughter of
Minos' grandson and namesake, who features in the Theseus
legend, and was rescued by Dionysus...
Read More
（*(Rada/manqos), a son of Zeus and Europa, and brother of
king Minos of Crete (Hom. Il. 14.322), or, according to
others, a son of Hephaestus (Paus. 8.53.2). From fear of his
brother he fled to Ocaleia in Boeotia, and there married
Alcmene. In consequence of his justice throughout life, he
became, after his death, one of the judges in the lower world,
and took up his abode in Elysium. (Apollod. 3.1.2, 2.4.11;
Hom. Od. 4.564, 7.323; Pind. O. 2.137; comp. GORTYS.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
Rhea (pronounced /ˈriː.ə/; ancient Greek Ῥέα) was the Titaness
daughter of Uranus, the sky, and Gaia, the earth, in Greek
mythology. She was known as "the mother of gods." In earlier
traditions, she was strongly associated with Gaia and Cybele,
the Great Goddess, and was later seen by the classical Greeks
as the mother of the Olympian gods and goddesses, though never
dwelling permanently among them on Mount Olympus. The Romans
identified Rhea with the Goddess Ops...
Read More
Rhea
Ῥεία, Ῥείη, (or Ῥέη). The name as well as the nature of this
divinity is one of the most difficult points in ancient
mythology. Some consider Ῥέα to be merely another form of
ἔρα, the earth, while others connect it with ῥέω, I flow
(Plat. Cratyl. p. 401, &c.); but thus much seems undeniable,
that Rhea, like Demeter, was a goddess of the earth.
According to the Hesiodic Theogony (133; comp. Apollod.
1.1.3), Rhea was a daughter of Uranus and Ge, and
accordingly a sister of Oceanus, Coeus, Hyperion, Crius,
Iapetus, Theia, Themis, and Mnemosyne. She became by Cronos
the mother of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Aides, Poseidon, and
Zeus. According to some accounts Cronos and Rhea were
preceded in their sovereignty over the world by Ophion and
Eurynome ; but Ophion was overpowered by Cronos, and Rhea
cast Eurynome into Tartarus. Cronos is said to have devoured
all his children by Rhea, but when she was on the point of
giving birth to Zeus, she, by the advice of her parents,
went to Lyctus in Crete. When Zeus was born she gave to
Cronos a stone wrapped up like an infant, and the god
swallowed it as he had swallowed his other children. (Hes.
Th. 446, &c.; Apollod. 1.1.5, &c.; Diod. 5.70.) Homer (Hom.
Il. 15.187) makes only a passing allusion to Rhea, and the
passage of Hesiod, which accordingly must be regarded as the
most ancient Greek legend about Rhea, seems to suggest that
the mystic priests of Crete had already formed connections
with the more northern parts of Greece. In this manner, it
would seem, the mother of Zeus became known to the
Thracians, with whom she became a divinity of far greater
importance than she had been before in the south (Orph.
Hymn. 13, 25, 26), for she was connected with the Thracian
goddess Bendis or Cotys (Hecate), and identified with
Demeter. (Strab. x. p.470.)
The Thracians, in the mean time, conceived the chief
divinity of the Samothracian and Lemnian mysteries as Rhea-
Hecate, while some of them who had settled in Asia Minor,
became there acquainted with still stranger beings, and one
especially who was worshipped with wild and enthusiastic
solemnities, was found to resemble Rhea. In like manner the
Greeks who afterwards settled in Asia identified the Asiatic
goddess with Rhea, with whose worship they had long been
familiar (Strab. x. p.471; Hom. Hymn. 13, 31). In Phrygia,
where Rhea became identified with Cybele, she is said to
have purified Dionysus, and to have taught him the mysteries
(Apollod. 3.5.1), and thus a Dionysiac element became
amalgamated with the worship of Rhea. Demeter, moreover, the
daughter of Rhea, is sometimes mentioned with all the
attributes belonging to Rhea. (Eur. Hel. 1304.) The
confusion then became so great that the worship of the
Cretan Rhea was confounded with that of the Phrygian mother
of the gods, and that the orgies of Dionysus became
interwoven with those of Cybele. Strangers from Asia, who
must be looked upon as jugglers, introduced a variety of
novel rites, which were fondly received, especially by the
populace (Strab. 1. c.; Athen. 12.553 ; Demosth. de Coron.
p. 313). Both the name and the connection of Rhea with
Demeter suggest that she was in early times revered as
goddess of the earth.
Crete was undoubtedly the earliest seat of the worship of
Rhea; Diodorus (5.66) saw the site where her temple had once
stood, in the neighbourhood of Cnossus, and it would seem
that at one time she was worshipped in that island even
under the name of Cybele (Euseb. Chron. p. 56; Syncell.
Chronogr. p. 125). The common tradition, further, was that
Zeus was born in Crete, either on Mount Dicte or Mount Ida.
At Delphi there was a stone of not very large dimensions,
which was every day anointed with oil, and on solemn
occasions was wrapped up in white wool; and this stone was
believed to have been the one which Cronos swallowed when he
thought he was devouring Zeus (Paus. 10.24.5). Such local
traditions implying that Rhea gave birth to Zeus in this or
that place of Greece itself occur in various other
localities. Some expressly stated that he was born at Thebes
(Tzetz. ad Lyc. 1194). The temple of the Dindymenian mother
had been built by Pindarus (Paus. 9.25.3; Philostr. Icon.
2.12). Another legend stated that Rhea gave birth at
Chaeroneia in Boeotia (Paus. 9.41.3), and in a temple of
Zeus at Plataeae Rhea was represented in the act of handing
the stone covered in cloth to Crones (Paus. 9.2.5). At
Athens there was a temple of Rhea in the peribolos of the
Olympieium (Paus. 1.18.7), and the Athenians are even said
to have been the first among the Greeks who adopted the
worship of the mother of the gods (Julian, Orat. 5). Her
temple there was called the Metroum. The Arcadians also
related that Zeus was born in their country, on Mount
Lycaon, the principal seat of Arcadian religion (Paus.
8.36.2, 41.2; comp. Callim. Hymn. in Jov. 10, 16, &c.).
Similar traces are found in Messenia (Paus. 4.33.2), Laconia
(3.22.4), in Mysia (Strab. xiii. p.589), at Cyzicus (i. p.
45, xii. p. 575). Under the name of Cybele, we find her
worship on Mount Sipylus (Paus. 5.13.4), Mount Coddinus
(3.22.4), in Phrygia, which had received its colonists from
Thrace, and where she was regarded as the mother of
Sabazius. There her worship was quite universal, for there
is scarcely a town in Phrygia on the coins of which she does
not appear. In Galatia she was chiefly worshipped at
Pessinus, where her sacred image was believed to have fallen
from heaven (Herodian, 1.35). King Midas I. built a temple
to her, and introduced festive solemnities, and subsequently
a more magnificent one was erected by one of the Attali. Her
name at Pessinus was Agdistis (Strab. xii. p.567). Her
priests at Pessinus seem from the earliest times to have
been, in some respects, the rulers of the place, and to have
derived the greatest possible advantages from their priestly
functions. Even after the image of the goddess was carried
from Pessinus to Rome, Pessinus still continued to be looked
upon as the metropolis of the great goddess, and as the
principal seat of her worship. Under different names we
might trace the worship of Rhea even much further east, as
far as the Euphrates and even Bactriana. She was, in fact,
the great goddess of the Eastern world, and we find her
worshipped there in a variety of forms and under a variety
of names. As regards the Romans, they had from the earliest
times worshipped Jupiter and his mother Ops, the wife of
Saturn. When, therefore, we read (Liv. 29.11, 14) that,
during the Hannibalian war, they fetched the image of the
mother of the gods from Pessinus, we must understand that
the worship then introduced was quite foreign to them, and
either maintained itself as distinct from the worship of
Ops, or became united with it. A temple was built to her on
the Palatine, and the Roman matrons honoured her with the
festival of the Megalesia. The manner in which she was
represented in works of art was the same as in Greece, and
her castrated priests were called Galli.
The various names by which we find Rhea designated, are,
"the great mother," "the mother of the gods," Cybele,
Cybebe, Agdistis, Berecyntia, Brimo, Dindymene, "the great
Idaean mother of the gods." Her children by Cronos
areenumerated by Hesiod : under the name of Cybele she is
also called the mother of Alce, of the Phrygian king Midas,
and of Nicaea (Diod. 3.57; Phot. Bibl. 224). In all European
countries Rhea was conceived to be accompanied by the
Curetes, who are inseparably connected with the birth and
bringing up of Zeus in Crete, and in Phrygia by the
Corybantes, Atys, and Agdistis. The Corybantes were her
enthusiastic priests, who with drums, cymbals, horns, and in
full armour, performed their orgiastic dances in the forests
and on the mountains of Phrygia. The lion was sacred to the
mother of the gods, because she was the divinity of the
earth, and because the lion is the strongest and most
important of all animals on earth, in addition to which it
was believed that the countries in which the goddess was
worshipped, abounded in lions (comp. Ov. Met. 10.682). In
Greece the oak was sacred to Rhea (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod.
1.1124). The highest ideal of Rhea in works of art was
produced by Pheidias; she was seldom represented in a
standing posture, but generally seated on a throne, adorned
with the mural crown, from which a veil hangs down. Lions
usually appear crouching on the right and left of her
throne, and sometimes she is seen riding in a chariot drawn
by lions. (Comp. CURETES; ZEUS; CRONOS.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Romulus and Remus are Rome's twin founders in its traditional
foundation myth. They are descendants of the Trojan prince and
refugee Aeneas, and are fathered by the god Mars or the demi-
god Hercules on a royal Vestal Virgin, Rhea Silvia (also known
as Ilia), whose uncle exposes them to die in the wild. They
are found by a she-wolf who suckles and cares for them. The
twins are eventually restored to their regal birthright,
acquire many followers and decide to found a new city...
Read More
the founder of the city of Rome. It is unnecessary in the
present work to prove that all the stories about Romulus are
mythical, and merely represent the traditional belief of the
Roman people respecting their origin. Romulus, which is only
a lengthened form of Romus, is simply the Roman people
represented as an individual, and must be placed in the same
category as Aeolus, Dorus, and Ion, the reputed ancestors of
the Aeolians, Dorians, and Ionians, owing to the universal
practice of antiquity to represent nations as springing from
eponymous ancestors. But although none of the tales about
Romulus can be received as an historical fact, yet it is of
importance to know the general belief of the Roman people
respecting the life of the founder of their city. It is,
however, very difficult to ascertain the original form of
the legend; since poets, on the one hand, embellished it
with the creations of their own fancy, and historians, on
the other hand, omitted many of its most marvellous
incidents, in order to reduce it to the form of a probable
history. The various tales related respecting the foundation
of Rome may be reduced to two classes, one of Greek and the
other of native origin. The former bring Romulus into close
connection with Aeneas. A few Greek writers make Aeneas the
founder of Rome, and speak of his wife under the name of
Roma; others represent Romulus as his son or a remote
descendant; but the greater part make him his grandson by
his daughter Ilia. In most of these accounts the twin
brothers are spoken of, but they appear under the names of
Romulus and Romus, not Remus (comp. Dionys. A. R. 1.72, 73;
Plut. Rom. 2, 3; Serv. ad Virg. Aen. 1.274; Festus, s. v.
Roma). These accounts, however, scarcely deserve the name of
traditions, as Niebuhr has remarked; they are for the most
part the inventions of Greek writers, who were ignorant of
the native legend, but having heard of the fame of Rome,
wished to assign to it an origin.
The old Roman legend was of a very different kind. It was
preserved in popular poems, which were handed down from
generation to generation, and some of which were in
existence in the time of Dionysius (1.79); and it seems to
have been recorded in prose in its most genuine form by the
annalist Q. Fabius Pictor, who lived during the second Punic
War. This legend probably ran nearly as follows: --At Alba
Longa there reigned a succession of kings, descended from
Iulus, the son of Aeneas. One of the last of these kings
left two sons, Numitor and Amulius. The latter, who was the
younger, deprived Numitor of the kingdom, but allowed him to
live in the enjoyment of his private fortune. Fearful,
however, lest the heirs of Numitor might not submit so
quietly to his usurpation, he caused his only son to be
murdered, and made his daughter 1 Silvia one of the Vestal
virgins. As Silvia one day went into the sacred grove, to
draw water for the service of the goddess, a wolf met her,
and she fled into a cave for safety; there, while a total
eclipse obscured the sun, Mars himself overpowered her, and
then consoled her with the promise that she should be the
mother of heroic children (Serv. ad Virg. Aen 1.274; Dionys.
A. R. 2.56; Plut. Rom. 27). When her time came, she brought
forth twins. Amnlius doomed the guilty Vestal and her babes
to be drowned in the river. in the Anio Silvia exchanged her
earthly life for that of a goddess, and became the wife of
the river-god. The stream carried the cradle in which the
children were lying into the Tiber, which had overflowed its
banks far and wide. It was stranded at the foot of the
Palatine, and overturned on the root of a wild figtree,
which, under the name of the Ficus Ruminalis, was preserved
and held sacred for many ages after. A she-wolf, which had
come to drink of the stream, carried them into her den hard
by, and sotck led them; and there, when they wanted other
food, the woodpecker, a bird sacred to Mars, brought it to
them (Ov. Fast. 3.54). At length this marvellous spectacle
was seen by Faustulus, the king's shepherd, who took the
children to his own house, and gave them to the care of his
wife, Acca Larentia. They were called Romulus and Remus, and
grew up along with the twelve sons of their foster-parents,
on the Palatine hill (Massurius Sabinus, apud Gell. 6.7).
They were, however, distinguished from their comrades by the
beauty of their person and the bravery of their deeds, and
became the acknowledged leaders of the other shepherd
youths, with whom they fought boldly against wild beasts and
robbers. The followers of Romulus were called Quintilii;
those of Remus, Fabii. A quarrel arose between them and the
herdsmen of Numitor, who stalled their cattle on the
neighbouring hill of the Aventine. Remus was taken by a
stratagem, during the absence of his brother, and carried
off to Numitor. His age and noble bearing made Numitor think
of his grandsons; and his suspicions were confirmed by the
tale of the marvellous nurture of the twin brothers.
Meanwhile Romulus hastened with his foster-father to
Numitor; suspicion was changed into certainty, and the old
man recognised them as his grandsons. They now resolved to
avenge the wrongs which their family had suffered. With the
help of their faithful comrades, who had flocked to Alba to
rescue Remus, they slew Amulius, and placed Numitor on the
throne.
Romulus and Remus loved their old abode, and therefore left
Alba to found a city on the banks of the Tiber. They were
accompanied only by their old comrades, the shepherds. The
story which makes them joined by the Alban nobles, is no
part of the old legend; since the Julii and similar families
do not appear till after the destruction of Alba. As the
brothers possessed equal authority and power, a strife arose
between them where the city should be built, who should be
its founder, and after whose name it should be called.
Romulus wished to build it on the Palatine, Remus on the
Aventine, or, according to another tradition, on another
hill three or four miles lower down the river, called
Remuria or Remoria, which Niebulir supposes to be the hill
beyond S. Paolo (comlp. Dionys. A. R. 1.85; Plut. Rom. 9). 2
It was agreed that the question should be decided by augtly
; and each took his station on the top of his chosen hill.
The night passed away, and as the day was dawning Remus saw
six vultures; but at sun-rise, when these tidings were
brought to Romulus, twelve vultures flew by him. Each
claimed the augury in his own favour; but most of the
shepherds decided for Romulus, and Remus was therefore
obliged to yield. Romulus now proceeded to mark out the
pomoerium of his city (see Dict. of Ant. s. v.). He yoked a
bullock and a heifer to a plough with a copper ploughshare,
and drew a deep furrow round the foot of the Palatine, so as
to include a considerable compass below the hill; and men
followed after who turned every clod to the inward side.
Where the gates were to be made, the plough was carried over
the space; since otherwise nothing unclean could have
entered the city, as the track of the plough was holy. In
the comitium a vault was built underground, which was filled
with the first-fruits of all the natural productions that
support human life, and with earth which each of the
settlers had brought with him from his home. This place was
called Mundus, and was believed to be the entrance to the
lower world (Festus, s. v. Mundus ; Plut. Rom. 11). Rome is
said to have been founded on the 21 st of April, and this
day was celebrated as a yearly festival down to the latest
times of Roman history. It was the Palilia, or festival of
Pales, the divinity of the shepherds, and was, therefore, a
day weil fitted for the foundation of a city by shepherds
(see Dict. of Ant. s. v. Palilia). On the line of the
pomoerium Romulus began to raise a wall. Remus, who still
resented the wrong he had suffered, leapt over it in scorn,
whereupon Romulus slew him, saying, "So die whosoever
hereafter shall leap over my walls;" though, according to
another account, he was killed by Celer, who had the charge
of the building. Remorse now seized Romulus, and he rejected
all food and comfort, till at length he appeased the shade
of Remus by instituting the festival of the Lemuria for the
souls of the departed (Ov. Fast. 5.461, &c.). Afterwards an
empty throne was set by the side of Romulus, with a sceptre
and crown, that his brother might seem to reign with him
(Serv. ad Virg. Aen. 1.276). Thus in the earliest legends we
find the supreme power divided between two persons; but it
is not impossible that the belief in the double kingdom of
Romulus and Remus, as well as subsequently in that of
Romulus and Titus Tatius, may have arisen simply from the
circumstance of there being two magistrates at the head of
the state in later times.
Romulus now found his people too few in numbers. He
therefore set apart, on the Capitoline hill, an asylum, or a
sanctuary, in which homicides and runaway slaves might take
refuge. The city thus became filled with men, but they
wanted women. Romulus, therefore, tried to form treaties
with the neighbouring tribes, in order to obtain connubium,
or the right of legal marriage with their citizens; but his
offers were treated with disdain, and he accordingly
resolved to obtain by force what he could not gain by
entreaty. in the fourth month after the foundation of the
city, he proclaimed that games were to be celebrated in
honour of the god Consus, and invited his neighbours, the
Latins and Sabines, to the festival. Suspecting no
treachery, they came in numbers, with their wives and
children. But the Roman youths rushed upon their guests, and
carried off the virgins. The old legend related that thirty
Sabine virgins were thus seized, and became the wives of
their ravishers but the smallness of the number seemed so
incredible to a later age, which looked upon the legend as a
genuine history, that it was increased to some hundreds by
such writers as Valerius Antias and Juba (Plut. Rom. 14;
comp. Liv. 1.13). The parents of the virgins returned home
and prepared for vengeance. The inhabitants of three of the
Latin towns, Caenina, Anteinmae, and Crustumerium, took up
arms one after the other, and were successively defeated by
the Romans. Romulus slew with his own hand Acron, king of
Caenina, and dedicated his arms and armour, as spolia opima,
to Jupiter. At last the Sabine king, Titus Tatius, advanced
with a powerful army, against Rome. His forces were so great
that Romulus, unable to resist him in the field, was obliged
to retire into the city. He had previously fortified and
garrisoned the top of the Saturnian hill, afterwards called
the Capitoline, which was divided from the city on the
Palatine, by a swampy valley, the site of the forum. But
Tarpeia, the daughter of the commander of the fortress,
dazzled by the golden bracelets of the Sabines, promised to
betray the hill to them, if they would give her the
ornaments which they wore on their left arms. Her offer was
accepted; in the night time she opened a gate and let in the
enemy but when she claimed her reward, they threw upon her
the shields which they carried on their left arms, and thus
crushed her to death. Her tomb was shown on the hill in
later times, and her memory was preserved by the name of the
Tarpeian rock, from which traitors were afterwards hurled
down. On the next day the Romans endeavoured to recover the
hill. A long and desperate battle was fought in the valley
between the Palatine and the Capitoline. At one time the
Romans were driven before the enemy, and the day seemed
utterly lost, when Romulus vowed a temple to Jupiter Stator,
the Stayer of Flight; whereupon the Romans took courage, and
returned again to the combat. At length, when both parties
were exhausted with the struggle, the Sabine women rushed in
between them, and prayed their husbands and fathers to be
reconciled. Their prayer was heard; the two people not only
made peace, but agreed to form only one nation. The Romans
continued to dwell on the Palatine under their king Romulus;
the Sabines built a new town on the Capitoline and Quirinal
hills, where they lived under their king Titus Tatius. The
two kings and their senates met for deliberation in the
valley between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, which was
hence called comitium, or the place of meeting. But this
union did not last long. Titus Tatius was slain at a
festival at Lavinium, by some Laurentines to whom he had
refused satisfaction for outrages which had been committed
by his kinsmen. Henceforward Romulus ruled alone over both
Romans and Sabines; but, as he neglected to pursue the
murderers, both his people and those of Laurentum were
visited by a pestilence, which did not cease until the
murderers on both sides were given up.
After the death of Tatius the old legend appears to have
passed on at once to the departure of Romultis from the
world. Of the long period which intervened few particulars
are recorded, and these Niebuhr supposes, with some justice,
to be the inventions of a later age. Romulus is said to have
attacked Fidenae, and to have taken the city; and likewise
to have carried on a successful war against the powerful
city of Veii, which purchased a truce of a hundred years, on
a surrender of a third of its territory. At length, after a
reign of thirty-seven years, when the city had become strong
and powerful, and Romulus had performed all his mortal
works, the hour of his departure arrived. One day as he was
reviewing his people in the Campus Martius. near the Goat's
Pool, the sun was sud denly eclipsed, darkness overspread
the earth, and a dreadful storm dispersed the people. When
daylight returned, Romulus had disappeared, for his father
Mars had carried him up to heaven in a fiery chariot
("Quirinus Martis equis Acheronta fugit," Hor. Coarm. 3.3;
"Rex patriis astra petebat equis," Ov. Fast. 2.496). The
people mourned for their beloved king; but their mourning
gave way to religious reverence, when he appeared again in
more than mortal beauty to Proculus Julius, and bade him
tell the Romans that they should become the lords of the
world, and that he would watch over them as their guardian
god Quirinis. The Romans therefore worshipped him under this
name. The festival of the Quirinalia was celebrated in his
honour on the 17th of February; but the Nones of Quintilis,
or the seventh of July, was the day on which, according to
tradition, he departed from the earth.
Such was the glorified end of Romulus in the genuine legend.
But as it staggered the faith of a later age, a tale was
invented to account for his mysterious disappearance. It was
related that the senators, discontented with the tyrannical
rule of their king, murdered him during the gloom of a
tempest, cut up his body, and carried home the mangled
pieces under their robes. But the forgers of this tale
forgot that Romulus is nowhere represented in the ancient
legend as a tyrant, but as a mild and merciful monarch,
whose rule became still more gentle after the death of
Tatius, whom it branded as a tyrant.
The genuine features of the old legend about Romulus may
still be seen in the accounts of Livy (1.3-16), Dionysius
(1.76-2.56), and Plutarch (Romul.), notwithstanding the
numerous falsifications and interpolations by which it is
obscured, especially in the two latter writers. It is given
in its most perfect form in the Roman Histories of Niebuhr
(vol. i. p. 220, &c.) and Malden (p. 6, &c.).
As Romulus was regarded as the founder of Rome, its most
ancient political institutions and the organisation of the
people were ascribed to him by the popular belief. Thus he
is said to have divided the people into three tribes, which
bore the names Ramnes, Titles, and Luceres. The Ramnes were
supposed to have derived their name from Romulus, the Tities
from Titus Tatius the Sabine king, and the Luceres from
Lucumo, an Etruscan chief who had assisted Romulus in the
war against the Sabines. Each tribe contained ten curiae,
which received their names from the thirty Sabine women who
had brought about the peace between the Romans and their own
people. Further, each curia contained ten gentes, and each
gens a hundred men. Thus the people, according to the
general belief, were divided originally into three tribes,
thirty curiae, and three hundred gentes, which mustered 3000
men, who fought on foot, and were called a legion. Besides
those there were three hundred horsemen, called celeres, the
same body as the equites of a later time; but the legend
neglects to tell us from what quarter these horsemen came.
To assist him in the government of the people Romulus is
said to have selected a number of the aged men in the state,
who were called patres, or senatores. The council itself,
which was called the senatus, originally consisted of one
hundred members; but this number was increased to two
hundred when the Sabines were incorporated in the state. In
addition to the senate, there was another assembly,
consisting of the members of the gentes, which bore the name
of comitia curiata, because they voted in it according to
their division into curiae. To this assembly was committed
the election of the kings in subsequent times.
That part of the legend of Romulus which relates to the
political institutions which he is said to have founded,
represents undoubted historical facts. For we have certain
evidence of the existence of such institutions in the
earliest times, and many traces endured to the imperial
period : and the popular belief only attempted to explain
the origin of existing phenomena by ascribing their first
establishment to the heroic founder of the state. Thus,
while no competent scholar would attempt in the present day
to give a history of Romulus; because, even on the
supposition that the legend still retained some real facts,
we have no criteria to separate rate what is true from what
is false; yet, on the other hand, it is no presumption to
endeavor to form a conception of the political organisation
of Rome in the earliest times, because we can take our start
from actually existing institutions, and trace them back, in
many cases step by step, to remote times. We are thus able
to prove that the legend is for the most part only an
explanation of facts which had a real existence. It would be
out of place here to attempt an explanation of the early
Roman constitution, but a few remarks are necessary in
explanation of the legendary account of the constitution
which has been given above.
The original site of Rome was on the Palatine hill. On this
there was a Latin colony established at the earliest times,
which formed an independent state. On the neighbouring hills
there appear to have been also settlements of Sabines and
Etruscans, cans, the former probably on the Quirinal and
Capitoline pitoline hills, and the latter on the Caelian. In
course of time these Sabine and Etruscan settlements ments
coalesced with the Latin colony on the Palatine, and the
three peoples became united into one state. At what time
this union took place it is of course impossible to say; the
legend referred it to the age of Romulus. There appears,
pears, however, sufficient evidence to prove that the Latins
and Sabines were united first, and that it was probably long
afterwards that the Etruscans became amalgamated with them.
Of this we may mention, as one proof, the number of the
senate, which is said to have been doubled on the union of
the Sabines, but which remained two hundred till the reign
of Tarquinius Priscus, who is reported to have increased it
to three hundred (Liv. 1.35; Dionys. A. R. 3.67). These
three peoples, after their amalgamation, became three
tribes; the Latins were called Ramnes or Ramnenses; the
Sabines, Tities or Titienses; the Etruscans, Luceres or
Lucerenses. The name of Ramnes undoubtedly comes from the
same root as that of Romus or Romulus, and in like manner
that of Tities is connected with Titus Tatius. The origin of
the third name is more doubtful, and was a disputed point
even in antiquity. Most ancient writers derived it from
Lucumo, which etymology best agrees with the Etruscan origin
of the tribe, as Lucumo was a title of honour common to the
Etruscan chiefs. Others suppose it to come from Lucerus, a
king of Ardea (Paul. Diac. s. v. Lucercses, p. 119, ed.
Miller), a statement on which Niebuhr principally relies for
the proof of the Latin origin of the third tribe; but we
think with the majority of the best modern writers, that the
Luceres were of Etruscan, and not of Latin, descent. Each of
these tribes was divided into ten curiae, as the legend
states ; but that they derived their names from the thirty
Sabine women is of course fabulous. In like manner each
curia was divided into ten gentes, which must be regarded as
smaller political bodies, rather than as combinations of
persons of the same kindred. For further information the
reader is referred to the several articles on these subjects
in the Dictionary of Antiquities.
1 * Many writers call her Rhea or Rea Silvia. Niebuhr
remarks that Rhea is a corruption introduced by the editors,
apparently from thinking of the goddess Rhea; whereas Rea
seems to have signified nothing more than the culprit,
reminding us of the expression Reafemina, which often occurs
in Boccaccio. Niebuhr also calls attention to the remark of
Perizonius, that when the mother of Romulus is represented
as the daughter of Aeneas, she is always called Hia, and
that Rea is never prefixed to the latter name. (Hist. of
Rome, vol. i. p. 211.)
2 * In his Lectures on Roman history (pp. 39, 40, ed.
Schmitz, 1848) Niebuhr brings forward many reasons to prove
what he had hinted at in his History (vol. i. note 618),
that the latter hill was the one mentioned in the ancient
tradition, and that the story relating to it was afterwards
transferred to the Aventine, since this hill was the special
abode of the plebeians, and there existed between it and the
Palatine a perpetual feud. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Sarpedon (Greek: Σαρπηδὠν; gen.:
Σαρπηδόνος) referred to at least three different people. Son
of Zeus and Europa
The first Sarpedon was a son of Zeus and Europa, and brother
to Minos and Rhadamanthys. He was raised by King Asterion and
then banished by Minos, and sought refuge with his uncle, King
Cilix. Sarpedon conquered the Milyans, and ruled over them;
his kingdom was named Lycia, after his successor, Lycus, son
of Pandion II...
Read More
（Σαρπήδων).
1. A son of Zeus by Europa, and a brother of Minos and
Rhadamanthys. Being involved in a quarrel with Minos about
Miletus, he took refuge with Cilix, whom he assisted against
the Lycians; and afterwards he became king of the Lycians,
and Zeus granted him the privilege of living three
generations. (Hdt. 1.173; Apollod. 3.1.2 ; Paus. 7.3.4;
Strab. xii. p.573; comp. MILETUS, ATYMNIUS.) 2. A son of
Zeus by Laodameia, or according to others of Evander by
Deidameia, and a brother of Clarus and Themon. (Hom. Il.
6.199; Apollod. 3.1.1; Diod. 5.79; Verg. A. 10.125.) He was
a Lycian prince, and a grandson of No. 1. In the Trojan war
he was an ally of the Trojans, and distinguished himself by
his valour. (Hom. Il. 2.876, 5.479, &c., 629, &c., 12.292,
&c., 397, 16.550, &c., 17.152, &c.; comp. Philostr. Her. 14;
Ov. Met. 13.255.) He was slain at Troy by Patroclus. (Il.
16.480, &c.) Apollo, by the command of Zeus, cleaned
Sarpedon's body from blood and dust, anointed it with
ambrosia, and wrapped it up in an ambrosian garment. Sleep
and Death then carried it into Lycia, to be honourably
buried. (Il. 16.667, &c. ; comp. Verg. A. 1.100.) Eustathius
(Eustath. ad Hom. p. 894) gives the following tradition to
account for Sarpedon being king of the Lycians, since
Glaucus, being the son of Hippolochus, and grandson of
Bellerophontes, ought to have been king: when the two
brothers Isandrus and Hippolochus were disputing about the
government, it was proposed that they should shoot through a
ring placed on the breast of a child, and Laodameia, the
sister of the two rivals, gave up her own son Sarpedon for
this purpose, who was thereupon honoured by his uncles with
the kingdom, to show their gratitude to their sister for her
generosity. This Sarpedon is sometimes confounded with No.
1, as in Eurip. Rhes. 29, comp. Eustath. ad Hom. pp. 369,
636, &c. There was a sanctuary of Sarpedon (probably the one
we are here speaking of) at Xanthus in Lycia. (Appian, App.
BC 4.78.) 3. A son of Poseidon, and a brother of Poltys in
Thrace, was slain by Heracles. (Apollod. 2.5.9.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Saturn (Latin: Saturnus) was a major Roman god of agriculture
and harvest, whose reign was depicted as a Golden Age of
abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times
he was known as the Roman god of dance, agriculture, justice
and strength; he held a sickle in his left hand and a bundle
of wheat in his right. His mother was Terra and his father was
Caelus. He was identified in classical antiquity with the
Greek deity Cronus, and the mythologies of the two gods are
commonly mixed...
Read More
a mythical king of Italy to whom was ascribed the
introduction of agriculture and the habits of civilised life
in general. The name is, notwithstanding the different
quantity, connected with the verb sero, sevi, saturn, and
although the ancients themselves invariably identify
Saturnus with the Greek Cronos, there is no resemblance
whatever between the attributes of the two deities, except
that both were regarded as the most ancient divinities in
their respective countries. The resemblance is much stronger
between Demeter and Saturn, for all that the Greeks ascribe
to their Demeter is ascribed by the Italians to Saturn, who
in the very earliest times came to Italy in the reign of
Janus. (Verg. A. 8.314, &c.; Macr. 1.10; P. Vict De Orig.
Gent. Rom. 1, &c.) Saturnus, then, deriving his name from
sowing, is justly called the introducer of civilisation and
social order, both of which are inseparably connected with
agriculture. His reign is, moreover, conceived for the same
reason to nave been the golden age of Italy, and more
especially of the Aborigines, his subjects. As agricultural
industry is the source of wealth and plenty, his wife was
Ops, the representative of plenty. The story related of the
god, is that in the reign of Janus he came to Italy, was
hospitably received by Janus, and formed a settlement on the
Capitoline hill, which was hence called the Saturnian hill.
At the foot of that hill, on the road leading up the
Capitol, there stood in aftertimes the temple of Saturn.
(Dionys. A. R. 6.1 ; Liv. 41.27; Vict. l.100.3, Reg. Urb.
viii.) Saturn then made the people acquainted with
agriculture, suppressed their savage mode of life, and led
them to order, peaceful occupations, and morality. The
result was that the whole country was called Saturnia or the
land of plenty. (Verg. A. 8.358; Justin, 43.1; Macr. 1.7;
Varro, De Ling. Lat. 5.42; Fest. s. v. Saturnia ; Victor,
l.c.) Saturn, like many other mythical kings, suddenly
disappeared, being removed from earth to the abodes of the
gods, and immediately after Janus is said to have erected an
altar to Saturn in the forum. (Macrob. l.c. ; Arnob. 4.24;
Ov. Fast. 1.238.) It is further related that Latium received
its name (from lateo) from this disappearance of Saturn, who
for the same reason was regarded by some as a divinity of
the nether world. (Plut. Quaest. Rom. 24.）
Respecting the festival solemnized by the Romans in honour
of Saturn, see Dict. of Antiq. s. v. Saturnulia.
The statue of Saturnus was hollow and filled with oil,
probably to denote the fertility of Latium in olives (Plin.
Nat. 15.7. 7); in his hand he held a crooked pruning knife,
and his feet were surrounded with a woollen riband. (Verg.
A. 7.179; Arnob. 6.12; Macrob. l.c.; Martial, 11.6. 1.) In
the pediment of the temple of Saturn were seen two figures
resembling Tritons, with horns, and whose lower extremities
grew out of the ground (Macr. 1.8); the temple itself
contained the public treasury, and many laws also were
deposited in it. (Serv. ad Aen. 8.319.) It must be remarked
in conclusion that Saturn and Ops were not only the
protectors of agriculture, but all vegetation was under
their care, as well as every thing which promoted their
growth. (Macr. 1.7, 10; comp. Hartung, Die Religion der
Römer, vol. ii. p. 122, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, satyrs (Ancient Greek: Σάτυροι, Satyroi)
are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus -
"satyresses" were a late invention of poets - that roamed the
woods and mountains. In mythology they are often associated
with pipe playing.
The satyrs' chief was Silenus, a minor deity associated (like
Hermes and Priapus) with fertility. These characters can be
found in the only remaining satyr play Cyclops by Euripedes
and the fragments of Sophocles' The Tracking Satyrs
(Ichneutae). The satyr play was a lighthearted follow-up
attached to the end of each trilogy of tragedies in Athenian
festivals honoring Dionysus. These plays would take a
lighthearted approach to the heavier subject matter of the
tragedies in the series, featuring heroes speaking in tragic
iambic verse and taking their situation seriously as to the
flippant, irreverent and obscene remarks and antics of the
satyrs. The groundbreaking tragic playwright Aeschylus is said
to have been especially loved for his satyr plays, but none of
them have survived...
Read More
（*Sa/turos), the name of a class of beings in Greek
mythology, who are inseparably connected with the worship of
Dionysus, and represent the luxuriant vital powers of
nature. In their appearance they somewhat resembled goats or
rams, whence many ancients believed that the word σάτυρος
was identical with τίτυρος, a ram. (Schol. ad Theocrit. 3.2,
7.72; Aelian, Ael. VH 3.40; comp. Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1157;
Hesych. sub voce and Strab. x. p.466.) Homer does not
mention any Satyr, while Hesiod (Fragm. 94, ed. Göttling)
speaks of them in the plural and describes them as a race
good for nothing and unfit for work, and in a passage quoted
by Straho (x. p. 471) he states that the Satyrs, Nymphs and
Curetes were the children of the five daughters of Hecataeus
and the daughter of Phoroneus. The more common statement is
that the Satyrs were the sons of Hermes and Iphthima (Nonn.
Dionys. 14.113), or of the Naiads (Xenoph. Sympos. 5.7);
Silen also calls them his own sons. (Eur. Cycl. 13, 82,
269.)
The appearance of the Satyrs is described by later writers
as robust, and rough, though with various modifications, but
their general features are as follows: the hair is bristly,
the nose round and somewhat turned upwards, the ears pointed
at the top like those of animals (whence they are sometimes
called θῆρες, Eurip. Cycl. 624); they generally have little
horns, or at least two hornlike protuberances (φήρεα), and
at or near the end of the back there appears a little tail
like that of a horse or a goat. In works of art they were
represented at different stages of life; the older ones,
commonly called Seilens or Silens (Paus. 1.23.6), usually
have bald heads and beards, and the younger ones are termed
Satyrisci (Σατυρίσκοι, Theocrit. 4.62, 27.48). All kinds of
satyrs belong to the retinue of Dionysus (Apollod. 3.5.1;
Strab. x. p.468; Ov. Fast. 3.737, Ars Am. 1.542, 3.157), and
are always described as fond of wine, whence they often
appear either with a cup or a thyrsus in their hand (Athen.
11.484), and of every kind of sensual pleasure, whence they
are teen sleeping, playing musical instruments or engaged in
voluptuous dances with nymphs. (Apollod. 2.1.4; Hor. Carm.
2.19. 3, 1.1. 30; Ov. Met. 1.692, 14.637; Philostr. Vit.
Poll. 6.27 ; Nonn. Dionys. 12.82.) Like all the gods
dwelling in forests and fields, they were greatly dreaded by
mortals. (Verg. Ecl. 6.13; Theocrit. 13.44; Ov. Ep. 4.49.)
Later writers, especially the Roman poets, confound the
Satyrs with the Pans and the Italian Fauns, and accordingly
represent them with larger horns and goats' feet (Hor. Carm.
2.19. 4; Propert. 3.15. 34; Ov. Met. 1.193, 6.392, xiv 637),
although originally they were quite distinct kinds of
beings, and in works of art, too, they are kept quite
distinct. Satyrs usually appear with flutes, the thyrsus,
syrinx, the shepherd staff, cups or bags filled with wine;
they are dressed with the skins of animals, and wear wreaths
of vine, ivy or fir. Representations of them are still very
numerous, but the most celebrated in antiquity was the Satyr
of Praxiteles at Athens (Paus. 1.20.1; Plin. Nat. 34.8, s.
19; comp. Heyne, Antiquar. Aufsätze, ii. p. 53, &c.; Voss,
Mythol. Briefe, ii. p. 284, &c.; C. O. Müller, Ancient Art
and its Remains, § 385, Eng. Transl.; and the article
PRAXITELES, p. 521.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Sciron (Ancient Greek: Σκίρων; gen.:
Σκίρωνoς) was a robber killed by Theseus. He forced travelers
to wash his feet. While they knelt before him, he kicked them
off a cliff behind them, where they were eaten by a sea
monster (or a giant turtle). Theseus pushed him off the cliff.
The Megarians, however, claimed that Sciron was not a robber,
but a prince of Megara, and son of King Pylus; father of
Endeis, wife of Aeacus. (Plut. Thes. 10 ) A passage in Ovid
(Met. 7.444), where the poet claims that certain cliffs by the
name of Sciron owe their name to the man, suggests an
aetiological origin for the tale. - Wikipedia
Read More
（Σκίρων or Σκείρων).
1. A famous robber who haunted the frontier between Attica and
Megaris, and not only robbed the travellers who passed through
the country, but compelled them, on the Scironian rock to wash
his feet, during which operation he kicked them with his foot
into the sea. At the foot of the rock there was a tortoise,
which devoured the bodies of the robber's victims. He was
slain by Theseus, in the same manner in which he had killed
others (Plut. Thes. 10 ; Diod. 4.59; Strab. ix. p.391; Paus.
1.44.12; Schol. ad Eur. Hipp. 976 ; Ov. Met. 7.445). In the
pediment of the royal Stoa at Athens, there was a group of
figures of burnt clay, representing Theseus in the act of
throwing Sciron into the sea. (Paus. 1.3.1.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Scylla (pronounced /ˈsɪlə/, sil-uh; Greek:
Σκύλλα, Skulla)[1] was a monster that lived on one side of a
narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis.
The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of
each other-so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis
would pass too close to Scylla and vice versa...
Read More
（Φινεύς).
1. A son of Belis and Anchinoe, and brother of Aegyptus,
Danaus, and Cepheus. (Apollod. 2.1.4; conip. PERSEUS.） 2.
One of the sons of Lycaon. (Apollod. 3.8.1.)3. A son of
Agenor, and king of Salmydessus in Thrace (Apollon. 2.178,
237; Schol. ad eund. 2.177). Some traditions called himl a
son of Phoenix and Cassiepeia, and a grandson of Agenor
(Schol. ad Alpollon. Rhod. 2.178), while others again call
him a son of Poseidon (Apollod. 1.9.21). Some accounts,
moreover, make him a king in Paphlagonia or in Arcadia.
(Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. l.c.; Serv. ad Aen. 3.209.) He was
first married to Cleopatra, the daughter of Boreas and
Oreithyia, by whom he had two children, Oryithus (Oarthus)
and Crambis (some call them Parthenius and Crambis, Schol.
ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.140; Plexippus and Pandion, Apollod.
3.15.3; Gerymbas and Aspondus, Schol. ad Soph. Antiq. 977;
or Polydectus and Polydorus, Ov. Ib. 273). Afterwards he was
married to Idaea (some call her Dia, Eurytia, or Eidothea,
Schol, ad Apollon. Rhod. l.c.; Schol. al Hoia. Od. 12.70;
Schol. ad Soph. Antig. 980), by whom he again had two sons,
Thynus and Mariandynns. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.140,
178; Apollod. 3.15.3.)
Phineus was a blind soothsayer, who had received his
prophetic powers from Apollo (Apollon. 2.180). The cause of
his blindness is not the same in all accounts; according to
some he was blinded by the gods for having imprudently
communicated to mortals the divine counsels of Zeus about
the future (Apollod. 1.9.21); according to others Aeetes, on
hearing that the sons of Phrixus had been saved by Phineus,
cursed him, and Helios hearing the curse, carried it into
effect by blinding him (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.207,
comp. 181); others again relate, that Boreas or the
Argonauts blinded him for his conduct towards his sons
(Serv. ad Aen. 3.209). He is most celebrated in ancient
story on account of his being exposed to the annoyances of
the Harpycs, who were sent to him by the gods for his
cruelty towards his sons by the first marriage. His second
wife charged them with having behaved improperly to her, and
Phincus punished them by putting their eyes out (Soph.
Antig. 973), or, according to others, by exposing them to be
devoured by wild beasts (Orph. Ar.qon. 671), or by ordering
them to be half buried in the earth, and then to be scourged
(Diod. 4.44; Schol. ad Apollon. hod. 2.207). Whenever
Phineus wanted to take a meal the Harpyes came, took away a
portion of his food, and soiled the rest, so as to render it
unfit to be eaten. In this condition the unfortunate man was
found by the Argonauts, whom he promised to instruct
respecting their voyage, if they would deliver him from the
monsters. A table accordingly was laid out with food, and
when the Harpyes appeared they were forthwith attacked by
Zetes and Calais, the brothers of Cleopatrai, who were
provided with wings. There was a prophecy that the Harpyes
should perish by the hands of the sons of Boreas, but that
the latter themselves must die if they should be unable to
overtake the Harpyes. In their flight one of the monsters
fell into the river Tigris, which was henceforth called
Harpys; the other reached the Echinadian islands, which,
from her returning from that spot, wore called Stroplhades.
But the Harpye, as well as her pursuer, was worn out with
fatigue, and fell down. Both Harpyes were allowed to live on
condition that they would no longer molest Phineus (comp.
Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.286, 297; Tzetz. Chi. 1.217).
Phineus now explained to the Argolnauts the further course
they had to take, and especially cautioned them against the
Symplegades (Apollod. 1.3.21, &c.). According to another
story the Argonauts, on their arrival at the place of
Phineus, found the sons of Phineus half buried, and demanded
their liberation, which Phineus refilsed. The Argonauts used
force, and a battle ensued, in which Phineus was slain by
Heracles. The latter also delivered Cleopatra from her
confinement, and restored the kingdom to the sons of
Phineus, and on their advice he also sent the second wife of
Phineus back to her father, who ordered her to be put to
death (Diod. 4.43; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.207; Apollod.
3.15.3). Some traditions, lastly, state that Phineus was
killed by Boreas, or that he was carried off by the Harpyes
into the country of the Bistones or Milchessians. (Orph.
Argon. 675, &c.; Strab. vii. p.302.) Those accounts in which
Phineus is stated to have blinded his sons, add that they
had their sight restored to them by the sons of Boreas, or
by Asclepius. (Orph. Argon. 674; Schol. ad Pind. Piyth.
13.96.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon (English translation:
"flaming") or Pyriphlegethon (English translation: "fire-
flaming") was one of the five rivers in the infernal regions
of the underworld, along with the rivers Styx, Lethe, Cocytus,
and Acheron. Plato describes it as "a stream of fire, which
coils round the earth and flows into the depths of
Tartarus."[1] It was parallel to the river Styx. It is said
that the goddess Styx was in love with Phlegethon, but she was
consumed by his flames and sent to Hades. Eventually when
Hades allowed her river to flow through, they reunited...
Read More
（Φλεγέθων), i. e. the flaming, a river in the lower world, is
described as a son of Cocytus; butheis more commonly called
Pyriphlegethon. (Verg. A. 6.265, 550; Stat. Tolwb. 4.522.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
（*Fwsfo/ros), or as the poets call him ἑωσφόρος or
Φαεσφόρος (Lat. Lucfer), that is, the bringer of light or of
Eos, is the name of the planet Venus, when seen in the
morning before sunrise (Hom. Il. 23.226; Virg. Gerl. 1.288;
Ov. Met. 2.115, Trist. 1.3. 72.) The same planet was called
Hesperus (Vesperugo, Vesper, Noctif or Nocturnus) when it
appeared in the heavens after sunset. (Hom. Il. 22.318 ;
Plin. Nat. 2.8; Cic. De Nat. Deor. 2.20; Catull. 62, 64;
Hor. Carm. 2.9.10.) Phosphorus as a personification is
called a son of Astraeus and Eos (Hes. Th. 381), of Cephalus
and Eos (Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.42), or of Atlas (Tzetz. ad
Lyc. 879). By Philonis he is said to have been the father of
Ceyx (Hyg. Fab. 65; Ov. Met. 11.271), and he is also called
the father of Daedalion (Ov. Met. 11.295), of the Hesperides
(Serv. ad Aen. 4.484), or of Hesperis, who became by his
brother Atlas the mother of the Hesperides. (Diod. 4.27;
Serv. ad Aen. 1.530.)
Phosphorus also occurs as a surname of several goddesses of
light, as Artemis (Diana Lucifera, Paus. 4.31.8; Serv. ad
Aen. 2.116), Eos (Eur. Ion 1157) and Hecate. (Eur. Hel.
569.)
[L.S] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Phrixus (Greek: Φρίξος, Phrixos) or
Phryxus was the son of Athamas, king of Boiotia, and Nephele
(a goddess of clouds). His twin sister Helle and he were
hated by their stepmother, Ino. Ino hatched a devious plot
to get rid of the twins, roasting all of Boeotia's crop
seeds so they would not grow. The local farmers, frightened
of famine, asked a nearby oracle for assistance. Ino bribed
the men sent to the oracle to lie and tell the others that
the oracle required the sacrifice of Phrixus and Helle.
Before they were killed, though, Phrixus and Helle were
rescued by a flying, or swimming,[1] ram with golden wool
sent by Nephele, their natural mother; their starting point
is variously recorded as Halos in Thessaly and Orchomenus in
Boeotia. During their flight Helle swooned, fell off the ram
and drowned in the Dardanelles, renamed the Hellespont (sea
of Helle), but Phrixus survived all the way to Colchis,
where King Aeetes, the son of the sun god Helios, took him
in and treated him kindly, giving Phrixus his daughter,
Chalciope, in marriage. In gratitude, Phrixus sacrificed the
ram to Zeus and gave the king the golden fleece of the ram,
which Aeetes hung in a tree in the holy grove of Ares in his
kingdom, guarded by a dragon that never slept.
Phrixus and Chalciope had four sons, who later joined forces
with the Argonauts. The oldest was Argos. - Wikipedia
Read More
（*Fri/cos), a son of Athamas and Nephele or of Athamas and
Themisto (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1144), and brother of
Helle, and a grandson of Aeolus (Apollon. 2.1141). In
consequence of the intrigues of his stepmother, Ino (others
state that he offered himself), he was to be sacrificed to
Zeus; but Nephele removed him and Helle, and the two then
rode away on the ram with the golden fleece, the gift of
Hermes, through the air. According to Hyginus (Hyg. Fab. 3),
Phrixus and Helle were thrown by Dionysus into a state of
madness, and while wandering about in a forest, they were
removed by Nephele. Between Sigeum and the Chersonesus,
Helle fell into the sea which was afterwards called after
her the Hellespont; but Phrixus arrived in Colchis, in the
kingdom of Aeetes, who gave him his daughter Chalciope in
marriage (comp. Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1123, 1149).
Phrixus sacriticed the rain which had carried him, to Zeus
Phyxius or Laphystius (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.653; Paus.
1.24.2), and gave its skin to Aeetes, who fastened it to an
oak tree in the grove of Ares.
By Chalciope Phrixus became the father of Argus, Melas,
Phrontis, Cytisorus, and Presbon (Apollod. 1.9.1; Hyg. Fab.
14; Paus. 9.34.5; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1123 ; Tzetz.
ad Lyc. 22; Diod. 4.47). Phrixus died in old age in the
kingdom of Aeetes, or, according to others, he was killed by
Aeetes in consequence of an oracle (Apollon. 2.1151 ; Hyg.
Fab. 3), or he returned to Orchomenus, in the country of the
Minyans. (Paus. 9.34.5 ; comp. ATHAMAS ; JASON.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Pirithous - Πειρίθοος (also transliterated
as Perithoos, Peirithoos or Peirithous) was the King of the
Lapiths in Thessaly and husband of Hippodamia, at whose
wedding the famous Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs occurred. He
was a son of "heavenly" Dia, fathered either by Ixion or by
Zeus[1]. His best friend was Theseus. In Iliad I, Nestor
numbers Pirithous and Theseus "of heroic fame" among an
earlier generation of heroes of his youth, "the strongest men
that Earth has bred, the strongest men against the strongest
enemies, a savage mountain-dwelling tribe whom they utterly
destroyed". No trace of such an oral tradition, which Homer's
listeners would have recognized in Nestor's allusion, survived
in literary epic...
Read More
[PEIRITHOUS.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（*Peiri/qoos), a son of Ixion or Zeus by Dia, of Larissa in
Thessaly (Hom. Il. 2.741, 14.17; Apollod. 1.8 § 2; Eustath. ad
hom. p. 101 i. He was one of the Lapithae, and married to
Hippodameia, by whom he became the father of Polypoetes (Hom.
Il. 2.740, &100.12.129). When Peirithous was celebrating his
marriage with Hippodameia, the intoxicated centaur Eurytion or
Eurytus carried her off, and this act occasioned the
celebrated light between the centaurs and Lapithae (Hom. Od.
xi, 630, 21.296, Il. 1.263, &c.; Ov. Met. 12.224). He was
worshipped at Athens, along with Theseus, as a hero. (Paus.
1.30.4; comp. Apollod. 1.8.2; Paus. 10.29.2; Ov. Met. 8.566;
Plin. >H. N. 36.4, and the articles HERACLES and CENTAURI.) -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
The Pleiades (pronounced /ˈplaɪ.ədiːz/, also [ˈpliːədiːz];
from the Greek Πλειάδες [pleːˈades], Modern [pliˈaðes]),
companions of Artemis, were the seven daughters of the titan
Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. They
are the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Hyades, and the
Hesperides. The Pleiades were nymphs in the train of Artemis,
and together with the seven Hyades were called the Atlantides,
Dodonides, or Nysiades, nursemaids and teachers to the infant
Bacchus...
Read More
（*Pleia/des or Πελειάδες), the Pleiads, are called
daughters of Atlas by Pleione (or by the Oceanid Aethra,
Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1155), of Erechtheus (Serv. ad Aen.
1.744), of Cadmus (Theon, ad Arat. p. 22), or of the queen
of the Amazons. (Schol. ad Theocrit. 13.25.) They were the
sisters of the Hyades, and seven in number, six of whom are
described as visible, and the seventh as invisible. Some
call the seventh Sterope, and relate that she became
invisible from shame, because she alone among her sisters
had had intercourse with a mortal man ; others call her
Electra, and make her disappear from the choir of her
sisters on account of her grief at the destruction of the
house of Dardanus (Hyg. Fab. 192, Poet. Astr. 2.21). The
Pleiades are said to have made away with themselves from
grief at the death of their sisters, the Hyades, or at the
fate of their father, Atlas, and were afterwards placed as
stars at the back of Taurus, where they form a cluster
resembling a hunch of grapes, whence they were sometimes
called βότρυς (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1155). According to
another story, the Pleiades were virgin companions of
Artemis, and, together with their mother Pleione, were
pursued by the hunter Orion in Boeotia; their prayer to be
rescued from him was heard by the gods, and they were
metamorphosed into doves (πελειάδες), and placed among the
stars (Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.21; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod.
3.226; Pind. Ncm. 2.17). The rising of the Pleiades in Italy
was about the beginning of May, and their setting about the
beginning of November. Their names are Electra, Maia,
Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, and Merope (Tzetz. ad
Lyc. 219, comp. 149; Apollod. 3.10.1). The scholiast of
Theocritus (13.25) gives the following different set of
names : Coccymo, Plaucia, Protis, Parthemia, Maia,
Stonychia, Lampatho. (Comp. Hom. Il. 18.486, Od. 5.272; Ov.
Fast. 4.169, &c.; HYADES; and Ideler, Untersuch. über die
Sternennamen, p. 144.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Pluto was the Roman god of the underworld, the counterpart of
the Greek Hades. Pluto was god of the underworld Tertius
("third world") and its riches. The name is the Latinized form
of Greek Πλούτων (Ploutōn), another name by which Hades was
known in Greek mythology, possibly from the Greek word for
wealth, πλοῦτος (ploutos). It is debatable whether in the
Roman pantheon he was considered a son of Saturn, as Hades was
of Cronus.[citation needed] If so, he would have been one of
the children devoured by Saturn, along with Neptune. Jupiter
was saved and hidden from Saturn by Rhea. Together, they
represented earth, water, and air[citation needed] (not as
elements, but as environments). After Saturn's defeat, the
three brothers took control of the world, and divided it into
three separate parts for each brother to rule. Jupiter took
control of the skies, Neptune of the seas, and Pluto ruled the
underworld...
Read More
（Πλουτώ).
1. A daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and one of the playmates
of Persephone. (Hes. Th. 355; Hom. Hymn. in Cer. 422.) 2. A
daughter of Cronos or Himantes, became by Zeus or Tmolus, the
mother of Tantalus. (Schol. ad Eurip. Or. 5; Paus. 2.22.4;
Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 3.41; Hyg. Fab. 155.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Ploutos ("wealth" Πλοῦτος), usually
Romanized as Plutus, was equally a son of the pre-Hellenic
Cretan Demeter-[1] and the demigod Iasion, with whom she lay
in a thrice-ploughed field- and, in the mythic context of
Eleusinian Demeter, also the divine child, the issue of the
ravisher, the child and boy-double of the "wealthy" Hades
(Plouton). Plutus was the personification of wealth.
He was also thought to have been the child of Hades and
Persephone. Many vase paintings show him with the king and
queen of the Underworld...
Read More
（*Plou=tos), sometimes also called Pluton (Aristoph. Pl.
727), the personification of wealth, is described as a son of
Iasion and Demeter (Hes. Th. 969, &c.; Hom. Hymn. in Cer. 491,
Od. 5.125). Zeus is said to have blinded him, in order that he
might not bestow his favours on righteous men exclusively, but
that he might distribute his gifts blindly and without any
regard to merit (Aristoph. Pl. 90; Schol. ad Theocrit. 10.19).
At Thebes there was a statue of Tyche, at Athens one of
Eirene, and at Thespiae one of Athena Ergane; and in each of
these cases Plutus was represented as the child of those
divinities, symbolically expressing the sources of wealth
(Paus. 9.16.1, 26.5). Hyginus (Poet. Astr. 2.4) calls him the
brother of Philomelus. He seems to have commonly been
represented as a boy with a Cornucopia. (Hirt, Mythol.
Bilderb. ii. p. 105, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Castor (pronounced /ˈkæstər/; Latin: Castōr; Greek: Κάστωρ,
Kastōr, "beaver") and Pollux (/ˈpɒləks/; Latin: Pollūx) or
Polydeuces (/ˌpɒlɨˈdjuːsiːz/; Greek: Πολυδεύκης, Poludeukēs,
"much sweet wine"[1]) were twin brothers in Greek and Roman
mythology and collectively known as the Dioskouroi. They were
the sons of Leda by Tyndareus and Zeus respectively, the
brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, and the half-
brothers of Timandra, Phoebe, Heracles, and Philonoe. They are
known collectively in Greek as the Dioscuri (/daɪˈɒskjəraɪ/;
Latin: Dioscūrī; Greek: Διόσκουροι, Dioskouroi, "sons of
Zeus") and in Latin as the Gemini (/ˈdʒɛmɨnaɪ/; "twins") or
Castores (/ˈkæstəriːz/). They are sometimes also termed the
Tyndaridae or Tyndarids (/tɪnˈdɛrɨdiː/ or /ˈtɪndərɪdz/;
Τυνδαρίδαι, Tundaridai), later seen as a reference to their
father and stepfather Tyndareus...
Read More
[DIOSCURI] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Polyhymnia ("the one of many hymns", /pɒliˈhɪmniə/; Greek:
Πολυύμνια, Πολύμνια), was in Greek mythology the Muse of
sacred poetry, sacred hymn and eloquence as well as
agriculture and pantomime. She is depicted as very serious,
pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her
mouth, dressed in a long cloak and veil and resting her elbow
on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes accredited as being
the Muse of geometry and meditation...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Polynices or Polyneices (Greek:
Πολυνείκης, transl. Polyneíkes, "manifold strife") was the son
of Oedipus and Jocasta. His wife was Argea. His father,
Oedipus, was discovered to have killed his father and married
his mother, and was expelled from Thebes, leaving his sons
Eteocles and Polynices to rule. Because of a curse put on them
by their father, Oedipus, the sons, Polynices and Eteocles,
did not share the rule peacefully and died as a result by
killing each other in a battle to for the control of Thebes...
Read More
（Πολύμνια), or POLYHY'MNIA, a daughter of Zeus, and one of
the nine Muses. She presided over lyric poetry, and was
believed to have invented the lyre. (Hes. Th. 78; Schol. ad
Apollon. Rhod. 3.1.) By Oeagrus she became the mother of
Orpheus. (Schol. l.c. 1.23.) In works of art she was usually
represented in a pensive attitude. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. p.
209; comp. MUSAE.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography
and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
[POLYMNIA.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（Πολυνείκης), the son of Oedipus and Iocaste, and brother of
Eteocles and Antigone. (Hom. Il. 4.377; ADRASTUS.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
Polyphemus (Greek: Πολύφημος, Polyphēmos) is the gigantic one-
eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the
Cyclopes. His name means "very famous".[1] Polyphemus plays a
pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey...
Read More
（*Polu/fhmos).
1. The celebrated Cyclops in the island of Thrinacia, was a
son of Poseidon, and the nymph Thoosa. For an account of him
see the article CYCLOPES. 2. A son of Elatus or Poseidon and
Hippea, was one of the Lapithae at Larissa in Thessaly. He was
married to Laonome, a sister of Heracles, with whom he was
connected by friendship. He was also one of the Argonauts,
butt being left behind by them in Mysia, he founded Cios, and
fell against the Chalybes. (Hom. Il. 1.264; Schol. ad Apolton.
Rkod. 1.40, 1241, 4.1470; V. Fl. 1.457; Apllod. 1.9. §§ 16,
19.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Polyxena (pronounced /pəˈlɪksɨnə/), Greek
Πολυξένη, was the youngest daughter of King Priam of Troy and
his queen, Hecuba.[1] She is considered the Trojan version of
Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Polyxena is
not in Homer's Iliad, appearing in works by later poets,
perhaps to add romance to Homer's austere tale. An oracle
prophesied that Troy would not be defeated if Polyxena's
brother, Prince Troilus, reached the age of twenty. During the
Trojan War, Polyxena and Troilus were ambushed when they were
attempting to fetch water from a fountain, and Troilus was
killed by the Greek warrior Achilles, who soon became
interested in the quiet sagacity of Polyxena...
Read More
（Πολυξένη), a daughter of Priam and Hecabe (Apollod.
3.12.5). She was beloved by Achilles, and when the Greeks,
on their voyage home, were still lingering on the coast of
Thrace, the shade of Achilles appeared to them demanding
that Polyxena should be sacrificed to him. Neoptolemus
accordingly sacrificed her on the tomb of his father. (Eur.
Hec. 40; Ov. Mct. 13.448, &c.) According to some Achilles
appeared to the leaders of the Greeks in a dream (Tzetz. ad
Lyc. 323), or a voice was heard from the tomb of Achilles
demanding a share in the booty, whereupon Calchas proposed
to sacrifice Polyxena. (Serv. ad Aen. 3.322.) For there was
a tradition that Achilles had promised Priam to bring about
a peace with the Greeks, if the king would give him his
daughter Polyxena in marriage. When Achilles, for the
purpose of negotiating the marriage, had gone to the temple
of the Thymbraean Apollo, he was treacherously killed by
Paris. (Hyg. Fab. 110.) Quite a different account is given
by Philostratus (Her. 19. 11; comp. Vit. Apollon. 4.16),
according to whom Achilles and Polvxena fell in love with
each other at the time when Hector's body was delivered up
to Priam. After the murder of Achilles Polyxena fled to the
Greeks, and killed herself on the tomb of her beloved with a
sword. The sacrifice of Polyxena was represented in the
acropolis of Athens. (Paus. 1.22.6. comp. 10.25.2.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Pomona was the goddess of plenty. Her name
comes from the Latin word, pomum, which translates to "fruit."
She scorned the love of Silvanus and Picus but married
Vertumnus after he tricked her, disguised as an old woman.[1]
Her high priest was called the flamen Pomonalis. The pruning
knife was her attribute. She is a uniquely Roman goddess,
never identitified with any Greek counterpart, and was
particularly associated with the blossoming of trees versus
the harvest.
In 19th century statues and building decorations she is
usually shown carrying either a large platter of fruit or a
cornucopia. A nude statue of Pomona is in the fountain in the
little park before the Plaza Hotel in New York City. For a
listing of cities named after her, see Pomona
(disambiguation)...
Read More
the Roman divinity of the fruit of trees, hence called Pomorum
Patrona. Her name is evidently connected with Pomum. She is
represented by the poets as having been beloved by several of
the rustic divinities, such as Silvanus, Picus, Vertumnus, and
others (Ov. Met. 14.623, &c.; Propert. 4.2. 21, &c.; Serv. ad
Aen. 7.190). Her worship must originally have been of
considerable importance, as we learn from Varr (De L. L. 7.15)
that a special priest, under the name of flamen Pomonalis, was
appointed to attend to her service (comp. Plin. Nat. 23.1). It
is not impossible that Pomona may in reality be nothing but
the personification of one of the attributes of Ops. (Hartung,
Die Relig. d. Röom. vol. ii. p. 133, &c.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Pontus (or Pontos (Πόντος), English
translation: "sea") was an ancient, pre-Olympian sea-god,
one of the protogenoi, the "first-born". Pontus was the son
of Gaia, the Earth: Hesiod [1] says that Gaia brought forth
Pontus out of herself, without coupling. For Hesiod, Pontus
seems little more than a personification of the sea, ho
pontos, "the Road", by which Hellenes signified the
Mediterranean Sea.[2] With Gaia, he was the father of Nereus
(the Old Man of the Sea), of Thaumas (the awe-striking
"wonder" of the Sea, embodiment of the sea's dangerous
aspects), of Phorcys and his sister-consort Ceto, and of the
"Strong Goddess" Eurybia.[3] With Thalassa (whose own name
simply means "sea" but is derived from a pre-Greek root), he
was the father of the Telchines. Compare the sea-Titan
Oceanus, the Ocean-Stream that girdled the earth, who was
more vividly realized than Pontus among the Hellenes.
In a Roman sculpture of the second century AD (illustration,
left) Pontus, rising from seaweed, grasps a rudder with his
right hand and leans on the prow of a ship. He wears a mural
crown, and accompanies Fortuna, whose draperies appear at
the left, as twin patron deities of the Black Sea port of
Tomis in Moesia. - Wikipedia
Read More
（*Po/ntos), a personification of the sea, is described in the
ancient cosmogony as a son of Gaea, and as the father of
Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia, by his own
mother. (Hes. Th. 132, 233, &c.; Apollod. 1.2.6.) Hyginus
(Fab. praef. p. 3, ed. Staveren) calls him a son of Aether and
Gaea, and also assigns to him somewhat different descendants.
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Poseidon (Greek: Ποσειδῶν; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the
sea, storms, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of earthquakes in Greek
mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was
adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea
gods analogous to Poseidon. Linear B tablets show that
Poseidon was venerated at Pylos and Thebes in pre-Olympian
Bronze Age Greece, but he was integrated into the Olympian
gods as the brother of Zeus and Hades. Poseidon has many
children. There is a Homeric hymn to Poseidon, who was the
protector of many Hellenic cities, although he lost the
contest for Athens to Athena...
Read More
（Ποσειδῶν), the god of the Mediterranean sea. His name
seems to be connected with πότος, πόντος and ποταμός,
according to which he is the god of the fluid element.
(Müller, Proleg. p. 290.) He was a son of Cronos and Rhea
(whence he is called Κρόνιος and by Latin poets Saturnius,
Pind. O. 6.48; Verg. A. 5.799.) He was accordingly a brother
of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Hestia and Demeter, and it was
determined by lot that he should rule over the sea. (Hom.
Il. 14.156, 15.187, &c.; Hes. Theog, 456.) Like his brothers
and sisters, he was, after his birth, swallowed by his
father Cronos, but thrown up again. (Apollod. 1.1.5, 2.1.)
According to others, he was concealed by Rhea, after his
birth, among a flock of lambs, and his mother pretended to
have given birth to a young horse, which she gave to Cronos
to devour. A well in the neighbourhood of Mantineia, where
this is said to have happened, was believed, from this
circumstance, to have derived the name of the "Lamb's Well,"
or Arne. (Paus. 8.8.2.) According to Tzetzes (ad Lycoph.
644) the nurse of Poseidon bore the name of Arne; when
Cronos searched after his son, Arne is said to have declared
that she knew not where he was, and from her the town of
Arne was believed to have received its name. According to
others, again, he was brought up by the Telchines at the
request of Rhea. (Diod. 5.55.) In the earliest poems,
Poseidon is described as indeed equal to Zeus in dignity,
but weaker. (Hom. Il. 8.210, 15.165, 186, 209; comp. 13.355,
Od. 13.148.) Hence we find him angry when Zeus, by haughty
words, attempts to intimidate him; nay, he even threatens
his mightier brother, and once he conspired with Hera and
Athena to put him into chains (Hom. Il. 15.176, &c., 212,
&c.; comp. 1.400.); but, on the other hand, we also find him
yielding and submissive to Zeus (8.440). The palace of
Poseidon was in the depth of the sea near Aegae in Euboea
(13.21; Od. 5.381), where he kept his horses with brazen
hoofs and golden manes. With these horses he rides in a
chariot over the waves of the sea, which become smooth as he
appreaches, and the monsters of the deep recognise him and
play around his chariot. (Il. 13.27, comp. Verg. A. 5.817,
&c., 1.147; Apollon. 3.1240, &c.) Generally he himself put
his horses to his chariot, but sometimes he was assisted by
Amphitrite. (Apollon. 1.1158, 4.1325; Eur. Andr. 1011; Verg.
A. 5.817.) But although he generally dwelt in the sea, still
he also appears in Olympus in the assembly of the gods.
(Hom. Il. 8.440, 13.44, 352, 15.161, 190, 20.13.) Poseidon
in conjunction with Apollo is said to have built the walls
of Troy for Laomedon (7.452; Eurip. Androm. 1014),whence
Troy is called Neptunia Pergama (Neptunus and Poseidon being
identified, Ov. Fast. 1.525, Heroid. 3.151; comp. Verg. A.
6.810.) Accordingly, although he was otherwise well disposed
towards the Greeks, yet he was jealous of the wall which the
Greeks built around their own ships, and he lamented the
inglorious manner in which the walls erected by himself fell
by the hands of the Greeks. (Hom. Il. 12.17, 28, &c.) When
Poseidon and Apollo had built the walls of Troy, Laomedon
refused to give them the reward which had been stipulated,
and even dismissed them with threats (21.443); but Poseidon
sent a marine monster, which was on the point of devouring
Laomedon's daughter, when it was killed by Heracles. 2.5 §
9.) For this reason Poseidon like Hera bore an implacable
hatred against the Trojans, from which not even Aeneas was
excepted (Hom. Il. 20.293, &c.; comp. Verg. A. 5.810; Il.
21.459, 24.26, 20.312, &c.), and took an active part in the
war against Troy, in which he sided with the Greeks,
sometimes witnessing the contest as a spectator from the
heights of Thrace, and sometimes interfering in person,
assuming the appearance of a mortal hero and encouraging the
Greeks, while Zeus favoured the Trojans. (Il. 13.12, &c.,
44, &c., 209, 351, 357, 677, 14.136, 510.) When Zeus
permitted the gods to assist whichever party they pleased,
Poseidon joining the Greeks, took part in the war, and
caused the earth to tremble; he was opposed by Apollo, who,
however, did not like to fight against his uncle. (Il.
20.23, 34, 57, 67, 21.436, &c.) In the Odyssey, Poseidon
appears hostile to Odysseus, whom he prevents from returning
home in consequence of his having blinded Polyphemus, a son
of Poseidon by the nymph Thoosa. (Hom. Od. 1.20, 68, 5.286,
&c., 366, &c., 423, 11.101, &e., 13.125; Ov. Tr. 1.2. 9.)
Being the ruler of the sea (the Mediterranean), he is
described as gathering clouds and calling forth storms, but
at the same he has it in his power to grant a successful
voyage and save those who are in danger, and all other
marine divinities are subject to him. As the sea surrounds
and holds the earth, he himself is described as the god who
holds the earth (γαιήοχος), and who has it in his power to
shake the earth (ενοσίχθων, κινητὴρ γᾶς). He was further
regarded as the creator of the horse, and was accordingly
believed to have taught men the art of managing horses by
the bridle, and to have been the originator and protector of
horse races. (Hom. Il. 23.307, 584; Pind. P. 6.50 ; Soph.
Oed. Col. 712, &c.) Hence he was also represented on
horseback, or riding in a chariot drawn by two or four
horses, and is designated by the epithets ἵππιος, ἵππειος,
or ἵππιος ἄναξ. (Paus. 1.30.4, 8.25.5, 6.20.8, 8.37.7 ; Eur.
Phoen. 1707; comp. Liv. 1.9, where he is called equester.)
In consequence of his connection with the horse, he was
regarded as the friend of charioteers (Pind. O. 1.63, &c.;
Tzetz. ad Lyc. 156), and he even metamorphosed himself into
a horse, for the purpose of deceiving Demeter. The common
tradition about Poseidon creating the horse is as follows :
-- when Poseidon and Athena disputed as to which of them
should give the name to the capital of Attica, the gods
decided, that it should receive its name from him who should
bestow upon man the most useful gift. Poseidon their created
the horse, and Athena called forth the olive tree, for which
the honour was conferred upon her. (Serv. ad Virg. Georg.
1.12.) According to others, however, Poseidon did not create
the horse in Attica, but in Thessaly, where he also gave the
famous horses to Peleus. (Lucan, PPhars. 6.396, &c.; Hom.
Il. 23.277; Apollod. 3.13.5.)
The symbol of Poseidon's power was the trident, or a spear
with three points, with which he used to shatter rocks, to
call forth or subdue storms, to shake the earth, and the
like. Herodotus (2.50, 4.188) states, that the name and
worship of Poseidon was imported to the Greeks from Libya,
but he was probably a divinity of Pelasgian origin, and
originally a personification of the fertilising power of
water, from which the transition to regarding him as the god
of the sea was not difficult. It is a remarkable
circumstance that in the legends about this divinity there
are many in which he is said to have disputed the possession
of certain countries with other gods. Thus, in order to take
possession of Attica, he thrust his trident into the ground
on the acropolis, where a well of sea-water was thereby
called forth; but Athena created the olive tree, and the two
divinities disputed, until the gods assigned Attica to
Athena. Poseidon, indignant at this, caused the country to
be inundated. (Hdt. 8.55; Apollod. 3.14.1 ; Paus. 1.24.3,
&c.; Hyg. Fab. 164.) With Athena he also disputed the
possession of Troezene, and at the command of Zeus he shared
the place with her. (Paus. 2.30.6 ) With Helios he disputed
the sovereignty of Corinth, which along with the isthmus was
adjudged to him, while Helios received the acropolis.
(2.1.6.) With Hera he disputed the possession of Argolis,
which was adjudged to the former by Inachus, Cephissus, and
Asterion, in consequence of which Poseidon caused the rivers
of these river-gods to be dried up. (2.15.5, 22.5; Apollod.
2.1.4.) With Zeus, lastly, he disputed the possession of
Aegina, and with Dionysus that of Naxos. (Plut. Sympos.
9.6.) At one time Delphi belonged to him in common with Ge,
but Apollo gave him Calauria as a compensation for it.
(Paus. 2.33.2, 10.5.3; Apollon. 3.1243, with the Schol.) The
following legends also deserve to be mentioned. In
conjunction with Zeus he fought against Cronos and the
Titans (Apollod. 1.2.1), and in the contest with the Giants
he pursued Polybotes across the sea as far as Cos, and there
killed him by throwing the island upon him. (Apollod. 1.6.2;
Paus. 1.2.4.) He further crushed the Centaurs when they were
pursued by Heracles, under a mountain in Leucosia, the
island of the Seirens. (Apollod. 2.5.4.) He sued together
with Zeus for the hand of Thetis, but he withdrew when
Themis prophesied that the son of Thetis would be greater
than his father. (Apollod. 3.13.5; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 178.) When
Ares had been caught in the wonderful net by Hephaestus, the
latter set him free at the request of Poseidon (Hom. Od.
8.344, &c.), but Poseidon afterwards brought a charge
against Ares before the Areiopagus, for having killed his
son Halirrhothius. (Apollod. 3.14.2.) At the request of
Minos, king of Crete, Poseidon caused a bull to rise from
the sea, which the king promised to sacri fice; but when
Minos treacherously concealed the animal among a herd of
oxen, the god punished Minos by causing his daughter
Pasiphae to fall in love with the bull. (Apollod. 3.3, &c.)
Periclymenus, who was either a son or a grandson of
Poseidon, received from him the power of as-suming various
forms. (1.9.9, 3.6.8.)
Poseidon was married to Amphitrite, by whom he had three
children, Triton, Rhode, and Benthesicyme (Hes. Th. 930;
Apollod. 1.4.6, 3.15.4); but he had besides a vast number of
children by other divinities and mortal women. He is
mentioned by a variety of surnames, either in allusion to
the many legends related about him, or to his nature as the
god of the sea. His worship extended over all Greece and
southern Italy, but he was more especially revered in
Peloponnesus (which is hence called οἰκητήριον Ποσειδῶνος)
and in the Ionic coast towns. The sacrifices offered to him
generally consisted of black and white bulls (Hom. Od. 3.6,
Il. 20.404; Pind. O. 13.98; Verg. A. 5.237); but wild boars
and rams were also sacrificed to him. (Hom. Od. 11.130, &c.,
23.277; Verg. A. 3.119.) In Argolis bridled horses were
thrown into the well Deine as a sacrifice to him (Paus.
8.7.2), and horse and chariot races were held in his honour
on the Corinthian isthmus. (Pind. N. 5.66, &c.) The
Panionia, or the festival of all the lonians near Mycale,
was celebrated in honour of Poseidon. (Hdt. 1.148.) In works
of art, Poseidon may be easily recognised by his attributes,
the dolphin, the horse, or the trident (Paus. 10.36.4), and
he was frequently represented in groups along with
Amphitrite, Tritons, Nereids, dolphins, the Dioscuri,
Palaemon, Pegasus, Bellerophontes, Thalassa, Ino, and
Galene. (Paus. 2.1.7.) His figure does not present the
majestic calm which characterises his brother Zeus; but as
the state of the sea is varying, so also is the god
represented sometimes in violent agitation, and sometimes in
a state of repose. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. i. p. 26.) It
must be observed that the Romans identified Poseidon with
their own Neptunus, and that accordingly the attributes
belonging to the former are constantly transferred by the
Latin poets to the latter. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Priam (Greek Πρίαμος Priamos) was the king of Troy during the
Trojan War and youngest son of Laomedon. Modern scholars
derive his name from the Luwian compound Priimuua, which means
"exceptionally courageous".[1]...
Read More
（*Pri/amos), the famous king of Troy, at the time of the
Trojan war. He was a son of Laomedon and Strymo or Placia.
His original name is said to have been Podarces, i. e. "the
swift-footed," which was changed into Priamus, "the
ransomed" (from πρίαμαι), because he was the only surviving
son of Laomedon and was ransomed by his sister Hesione,
after he had fallen into the hands of Heracles (Apollod.
2.6.4, 3.12.3). He is said to have been first married to
Arisbe, the daughter of Merops, by whom he became the father
of Aesacus; but afterwards he gave up Arisbe to Hyrtacus,
and married Hecabe (Hecuba), by whom he had the following
children : Hector, Alexander or Paris, Deiphobus, Helenus,
Pammon, Polites, Antiphus, Hipponous, Polydorus, Troilus,
Creusa, Laodice, Polyxena, and Cassandra. By other women he
had a great many children besides (Apollod. 3.12.5).
According to the Homeric tradition, he was the father of
fifty sons, nineteen of whom were children of Hecabe, to
whom others add an equal number of daughters (IIom. Il.
24.495, &c.,with the note of Eustath.; comp. Hyg. Fab. 90;
Theocr. 15.139; Cic. Tusc. 1.35). Previous to the outbreak
of the war of the Greeks against his kingdom, he is said to
have supported the Phrygians in their war against the
Amazons (Hom. Il. 3.184). When the Greeks landed on the
Trojan coast Priam was already advanced in years, and took
no active part in the war (24.487, 500). Only once did he
venture upon the field of battle, to conclude the agreement
respecting the single combat between Paris and Menelaus
(3.250, &c.). After the death of his son Hector, Priam,
accompanied by Hermes, went to the tent of Achilles to
ransom Hector's body for burial, and obtained it (24.470).
His death is not mentioned by Homer, but later poets have
filled up this gap in the legend. When the Greeks entered
the city of Troy, the aged king, it is said, put on his
armour, and was on the point of rushing into the crowd of
the enemy, but he was prevailed on by Hecabe to take refuge
with herself and her daughters, as a suppliant at the altar
of Zeus Herceius. While he was tarrying in the temple, his
son Polites, pursued by Pyrrhus, rushed into the temple, and
expired at the feet of his father, whereupon Priam aimed at
Pyrrhus, but was killed by him. (Verg. A. 2.512, &c.; Eur.
Tro. 17; Paus. 2.24.5, 4.17.3.) His body remained unburied.
(Verg. A. 2.558; Seneca Troades 50, &c.; Q. Smyrn. 13.240,
&c.)
Another Priam is mentioned by Virgil (Aen. 5.564), as a son
of Polites, and is accordingly a grandson of kiln Priam. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Priapos (Ancient Greek: Πρίαπος),
Latinized as Priapus, was a minor rustic fertility god,
protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male
genitalia. His Roman equivalent was Mutunus Tutunus. Priapus
was best noted for his large, permanent erection, which gave
rise to the medical term priapism...
Read More
（*Pri/apos), a son of Dionysus and Aphrodite (Paus. 9.31.2;
Diod. 4.6; Tib. 1.4. 7; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 1.932).
Aphrodite, it is said, had yielded to the embraces of
Dionysus, but during his expedition to India, she became
faithless to him, and lived with Adonis. On Dionysus' return
from India, she indeed went to meet him, but soon left him
again, and went to Lampsacus on the Hellespont, to give
birth to the child of the god. But Hera, dissatisfied with
her conduct, touched her, and, by her magic power, caused
Aphrodite to give birth to a child of extreme ugliness, and
with unusually large genitals. This child was Priapus.
According to others, however, Priapus was a son of Dionysus
and a Naiad or Chione, and gave his name to the town of
Priapus (Strab. xiii. p.587; Schol. ad Theocr. 1.21), while
others again describe him as a son of Adonis, by Aphrodite
(Tzetz. ad Lyc. 831), as a son of Hermes (Hyg. Fab. 160), or
as the son of a long-eared father, that is, of Pan or a
Satyr (Macr. 6.5). The earliest Greek poets, such as Homer,
Hesiod, and others, do not mention this divinity, and Strabo
(xiii. p.558) expressly states, that it was only in later
times that he was honoured with divine worship, and that he
was worshipped more especially at Lampsacus on the
Hellespont, whence he is sometimes called Hellespontiacus
(Ov. Fast. 1.440, 6.341; Arnob. 3.10). We have every reason
to believe that he was regarded as the promoter of fertility
both of the vegetation and of all animals connected with an
agricultural life, and in this capacity he was worshipped as
the protector of flocks of sheep and goats, of bees, the
vine, all garden-produce, and even of fishing (Paus. 9.31.2;
Verg. Ecl. 7.33, Georg. 4.110, with the commentators). Like
other divinities presiding over agricultural pursuits, he
was believed to be possessed of prophetic powers, and is
sometimes mentioned in the plural (Tib. 1.4. 67; Moschus,
3.27). As Priapus had many attributes in common with other
gods of fertility, the Orphics identified him with their
mystic Dionysus, Hermes, Helios, &c. (Schol. ad Theocr.
1.21; Eustath. ad Hom. pp. 691, 242.) The Attic legends
connect Priapus with such sensual and licentious beings as
Conisalus, Orthanes, and Tychon. (Strab. l.c. ; Aristoph.
Lys. 982; comp. Diod. 4.6). In like manner he was confounded
by the Italians with Mutunus or Muttunus, the
personification of the fructifying power in nature (Salmas.
ad Solin. p. 219; Arnob. 4.11). The sacrifices offered to
him consisted of the first-fruits of gardens, vineyards, and
fields (Anthol. Palat. 6.102), of milk, honey, cakes, rams,
asses, and fishes (Anthol. Palat. 10.14; Ov. Fast. 1.391,
416; Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 2.84). He was represented in
carved images, mostly in the form of hermae, with very large
genitals, carrying fruit in his garment, and either a sickle
or cornucopia in his hand (Tib. 1.1. 22, 4. 8; Verg. G.
4.110; Horat. Sat. 1.8; Hirt. Mythol. Bilderb. p. 172). The
hermae of Priapus in Italy, like those of other rustic
divinities, were usually painted red, whence the god is
called ruber or rubicundus. (Ov. Fast. 1.415, 6.319, 333). -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Procris (Ancient Greek: Πρόκρις, gen.:
Πρόκριδος) was the daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens and
his wife, Praxithea. She married Cephalus, the son of
Deioneus. Procris had at least two sisters, Creusa and
Orithyia. Sophocles wrote a tragedy called Procris which has
been lost, as has a version contained in the Greek Cycle, but
at least six different accounts of her story still exist...
Read More
（*Pro/kris), a daughter of Erechtheus in Athens, was married
to Cephalus (Apollod. 3.15.2; comp. CEPHALUS). A second
Procris was a daughter of Thespius. (Apollod. 2.7.8.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Pales was a deity of shepherds, flocks and
livestock. Regarded as a male by some sources and a female by
others, and even possibly as a pair of deities (as Pales could
be either singular or plural in Latin).
Pales' festival, called the Parilia, was celebrated on April
21. Cattle were driven through bonfires on this day. Another
festival to Pales, apparently dedicated "to the two Pales"
(Palibus duobus) was held on July 7.
Marcus Atilius Regulus built a temple to Pales in Rome
following his victory over the Salentini in 267 BC. It is
generally thought to have been located on the Palatine Hill,
but, being a victory monument, it may have been located on the
route of the triumphal procession, either on the Campus
Martius or the Aventine Hill. - Wikipedia
Read More
a Roman divinity of flocks and shepherds, is described by some
as a male, and by others as a female divinity; whence some
modern writers have inferred that Pales was a combination of
both sexes; but such a monstrosity is altogether foreign to
the religion of the Romans. (Verg. A. 3.1, 297, Georg. 3.1;
Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 5.35; Ov. Fast. 4.721, 746, 766; Dionys.
A. R. 1.88 ; Athen. 8.361.) Some of the rites performed at the
festival of Pales, which was celebrated on the 21 st of April,
the birth-day of the city of Rome, would indeed seem to
indicate, that the divinity was a female character; but
besides the express statements to the contrary (Serv. ad Virg.
Georg. 3.1; Arnob. ad v. Gent. 3.23; Martian. cap. i. p. 27),
there also are other reasons for believing that Pales was a
male divinity. The name seems to be connected with Palatinus,
the centre of all the earliest legends of Rome, and the god
himself was with the Romans the embodiment of the same idea as
Pan among the Greeks. Respecting the festival of the Palilia
see Dict. of Ant. s. v. (Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. vol. ii.
p. 148, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Palinurus, in Roman mythology, is the helmsman of a ship of
the Trojan hero Aeneas, whose descendants would one day
found the city of Rome. As the price for the safe passage of
Aeneas and his people from Sicily to Italy, Palinurus loses
his life, one on behalf of many ('unum pro multis dabitur
caput' according to Vergil's "Neptune" (Aeneid 5.815).
Somnus causes Palinurus to fall asleep and fall overboard.
(Palinurus' own version at Aeneid 6.349 does not blame the
god.) He is then stranded on the coast of Lucania, in
southern Italy, where he is killed by a native tribe, the
Lucani. When Aeneas and the Sibyl meet Palinurus in the
Underworld, the Sibyl promises that the local people will be
moved by signs to provide the helmsman's body with a proper
burial, at what is now Cape Palinuro.[1][2]
Palinurus is mentioned in Utopia by Sir Thomas More as a
type of careless traveller. "'Then you're not quite right,'
he replied, 'for his sailing has not been like that of
Palinurus, but more that of Ulysses, or rather of Plato.
This man, who is named Raphael.'"[3] This is unfair, as
Palinurus conscientiously refused to let the disguised
Somnus take the tiller, claiming that although the sea was
calm, he could not risk going off duty. Somnus was forced to
use magic to make Palinurus sleep.
Palinurus was the pseudonym chosen by Cyril Connolly for his
book The Unquiet Grave: A Word Cycle, and used to refer
disparagingly to him by Alaric Jacob in Scenes from a
Bourgeois Life.
The singer-songwriter Peter Hammill recorded a song called
"Palinurus (Castaway)" on his 1978 album The Future Now,
with lyrics vaguely invoking Palinurus's sea voyage,
including the pun "it's all Greek to me", though Palinurus
was Trojan. - Wikipedia
Read More
（*Palinou=ros), the son of Jasus, and helmsman of Aeneas. The
god of Sleep in the disguise of Phorbas approached him, sent
him to sleep at the helm, and then threw him down into the
sea. (Verg. A. 5.833, &c.) In the lower world he saw Aeneas
again, and related to him that on the fourth day after his
fall, he was thrown by the waves on the coast of Italy and
there murdered, and that his body was left unburied on the
strand. The Sibyl prophesied to him, that bv the command of an
oracle his death should be atoned for, that a tomb should be
erected to him, and that a cave (Palinurus, the modern Punta
della Spartivento) should be called after him. (Verg. A.
6.337, &c.; Strab. vi. p.252.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Pan (Greek Πάν, genitive Πανός), in Greek religion and
mythology, is the god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain
wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of
the nymphs.[1] His name originates within the Greek language,
from the word paein (Πάειν), meaning "to pasture."[2] He has
the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same
manner as a faun or satyr. With his homeland in rustic
Arcadia, he is recognized as the god of fields, groves, and
wooded glens; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility
and the season of spring. The ancient Greeks also considered
Pan to be the god of theatrical criticism.[3]
In Roman religion and myth, Pan's counterpart was Faunus, a
nature god who was the father of Bona Dea, sometimes
identified as Fauna. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Pan
became a significant figure in the Romantic movement of
western Europe, and also in the 20th-century Neopagan
movement.[4]...
Read More
（Πάν), the great god of flocks and shepherds among the
Greeks; his name is probably connected with the verb πάω.
Lat. pasco, so that his name and character are perfectly in
accordance with each other. Later speculations, according to
which Pan is the same as τὸ πᾶν, or the universe, and the
god the symbol of the universe, cannot be taken into
consideration here. He is described as a son of Hermes by
the daughter of Dryops (Hom. Hymn. 7.34), by Callisto
(Schol. ad Theocr. 1.3), by Oeneis or Thymbris (Apollod.
1.4.1; Schol. ad Theocrit. l.c.), or as the son of Hermes by
Penelope, whom the god visited in the shape of a ram (Hdt.
2.145; Schol. ad Theocrit. 1.123 ; Serv. ad Aen. 2.43), or
of Penelope by Odysseus, or by all her suitors in common.
(Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 1.16; Schol. ad Lycoph. 766; Schol.
ad Theocrit. 1.3.) Some again call him the son of Aether and
Oeneis, or a Nereid, or a son of Uranus and Ge. (Schol. ad
Theocrit. 1.123; Schol. ad Lycoph. l.c.) From his being a
grandson or great grandson of Cronos, he is called Κρόνιος.
(Eur. Rh. 36.) He was from his birth perfectly developed,
and had the same appearance as afterwards, that is, he had
his horns, beard, puck nose, tail, goats' feet, and was
covered with hair, so that his mother ran away with fear
when she saw him ; but Hermes carried him into Olympus,
where all (πάντες) the gods were delighted with him, and
especially Dionysus. (Hom. Hymn. 7.36, &c.; comp. Sil. Ital.
13.332; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 22.) He was brought up by
nymphs. (Paus. 8.30.2.)
The principal seat of his worship was Arcadia and from
thence his name and his worship afterwards spread over other
parts of Greece; and at Athens his worship was not
introduced till the time of the battle of Marathon. (Paus.
8.26.2; Verg. Ecl. 10.26; Pind. Frag. 63, ed. Boeckh.; Hdt.
2.145.) In Arcadia he was the god of forests, pastures,
flocks, and shepherds, and dwelt in grottoes (Eur. Ion 501;
Ov. Met. 14.515), wandered on the summits of mountains and
rocks, and in valleys, either amusing himself with the
chase, or leading the dances of the nymphs. (Aeschyl. Pers.
448; Hom. Hymn. 7.6, 13, 20 ; Paus. 8.42.2.) As the god of
flocks, both of wild and tame animals, it was his province
to increase them and guard them (Hom. Hymn. 7.5; Paus.
8.38.8; Ov. Fast. 2.271, 277 ; Virg. Eclog. 1.33); but he
was also a hunter, and hunters owed their success to him,
who at the same time might prevent their being successful.
(Hesych. s. v. Ἀγρεύς.) In Arcadia hunters used to scourge
the statue, if they hunted in vain (Theocrit. 7.107); during
the heat of mid day he used to slumber, and was very
indignant when any one disturbed him. (Theocrit. 1.16.) As
god of flocks, bees also were under his protection, as well
as the coast where fishermen carried on their pursuit.
(Theocrit. 5.15; Anthol. Palat. 6.239, 10.10.) As the god of
every thing connected with pastoral life, he was fond of
music, and the inventor of the syrinx or shepherd's flute,
which he himself played in a masterly manner, and in which
he instructed others also, such as Daphnis. (Hom. Hymn. 7.15
; Theocrit. 1.3; Anthol. Palat. 9.237, 10.11; Verg. Ecl.
1.32, 4.58; Serv. ad Virg. Edloq. 5.20.) He is thus said to
have loved the poet Pindar, and to have sung and danced his
lyric songs, in return for which Pindar erected to him a
sanctuary in front of his house. (Pind. P. 3.139, with the
Schol.; Plut. Num. 4.) Pan, like other gods who dwelt in
forests, was dreaded by travellers to whom he sometimes
appeared, and whom he startled with a sudden awe or terror.
(Eur. Rh. 36.) Thus when Pheidippides, the Athenian, was
sent to Sparta to solicit its aid against the Persians, Pan
accosted him, and promised to terrify the barbarians, if the
Athenians would worship him. (Hdt. 6.105 ; Paus. 8.54.5,
1.28.4.) He is said to have had a terrific voice (V. Fl.
3.31), and by it to have frightened the Titans in their
fight with the gods. (Eratosh. Catast. 27.) It seems that
this feature, namely, his fondness of noise and riot, was
the cause of his being considered as the minister and
companion of Cybele and Dionysus. (V. Fl. 3.47; Pind. Fragm.
63, ed. Boeckh; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 22.) He was at the same
time believed to be possessed of prophetic powers, and to
have even instructed Apollo in this art. (Apollod. 1.4.1.)
While roaming in his forests he fell in love with Echo, by
whom or by Peitho he became the father of lynx. His love of
Syrinx, after whom he named his flute, is well known from
Ovid (Ov. Met. 1.691, &c.; comp. Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 2.31;
and about his other amours see Georg. 3.391; Macr. 5.22).
Fir-trees were sacred to him, as the nymph Pitys, whom he
loved, had been metamorphosed into that tree (Propert. 1.18.
20), and the sacrifices offered to him consisted of cows,
rams, lambs, milk, and honey. (Theocrit. 5.58; Anthol.
Palat. 2.630, 697, 6.96, 239, 7.59.) Sacrifices were also
offered to him in common with Dionysus and the nymphs.
(Paus. 2.24.7; Anthol. Palat. 6.154.) The various epithets
which are given him by the poets refer either to his
singular appearance, or are derived from the names of the
places in which he was worshipped. Sanctuaries and temples
of this god are frequently mentioned, especially in Arcadia,
as at Heraea, on the Nomian hill near Lycosura, on mount
Parthenius (Paus. 8.26.2, 38.8, 54.5), at Megalopolis
(8.30.2, 3.31.1), near Acacesium, where a perpetual fire was
burning in his temple, and where at the same time there was
an ancient oracle, at which the nymph Erato had been his
priestess (8.37.8, &c.), at Troezene (2.32.5), on the well
of Eresinus, between Argos and Tegea (2.24.7), at Sicyon
2.10.2), at Oropus (1.34.2), at Athens (1.28.4; Hdt. 6.105),
near Marathon (1.32. in fin.), in the island of Psyttaleia
(1.36.2 ; Aeschyl. Pers. 448), in the Corycian grotto near
mount Parnassus (10.32.5), and at Homala in Thessaly.
(Theocrit. 7.103.)
The Romans identified with Pan their own god Inuus, and
sometimes also Faunus. Respecting the plural (Panes) or
beings with goat's feet, see SATYRI. In works of art Pan is
represented as a voluptuous and sensual being, with horns,
puck-nose, and goat's feet, sometimes in the act of dancing,
and sometimes playing on the syrinx. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb.
ii. p. 161, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography
and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Pandora (ancient Greek, Πανδώρα, derived
from πᾶν "all" and δῶρον "gift", thus "all-gifted", "all-
endowed") was the first woman.[1] As Hesiod related it, each
god helped create her by giving her unique gifts. Zeus ordered
Hephaestus to mould her out of Earth as part of the punishment
of mankind for Prometheus' theft of the secret of fire, and
all the gods joined in offering her "seductive gifts". Her
other name, inscribed against her figure on a white-ground
kylix in the British Museum,[2] is Anesidora, "she who sends
up gifts,"[3] up implying "from below" within the earth.
According to the myth, Pandora opened a jar (pithos), in
modern accounts sometimes mistranslated as "Pandora's box"
(see below), releasing all the evils of mankind- although the
particular evils, aside from plagues and diseases, are not
specified in detail by Hesiod - leaving only Hope inside once
she had closed it again.[4] She opened the jar out of simple
curiosity and not as a malicious act.[5]...
Read More
（*Pandw/ra), i. e. the giver of all, or endowed with every
thing, is the name of the first woman on earth. When
Prometheus had stolen the fire from heaven, Zeus in revenge
caused Hephaestus to make a woman out of earth, who by her
charms and beauty should bring misery upon the human race
(Hes. Th. 571, &c.; Stob. Serin. 1). Aphrodite adorned her
with beauty, Hermes gave her boldness and cunning, and the
gods called her Pandora, as each of the Olympians had given
her some power by which she was to work the ruin of man.
Hermes took her to Epimetheus, who forgot the advice of his
brother Prometheus, not to accept any gift from Zeus, and
from that moment all miseries came down upon men (Hes. Op.
et Dies, 50, &c.). According to some mythographers,
Epimetheus became by her the father of Pyrrha and Deucalion
(Hygin. Fub. 142; Apollod. 1.7.2 ; Procl. ad Hes. Op. p. 30,
ed. Heinsius; Ov. Met. 1.350); others make Pandora a
daughter of Pyrrha and Deucalion (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 23).
Later writers speak of a vessel of Pandora, containing all
the blessings of the gods, which would have been preserved
for the human race, had not Pandora opened the vessel, so
that the winged blessings escaped irrecoverably. The birth
of Pandora was represented on the pedestal of the statue of
Athena, in the Parthenon at Athens (Paus. 1.24.7). In the
Orphic poems Pandora occurs as an infernal awful divinity,
and is associated with Hecate and the Erinnyes (Orph. Argon.
974). Pandora also occurs as a surname of Gaea (Earth), as
the giver of all. (Schol. ad Aristoph. Av. 970; Philostr.
Vit. Apoll. 6.39; Hesych. s.v.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, the Parcae were the personifications of
destiny, often called The Fates in English. Their Greek
equivalent were the Moirae. They controlled the metaphorical
thread of life of every mortal and immortal from birth to
death. Even the gods feared the Parcae. Jupiter also was
subject to their power.
The names of the three Parcae were:
Nona (Greek equivalent Clotho), who spun the thread of life
from her distaff onto her spindle;[citation needed]
Decima (Greek Lachesis), who measured the thread of life
with her rod;
Morta (Greek Atropos), who cut the thread of life and chose
the manner of a person's death.[1][2][3]
The earliest extant document of these deities are three
small steles (cippi) found near the location of ancient
Lavinium shortly after the end of World War II.[4] They bear
the inscription:
Neuna fata, Neuna dono, Parca Maurtia dono
The names of two of the three Roman Parcae are recorded
(Neuna = Nona, Maurtia = Morta) and connected to the concept
of fata.[5]
Nona was supposed to determine the lifespan of man as the
dies lustricus, that is, the day on which the name of the
child was chosen, which occurred on the ninth day from birth
for a male and the eighth for a female.[6][7]
The recurrence of the nundinae was also considered a dies
festus and as such nefas by some Roman scholars as Julius
Caesar and Cornelius Labeo, because on it the flaminica
dialis offered the sacrifice of a goat to Jupiter in the
Regia.[8] - Wikipedia
Read More
[MOIRA.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Paris (Greek: Πάρις; also known as Alexander or Alexandros,
c.f. Alaksandu of Wilusa), the son of Priam, king of Troy,
appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known
was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one
of the immediate causes of the Trojan War. Later in the war,
he fatally wounds Achilles in the heel with an arrow, as
foretold by Achilles's mother, Thetis...
Read More
（*Pa/ris), also called Alexander , was the second son of
Priam and Hecabe. Previous to his birth Hecabe dreamed that
she had given birth to a firebrand, the flames of which
spread over the whole city. This dream was interpreted to
her by Aesacus, or according to others by Cassandra (Eur.
Andr. 298), by Apollo (Cic. De Divin. 1.21), or by a Sibyl
(Paus. 10.12.1), and was said to indicate that Hecabe should
give birth to a son, who should bring about the ruin of his
native city, and she was accordingly advised to expose the
child. Some state that the soothsayers urged Hecabe to kill
the child, but as she was unable to do so, Priam exposed
him. (Schol. ad Eur. Andr. 294, Iphig. Aul. 1285.) The boy
accordingly was entrusted to a shepherd, Agelaus, who was to
expose him on Mount Ida. But after the lapse of five days,
the shepherd, on returning to mount Ida, found the child
still alive, and fed by a she-bear. He accordingly took back
the boy, and brought him up along with his own child, and
called him Paris. (Eur. Tro. 921.) When Paris had grown up,
he distinguished himself as a valiant defender of the flocks
and shepherds, and hence received the name of Alexander, i.
e. the defender of men. He now also succeeded in discovering
his real origin, and found out his parents. (Apollod.
3.12.5.) This happened in the following manner: -- "Priam,
who was going to celebrate a funeral solemnity for Paris,
whom he believed to be dead, ordered a bull to be fetched
from the herd, which was to be given as a prize to the
victor in the games. The king's servants took the favourite
bull of Paris, who therefore followed the men, took part in
the games, and conquered his brothers. One of them drew his
sword against him, but Paris fled to the altar of Zeus
Herceius, and there Cassandra declared him to be her
brother, and Priam now received him as his son." (Hyg. Fab.
91; Serv. ad Aen. 5.370.) Paris then married Oenone, the
daughter of the river god Cebren. As she possessed prophetic
powers, she cautioned him not to sail to the country of
Helen; but as he did not follow her advice (Hom. Il. 5.64),
she promised to heal him if he should be wounded, as that
was the only aid she could afford him. (Apollod. 3.12.6;
Parthen. Erot, 4.) According to some he became, by Oenone,
the father of Corythus, who was afterwards sent off by his
mother to serve the Greeks as guide on their voyage to Troy.
(Tzetz. ad Lyc. 57.) Paris himself is further said to have
killed his son from jealousy, as he found him with Helen.
(Conon, Narr. 23; Parthen. Erot. 34.) It should, however, be
mentioned that some writers call Corythus a son of Paris by
Helen.
When Peleus and Thetis solemnized their nuptials, all the
gods were invited, with the exception of Eris. But the
latter appeared, nevertheless. but not being admitted, she
threw a golden apple among the guests, with the inscription,
"to the fairest." (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 93 ; Serv. ad Aen. 1.27.)
Here, Aphrodite and Athena began to dispute as to which of
them the apple should belong. Zeus ordered Hermes to take
the goddesses to mount Gargarus, a portion of Ida, to the
beautiful shepherd Paris, who was there tending his flocks,
and who was to decide the dispute. (Eurip. Iphig. Aul. 1302,
1298 ; Paus. 5.19 § 1; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 986.) Hera
promised him the sovereignty of Asia and great riches,
Athena great glory and renown in war, and Aphrodite the
fairest of women, Helen, in marriage. Hereupon Paris
declared Aphrodite to be the fairest and deserving of the
golden apple. This judgment called forth in Hera and Athena
fierce hatred of Troy. (Hom. Il. 24.25, 29; Schol. ad Eurip.
Hecub. 637, Troad. 925, &c., Helen. 23, &c., Androm. 284;
Hyg. Fab. 92; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 20.) Under the protection
of Aphrodite, Paris now carried off Helen, the wife of
Menelaus, from Sparta. (Hom. Il. 3.46, &c.; Apollod.
3.12.6.) The accounts of this rape are not the same in all
writers, for according to some Helen followed her seducer
willingly and without resistance, owing to the influence of
Aphrodite (Hom. Il. 3.174), while Menelaus was absent in
Crete (Eur. Tro. 939); some say that the goddess deceived
Helen, by giving to Paris the appearance of Menelaus
(Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1946); according to others Helen was
carried off by Paris by force, either during a festival or
during the chase. (Lycoph. 106; Serv. ad Acn. 1.526; Dict.
Cret. 1.3; Ptolem. Hephaest. 4.) Respecting the voyage of
Paris to Greece, there likewise are different accounts.
Once, it is said, Sparta was visited by a famine, and the
oracle declared that it should not cease, unless the sons of
Prometheus, Lycus and Chimaereus, who were buried at Troy,
were propitiated. Menelaus accordingly went to Troy, and
Paris afterwards accompanied him from Troy to Delphi.
(Lycoph. 132; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 521.) Others say that
Paris involuntarily killed his beloved friend Antheus, and
therefore fled with Menelaus to Sparta. (Lycoph. 134, &c.)
The marriage between Paris and Helen was consummated in the
island of Cranae, opposite to Gytheium, or at Salamis. (Hom.
Il. 3.445; Paus. 3.22.2; Lycoph. 110.) On his return with
his bride to Troy, Paris passed through Egypt and Phoenicia,
and at length arrived in Troy with Helen and the treasures
which he had treacherously taken from the hospitable house
of Menelaus. (Hom. Od. 4.228, Il. 6.291; Hdt. 2.113; Dict.
Cret. 1.5.) In regard to this journey the accounts again
differ, for according to the Cypria Paris and Helen reached
Troy three days after their departure (Hdt. 2.117), whereas,
according to later traditions, Helen did not reach Troy at
all, for Zeus and Hera allowed only a phantom resembling her
to accompany Paris to Troy, while the real Helen was carried
to Proteus in Egypt, and remained there until she was
fetched by Menelaus. (Eurip. Elect. 1280, &c., Helen. 33,
&c., 243, 584, 670; Hdt. 2.118, 120; Lycoph. 113; Philostr.
Her. 2.20, Vit. Apoll. 4.16; Serv. ad Aen. 1.651, 2.592.)
The carrying off of Helen from Sparta gave rise to the
Trojan war. When the Greeks first appeared before Troy,
Paris was bold and courageous (li. 3.16, &c.); but when
Menelaus advanced against him, he took to flight. As Hector
upbraided him for his cowardice, he offered to fight in
single combat with Menelaus for the possession of Helen
(3.70). Menelaus accepted the challenge, and Paris though
conquered was removed from the field of battle by Aphrodite
(3.380). The goddess then brought Helen back to him, and as
she as well as Hector stirred hint up, he afterwards
returned to battle, and slew Menesthius (6.503, 7.2, &c.).
He steadily refused to give up Helen to the Greeks, though
he was willing to restore the treasures he had stolen at
Sparta (7.347, &c.). Homer describes Paris as a handsome
man, as fond of the female sex and of music, and as not
ignorant of war, but as dilatory and cowardly, and detested
by his own friends for having brought upon them the fatal
war with the Greeks. He killed Achilles by a stratagem in
the sanctuary of the Thymbraean Apollo (Hom. Il. 22.359;
Dict. Cret. 4.11; Serv. ad Aen. 3.85, 322, 6.57); and when
Troy was taken, he himself was wounded by Philoctetes with
an arrow of Heracles (Soph. Philoct. 1426), and then
returned to his long abandoned first wife Oenone. But she,
remembering the wrong she had suffered, or according to
others being prevented by her father, refused to heal the
wound, or could not heal it as it had been inflicted by a
poisoned arrow. He then returned to Troy and died. Oenone
soon after changed her mind, and hastened after him with
remedies, but came too late, and in her grief hung herself.
(Apollod. 3.12.6; Dict. Cret. 4.19.) According to others she
threw herself from a tower, or rushed into the flames of the
funeral pile on which the body of Paris was burning.
(Lycoph. 65; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 61; Q. Smyrn. 10.467.) By
Helena, Paris is said to have been the father of Bunicus
(Bunomus or Bunochus), Corythus, Aganus, Idaeus, and of a
daughter Helena. (Dict. Cret. 5.5; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 851;
Parthen. Erot. 34; Ptolem. Hephaest. 4.) Paris was
represented in works of art as a youthful man, without a
beard and almost feminine beauty, with the Phrygian cap, and
sometimes with an apple in his hand, which he presented to
Aphrodite. (Comp. Mus. Pio-Clement. 2.37.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, as recorded in the Iliad by Homer,
Patroclus, or Patroklos (Gr. Πάτροκλος "glory of the father"),
was the son of Menoetius, grandson of Actor, King of Opus, and
was Achilles' beloved comrade. Menoetius was a member of the
Argonauts in his youth. He had several marriages, and in
different versions of the tale four different women are named
as the mother of Patroclus. Apollodorus of Athens names three
wives of Menoetius as possible mothers of Patroclus: Periopis,
daughter of Pheres, founder of Pherae; Polymele, daughter of
Peleus, King of Phthia and older half-sister of Achilles; and
Sthenele, daughter of Acastus and Astydameia. Gaius Julius
Hyginus names Philomela as Patroclus' mother; although Hyginus
gives no origin for Philomela, she might be related to her
namesake daughter of Pandion I, King of Athens and Zeuxippe.
According to some historians, he may have been romantically
involved with Achilles, the son of Peleus, King of Phthia...
Read More
2. The celebrated friend of Achilles. was a son of Menoetius
of Opus (Hom. Il. 11.608; Ov. Ep. 1.17), and a grandson of
Actor and Aegina, whence he is called Actorides. (Ov. Met.
13.273.) His mother is commonly called Sthenele, but some
mention her under the name of Periapis or Polymele. (Hyg.
Fab. 91; Eusitath. ad Hom. p. 1498.) Aeacus, the grandfather
of Achilles, was a brother of Menoetius (Hom. Il. 16.14),
and, according to Hesiod (apud Eustuth. ad Hom. p. 112),
Menoetius was a brother of Peleus, so that the friendship
between Achills and Patroclus arose from their being
kinsmen.
When yet a boy Patroclus, during a game of dice,
involuntarily slew Clysonyius. a son of Amphidamas, and in
consequence of this accident Patroclus was taken by his
father to Peleus at Phlthia, where he was educated together
with Achilles. (Hom. Il. 23.85, &e.; apollod. 3.13. § Ov.
Ep. ex Pont. 1.3. 73.) He is also mentioned among the
suitors of Helen. (Apollod. 3.10.8.) He is said to have
taken part in the expedition against Troy on account of his
attachment to Achilles. (Hygin. Fub. 257; Philostr. Her. 19.
9.) On their voyage thither, the Greeks plundered in Mysia
the territory of Telephus, but were repelled, and oin their
flight to their ships they were protected lby Patroclus and
Achilles. (Pind. O. 10.105, &c.) During the war against Troy
he took ani active part in thle struggle, until his friend
withdrew from the scene of action, when Patroclus followed
his example. (Hom. Il. 9.190.) But when te Greeks were hard
pressed, and many of their heroes were wounded, he begged
Achilles to allow him to put on his (Achilles') armour, and
with his men to hasten to the assistance of the Greeks
(16.20, &c.). Achilles granted thle request, and Patroclus
succeeded in driving back the Troians and extinguishing the
fire which was railin aillmong the ships (16.293). He slew
many enemies, and thrice made an assault t upon the walls ,
of Troi (16.293, &c., 702, 785); but on a sudden he was
struck by Apolio, and became senseless, In this state
Euphorbus ran him through with his lance from behind, and
Hector gave him the last and fatal blow (16.791, &c.).
Heetor also took possession of his armour (18.122). A long
struggle now ensued hetween the Greeks and Trojans about the
body of Patrocins; but the former obtained possession of it,
and when it was brought to Achilles, he was deeply grieved,
and vowed to avenge the death of his friethl (17.735,
18.22). Thetis protected the body with ambrosia against
decomposition. unitil Achilles had leisure solemnly to burn
it with funeral sacrifices (19.38). His ashes were collected
in a golden urn which Dionysus had once given to Thetis, and
were deposited under a mound, where subsequently the remains
of Achilles also were buried (23.83, 92, 126, 240, &c., Ot.
24.74, &c.; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 273). Funeral games were
celebrated in his honour. (II. 23.262, &c.) Achilles and
Patroclus met again in the lower world (Od. 24.15), or,
according to others, they continued after their death to
live together in the island of Leuce. (Paus. 3.19.11.)
Patroclus was represented by Polygnotus in the Lesche at
Delphi (Paus. 10.26.2, 30.1); and on Cape Sigeum in Troas,
where his tomb was shown, he was worshipped as a hero. (Hom,
Od. 24.82; Strab. xiii. p.596.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Pegasus (Greek: Πήγασος, Pégasos) was a
winged horse sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and
foaled by the Gorgon Medusa.[1] He was the brother of
Chrysaor, born at a single birthing. By extension, the term
Pegasus is often used to refer to any winged horse...
Read More
2. The famous winged horse, whose origin is thus related.
When Perseus struck off the head of Medusa, with whom
Poseidon had had intercourse in the form of a horse or a
bird, there sprang forth from her Chrysaor and the horse
Pegasus. The latter obtained the name Pegasus because he was
believed to have made his appearance near the sources
(πήγαι) of Oceanns. Pegasus rose up to the seats of the
immortals, and afterwards lived in the palace of Zeus, for
whom he carried thunder and lightning (IIes. Theog. 281,
&c.; Apollod. 2.3.2, 4.2 ; Schol. ad Aristoph. Pac. 722;
comp. Ov. Met. 4.781, &100.6.119). According to this view,
which is apparently the most ancient, Pegasus was the
thundering horse of Zeus; but later writers describe him as
the horse of Eos (Schol. ad Hom. Il. 6.155; Tzetz. ad Lyc.
17), and place him among the stars as the heavenly horse
(Arat. Phaen. 205, &c.; Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.18 Ov. Fast.
3.457, &c.).
Pegasus also acts a prominent part in the fight of
Bellerophon against the Chimaera (Hes. Th. 325; Apollod.
2.3.2). After Bellerophon had tried and suffered much to
obtain possession of Pegasus for his fight against the
Chimaera, he consuited the soothsayer Polvidus at Corinth.
The latter advised him to spend a night in the temple of
Athena, and, as Bellerophon was sleeping, the goddess
appeared to him in a dream, commanding him to sacrifice to
Poseidon, and gave him a golden bridle. When he awoke he
found the bridle, offered the sacrifice, and caught Pegasus,
who was drinking at the well Peirene (Pind. O. 13.90, &c.
with the Schol.; Strab. viii. p.379). According to some
Athena herself tamed and bridled Pegasus, and surrendered
him to Bellerophon (Paus. 2.4.1), or Bellerophon received
Pegasus from his own father Poseidon (Schol. ad Hom. Il.
6.155). After he had conquered the Chimaera (Pindar says
that he also conquered the Amazons and the Solymi, Ol.
13.125), he endeavoured to rise up to heaven with his winged
horse, but fell down upon the earth, either from fear or
from giddiness, or being thrown off by Pegasus, who was
rendered furious by a gad-fly which Zeus had sent. But
Pegasus continued his flight (Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.18 ;
Pind. Isthm. 7.6; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 17; Eustath. ad Hom. p.
636). Whether Hesiod considered Pegasus as a winged horse,
cannot be inferred with certainty from the word
ἀποπτάμενοσε; but Pindar, Euripides, and the other later
writers, expressly mention his wings.
Pegasus lastly was also regarded as the horse of the Muses,
and in this capacity he is more celebrated in modern times
than he ever was in antiquity ; for with the ancients he had
no connection with the Muses, except that by his hoof he
called forth the inspiring well Hippocrene. The story about
this well runs as follows. When the nine Muses engaged in a
contest with the nine daughters of Pierus on Mount Helicon,
all became darkness when the daughters of Pierus began to
sing ; whereas during the song of the Muses, heaven, the
sea, and all the rivers stood still to listen, and Helicon
rose heavenward with delight, until Pegasus, on the advice
of Poseidon, stopped its rising by kicking it with his hoof
(Ant. Lib. 9); and from this kick there arose Hippocrene,
the inspiring well of the Muses, on Mount Helicon, which,
for this reason, Persius (Prol. 1) calls fons cblallinus
(Ov. Met. 5.256). Others again relate that Pegasus caused
the well to gush forth because he was thirsty; and in other
parts of Greece also similar wells were believed to have
been called forth by Pegasus, such as Hippocrene, at
Troezene, and Peirene, near Corinth (Paus. 2.31.12; Stat.
Theb 4.60). Pegasus is often seen represented in ancient
works of art and on coins along with Athena and Bellerophon.
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Pelias (Ancient Greek: Πελίας) was king of Iolcus in Greek
mythology, the son of Tyro and Poseidon. His wife is recorded
as either Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, or Phylomache, daughter
of Amphion. He was the father of Acastus, Pisidice, Alcestis,
Pelopia, Hippothoe, Asteropia, Antinoe, and Medusa.[1]...
Read More
（*Peli/as), 1. A son of Poseidon (or Cretheus, Hyg. Fab.
12; Schol. ad Theocrit. 3.45) and Tyro. The latter, a
daughter of Salmoneus, was in love, in her youth, with the
river-god Enipeus, and Poseidon assuming the appearance of
Enipeus, visited her, and became by her the father of Pelias
and Neleus. Afterwards she was married to Cretheus, her
father's brother; she became by him the mother of Aeson,
Pheres, and Amythaon. (Hom. Od. 11.234, &c.; Apollod. 1.9.8;
Hyg. Fab. 157.) Pelias and Neleus were exposed by their
mother, and one of them was struck by a mare which passed
by, so that his face became black, and a shepherd who found
the child called him Pelias (from πελιόω, Eustath. ad Hom.
p. 1682); and the other child which was suckled by a she-
dog, was called Neleus, and both were brought up by the
shepherd. When they had grown up to manhood, they discovered
who their mother was, and Pelias killed Sidero, the wife of
Salmoneus and step-mother of Tyro, at the altar of Hera,
because she had ill used her step-daughter Tyro. After the
death of Cretheus, Pelias did not allow his step-brother
Aesoni to undertake the government of the kingdom, and after
expelling even his own brother Neleus he ruled at Iolcus
(Schol. ad Eurip. Alcest. 255; comp. Paus. 4.2.3), whereas
according to others, he did not reign at lolcus till after
Aeson's death, and even then only as the guardian of Jason,
the son of Aeson. (Schol. ad Horn. Od. 12.70.) It is
probably in allusion to his conduct towards his own brothers
that Hesiod (Hes. Th. 996) calls him ὑβριστής. He married,
according to some (Hygin. Fad. 14), Anaxibia, the daughter
of Bias, and according to ethers, Philomache, the daughter
of Amphion, by whom he became the father of Acastus,
Peisidice, Pelopeia, Hippothoe and Alcestis. (Apollod.
1.9.8, &c.) Besides these daughters of Pelias (Peliades),
several others are mentioned, such as Medusa (Hyg. Fab. 24),
Amphinome, Evadne (Diod. 4.53), Asteropaea and Antinoe.
(Paus. 8.11.2.) The Peliades were represented on the chest
of Cypselus, where however the name of Alcestis alone was
written. (Paus. 5.17.4; comp. Hom. Il. 2.715; Ov. Tr. 5.5.
55.) After the murder of their father, they are said to have
fled from Iolcus to Mantineia in Arcadia, where their tombs
also were shown. (Paus. 8.11.2.) Jason, after his return
from Colchis, gave Alcestis in marriage to Admetus,
Amphinome to Andraemon, and Evadne to Canes (Diod. 4.53),
though according to the common story, Pelias himself gave
Alcestis to Admetus. [ALCESTIS.] After Pelias had taken
possession of the kingdom of Iolcus, he sent Jason, the son
of his step-brother Aeson, to Colchis to fetch the golden
fleece, and as he did not anticipate his return, he
despatched Aeson and his son Promachus. After the return of
Jason, Pelias was cut to pieces and boiled by his own
daughters, who had been told by Medeia that in this manner
they might restore their father to vigour and youth. His
son, Acastus, held solemn funeral games in his honour at
Iolcus, and expelled Jason and Medeia from the country.
(Apollod. 1.9.27, &c.; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 175; Ov. Met. 7.297,
&c.; comp. JASON, MEDERIA, ARGONAUTAE.) Pelias is further
mentioned as one of the first who celebrated the Olympian
games. (Paus. 5.8.1.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Pelops (Greek Πέλοψ, from pelios: dark;
and ops: face, eye), was king of Pisa in the Peloponnesus. He
was the founder of the House of Atreus through his son of that
name.
He was venerated at Olympia, where his cult developed into the
founding myth of the Olympic Games, the most important
expression of unity, not only for the Peloponnesus, "island of
Pelops", but for all Hellenes. At the sanctuary at Olympia,
chthonic night-time libations were offered each time to "dark-
faced" Pelops in his sacrificial pit (bothros) before they
were offered in the following daylight to the sky-god Zeus
(Burkert 1983:96)...
Read More
（Πέλοψ.)
1. A grandson of Zeus and son of Tantalus and Dione, the
daughter of Atlas. (Hyg. Fab. 83; Eurip. Orest. init.) As he
was thus a great-grandson of Crones, he is called by Pindar
Κρόνιος (Ol. 3.41), though it may also contain an allusion
to Pluto, the mother of Tantalus, who was a daughter of
Cronos. [PLUTO.] Some writers call the mother of Pelops
Euryanassa or Clytia. (Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 5, 11; Tzetz.
ad Lyc. 52; comp. Apostol. Centur. 18.7.) He was married to
Hippodameia, by whom he became the father of Atreus
(Letreus, Paus. 6.22.5), Thyestes, Dias, Cynosurus,
Corinthius, Hippalmus (Hippalcmus or Hippalcimus), Hippasus,
Cleon, Argeius, Alcathus, Aelits, Pittheus, Troezen, Nicippe
and Lysidice. (Apoilod. 2.4.5; Schol. ald Erip. Orest. 5.)
By Axioche or the nymph Danais he is said to have been the
father of Chrysippus (Schol. ad Eurip. I.c. ; Plut. Puarall.
min. 33), and according to Pindar (1.89) he had only six
sons by Hippodanieia, whereas the Scholiast (ad Ol. 1.144)
mentions Pleisthenes and Chrysippus as sons of Pelops by
Hllippodameia. Further, while the common accounts mention
only the two daughters above named, Plutarch (Plut. Thes. 3)
speaks of many daughters of Pelops.
Pelops was king of Pisa in Elis, and from him the great
southern peninsula of Greece was believed to have derived
its name Peloponnesus; the nine small islands, moreover,
which were situated off the Troezenian coast, opposite
Methana, are said to have been called after hint the
Pelopian islands. (Paus. 2.34.4.) According to a tradition
which becmne very general in later times. Pelops was a
Phrygian, who was expelled from Sipylus by lius (Paus.
2.22.4, 5.13.4), whereupon the exile then came witl his
great wealth to Plia (5.1.5 ; Thuc. 1.9; comp. Sophl. Ajax,
1292; Pind. O. 1.36, 9.15); others describe himi as a
Paphlagonian, and call himn an Eneteian, from the
Paphlagonian town of Enete, and the Paphlagonians
theimselves Πελοεήϊοι (Apollon. 2.358, with the Schol., and
790; Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 1.37 ; Diod. 4.74), while others
again represent him as a nrative of Greece, who came from
Olenos in Achaia. (Schol. ad Pind. l.c.) Some, further, call
him an Arcsadian, and state that by a stratagem he slew the
Arcadian kilg Stymphalus, and scattered about the limbs of
his body which he had cut to pieces. (Apollod. 3.12.6.)
There can be little doubt that in the earliest and most
genuine traditions, Pelops was described as a native of
Greece and not as a foreign immigrant; and in them he is
called the tamer of horses and the favourite of Poseidon.
(Hom. Il. 2.104; Paus. 5.1.5, 8.1; Pind. O. 1.38.)
The legends about Pelops consist mainly of the story of his
being cut to pieces and boiled, and of the tuole concerning
his contest with Oenomaus and Hippodaineia, to which may be
added the legends about his relation to his sons and about
his remains.
1. Pelops cut to pieces and boiled. (Κρεουργία Πέλοπος.）
Tantalus, the favourite of the gods, it is said, once
invited them to a repast, and on that occasion he
slaughlitered his own son, and having boiled him set the
flesh before them that they might eat it. Bult the immortal
gods, knowing what it was, did not touch it; Demeter alone
being absorbed by her grief about her lost daughter (others
mentioned Thetis, Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 1.37), consumed the
shoulder of Pelops. Hereupon the gods ordered Hermes to put
the limbs of Pelops into a cauldron, and thereby restore to
him his life and former appearance. When the process was
over, Clotho took him out of the cauldron, and as the
shoulder consumed by Demeter was wanting, Denmeter supplied
its place by one made of ivory ; his descendaints (the
Pelopidae), as a mark of their origin, were believed to have
one shoulder as white as ivory. (Pind. O. 1.37, &c. with the
Schol. ; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 152; Hyg. Fab. 83; Verg. G. 3.7; Ov.
Met. 6.404.) This story is not related by all authors in the
same manner, for according to some, Rhea restored Pelops,
and Pan, the companion of Rhea, danced on the occasion.
(Schol. ad Aristid. p. 216, ed. Frommnel; Lucian, De Saltlt.
54; Paus. 5.13.4.) Pindar. again, denies the story of the
κρεουργία, and states that Poseidon, being in love with the
beautiful boy Pelops, carried him off, whereupon Pelops,
like Ganymnedes, for a time stayed with the gods. (Ol. 1.46,
&c.; conmp. Schol. ad Ol. 1.69; Eur. IT 387; Philost.
Imnaug. 1.17; Lucian, Charid. 7; Tib. 1.4, 57.)
2. Contest with Oenomaus and Hippodameia.
As an oracle had declared to Oenomaus that he should be
killed by his son-in-law, he refused giving his fair
daughter Hippodameia in marriage to any one. (Some said that
he himself was in love with his daughter, and for this
reason refused to give her to any one; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 156;
Lucian, Charid. 19 ; hygin. Fab. 253.) Many suitors however,
appearing, Oenomnaus declared that he would give her to him,
who should conquer him in the chariot-race, but that he
should kill those that should be conquered by him.
[OENOMAUS.] Among other suitors Pelops also presented
himself, but when he saw the heads of his conquered
predecessors stuck up above the door of Oenomaus, he was
seized with fear, and endeavoured to gain the favour of
Myrtilus, the chiarioteer of Oenomaus, promising him half
the kingdom if he would assist him in gaining Hippodameeia.
Myrtilus agreed, and did not properly fasten the wheels to
the chariot of Oenomaus. so that he might be upset during
the race. The plan succeeded, and Oenomans dying pronounced
a curse upon Myrtilus. When Pelops returned home with
Hippodameia and Myrtilus, he resolved to throw the latter
into the sea. As Myrtilus sank, he cursed Pelops and his
whole race. (Hygiin. Fab. 84; Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 1.114;
Diod. 4.73 ; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 183.) This story too is
related with various modifications. According to Pindar,
Pelops did not gain the victory by any stratagem, but called
for assistance upon Poseidon, wllo gave him a chariot and
horses by which he overcame Oenomaus. (Ol. 1.109, &c.) On
the chest of Cypselus where the race was represented, the
horses had wings. (Paus. 5.17.4; comp. Apollon. 1.752, &c.;
HIPPODAMEIA and MYRTILUS.) In order to atone for the murder
of Myrtilus, Pelops founded the first temple of Hermes in
Peloponnesus (Paus. 5.15.5), and he also erected a monument
to the unsuccessful suitors of Hippodameia, at which an
annual sacrifice was offered to them (6.21.7). When Pelops
had gained possession of Hippodameia, he went with her to
Pisa in Elis, and soon also made himself master of Olympia,
where he restored the Olympian games with greater splendour
than they had ever had before. (Pind. O. 9.16; Paus. 5.1.5,
8.1.) He received his sceptre from Hermes and bequeathed it
to Atreus. (Hom. Il. 2.104.)
3. The sons of Pelops.
Chrysippus who was the favourite of his father, roused the
envy of his brothers, who in concert with Hippodameia,
prevailed upon the two eldest among them, Atreus and
Thyestes, to kill Chrysippus. They accomplished their crime,
and threw the body of their murdered brother into a well.
According to some Atreuts alone was the murderer (Schol. ad
Eurip. Orest. 800), or Pelops himself killed him (Schol. ad
Thuc. 1.9), or Chrysippus made away with himself (Schol. ad
Eurip. Phoen. 1760), or Hippodameia slew him, because her
own sons refused to do it. (Plut. Parall. Min. 33.)
According to the common tradition, however, Pelops, who
suspected his sons of the murder, expelled them from the
country, and they dispersed all over Peloponnesus. (Schol.
ad Eurip. Or. 5; Paus. 5.8.1.) Hippodameia, dreading the
anger of her husband, fled to Midea in Argolis. from whence
her remains were afterwards conveyed by Pelops, at the
command of an oracle, to Olympia. (Paus. 6.20.4.) Some state
that Hippodameia made away with herself. (Hyg. Fab. 85,
243.) She had a sanctuary at Olympia in the grove Altis, to
which women alone had access, and in the race coarse at
Olympia there was a bronze statue of her. (Paus. 6.20.10.)
4. The remains of Pelops.
While the Greeks were engaged in the siege of Troy, they
were informed by an oracle, that the city could not be
taken, unless one of the bones of Pelops were brought from
Elis to Troas. The shoulder bone accordingly was fetched
from Letrina or Pisa, but was lost together with the ship in
which it was carried, off the coast of Euboea. Many years
afterwards it was dragged up from the bottom of the sea by a
fisherman, Demarmenus of Eretria, who concealed it in the
sand, and then consulted the Delphic oracle about it. At
Delphi he met ambassadors of the Eleians, who had come to
consult the oracle respecting a plague, which was raging in
their country. The Pythia requested Demarmienus to give the
shoulder bone of Pelops to the Eleians. This was done
accordingly, and the Eleians appointed Demarmenus to guard
the venerable relic. (Paus. 5.13.3; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 52, 54.)
According to some the Palladium was made of the bones of
Pelops. (Clem. Alex. ad Gent. p. 30d; cosmp. Plin. Nat.
28.4.) Pelops was honoured at Olympia above all other
heroes. (Paus. 5.13.1.) His tomb with an iron sarcophagus
existed on the banks of the Alpheius, not far from the
temple of Artemis near Pisa; and every year the ephebi there
scourged themselves, shedding their blood as a funeral
sacrifice to the hero. (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 1.146.) The spot
on which his sanctuary (Πελόπιον) stood in the grove Altis,
was said to have been dedicated by Heracles, who also
offered to him the first sacrifices. (Paus. l.c. ; 5.26, in
fin.; Apollod. 2.7.2.) The magistrates of the Eleians
likewise offered to him there an annual sacrifice,
consisting of a black ram, with special ceremonies. (Paus.
5.13.2.) His chariot was shown in the temple of Demeter at
Phlius, and his sword in the treamsurv of the Sicyonians at
Olympia. (Paus. 2.14.3, 6.19.3.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In ancient Roman religion, the Di Penates or Penates were
among the dii familiares, or household deities, invoked most
often in domestic rituals. When the family had a meal, they
threw a bit into the fire on the hearth for the Penates.[1]
They were thus associated with Vesta, the Lares, and the
Genius of the paterfamilias in the "little universe" of the
domus.[2]...
Read More
the household gods of the Romans, both in regard to a
private family and to the state, as the great family of
citizens : hence we shall have to distinguish between
private and public Penates. The name is unquestionably
connected with penus, they being the gods who were
worshipped, and whose images were kept in the central part
of the house, or the penetralia, and who thus protected the
whole household. (Isidor. Orig. 8.11; Fest. s. vv.
Penetralia, Penus.) The Greeks, when speaking of the Roman
Penates, called them θεοὶ πατρῷοι, γενέθλιοι, κτήσιοι,
μύχιοι, ἕρκιοι. (Dionys. A. R. 1.67.) The Lares therefore
were included among the Penates; both names, in fact, are
often used synonymously (Schol. ad Horat. Epod. 2.43; Plaut.
Mler. 5.1. 5; Aulul. 2.8. 16; Plin. Nat. 28.20), and the
figures of two youths whom Dionysius (1.68) saw in the
temple of the Penates, were no doubt the same as the Lares
praestites, that is, the twin founders of the city of Rome.
The Lares, however, though they may be regarded as identical
with the Penates, were yet not the only Penates, for each
family had usually no more than one Lar, whereas the Penates
are always spoken of in the plural. (Plaut. Mere. 5.1. 5.)
Now considering that Jupiter and Juno were regarded as the
protectors and the promoters of happiness, peace, and
concord in the family, and that Jupiter is not only called a
deus penetralis (Fest. s. v. Herceus), but that sacrifices
were offered to him on the hearth along with the Lares,
there can be little doubt but that Jupiter and Juno too were
worshipped as Penates. Vesta also is reckoned among the
Penates (Serv. ad Aen. 2.297; Macr. 3.4; Ov. Met. 15.864),
for each hearth, being the symbol of domestic union, had its
Vesta. All other Penates, both public and private, seem to
have consisted of certain sacred relics connected with
indefinite divinities, and hence the expression of Varro,
that the number and names of the Penates were indefinite
(apud Arnob, 3.40; Macrob. l.c. ; Isid. Orig. 8.11). This
statement of a great antiquarian might have deterred any one
from entering upon any further investigation; but some have
nevertheless ventured upon the wide field of speculation,
and conjectured that the Penates were Neptune and Apollo,
because these divinities had surrounded Troy with walls.
According to this view the Penates were the sacred relics
that were believed to have been brought from Troy to Italy
(Arnob. 3.40; Macrob. l.c.) According to an Etruscan opinion
the Penates were four in number, or divided into four
classes, viz. Jupiter and his suite, Neptune and his train,
and the gods of the uper and lower worlds; but this opinion
is certainly based upon a view of the Penates which is
different from that entertained by the Romans. Others again
believed that the Penates were those divinities who were the
representatives of the vital principle in man and nature,
that is, Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, to whom Tarquinius
built a common temple on the Capitol; and as Tarquinius was
believed to have been initiated in the Samothracian
mysteries, the Penates were identified with the great gods
of Sanmothrace. This was accounted for by the supposition
that the Trojan Penates who had been brought to Italy, had
been introduced at Troy from Samothrace. (Dionys. A. R.
1.68.; Serv. ad Aen. 2.325, 3.148; Macrob. l.c.) But all
these opinions and conjectures are of little value. The
public Penates of the city of Rome had a chapel somewhere
about the centre of the city, in a place called sub felia.
They were represented as two youths with lances in their
hands, and similar images of them existed in many other
sanctuaries. (Dionys. A. R. 1.68; Liv. 45.16.) Lavinium, the
central point of Latium, too, had the Penates, who had been
brought by Aeneas from Troy (Varr. De L. L. 5.144; Dionys.
A. R. 1.67), and every Roman consul, dictator, and praetor,
immediately after entering upon his office, was bound to
offer up a sacrifice to the Penates and Vesta at Lanu-vium
(Macr. 3.4.)
As the public Lares were worshipped in the central part of
the city or country, and at the public hearth, so the
private Penates had their place at the hearth of every
house; but not only the hearth was sacred to them, but the
table also. On the hearth a perpetual fire was kept up in
their honour, and the table always contained the salt-cellar
and the firstlings of fruit for these divinities. (Plit.
Sympos. 7.4; Arnob. 2.67; Liv. 26.36; V. Max. 4.4. %4F 3;
Cic. De Fin. 2.7.) Every meal that was taken in the house
thus resembled a sacrifice offered to the Penates, beginning
with a purification and ending with a libation which was
poured either on the table or upon the hearth. After every
absence from the hearth, the Penates were saluted like the
living inhabitants of the house; and whoever went abroad
prayed to the Penates and Lares for a happy return, and when
he came back to his house, he hung up his armour, staff, and
the like by the side of their images (Terent. Phorm. 2.1.
81; Plaut. Stick. 4.1. 29; Ov. Tr. 1.3. 41, 4.8. 21), and on
the whole, there was no event occurring in a family, whether
sad or joyful, in which people did not pray to the Lares and
Penates. (Comp. Hartutg, Die Relig. der Röm. vol. i. p. 71,
&c.; Klausen, Aeneas und die Pcnaten, p. 620, &c) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Homer's Odyssey, Penelope (pronounced /pəˈnɛləpiː/ pə-NEL-
ə-pee; Greek: Πηνελόπεια, Pēnelopeia, or Πηνελόπη, Pēnelopē)
is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay
in his long absence and is eventually rejoined with him.
Her name has traditionally been associated with
faithfulness,[1] and so it was with the Greeks and Romans, but
some recent feminist readings offer a more ambiguous
interpretation...
Read More
（Πηνελόπη, Πενελόπη, Πηνελόπεια), a daughter of Icarins and
Periboea of Sparta (Hom. Od. 1.329; Apollod. 3.10.6 ; compi.
ICARIUS. According to Didymus, Penelope was originally
called Ameirace, Arnacia, or Arnaea, and Nauplius or her own
parents are said to have cast her into the sea (Tzetz. ad
Lyc. 792), where she was fed by sea-birds (πννέλοπες) from
which she derived her name. (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1422.) She
was married to Odysseus, king of Ithaca, by whom she had an
only child, Telemachus, who was yet an infant at the time
when her husband went with the Greeks to Troy. (Od. 11.447,
21.158.) During the long absence of Odysseus, she was
beleaguered by numerous and importunate suitors, whom she
deceived by declaring that she must finish a large shroud
which she was making for Laertes, her aged father-in-law,
before she should make up her mind. During the day time she
accordingly worked at the shroud, and in the night she undid
the work of the day. (Od. 19.149, &c., comp. 2.121; Propert.
2.9. 5.) By this means she succeeded in putting off the
suitors. But at length her stratagem was betrayed by her
servants; and when, in consequence, the faithful Penelope,
who was pining and longing for her husband's return, was
pressed more and more by the impatient suitors, Odysseus at
length arrived in Ithaca, and as she recognised him by
several signs, she heartily welcomed him, and the days of
her grief and sorrow were at an end. (Od. 17.103, 23.205,
24.192; Eur. Orest. 588 &c. ; Ov. Ep. 1.83; Trist 5.14;
Propert. 3.12. 23, &c.; colip. ICARIUS and ODYSSERS. While
the Homeric tradition describes Penelope as a most chaste
and faithful wife, later writers charge her with the very
opposite vices, and relate that by Heermes or by all the
suitors together she became the mother of Pan. (Lycoph. 772;
Schol. ad Herod. 2.145; Cic. De Nat. Deor. 3.22 ; comtip.
PA>N.) Odysseus on his return for this reason repudiated
her, whereupon she went to Sparta, and thence to Mantineia,
where her tomb was shown in after times. (Paus. 8.12.3.)
According to another tradition, Penelope. with Telemachus
and Telegonus, who had killed his father Odysseus, went to
Aeaea, and there married Telegonus; whereas, according to
others again, she married Telegonus in the islands of the
Blessed. (Hyg. Fab. 127; Tzetz. ad Lycophr. 805.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
or PEMPHRAEDO (Πεφρηδω or Πεμφρηδώ, a daughter of Phorcys, and
one of the Graeae. (Hes. Th. 273; Apollod. 2.4.2 ; Tzetz. ad
L. yc. 838; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 4.1515; Zenob. 1.41.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
Periphetes is the name of two characters from Greek mythology.
The most prominent Periphetes, also known as Corynetes or the
Club-Bearer, was a son of Hephaestus and Anticleia. Like his
father, he was lame in one leg with only one eye as a Cyclopes
would have. roamed the road from athens to trozen where he
robbed travellers and killed them with his bronze club.
Theseus killed him by throwing a boulder at him and afterwards
used the club as his own weapon. He was mentioned in
Apollodorus 3.15.8 and Pausanias 2.1.4
The second Periphetes was the son of Copreus, and was killed
during the Trojan war by Hector.[citation needed] - Wikipedia
Read More
（Περιφήτης).
1. A son of Hephaestus and Anticleia, was surnamed Corynetes,
that is, Club-bearer, and was a robber at Epidaurus, who slew
the travellers he met with an iron club. Theseus at last slew
him and took his club for his own use. (Apollod. 3.16.1; Plut.
Thes 38; Paus 2.1.4; Ov. Met. 7.437.) 2. A son of Copreus of
Mycenae, was slain at Troy by Hector. (Horn. Il. 15.638.) 3. A
Trojan, who was slain by Teucer. (Horn. Il. 14.515.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Persephone (usually pronounced /pər
ˈsɛfəniː/ in modern English; also called Kore[1]) was the
Queen of the Underworld, the korē (or young maiden), and a
daughter of Demeter and Zeus. In the Olympian version, she
also becomes the consort of Hades when he becomes the deity
that governs the underworld.
The figure of Persephone is well-known today. Her story has
great emotional power: an innocent maiden, a mother's grief
over her abduction, and great joy after her daughter is
returned. It is also cited frequently as a paradigm of myths
that explain natural processes, with the descent and return of
the goddess bringing about the change of seasons...
Read More
（Περσεφόνη), in Latin Proserpina, the daughter of Zeus and
Demeter. (Hom. Il. 14.326, Od. 11.216; Hes. Theog. 912, &c.
; Apollod. 1.5.1.) Her name is commonly derived from φερειν
φόνον, "to bring" or "cause death," and the form Persephone
occurs first in Hesiod (Hes. Th. 913; comp. Horn. Hymm. in
Cer. 56), the Homeric form being Persephoneia. But besides
these forms of the name, we also find Persephassa,
Phersephassa, Persephatta, Phersephatta. Pherrephassa,
Pherephatta, and Phersephoneia, for which various
etymologies have been proposed. The Latin Proserpina, which
is probably only a corruption of the Greek, was erroneously
derived by the Romans from proscrpere,"to shoot forth."
(Cic. de Nat. Deor. 2.26.) Beingthe infernal goddess of
death, she is also called a daughter of Zeus and Styx
(Apollod. 1.3.1 ); in Arcadia she was worshipped under the
name of Despoena, and was called a daughter of Poseidon,
Hippius, and Demeter, and said to have been brought up by
the Titan Anytus. (Paus. 8.37.3, 6, 25.5.) Homer describes
her as the wife of llades, and the formidable, venerable,
and majestic queen of the Shades, who exercises her power,
and carries into effect the curses of men upon the souls of
the dead, along with her husband. (Hom. Od. 10.494, 11.226,
385, (134, Il. 9.457, 569; comp. Apollod. 1.9.15.) Hence she
is called by later writers Juno Inferna, Auerna, and Stygia
(Verg. A. 6.138; Ov. Met. 14.114), and the Erinnyes are said
to have been daughters of her by Pluto. (Orph. Hymn. 29. 6,
6, 70. 3.) Groves sacred to her are said by Homer to be in
the western extremity of the earth, on the frontiers of the
lower world, which is itself called the house of Persephone.
(Od. 10.491, 509.)
The story of her being carried off by Pluto, against her
will, is not mentioned by Homer, who simply describes her as
his wife and queen; and her abduction is first mentioned by
Hesiod (Hes. Th. 914). Zeus, it is said, advised Pluto, who
was in love with the beautiful Persephone, to carry her off,
as her mother, Demeter, was not likely to allow her daughter
to go down to Hades. (Comp. Hyg. Fab. 146.) Pluto
accordingly carried her off while she was gathering flowers
with Artemis and Athena. (Comp. Diod. 5.3.) Demeter, when
she found her daughter had disappeared, searched for her all
over the earth with torches, until at length she discovered
the place of her abode. Her anger at the abduction obliged
Zeus to request Pluto to send Persephone (or Cora, i. e. the
maiden or daughter) back. Pluto indeed complied with the
request. but first gave her a kernel of a pomegranate to
eat, whereby she became doomed to the lower world, and an
agreement was made that Persephone should spend one third
(later writers say one half) of every year in Hades with
Pluto, and the remaining two thirds with the gods above.
(Apollod. 1.5. 1, &c,; Or. Met. 5.565; comp. DEMETER.) The
place where Persephone was said to have been carried off, is
different in the various local traditions. The Sicilians,
among whom her worship was probably introduced by the
Corinthian and Megarian colonists, believed that Pluto found
her in the meadows near Enna, and that the well Cyane arose
on the spot where he descended with her into the lower
world. (Diod. 5.3, &c.; comp. Lydus, De Mens. p. 286; Ov.
Fast. 4.422.) The Cretans thought that their own island had
been the scene of the rape (Schol. ad Hes. Theog. 913), and
the Eleusinians mentioned the Nysaean plain in Boeotia, and
said that Persephone had descended with Pluto into the lower
world at the entrance of the western Oceanus. Later accounts
place the rape in Attica, near Athens (Schol. ad Soph. Oed.
Col. 1590) or at Erineos near Eleusis (Paus. 1.38.5), or in
the neighbourhood of Lerna (2.36.7 ; respecting other
localities see Conon, Narr. 15 ; Orph. Argon. 1192;
Spanheim, ad Callim. Hymn. in Cer. 9).
The story according to which Persephone spent one part of
the year in the lower world, and another with the gods
above, made her, even with the ancients, the symbol of
vegetation which shoots forth in spring, and the power of
which withdraws into the earth at other seasons of the year.
(Schol. ad Theocrit. 3.48.) Hence Plutarch identifies her
with spring, and Cicero De Nat. Deor. 2.26) calls her the
seed of the fruits of the field. (Comp. Lydus, De Mes. pp.
90, 284; Porphyr. De Ant. Nymph. p. 118. ed. Barnes.) In the
mysteries of Eleusis, the return of Cora from the lower
world was regarded as the symbol of immortality, and hence
she was frequently represented on sarcophagi. In the
mystical theories of the Orphics, and what are called the
Platonists, Cora is described as the all-pervading goddess
of nature, who both produces and destroys every thing (Orph.
Hymn. 29. 16), and she is therefore mentioned along, or
identified with, other mystic divinities, such as Isis,
Rhea, Ge, Hestia, Pandora, Artemis, Hecate. (Tzetz. ad Lyc.
708, 1176; Schol. ad Apollon. Rlod. 3.467; Schol. ad
Theocrit. 2.12 ; Serv. ad Aen. 4.609.) This mystic
Persephone is further said to have become by Zeus the
another of Dionysus, Iacchus, Zagreus or Sabazius. (Hesych.
sub voce Ζαγρεύς; Schol. ad Eurip. Or. 952 ; Aristopll. Ran.
326; Diod. 4.4; Arrian. Exped. Al. 2.16; Lydus De Mens. p.
198; Cic. de Nat. Deor. 3.23.) The surnames which are given
to her by the poets, refer to her character as queen of the
lower world and of the dead, or to her symbolic meaning
which we have pointed out above. She was commonly worshipped
along with Demeter, and with the same mysteries, as for
example, with Demeter Cabeiria in Boeotia. (Paus. 9.25.5.)
Her worship further is mentioned at Thebes, which Zeus is
said to have given to her as an acknowledgment for a favour
she had bestowed on him (Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen. 687): in
like manner Sicily was said to have been given to her at her
wedding (Pind. N. 1.17; Diod. 5.2; Schol. ad Theocrit.
15.14), and two festivals were celebrated in her honour in
the island, the one at the time of sowing, and the other at
the time of harvest. (Diod. 5.4; Athen. 14.647.) The
Eleusinian mysteries belonged to Demeter and Cora in common,
and to her alone were dedicated the mysteries celebrated at
Athens in the month of Anthesterion. (Comp. Paus. 1.31.1,
&c.) Temples of Persephone are mentioned at Corinth, Megara,
Sparta, and at Locri in the south of Italy. (Paus. 3.13.2;
Liv. 29.8, 18; Appian, 3.12.) In works of art Persephone is
seen very frequently: she bears the grave and severe
character of an infernal Juno, or she appears as a mystical
divinity with a sceptre and a little box, but she was mostly
represented in the act of being carried off by Pluto. (Paus.
8.37.2; corn p. Hirt. Mythol. Bilderb. i. p. 72, &c.;
Welcker, Zeitschrift fur die alte Kunst, p. 20, &c.)
Another mythical personage of the name of Persephione, is
called a daughter of Minyas, and the mother of Chloris by
Aniphion. (Schol. ad Hom. Od. 11.281.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Perseus (Greek: Περσεύς),[note 1] the legendary founder of
Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the
mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating
various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the
Twelve Olympians. Perseus was the Greek hero who killed the
Gorgon Medusa, and claimed Andromeda, having rescued her from
a sea monster sent by Poseidon in retribution for Queen
Cassiopeia declaring herself more beautiful than the sea
nymphs...
Read More
（Περσεύς).
1. The famous Argive hero, was a son of Zeus and Danae, and
a grandson of Acrisius (Hom. Il. 14.310; Hes. Scut. Here.
229). Acrisius, who had no male issue, consulted the Pythian
oracle, and received the answer, that if Danae should give
birth to a son, he would kill his father. Acrisius,
accordingly, shut up his daughter in a subterraneous
apartment, made of brass or stone (Soph. Ant. 947; Lycoph.
838 ; Hor. Carm. 3.16). But Zeus having metamorphosed
himself into a shower of gold, came down upon her through
the roof of the apartment, and became by her the father of
Persens. From this circumstance Persens is sometimes called
χρυσόπατρος or αυριγενα (Lycoph. 838; Ov. Met. 5.250). When
Acrisitis discovered that Danae had given birth to a son, he
threw both mother and son into a chest, and put them out to
sea; but Zeus caused the chest to land in the island of
Seriphos, one of the Cyclades, where Dictys, a fisherman,
found them, and carried them to his brother, king
Polydectes. According to a later or Italian tradition, the
chest was carried to the coast of Italy, where king Pilumnus
married Danae, and founded Ardea (Verg. A. 7.410; Serv. ad
Aen. 7.372); or Danae is said to have come to Italy with two
sons, Argus and Argeus, whom she had by Phineus, and took up
her abode on the spot where Rome was afterwards built (Serv.
ad Aen. 8.345). But, according to the common story,
Polydectes, king of Seriphos, made Danae his slave, and
courted her favour, but in vain; and in order to obtain the
undisturbed possession of her, he sent off Perseus, who had
in the meantime grown up to manhood, to the Gorgons, to
fetch the head of Medusa, which he said he would give to
llippodameia as a wedding present (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 838).
Another account agtin states that Polydectes married Danae,
and caused Perseus to be brought up in the temple of Athena.
When Acrisius learnt this, he went to Polydectes, who,
however, interfered on behalf of the boy, and the latter
promised not to kill his grandfather. Acrisius. however, was
detained in Seriphos by storms, and during that time
Polydectes died. During the funeral gaines the wind carried
a disk thrown by Perseus against the head of Acrisius, and
killed him, whereupon Perseus proceeded to Argos and took
possessions of the kingdom of his grandfather (Hygin. Fab.
63). But to return to the common tradition. Athena, with
whom Medusa had venttired to contend for the prize of
beauty, first showed to Perseus the head of Gorgo in images,
near the town of Diecterion in Samos, and advised him to be
unconcerned about the two immortal Gorgons, Stheno and
Euryale. Perseus then went first to the Graeae, the sisters
of the Gorgons, took from them their one tooth and their one
eye, and did not restore them to the Graeae until they
showed him the way to the nymphs; or he cast the tooth and
the eye into lake Triton, so that the Graeae were no longer
able to guard the Gorgons (Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.12). The
nymphs provided Perseus with winged sandals, a bag, and the
helmet of Hades, which rendered him invisible, Hermes with a
sickle, and Athena with a mirror (Hes. Scut. Her. 220, 222 ;
Eurip. Elect. 460; Anthol. Palat. 9.557; comp. Hygin. Poet.
Astr. 2.12; Theon, ad Arat. p. 29). Being thus armed, he
went to the Gorgons, who dwelt near Tartessus on the coast
of the Ocean, whose heads were covered, like those of
serpents, with scales, and who had large tusks like boars,
brazen hands, and golden wings. He found them asleep, and
cut off the head of Medusa, looking at her figure through
the mirror, for a look at the monster herself would have
changed him into stone. Perseus put her head into the bag
which he carried on his back, and as he went away, he was
pursued by the winged Gorgons (Hes. Scut. Here. 230 ; Paus.
5.118.1). On his return he visited Aethiopia, where he saved
and married Andromeda, by whom he became the father of
Perses, whom he left with Cepheus. During this journey
Perseus is also said to have come to the Hyperboreans, by
whom he was hospitably received (Pind. P. 10.50), and to
Atlas, whom, by the head of Gorgo, he changed into the
mountain of the same name (Ov. Met. 4.655; Serv. ad Aen.
4.246). Phineus, the brother of Cepheus, was likewise
changed into stone, and when Perseus returned to Seriphos he
found his mother with Dictys in the temple, whither she had
fled from the embraces of Polydectes. Perseus found the
latter at a repast, and metamorphosed him and all his
guests, and, some say, the whole island, into stone (Pind.
P. 12.21; Strab. x. p.487), and presented the kingdom to
Dictys. Perseus then gave the winged sandals and the helmet
to Hermes, who restored them to the nymphs and to Hades, and
Athena received the head of Gorgo, which was put on the
shield or breast-plate of the goddess. Hereupon Persens went
to Argos, accompanied by Cyclopes, skilled in building
(Schol. ad Eurip. Or. 953), by Danae, and Andromeda.
Acrisius, remembering the oracle, escaped to Larissa, in the
country of the Pelasgians; but Perseus followed him, in
order to persuade him to return (Paus. 2.16.6). Some writers
state that Perseus, on his return to Argos. found Proetus
who had expelled his brother Acrisius, in possession of the
kingdom (Ov. Met. 5.236, &c.); Perseus slew Proetus, and was
afterwards killed by Megapenthes, the son of Proetus, who
avenged the death of his father. (Hyg. Fab. 244.) Some again
relate that Proetus was expelled, and went to Thebes.
(Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen. 1109.) But the common tradition
goes on thus: when Teutamidas, king of Larissa, celebrated
games in honour of his guest Acrisius, Perseus, who took
part in them, accidentally hit the foot of Acrisius, and
thus killed him. Acrisius was buried outside the city of
Larissa, and Perseus, leaving the kingdom of Argos to
Megapenthes, the son of Proetus, received from him in
exchange the government of Tiryns. According to others,
Perseus remained in Argos, and successfully opposed the
introduction of the Bacchic orgies. (Paus. 2.20.3, 22.1 ;
comp. Nonn. Dionys. 31.25.) Perseus is said to have founded
the towns of Mideia and Mycenae. (Paus. 2.15.4.) By
Andromeda he became the father of Alcaeus, Sthenelus,
Heleius, Mestor, Electryon, Gorgophone, and Autochthe,
(Apollod. 2.4. §§ 1-5; Tzetz.ad Lyc. 494, 838; Ov. Met.
4.606, &c.; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 4.1091.) Perseus was
worshipped as a hero in several places, e. g. between Argos
and Mycenae, in Seriphos, and at Athens, where he had an
altar in common with Dictys and Clymene. (Paus. 2.18.1.)
Herodotus (2.91) relates that a temple and a statue of
Perseus existed at Chemnis in Egypt, and that the country
was blessed whenever he appeared. - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Phaedra (Phaidra) is the daughter of
Minos, wife of Theseus and the mother of Demophon of Athens
and Acamas. Phaedra's name derives from the Greek word φαιδρός
(phaidros), which meant "bright".
Though married to Theseus, Phaedra fell in love with
Hippolytus, Theseus' son born by either Hippolyta, queen of
the Amazons, or Antiope, her sister. Euripides placed this
story twice on the Athenian stage, of which one version
survives. According to some sources, Hippolytus had spurned
Aphrodite to remain a steadfast and virginal devotee of
Artemis, and Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as a
punishment.[1] He rejected her. Alternatively, Phaedra's nurse
told Hippolytus of her love, and he swore he would not reveal
her as a source of information. In revenge, Phaedra wrote
Theseus a letter that claimed Hippolytus raped her...
Read More
（*Fai/dra), a daughter of Minos by Pasiphae or Crete, and the
wife of Theseus. (Apollod. 3.1.2.) She was the stepmother of
Hippolytus, the son of Theseus, by Antiope or Hippolyte, and
having fallen in love with him he repulsed her, whereupon she
calumniated him before Theseus. After the death of Hippolytus,
his innocence became known to his father, and Phaedra made
away with herself. (Hom. Od. 11.325 ; Eurip. Hippol.; compare
TIPPOLYTUS.）- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Phaetōn or Phaethōn (pronounced /
ˈfeɪ.ətən/ or /ˈfeɪ.əθən/; Greek: Φαέθων "shining") was the
son of Helios (Phoebus). Perhaps the most famous version of
the myth is given us through Ovid in his Metamorphoses (Book
II). Phaeton seeks assurance that his mother, Clymenē, is
telling the truth that his father is the sun god Helios. When
Phaeton obtains his father's promise to drive the sun chariot
as proof, he fails to control it and the Earth is in danger of
burning up when Phaeton is killed by a thunderbolt from Zeus
to prevent further disaster...
Read More
（Φαέθων), that is, the shining.
1. This name occurs in Homer (ll. 11.735, Od. 5.479) as an epithet
or surname of Helios, and is used by later writers as a real proper
name for Helios (Apollon, Rhod. 4.1236; Virg. Acn. 5.105); but it is
more commonly known as the name of son of Helios by the Oceanid
Clymene, the wife of Merops. The genealogy of Phaethon, however, is
not the same in all writers, for some call him a son of Clymenus,
the son of Helios, by Merope (Hyg. Fab. 154), or a son of Helios by
Prote (Tzeiz. Chil. 4.127). or, lastly, a son of Helios by the nymph
Rhode or Rhodos. (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 6.131.) He received the
signifieant name Phaethon from his father, and was afterwards also
presmnptouus and ambitious enoug to request his father one day to
allow him to drive the chariot of the sum across the heavens. Helios
was induced by the entreaties of his son and of Clymene to yield,
but the youth being too weak to cheek the horses, came down with his
chariot, and so near to the earth, that he almost set it on fire.
Zeus, therefore, killed him with a flash of lightning, so that he
fell down into the river Eridanus or the Po. His isters, who had
yoked teh horses to the chariot, were metamorphosed into poplars,
and their tears into amber. (Eurip. Ilippol. 737, &c.; Apoolon.
Rhod. 4.598, &c.; Lueian, Dial. Dcor. 25 ; Hygin, Fab. 152, 154;
Verg. Ecl. 6.62, Aen 10.190; Ov. Met. 1.755, &c.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Philoctetes (Greek: Φιλοκτήτης, Philoctētēs) or Philocthetes
according to Greek mythology, the son of King Poeas of
Meliboea in Thessaly. He was a Greek hero, famed as an archer,
and was a participant in the Trojan War. He was the subject of
at least two plays by Sophocles, one of which is named after
him, and one each by both Aeschylus and Euripides. However,
only one Sophoclean play survives-the others are lost. He is
also mentioned in Homer's Iliad; Book 2 describes his exile on
the island of Lemnos, his wound by snake-bite, and his
eventual recall by the Greeks. The recall of Philoctetes is
told in the lost epic Little Iliad, where his retrieval was
accomplished by Odysseus and Diomedes. Philoctetes killed
three men at Troy[1]...
Read More
（Φιλοκτήτης), a son of Poeas (whence he is called
Poeantiades, Ov. Met. 13.313) and Demonassa, the most
celebrated archer in the Trojan war (Hom. Od. 3.190, 8.219 ;
Hyg. Fab. 102). He led the warriors from Methone, Thaumacia,
Meliboea, and Olizon, against Troy, in seven ships. But on
his voyage thither he was left behind by his men in the
island of Lemnos, because he was ill of a wound which lie
had received from the bite of a snake, and Medon, the son of
Oileus and Rhene, undertook the command of his men (Hom. Il.
2.716, &c.). This is all that the Homeric poems relate of
him, with the addition that he returned home in safety (Od.
3.190); but the cyclic and tragic poets have spun out in
various ways this slender groundwork of the story of
Philoctetes. He is said to have been the disciple, friend,
and armour-bearer of Heracles (Philostr. Imag. 17), who
instructed him in the art of using the bow, and who
bequeathed to him his bow, with the never-erring poisoned
arrows (Philostr. Her. 5). These presents were a reward for
his having erected and set fire to the pile on mount Oeta,
where Heracles burnt himself (Diod. 4.38; Hyg. Fab. 36; Ov.
Met. 9.230, &c.). According to others, however, it was
Poeas, Morsimus, Hyllus, or Zeus himself who performed that
service to Heracles (Apollod. 2.7.7; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 50;
Soph. Trch. in fin.). Philoctetes also was one of the
suitors of Helen, and, according to some traditions, it was
this circumstance that obliged him to take part in the
Troian war (Apollod. 3.10.8). On his journey thither, while
staying in the island of Chryse, he was bitten by a snake.
This misfortune happened to him as he was showing to the
Greeks the altar of Athena Chryse, and approached too near
to the serpent which was guarding the temple of the goddess
(Soph. Phil. 1327; Philostr. Imag. 17; Eustath. ad Hom. p.
330; Tzetz. aa Lyc. 911), or while he was looking at the
tomb of Troilus in the temple of Apollo Thymbraeus, or as he
was showing to his companions the altar of Heracles
(Philostr. l.c. ; Schol. ad Soph. Phil. 266), or lastly
during a sacrifice which Palamedes offered to Apollo
Sminthius (Dict. Cret. 2.14). Hera, it is said, was the
cause of this misfortune, being enraged at Philoctetes
having performed the above-mentioned service to Heracles
(Hyg. Fab. 102), though some related that the snake's bite
was the consequence of his not having returned the love of
the nymph Chryse (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 911). According to some
accounts, moreover, the wound in his foot was not inflicted
by a serpent, but by his own poisoned arrows (Serv. ad Aen.
3.402). The wound is said to have become ulcerated, and to
have produced such an intolerable smell, and such
intolerable pains, that the moanings of the hero alarmed his
companions. The consequence was, that on the advice of
Odysseus, and by the command of the Atreidae, he was exposed
and left alone on the solitary coast of Lemnos (Ov. Met.
13.315; Hyg. Fab. 102). According to some he was there left
behind, because the priests of Hephaestus in Lemnos knew how
to heal the wound (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 330), and Pylius, a
son of Hephaestus, is said to have actually cured him
(Ptolem. Heph. 6), while, according to others, he was
believed to have died of the wound (comp. Paus. 1.22.6).
According to the common tradition, the sufferer remained in
Lemnos during the whole period of the Trojan war, until in
the tenth year Odysseus and Diomedes came to him as
ambassadors, to inform him that an oracle had declared that
without the arrows of Heracles Troy could not be taken. The
tradition which represents him as having been cured, adds
that while the war against Troy was going on, he, in
conjunction with Euneus, conquered the small islands about
the Trojan coast, and expelled their Carian inhabitants. As
a reward for these exploits he received a part of Lemnos,
which he called Acesa (from ἀκέομαι, I heal), and at the
request of Diomedes and Neoptolemus, he then proceeded to
Troy to decide the victory by his arrows (Philostr. Her. 5;
comp. Hygin. Fub. 102; Q. Smyrn. 9.325, 460; Tzetz. ad Lyc.
911; Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. 1.100). According to the common
story, however, Philoctetes was still suffering when the
ambassadors arrived, but he nevertheless followed their
call. After his arrival before Troy, Apollo sent him into a
profound sleep, during which Machaon (or Podalirius, or
both, or Asclepius himself) cut out the wound, washed it
with wine, and applied healing herbs to it (Tzetz. ad Lyc.
l.c.; Schol. ad Find. Pyth. 1.109; Propert. 2.1. 61; Q.
Smym. 10.180; Soph. Phil. 133, 1437). Philoctetes was thus
cured. and soon after slew Paris, whereupon Troy fell into
the hands of the Greeks (Soph. Phil. 1426 ; Apollod. 3.12.6;
Tzetz. ad Lyc. 64; Hyg. Fab. 112; Conon, Narr. 23). On his
return from Troy he is said to have been cast upon the coast
of Italy, where he settled, and built Petelia and Crimissa.
In the latter place he founded a sanctuary of Apollo Alaeus,
to whom he dedicated his bow (Strab. vi. p.254; Tzetz. ad
Lyc. 911 ; Serv. ad Aen. 3.402). Afterwards a band of
Rhodians also came to Italy, and as they became involved in
war with the colonists from Pallene, Philoctetes assisted
the Rhodians, and was slain. His tomb and sanctuary, in
which heifers were sacrificed to him, were shown at Macalla.
(Tzetz. ad Lyc. 911, 927.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Phineus may refer to:
Phineus, killed by Perseus. See Andromeda (mythology)
Blind King Phineus or Phineas of Thrace, visited by Jason and
the Argonauts
Read More
（*Ne/mesis), is most commonly described as a daughter of
Night, though some call her a daughter of Erebus (Hygin.
Fab. praef.) or of Oceanus (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 88; Paus. 1.33.3,
7.5.1). Nemesis is a personification of the moral reverence
for law, of the natural fear of committing a culpable
action, and hence of conscience, and for this reason she is
mentioned along with Αἰδώς, i. e. Shame (Hes. Th. 223, Op.
et D. 183). In later writers, as Herodotus and Pindar,
Nemesis is a kind of fatal divinity, for she directs human
affairs in such a manner as to restore the right proportions
or equilibrium wherever it has been disturbed; she measures
out happiness and unhappiness, and he who is blessed with
too many or too frequent gifts of fortune, is visited by her
with losses and sufferings, in order that he may become
humble, and feel that there are bounds beyond which human
happiness cannot proceed with safety. This notion arose from
a belief that the gods were envious of excessive human
happiness (Hdt. 1.34, 3.40; Pind. Ol. viii. in fin., Pytth.
10.67). Nemesis was thus a check upon extravagant favours
conferred upon man by Tyche or Fortune, and from this idea
lastly arose that of her being an avenging and punishing
power of fate, who, like Dike and the Erinyes, sooner or
later overtakes the reckless sinner (Apollon. 4.1043;
Sophocl. Philoct. 518; Eur. Orest. 1362; Catull. 50, in
fin.; Orph. Hymn. 60). The inhabitants of Smyrna worshipped
two Nemeses, both of whom were daughters of Night (Paus.
7.5.1). She is frequently mentioned under the surnames
Adrasteia [ADRASTEIA, No. 2] and Rhamnusia or Rhamnusis, the
latter of which she derived from the town of Rhamnus in
Attica, where she had a celebrated sanctuary (Paus. 1.33.2).
Besides the places already mentioned she was worshipped at
Patrae (Paus. 7.20, in fin.) and at Cyzicus (Strab. p. 588).
She was usually represented in works of art as a virgin
divinity, and in the more ancient works she seems to have
resembled Aphrodite, whereas in the later ones she was more
grave and serious, and had numerous attributes. But there is
an allegorical tradition that Zeus begot by Nemesis at
Rhamnus an egg, which Leda found, and from which Helena and
the Dioscuri sprang, whence Helena herself is called
Rhamnusis (Callim. Hymnn. in Dian. 232; Paus. 1.33.7). On
the pedestal of the Rhamnusian Nemesis, Leda was represented
leading Helena to Nemesis (Paus. l.c.) Respecting the
resemblance between her statue and that of Aphrodite, see
Plin. Nat. 36.4; comp. Paus. 1.33.2; Strab. pp. 396, 399.
The Rhamnusian statue bore in its left hand a branch of an
apple tree, in its right hand a patera, and on its head a
crown, adorned with stags and an image of victory. Sometimes
she appears in a pensive standing attitude, holding in her
left hand a bridle or a branch of an ash tree, and in her
right a wheel, with a sword or a scourge. (Hirt, Mythol.
Bilderb. p. 97, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Neoptolemus (also Neoptólemos or Pyrrhus; Greek Νεοπτόλημος,
"New War") was the son of the warrior Achilles and the
princess Deidamia in Greek mythology. Achilles' mother
foretold many years before Achilles birth that there would be
a great war. She saw that her only son was to die if he fought
in the war. She sought a place for him to avoid fighting in
the Trojan War, due to a prophecy of his death in the
conflict. She disguised him as a woman in the court of
Lycomedes, the King of Scyros. During that time, he had an
affair with the princess, Deidamea, who then gave birth to
Neoptolemus. Neoptolemus was originally called Pyrrhus,
because the female version of that name, Pyrrha, had been
taken by his father while disguised as a woman...
Read More
（*Neopto/lemos), i. e. a young warrior, a son of Achilles
and Deidameia, the daughter of Lycomedes, was also called
Pyrrhus (Apollod. 3.13.8; Hom. Od. 11.491, &c.). According
to some, however, he was a son of Achilles and Iphigeneia
(Tzetz. ad Lyc. 133; Eustath. ad Hoom. p. 1187), and after
the sacrifice of his mother he was carried by his father to
the island of Scyros. The name of Pyrrhus is said to have
been given to him by Lycomedes, because he had fair (πυρρός)
hair, or because Achilles, while disguised as a girl, had
borne the name of Pyrrha (Paus. 10.26.1; Hyg. Fab. 97;
Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1187; Serv. ad Aen. 2.469). He was
called Neoptolemus because either Achilles or Pyrrhus
himself had fought in early youth (Eustath. l.c.). From his
father he is sometimes called Achillides (Ov. Ep. 8.3), and
from his grandfather or great-grandfather, Pelides and
Aeacides (Verg. A. 2.263,3.296). Neoptolemus was brought up
in Scyros in the house of Lycomedes (Hom. Il. 19.326; Soph.
Philoct. 239, &c.), whence he was fetched by Odysseus to
join the Greeks in the war against Troy (Hom Od. 11.508),
because it had been prophesied by Helenus that Neoptolemus
and Philoctetes, with the arrows of Heracles, were necessary
for the taking of Troy (Soph. Phil. 115). In order to obtain
those arrows Neoptolemus and Odysseus were sent from Troy to
the island of Lemnos, where Philoctetes was living, who was
prevailed upon to join the Greeks (Soph. Phil. 1433). At
Troy Neoptolemus showed himself in every respect worthy of
his great father, and at last was one of the heroes that
were concealed in the wooden horse (Hom. Od. 11.508,
&100.521). At the taking of the city he killed Priam at the
sacred hearth of Zeus Herceius (Paus. 4.17.3, 10.27; Verg.
A. 2.547, &c.), and sacrificed Polyxena to the spirit of his
father (Eurip. Hecub. 523). When the Trojan captives were
distributed, Andromache, the widow of Hector, was given to
Neoptolemus, and by her he became the father of Molossus,
Pielus, Pergamus (Paus. 1.11.1), and Amphialus (Hyg. Fab.
123; comp. ANDROMACHE). Respecting his return from Troy and
the subsequent events of his life the traditions differ.
According to Homer (Hom. Od. 3.188, 4.5, &c.) he lived in
Phthia, the kingdom of his father, whither Menelaus sent to
him Hermione from Sparta, because he had promised her to him
at Troy. According to others Neoptolemus himself went to
Sparta to receive Hermione, because he had heard a report
that she was betrothed to Orestes (Hyg. Fab. 123; Paus.
3.25.1, 26.5). Servius (Serv. ad Aen. 2.166, 3.321, &c.)
relates that on the advice of Helenus, to whom be
subsequently gave Andromache and a district in Epeirus,
Neoptolemus returned home by land, because he had been
forewarned of the which the Greeks would have to encounter
at sea. Some again state that from Troy he first went to
Molossia, and thence to Phthia, where he recovered the
throne which had in the mean time been taken from Peleus by
Acastus (Dict. Cret. 6.7, &c.; Eur. Tro. 1125; comp. Hom.
Od. 4.9). Others, that on his return to Scyros, he was cast
by storm on the coast of Ephyra in Epeirus, where Andromache
gave birth to Molossus, to whom the Molossian kings traced
their descent (Pind. N. 4.82, 7.54, &c.). Others lastly say
that he went to Epeirus of his own accord, because he would
or could not return to Phthia in Thessaly (Paus. 1.11.1;
Verg. A. 3.333; Just. 17.3). In Epeirus he is also said to
have carried off Lanassa, a granddaughter of Heracles, from
the temple of the Dodonean Zeus, and to have become by her
the father of eight children (Justin. l.c.). Shortly after
his marriage with Hermione, Neoptolemus went to Delphi, some
say to plunder the temple of Apollo, who had been the cause
of the death of Achilles, or to take the god to account for
his father; and according to others to take offerings of the
Trojan booty to the god, or to consult him about the means
of obtaining children by Hermione (Schol. ad Pind. Nem.
7.54, 58, ad Eurip. Or. 1649, Androm. 51). It is owing to
this uncertainty that some ancient writers distinguish
between two differentjourneysto Delphi, where he was slain,
either by the command of the Pythia (Paus. 1.13.7), or at
the instigation of Orestes, who was angry at being deprived
of Hermione (Eur. Andr. 891, &100.1085, &c.; Verg. A. 3.330)
; and according to others again, by the priest of the
temple, or by Machaereus, the son of Daetas (Schol. ad Pind.
Nem. 7.62; Paus. 10.24.4 ; Strab. p. 421). His body was
buried at Delphi, under the threshold of the temple, and
remained there until Menelaus caused it to be taken up and
buried within the precincts of the temple (Pind. N. 7.62;
Paus. 10.24.5). He was worshipped at Delphi as a hero, as
presiding over sacrificial repasts and public games. At the
time when the Gauls attacked Delphi he is said to have come
forward to protect the city, and from that time to have been
honoured with heroic worship. (Paus. 1.4.4, 10.23.3.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Neptune (Latin: Neptūnus) is the god of water and the sea[1]
in Roman mythology, a brother of Jupiter and Pluto. He is
analogous with but not identical to the god Poseidon of Greek
mythology, and is imaged often according to Hellenistic canons
in the Roman mosaics of north Africa.[2] The Roman conception
of Neptune owed a great deal to the Etruscan god Nethuns. A
north African inscription at Thugga referring to the "father
of the Nereids" shows that Neptune also subsumed the archaic
and by late Hellenistic times purely literary figure of
Nereus.[3]...
Read More
the chief marine divinity of the Romans. His name is
probably connected with the verb ναίω or nato, and a
contraction of navitunus. As the early Romans were not a
maritime people, and had not much to do with the sea, the
marine divinities are not often mentioned, and we scarcely
know with any certainty what day in the year was set apart
as the festival of Neptunus, though it seems to have been
the 23rd of July (X. Kal. Sext.). His temple stood in the
Campus Martins, not far from the septa; but respecting the
ceremonies of his festival we know nothing, except that the
people formed tents (umbrae) of the branches of trees, in
which they probably rejoiced in feasting and drinking
(Varro, de Ling. Lat. 6.19; Hor. Carm. 3.28; Paul. Diac. p.
377, ed. Müller; Tertull. de Spect. 6; P. Vict. Reg. Urb.
IX.; Dict. of Ant. s. v. Neptunalia). When a Roman commander
sailed out with a fleet, he first offered up a sacrifice to
Neptunus, which was thrown into the sea (Cic. de Nat. Deor.
3.20; Liv. 29.27). In the Roman poets Neptunus is completely
identified with the Greek Poseidon, and accordingly all the
attributes of the latter are transferred by them to the
former. [POSEIDON.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Nereids (pronounced /ˈnɪəri.ɪdz/,
NEER-ee-idz; Ancient Greek: Νηρηΐδες) are sea nymphs, the
fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. They often accompany
Poseidon and are always friendly and helpful towards sailors
fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated
with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father in
the depths within a silvery cave. The most notable of them
are Thetis, wife of Peleus and mother of Achilles;
Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon; and Galatea, love of the
Cyclops Polyphemus.
In Iliad XVIII, when Thetis cries out in sympathy for the
grief of Achilles for the slain Patroclus,
" There gathered round her every goddess, every Nereid
that was in the deep salt sea. Glauce was there and Thaleia
and Cymodoce; Nesaea, Speio, Thoe and ox-eyed Halie;
Cymothoe, Actaee and Limnoreia; Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe and
Agaue; Doto, Proto, Pherusa and Dynamene; Dexamene,
Amphinome and Callianeira; Doris, Panope and far-sung
Galatea; Nemertes, Apseudes and Callianassa. Clymene came
too, with Ianeira, Ianassa, Maera, Oreithuia, Amatheia of
the lovely locks, and other Nereids of the salt sea depths.
The silvery cave was full of nymphs...
Read More
In Greek mythology (or, better yet, Greek Epic poetry), Nestor
of Gerenia (Greek: Νέστωρ Γερήνιος, Nestōr Gerēnios) was the
son of Neleus and Chloris and the King of Pylos. He became
king after Heracles killed Neleus and all of Nestor's
siblings. His wife was either Eurydice or Anaxibia; their
children included Peisistratus, Thrasymedes, Pisidice,
Polycaste, Stratichus, Aretus, Echephron, and Antilochus...
Read More
（Νέστωρ), a son of Neleus and Chloris of Pylos in
Triphylia, and husband of Eurydice (or, according to others,
of Auaxibia, the daughter of Cratieus), by whom he became
the father of Peisidice, Polycaste, Perseus, Stratius,
Aretus, Echephron, Peisistratus, Antilochus, and
Thrasymedes. (Hom. Od. 3.413, &c., 452, 464, 11.285, &c.;
Apollod. 1.9.9.) With regard to Anaxibia having been his
wife, we are informed by Eustathius (ad Hom. p. 296), that
after the death of Eurydice, Nestor married Anaxibia, the
daughter of Atreus, and sister of Agamemnon; but this
Anaxibia is elsewhere described as the wife of Strophius,
and the mother of Pylades. (Paus. 2.29.4.) When Heracles
invaded the country of Neleus, and slew his sons, Nestor
alone was spared, because at the time he was not at Pylos,
but among the Gerenians, where he had taken refuge. (Hom.
Il. 11.692; Apollod. 2.7.3; Paus. 3.26.6.) This story is
connected with another about the friendship between Heracles
and Nestor, for the latter is said to have taken no part in
the carrying off from Heracles the oxen of Geryones; and
Heracles rewarded Nestor by giving to him Messene, and
became more attached to him even than to Hylas and Abderus.
Nestor, on the other hand, is said to have introduced the
custom of swearing by Heracles. (Philostr. Her. 2; comp. Ov.
Met. 12.540, &c.; Paus. 4.3.1, who states that Nestor
inhabited Messenia after the death of the sons of Aphareus.)
When a young man, Nestor was distinguished as a warrior,
and, in a war with the Arcadians, he slew Ereuthalion. (Hom.
Il. 4.319, 7.133, &c., 23.630, &c.) In the war with the
Eleians, he killed Itymoneus, and took from them large
flocks of cattle. (11.670.) \When, after this, the Eleians
laid siege to Thryoessa, Nestor, without the warsteeds of
his father, went out on foot, and gained a glorious victory.
(11.706, &c.) He also took part in the tight of the Lapithae
against the Centaurs (1.260, &c.), and is mentioned among
the Calydonian hunters and the Argonauts (Ov. Met. 8.313; V.
Fl. 1.380); but he owes his fame chiefly to the Homeric
poems, in which his share in the Trojan war is immortalized.
After having, in conjunction with Odysseus, prevailed upon
Achilles and Patroclus to join the Greeks against Troy, he
sailed with his Pylians in sixty ships to Asia. (Il. 2.591,
&c., 11.767.) At Troy lie took part in all the most
important events that occurred, both in the council and in
the field of battle. Agamemnon through Nestor became
reconciled with Achilles, and therefore honoured him highly;
and whenever he was in any difficulty, he applied for advice
to Nestor. (2.21, 10.18.) In the picture which Homer draws
of him, the most striking features are his wisdom, justice,
bravery, knowledge of war, his eloquence, and his old age.
(Od. 3.126, &c., 244, 24.52, Il. 1.273, 2.336, 361, 370,
&c., 7.325, 9.104, 10.18, 11.627.) He is said to have ruled
over three generations of men, so that his advice and
authority were deemed equal to that of the immortal gods.
(Od. 3.245, Il. 1.250; comp. Hyg. Fab. 10.) In this sense we
have also to understand the tria saecula, which he is said
by Latin writers to have ruled. (Gellius, 19.7; Cic. De
Senect. 10; Hor. Carm. 2.9.13; Ov. Met. 12.158.) But,
notwithstanldim, his advanced age, he was brave and bold in
battle, and distinguished above all others for drawing up
horses and men in battle array. After the fall of Troy he,
together with Menelaus and Diomedes, returned home, and
safely arrived in Pylos (Od. 3.165, &c.), where Zeus granted
to him the full enjoyment of old age, surrounded by
intelligent and brave sons. (Od. 4.209, &c.) In this
condition he was found by Telemachus, who visited him to
inquire after his father, and was hospitably received by
him. The town of Pylos in Messenia claimed to be the city of
Nestor; and, when Pausanias visited it, the people showed to
him the house in which Nestor was believed to have lived.
(Paus. 4.3.4, 36.2.) In the temple of Messene at Messene he
was represented in a painting with two of his sons, and he
was also seen in the painting of Polygnotus in the Lesche at
Delphi. (Paus. 4.31.9, 10.25, in fin.; Philostr. Her. 2.) -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Nike (Greek: Νίκη, "Victory", pronounced
/níːkɛː/) was a goddess who personified victory throughout the
ages of the ancient Greek culture. She is known as the Winged
Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was Victoria.
Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as
the daughter of Pallas (Titan) and Styx (Water),[1] and the
sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal).
Nike and her siblings were close companions of Zeus, the
dominant deity of the Greek pantheon. According to classical
(later) myth, Styx brought them to Zeus when the god was
assembling allies for the Titan War against the older deities.
Nike assumed the role of the divine charioteer, a role in
which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew
around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and
fame...
Read More
Niobe (Νιόβη) was a daughter of Tantalus and the sister of
Pelops, all of whom figure in Greek mythology.
Her father was the ruler of a city called either under his
name, as "Tantalis" [2] or "the city of Tantalus", or as
"Sipylus", in reference to Mount Sipylus at the foot of which
his city was located and whose ruins were reported to be still
visible in the beginning of the 1st century AD,[3] although
few traces remain today.[4] Her father is referred to as
"Phrygian" and sometimes even as "King of Phrygia" [5],
although his city was located in the western extremity of
Anatolia where Lydia was to emerge as a state before the
beginning of the first millennium BC, and not in the
traditional heartland of Phrygia, situated more inland.
References to his son and Niobe's brother as "Pelops the
Lydian" led some scholars to the conclusion that there would
be good grounds for believing that she belonged to a
primordial house of Lydia...
Read More
（Νιόβη).
1. A daughter of Phoroneus, and by Zeus the mother of Argus
and Pelasgus. (Apollod. 2.1.1; Paus. 2.22.6; Plat. Tim. 22,
b.) In other traditions she is called the mother of
Phoroneus and wife of Inachus. 2. A daughter of Tantalus by
the Pleiad Taygete or the Hyad Dione (Ov. Met. 6.174; Hyg.
Fab. 9), or, according to others, a daughter of Pelops and
the wife of Zethus or Alalcomeneus (Eustath. ad Hom. p.
1367), while Parthenius relates quite a different story
(Erot. 33), for he makes her a daughter of Assaon and the
wife of Philottus, and relates that she entered into a
dispute with Leto about the beauty of their respective
children. In consequence of this Philottus was torn to
pieces during the chase, and Assaon fell in love with his
own daughter; but she rejected him, and he in revenge burnt
all her children, in consequence of which Niobe threw
herself down from a rock (comp. Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen.
159). But according to the common story, which represents
her as a daughter of Tantalus, she was the sister of Pelops,
and married to Amphion, king of Thebes, by whom she became
the mother of six sons and six daughters. Being proud of the
number of her children, she deemed herself superior to Leto,
who had given birth only to two children. Apollo and
Artemis, indignant at such presumption, slew all the
children of Niobe. For nine days their bodies lay in their
blood without any one burying them, for Zeus had changed the
people into stones; but on the tenth day the gods themselves
buried them. Niobe herself, who had gone to mount Sipylus,
was metamorphosed into stone, and even thus continued to
feel the misfortune with which the gods had visited her.
(Hom. Il. 24.603-617; Apollod. 3.5.6; Ov. Met. 6.155, &c.;
Paus. 8.2. in fin.) Later writers, and especially the
dramatic poets have greatly modified and enlarged the simple
story related by Homer. The number and names of the children
of Niobe vary very much in the different accounts, for while
Homer states that their number was twelve, Hesiod and others
mentioned twenty, Alcman only six, Sappho eighteen,
Hellanicus six, Euripides fourteen, Herodotus four, and
Apollodorus fourteen. (Apollod. l.c.; Ov. Met. 6.182;
Aelian, Ael. VH 12.36; Gellius, 20.6; Schol. ad Eurip.
Phoen. 159; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1367; Hyg. Fab. 11; Tzetz.
ad Lyc. 520.) According to Homer all the children of Niobe
fell by the arrows of Apollo and Artemis; but later writers
state that one of her sons, Amphion or Amyclas, and one of
her daughters, Meliboea, were saved, but that Meliboea,
having turned pale with terror at the sight of her dying
brothers and sisters, was afterwards called Chloris, and
this Chloris is then confounded with the daughter of Amphion
of Orchomenos, who was married to Neleus. (Apollod. l.c.;
Hom. Od. 11.282; Paus. 2.21. in fin., 5.16.3.) The time and
place at which the children of Niobe were destroyed are
likewise stated differently. According to Homer, they
perished in their mother's house; and, according to
Apollodorus, the sons were killed by Apollo during the chase
on mount Cithaeron (Hyg. Fab. 9, says on mount Sipylus), and
the daughters by Artemis at Thebes, not far from the royal
palace. According to Ovid, the sons were slain while they
were engaged in gymnastic exercises in a plain near Thebes,
and the daughters during the funeral of their brothers.
Others, again, transfer the scene to Lydia (Eustath. ad Hom.
p. 1367), or make Niobe, after the death of her children, go
from Thebes to Lydia, to her father Tantalus on mount
Sipylus, where Zeus, at her own request, metamorphosed her
into a stone, which during the summer always shed tears.
(Ov. Met. 6.303; Apollod. l.c.; Pauls. 8.2.3 Soph. Antiy.
823, Electr. 147.) In the time of Pausanias (1.21.5) people
still fancied they could see the petrified figure of Niobe
on mount Sipylus. The tomb of the children of Niobe,
however, was shown at Thebes. (Paus. 9.16. in fin., 17.1;
but comp. Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen. 159.) The story of Niobe
and her children was frequently taken as a subject by
ancient artists (Paus. 1.21.5, 5.11.2); but none of the
ancient representations is more celebrated than the group of
Niobe and her children which filled the pediment of the
temple of Apollo Sosianus at Rome, and was found at Rome in
the year 1583. This group is now at Florence, and consists
of the mother, who holds her youngest daughter on her knees,
and thirteen statues of her sons and daughters, independent
of a figure usually called the paedagogus of the children.
It is, however, not improbable that several of the statues
which now compose the group, originally did not belong to
it. Some of the figures in it belong to the most masterly
productions of ancient art. The Romans themselves were
uncertain as to whether the group was the work of Scopas or
Praxiteles. (Plin. Nat. 36.4; comp. Welcker, Zeitschrift für
die alter Kunst, p. 589, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Nona was the equivalent of Clotho in Greek
mythology. She, along with Decima and Morta formed the Parcae
(Roman) / Moirae (Greek). Nona was also referred to as
"Ninth", the Roman goddess of pregnancy. She was called upon
by pregnant women in their ninth month when the child was due
to be born. - Wikipedia
Read More
Notus (Greek Νότος, Nótos) was the Greek god of the south
wind. He was associated with the desiccating hot wind of the
rise of Sirius after midsummer, was thought to bring the
storms of late summer and autumn, and was feared as a
destroyer of crops...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Nyx (Νύξ, "night", Nox in Roman
translation) was the primordial goddess of the night. A
shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of
creation, and was the mother of personified gods such as
Hypnos (sleep) and Thánatos (death). Her appearances in
mythology are sparse, but reveal her as a figure of
exceptional power and beauty...
Read More
[NYX.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
A nymph in Greek mythology is a minor nature goddess typically
associated with a particular location or landform. Other
nymphs, always in the shape of young nubile maidens, were part
of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan, or
a goddess, generally Artemis.[1] Nymphs were the frequent
target of satyrs. They live in mountains and groves, by
springs and rivers, also in trees and in valleys and cool
grottoes. They are frequently associated with the superior
divinities: the huntress Artemis; the prophetic Apollo; the
reveller and god of wine, Dionysus; and rustic gods such as
Pan and Hermes.
The symbolic marriage of a nymph and a patriarch, often the
eponym of a people, is repeated endlessly in Greek origin
myths; their union lent authority to the archaic king and his
line...
Read More
（Νύξ), Nox or Night personified. Homer (Hom. Il. 14.259,
&c.) calls her the subduer of gods and men, and relates that
Zeus himself stood in awe of her. In the ancient cosmogonies
Night is one of the very first created beings, for she is
described as the daughter of Chaos, and the sister of
Erebus, by whom she became the mother of Aether and Hemera.
(lies. Theog. 123, &c.) According to the Orphics (Argon. 14)
she was the daughter of Eros. She is further said, without
any husband, to have given birth to Moros, the Keres,
Thanatos, Hypnos, Dreams, Momus, Oizys, the Hesperides,
Moerae, Nemesis, and similar beings. (Hes. Th. 211, &c.;
Cic. de Nat. Deor. 3.17.) In later poets, with whom she is
merely the personification of the darkness of night, she is
sometimes described as a winged goddess (Eur. Orest. 176),
and sometimes as riding in a chariot, covered with a dark
garment and accompanied by the stars in her course. (Eur.
Ion 1150; Theocrit. ii. in fin.; Orph. Hymn. 2. 7; Verg. A.
5.721; Tib. 2.1. 87; V. Fl. 3.211.) Her residence was in the
darkness of Hades. (Hes. Th. 748; Eurip. Orest. 175; Verg.
A. 6.390.) A statue of Night, the work of Rhoecus, existed
at Ephesus (Paus. 10.38.3). On the chest of Cypselus she was
represented carrying in her arms the gods of Sleep and
Death, as two boys (5.18.1). - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek and, later, Roman mythology, the Oceanids (Ancient
Greek: Ὠκεανίδες, pl. of Ὠκεανίς) were the three thousand
daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. One of these many
daughters was also said to have been the consort of the god
Poseidon, typically named as Amphitrite. Each was the
patroness of a particular spring, river, ocean, lake, pond,
pasture, flower or cloud. Oceanus and Tethys also had 3000
sons, the river-gods Potamoi (Ποταμοί). Whereas most sources
limit the term Oceanids or Oceanides to the daughters, others
include both the sons and daughters under this term.[1]
Sibelius wrote an orchestral work called Aallottaret (The
Oceanides) in 1914...
Read More
[NYMPHAE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（Ὠκεανός), the god of the river Oceanus, by which,
according to the most ancient notions of the Greeks, the
whole earth was surrounded. An account of this river belongs
to mythical geography, and we shall here confine ourselves
to describing the place which Oceanus holds in the ancient
cosmogony. In the Homeric poems he appears as a mighty god,
who yields to none save Zeus. (Il. 14.245, 20.7, 21.195.)
Homer does not mention his parentage. but calls Tethys his
wife, by whom he had three daughters, Thetis, Eurynome and
Perse. (Il. 14.302, 18.398, Od. 10.139.) His palace is
placed somewhere in the west (Il. 14.303, &c.), and there he
and Tethys brought up Hera, who was conveyed to them at the
time when Zeus was engaged in the struggle with the Titans.
Hesiod (Hes. Th. 133, 337, &c., 349, &c.) calls Oceanus a
son of Uranus and Gaea, the eldest of the Titans, and the
husband of Tethys, by whom he begot 3000 rivers, and as manv
Oceanides, of whom Hesiod mentions only the eldest. (Comp.
Apollod. 3.8.1, 10.1.) This poet (Theoy. 282) also speaks of
sources of Oceanus. Representations of the god are seen on
imperial coins of Tyre and Alexandria. (Hirt, Mythol.
Bilderb. p. 149.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In classical antiquity, Oceanus (from Greek: Ὠκεανός, lit.
"ocean"[1]) was believed to be the world-ocean, which the
ancient Romans and Greeks considered to be an enormous river
encircling the world. Strictly speaking, Oceanus was the
ocean-stream at the Equator in which floated the habitable
hemisphere (oikoumene οἰκουμένη).[2] In Greek mythology, this
world-ocean was personified as a Titan, a son of Uranus and
Gaia. In Hellenistic and Roman mosaics, this Titan was often
depicted as having the upper body of a muscular man with a
long beard and horns (often represented as the claws of a
crab), and the lower torso of a serpent (cf. Typhon). On a
fragmentary archaic vessel (British Museum 1971.11-1.1) of ca
580 BC, among the gods arriving at the wedding of Peleus and
the sea-nymph Thetis, is a fish-tailed Oceanus, with a fish in
one hand and a serpent in the other, gifts of bounty and
prophecy. In Roman mosaics, such as that from Bardo
(illustration, left) he might carry a steering-oar and cradle
a ship...
Read More
Odysseus (pronounced /oʊˈdɪsiəs/ or /oʊˈdɪsjuːs/; Greek:
Ὀδυσσεύς, Odusseus) or Ulysses (pronounced /juːˈlɪsiːz/;
Latin: Ulyssēs, Ulixēs) was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca
and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also
plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic
Cycle.
King of Ithaca, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, and
son of Laertes and Anticlea, Odysseus is renowned for his
guile and resourcefulness, and is hence known by the epithet
Odysseus the Cunning (mētis, or "cunning intelligence"). He is
most famous for the ten eventful years he took to return home
after the ten-year Trojan War and his famous Trojan Horse
trick...
Read More
（Ὀδυσσεύς), or, as the Latin writers call him, Ulysses,
Ulyxes or Ulixes, one of the principal Greek heroes in the
Trojan war. According to the Homeric account, he was the
grandson of Arcesius, and a son of Laertes and Anticleia,
the daughter of Autolycus, and brother of Ctimene. He was
married to Penelope, the daughter of Icarius, by whom he
became the father of Telemachus. (Od. 1.329, 11.85, 15.362,
16.118, &c.) But according to a later tradition he was a son
of Sisyphus and Anticleia, who, when with child by Sisyphus,
was married to Laertes, and thus gave birth to him either
after her arrival in Ithaca, or on her way thither. (Soph.
Phil. 417, with the Schol., Ajax, 190; Ov. Met. 13.32, Ars
Am. 3.313; Plut. Quaest. Graec. 43 ; comp. Hom. Il. 3.201.)
Later traditions further state that besides Telemachus,
Arcesilaus or Ptoliporthus was likewise a son of his by
Penelope ; and that further, by Circe he became the father
of Agrius, Latinus, Telegonus and Cassiphone, and by Calypso
of Nausithous and Nausinous or Auson, Telegonus and
Teledamus, and lastly by Euippe of Leontophron, Doryclus or
Euryalus. (Hes. Th. 1013, &c.; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1796;
Schol. ad Lycophr. 795; Parthen. Erot. 3; Paus. 8.12.3;
Serv. ad Aen. 3.171.) According to an Italian tradition
Odysseus was by Circe the father of Remus, Antias and
Ardeas. (Dionys. A. R. 1.72.) The name Odysseus is said to
signify the angry (Hom. Od. 19.406, &c.), and among the
Tyrrhenians he is said to have been called Nanus or Nannus.
(Tzetz. ad Lycophr. 1244.)
When Odysseus was a young man, he went to see his
grandfather Autolycus near the foot of Mount Parnassus.
There, while engaged in the chase, he was wounded by a boar
in his knee, by the scar of which he was subsequently
recognized by Eurycleia. Laden with rich presents he
returned from the palace of his grandfather to Ithaca. (Hom.
Od. 19.413, &c.) Even at that age he is described as
distinguished for his courage, his knowledge of navigation,
his eloquence and skill as a negotiator; for, on one
occasion, when the Messenians had carried off some sheep
from Ithaca, Laertes sent him to Messene to demand
reparation. He there met with Iphitus, who was seeking the
horses stolen from him, and who gave him the famous bow of
Eurytus. This bow Odysseus used only in Ithaca, regarding it
as too great a treasure to be employed in the field, and it
was so strong that none of the suitors was able to handle
it. (Od. 21.14, &c.) On one occasion he went to the
Thesprotian Ephyra, to fetch from Ilus, the son of Mermerus,
poison for his arrows ; but as he could not get it there, he
afterwards obtained it from Anchialus of Taphus. (Od. 1.259,
&c.) Some accounts also state that he went to Sparta as one
of the suitors of Helen, and he is said to have advised
Tyndareus to make the suitors swear, that they would defend
the chosen bridegroom against any one that should insult him
on Helen's account. Tyndareus, to show him his gratitude,
persuaded his brother Icarius to give Penelope in marriage
to Odysseus; or, according to others, Odysseus gained her by
conquering his competitors in the footrace. (Apollod. 3.10.9
; Paus. 3.12.2.) But Homer mentions nothing of all this, and
he states that Agamemnon, who visited him in Ithaca,
prevailed upon him only with great difficulty to join the
Greeks in their expedition against Troy. (Od. 24.116, &c.)
Other traditions relate that he was visited by Menelaus and
Agamemnon, and that more especially Palamedes induced him to
join the Greeks. For when Palamedes came, it is said,
Odysseus pretended to be mad : he yoked an ass and an ox to
a plough, and began to sow salt. Palamedes, to try him,
placed the infant Telemachus before the plough, whereupon
the father could not continue to play his part. He stopped
the plough, and was obliged to undertake the fulfilment of
the promise he had made when he was one of the suitors of
Helen. (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 818.) This occurrence is said to have
been the cause of his hatred of Palamedes. (Hyg. Fab. 95.)
Being now himself gained for the undertaking, he contrived
to discover Achilles, who was concealed among the daughters
of king Lycomedes, and without whom, according to a prophecy
of Calchas, the expedition against Troy could not be
undertaken. (Apollod. 3.13.8; comp. ACHILLES.) Before,
however, the Greeks set out against Troy, Odysseus, in
conjunction with Menelaus (and Palamnedes, Dict. Cret.
1.4.), went to Troy, where he was hospitably received, for
the purpose of inducing the Trojans by amicable means to
restore Helen and her treasures. (Il. 3.205, &c.)
When the Greeks were assembled in the port of Aulis, he
joined them with twelve ships and men from Cephallene,
Ithaca, Neriton, Crocyleia, Zacynthus, Samos, and the coast
of Epeirus (Il. 2.303, 631, &c.). When Agamemnon was
unwilling to sacrifice Iphigeneia to Artemis, and the Greeks
were in great difficulty, Odysseus, feigning anger,
threatened to return home, but went to Mycenae, and induced
Clytaemnestra by various pretences to send Iphigenia to
Aulis (Dict. Cret. 1.20; comp. Eurip. ph. Aul. 100, &c.). On
his voyage to Troy he wrestled in Lesbos with Philomeleides,
the king of the island, and conquered him (Od. 4.342).
According to others, Odysseus and Diomedes slew him by a
stratagem. During the siege of Troy he distinguished himself
as a valiant and undtaunted warrior (Il. 4.494, 5.677,
7.168, 11.396, 404, &100.14.82), but more particularly as a
cunning, prudent, and eloquent spy and negotiator, and many
instances are related in which he was of the greatest
service to the Greeks by these powers. Several distinguished
Trojans fell by his hand. After the death of Achilies he
contended for his armour with the Telamonian Ajax, and
gained the prize (Od. 11.545; Ov. Met. xiii. init.). He is
said by some to have devised the stratagem of the wooden
horse (Philostr. Her. 10.12), and he was one of the heroes
that were concealed in its belly, and prevented them
answering Helen, that they might not be discovered (Od.
4.280, &100.8.494, 11.525). When the horse was opened he and
Menelaus were the first that juniped out and haste to the
house of Deiphobus, where he conquered in the fearful
struggle (Od. 8.517). He is also said to have taken part in
carrying off the palladitum. (Verg. A. 2.164.)
But no part of his adventures is so celebrated in ancient
story as his wanderings after the destruction of Troy, and
his ultimate return to Ithaca, which form the subject of the
Homeric poem called after him the Odyssey. After the taking
of Troy one portion of the Greeks sailed away, and another
with Agamemnon remained behind on the Trojan coast. Odysseus
at first joined the former, but when he had sailed as far as
Tenedos, he returned to Agamemnon (Od. 3.163). Afterwards,
however, he determined to sail home, but was thrown by a
storm upon the coast of Ismarus, a town of the Cicones, in
Thrace, north of the island of Lemnos. He there ravaged and
plundered the town, and as he was not able to induce his men
to depart in time, the Cicones hastened towards the coast
from the interior, and slew 72 of his companions (Od. 9.39,
&c.). From thence he was driven by a north wind towards
Maleia and to the Lotophagi on the coast of Libya. Some of
his companions were so much delighted with the taste of the
lotus that they wanted to remain in the country, but
Odysseus compelled them to embank again, and continued his
voyage (Od. 9.67, 84, 94, &c.). In one day he reached the
goat-island, situated north of the country of the Lotophagi
(Od. 9.116). He there left behind eleven ships, and with one
he sailed to the neighbouring island of the Cyclopes (the
western coast of Sicily), where with twelve companions he
entered the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus, a son of
Poseidon and Thoosa. This giant devoured one after another
six of the companions of Odysseus, and kept the unfortunate
Odysseus and the six others as prisoners in his cave. In
order to save himself Odysseus contrived to make the monster
drunk with wine, and then with a burning pole deprived him
of his one eye. He now succeeded in making his escape with
his. friends, by concealing himself and them under the
bodies of the sheep which the Cyclops let out of his cave;
and Odysseus, with a part of the flock, reached his ship.
The Cyclops implored his father Poseidon to take vengeance
upon Odysseus, and henceforth the god of the sea pursued the
wandering king with implacable enmity (Od. 1.68, &100.9.172-
542). Others represent Poseidon as angry with Odysseus on
account of the death of Palamedes (Philostr. Her. 2.20;
comp. PALAMEDES). On his further voyage he arrived at the
island of Aeolus, probably in the south of Sicily, where he
stayed one month, and is said to have been in love with
Polymela, the daughter of Aeolus (Parthen. Erot. 2). On his
departure Aeolus provided him with a bag of winds, which
were to carry him home, but his companions, without
Odysseus' knowing it, opened the bag, and the winds escaped,
whereupon the ships were driven back to the island of
Aeolus, who was indignant and refused all further assistance
(Od. x. i. &c.). After a voyage of six days he arrived at
Telepylos, the city of Lamus, in which Antiphates ruled over
the Laestrygones, a sort of cannibals. This place must
probably be sought somewhere in the north of Sicily.
Odysseus escaped from them with only one ship (10.80, &c.),
and his fate now carried him to a western island, Aeaea,
inhabited by the sorceress Circe. A part of his people was
sent to explore the island, but they were changed by Circe
into swine. Eurylochus alone escaped, and brought the sad
news to Odysseus, who, when he was hastening to the
assistance of his friends, was instructed by Hermes by what
means he could resist the magic powers of Circe. He
succeeded in liberating his companions, who were again
changed into men, and were most hospitably treated by the
sorceress. When at length Odysseus begged for leave to
depart, Circe desired him to descend into Hades and to
consult the seer Teiresias (10.135, &c.). He now sailed
westward right across the river Oceanus, and having landed
on the other side in the country of the Cimmerians, where
Helios does not shine, he entered Hades, and consulted
Teiresias about the manner In which he night reach his
native island. Teiresias informed him of the danger and
difficulties arising from the anger of Poseidon, but gave
him hope that all would yet turn out well, if Odysseus and
his companions would leave the herds of Helios in Thrinacia
uninjured (Od. xi.). Odysseus now returned to Aeaea, where
Circe again treated the strangers kindly, told them of the
dangers that yet awaited them, and of the means of escaping
(12.1, &c.). The wind which she sent with them carried them
to the island of the Seirens, somewhere near the west coast
of Italy. The Seirens sat on the shore, and with their sweet
voices attracted all that passed by, and then destroyed
them. Odysseus, in order to escape the danger, filled the
ears of his companions with wax, and fastened himself to the
mast of his ship, until he was out of the reach of the
Seirens' song (12.39, &100.166, &c.). Hereupon his ship came
between Scylla and Charybdis, two rocks between Thrinacia
and Italy. As the ship passed between them, Scylla, the
monster inhabiting the rock of the same name, carried off
and devoured six of the companions of Odysseus (12.73,
&100.235, &c.). From thence he came to Thrinacia, the island
of Helios, who there kept his sacred herds of oxen.
Odysseus, mindful of the advice of Teiresias and Circe,
wanted to pass by, but his companions compelled him to land.
He made them swear not to touch any of the cattle; but as
they were detained in the island by storms, and as they were
hungry, they killed the finest of the oxen while Odysseus
was asleep. After some days the storm abated, and they
sailed away, but soon another storm came on, and their ship
was destroyed by Zeus with a flash of lightning. All were
drowned with the exception of Odysseus, who saved himself by
means of the mast and planks, and was driven by the wind
again towards Scylla and Charybdis. But he skilfully avoided
the danger, and after ten days he reached the woody island
of Ogygia, inhabited by the nymph Calypso (12.127, &100.260,
&c.). She received him with kindness, and desired him to
marry her, promising immortality and eternal youth, it he
would consent, and forget Ithaca. But he could not overcome
his longing after his own home (1.51, 58, 4.82, &100.555,
&100.7.244, &100.9.28, 34). Athena, who had always been the
protectress of Odysseus, induced Zeus to promise over that
Odysseus, notwithstanding the anger of Poseidon, should one
day return to his native island, and take vengeance on the
suitors of Penelope (1.48, &100.5.23, 13.131, comp. 13.300,
&c.). Hermes carried to Calypso the command of Zeus to
dismiss Odysseus. The nymph obeyed, and taught him how to
build a raft, on which, after a stay of eight years with
her, he left the island (5.140, &100.234, 263) In eighteen
days he came in sight of Scheria, the island of the
Phaeacians, when Poseidon, who perceived him, sent a storm,
which cast him off the raft. On the advice of Leucothea, and
with her and Athena's assistance, he reached Scheria by dint
of swimming (5.278, &100.445, 6.170). The exhausted hero
slept on the shore, until he was awoke by the voices of
maidens. He found Nausicaa, the daughter of king Alcinous
and Arete; she gave him clothing and allowed him to follow
her to the town, where he was kindly received by her
parents. He was honoured with feasts and contests, and the
minstrel Demodocus sang of the fall of Troy, which moved
Odysseus to tears, and being questioned about the cause of
his emotion, he related his whole history. At length he was
honoured with presents and sent home in a ship.
One night as he had fallen asleep in his ship, it reached
the coast of Ithaca; the Phaeacians who had accompanied him,
carried him and his presents on shore, and left him. He had
now been away from Ithaca for twenty years, and when he
awoke he did not recognise his native land, for Athena, that
he might not be recognised, had enveloped him in a cloud. As
he was lamenting his fate the goddess informed him where he
was, concealed his presents, and advised him how to take
vengeance upon theenemies of his house. During his absence
his father Laertes, bowed down by grief and old age, had
withdrawn into the country, his mother Anticleia had died of
sorrow, his son Telemachus had grown up to manhood, and his
wife Penelope had rejected all the offers that had been made
to her by the importunate suitors from the neighbouring
islands (Od. 11.180, &100.13.336, &100.15.355, &100.16.108,
&c.). During the last three years of Odysseus' absence more
than a hundred nobles of Ithaca, Same, Dulichium, and
Zacynthus had been suing for the hand of Penelope, and in
their visits to her house had treated all that it contained
as if it had been their own (1.246, 13.377, 14.90, 16.247).
That he might be able to take vengeance upon them, it was
necessary that he should not be recognised, in order to
avail himself of any favourable moment that might present
itself. Athena accordingly metamorphosed him into an
unsightly beggar, in which appearance he was kindly treated
by Eumaeus, the swineherd, a faithful servant of his house
(13.70, &c. xiv.). While he was staying with Eumaeus, his
son Telemachus returned from Sparta and Pylos, whither he
had gone to obtain information concerning his father.
Odysseus made himself known to him, and with him deliberated
upon the plan of revenge (16.187, &100.300). In the disguise
of a beggar he accompanied Telemachus and Eumaeus to the
town; on his arrival he was abused and insulted by the goat-
herd Melantheus and the suitors. who even tried to kill
Telemachus; but his old dog and his nurse Eurycleia
recognised him, and Penelope received him kindly.
The plan of revenge was now carried into effect. Penelope,
with great difficulty, was made to promise her hand to him
who should conquer the others in shooting with the bow of
Odysseus. As none of the suitors was able to manage it,
Odysseus himself took it up, and having ordered all the
doors to be shut, and all arms to be removed, he began his
contest with the suitors, in which he was supported by
Athena, his son, and some faithful servants. All fell by his
hands, the faithless male and female servants as well as the
suitors; the minstrel and Medon, the herald, alone were
saved (xxii.). Odysseus now made himself known to Penelope,
and went to see his aged father. In the meantime the report
of the death of the suitors was spread abroad, and their
relatives now rose in arms against Odysseus; but Athena, who
assumed the appearance of Mentor, brought about a
reconcilliation between the people and the king (xxiii.
xxiv.).
It has already been remarked that in the Homeric poems,
Odysseus is represented as a prudent, cunning, inventive and
eloquent man, but at the same time as a brave, bold, and
persevering warrior. whose courage no misfortune or calamity
could subdue, but later poets describe him as a cowardly,
deceitful, and intriguing personage (Virg. Acn. 2.164; Ov.
Met. 13.6, &c.; Philostr. Her.2.20). Respecting the last
period of iiis life the Homeric poems give us no
information, except the prophecy of Teiresias, who promised
him a painless death in a happy old age (Od. 11.119); but
later writers give us different accounts. According to one,
Telegonus, the son of Odysseus by Circe, was sent out by his
mother to seek his father. A storm cast him upon Ithaca,
which he began to plunder in order to obtain provisions.
Odysseus and Telemachus attacked him, but he slew Odysseus,
and his body was afterwards carried to Aeaea (Hyg. Fab. 127;
Dict. Cret. 6.15; Horat. Cnrm. 3.29. 8). According to some
Circe called Odysseus to life again, or on his arrival in
Tyrrhenia, he was burnt on Mount Perge (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 795,
&c.). In works of art Odysseus was commonly represented as a
sailor, wearing the semi-oval cap of a sailor. (Plin. Nat.
35.36; Paus . 10.26 . § 1, 29.2; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 804.) -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（Νύμφαι), the name of a numerous class of inferior female
divinities, though they are designated by the title of
Olympian, are called to meetings of the gods in Olympus, and
described as the daughters of Zeus. But they were believed
to dwell on earth in groves, on the summits of mountains, in
rivers, streams, glens, and grottoes. (Hom. Od. 6.123, &c.,
12.318, Il. 20.8, 24.615.) Homer further describes them as
presiding over game, accompanying Artemis, dancing with her,
weaving in their grottoes purple garments. and kindly
watching over the fate of mortals. (Od. 6.105, 9.154,
13.107, 356, 17.243, Il. 6.420, 616.) Men offer up
sacrifices either to them alone, or in conjunction with
other gods, such as Hermes. (Od. 13.350, 17.211, 240,
14.435.) From the places which they inhabit, they are called
ἀγρονόμοι (Od. 6.105),ὀρεστιάδες (Il. 6.420), and νηϊάδες
(Od. 13.104).
All nymphs, whose number is almost infinite, may be divided
into two great classes. The first class embraces those who
must be regarded as a kind of inferior divinities,
recognised in the worship of nature. The early Greeks saw in
all the phenomena of ordinary nature some manifestation of
the deity; springs, rivers, grottoes, trees, and mountains,
all seemed to them fraught with life; and all were only the
visible embodiments of so many divine agents. The salutary
and beneficent powers of nature were thus personified, and
regarded as so many divinities; and the sensations produced
on man in the contemplation of nature, such as awe, terror,
joy, delight, were ascribed to the agency of the various
divinities of nature. The second class of nymphs are
personifications of tribes, races, and states, such as
Cyrene, and many others.
The nymphs of the first class must again be sublatter
divided into various species, according to the different
parts of nature of which they are the representatives.
1. Nymphs of the watery element.
Here we first mention the nymphs of the ocean, Ὠκεανῖναι or
Ὠκεανιδες, νύμφαι ἅγιαι, who are regarded as the daughters
of Oceanus (Hes. Th. 346, &c., 364; Aeschyl. Prom.; Callim.
Hymn. in Dian. 13; Apollon. 4.1414; Soph. Philoct. 1470);
and next the nymphs of the Mediterranean or inner sea, who
are regarded as the daughters of Nereus, whence they are
called Nereides (Νηρεΐδες; Hes. Th. 240, &c.). The rivers
were represented by the Potameides (Ποραμηΐδες), who, as
local divinities, were named after their rivers, as
Acheloides, Anigrides, Ismenides, Amniisiades, Pactolides.
(Apollon. 3.1219; Verg. A. 8.70; Paus. 5.5.6, 1.31.2;
Callim. Hymn. in Dian. 15; Ov. Met. 6.16; Steph. Byz. s.v.
Ἀμνισός.) But the nymphs of fresh water, whether of rivers,
lakes, brooks, or wells, are also designated by the general
name Naiades, Νηΐδες, though they have in addition their
specific names, as Κρηναῖαι, Πηγαῖαι, Ἑγειονίμοι,
Λιμνατίδες, or Λιμνάδες. (Hom. Od. 17.240; Apollon. 3.1219;
Theocrit. 5.17; Orph. Hymn. 50. 6, Argon. 644.) Even the
rivers of the lower regions are described as having their
nymphs; hence, Nymphae infernae paludis and Avernales. (Ov.
Met. 5.540, Fast. 2.610.) Many of these preconcealed sided
over waters or springs which were believed to inspire those
that drank of them, and hence the nymphs themselves were
thought to be endowed with prophetic or oracular power, and
to inspire men with the same, and to confer upon them the
gift of poetry. (Paus. 4.27.2, 9.3.5, 34.3; Plut. Aristid.
11; Theocrit. 7.92; comp. MUSAE.) Inspired soothsayers or
priests are therethe fore sometimes called νυμφόγηπτοι.
(Plat. Phaedr. p. 421e.) Their powers, however, vary with
those of the springs over which they preside; some were thus
regarded as having the power of restoring sick persons to
health (Pind. O. 12.26; Paus. 5.5.6, 6.22.4); and as water
is necessary to feed all vegetation as well as all living
beings, the water nymphs (ϝ̔δριάδες) were also worshipped
along with Dionysus and Demeter as giving life and blessings
to all created beings, and this attrixxiv. bute is expressed
by a variety of epithets, such as καρποτρόφοι, αἰπογικαί,
νόμιαι, κουροτρόφιο, &c. As their influence was thus
exercised in all departments of nature, they frequently
appear in conneccalled tion with higher divinities, as, for
example, with Apollo, the prophetic god and the protector of
herds and flocks (Apollon. 4.1218); with Artemis, the
huntress and the protectress of game, for she herself was
originally an Arcadian nymph (Apollon. 1.1225, 3.881; Paus.
3.10.8); with Hermes, the fructifying god of flocks (Hom.
Hymn. in Aphrod. 262); with Dionysus (Orph. Hymn. 52; Hor.
Carm. 1.1.31, 2.19. 3); with Pan, the Seileni and Satyrs,
whom they join in their Bacchic revels and dances.
2. Nymphs of mountains and grottoes
These are called Ὀροδεμνιάδες and Ὀρειάδες but sometimes
also by names derived from the particular mountains they
inhabited, as Κιθαιρωνίδες, Πηγιάδες, Κορύκιαι, &c.
(Theocrit. 7.137; Verg. A. 1.168, 500; Paus. 5.5.6, 9.3.5,
10.32.5; Apollon. 1.550, 2.711; Ov. Ep. 20.221; Verg. Ecl.
6.56.)
3. Nymphs of frests, groves, and glens
These were believed sometimes to appear to and frighten
solitary travellers. They are designated by the names
Ἀλσηΐδες, Ὁληωροί, Αὐλωνιάδες, and Ναπαῖαι. (Apollon.
1.1066, 1227; Orph. Hymn). 50. 7; Theocrit. 13.44; Ov. Met.
15.490; Virg. Georg. 4.535.)
4. Nymphs of trees
These were believed to die together with the trees which had
been their abode, and with which they had come into
existence. They were called Δρυάδες, Ἁμαδρυάδες or Ἁδρυάδες,
from δρῦς, which signifies not only an oak, but any wild-
growing lofty tree; for the nymphs of fruit trees were
called Μηλίδες, Μηλιάδες, Ἐπιμλίδες, or Ἁμαμηλίδες. They
seem to be of Arcadian origin, and never appear together
with any of the great gods. (Paus. 8.4.2; Apollon. 2.477,
&c.; Ant. Lib. 31, 32; Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 259, &c.)
Overview
The second class of nymphs, who were connected with certain
races or localities (Νύμφαι χθόνιαι, Apollon. 2.504),
usually have a name derived from the places with which they
are associated, as Nysiades, Dodonides, Lemniae. (Ov. Fast.
3.769, Met. 5.412, 9.651; Apollod. 3.4.3; Schol. ad Pind.
Ol. 13.74.)
The sacrifices offered to nymphs usually consisted of goats,
lambs, milk, and oil, but never of wine. (Theocrit. 5.12,
53, 139, 149; Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 4.380, Eclog. 5.74.)
They were worshipped and honoured with sanctuaries in many
parts of Greece, especially near springs, groves, and
grottoes, as, for example, near a spring at Cyrtone (Paus.
9.24.4), in Attica (1.31.2), at Olympia (5.15.4, 6.22.4), at
Megara (1.40.1), between Sicyon and Phlius (2.11.3), and
other places. Nymphs are represented in works of art as
beautiful maidens, either quite naked or only half-covered.
Later poets sometimes describe them as having sea-coloured
hair. (Ov. Met. 5.432.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Nyx (Νύξ, "night", Nox in Roman
translation) was the primordial goddess of the night. A
shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of
creation, and was the mother of personified gods such as
Hypnos (sleep) and Thánatos (death). Her appearances in
mythology are sparse, but reveal her as a figure of
exceptional power and beauty...
Read More
Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdɨpəs/ in American English and /
ˈiːdɨpəs/ in British English; Greek: Οἰδίπους Oidípous meaning
"swollen-footed") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. He
fulfilled a prophecy that said he would kill his father and
marry his mother, and thus brought disaster on his city and
family. This legend has been retold in many versions, and was
used by Sigmund Freud to name the Oedipus complex, sometimes
called the Oedipesian Paradox...
Read More
（*Oi)di/pous), the son of Lains and Iocaste of Thebes. The
tragic fate of this hero is more celebrated than that of any
other legendary personage, on account of the frequent use
which the tragic poets have made of it. In their hands it
also underwent various changesand embellishments ; but the
common story is as follows. Laius, a son of Labdacus, was
king of Thebes, and husband of Iocaste, a daughter of
Menoeceus (or Creon, Diod. 4.64), and sister of Creon. As
Laius had no issue, he consulted the oracle, which informed
him that if a son should be born to him he would lose his
life by the hand of his own child. When, therefore, at
length Iocaste gave birth to a son, they pierced his feet,
bound them together, and then exposed the child on Mount
Cithaeron. There he was found by a shepherd of king Polybus
of Corinth, and he was called from his swollen feet Oedipus.
When he was brought to the palace, the king and his wife
Merope (or Periboea, Apollod. 3.5.7) brought him up as their
own child. Once, however, Oedipus was taunted by a
Corinthian with not being the king's son, whereupon he
proceeded to Delphi to consult the oracle. The answer he
there obtained was that he should slay his father and commit
incest with his own mother. Thinking that Polvbus was his
father, he resolved not to return to Corinth; but on his
road between Delphi and Daulis he met his real father Laius,
and as Polyphontes (or Polyphetes, or Polypoetes. Schol. ad
Eurip. Phoen. 39), the charioteer of Laius, wanted to push
him out of the way, a scuffle ensued in which Oedipus slew
both Laius and Polyphontes, and one part of the oracle was
fulfilled. The two corpses are said to have been buried on
the same spot by Damasistratus, king of Plataeae (Apollod.
3.5.8; Paus. 10.5.2). In the mean time the celebrated Sphinx
had appeared in the neighbourhood of Thebes. She had settled
on a rock, and put a riddle to every Theban that passed by,
and whoever was unable to solve it was killed by the
monster. This calamity induced the Thebans to make known
that whoever should deliver the country of it should be made
king, and receive Iocaste as his wife. Oedipus was one of
those that came forward. and when he approached the Sphinx
she gave the riddle as follows; "A being with four feet has
two feet and three feet, and only one voice; but its feet
vary, and when it has most it is weakest." Oedipus solved
the riddle by saying that it was man, and the Sphinx
thereupon threw herself from the rock. Oedipus now obtained
the kingdom of Thebes, and married his mother, by whom he
became the father of Eteocles, Polyneices, Antigone, and
Ismene. In consequence of this incestuous alliance of which
no one was aware, the country of Thebes was visited by a
plague, and the oracle ordered that the murderer of Laius
should he expelled. Oedipus accordingly pronaunced a solemn
curse upon the unknown murderer, and declared him an exile;
but when he endeavoured to discover him., he was informed by
the seer Teiresias that he himself was both the parricide
and the husband of his mother. locaste now hung herself, and
Oedipus put out his own eyes (Apollod. 3.5.8; Soph. Oed.
Tyr. 447,713, 731, 774,&c.). From this point traditions
again differ,for according to some, Oedipus in his blindness
was expelled from Thebes by his sons and brother-in-law,
Creon, who undertook the government, and he was guided and
accompanied by Antigone in his exile to Attica; but
according to others he was imprisoned by his sons at Thebes,
in order that his disgrace might remain concealed from the
eves of the world. The father now cursed his sons, who
agreed to rule over Thebes alternately, but became involved
in a dispute, in consequence of which they fought in single
combat, and slew each other. Hereupon Creon succeeded to the
throne, and expelled Oedipus. After long wanderings Oedipus
arrived in the grove of the Eumenides, near Colonus, in
Attica; he was there honoured by Theseus in his misfortune,
and, according to an oracle, the Eumenides removed him from
the earth, and no one was allowed to approach his tomb
(Soph. Oed. Col. 1661, &c.; Eurip. Phoen. init.; Apollod.
3.5.9; Diod. 4.64; Hyg. Fab. 67). According to Homer,
Oedipus, tormented by the Erinnyes of his mother, continued
to reign at Thebes after her death; he fell in battle, and
was honoured at Thebes with funeral solemnities (Od. 11.270,
&c., Il. 23.679). Some traditions mention Euryganeia as the
mother of the four children of Oedipus above-mentioned
(Paus. 9.5.5; Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen. 63), and previous to
his connection with her, he is said to have been the father
of Phrastor and Laonytus by Iocaste, and to have in the end
married Astymedusa, a daughter of Sthenelus (Schol. ad
Eurip. l.c.). Oedipus himself is sometimes called a son of
Laius by Eurycleia, and is said to have been thrown in a
chest into the sea when yet an infant, to have been carried
by the waves to the coast of Sicyon, to have been received
by Polybus, and afterwards to have been blinded by him
(Schol. ad Eur. Phoen. 13, 26). His tomb was shown at
Athens, where he also had an heroum. (Paus. 1.28.7, 30, in
fin.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Oenone (pronounced /ɨˈnoʊniː/, from
Ancient Greek Oinōnē - Οἰνώνη "wine woman") was the first wife
of Paris of Troy, whom he abandoned for the queen Helen of
Sparta.[1]
Oenone was a mountain nymph (an oread)[2] on Mount Ida in
Phrygia, a mountain associated with the Mother Goddess Cybele,
alternatively Rhea.[3] Her father was Cebren, a river-god.[4]
Her very name links her to the gift of wine.
Paris, son of the king Priam and the queen Hecuba, fell in
love with Oenone when he was a shepherd on the slopes of Mount
Ida, having been exposed in infancy (owing to a prophecy that
he would be the means of the destruction of the city of Troy)
but rescued by the herdsman Agelaus. The couple married, and
Oenone gave birth to a son, Corythus...
Read More
（Οἰνώνη,) a daughter of the rivergod Cebren, and the wife of
Paris. (Apollod. 3.12.6; Parthen. Erot. 4; Strab. xiii. p.596
; comp. PARIS.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography
and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In ancient Roman religion, Ops or Opis, (Latin: "Plenty") was
a fertility deity and earth-goddess of Sabine origin. Her
husband was Saturn, the bountiful monarch of the Golden Age.
Just as Saturn was identified with the Greek deity Cronus,
Opis was identified with Rhea, Cronus' wife. In her statues
and coins, Opis is figured sitting down, as Chthonian deities
normally are, and generally holds a scepter or a corn spike as
her main attributes. The Chthonian deities are the
manifestations of the Great Goddess, such as Gaia or Ge...
Read More
a female Roman divinity of plenty and fertility, as is
indicated by her nane, which is connected with opinus,
opuleidus, iopsq, anid copia. (Fest. p. 186. &c. ed. Miller.)
She was regarded as the wife of Saturnus, and, accordingly, as
the protectress of every thing connected with agriculture. Her
abode was in the earth, and hence those who invoked her, or
made vows to her, used to touch the ground (Macr. 1.10), and
as she was believed to give to human beings both their place
of abode and their food, newly-born children were recommended
to her care. (August. de Ciu Dei, 4.11, 21.) Her worship was
intimately connected with that of her husband Saturnus, for
she had both temples and festivals in common with him; she
had, however, also a separate sanctuary on the Capitol, and in
the vicus jugarius, not far from the temple of Saturnus, she
had an altar in common with Ceres. (Liv. 39.22; P. Vict. Req.
Urb. viii ) The festivals of Ops are called Opalia and
Opiconsivia, from her surname Consita, connected with the verb
serere, to sow. (Fest. 1. c. ; Macr. 1.10, 12.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, an Oread or Orestiad (Ὀρεάδες / Όρεστιάδες
from ὄρος, "mountain") was a type of nymph that lived in
mountains, valleys, ravines. They differ from each other
according to their dwelling: the Idae were from Mount Ida,
Peliades from Mount Pelia, etc. They were associated with
Artemis, since the goddess, when she went out hunting,
preferred mounts and rocky precipices. - Wikipedia
Read More
[NYMPHAE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Orestes (pronounced /oʊˈrɛstiːz/; Greek:
Ὀρέστης) was the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. He is the
subject of several Ancient Greek plays and of various myths
connected with his madness and purification, which retain
obscure threads of much older ones.[1]
Orestes has a root in ὄρος (óros), "mountain". The metaphoric
meaning of the name is the person "who can conquer
mountains"...
Read More
（᾿ορέστης the only son of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, and
brother of Chrysothemis, Laodice (Electra), and Iphianassa
(Iphigeneia; Hom. Il. 9.142, &c., 284; comp. Soph. Elect.
154; Eur. Orest. 23). According to the Homneric account,
Agamemnon his return from Troy did not see his son, but was
murdered by Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra before he had an
opportunity of seeing him. (Od. 11.542.) In the eighth year
after his father's murder Orestes came from Athens to
Mycenae and slew the murderer of his father, and at the same
time solemnised the burial of Aegisthus and of his mother,
and for the revenge he had taken he gained great fame among
mortals. (Od. 1.30, 298, 3.306, &c., 4.546.) This slender
outline of the story of Orestes has been spun out and
embellished in various ways by the tragic poets. Thus it is
sail that at the murder of Agamemnon it was intended also to
despatch Orestes, but that Electra secretly entrusted him to
the slave who had the management of him. This slave carried
the boy to Strophius, king in Phocis, who was married to
Anaxibia, the sister of Agamemnon. According to some,
Orestes was saved by his nurse Geilissa (Aeschyl. Choeph.
732) or by Arsinoe or Laodameia (Pilnd. Pyth. 11.25, with
the Schol.), who allowed Aegisthus to kill her own child,
thinking that it was Orestes. In the house of Strophius,
Orestes grew up together with the king's son Pylades, with
whom he formed that close and intimate friendship which has
almost become proverbial. (Eur. Orest. 804, &c.) Being
frequently reminded by messengers of Electra of the
necessity of avenging his father's death, he consulted the
oracle of Delphi, which strengthened him in his plan. He
therefore repaired in secret, and without being known to any
one, to Argos. (Soph. Elect. 11, &c., 35, 296, 531, 1346;
Eurip. Elect. 1245, Orest. 162.) He pretended to be a
messenger of Strophius, who had come to announce the death
of Orestes, and brought the ashes of the deceased. (Soph.
Elect. 1110.) After having visited his father's tomb, and
sacrificed upon it a lock of his hair, he made himself known
to his sister Electra. who was ill used by Aegisthus and
Clytaemnestra, and discussed his plan of revenge with her,
which was speedily executed, for both Aegisthus and
Cltaemnestra were slain by his hand in the palace. (Soph.
Elect. 1405; Aeschyl. Choeph. 931; comp. Eurip. Elect. 625,
671, 774, &c., 969, &c., 1165, &c., who differs in several
points from Sophocles.) Immediately after the murder of his
mother he was seized by madness; he perceived the Erinnyes
of his mother and took to flight. Sophocles does not mention
this as the immediate consequence of the deed, and the
tragedy ends where Aegisthus is led to death; but, according
to Euripides, Orestes not only becomes mad; but as the
Argives, in their indignation, wanted to stone him and
Electra to death, and as Menelaus refused to save them,
Pylades and Orestes murdered Helena, and her body was
removed by the gods. Orestes also threatened Menelaus to
kill his daughter Hermione; but by the intervention of
Apollo, the dispute was allayed, and Orestes betrothed
himself to Hermione, and Pylades to Electra. But, according
to the common account, Orestes fled from land to land,
pursued by the Erinnyes of his mother. On the advice of
Apollo, he took refuge with Athena at Athens. The goddess
afforded him protection, and appointed the court of the
Areiopagus to decide his fate. The Erinnyes brought forward
their accusation, and Orestes made the command of the
Delphic oracle his excuse. When the court voted, and was
equally divided, Orestes was acquitted by the command of
Athena. (Aeschyl. Eumenides.) He therefore dedicated an
altar to Athena Areia. (Paus. 1.28.5.) According to another
modification of the legend, Orestes consulted Apollo, how he
could be delivered from his madness and incessant wandering.
The god advised him to go to Tauris in Scythia, and thence
to fetch the image of Artemis, which was (Eur. IT 79, &c.,
968, &c.) believed to have there fallen from heaven, and to
carry it to Athens. (Comp. Paus. 3.16.6.) Orestes and
Pylades accordingly went to Tauris, where Thoas was king,
and on their arrival they were seized by the natives, in
order to be sacrificed to Artemis, according to the custom
of the country. But Iphigeneia, the priestess of Artemis,
was the sister of Orestes, and, after having recognized each
other, all three escaped with the statue of the goddess.
(Eur. IT 800, 1327, &c.)
After his return Orestes took possession of his father's
kingdom at Mycenae, which had been usurped by Aletes or
Menelaus; and when Cylarabes of Argos died without leaving
any heir, Orestes also became king of Argos. The
Lacedaemonians made him their king of their own accord,
because they preferred him, the grandson of Tyndareus, to
Nicostratus and Megapenthes, the sons of Menelaus by a
slave. The Arcadians and Phocians increased his power by
allying themselves with him. (Paus. 2.18.5, 3.4; Philostr.
Her. 6; Pind. P. 11.24.) He married Hermione, the daughter
of Menelaus, and became by her the father of Tisamenus.
(Paus. 2.18.5.) He is said to have led colonists from Sparta
to Aeolis, and the town of Argos Oresticnm in Epeirus is
said to have been founded by him at the time when he
wandered about in his madness. (Strab. vii. p.326, xiii. p.
582; Pind. N. 11.42, with the Schol.) In his reign the
Dorians under Hyllus are said to have invaded Peloponnesus.
(Paus. 8.5.1.) He died of the bite of a snake in Arcadia
(Schol. ad Eur. Or. 1640), and his body, in accordance with
an oracle, was afterwards conveyed from Tegea to Sparta, and
there buried. (Paus. 3.11.8.) In a war between the
Lacedaemonians and Tegeatans, a truce was concluded, and
during this truce the Lacedaemonian Lichas found the remains
of Orestes at Tegea or Thyrea in the house of a blacksmith,
and thence took them to Sparta, which according to an oracle
could not gain the victory unless it possessed the remains
of Orestes. (Hdt. 1.67, &c.; Paus. 3.3.6, 8.54.3.) According
to an Italian legend, Orestes brought the image of the
Taurian Artemis to Aricia, whence it was carried in later
times to Sparta; and Orestes himself was buried at Aricia,
whence his remains were afterwards carried to Rome. (Serv.
ad Aen. 2.116.)
There are three other mythical personages of the name of
Orestes, concerning whom nothing of interest is related.
(Hom. Il. 5.705, 12.139, 193; Apollod. 1.7.3.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Orion (Greek: Ὠρίων[1] or Ωαρίων, Latin: Orion[2]) was a giant
huntsman of Greek mythology whom Zeus placed among the stars
as the constellation of Orion.
Ancient sources tell several different stories about Orion.
There are two major versions of his birth and several versions
of his death. The most important recorded episodes are his
birth somewhere in Boeotia, his visit to Chios where he met
Merope and was blinded by her father, Oenopion, the recovery
of his sight at Lemnos, his hunting with Artemis on Crete, his
death by the bow of Artemis or of the giant scorpion which
became Scorpio, and his elevation to the heavens. Most ancient
sources omit some of these episodes and several tell only one.
These various incidents may originally have been independent,
unrelated stories and it is impossible to tell whether
omissions are simple brevity or represent a real
disagreement...
Read More
（Ὀρίων,) a son of Hyrieus, of Ilyria, in Boeotia, a very
handsome giant and hunter, and said to have been called by
the Boeotians Candaon. (Hom. Od. 11.309; Strab. ix. p.404;
Tzetz. ad Lyc. 328.) Once he came to Chios (Ophiusa), and
fell in love with Aero, or Merope, the daughter of Oenopion,
by the nymph Helice. He cleared the island from wild beasts,
and brought the spoils of the chase as presents to his
beloved; but as Oenopion constantly deferred the marriage,
Orion one day being intoxicated forced his way into the
chamber of the maiden. Oenopion now implored the assistance
of Dionysus, who caused Orion to be thrown into a deep sleep
by satyrs, in which Oenopion blinded him. Being informed by
an oracle that he should recover his sight, if he would go
towards the east and expose his eye-balls to the rays of the
rising sun, Orion following the sound of a Cyclops' hammer,
went to Lemnos, where Hephaestus gave to him Cedalion as his
guide. When afterwards He had recovered his sight, Orion
returned to Chios to take vengeance, but as Oenopion had
been concealed by his friends, Orion was unable to iind him,
and then proceeded to Crete, where he lived as a hunter with
Artemis. (Apollod. 1.4.3; Parthen. Erot. 20; Theon, ad Arat.
638 ; Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.34.) The cause of his death,
which took place either in Crete or Chios, is differently
stated. According to some Eos, who loved Orion for his
beauty, carried him off, but as the gods were angry at this,
Artemis killed him with an arrow in Ortygia (Homrn. Od.
5.121); according to others he was beloved by Artemis, and
Apollo, indignant at his sister's affection for him,
asserted that she was unable to hit with her bow a distant
point which he showed to her in the sea. She thereu:pon took
aim, and hit it, but the point was the head of Orion, who
had been swimming in the sea. (hygin. 1. c.; Ov. Fast.
5.537.) A third account states that he harboured an improper
love for Artemis, that he challenged her to a game of
discus, or that he violated Upis, on which account Artemis
shot him, or sent a monstrous scorpion which killed him.
(Serv. ad Aen. 1.539 ; Hor. Carm. 2.4.72; Apollod. 1.4.5.) A
fourth account, lastly, states that he boasted he would
conquer every animal, and would clear the earth from all
wild beasts; but the earth sent forth a scerpion by which He
was killed. (Ov. Fast. 5.539, &c.) Asclepius wanted to
recall him to life. but was slain by Zeus with a flash of
lighting. [ASCLEPIUS.] The accounts of his parentage and
birth-place are varying in the different writers, for some
call him a son of Poseidon and Euryale (Apollod, 1.4.3), and
others say that He was born of the earth, or a son of
Oenopion. (Serv. ad Aen. 1.539, 10.763.) He is further
called a Theban, or Taiagraean, but probably because Hyria,
his native place, sometimes belonged to Tanagra, and
sometimes to Thebes. (Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.34; Paus. 9.20 §
3; Strab. ix. p.404.) After his death, Orion was placed
amniong the stars (Hom. Il. 18.486, &c., 22.29, Od. 5.274),
where he appears as a giant with a girdle, sword, a lion's
skin and a club. As the rising and setting of the
constellation of Orion was believed to be accompanied by
storms and rain, he is often called imbrifer, nimbosus, or
aquosus. His tomb was shown at Tanagra. (Paus. 9.20.3.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Orpheus (Greek: Ὀρφεύς; in English pronounced /ˈɔrfi.əs/ or /
ˈɔrfjuːs/) is an important figure from Greek
mythology,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] the inspiration for
subsequent Orphic cults, much of the literature, poetry and
drama of ancient Greece and Rome and, due to his association
with singing and the lyre, much dramatic Western classical
music.
The historicity of Orpheus was generally accepted by the
ancients, though Aristotle believed that he never actually
existed.[9] He is not mentioned in Homer or Hesiod. The
earliest surviving reference is a two-word fragment of the
sixth-century B.C. lyric poet Ibycus: onomaklyton Orphēn
("Orpheus famous of name").[10]
Orpheus was called by Pindar "the father of songs"[11] and
asserted to be a son of the Thracian river god Oeagrus.[12]
The Muse Calliope was his mother,[13] but as Karl Kerenyi
observes,[14] "in the popular mind he was more closely linked
to the community of his disciples and adherents than with any
particular race or family"...
Read More
（Ὀρφεύς) The history of the extant productions of Greek
literature begins with the Homeric poems. But it is evident
that works so perfect in their kind are the end, and not the
beginning, of a course of poetical development. This
assumption is confirmed by innumerable traditions, which
record the names of poets before the time of Homer, who
employed their music for the civilisation of men and for the
worship of different divinities. In accordance with the
spirit of Greek mythology, the gods themselves stand at the
head of this succession of poets, namely, Hermes, the
inventor of the lyre, and Apollo, who received the invention
from his brother, and became the divinity presiding over the
whole art of music. With Apollo are associated, still in the
spirit of the old mythology, a class of subordinate
divinities -- the Muses. The earliest human cultivators of
the art are represented as the immediate pupils, and even
(what, in fact, merely means the same thing) the children of
Apollo and the Muses. Their personal existence is as
uncertain as that of other mythical personages, and for us
they can only be considered as the representatives of
certain periods and certain kinds of poetical development.
Their names are no doubt all significant, although the
etymology of some of them is very uncertain, while that of
others, such as Musaeus, is at once evident. The chief of
these names are Olen, Linus, Orpheus, Musaeus, Eumolpus,
Pamphus, Thamyris, and Philammon.
Of these names that of Orpheus is the most important, and at
the same time the one involving the greatest difficulties.
These difficulties arise from the scantiness of the early
traditions respecting specting him, in tracing which we are
rather impeded than aided by the many marvels which later
writers connected with his story; and also from the very
different religious positions which are assigned to him. On
this last point it may be remarked in general that the
earliest opinions respecting him seem to have invariably
connected him with Apollo; while his name was afterwards
adopted as the central point of one system of Dionysiac
worship.
One of the most essential points in such an inquiry as the
present is, to observe the history of the traditions
themselves. The name of Orpheus does not occur in the
Homeric or Hesiodic poems ; but, during the lyric period, it
had attained to great celebrity. Ibycus, who flourished
about the middle of the sixth century B. C., mentions him as
"the renowned Orpheus" (ὀνομακλυτὸν Ὄρφην, Ibyc. Fr. No. 22,
Schneidewin, No. 9, Bergk, apud Priscian. vol. i. p. 283,
Krehl). Pindar enumerates him among the Argonauts as the
celebrated harp player, father of songs, and as sent forth
by Apollo (Pyth. 4.315. s. 176): elsewhere he mentioned him
as the son of Oeagrus (Schol. ad loc.). The historians
Hellanicus and Pherecydes record his name, the former making
him the ancestor both of Homer and of Hesiod (Fr. Nos. 5, 6,
Müller, apud Procl. Vit. Hes. p. 141b., Vit. Hom. Ined.);
the latter stating that it was not Orpheus, but Philammon,
who was the bard of the Argonauts (Fr. 63, Müller, apud
Schol. ad Apollon. 1.23), and this is also the account which
Apollonius Rhodius followed. In the dramatic poets there are
several references to Orpheus. Aeschylus alludes to the
fable of his leading after him trees charmed by the sound of
his lyre (Ag. 1612, 1613, Wellauer, 1629, 1630, Dind.) ; and
there is an important statement preserved by Eratosthenes
(100.24), who quotes the Bassarides of the same poet, that
"Orpheus did not honour Dionysus, but believed the sun to be
the greatest of the gods, whom also he called Apollo; and
rising up in the night, he ascended before dawn to the
mountain called Pangaeum, that he might see the sun first,
at which Dionysus being enraged sent upon him the
Bassaridae, as the poet Aeschylus says, who tore him in
pieces, and scattered his limbs abroad; but the Muses
collected them, and buried them at the place called
Leibethra :" but the quotation itself shows the
impossibility of determining termining how much of this
account is to be considered as given by Aeschylus. Sophocles
does not mention Orpheus, but he is repeatedly referred to
by Euripides, in whom we find the first allusion to the
connection of Orpheus with Dionysus and the inffrnal
regions: he speaks of him as related to the Muses (Rhes.
944, 946); mentions the power of his song over rocks, trees,
and wild beasts (Med. 543, Iph. in Aul. 1211, Bacch. 561,
and a jocular allusion in Cyc. 646); refers to his charming
the infernal powers (Alc. 357,); connects him with
Bacchanalian orgies (Hippol.) 953; ascribes to him the
origin of sacred mysteries (Rhes. 943), and places the scene
of his activity among the forests of Olympus. (Bacch. 561.)
He is mentioned once only, but in an important passage, by
Aristophanes (Aristoph. Frogs 1032), who enumerates, as the
oldest poets, Orpheus, Musaeus, Hesiod, and Homer, and makes
Orpheus the teacher of religious initiations and of
abstinence from murder:
Ὀρφεὺς μὲν γὰρ τελετάς θ᾽ ἡμῖν
κατέδειξε φόνου τ᾽ ἀπέχεσθαι.
Passages exactly parallel to this are found in Plato (Apol.
p. 41a., Protag. p.316, d.), who frequently refers to
Orpheus, his followers, and his works. He calls him the son
of Oeagrus (Sympos. p. 179d.), mentions him as a musician
and inventor (Ion, p. 533c., Leg. iii. p. 677d.), refers to
the miraculous power of his lyre (Protag. p. 315a.), and
gives a singular version of the story of his descent into
lades: the gods, he says, imposed upon the poet, by showing
him only a phantasm of his lost wife, because he had not the
courage to die, like Alcestis, hut contrived to enter Hades
alive, and, as a further punishment for his cowardice, He
met his death at the hands of women (Sympos. p. 179d.; comp.
Polit. x. p. 620a.). This account is quite discordant with
the notions of the early Greeks respecting the value of
life, and even with the example quoted by Plato himself, as
far as Admetus is concerned. Plato seems to have
misunderstood the reason why Orpheus's "contriving to enter
Hades alive," called down the anger of the gods, namely, as
a presumptuous transgression of the limits assigned to the
condition of mortal men: this point will have to be
considered again. As the followers of Orpheus, Plato
mentions both poets and religionists (Prot. p. 316d., Ion,
p. 536b., Cratyl. p. 400c.), and in the passage last quoted,
he tells us that the followers of Orpheus held the doctrine,
that the soul is imprisoned in the body as a punishment for
some previous sins. He makes several quotations from the
writings ascribed to Orpheus, of which one, if not more, is
from the Theogony (Cratyl. p. 402b., Phileb. p. 66c., Leg.
ii. p. 669d.), and in one passage he speaks of collections
of books, which went under the names of Orpheus and Musaeus,
and contained rules for religious ceremonies. (Polit. ii. p.
364e.)
The writings mentioned in the last passage were evidently
regarded by Plato as spurious, but, from the other passages
quoted, he seems to have believed at least in the existence
of Orpheus and in the genuineness of his Theogony. Not so,
however, Aristotle, who held that no such person as Orpheus
ever existed, and that the works ascribed to him were forged
by Cercops and Onomacritus. [ONOMACRITUS.]
Proceeding to the mythographers, and the later poets, from
Apollodorus downwards, we find the legends of Orpheus
amplified by details, the whole. of which it is impossible
here to enumerate; we give an outline of the most important
of them.
Orpheus, the son of Oeagrus and Calliope, lived in Thrace at
the period of the Argonauts, whom he accompanied in their
expedition. Presented with the lyre. by Apollo, and
instructed by the Muses in its use, he enchanted with its
music not only the wild beasts, but the trees and rocks upon
Olympus, so that they moved from their places to follow the
sound of his golden harp. The power of his music caused the
Argonauts to seek his aid, which contributed materially to
the success of their expedition: at the sound of his lyre
the Argo glided down into the sea; the Argonauts tore
themselves away from the pleasures of Lennos; the
Symplegadae, or moving rocks, which threatened to crush the
ship between them, were fixed in their places; and the
Colchian dragon, which guarded the golden fleece, was lulled
to sleep: other legends of the same kind may be read in the
Argonautica, which bears the name of Orpheus. After his
return from the Argonautic expedition he took up his abode
in a cave in Thrace, and employed himself in the
civilisation of its wild inhabitants. There is also a legend
of his having visited Egypt. The legends Irspecting the loss
and recovery of his wife, and his own death, are very
various. His wife was a nymph named Agriope or Eurydice. In
the older accotlnts the cause of her death is not referred
to, but the legend followed in the well-known passages of
Virgil and Ovid, which ascribes the death of Eurydice to the
bite of a serpent, is no doubt of high antiquity, but the
introduction of Aristaeus into the legend cannot be traced
to any writer older than Virgil himself. (Diod. 4.25 ; Conon
45; Paus. 9.30.4; Hyg. Fab. 164.) He followed his lost wife
into the abodes of Hades, where the charms of his lyre
suspended the torments of the damned, and won back his wife
from the most inexorable of all deities; but his prayer was
only granted upon this condition, that he should not look
back upon his restored wife, till they had arrived in the
upper world: at the very moment when they were about to pass
the fatal bounds, the anxiety of love overcame the poet; he
looked round to see that Eurydice was following him; and he
beheld her caught back into the infernal regions. The form
of the myth, as told by Plato, has been given above. The
later poets, forgetting the religious meaning of the legend,
connected his death with the second loss of Eurydice, his
grief for whom led him to treat with contempt the Thracian
women, who in revenge tore him to pieces under the
excitement of their Bacchanalian orgies. Other causes are
assigned for the fury of the Thracian Maenads ; but the most
ancient form of the legend seems to be that already
mentioned as quoted by Eratosthenes from Aeschylus. The
variation, by which Aphrodite is made the instigator of his
death, from motives of jealousy, is of course merely a fancy
of some late poet (Conon,45). Another form of the legend,
which deserves much more attention, is that which was
embodied in an inscription upon what was said to be the
tomb, in which the bones of Orpheus were buried, at Dium
near Pydna, in Macedonia, which ascribed his death to the
thunderbolts of Zeus :--
Θρήϊκα χρυσολύρην τῇδ᾽ Ὀρφέα Μοῦσαι ἔθαφαν,
ὃν κτάνεν ὑψιμέδων Ζεὺς ψολόεντι βέλει.
(Diog. Laert. Prooem. 5; Paus. 9.30.5 ; Anth. Graec. Epig.
Inc. No. 483; Brunck, Anal. vol. iii. p. 253.)
After his death, according to the more common form of the
legend, the Muses collected the fragments of his body, and
buried them at Leibethra at the foot of Olympus, where the
nightingale sang sweetly over his grave. The subsequent
transference of his bones to Dium is evidently a local
legend. (Paus. l.c.) His head was thrown upon the Hebrus,
down which it rolled to the sea, and was borne across to
Lesbos, where the grave in which it was interred was shown
at Antissa. His lyre was also said to have been carried to
Lesbos; and both traditions are simply poetical expressions
of the historical fact that Lesbos was the first great seat
of the music of the lyre: indeed Antissa itself was the
birth-place of Terpander, the earliest historical musician.
(Phanocles, ap. Stob. Tit. lxii. p. 399). The astronomers
taught that the lyre of Orpheus was placed by Zeus anlong
the stars, at the intercession of Apollo and the Muses
(Eratosth. 24; Hygin. Astr. 2.7; Manil. Astron. 1.324).
In these legends there are some points which require but
little explanation. The invention of music, in connection
with the services of Apollo and the Muses, its first great
application to the worship of the gods, which Orpheus is
therefore said to have introduced, its power over the
passions, and the importance which the Greeks attached to
the knowledge of it, as intimately allied with the very
existence of all social order,--are probably the chief
elementary ideas of the whole legend. But then comes in one
of the dark features of the Greek religion, in which the
gods envy the advancement of man in knowledge and
civilisation, and severely punish any one who transgresses
the bounds assigned to humanity, as may be seen in the
legend of Prometheus, and in the sudden death, or blindness,
or other calamities of the early poets and musicians. In a
later age, the conflict was no longer viewed as between the
gods and man, but between the worshippers of different
divinities; and especially between Apollo, the symbol of
pure intellect, and Dionysus, the deity of the senses: hence
Orpheus, the servant of Apollo, falls a victim to the
jealousy of Dionysus, and the fury of his worshippers. There
are, however, other points in the legend which are of the
utmost difficulty, and which would require far more
discussion than can be entered upon here. For these matters
the reader is referred to Lobeck's Aglaophamus, Müller's
Prolegomena zu einer wissenschaftlichen Mythologie, and
Klausen's article in Ersch and Gruber's Encyclopädie.
Concerning the localities of the legend, see Miller's
Literature of Ancient Greece, p. 26, and Klausen. The works
of art representing Orpheus are enumerated by Klausen.
Orphic Societies and Mysteries.
All that part of the mythology of Orpheus which connects him
with Dionysus must be considered as a later invention, quite
irreconcilable with the original legends, in which he is the
servant of Apollo and the Muses: the discrepancy extends
even to the instrument of his music, which was always the
lyre, and never the flute. It is almost hopeless to explain
the transition. It is enough to remark here that, about the
time of the first development of Greek philosoplly,
societies were formed, which assumed the name of Orpheus,
and which celebrated peculiar mysteries, quite different
from those of Eleusis. They are thus described by Muüller
(Hist. Lit. Anc. Gr. p. 231.): --
"On the other hand there was a society of persons, who
performed the rites of a mystical worship, but were not
exclusively attached to a particular temple and festival,
and who did not confine their notions to the initiated, but
published them to others, and committed them to literary
works. These were the followers of Orpheus (οἱ Ὀρφικυί);
that is to say, associations of pertons, who, under the
[pretended] guidance of the ancient mystical poet Orpheus,
dedicated themselves to the worship of Bacchus, in which
they hoped to find satisfaction for an ardent longing after
the soothing and elevating influences of re ligion. The
Dionysus, to whose worship the Orphic and Bacchic rites were
annexed (τὰ Ὀρφικὰ καλεόμενα καὶ Βακχικά, Hdt. 2.81), was
the Chthonian deity, Dionysus Zagreus, closely connected
with Demeter and Cora, who was the personitied expression,
not only of the most rapturous pleasure, but also of a deep
sorrow for the miseries of human life. The Orphic legends
and poems related in great part to this Dionysus, who was
combined, as an infernal deity, with Hades (a doctrine given
by the philosopher Heracleitus as the opinion of a
particular sect, ap. Clem. Alex. Protrep. p. 30, Potter);
and upon whom the Orphic theologers founded their hopes of
the purification and ultimate immortality of the soul. But
their mode of celebrating this worship was very different
from the popular rites of Bacchus. The Orphic worshippers of
Bacchus did not indulge in unrestrained pleasure and frantic
enthusiasm, but rather aimed at an ascetic purity of life
and manners. (See Lobeck, Aglaoph. p. 244.) The followers of
Orp heus, when they had tasted the mystic sacrificial feast
of raw flesh torn front the ox of Dionysus (ὠμοφαγία),
partook of no other animal food. They wore white linen
garments, like Oriental and Egyptian priests, from whom, as
Herodotus remarks (l.c.), much may have been borrowed in the
ritual of the Orphic worship."
Herodotus not only speaks of these rites as being Egyptian,
but also Pythagorean in their character. The explanation of
this is that the Pythagorean societies, after their
expulsion from Magna Graecia, united themselves with the
Orphic societies of the mother country, and of course
greatly influenced their character. But before this time the
Orphic system had been reduced to a definite form by
PHERECYDES and ONOMACRITUS, who stand at the head of a
series of writers, in whose works the Orphic theology was
embodied; such as Cercops, Brontinus, Orpheus of Camarina,
Orpheus of Croton, Arignote, Persinus of Miletus, Timocles
of Syracuse, and Zopyrus of Heracleia or Tarentum (Müller,
p. 235). Besides these associations there were also an
obscure set of mystagogues derived from them, called
Orpheotelests (Ὀρφεοτελεσταί), "who used to come before the
doors of the rich, and promise to release them from their
own sins and those of their forefathers, by sacrifices and
expiatory songs; and they produced at this ceremony a heap
of books of Orpheus and Musaeus, upon which they founded
their promises" (Plat. Ion, p. 536b.; Müller, p. 235). The
nature of the Orphic theology, and the points of difference
between it and that of Homer and Hesiod, are fully discussed
by Müller (Hist. Lit. Anc. Gr. pp. 235-238) and Mr. Grote
(vol. i. pp. 22, §c.) ; out most fully by Lobeck, in his
Aglaophamus.
Orphic Literature.
We have seen that many poems ascribed to Orpheus were
current as early as the time of the Peisistratids
[ONOMACRITUS], and that they are often quoted by Plato. The
allusions to them in later writers are very frequent ; for
example, Pausanias speaks, of hymns of his, which he
believed to be still preserved by the Lycolnidae (an
Athenian family who seem to have been the chief priests of
the Orphic worhip. as the Eumolpidae were of the
Eleusinlian), and which, he says, were only inferior in
beauty to the poetus of Homer, and held even in higher
honour, on account of their divine subjects. He also speaks
of them as very few in number, and as distinguished by great
brevity of style (9.30. §§ 5, 6. s. 12).
Considering the slight acquaintance which the ancients
evidently possessed with these works, it is somewhat
surprising that certain extant poeins, which bear the name
of Orpheus, should have been generally regarded by scholars,
until a very recent period, as genuine, that is, as works
more ancient than the Homeric poems, if not the productions
of Orpheus himself. It is not worth while to repeat here the
history of the controversy, which will be found in Bernhard
and the other historians of Greek literature. The result is
that it is now fully established that the bulkof these poems
are the forgeries of Christian grammarians and philosophers
of the Alexandrian school; but that along the fragments,
which form apart of the collection, are some genuine remains
of that Orphic poetry which was known to Plato, and which
must be assigned to the period of Onomacritus, orperhaps a
little earlier. The Orphic literature which, in this sense,
we may call genuine, seems to have included Hymns, a
Theogony, an ancient poem called Minyas or the Descent into
Hades, Oracles and Songs for Initiations (Τελεταί), a
collection of Sacred Legends (Ἰεροὶ λόγοι), ascribed to
Cercops, and perhaps some other works. The apocryphal
productions which have come down to us under the name of
Orphica, are the following:
1. Ἀργοναυτικά
An epic poem in 1384 hexameters, giving an account of the
expedition of the Argonauts, which is full of indications of
its late date.
2. Ὕμνοι
Eighty-seven or eighty-eight hymns in hexameters, evidently
the productions of the Nco Platonic school.
3. Λιθικά
the best of the three apocryphal Orphic poems, which treats
of properties of stones, both precious and common, and their
uses in divination.
4. Fragments, chiefly of the Theogony.
It is in this class that we find the genuine remains, above
referred to, of the literature of the early Orphic theology,
but intermingled with others of a mnch later date.
Further Information
Eschenbach, Epigenes, de Poesi Orphica Commentarius, Norimb.
1702-1704; Tiedemain, Griechenlands erste Philosophen,
Leipz. 1780; G. H. Bode, de Orpheo Poetarum Graecorum
antiquissimo, Goett. 1824; Lobeck, Aglaophamus ; Bode,
Gesch. d. Hell. Dichtkunst, vols. i. ii.; Ulrici, Gesch. d.
Hellen. Dichtkunst, vols. i. ii.; Bernhardy, Grudriss d.
Griech. Litt. vol. ii. pp. 266, &c.; Fabric. Bibl. Graec.
vol. i. pp. 140, &c.; for a further list of writers on
Orpheus, see Hoffmann, Lexicon Bibliographicum Scriptorum
Graecorum.）
Editions
The chief editions of Orpheus, after the early ones of 1517,
1519, 1540, 1543, 1566, and 1606, are those of Eschenbach,
Traj. ad Rhen. 1689, 12mo.; Gesner and Hanberger, Lips.
1764, 8vo. and Hermann, Lips. 1805, 8vo., by far the best.
There are also small editions, chiefly for the use of
schools, by Schaefer, Lips. 1818, 12mo., and in the
Tauchnitz Classics, 1824, 16mo. - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
（*Melpo/menos), i. e. the singing (goddess), one of the nine
Muses, became afterwards the Muse of Tragedy. (Hes. Theog. 77;
comp. MUSAE.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Memnon (Greek: Mέμνων) was an Ethiopian
king and son of Tithonus and Eos. As a warrior he was
considered to be almost Achilles' equal in skill. At the
Trojan War, he brought an army to Troy's defense and was
killed by Achilles in retribution for killing Antilochus. The
death of Memnon echoes that of Hector, another defender of
Troy whom Achilles also killed out of revenge for a fallen
comrade, Patroclus. After Memnon's death, Zeus was moved by
Eos' tears and granted her immortality. Memnon's death is
related at length in the lost epic Aethiopis, composed after
The Iliad circa the 7th century BC. Quintus of Smyrna records
Memnon's death in Posthomerica. His death is also described in
Philostratus' Imagines...
Read More
（Μέμνων), a son of Tithonus and Eos, and brother of
Emathion. In the Odyssey and Hesiod he is described as the
handsome son of Eos, who assisted Priam with his Ethiopians
against the Greeks. He slew Antilochus, the son of Nestor,
at Troy. (Hes. Th. 984, &c.; Hom. Od. 4.188, 11.522;
Apollod. 3.12. § 4.) Some writers called his mother a
Cissian woman (Κισσια), from the Persian province of Cissia.
(Strab. p. 728 ; Hdt. 5.49, 52.) As Eos is sometimes
identical with Hemera, Memnon's mother is also called
Hemera. [Eos.] Homer makes only passing allusions to Memnon,
and he is essentially a postomeric hero. According to these
later traditions, he was a prince of the Ethiopians, and
accordingly black (Ov. Amor. 1.8. 4, Epist. ex Pont. 3.3.
96; Paus. 10.31.2); he came to the assistance of his uncle
Priam, for Tithonus and Priam were step-brothers, being both
sons of Laomedon by different mothers. (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 18.)
Respecting his expedition to Troy there are different
legends. According to some Memnon the Ethiopian first went
to Egypt, thence to Susa, and thence to Troy. (Pats.
1.42.2.) At Susa, which had been founded by Tithonus, Memnon
built the acropolis which was called after him the
Memnonium. (Hdt. 5.53, 7.151; Strab. p. 728; Paus. 4.31.5.)
According to some Tithonus was the governor of a Persian
province. and the favourite of Teutamnus; and Memnon
obtained the command of a large host of Ethiopians and
Susans to succor Priam. (Diod. 2.22, 4.75; Paus. 10.31.2.) A
third tradition states that Tithonus sent his son to Priam,
because Prian had made him a present of a golden vine.
(Serv. ad Aen. 1.493.) Dictys Cretensis (4.4) makes Memnon
lead an army of Ethiopians and Indians from the heights of
Mount Caucasus to Troy. In the fight against the Greeks he
was slain by Achilles. The principal points connected with
his exploits at Troy are, his victory over Antilochus, his
contest with Achilles, and lastly, his death and the removal
of his body by his mother. With regard t tthe first, we are
told that Antilochus, the dearest friend of Achilles after
the fall of Patroclus, hastened to the assistance of his
father, Nestor, who was hard pressed by Paris. Memnon
attacked Antilochus, and slew him. (Pind. P. 6.30, &c.)
According to others, Memnon was fighting with Ajax; and
before his Ethiopians could come to his assistance, Achilles
came up, and killed Ieninon (Dict. Cret. 4.6); the same
accounts represent Antilochus as having been conquered by
Hector. (Ov. Ep. 1.15; Iygin. Sab. 113.) According to the
common account, however, Achilles avenged the death of
Antilochus upon Memnon, of whose fate Achilles had been
informed by his mother, Thetis. While both were fighting
Zeus weighed the fate of the two heroes, and the wale
containing that of Memnon sank. (Pind. O. 2.148, Nem. 3.110,
6.83; Quint. Smyrn. 2.224, &c.; Philostr. Icon. 2.7; Plut.
De And. Poit. 2.) According to Diodorus (2.22) Memnon was
not killed in an open contest, but fell into an ambush in
which the Thessalians lay in wait for him. Eos prayed to
Zeus to grant her son immortality, and removed his body from
the field of battle. She wept for him every morning; and the
dew-drops which appear in the morning are the tears of Eos.
(Serv. ad Aen. 1.493; Ov. Met. 13.622.)
Philostratus (Her. 3.4) distinguishes between a Trojan and
an Ethiopian Memnon, and believes that the former, who was
very young and did not distinguish himself till after the
death of Hector, slew Antilochus; and he adds, that
Achilles, after having avenged his friend, burnt the armour
and Lead of Memnononn the funeral pile of Antilochus. Sonme
say that the Ethiopian warriors burned the body of Memnon,
and carried the ashes to Tithonus (Diod. 1. c.); or that
those who had gone to Troy under his general, Phallas,
received his ashes near Paphos, in Cyprus, and gave them to
Memnon's sister, Himera, who was searching after his body,
and buried them in Palliochis (an unknown place), whereiepon
she disappeared. (Dict. Cret. vi. ]0.) Tombs of Memnon were
shown in several places, as at Ptolemais in Syria, on the
Hellespont, on a hill near the mouth of the river Aesepus,
near Paltou in Syria, in Ethiopia and other places. (Strab.
pp. 587, 728.) His armour was said to have been made for him
by Hephaestus, at the request of his mother; and his sword
was shown in the temple of Asclepius, at Nicomedeia. (Paus.
3.3.6.) His companions, who indulged in excessive wailings
at his death, were changed by the gods into birds, called
Memnonides, and some of them died of grief. (Serv. ad Aen.
1.755.) According to Ovid (Ov. Met. 13.57G, &c.), Eos
implored Zeus to confer an honour on her son, to console her
for his loss. He accordingly caused a number of birds,
divided into two swarms, to fight ill the air over the
funeral sacrifice until a portion of them fell down upon the
ashes of the hero, and thus formed a funeral sacrifice for
him. According to a story current on the Hellespont, the
Memnonides every year visited the tomb of Memnon, cleared
the ground round about, and moistened it with their wings,
which they wetted in the waters of the river Aesepus. (Paus.
10.31.2; comp. Plin. Nat. 36.7.)
At a comparatively late period, when the Greeks became
acquainted with Egypt, and the colossal statue in the
neighbourhood of Thebes, the stone of which, when reached by
the rays of the rising sun, gave forth a sound resembling
that of a breaking chord, they looked upon that statue as
representing the son of Eos, or confounded it with their own
Helios, although they well knew that the Egyptians did not
call the statue Memnon, but Amenophis. (Paus. 1.42.2; comp.
Callistrat. Stut.1.9.) This colossal figure, made of black
stone, in a sitting posture, with its feet close together,
and the hands leaning on its seat, was broken in the middle,
so that the upper part had fallen down; but it was
afterwards restored. (Paus.l.c.; Strab. p. 816; Philostr.
Her.3.4, Icon.1.7, Vit. Apollon. 6.4; Lucian, Tox. 27; Tac.
Ann. 2.61; Juv. 15.5.) Several very ingenious conjectures
have been propounded respecting the alleged meaning of the
so-called statue of Memnon; and some have asserted that it
served for astronomical purposes, and others that it had
reference to the mystic worship of the sun and light, though
there can be little doubt that the statue represented
nothing else than the Egyptian king Amenophis. (Creuzer,
Symbolik,p. 149, &c.; Jablonski, De llfemnone;and the
various works on Egyptian antiquities.)
The fight of Memnon with Achilles was often represented by
Greek artists, as for example, on the chest of Cypselus
(Paus. 5.19.1), on the throne of Apollo, at Amyclae
(3.18.7), in a large group at Olympia, the work of Lycius,
which had been dedicated there by the inhabitants of
Apollonia (5.22.2), in the Lesche at Delphi, by Polygnotus
(10.31.2; comp. Millingen, Momnunt. Inedit. 1, 4, 5, 40). -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Menelaus (Ancient Greek: Μενέλαος) was a
legendary king of Mycenaean (pre-Dorian) Sparta, the husband
of Helen, and a central figure in the Trojan War. He was the
son of Atreus and Aerope, and brother of Agamemnon king of
Mycenae and leader of the Greek army during the War. Prominent
in both the Iliad and Odyssey, Menelaus was also popular in
Greek vase painting and Greek tragedy; the latter more as a
hero of the Trojan War than as a member of the doomed House of
Atreus...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Mentor (Greek: Μέντωρ / Méntōr; gen.:
Μέντορος)[1] was the son of Alcumus and, in his old age, a
friend of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War he
placed Mentor in charge of his son, Telemachus, and of his
palace. When Athena visited Telemachus she took the disguise
of Mentor to hide herself from the suitors of Telemachus'
mother Penelope.[2] As Mentor, the goddess encourages
Telemachus to stand up against the suitors and go abroad to
find out what happened to his father.
When Odysseus returns to Ithaca, Athena (in the form of
Mentor) takes the form of a swallow and the suitors' arrows
have no effect on him...
Read More
3. A son of Alcimus and a friend of Odysseus, who, on quitting
Ithaca, entrusted to him the care of his house. (Hom. Od.
2.226, &c., 22.235.) Athena assumed his appearance when she
conducted Telemachus to Pylos. (Od. 2.269, 402, 3.13, &c.,
4.654.) On Odysseus' return, Mentor assisted him in the
contest with the suitors, and brought about a reconciliation
between him and the people (22.206, 24.445, &c.). - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
Mercury (pronounced /ˈmɜrkjʉri/, Latin: Mercurius listen
(help·info)) was a messenger,[1] and a god of trade, the son
of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is
related to the Latin word merx ("merchandise"; compare
merchant, commerce, etc.), mercari (to trade), and merces
(wages)[2]. In his earliest forms, he appears to have been
related to the Etruscan deity Turms, but most of his
characteristics and mythology were borrowed from the analogous
Greek deity, Hermes.
Mercury has influenced the name of a number of things in a
variety of scientific fields, such as the planet Mercury, and
the element mercury, which was formerly associated with it.
The word mercurial is commonly used to refer to something or
someone erratic, volatile or unstable, derived from Mercury's
swift flights from place to place...
Read More
a Roman divinity of commerce and gain, probably one of the
dii lucrii. The character of the god is clear from his name,
which is connected with merx and mercari. (Paul. Diac. p.
124, ed. Müller; Schol. ad Pers. Sat. 5.112.) A temple was
built to him as early as B. C. 495 (Liv. 2.21, 27; Ov. Fast.
5.669), near the Circus Maximus (P. Vict. Reg. Urb. xi.);
and an altar of the god existed near the Porta Capena, by
the side of a well; and in later times a temple seems to
have been built on the same spot. (Ov. Fast. 5.673; P. Vict.
Reg. Urb. i.) Under the name of the ill-willed (malevolus),
he had a statue in what was called the vices sobrius, or the
sober street, in which no shops were allowed to be kept, and
milk was offered to him there instead of wine. (Fest. pp.
161, 297, ed. Miller.) This statue had a purse in its hand,
to indicate his functions. (Schol. ad Pers. l.c.) His
festival was celebrated on the 25th of May, and chiefly by
merchants, who also visited the well near the Porta Capena,
to which magic powers were ascribed; and with water from
that well they used to sprinkle themselves and their
merchandise, that they might be purified, and yield a large
profit. (Ov. Fast. v. 670 &c.; Fest. p. 148, ed. Müller.)
The Romans of later times identified Mercurius, the patron
of merchants and tradespeople, with the Greek Hermes, and
transferred all the attributes and myths of the latter to
the former (Hor. Carm. 1.10), although the Fetiales never
recognised the identity; and instead of the caduceus used a
sacred branch as the emblem of peace. The resemblance
between Mercurius and Hermes is indeed very slight; and
their identification is a proof of the thoughtless manner in
which the Romans acted in this respect. [Comp. HERMES.] - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Merope, in Greek mythology, is one of the seven Pleiades,
daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Pleione, their mother, is the
daughter of Oceanus and Tethyus and is the protector of
sailors.[1] There are several myths associated with the
Pleiades in Greek mythology...
Read More
3. A daughter of Atlas, one of the Pleiades, and the wife of
Sisyphus of Corinth, by whom she became the mother of Glaucus.
In the constellation of the Pleiades she is the seventh and
the least visible star, because she is ashamed of having had
intercourse with a mortal man. (Apollod. 1.9.3, 3.10. 1; Ov.
Fast. 4.175; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1155; Serv. ad Virg. Georg.
1.138; comp. Hom. Il. 6.154; Schol. ad Pind. Nom. 2.16;
SISYPHUS.） - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Mezentius was an Etruscan king, and
father of Lausus. Sent into exile because of his cruelty, he
moved to Latium. He reveled in bloodshed and was
overwhelmingly savage on the battlefield, but more
significantly to a Roman audience he was a contemptor divum,
a "despiser of the gods."
He appears in Virgil's Aeneid, primarily book ten, where he
aids Turnus in a war against Aeneas and the Trojans. While
in battle with Aeneas, he is critically injured by a spear
blow, but his son Lausus bravely blocks Aeneas's final blow.
Lausus is then killed by Aeneas, and Mezentius is able to
escape death for a short while. Once he hears of Lausus'
death, he feels ashamed that his son died in his place and
returns to battle on his horse Rhaebus in order to avenge
him. He is able to keep Aeneas on the defensive for some
time by riding around Aeneas and loosing javelins.
Eventually, Aeneas kills the horse with a spear and pins
Mezentius underneath. He is overcome by Aeneas, but remains
defiant and fearless unto his death, not begging for mercy
as Turnus later does, but simply asking that he be buried
with his son.
In the traditional myth that predates the Aeneid, Mezentius
actually outlived Aeneas, who 'disappeared' into the river
which Aeneas became associated with in a hero cult. However,
since his benefactor Maecenas was a native Etruscan, Virgil
portrayed Mezentius as a tyrant,[1] attributing to him
personally the evils which the Greek authors had previously
accused the Etruscans of, such as torture and savagery, an
ethnic prejudice already present in the Homeric
Hymns.[citation needed] Thus he created something of a
scapegoat of Mezentius and portrayed the Etruscan people as
a good race who fight alongside Aeneas. - Wikipedia
Read More
（*Mese/ntios), a mythical king of the Tyrrhenians or
Etruscans, at Caere or Agylla, and father of Lausus. When he
was expelled by his subjects on account of his cruelty he
took refuge with Turnus, king of the Rutulians, and assisted
him in his war against Aeneas and the Trojans. Aeneas
wounded him, but Mezentius escaped under the protection of
his son. When, however, Lausus had fallen, Mezentius
returned to the battle on horseback, and was slain by Aeneas
(Verg. A. 8.480, &c., 10.689, &c., 785, 800, &c.). The story
about the alliance between Mezentius and the Rutulians is
also mentioned by Livy and Dionysius, but they say nothing
about his expulsion from Caere or Agylla. According to them
Aeneas disappeared during the battle against the Rutulians
and Etruscans at Lanuvium, and Ascanius was besieged by
Mezentius and Lausus. In a sally at night the besieged
defeated the enemy, slew Lausus, and then concluded a peace
with Mezentius, who henceforth remained their ally. (Liv.
1.2, 3; Dionys. A. R. 1.64, &c.) According to Servits (ad
Aen. 4.620, 6.760, 9.745) Mezentius was slain by Ascanius.
During the siege of Ascanius, Mezentius, when he was asked
to conclude a peace, demanded among other things, that the
Latins should give up to him every year the whole produce of
their vintage; and in commemoration of this, it was said,
the Romans in later times celebrated the festival of the
Vinalia, on the twenty-third of April, when the new wine was
tasted, and a libation made in front of the temple of Venus,
and a sacrifice offered to Jupiter. (Plut. Quaest. Rom. 45;
Ov. Fast. 4.881, &c.; Macr. 3.5; comp. Dict. of Ant. s. v.
Vinalia.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Midas or King Midas (in Greek Μίδας) is popularly remembered
in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he
touched into gold. This was called the Golden touch, or the
Midas touch.[1] He bears some relation to the historical
Mita, king of the Mushki in Western Anatolia in the later
8th century BC.[2]
Midas was king[3] of Pessinus, a city of Phrygia, who as a
child was adopted by the king Gordias and Cybele, the
goddess whose consort he was, and who (by some accounts) was
the goddess-mother of Midas himself.[4] Some accounts place
the youth of Midas in Macedonian Bermion (See Bryges)[5] In
Thracian Mygdonia,[6] Midas was known for his garden of
roses: Herodotus[7] remarks on the settlement of the ancient
kings of Macedon on the slopes of Mount Bermion "the place
called the garden of Midas son of Gordias, where roses grow
of themselves, each bearing sixty blossoms and of surpassing
fragrance". In this garden, according to Macedonians,
Silenos was taken captive.[8] According to Iliad (V.860), he
had one son, Lityerses, the demonic reaper of men, but in
some variations of the myth he had a daughter, Zoe or "life"
instead. For the son of Midas, see Adrastus...
Read More
（*Mi/das), a son of Gordius, according to some by Cybele
(Hyg. Fab. 274), a wealthy but effeminate king of Phrygia, a
pupil of Orpheus, and a promoter of the worship of Dionysus
(Hdt. 1.14; Paus. 1.4.5; Aelian, Ael. VH 4.17; Strab. vii.
p.304). His wealth is alluded to in a story connected with
his childhood, for it is said that while yet a child, ants
carried grains of wheat into his mouth to indicate that one
day he should be the richest of all mortals (Cic. De Div.
1.36 ; V. Max. 1.6.3; Aelian, Ael. VH 12.45). His effeminacy
is described by Philostratus (Icon. 1.22; comp. Athen.
12.516). It seems probable that in this character he was
introduced into the Satyric drama of the Greeks, and was
represented with the ears of a satyr, which were afterwards
lengthened into the ears of an ass. He is said to have built
the town of Ancyra (Strab. xiii. pp. 568, 571; Paus. 1.4.5),
and as king of Phrygia lie is called Berecynthius heros (Ov.
Mlet. 11.106). In reference to his later life we have
several legends, the first of which relates his reception of
Seilenus. During the expedition of Dionysus from Thrace to
Phrygia, Seilenus in a state of intoxication had gone
astray, and was caught by country people in the rose gardens
of Midas. He was bound in wreaths of flowers and led before
the king. These gardens were in Macedonia, near Mount
Bermion or Bromion, where Midas was king of the Briges, with
whom he afterwards emigrated to Asia, where their name was
changed into Phryges (Hdt. 7.83, 8.138; Conon, Nrarrat. 1).
Midas received Seilenus kindly, conversed with him (comp.
Plut. Consol. ad Apoll.; Aelian, Ael. VH 3.18), and after
having treated him hospitably for ten days, he led him back
to his divine pupil, Dionysus, who in his gratitude
requested Midas to ask a favour. Midas in his folly desired
that all things which he touched should be changed into gold
(comp. Plut. Purall. Min. 5). The request was granted, but
as even the food which he touched was changed into gold, he
implored the god to take his favour back. Dionysus
accordingly ordered him to bathe in the source of Pactolus
near Mount Tmolus. This bath saved Midas, but the river from
that time had an abundance of gold in its sand (Ov. Mlet.
11.90, &c.; Hyg. Fab. 191; Verg. Ecl. 6.13). A second story
relates his capture of Satyrus. Midas, who was himself
related to the race of Satyrs, once had a visit from a
Satyr, who indulged in all kinds of jokes, and ridiculed the
king for his Satyr's ears. Midas, who had learnt from his
mother how Satyrs might he caught and brought to reason,
mixed wine in a well, and when the Satyr had drunk of it, he
fell asleep and was caught (Philostr. Vit. Apoll. 6.27).
This well of Midas was at different times assigned to
different localities. Xenophon (Xen. Anab. 1.2.13) places it
in the neighbourhood of Thymbrium and Tyraeum, and Pausanias
(1.4.5) at Ancyra Compp. Ath. 2.45; Plut. De Fluv. 10). Once
when Pan and Apollo were engaged in a musical contest on the
flute and lyre, Tmolus, or according to others (Hyg. Fab.
191, who speaks of the contest between Apollo and Marsyas),
Midas, was chosen to decide between them. Tmolus decided in
favour of Apollo, and all agreed in it except Midas. To
punish him for this, Apollo changed his ears into those of
an ass. Midas contrived to conceal them under his Phrygian
cap, but the servant who used to cut his hair discovered
them. The secret so much harassed this man, that as he could
not betray it to a human being, he dug a hole in the earth,
and whispered into it, "King Midas has ass's ears." He then
filled the hole up again, and his heart was released. But on
the same spot a reed grew up, which in its whispers betrayed
the secret to the world (Ov. Met. 11.146, &c.; Pers. Sat.
1.121 ; Aristoph. Pl. 287). Midas is said to have killed
himself by drinking the blood of an ox. (Strab. i. p.61;
Plut. De Superst. 7.)
[L.S] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
one of the great Roman divinities, whose name seems to be of
the same root as mens, whence monere and promneercare (Fest.
p. 205, ed. Müller. She is accordingly the thinking,
calculating, and inventive power personified. Varro (ap.
Aug. de Civ. Dei, 7.28) therefore considered her as the
impersonation of all ideas, or as the plan of the universe,
while Jupiter, according to him, is the creator, and Juno
the representative of matter. Minerva was the third in the
number of the Capitoline divinities, and sometimes is said
to have wielded the thunderbolts of Jupiter, her father.
Tarquin, the son of Demaratus, was believed to have united
the three divinities in one common temple, and hence, when
repasts were prepared for the gods, these three always went
together (August. de Civ. Dei, 4.10; V. Max. 2.1.2). As
Minerva was a virgin divinity, and her father the supreme
god, the Romans easily identified her with the Greek Athena.
and accordingly all the attributes of Athena were gradually
transferred to the Roman Minerva. But we shall here confine
ourselves to those which were peculiar to the Roman goddess,
as far as they can be ascertained.
As she was a maiden goddess her sacrifices consisted of
calves which had not borne the yoke or felt the sting
(Fulgentius, p. 561, ed. Merc.; Arnob. 4.16, 7.22). She is
said to have invented numbers, and it is added that the law
respecting the driving in of the annual nail was for this
reason attached to the temple of Minerva (Liv. 7.3) ; but it
is generally well attested that she was worshipped as the
patroness of all the arts and trades, for at her festival
she was particularly invoked by all those who desired to
distinguish themselves in any art or craft, such as
painting, poetry, the art of teaching, medicine, dyeing,
spinning, weaving, and the like. (Ov. Fast. 3.809, &c.;
August. l.c. 7.16.)
This character of the goddess may be perceived also from the
proverbs "to do a thing pingui Minerva," i. e. to do a thing
in an awkward or clumsy manner; and sus Minervam, of a
stupid person who presumed to set right an intelligent one.
Minerva, however, was the patroness, not only of females, on
whom she conferred skill in sewing, spinning, weaving, &c.,
but she also guided men in the dangers of war, where victory
is gained by cunning, prudence, courage, and perseverance.
Hence she was represented with a helmet, shield, and a coat
of mail; and the booty made in war was frequently dedicated
to her. (Liv. 45.33; Verg. A. 2.615.) Minerva was further
believed to be the inventor of musical instruments,
especially wind instruments, the use of which was very
important in religious worship, and which were accordingly
subjected to a sort of purification every year on the last
day of the festival of Minerva. This festival lasted five
days, from the 19th to the 23d of March, and was called
Quinquatrus, because it began on the fifth day after the
ides of the month. (Fest. pp. 149, 257, ed. Miller; Varro,
De L. L. 6.14; Ov. Fast. 3.849.) This number of days does
not seem to have been accidental. for Servius (ad Virg.
Georg. 1.277) informs us that the number 5 was sacred to
Minerva. (See Dict. of Ant. s. v. Quinquatrus.) The most
ancient temple of Minerva at Rome was probably that on the
Capitol; another existed on the Aventine (P. Vict. Rey. Urb.
viii.; Ov. Fast. 6.728); and she had a chapel at the foot of
the Caelian hill, where she bore the surname of Capta. (Ov.
Fast. 3.337.) She also had the surname of Nautia, which was
believed to have originated in the following manner.
Diomedes had carried the Palladium from Troy; and as he
found that it availed him nothing in his misfortunes, and as
the oracle commanded him to restore it to the Trojans, he
wanted to deliver it up to Aeneas on his wanderings through
Calabria. When he came to the Trojans, he found Aeneas
engaged in offering up a sacrifice, and Nautes received the
Palladium instead of Aeneas. The goddess (Minerva) bestowed
many favours upon him, instructed him in various arts, and
chose him for her servant. The family of the Nautii
afterwards retained the exclusive knowledge of the manner in
which Minerva Nautia was to be worshipped. Her mysterious
image was preserved in the most secret part of the temple of
Vesta, and regarded as one of the safeguards of the state.
(Dionys. A. R. 1.69; Verg. A. 5.704; Serv. ad Aen. 2.166,
3.407; Lucan. 1.598; comp. Hartung, Die Relig. der Römer,
vol. ii. p. 78, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Minerva (Etruscan: Menrfa, or Menrva) was the Roman goddess
whom Hellenizing Romans from the second century BC onwards
equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin
goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving,
crafts, magic, and the inventor of music.[1] She is often
depicted with an owl, her sacred creature and is, through this
connection, a symbol of wisdom.
This article focuses on Minerva in ancient Rome and in cultic
practice. For information on Latin literary mythological
accounts of Minerva, which were heavily influenced by Greek
mythology, see Pallas Athena, where she is one of three virgin
goddesses along with Artemis and Hestia, known by the Romans
as Diana and Vesta...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Minos (Greek: Μίνως) was a mythical king
of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. After his death, Minos
became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization
of pre-Hellene Crete has been named after him. By his wife,
Pasiphae, he fathered Ariadne, Androgeus, Deucalion, Phaedra,
Glaucus, Catreus, Acacallis, and many others.
Minos, along with his brothers, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon, was
raised by king Asterion (or Asterius) of Crete. When Asterion
died, his throne was claimed by Minos[1] who banished Sarpedon
and (according to some sources) Rhadamanthys too...
Read More
（Μίνως).
1. The son of Zeus and Europa, brother of Rhadamanthus, and
king of Crete, where he is said to have given many and
useful laws. After his death he became one of the judges of
the shades in Hades. (Hom. Il. 13.450, 14.322, Od. 11.321,
567, 17.523, 19.178; comp. MILETUS.) He was the father of
Deucalion and Ariadne; and, according to Apollodorus (3.1.1,
&c.), Sarpedon also was a brother of his. Diodorus (4.60;
comp. Strab. x. p.476, &c.) relates the following story
about him. Tectamus, a son of Dorus, and a great-grandson of
Deucalion, came to Crete with an Aeolian and Pelasgian
colony; and as king of the island, he became the father of
Asterius, by a daughter of Crethets. In the reign of
Asterius, Zeus came to Crete with Europa, and became by her
the father of Minos, Sarpedon and Rhadamanthus. Asterins
afterwards married Europa; and having no issue by her, he
adopted her three sons. Thus Minos succeeded Asterius, and
married Itone, daughter of Lyctius, by whom he had a son,
Lycastus. The latter became, by Ida, the daughter of
Corybas, the father of another Minos, whom, however, some
also called a son of Zeus. It should be observed, that Homer
and Hesiod know only of one Minos, the ruler of Cnossus, and
the son and friend of Zeus; and of this one they on the
whole relate the same things, which later traditions assign
to a second Minos, the grandson of the former; for here, as
in many other mythical traditions of Greece and other
countries, a rationalistic criticism attempted to solve
contradictions and difficulties in the stories about a
person, by the assumption that the contradictory accounts
must refer to two different personages. 2. A grandson of No.
1, and a son of Lycastus and Ida, was likewise a king and
law-giver of Crete. He is described as possessed of a
powerful navy, as the husband of Pasiphae, a daughter of
Helios, and as the father of Catrteus, Deucalion, Glaucus,
Androgeus, Acalle, Xenodice, Ariadne, and Phaedra. (Apollod.
2.1.3.) He is said to have been killed in Sicily by king
Cocalus, when he had gone thither in pursuit of Daedalus.
(Hdt. 7.170; Strab. vi. pp. 273,279; Paus. 7.4.5.) But the
scholiast on Callimachus (Call. Jov. 8) speaks of his tomb
in Crete. The detail of his history is related as follows.
After the death of Asterius, Minos aimed at the supremacy of
Crete, and declared that it was destined to him by the gods;
in proof of it, he said that any thing lie prayed for was
done. Accordingly, as he was offering up a sacrifice to
Poseidon, he prayed that a bull might come forth from the
sea, and promised to sacrifice the animal. The bull
appeared, and Minos became king of Crete. Others say that
Minos disputed the government with his brother, Sarpedon,
and conquered. (Hdt. 1.173.) But Minos, who admired the
beauty of the bull, did not sacrifice him, and substituted
another in his place. Poseidon therefore rendered the bull
furious, and made Pasiphae conceive a love for the animal.
Pasiphae concealed herself in an artificial cow made by
Daedalus, and thus she became by the bull the mother of the
Minotaurus, a monster which had the body of a man, but the
head of a bull. Minos shut the monster up in the labyrinth.
(Apollod. 3.1.3, &c.; comp. DAEDALUS.) Minos is further said
to have divided Crete into three parts, each of which
contained a capital, and to have ruled nine years. (Hom. Od.
19.178; Strab. x. pp. 476, 479.) The Cretans traced their
legal and political institutions to Minos, and he is said to
have been instructed in the art of law-giving by Zeus
himself; and the Spartan, Lycurgus, was believed to have
taken the legislation of Minos as his model. (Paus. 3.4.2;
comp. Plat. Min. p. 319b.; Plut. De ser. Num. Vind. 4; V.
Max. 1.2.1; Athen. 13.601.) In his time Crete was a powerful
maritime state; and Minos not only checked the piratical
pursuits of his contemporaries, but made himself master of
the Greek islands of the Aegean. (Thuc. 1.4; Strab. i. p.48;
Diod. l.c.) The most ancient legends describe Minos as a
just and wise law-giver, whereas the later accounts
represent him as an unjust and cruel tyrant. (Philostr. Vit.
Apoll. 3.25; Catull. Epithal. Pel. 75; Eustath. ad Hom. p.
1699.) In order to avenge the wrong done to his son
Androgeus [ANDROGEUS] at Athens, he made war against the
Athenians and Megarians. He sub dued Megara, and compelled
the Athenians, either every year or every nine years, to
send him as a tribute seven youths and seven maidens, who
were devoured in the labyrinth by the Minotaurus. (Apollod.
3.15.8; Paus. 1.27.9, 44.5; Plut. Thes. 15; Diod. 4.61; Ov.
Met. 7.456, &c.; comp. ANDROGEUS, THESEUS.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith,
Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (Greek: Μῑνώταυρος, Latin:
Minotaurus, Etruscan Θevrumineś), as the Greeks imagined him,
was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man[1]
or, as described by Ovid, "part man and part bull".[2] He
dwelt at the center of the Cretan Labyrinth, which was an
elaborate maze-like construction[3] built for King Minos of
Crete and designed by the architect Daedalus and his son
Icarus who were ordered to build it to hold the Minotaur. The
Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian founder-hero
Theseus. Theseus was the son of Aethra, and fathered by both
Poseidon and Aegeus.
The term Minotaur derives from the Greek Μῑνώταυρος,
etymologically compounding the name Μίνως (Minos) and the noun
ταύρος "bull", translating as "(the) Bull of Minos". In Crete,
the Minotaur was known by its proper name, Asterion,[4] a name
shared with Minos' foster-father.[5]...
Read More
（*Minw/tauros), a monster with a human body and a bull's
head, or, according to others, with the body of an ox and a
human head; is said to have been the offspring of the
intercourse of Pasiphae with the bull sent from the sea to
Minos, who shut him up in the Cnossian labyrinth, and fed him
with the bodies of the youths and maidens whom the Athenians
at fixed times were obliged to send to Minos as tribute. The
monster was slain by Theseus. It was often represented by
ancient artists either alone in the labyrinth, or engaged in
the struggle with Theseus. (Paus. 1.24.2, 27, in fin. 3.18.7;
Apollod. 3.1.4, 15.8.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Mnemosyne (Greek Mνημοσύνη, pronounced /nɪˈmɒzɪni/ or /nɪ
ˈmɒsəni/), source of the word mnemonic,[2] was the
personification of memory in Greek mythology. This titaness
was the daughter of Gaia and Uranus and the mother of the nine
Muses by Zeus:
Calliope (Epic Poetry)
Clio (History)
Erato (Love Poetry)
Euterpe (Music)
Melpomene (Tragedy)
Polyhymnia (Hymns)
Terpsichore (Dance)
Thalia (Comedy)
Urania (Astronomy)
In Hesiod's Theogony, kings and poets receive their powers of
authoritative speech from their possession of Mnemosyne and
their special relationship with the Muses...
Read More
（Μνημοσύνη), i. e. memory, a daughter of Uranus, and one of
the Titanides, became by Zeus the mother of the Muses. (Hom.
Hymn. in Merc. 429; Hes. Th. 54, 915; Diod. 5.67; Orph. Hymn.
76; Cic. De Nat. Deor. 3.21.) Pausanias (1.2.4) mentions a
statue of Mnemosyne at Athens; and near the oracle of
Tropllonius she had a sacred well and a throne. (Paus. 9.39.4,
&c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai (in Greek Μοῖραι – the
"apportioners", often called The Fates), in Greek mythology,
were the white-robed personifications of destiny (Roman
equivalent: Parcae, euphemistically the "sparing ones", or
Fata; also equivalent to the Germanic Norns). Their number
became fixed at three.
The Greek word moira (μοῖρα) literally means a part or
portion, and by extension one's portion in life or destiny.
They controlled the metaphorical thread of life of every
mortal from birth to death...
Read More
（*Moi=ra) properly signifies "a share," and as a
personification " the deity who assigns to every man his
fate or his share," or the Fates. Homer usually speaks of
only one Moira, and only once mentions the Μοῖραι in the
plural. (Il. 24.29.) In his poems Moira is fate personified,
which, at the birth of man, spins out the thread of his
future life (Il. 24.209), follows his steps, and directs the
consequences of his actions accordinig to the counsel of the
gods. (11. 5.613, 20.5.) Homer thus, when he personifies
Fate, conceives her as spinning, an act by which also the
power of other gods over the life of man is expressed. (Il.
24.525, Od. 1.17,3.208, 4.208.) But the personification of
his Moira is not complete, for he mentions no particular
appearance of the goddess, no attributes, and no parentage;
and his Moira is therefore quite synonymous with Αἶσα. (II.
20.127, 24.209.) If in Od. 7.197, the Κατακλῶθες are the
Moirae, and not the Eileithyiae, as some suppose, Αἶσα and
Moira would indeed be two distinct beings, but still beings
performing entirely the same functions.
The Homeric Moira is not, as some have thought, an
inflexible fate, to which the gods themselves must bow; but,
on the contrary, Zeus, as the father of gods and men, weighs
out their fate to them (Il. 8.69, 22.209; comp. 19.108); and
if he chooses, he has the power of saving even those who are
already on the point of being seized by their fate (II.
16.434, 441, 443); nay, as Fate does not abruptly interfere
in human affairs, but avails herself of intermediate causes,
and determines the lot of mortals not absolutely, but only
conditionally, even man himself, in his freedom, is allowed
to exercise a certain influence upon her. (Od. 1.34, Il.
9.411, 16.685.) As man's fate terminates at his death, the
goddess of fate at the close of life becomes the goddess of
death, μοῖρα Δανάτοιο (Od. 24.29, 2.100, 3.238), and is
mentioned along with death itself, and with Apollo, the
bringer of death. (Il. 3.101, 5.83, 16.434, 853, 20.477,
21.101, 24.132.)
Hesiod (Hes. Th. 217, &c., 904; comp. Apollod. i 3.1) has
the personification of the Moirae complete; for he calls
them, together with the Keres, daughters of Night; and
distinguishes three, viz. Clotho, or the spinning fate;
Lachesis, or the one who assigns to man his fate; and
Atropos, or the fate that cannot be avoided. According to
this genealogy, the Moirae must be considered as in a state
of dependence upon their father, and as agreeing with his
counsels. Hence he is called Μοιραγέτης, i. e. the guide or
leader of the Moirae (Paus. 5.15.4), and hence also they
were represented along with their father in temples and
works of art, as at Megara (Paus. 1.40.3), in the temple of
Despoena in Arcadia (8.37.1), and at Delphi (10.24.4; comp.
8.42.2). They are further described as engraving on
indestructible tables the decrees of their father Zeus.
(Claudian, 15.202; comp. Ov. Met. 15.808, &c.) Later writers
differ in their genealogy of the Moirae from that of Hesiod;
thus they are called children of Erebus and Night (Cic. De
Aat. Deor. 3.17), of Cronos and Night (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 406),
of Ge and Oceanus (Athenag. 15; Lycoph. 144), or lastly of
Ananke or Necessity. (Plat. De Re Publ. p. 617d.)
It cannot be surprising to find that the character and
nature of the Moirae were conceived differently at different
times and by different authors. Sometimes they appear as
divinities of fate in the strict sense of the term, and
sometimes only as allegorical divinities of the duration of
human life. In the former character they are independent, at
the helm of necessity, direct fate, and watch that the fate
assigned to every being by eternal laws may take its course
without obstruction (Aeschyl. Prom. 511, 515); and Zeus, as
well as the other gods and men, must submit to them. (Hdt.
1.91; Lactant. Institute. 1.11, 13; Stob. Eclog. i. pp. 152,
170.) They assign to the Erinnyes, who inflict the
punishment for evil deeds, their proper functions; and with
them they direct fate according to the laws of necessity,
whence they are sometimes called the sisters of the
Erinnyes. (Aeschyl. Eum. 335, 962, Prom. 516, 696, 895;
Tzetz. ad Lyc. 406.) Later poets also conceive the Moirae in
the same character. (Verg. A. 5.798, 12.147; Tib. 1.8. 2;
Ov. Tr. 5.3. 17, Met. 15.781; Horat. Carm. Saec. 25, &c.)
These grave and mighty goddesses were represented by the
earliest artists with staffs or sceptres, the symbol of
dominion; and Plato (De Re Pub. p. 617) even mentions their
crowns. (Mus. Pio-Clem. tom. vi. tab. B.)
The Moirae, as the divinities of the duration of human life,
which is determined by the two points of birth and of death,
are conceived either as goddesses of birth or as goddesses
of death, and hence their number was two, as at Delphi.
(Paus. 10.24.4; Plut. de Tranq. An. 15, de Ei ap. Delph. 2.)
From this circumstance we may perhaps infer that originally
the Greeks conceived of only one Moira, and that
subsequently a consideration of her nature and attributes
led to the belief in two, and ultimately in three Moirae;
though a distribution of the functions among the three was
not strictly observed, for in Ovid, for example (ad Liv.
239), and Tibullus (1.8. 1.), all three are described as
spinning, although this should be the function of Clotho
alone, who is, in fact, often mentioned alone as the
representative of all. (Pind. 01. 1.40; Ov. ad Liv. 164,
Fast. 6.757, Ex Pont. 4.15. 36.) As goddesses of birth, who
spill the thread of beginning life, and even prophesy the
fate of the newly born, they are mentioned along with
Eileithyia, who is called their companion and πάρεδρος.
(Paus. 8.21.2; Plat. Sympos. p. 206d.; Pind. O. 6.70, Nem.
7.1; Ant. Lib. 29; comp. Eurip. Iphig. Taur. 207.) In a
similar capacity they are also joined with Prometheus, the
former, or creator of the human race in general. (Hygin.
Poet. Astr. 2.15.) The symbol with which they, or rather
Clotho alone, are represented to indicate this function, is
a spindle, and the idea implied in it was carried out so
far, that sometimes we read of their breaking or cutting off
the thread when life is to end. (Ov. Am. 2.6. 46; Plat. de
Re Publ. p. 616.) Being goddesses of fate, they must
necessarily know the future, which at times they reveal, and
thus become prophetic divinities. (Ov. Met. 8.454, Trist.
5.3. 25; Tib. 1.8. 1, 4.5. 3; Catull. 64. 307.) As goddesses
of death, they appear together with the Keres (Hes. Scut.
Herc. 258) and the infernal Erinnyes, with whom they are
even confounded, and in the neighbourhood of Sicyon the
annual sacrifices offered to them were the same as those
offered to the Erinnyes. (Paus. 2.11.4; comp. Schol. ad
Aesch. Agam. 70; Aelian, Ael. NA 10.33; Serv. ad Aen. 1.86.)
It belongs to the same character that, along with the
Charites, they lead Persephone out of the lower world into
the regions of light, and are mentioned along with Pluto and
Charon. (Orph. Hymn. 428; Ov. Fast. 6.157; comp. Aristoph.
Frogs 453.) The various epithets which poets apply to the
Moirae generally refer to the severity, inflexibility, and
sternness of fate.
They had sanctuaries in many parts of Greece, such as
Corinth (Paus. 2.4.7), Sparta (3.11.8), Olympia (5.15.4),
Thebes (9.2.5.4), and elsewhere. The poets sometimes
describe them as aged and hideous women, and even as lame,
to indicate the slow march of fate (Catull. 64, 306; Ov.
Met. 15.781; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 584) ; but in works of art they
are represented as grave maidens, with different attributes,
viz., Clotho with a spindle or a roll (the book of fate);
Lachesis pointing with a staff to the horoscope on the globe
; and Atropos with a pair of scales, or a sun-dial, or a
cutting instrument. It is worthy of remark that the Muse
Urania was sometimes represented with the same attributes as
Lachesis, and that Aphrodite Urania at Athens, according to
an inscription on a Hermes-pillar, was called the oldest of
the Moirae. (Paus. 1.19.2; comp. Welcker, Zeitschrift für
alt. Kunst, p. 197, &c.; Blüner, Ueber die Idee des
Schicksals, p. 115, &c.; flirt. Mytholog. Bilderh. p. 200.)
Moira also occurs as the proper name of a daughter of
Cinyras, who is more commonly called Smyrna. (Schol. ad
Theocrit. 1.109.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Momus or Momos (μῶμος) was in Greek mythology the god of
satire, mockery, censure, writers, poets; a spirit of evil-
spirited blame and unfair criticism. His name is related to
μομφή, meaning 'blame' or 'censure'. He is depicted in
classical art as lifting a mask from his face...
Read More
（*Mw=mos), a son of Nyx, is a personification of mockery and
censure. (Hes. Th. 214.) Thus he is said to have censured in
the man formed by Hephaestus, that a little door had not been
left in his breast, so as to enable one to look into his
secret thoughts. (Lucian, Hermotim. 20.) Aphrodite alone was,
according to him, blameless. (Philostr. Ep. 21.)
[L.S] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Morpheus (pronounced /ˈmɔrfiəs/ or /ˈmɔrfjuːs/; Greek:
Μορφεύς, Morpheus, or Μορφέας, Morpheas, "shaper [of dreams]")
in Greek mythology as the god of dreams, leader of the
Oneiroi.[1] Morpheus has the ability to take any human form
and appear in dreams. His true semblance is that of a winged
daemon, imagery shared with many of his siblings...
Read More
（Μορφεύς), the son of Sleep, and the god of dreams. The name
signifies the fashioner or moulder, because he shaped or
formed the dreams which appeared to the sleeper. (Ov. Met.
11.635; Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. p. 199.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Mors is the personification of death and
equivalent to the Greek Thánatos (lat. Thanatus). He is the
son of the goddess of night, Nox, and is the brother of the
personification of sleep, Somnus. Mors should not be confused
with Mars, the god of war, Pluto, the god of the underworld,
or Orcus, god of death and punisher of perjurers.
Mors is also the Latin word for "death" and is grammatically a
feminine gender noun.
In one story, Heracles (lat. Herculeus) fought Mors in order
to save his friend's wife. In other stories, Mors is shown as
a servant to Pluto, ending the life of a person after the
thread of their life has been cut by the Fates, and Mercury,
the messenger to the gods, escorts the dead persons soul, or
shade, down to the underworld's gate. - Wikipedia
Read More
In Roman mythology, Morta was the goddess of death. She is one
of the Parcae, related to the Roman conception of the Fates in
Greek mythology, the Moirae.She is responsible for pain and
death that occurs in a half wake half sleep time frame. Her
father is the god of night and her mother the goddess of
darkness,.She visits and warns in advance of the pain or death
about to be endured. Nox. - Wikipedia
Read More
The Muses (Ancient Greek αἱ μοῦσαι, hai moũsai [1]: perhaps
from the o-grade of the Proto-Indo-European root *men-
"think"[2]) in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature are the
goddesses or spirits who inspire the creation of literature
and the arts. They were considered the source of the
knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient
culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths.
In Boeotia, the homeland of Hesiod, a tradition persisted[3]
that the Muses had once been three in number. Diodorus
Siculus, quotes Hesiod to the contrary, observing:
Writers similarly disagree also concerning the number of the
Muses; for some say that they are three, and others that they
are nine, but the number nine has prevailed since it rests
upon the authority of the most distinguished men, such as
Homer and Hesiod and others like them.[4]...
Read More
（Μοῦσαι). The Muses, according to the earliest writers,
were the inspiring goddesses of song, and, according to
later noticus, divinities presiding over the different kinds
of poetry, and over the arts and sciences. They were
originally regarded as the nymphs of inspiring wells, near
which they were worshipped, and bore different names in
different places, until the Thraco-Boeotian worship of the
nine Muses spread from Boeotia over other parts of Greece,
and ultimately became generally established. (Respecting the
Muses conceived as nymphs see Schol. ad Theocrit. 7.92;
Hesych. s. v. Νύμφη; Steph. Byz. s. v. Τόρρηβος ; Serv. ad
Virg. Eclog. 7.21.)
The genealogy of the Muses is not the same in all writers.
The most common notion was, that they were the daughters of
Zeus and Mnemosyne, and born in Pieria, at the foot of Mount
Olympus (Hes. Th. 52, &c., 915; Hom. Il. 2.491, Od. 1.10;
Apollod. 1.3.1); but some call them the daughters of Uranus
and Gaea (Schol. ad Pind. Nem. 3.16; Paus. 9.29.2; Diod.
4.7; Arnob. ad v. Gent. 3.37), and others daughters of
Pierus and a Pimpleian nymph, whom Cicero (De Nat. Deor.
3.21) calls Antiope (Tzetz. ad Hes. Op. et D. p. 6; Paus.
l.c.), or of Apollo, or of Zeus and Plusia, or of Zeus and
Moneta, probably a mere translation of Mnemosyne or Mneme,
whence they are called Mnemonides (Ov. Met. 5.268), or of
Zeus and Minerva (Isid. Orig. 3.14), or lastly of Aether and
Gaea. (Hygin. Fab. Praef.) Eupheme is called the nurse of
the Muses, and at the foot of Mount Helicon her statue stood
beside that of Linus. (Paus. 9.29.3.)
With regard to the number of the Muses, we are informed that
originally three were worshipped on Mount Helicon in
Boeotia, namely, Melete (meditation), Mneme (memory), and
Aoede (song); and their worship and names are said to have
been first introduced by Ephialtes and Otus. (Paus. 9.29.1,
&c.) Three were also recognised at Sicyon, where one of them
bore the name of Polymatheia (Plut. Sympos. 9.14), and at
Delphi, where their names were identical with those of the
lowest, middle, and highest chord of the lyre, viz. Nete,
Mese, and Hypate (Plut. l.c.), or Cephisso, Apollonis, and
Borysthenis, which names characterise them as the daughters
of Apollo. (Tzetz. l.c. ; Arnob. 3.37; Serv. ad Virg. Eclog.
7.21; Diod. 4.7.) As daughters of Zeus and Plusia we find
mention of four Muses, viz. Thelxinoe (the heart
delighting), Aoede (song), Arche (beginning), and Melete.
(Cic., Arnob., Tzetz. ll. cc. ; Serv. ad Aen. 1.12.) Some
accounts, again, in which they are called daughters of
Pierus, mention seven Muses, viz. Neilo, Tritone, Asopo,
Heptapora, Achelois, Tipoplo, and Rhodia (Tzetz. Arnob. ll.
cc.), and others, lastly, mention eight, which is also said
to have been the number recognised at Athens. (Arnob. l.c.;
Serv. ad Aen. 1.12; Plat. De Re Publ. p. 116.) At length,
however, the number nine appears to have become established
in all Greece. Homer sometimes mentions Musa only in the
singular, and sometimes Musae in the plural, and once only
(Od. 24.60) he speaks of nine Muses, though without
mentioning any of their names. Hesiod (Hes. Th. 77. &c.) is
the first that states the names of all the nine, and these
nine names henceforth became established. They are Cleio,
Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia,
Urania, and Calliope. Plutarch (l.c.) states that in some
places all nine were designated by the common name Mneiae,
i. e. Remembrances.
If we now inquire into the notions entertained about the
nature and character of the Muses, we find that, in the
Homeric poems, they are the goddesses of song and poetry,
and live in Olympus. (Il. 2.484.) There they sing the
festive songs at the repasts of the immortals (Il. 1.604,
Hymn. in Apoll. Pyth. 11), and at the funeral of Patroclus
they sing lamentations. (Od. 24.60; comp. Pind. Isthm.
8.126.) The power which we find most frequently assigned to
them, is that of bringing before the mind of the mortal poet
the events which he has to relate; and that of conferring
upon him the gift of song, and of giving gracefulness to
what he utters. (Il. 2.484, 491, 761, Od. 1.1, 8.63, &c.,
481, 488; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 259.) There seems to be no
reason for doubting that the earliest poets in their
invocation of the Muse or Muses were perfectly sincere, and
that they actually believed in their being inspired by the
goddesses; but in later times among the Greeks and the
Romans, as well as in our own days, the invocation of the
Muses is a mere formal imitation of the early poets.
Thamyris, who presumed to excel the Muses, was deprived by
them of the gift they had bestowed on him, and punished with
blindness. (Hom. Il. 2.594, &c.; Apollod. 1.3.3.) The
Seirens, who likewise ventured upon a contest with them,
were deprived of the feathers of their wings, and the Muses
themselves put them on as an ornament (Eustath. ad Hom. P.
85); and the nine daughters of Pierus, who presumed to rival
the Muses, were metamorphosed into birds. (Ant. Lib. 9; Ov.
Met. 5.300, &c.) As poets and bards derived their power from
them, they are frequently called either their disciples or
sons. (Hom. Od. 8.481, Hymn. in Lun. 20 ; Hes. Th. 22; Pind.
Nem. iii.; Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 2.476.) Thus Linus is
called a son of Amphimarus and Urania (Paus. 9.29.3), or of
Apollo and Calliope, or Terpsichore (Apollod. 1.3.2);
Hyacinthus a son of Pierus and Cleio (Apollod. 1.3.3);
Orpheus a son of Calliope or Cleio, and Thamyris a son of
Erato. These and a few others are the cases in which the
Muses are described as mothers; but the more general idea
was, that, like other nymphs, they were virgin divinities.
Being goddesses of song, they are naturally connected with
Apollo, the god of the lyre, who like them instructs the
bards, and is mentioned along with them even by Homer. (Il.
1.603, Od. 8.488.) In later times Apollo is placed in very
close connection with the Muses, for he is described as the
leader of the choir of the Muses by the surname Μουσαγέτης.
(Diod. 1.18.) A further feature in the character of the
Muses is their prophetic power, which belongs to them,
partly because they were regarded as inspiring nymphs, and
partly because of their connection with the prophetic god of
Delphi. Hence, they instructed, for example, Aristaeus in
the art of prophecy. (Apollon. 2.512.) That dancing, too,
was one of the occupations of the Muses, may be inferred
from the close connection existing among the Greeks between
music, poetry, and dancing. As the inspiring nymphs loved to
dwell on Mount Helicon, they were naturally associated with
Dionysus and dramatic poetry, and hence they are described
as the companions, playmates, or nurses of Dionysus.
The worship of the Muses points originally to Thrace and
Pieria about mount Olympus, from whence it was introduced
into Boeotia, in such a manner that the names of mountains,
grottoes, and wells, connected with their worship, were
likewise transferred from the north to the south. Near mount
Helicon, Ephialtes and Otus are said to have offered the
first sacrifices to them; and in the same place there was a
sanctuary with their statues, the sacred wells Aganippe and
Hippocrene, and on mount Leibethrion, which is connected
with Helicon, there was a sacred grotto of the Muses. (Paus.
9.29.1, &c., 30.1, 31.3; Strab. pp. 410, 471; Serv. ad Virg.
Eclog. 10.11.) Pierus, a Macedonian, is said to have been
the first who introduced the worship of the nine Muses, from
Thrace to Thespiae, at the foot of mount Helicon. (Paus.
9.29.2.) There they had a temple and statues, and the
Thespians celebrated a solemn festival of the Muses on mount
Helicon, called Μουσεῖα (Paus. 9.27.4, 31.3; Pind. Fragm. p.
656, ed. Boeckh; Diod. 17.16.) Mount Parnassus was likewise
sacred to them, with the Castalian spring, near which they
had a temple. (Plut. De Pyth. Orac. 17.) From Boeotia, which
thus became the focus of the worship of the nine Muses, it
afterwards spread into the adjacent and more distant parts
of Greece. Thus we find at Athens a temple of the Muses in
the Academy (Paus. 1.30.2); at Sparta sacrifices were
offered to them before fighting a battle (3.17.5); at
Troezene, where their worship had been introduced by
Ardalus, sacrifices were offered to them conjointly with
Hypnos, the god of sleep (Paus. 3.31.4 , &c.); at Corinth,
Peirene, the spring of Pegasus, was sacred to them (Pers.
Sat. Prol. 4; Stat. Silv. 2.7. 1); at Rome they had an altar
in common with Hercules, who was also regarded as Musagetes,
and they possessed a temple at Ambracia adorned with their
statues. (Plut. Quaest. Rom. 59; Plin. Nat. 35.36.) The
sacrifices offered to them consisted of libations of water
or milk, and of honey. (Schol. ad Soph. Oed. Col. 100; Serv.
ad Virg. Eclog. 7.21.) The various surnames by which they
are designated by the poets are for the most part derived
from the places which were sacred to them or in which they
were worshipped, while some are descriptive of the sweetness
of their songs.
In the most ancient works of art we find only three Muses,
and their attributes are musical instruments, such as the
flute, the lyre, or the barbiton. Later artists gave to each
of the nine sisters different attributes as well as
different attitudes, of which we here add a brief account.
1. Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry, appears with a tablet
and stylus, and sometimes with a roll of paper; 2. Cleio,
the Muse of history, appears in a sitting attitude, with an
open roll of paper, or an open chest of books; 3. Euterpe,
the Muse of lyric poetry, with a flute; 4. Melpomene, the
Muse of tragedy, with a tragic mask, the club of Heracles,
or a sword, her head is surrounded with vine leaves, and she
wears the cothurnus; 5. Terpsichore, the Muse of choral
dance and song, appears with the lyre and the plectrum; 6.
Erato, the Muse of erotic poetry and mimic imitation,
sometimes, also, has the lyre; 7. Polymnia, or Polyhymnia,
the Muse of the sublime hymn, usually appears without any
attribute, in a pensive or meditating attitude; 8. Urania,
the Muse of astronomy, with a staff pointing to a globe; 9.
Thaleia, the Muse of comedy and of merry or idyllic poetry,
appears with the comic mask, a shepherd's staff, or a wreath
of ivy. In some representations the Muses are seen with
feathers on their heads, alluding to their contest with the
Seirens. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. p. 203, &c.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith,
Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Naiads or Naiades (Ναϊάδες from the
Greek νάειν, "to flow," and νἃμα, "running water") were a type
of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams,
and brooks.
They are distinct from river gods, who embodied rivers, and
the very ancient spirits that inhabited the still waters of
marshes, ponds and lagoon-lakes, such as pre-Mycenaean Lerna
in the Argolid.
Naiads were associated with fresh water, as the Oceanids were
with saltwater and the Nereids specifically with the
Mediterranean, but because the Greeks thought of the world's
waters as all one system, which percolated in from the sea in
deep cavernous spaces within the earth, there was some
overlap. Arethusa, the nymph of a spring, could make her way
through subterranean flows from the Peloponnesus, to surface
on the island of Sicily...
Read More
[NYMPHAE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Napaeae (Ancient Greek: ναπαῖαι, from
νάπη; English translation: "a wooded dell") were a type of
nymph that lived in wooded valleys, glens or grottoes.[1]
Statius invoked them in his Thebaid, when the naiad Ismenis
addresses her mortal son Krenaios:
"I was held a greater goddess and the queen of Nymphae. Where
alas! is that late crowd of courtiers round thy mother’s
halls, where are the Napaeae that prayed to serve thee?" [2] -
Wikipedia
Read More
[NYMPHAE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Narcissus or Narkissos (Greek: Νάρκισσος), possibly derived
from ναρκη (narke) meaning "sleep, numbness," in Greek
mythology was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in
Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. He was exceptionally
proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. As divine
punishment he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool,
not realizing it was merely an image, and he wasted away to
death, not being able to leave the beauty of his own
reflection.
Several versions of this myth have survived from ancient
sources. The classic version is by Ovid, found in book 3 of
his Metamorphoses (completed 8 AD). An earlier version
ascribed to the poet Parthenius of Nicaea, composed around 50
BC, was recently rediscovered among the Oxyrhynchus papyri at
Oxford.[1] Unlike Ovid's version, this one ends with Narcissus
committing suicide. A version by Conon, a contemporary of
Ovid, also ends in suicide (Narrations, 24). A century later
the travel writer Pausanias recorded a novel variant of the
story, in which Narcissus falls in love with his twin sister
rather than himself (Guide to Greece, 9.31.7).[2]...
Read More
（*Na/rkissos), a son of Cephissus and the nymph Liriope of
Thespiae. He was a very handsome youth, but wholly
inaccessible to the feeling of love. The nymph Echo, who
loved him, but in vain, died away with grief. One of his
rejected lovers, however, prayed to Nemesis to punish him
for his unfeeling heart. Nemesis accordingly caused
Narcissus to see his own face reflected in a well, and to
fall in love with his own image. As this shadow was
unapproachable Narcissus gradually perished with love, and
his corpse was metamorphosed into the flower called after
him narcissus. This beautiful story is related at length by
Ovid (Ov. Met. 3.341, &c.). According to some traditions,
Narcissus sent a sword to one of his lovers, Ameinias, who
killed himself with it at the very door of Narcissus' house,
and called upon the gods to avenge his death. Narcissus,
tormented by love of himself and by repentance, put an end
to his life, and from his blood there sprang up the flower
narcissus (Conon, Narrat. 24). Other accounts again state
that Narcissus melted away into the well in which he had
beheld his own image (Paus. 9.31.6); or that he had a
beloved twin sister perfectly like him, who died, whereupon
he looked at his own image reflected in a well, to satify
his longing after his sister. Eustathius (Eustath. ad Hom.
p. 266) says that Narcissus was drowned in the well. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Nemesis (Greek, Νέμεσις), also called
Rhamnousia/Rhamnusia ("the goddess of Rhamnous") at her
sanctuary at Rhamnous, north of Marathon, was the spirit of
divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris
(arrogance before the gods). The Greeks personified vengeful
fate as a remorseless goddess. The name Nemesis is related to
the Greek word νέμειν [némein], meaning "to give what is due".
The Romans equated the Greek Nemesis with Invidia. (Aronoff
2003 ).
"Nemesis" is now often used as a term to describe one's worst
enemy, normally someone or something that is the exact
opposite of oneself but is also somehow similar. For example,
Professor Moriarty is frequently described as the nemesis of
Sherlock Holmes...
Read More
（Λαοκόων), a Trojan hero, who plays a prominent part in the
post-Homeric legends about Troy, especially in the Ἰλίον
πέρσις, the substance of which is preserved in Proclus's
Chrestomathia. He was a son of Antenor (Tzetz. ad Lycoph.
347) or of Acoetes (Hyg. Fab. 135), and a priest of the
Thymbraean Apollo, or, according to others, of Poseidon.
(Tzetz. l. c.; comp. Verg. A. 2.201, with Serv. note.) His
story runs as follows :--As the Greeks were unable to take
Troy by force, they pretended to sail home, leaving behind
the wooden horse. While the Trojans were assembled around
the horse, deliberating whether they should draw it into
their city or destroy it, Laocoon hastened to them from the
city, and loudly cautioned them against the danger which it
might bring upon them. While saying this he thrust his lance
into the side of the horse. (Verg. A. 2.40, &c.) The
Trojans, however, resolved to draw it into the city, and
rejoiced at the peace which they thought they had gained at
length, with sacrifices and feasting. In the meantime Sinon,
who had been taken prisoner, was brought before the Trojans,
and by his cunning treachery he contrived to remove every
suspicion from himself and the wooden horse. When he had
finished his speech, and Laocoon was preparing to sacrifice
a bull to Poseidon, suddenly two fearful serpents were seen
swimming towards the Trojan coast from Tenedos. They rushed
towards Laocoon, who, while all the people took to flight,
remained with his two sons standing by the altar of the god.
(Virg. l.c. 229; Hyg. Fab. 135.) The serpents first entwined
the two boys, and then the father, who went to the
assistance of his children, and all three were killed.
(Verg. A. 2.199-227; comp. Q. Smyrn. 12.398, &c.; Lycoph.
347.) The serpents then hastened to the acropolis of Troy,
and disappeared behind the shield of Tritonis. The reason
why Laocoon suffered this fearful death is differently
stated. According to Virgil, the Trojans thought that it was
because he had run his lance into the side of the horse, but
according to others because, contrary to the will of Apollo,
he had married and begotten children (Hygin. l.c.), or
because Poseidon, being hostile to the Trojans, wanted to
show to the Trojans in the person of Laocoon what fate all
of them deserved.
The sublime story of the death of Laocoon was a fine subject
for epic and lyric as well as tragic poets, and was
therefore frequently treated by ancient poets, such as
Bacchylides, Sophocles, Euphorion, Lysimachus, the Pseudo-
Peisander, Virgil, Petronius, Quintus Smyrnaeus, and others.
But Laocoon is equally celebrated in the history of ancient
art, as in that of ancient poetry; and a magnificent group,
representing the father with his two sons entwined by the
two serpents, is still extant. It was discovered in 1506, in
the time of pope Julius II., at Rome, in the Sette Sale, on
the side of the Esquiline hill; and the pope, who knew how
to appreciate its value, purchased it from the proprietor of
the ground where it had been found, for an annual pension,
which he granted to him and his family. This group excited
the greatest admiration from the moment it was discovered,
and may be seen at Rome in the Vatican. Good casts of it
exist in all the museums of Europe. Pliny (Plin. Nat. 36.4,
11), who calls it the masterwork of all art, says that it
adorned the palace of the emperor Titus, and that it is the
work of the Rhodian artists Agesander, Polydorus, and
Athenodorus. He further states that the whole group consists
of one block of marble, but a more accurate observation
shows that it consists of five pieces. Respecting the
excellent taste and wisdom which the artists have displayed
in this splendid work, see Lessing, Laocoon oder über die
Grenzen der Malerei und Poesie ; Heyne, Antiquarische
Aufsätze, ii. p. 1-52; Thiersch, Epochen, p. 322; Welcker,
das Academ. Kunstnuseum zu Bonn, p. 27, &c.
Another personage of the name of Laocoon is mentioned among
the Argonauts. (Apollon. 1.192.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Lares (sing. Lar) – or archaically, Lases – were ancient Roman
protective deities. Their origin is uncertain; they may have
been guardians of the house, fields, boundaries or
fruitfulness, unnamed hero-ancestors, or an amalgam of these.
In the late Republican era they were venerated in the form of
small statues of a standardised form, usually paired.
Lares were thought to observe and influence all that happened
within the boundaries of their location or function. The
statues of domestic Lares were placed at table during family
meals; their presence, cult and blessing seem to have been
required at all important family functions. Some ancient (and
some modern) scholarship therefore categorises them as
household gods. Roman writers sometimes identify or conflate
them with ancestor-deities, domestic Penates and gods of the
hearth. Compared to Rome's major deities, their scope and
potency were limited but they were important objects of cult:
by analogy, a homeward-bound Roman could be described as
returning ad Larem (to the Lares)...
Read More
The worship of the Lares at Rome was closely connected with
that of the Manes, and that of both was analogous to the
hero worship of the Greeks. The name Lar is Etruscan, and
signifies lord, king, or hero. The Lares may be divided into
two classes, the Lares domestici and Lares publici, and the
former were the Manes of a house raised to the dignity of
heroes. So long as the house was the place where the dead
were buried (Serv. ad Aen. 5.64, 6.152), the Manes and Lares
must have been more nearly identical than afterwards,
although the Manes were more closely connected with the
place of burial, while the Lares were more particularly the
divinities presiding over the hearth and the whole house.
According to what has here been said, it was not the spirits
of all the dead that were honoured as Lares, but only the
spirits of good men. It is not certain whether the spirits
of women could become Lares; but from the sugrundaria in
Fulgentius (De Prisc. Serm. p. xi. ed. Lersch.), it has been
inferred that children dying before they were 40 days old
might become Lares. (Comp. Nonius, p. 114; Diomed. i. p.
379.) All the domestic Lares were headed by the Lar
familiaris, who was regarded as the first originator of the
family, corresponding in some measure with the Greek ἥρως
ἐπώνυμος, whence Dionysius (4.2) calls him ὁ κατ̓ οἰκίαν
ἥρως. (Comp. Plut. De Fort. Rom. 10; and more especially
Plin. Nat. 36.70; Plant. Aulul. Prolog.) The Lar familiaris
was inseparable from the family; and when the latter changed
their abode, the Lar went with them. (Plaut. Trin. 39, &c.)
The public Lares are expressly distinguished by Pliny (Plin.
Nat. 21.8) from the domestic or private ones, and they were
worshipped not only at Rome, but in all the towns regulated
according to a Roman or Latin model. (Hertzberg, De Diis
Rom. Pair. p. 47.) Among the Lares publici we have mention
of Lares praestites and Lares compitales, who are in reality
the same, and differ only in regard to the place or occasion
of their worship. Servius Tullius is said to have instituted
their worship (Plin. Nat. 36.70); and when Augustus improved
the regulations of the city made by that king, he also
renewed the worship of the public Lares. Their name, Lares
praestites, characterises them as the protecting spirits of
the city (Ov. Fast. 5.134), in which they had a temple in
the uppermost part of the Via Sacra, that is, near a
compitum, whence they might be called compitales. (Solin. 1;
Ov. Fast. 5.128; Tac. Ann. 12.24.) This temple (Sacellum
Larum or aedes Larum) contained two images, which were
probably those of Romulus and Remus, and before them stood a
stone figure of a dog, either the symbol of watchfulness, or
because a dog was the ordinary sacrifice offered to the
Lares. Now, while these Lares were the general protectors of
the whole city, the Lares compitales must be regarded as
those who presided over the several divisions of the city,
which were marked by the compita or the points where two or
more streets crossed each other, and where small chapels
(aediculae) were erected to those Lares, the number of which
must have been very great at Rome. As Augustus wished to be
regarded as the second founder of the city, the genius
Augusti was added to the Lares praestites, just as among the
Lares of a family the genius of the paterfamilias also was
worshipped.
But besides the Lares praestites and compitales, there are
some other Lares which must be reckoned among the public
ones, viz., the Lares rurales, who were worshipped in the
country, and whose origin was probably traced to certain
heroes who had at one time benefitted the republic. (Cic. De
Leg. 2.11; Tib. 1.1. 24.) The Lares arvales probably
belonged to the same class. (Klausen, De Carm. Frat. Arval.
p. 62.) We have also mention of Lares viales, who were
worshipped on the highroads by travellers (Plaut. Merc. 5.2,
22; Serv. ad Aen. 3.302); and of the Lares marini or
permarini, to whom P. Aemilius dedicated a sanctuary in
remembrance of his naval victory over Antiochus. (Liv.
40.52.)
The worship of the Lares was likewise partly public and
partly private. The domestic Lares, like the Penates, formed
the religious elements of the Roman household (Cic. De
Repub. iv. in fin., ad Fam. 1.9, in Verr. 3.24; Cato De Re
Rust. 143); and their worship, together with that of the
Penates and Manes, constituted what are called the sacra
privata. The images of the Lares, in great houses, were
usually in a separate compartment, called aediculae or
lararia. (Juv. 8.110; Tib. 1.10. 22; Petron. 29; Ael.
Lamprid. Alex. Sev. 28; comp. Dict. of Ant. s. v. Lararium.)
The Lares were generally represented in the cinctus Gabinus
(Pers. 5.31; Ov. Fast. 2.634), and their worship was very
simple, especially in the early times and in the country.
The offerings were set before them in patellae, whence they
themselves are called patellarii (Plaut. Cistell. 2.2. 55),
and pious people e made offerings to them every day (Plaut.
Aulul. Prolog.); but they were more especially worshipped on
the calends, nones, and ides of every month. (Cato De Re
Rust. 143; Hor. Carm. 3.23. 2; Tib. 1.3. 33; Verg. Ecl.
1.43.) When the inhabitants of the house took their meals,
some portion was offered to the Lares, and on joyful family
occasions they were adorned with wreaths, and the lararia
were thrown open. (Plaut. Aulul. 2.8. 15; Ov. Fast. 2.633;
Pers. 3.24, &c., 5.31; Propert. 1.1. 132; Petron. 38.) When
the young bride entered the house of her husband, her first
duty was to offer a sacrifice to the Lares. (Macr. 1.15.)
Respecting the public worship of the Lares, and the festival
of the Larentalia, see Dict. of Ant. s. v. Larentalia,
Compitalia. (Comp. Hempel, De Diis Laribus, Zwickau, 1797;
Müller, De Diis Romanorum Laribus et Penatibus, Hafniae,
1811; Schömann, De Diis Manibus, Laribus et Geniis,
Greifswald, 1840; Hertzberg, De Diis Romanorum Patriis, sive
de Larum atque Penatium tam publicorum quam privatorum
Religione et Cultu, Halae, 1840.) - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
[LETO.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Leto (Greek: Λητώ, Λατώ, Lato in Dorian
Greek, etymology and meaning disputed) is a daughter of the
Titans Coeus and Phoebe:[1]. Leto was the titan goddess of
being unseen. Kos claimed her birthplace.[2] In the Olympian
scheme, Zeus is the father of her twins,[3] Apollo and
Artemis, the Letoides, which Leto conceived after her hidden
beauty accidentally caught the eyes of Zeus. For the classical
Greeks, Leto is scarcely to be conceived apart from being
pregnant and finding a place to be delivered of Apollo and
Artemis, for Hera being jealous, made it so all lands shunned
her. Finally, she finds an island that isn't attached to the
ocean floor so it isn't considered land and she can give
birth.[4] This is her one active mythic role: once Apollo and
Artemis are grown, Leto withdraws, to remain a dim[5] and
benevolent matronly figure upon Olympus, her part already
played. In Roman mythology, Leto's equivalent is Latona, a
Latinization of her name, influenced by Etruscan Letun.[6]...
Read More
In Roman mythology, Lavinia (Latin: Lāuīnĭa) was the daughter
of Latinus and Amata and the wife of Aeneas.
Lavinia, the only child of the king and "ripe for marriage",
had been courted by many men in Ausonia who hoped to become
the king of Latium. Turnus, ruler of the Rutuli, was the most
likely of the suitors, having the favor of Queen Amata. King
Latinus is later warned by the oracle Faunus that his daughter
is not to marry a Latin.
"Seek not, my seed, in Latian bands to yoke
Our fair Lavinia, nor the gods provoke.
A foreign son upon thy shore descends,
Whose martial fame from pole to pole extends.
His race, in arms and arts of peace renown'd,
Not Latium shall contain, nor Europe bound:
'T is theirs whate'er the sun surveys around."[1]...
Read More
a daughter of Latinus and Amata, and the wife of Aeneas, by
whom she became the mother of Ascanius or Silvius. (Liv. 1.1;
Verg. A. 7.52, &c., 6.761; Dionys. A. R. 1.70.) Some
traditions describe her as the daughter of the priest Anius,
in Delos. (Dionys. A. R. 1.50; Aur. Vict. Orig. Gent. Rom. 9.)
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Leander, from the Hero and Leander myth, is a character from
Greek myth - Wikipedia
Read More
Hero and Leander is a Greek myth, relating the story of Hērō
(Greek: Ἡρώ, pron. hay-RAW (ancient) and like "hero" in
English), a priestess of Aphrodite who dwelt in a tower in
Sestos, at the edge of the Hellespont, and Leander (Greek:
Λέανδρος, Léandros), a young man from Abydos on the other side
of the strait. Leander fell in love with Hero and would swim
every night across the Hellespont to be with her. Hero would
light a lamp at the top of her tower to guide his way...
Read More
（*Lei/andros), the famous youth of Abydos, who, from love of
Hero, the priestess of Aphrodite, in Sestus, swam every night
across the Hellespont, being guided by the light of the
lighthouse of Sestus. Once during a very stormy night the
light was extinguished, and he perished in the waves. On the
next morning his corpse was washed on the coast of Sestus, and
Hero, on seeing it, threw herself into the sea. This story is
the subject of the epic poem of Musaeus, entitled De A more
Herois et Leandri, and is also mentioned by Ovid (Ov. Ep.
18.19), Statius (Stat. Theb. 6.535), and Virgil (Georg. 3.258,
&c.)
Read More
In Greek mythology, Leda (Λήδα) was daughter of the Aetolian
king Thestius, and wife of the king Tyndareus (Τυνδάρεως),
of Sparta. Her myth gave rise to the popular motif in
Renaissance and later art of Leda and the Swan. She was the
mother of Helen (Ἑλένη) of Troy, Clytemnestra
(Κλυταιμνήστρα), and Castor and Pollux (Κάστωρ & Πολυδεύκης,
spelled Kastor and Polydeuces).
Leda was admired by Zeus, who seduced her in the guise of a
swan. As a swan, Zeus fell into her arms for protection from
a pursuing eagle. Their consummation, on the same night as
Leda lay with her husband Tyndareus, resulted in two eggs
from which hatched Helen - later known as the beautiful
"Helen of Troy" - Clytemnestra, and Castor and Pollux (also
known as the Dioscuri (Διόσκουροι). Which children are the
progeny of Tyndareus, the mortal king, and which are of
Zeus, and are thus half-immortal, is not consistent among
accounts, nor is which child hatched from which egg. The
split is almost always half mortal, half divine, although
the pairings do not always reflect the children's heritage
pairings. Castor and Polydeuces are sometimes both mortal,
sometimes both divine. One consistent point is that if only
one of them is immortal, it is Polydeuces...
Read More
（*Lh/da), a daughter of Thestius, whence she is called
Thestias (Apollod. 3.10.5; Paus. 3.13.8; Eur. IA 49); but
others call her a daughter of Thespius, Thyestes, or
Glaucus, by Laophonte, Deidamia, Leucippe, Eurythemis, or
Paneidyia. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 1.146, 201 ; Serv. ad
Aen. 8.130; Hygin, Fab. 14; Apollod. 1.7.10.) She was the
wife of Tyndareus, by whom she became the mother of
Timandra, Clytaemnestra, and Philonoe. (Apollod. 3.10.6;
Hom. Od. 24.199.) One night she was embraced both by her
husband and by Zeus, and by the former she became the mother
of Castor and Clytaemnestra, and by the latter of Polydeuces
and Helena. (Hyg. Fab. 77.) According to Homer (Hom. Od.
11.298, &c.) both Castor and Polydeuces were sons of
Tyndareus and Leda, while Helena is described as a daughter
of Zeus. (Il. 3.426; comp. Ov. Fast. 1.706; Hor. Carm. 1.12,
25; Martial, 1.37.) Other traditions reverse the story,
making Castor and Polydeuces the sons of Zeus, and Helena
the daughter of Tyndareus. (Eur. Hel. 254, 1497, 1680;
Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.808 ; Hdt. 2.112.) According to
the common legend Zeus visited Leda in the disguise of a
swan, and she produced two eggs, from the one of which
issued Helena, and from the other Castor and Polydeuces.
(Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 453; Ov. Her. 17.55 ; Paus. 3.16.1;
Horat. Ars Poet. 147; Athen. 2.57, &c., ix. p. 373; Lucian,
Dial. Deor. 2.2, 24.2, xxvi.; comp. Virgil, Cir. 489; Tzetz.
ad Lycoph. 88.) The visit of Zeus to Leda in the form of a
swan was frequently represented by ancient artists. It
should be observed that Phoebe is also mentioned as a
daughter of Tyndareus and Leda (Eur. IA 50), and that,
according to Lactantius (1.21.), Leda was after her death
raised to the rank of a divinity, under the name of Nemesis.
(Comp. TYNDAREUS.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Lethe (Λήθη; Classical Greek /ˈlɛːtʰɛː/,
modern Greek: /ˈliθi/) was one of the five rivers of Hades.
Also known as the Ameles potamos (river of unmindfulness), the
Lethe flowed around the cave of Hypnos and through the
Underworld, where all those who drank from it experienced
complete forgetfulness. Lethe was also the name of the Greek
spirit of forgetfulness and oblivion, with whom the river was
often identified.
In Classical Greek, the word Lethe literally means "oblivion",
"forgetfulness," or "concealment". It is related to the Greek
word for "truth", aletheia (αλήθεια), meaning "un-
forgetfulness" or "un-concealment"...
Read More
（Λήθη), the personification of oblivion, is called by Hesiod
(Hes. Th. 227) a daughter of Eris. A river in the lower world
likewise bore the name of Lethe. [HADES.] - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Leto (Greek: Λητώ, Λατώ, Lato in Dorian
Greek, etymology and meaning disputed) is a daughter of the
Titans Coeus and Phoebe:[1]. Leto was the titan goddess of
being unseen. Kos claimed her birthplace.[2] In the Olympian
scheme, Zeus is the father of her twins,[3] Apollo and
Artemis, the Letoides, which Leto conceived after her hidden
beauty accidentally caught the eyes of Zeus. For the classical
Greeks, Leto is scarcely to be conceived apart from being
pregnant and finding a place to be delivered of Apollo and
Artemis, for Hera being jealous, made it so all lands shunned
her. Finally, she finds an island that isn't attached to the
ocean floor so it isn't considered land and she can give
birth.[4] This is her one active mythic role: once Apollo and
Artemis are grown, Leto withdraws, to remain a dim[5] and
benevolent matronly figure upon Olympus, her part already
played. In Roman mythology, Leto's equivalent is Latona, a
Latinization of her name, influenced by Etruscan Letun.[6]...
Read More
（Λητώ), in Latin LATONA, according to Hesiod (Hes. Th. 406,
921), a daughter of the Titan Coeus and Phoebe, a sister of
Asteria, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus, to
whom she was married before Hera. Homer, who likewise calls
her the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus (Il. 1.9,
14.327, 21.499, Od. 11.318, 580), mentions her as the friend
of the Trojans in the war with the Greeks, and in the story
of' Niobe, who paid so dearly for her conduct towards Leto.
(Il. 5.447, 20.40, 72, 24.607; comp. 21.502, Od. 11.580,
Hymn. in Apoll. 45, &c., 89, &c.) In later writers these
elements of her story are variously worked out and
embellished, for they do not describe her as the lawful wife
of Zeus, but merely as a concubine, who was persecuted
during her pregnancy by Hera. (Apollod. 1.4.1; Callim. Hymn.
in Del. 61, &c.; Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen. 232, &c.; Hyg. Fab.
140.) All the world being afraid of receiving her on account
of Hera, she wandered about till she came to the island of
Delos, which was then a floating island, and bore the name
Asteria (Callim. Hymn. in Dian. 35, 37, 191); but when Leto
touched it, it suddenly stood still upon four pillars.
(Pind. Fragm. 38; Strab. xi. p.485.) According to Hyginus
(Hyg. Fab. 93,140), Delos was previously called Ortygia,
while Stephanus Byzantinus (s. v. Κορισσός) mentions a
tradition, according to which Artemis was not born in Delos,
but at Corissus. Servius (Serv. ad Aen. 3.72) relates the
following legends: Zeus changed Leto into a quail (ὄρτυξ),
and in this state she arrived in the floating island, which
was hence called Ortygia; or, Zeus was enamoured with
Asteria, but she being metamorphosed, through her prayers,
into a bird, flew across the sea; she was then changed into
a rock, which, for a long time, lay under the surface of the
sea; but, at the request of Leto, it rose and received Leto,
who was pursued by Python. Leto then gave birth to Apollo,
who slew Python. (Comp. Ant. Lib. 35; Ov. Met. 6.370;
Aristot. HA 6.35; Ath. 15.701; Apollon. 2.707; Iamblich.
Vit. Pyth. 10; Strab. xiv. p.639: in each of these passages
we find the tradition modified in a particular way.) But
notwithstanding the many discrepancies, especially in regard
to the place where Leto gave birth to her children, most
traditions agree in describing Delos as the place. (Callim.
Hymn. in Apoll. init. 59, in Del. 206, 261; Aeschyl. Eum. 9;
Hdt. 2.170.) After the birth of Apollo, his mother not being
able to nurse him, Themis gave him nectar and ambrosia; and
by his birth the island of Delos became sacred, so that
henceforth it was not lawful for any human being to be born
or to die on the island; and every pregnant woman was
conveyed to the neighbouring island of Rheneia, in order not
to pollute Delos. (Strab. x. p.486.)
We shall pass over the various speculations of modern
writers respecting the origin and nature of this divinity,
and shall mention only the most probable, according to which
Leto is " the obscure " or " concealed," not as a physical
power, but as a divinity yet quiescent and invisible, from
whom is issued the visible divinity with all his splendour
and brilliancy. This view is supported by the account of her
genealogy given by Hesiod; and her whole legend seems to
indicate nothing else but the issuing from darkness to
light, and a return from the latter to the former. Leto was
generally worshipped only in conjunction with her children,
as at Megara (Paus. 1.44.2), at Argos (2.21.10), at
Amphigeneia (Strab. viii. p.349), in Lycia (ibid. xiv. p.
665), near Lete in Macedonia (Steph. Byz. s. v. Λήτη), in a
grove near Calynda in Caria (Strab. xiv. p.651), and other
places. (Comp. Hirt. Mythol. Bilderb. Tab. 5.4.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Lucina was the goddess of
childbirth. She safeguarded the lives of women in labour.
Later, Lucina was an epithet for Juno. The name was generally
taken to have the sense of "she who brings children into the
light" (Latin: lux "light"), but may actually have been
derived from lucus ("grove") after a sacred grove of lotus
trees on the Esquiline Hill associated with the goddess. The
asteroid 146 Lucina is named after the goddess.
Lucina was chief among a number of deities who influenced or
guided every aspect of birth and child development, such as
Vagitanus, who opened the newborn's mouth to cry, and
Fabulinus, who enabled the child's first articulate speech.
Among other minor deities within this sphere of influence were
the Di nixi, Alemonia, Partula, Prorsa Postverta, Levana,
Cunina, Rumina, Potina, Edusa, Sentia, Statanus, Abeona, and
Paventia. - Wikipedia
Read More
the goddess of light, or rather the goddess that brings to
light, and hence the goddess that presides over the birth of
children; it was therefore used as a surname of Juno and
Diana, and the two are sometimes called Lucinae. (Varro, de
Ling. Lat. 5.69; Catull. 34.13; Horat. Carm. Saec. 14, &c.;
Ov. Fast. 2.441, &c., 6.39; Tib. 3.4. 13.) When women of rank
gave birth to a son, a lectisterniumn was prepared for Juno
Lucina in the atrium of the house. (Serv. and Philarg. ad
Virg. Eclog. 4.63.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Lynceus (Ancient Greek: Λυγκεύς) was a
king of Argos, succeeding Danaus. He is named as a
descendant of Belus through his father Aegyptus, who was the
twin brother of Danaus. Danaus had fifty daughters, the
Danaides, while Aegyptus had fifty sons including Lynceus,
whose name when translated means 'wolf'. Aegyptus commanded
that his sons marry the Danaides and Danaus fled to Argos,
ruled by King Pelasgus with his daughters. When Aegyptus and
his sons arrived to take the Danaides, Danaus gave them to
spare the Argives the pain of a battle. However, he
instructed his daughters to kill their husbands on their
wedding night. Forty-nine followed through, but one,
Hypermnestra refused because her husband, Lynceus, honored
her wish to remain a virgin. Danaus was angry with his
disobedient daughter and threw her to the Argive courts.
Aphrodite intervened and saved her. Lynceus later killed
Danaus as revenge for the death of his brothers. Lynceus and
Hypermnestra then began a dynasty of Argive kings (the
Danaan Dynasty) beginning with Abas. In some versions of the
legend, the Danaides, minus Hypermnestra (or sometimes
alternately Amymone) were punished in Tartarus by being
forced to carry water through a jug with holes, or a sieve,
so the water always leaked out.[1][2][3][4]...
Read More
（Λυγκεύς).
1. A son of Aegyptus and Argyphia, and husband of the Danaid
Hypermnestra, by whom he became the father of Abas. He was
king of Argos, whence that city is called Λυλκήϊον Ἄργος
(Apollon. 1.125). His story is, that when the Danaides, by
the desire of their father, killed their husbands in one
night, Hypermnestra alone spared the life of her husband
Lynceus. Danaus thereupon kept his disobedient daughter in
strict confinement, but was afterwards prevailed upon to
give her to Lynceus, who succeeded him on the throne of
Argos (Apollod. 2.1.5, 2.1; Paus. 2.16.1; Ov. Ep. 14). The
cause of Hypermnestra sparing Lynceus is not the same in all
accounts (Schol. ad Pind. Nem. 10.10, ad Eurip. Hecub. 869,
ad Pind. Pyth. 9.200). It is also said that she assisted her
husband in his eseape from the vengeance of Danaus, that he
fled to Lyrceia (Lynceia), and from thence gave a sign with
a torch that he had safely arrived there; Hypermnestra
returned the sign from the citadel of Argos, and in
commemoration of this event the Argives celebrated every
year a festival with torches (Paus. 2.25.4; comp. 2.19.6,
21.1, 20.5). When Lynceus received the news of the death of
Danaus from his son Abas, Lynceus gave to Abas the shield of
Danaus, which had been dedicated in the temple of Hera, and
instituted games in honour of Hera, in which the victor
received a shield as his prize (Hyg. Fab. 273). According to
some, Lynceus slew Danaus and all the sisters of
Hypermnestra, in revenge for his brothers (Schol. ad Eurip.
Hecub. 869; Serv. ad Aen. 10.497). Lynceus and his wife were
revered at Argos as heroes, and had a common sanctuary, and
their tomb was shown there not far from the altar of Zeus
Phyxius (Hyg. Fab. 168; Paus. 2.21.2). Their statues stood
in the temple at Delphi, as a present from the Argives.
(Paus. 10.10.2.) 2. A son of Aphareus and Arene, and brother
of Idas, was one of the Argonauts and famous for his keen
sight, whence the proverb ὀξύτερον Βλέπειν τοῦ Λυγκέως
(Apollod. 1.8.2, 4.17, 3.10.3). He is also mentioned among
the Calydonian hunters, and was slain by Pollux (1.8.2,
3.11.2; comp. Pind. N. 10.21, 115, &c.; Apollon. 1.151, &c.,
4.1466, &c.; Aristoph. Pl. 210).
There are two other mythical personages of this name. (Hyg.
Fab. 173; Apollod. 2.7.8.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Maia[1] (pronounced /ˈmeɪ.ə/ or /ˈmaɪ.ə/; Greek: Μαῖα; Latin:
Maia, "great") in Greek mythology, was the eldest of the
Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas[2] and Pleione.[3] She
and her sisters, born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, are
sometimes called mountain goddesses, oreads, for Simonides of
Ceos sang of "mountain Maia" (Maia oureias) "of the lively
black eyes".[4] Maia was the oldest, most beautiful and
shyest. Aeschylus repeatedly identified her with Gaia...
Read More
（*Mai=a or Μαιάς), a daughter of Atlas and Pleiono (whence
she is called Atlantis and Pleias), was the eldest of the
Pleiades, and in a grotto of mount Cyllene in Arcadia she
became by Zeus the mother of Hermes. Areas, the son of Zeus by
Callisto, was given to her to be reared. (Hom. Od. 14.435,
Hymn. in Merc. 3; Hes. Th. 938; Apollod. 3.10.2, 8.2; Tzetz.
ad Lycoph. 219; Hor. Carm. 1.10. 1, 2. 42, &c. ) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Maia was identified with Maia Maiestas
(also called Fauna, Bona Dea (the 'Good Goddess') and Ops), a
goddess who may be equivalent to an old Italic goddess of
spring. The month of May was named for her;[7] the first and
fifteenth of May were sacred to her. On the first of May the
flamen of Vulcan sacrificed to her a pregnant sow,[8] an
appropriate sacrifice also for an earth goddess such as Bona
Dea: a sow-shaped wafer might be substituted. The goddess was
accessible only to women; men were excluded from her
precincts.
Read More
Maia is also the name of a divinity worshipped at Rome, who
was also called Majesta. She is mentioned in connection with
Vulcan, and was regarded by some as the wife of that god,
though it seems for no other reason but because a priest of
Vulcan offered a sacrifice to her on the first of May, while
in the popular superstition of later times she was identified
with Maia, the daughter of Atlas. It is more probable that
Maia was an ancient name of the bona dea, who was also
designated by the names of Ops, Fauna, and Fatua. (Macr. 1.12;
Gellius, 13.22; Fest. p. 134, ed. Müller.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In ancient Roman religion, the Manes or Di Manes are chthonic
deities sometimes thought to represent the souls of deceased
loved ones. They were associated with the Lares, Genii, and Di
Penates as deities (di)) that pertained to domestic, local,
and personal cult. They were honored during the Parentalia and
Feralia in February.
Latin spells of antiquity were often addressed to The Manes,
who were the spirits of deceased ancestors.[1]...
Read More
i.e. " the good ones" [MANA], is the general name by which the
Romans designated the souls of the departed; but as it is a
natural tendency to consider the souls of departed friends as
blessed spirits, the name of Lares is frequently used as
synonymous with Manes, and hence also they are called dii
Manes, and were worshipped with divine honours. (Cic. de Leg.
2.9, 22; Apul. de Deo Socrat. ; August. de Civ. Dei, 8.26,
9.11; Serv. ad Virg. Aen. 3.63, 168; Ov. Fast. 2.842; Hor.
Carm. 2.8.9.) At certain seasons, which were looked upon as
sacred days (feriae denicales), sacrifices were offered to the
spirits of the departed with the observance of various
ceremonies. But an annual festival, which belonged to all the
Manes in general, was celebrated on the 19th of February,
under the name of Feralia or Parentalia, because it was more
especially the duty of children and heirs to offer sacrifices
to the shades of their parents and benefactors. (Ov. Fast.
2.535; Tertull. Resur. Carn. 1.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Mars (Latin: Mārs) was the Roman god of war, the son of Juno
and Jupiter, husband of Bellona, and the lover of Venus. He
was the most prominent of the military gods that were
worshipped by the Roman legions. The martial Romans considered
him second in importance only to Jupiter (their main god). His
festivals were held in March (named for him) and October. Mars
is considered as the equivalent of the Greek god Ares...
Read More
an ancient Roman god, who was at an early period identified
by the Romans with the Greek Ares, or the god delighting in
bloody war, although there are a variety of indications that
the Italian Mars was originally a divinity of a very
different nature. In the first place Mars bore the surname
of Silvanus, and sacrifices were offered to him for the
prosperity of the fields and flocks; and in the second a
lance was honoured at Rome as well as at Praeneste as the
symbol of Mars (Liv. 24.10), so that Mars resembles more the
Greek Pallas Athene than Ares. The transition from the idea
of Mars as an agricultural god to that of a warlike being,
was not difficult with the early Latins, as the two
occupations were intimately connected. The name of the god
in the Sabine and Oscan was Mamers [MAMERS]; and Mars itself
is a contraction of Mavers or Mavors.
Next to Jupiter, Mars enjoyed the highest honours at Rome:
he frequently is designated as father Mars, whence the forms
Marspiterand Maspiter, analogous to Jupiter (Gellius, 4.12;
Macr. 1.12, 19; Varro, De Ling. Lat. 8.33); and Jupiter,
Mars, and Quirinus, were the three tutelary divinities of
Rome, to each of whom king Numa appointed a flamen, whose
rank was sometimes thought higher even than that of the
great pontiff. (Liv. 8.9; Festus, p. 188, ed. Müller) Hence
a very ancient sanctuary was dedicated to Mars on the
Quirinal hill, near the temple of Dius Fidius, from which he
derived his surname of Quirinus (Varro, De ling Lat. v 52;
Serv. ad Aen. 1.296), and hence he was regarded as the
father of the Roman people, having begotten the founders of
Rome by Rhea Silvia, a priestess of Vesta. The rites of the
worship of Mars all point to victory, in proof of which we
need only direct attention to the dances in armour of the
Salii, the dedication of the place of warlike exercises and
games to Mars (campus Martius), and that war itself is
frequently designated by the name of Mars. But being the
father of the Romans, Mars was also the protector of the
most honourable pursuit, i. e. nariculture, and hence he was
invoked to be propitious to the household of the rustic
Roman (Cato, De Re Rust. 141); and under the name of
Silvanus, he was worshipped to take care of the cattle
(ibid. 83). The warlike Mars was called Gradivus, as the
rustic god was called Silvanus; while, in his relation to
the state, he bore the name of Quirinus. These are the three
principal aspects under which the god appears; and in
reference to the second, it may be remarked that females
were excluded from his worship, and that accordingly he
presided more particularly over those occupations of country
life which belonged to the male sex. (Cato, De Re Rust. 83;
Schol. ad Juvenal. 6.446.) But notwithstanding this, Mars
was conceived not only accompanied by female divinities, but
one of them, Nerio, or Neriene, is even described as his
wife. (G(ellius, 13.22; Plaut. Truc. 2.6. 34; L. Lydus, De
Mens. 4.42.)
Mars was further looked upon as a god with prophetic powers;
and in the neighbourhood of Reate there had been a very
ancient oracle of the god (Dionys. A. R. 1.41), in which the
future was revealed through a woodpecker (picus), which was
sacred to him, and was for this reason surnamed Martius. The
wolf also was sacred to Mars, and these animals, together
with the horse, were his favourite sacrifices. Numerous
temples were dedicated to him at Rome, the most important of
which was that outside the Porta Capena, on the Appian road
(Liv. 10.23, 6.5, 41.13; Serv. ad Aen. 1.296 ), and that of
Mars Ultor, which was built by Augustus, in the forum. (D.
C. 46.24 ; Sneton. Aug. 29; Virruv. 1.7; comp. Hartung, Die
Reliq. der Röm. vol. ii. p. 155, &c.) - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas (gr. Μαρσύας) is a
central figure in two stories involving music: in one, he
picked up the double flute (aulos) that had been abandoned by
Athena and played it;[1] in the other, he challenged Apollo to
a contest of music and lost his hide and life. In Antiquity,
literary sources often emphasise the hubris of Marsyas and the
justice of his punishment.
In one strand of modern comparative mythography, the
domination of Marsyas by Apollo is regarded as an example of
myth that recapitulates a supposed supplanting by the Olympian
pantheon of an earlier "Pelasgian" religion of chthonic heroic
ancestors and nature spirits.[2] Marsyas was a devoté of the
ancient Mother Goddess Rhea/Cybele, and his episodes are sited
by the mythographers in Celaenae (or Kelainai) in Phrygia
(today, the town of Dinar in Turkey), at the main source of
the Meander (the river Menderes).[3]...
Read More
（*Marsu/as), a mythological personage, connected with the
earliest period of Greek music. He is variously called the
son of Hyagnis, or of Oeagrus, or of Olympus. Some make him
a satyr, others a peasant. All agree in placing him in
Phrygia. The following is the outline of his story,
according to the mythographers. Athena having, while playing
the flute, seen the reflection of herself in water, and
observed the distortion of her features, threw away the
instrument in disgust. It was picked up by Marsyas, who no
sooner began to blow through it than the flute, having once
been inspired by the breath of a goddess, emitted of its own
accord the most beautiful strains. Elated by his success,
Marsyas was rash enough to challenge Apollo to a musical
contest, the conditions of which were that the victor should
do what he pleased with the vanquished. The Muses, or,
according to others, the Nysaeans, were the umpires. Apollo
played upon the cithara, and Marsyas upon the flute; and it
was not till the former added his voice to the music of his
lyre that the contest was decided in his favour. As a just
punishment for the presumption of Marsyas, Apollo bound him
to a tree, and flayed him alive. His blood was the source of
the river Marsyas, and Apollo hung up his skin in the cave
out of which that river flows. His flutes (for, according to
some, the instrument on which he played was the double
flute) were carried by the river Marsyas into the Maeander,
and again emerging in the Asopus, were thrown on land by it
in the Sicyonian territory, and were dedicated to Apollo in
his temple at Sicyon. (Apollod. 1.4.2; Palaeph. de Incredib.
48; Liban. Narrat. 14, p. 1104; Nonn. Narrat. ad Greg.
Invect. 2.10, p. 164; Diod. 3.58, 59; Paus. 2.7.9; Hdt.
7.26; Xen. Anab. 1.2.8; Plut. de Fluv. 10; Hyg. Fab. 165;
Ovid, Metam. 6.382, 400.) The fable evidently refers to the
struggle between the citharoedic and auloedic styles of
music, of which the former was connected with the worship of
Apollo among the Dorians, and the latter with the orgiastic
rites of Cybele in Phrygia. It is easy to apply this
explanation to the different parts of the legend; and it may
be further illustrated by other traditions respecting
Marsyas. He is made by some the inventor of the flute, by
others of the double flute. ( Plut. de Mus. p. 1132a.; Suid.
s.v. Athen. 4.184a., xiv. p. 616, 617; Plin. Nat. 7.56.) By
a confusion between the mythical and the historical, the
flute-player Olympus is made his son, or by some his father.
He is spoken of as a follower of Cybele (Diod. l.c.), and he
occupies, in fact, the same place in the orgiastic worship
of Cybele that Seilenus does in the worship of Dionysus:
Pausanias (l.c.) actually calls him Seilenus, and other
writers connect him with Dionysus.
The story of Marsyas was often referred to by the lyric and
epigrammatic poets (Bode, Gesch. d. Lyr. Dichtk. vol. ii.
pp. 296, 297; Brunck, Anal. vol. i. p. 488, vol. ii. p. 97),
and formed a favourite subject for works of art. (Müller,
Archäol. d. Kunst, § 362. n. 4.) In the fora of ancient
cities there was frequently placed a statue of Marsyas, with
one hand erect, in token, according to Servius, of the
freedom of the state, since Marsyas was a minister of
Bacchus, the god of liberty. (Serv. in Aen. 4.528.) It seems
more likely that the statue, standing in the place where
justice was administered, was intended to hold forth an
example of the severe punishment of arrogant presumption.
(Böttiger, Kleine Schriften, vol. i. p. 28.) The statue of
Marsyas in the forum of Rome is well known by the allusions
of Horace (Sat. 1.6. 120), Juvenal (Sat. 9.1,2), and Martial
(2.64. 7). This statue was the place of assembly for the
courtezans of Rome, who used to crown it with chaplets of
flowers. (Plin. Nat. 21.3; Senec. de Benef. 6.32; Lipsius,
Antiq. Lect. 3.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography
and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Medea (Greek: Μήδεια, Mēdeia, Georgian: მედეა, Medea) is a
woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeetes
of Colchis,[1] niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god
Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had
two children: Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea,
Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of Corinth, offers him his
daughter, Glauce.[2] The play tells of how Medea gets her
revenge on her husband for this betrayal...
Read More
（*Mh/deia), a daughter of Aeetes by the Oceanid Idyia, or,
according to others, by Hecate, the daughter of Perses
(Apollod. 1.9 § 23; Hes. Theog. 961; Diod. 4.45). She was
the wife of Jason, and the most famous among the mythical
sorcerers. The principal parts of her story nave already
been given under ABSYRTUS, ARGONAUTAE, and JASON. After her
flight from Corinth to Athens, she is said to have married
king Aegeus (Plut. Thes. 12), or to have been beloved by
Sisyphus. (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 13.74.) Zeus himself is said
to have sued for her, but in vain, because Medeia dreaded
the anger of Hera; and the latter rewarded her by promising
immortality to her children. Her children are, according to
omine accounts, Mermerus, Pheres, or Thessalus, Alcimenes
and Tisander, and, according to others, she had seven sons
and seven daughters, while others mention only two children,
Medus (some call him Polyxeimus) and Eriopis, or one son
Argus. (Apollod. 1.9.28; Diod. 4.54; Ptolem. Heph. 2; Schol.
ad Eurip. Med. 276.) Respecting her flight from Corinth,
there are different traditions. Some say, as we remarked
above, that she fled to Athens and married Aegeus, but when
it was discovered that she had laid snares for Theseus, she
escaped and went to Asia, the inhabitants of which were
called after her Medes. (Medi, Paus. 2.3.7; Ov. Met. 7.391,
&c.) Others relate that first she fled from Corinth to
Heracles at Thebes, who had promised her his assistance
while yet in Colchis, in case of Jason being unfaithful to
her. She cured Heracles, who was seized with madness, and as
he could not afford her the assistance he had promised, she
went to Athens. (Diod. 4.54.) She is said to have given
birth to her son Medus after her arrival in Asia, where,
after her flight from Athens, she had married a king;
whereas others state that her son Medus accompanied her from
Athens to Colchis, where her son slew Perses, and restored
her father Aeetes to his kingdom. The restoration of Aeetes,
however, is attributed by some to Jason, who accompanied
Medeia to Colchis. (Diod. 4.54-56; Htygin. Fab. 26; Justin,
42.2; T';c. Ann. 6.34.) There is also a tradition that in
Thessaly Medeia entered intoa contest with Thetis about her
beauty, which was decided by Idomeneus in favour of Thetis
(Ptolem. Heph. 5), and another that Medeia went to Italy,
and there taught the Marrubians the art of fascinating and
subduing serpents, whence she is said to have been called
Anguitia or Angitia. (Serv. ad Aen. 7.750; comp. ANGITIA.)
At length Medeia is said to have become immortal, to have
been honoured with divine worship, and to have married
Achilles in Elysium. (Schol. ad Eurip. Med. 10, ad Apollon.
Rhod. 4.814; comp. Müller, Orchom. p. 264, 2d edit.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology Medusa (Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa),
"guardian, protectress")[1] was a Gorgon, a chthonic female
monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto;[2] Only Hyginus,
(Fabulae, 151) interposes a generation and gives another
chthonic pair as parents of Medusa;[3] gazing directly upon
her would turn onlookers to stone. She was beheaded by the
hero Perseus, who thereafter used her head as a weapon[4]
until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield.
In classical antiquity the image of the head of Medusa
appeared in the evil-averting device known as the
Gorgoneion...
Read More
（*Me/dousa).
1. A daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, and one of the Gorgons.
[GORGON, PERSEUS.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography
and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Megaera (Ancient Greek: Μέγαιρα, English translation: "the
jealous one") is one of the Erinyes in Greek mythology. She is
the cause of jealousy and envy, and punishes people who commit
crimes, especially marital infidelity. Like her sisters Alecto
and Tisiphone, she was born of the blood of Uranus when Cronus
castrated him. In modern French (mégère) and Portuguese
(megera), derivatives of this name are used to designate a
jealous or spiteful woman. In Italian and Russian, the word
megera indicates an evil and/or ugly woman. - Wikipedia
Read More
[ERINNYES.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Meleager (Ancient Greek: Μελέαγρος
Meléagros) was a hero venerated in his temenos at Calydon in
Aetolia. He was already famed as the host of the Calydonian
boar hunt in the epic tradition that was reworked by Homer.[2]
Meleager was the son of Althaea and the vintner Oeneus and,
according to some accounts father of Parthenopeus and
Polydora.
When Meleager was born, the Moirae (the Fates) predicted he
would only live until a brand, burning in the family hearth,
was consumed by fire. Overhearing them, Althaea immediately
doused and hid the brand.[3] Meleager married Cleopatra,
daughter of Idas. However, in some versions, he had to defeat
Atalanta in a footrace, in which he was aided by Athena...
Read More
（*Mele/agros), a son of Oeneus (whence he is called
Οἰνεΐδης), and Althaea, the daughter of Thestius, and was
married to Cleopatra, by whom he became the father of
Polydora. (Apollod. 1.8.2; Paus. 4.2 in fin.; Orph. Argon.
157.) Other accounts call Meleager a son of Ares, by Althaea
(Plut. Parall. Min. 26; Ov. Met. 8.437; Hyg. Fab. 171); and
Hyginus calls Parthenopaeus a son of Meleager. (Fab. 99,
270.) His brothers and sisters were Phereus or Thyreus,
Agelaus, Toxeus, Periphas, Gorge, Eurymede, Deianeira,
Melanippe. Meleager is one of the most famous Aetolian
heroes of Calydon, and distinguished himself by his skill in
throwing the javelin, as one of the Argonauts, and in the
Calydonian hunt. Thus he gained the victory at the funeral
games of Acastus (Hyg. Fab. 273; Athen. 4.172); and the
spear with which he had slain the Calydonian boar he
dedicated in the temple of Apollo at Sicyon. (Paus. 2.7.8.)
In the expedition of the Argonauts he was said in some
legends to have slain Aeetes in the contest for the golden
fleece. (Diod. 4.48.) While Meleager was at Calydon, Oeneus,
the king of the place, once neglected to offer up a
sacrifice to Artemis, whereupon the angry goddess sent a
monstrous boar into the fields of Calydon, which were
ravaged by the beast, while no one had the courage to hunt
it. At length Meleager, with a band of other heroes, whose
number and names are different in the different accounts
(Apollod. 1.8.2; Ov. Met. 8.300, &c.; Hyg. Fab. 174; Paus.
8.45.4), went out to hunt the boar, which was killed by
Meleager. Artemis, however, created a dispute about the
animal's head and skin among the Calydonians and Curetes.
Late writers represent Atalante as taking part in this
famous hunt; but the huntsmen refused to go out with her,
until Meleager, who loved her, prevailed upon them.
According to Ovid (Ov. Met. 8.380), Atalante inflicted the
first wound upon the animal; while, according to others,
Meleager first struck and killed it. He gave his prize, the
boar's skin, to Atalante, who was deprived of it by the sons
of Thestius; but Meleager slew them. (Apollod. Ov. ll. cc.;
Diod. 4.34.) During the war between the Calydonians and
Curetes, the former were always victorious, so long as
Meleager went out with them. But on one occasion he killed
his mother's brothers; and his mother pronounced a curse
upon him, in consequence of which he became indignant, and
stayed at home, so that the victorious Curetes began to
press Calydon very hard. It was in vain that the old men of
the town made him the most brilliant promises if he would
again join in the fight, and also the entreaties of his own
friends remained without effect. At length, however, he
yielded to the prayers of his wife, Cleopatra: he put the
Curetes to flight, but never returned home, for the Erinnys,
who had heard the curse of his mother, overtook him. (Honu.
Il. 9.527-600; comp. 2.641.) The post-Homeric account gives
a different cause of his death. When Meleager was seven days
old, it is said, the Moerae appeared, declaring that the boy
would die as soon as the piece of wood that was burning on
the hearth should be consumed. When Althaea heard this, she
extinguished the firebrand, and concealed it in a chest.
Meleager himself became invulnerable; but after he had
killed the brothers of his mother, she lighted the piece of
wood, and Meleager died, whereupon Althaea and Cleopatra
hung themselves. (Apollod. 1.8.2, &c.; Hyg. Fab. 171; Diod.
4.34; Ov. Met. 8.450, &c., 531.) The sisters of Meleager
wept unceasingly after his death, until Artemis changed them
into guinea-hens (μελεαγρίδες), who were transferred to the
island of Leros. Even in this condition they mourned during
a certain part of the year for their brother. Two of them,
Gorge and Deianeira, through the mediation of Dionysus, were
not metamorphosed. (Ant. Lib. 2; Ov. Met. 8.532, &c.;
Apollod. 1.8.3.) The story of Meleager, his hunt of the
Calydonian boar, his contest with the sons of Thestius, and
other scenes of his life, were frequently represented by
ancient artists. (Paus. 3.18.9, 8.45.4.) He usually appears
as a robust hunter, with curly hair, the Aetolian chlamys,
and a boar's head. (Philostr. Icon. 15; comp. Welcker,
Zeitschrit für die alte Kunst, p. 123, &c.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith,
Ed.
Read More
Melpomene (Greek Μελπομένη, English: /mɛlˈpɒmɨniː/; "to sing"
or "the one that is melodious") , initially the Muse of
Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is
best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô
or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is
often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the
cothurnus, boots traditionally worn by tragic actors. Often,
she also holds a knife or club in one hand and the tragic mask
in the other. On her head she is shown wearing a crown of
cypress. Melpomene is the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Her
sisters include Calliope (muse of epic poetry), Clio (muse of
history), Euterpe (muse of lyrical poetry), Terpsichore (muse
of dancing), Erato (muse of erotic poetry), Thalia (muse of
comedy), Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), and Urania (muse of
astronomy).
In Roman and Greek poetry, it was traditional[citation needed]
to invoke the goddess Melpomene so that one might create
beautiful lyrical phrases (see Horace's Odes). - Wikipedia
Read More
（Ἱππομένης), a son of Megareus of Onchestus, and a great
grandson of Poseidon. (Ov. Met. 10.605.) Apollodorus (3.15.8)
calls the son of Hippomenes Megareus. (Comp. [ATALANTE, No.
2].) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hyacinth or Hyacinthus (in Greek, Ὑάκινθος - Hyakinthos) is a
divine hero from Greek mythology. His cult at Amyclae,
southwest of Sparta, where his tumulus was located- in
classical times at the feet of Apollo's statue in the
sanctuary that had been built round the burial mound- dates
from the Mycenaean era.[1] The literary myths serve to link
him to local cults, and to identify him with Apollo...
Read More
（*(Ua/kinqos).
1. The youngest son of the Spartan king Amyclas and Diomede
(Apollod. 3.10.3; Paus. 3.1.3, 19.4), but according to
others a son of Pierus and Clio, or of Oebalus or Eurotas
(Lucian, Dial. Deor. 14; Hyg. Fab. 271.) He was a youth of
extraordinary beauty, and beloved by Thamyris and Apollo,
who unintentionally killed him during a game of discus.
(Apollod. 1.3.3.) Some traditions relate that he was beloved
also by Boreas or Zephrus, who, from jealousy of Apollo,
drove the discus of the god against the head of the youth,
and thus killed him. (Lucian, l. c; Serv. ad Virg. Eelog.
3.63; Philostr. Imag. 1.24; Ov. Met. 10.184.) From the blood
of Hyacinthus there sprang the flower of the same name
(hyacinth), on the leaves of which there appeared the
exclamation of woe AI, AI, or the letter Υ, being the
initial of Ὑάκινθος. According to other traditions, the
hyacinth (on the leaves of which, howeve those characters do
not appear) sprang from the blood of Ajax. (Schol. ad
Theocrit. 10.28; comp. Ov. Met. 13.395, &c., who combines
both legends; Plin. Nat. 21.28.) Hyacinthus was worshipped
at Amyclae as a hero, and a great festival, Hyacinthia, was
celebrated in his honour. (Dict. of Ant. s. r.） 2. A
Lacedaemonian, who is said to have gone to Athens, and in
compliance with an oracle, to have caused his daughters to
be sacrificed on the tomb on the Cyclops Geraestus, for the
purpose of a learned of delivering the city from famine and
the plague, under which it was suffering during the war with
Minos. His daughters, who were sacrificed either to Athena
or Persephone, were known in the Attic legends by the name
of the Hyacinthides, which they derived from their father.
(Apollod. 3.15.8; Hyg. Fab. 238; Harpocrat. s. v.) Some
traditions make them the daughters of Erechtheus, and relate
that they received their name from the village of
Hyacinthus, where they were sacrificed at the time when
Athens was attacked by the Eleusinians and Thracians, or
Thebans. (Snid. s.v. Παρθένοι; Demnosth. Epilaph. p. 1397;
Lycurg. c. Leocrat. 24; Cic. p. Sext. 48; Hyg. Fab. 46.) The
names and numbers of the Hyacinthides differ in the
different writers. The account of Apollo dorus is confused:
he mentions four, and repre sents them as married, although
they were sacriticed as maidens, whence they are sometimes
called simply αἱ πάρθενοι. Those traditions in which they
are described as the daughters of Erechtheus confouiud them
with Agraulos, Herse, and Pandrosos (Schol. ad Apollon.
Rhod. 1.211), or with the Hyades. (Serv. ad Aen. 1.748.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra (Greek: Λερναία Ὕδρα
(help·info)) was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic
water beast (as its name evinces) that possessed seven heads -
and for each head cut off it grew two more - and poisonous
breath so virulent even her tracks were deadly.[1] The Hydra
of Lerna was killed by Hercules as one of his Twelve Labours.
Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, though
archaeology has borne out the myth that the sacred site was
older even than the Mycenaean city of Argos since Lerna was
the site of the myth of the Danaids. Beneath the waters was an
entrance to the Underworld, and the Hydra was its guardian.[2]
The Hydra was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna (Theogony,
313), both of whom were noisome offspring of the earth goddess
Gaia.[3]...
Read More
In Greek and Roman mythology, Hygieia (Greek Ὑγιεία or Hygeia
Ὑγεία, Latin Hygēa or Hygīa), was a daughter of the god of
medicine, Asclepius. She was the goddess of health,
cleanliness and sanitation. She also played an important part
in her father's cult. While her father was more directly
associated with healing, she was associated with the
prevention of sickness and the continuation of good health.
Her name is the source of the word "hygiene"...
Read More
（*(Ugi/eia), also called Hygea or Hygia, the goddess of
health, and a daughter of Asclepius. (Paus. 1.23.5, 31.5.)
In one of the Orphic hymns (66. 7) she is called the wife of
Asclepius; and Proclus (ad Plat. Tim.) makes her a daughter
of Eros and Peitho. She was usually worshipped in the same
temples with her father, as at Argos, where the two
divinities had a celebrated sanctuary (Paus. 2.23.4,
3.22.9), at Athens (1.23.5, 31.5), at Corinth (2.4.6), at
Gortys (8.28.1), at Sicyon (2.11.6), at Oropus (1.34.2). At
Rome there was a statue of her in the temple of Concordia
(Plin. Nat. 34.19). In works of art, of which a considerable
number has come down to our time, she was represented as a
virgin dressed in a long robe, with the expression of
mildness and kindness, and either alone or grouped with her
father and sisters, and either sitting or standing, and
leaning on her father. Her ordinary attribute is a serpent,
which she is feeding from a cup. Although she is originally
the goddess of physical health, she is sometimes conceived
as the giver or protectress of mental health, that is, she
appears as mens sana, or ὑλίεα φρενῶν (Aeschyl. Eum. 522),
and was thus identified with Athena, surnamed Hygieia.
(Paus. 1.23.5; comp. Lucian, pro Laps. 5; Hirt. Mythol.
Bilderb. i. p. 84.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hymenaios (also Hymenaeus, Hymenaues, or
Hymen; Ancient Greek: Ὑμέναιος) was a god of marriage
ceremonies, inspiring feasts and song. A hymenaios is also a
genre of Greek lyric poetry sung during the procession of the
bride to the groom's house in which the god is addressed, in
contrast to the Epithalamium, which was sung at the nuptial
threshold...
Read More
or HYMENAEUS (Γ̔μήν or Γ̔μέναιος), the god of marriage, was
conceived as a handsome youth, and invoked in the hymeneal
or bridal song. The names originally designated the bridal
song itself, which was subsequently personified. The first
trace of this personification occurs in Euripides (Eur. Tro.
311), or perhaps in Sappho ( Fragm. 73, p. 80, ed. Neue).
The poetical origin of the god Hymen or Hymenaeus is also
implied in the fact of his being described as the son of
Apollo and a Muse, either Calliope, Urania, or Terpsichore.
(Catull. 61.2; Nonn. Dionys. 33.67; Schol. Vatic. ad Eurip.
Rhes. 895, ed. Dindorf; Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. 4.313;
Alciphron, Epist. 1.13; Tzetz. Chil. 13.599.) Hence he is
mentioned along with the sons of the Muses, Linus and
Ialemus, and with Orpheus. Others describe him only as the
favourite of Apollo or Thamyris, and call him a son of
Magnes and Calliope, or of Dionysus and Aphrodite. (Suid. s.
v. Θάμυρρις; Ant. Lib. 23; Serv. ad Aen. 4.127, ad Virg.
Eclog. 8.30.) The ancient traditions, instead of regarding
the god as a personification of the hymeneal song, speak of
him as originally a mortal, respecting whom various legends
were related. According to an Argive tradition, Hymenaeus
was a youth of Argos, who, while sailing along the coast of
Attica, delivered a number of Attic maidens from the
violence of some Pelasgian pirates, and was afterwards
praised by them in their bridal songs, which were called,
after him, hymeneal songs. (Eustath. ad Horn. p. 1157.) The
Attic legends described him as a youth of such delicate
beauty, that he might be taken for a girl. He fell in love
with a maiden, who refused to listen to him; but in the
disguise of a girl he followed her to Eleusis to the
festival of Demeter. He, together with the other girls, was
carried off by robbers into a distant and desolate country.
On their landing, the robbers laid down to sleep, and were
killed by Hymenaeus, who now returned to Athens, requesting
the citizens to give him his beloved in marriage, if he
restored to them the maidens who had been carried off by the
robbers. His request was granted, and his marriage was
extremely happy. For this reason he was invoked in the
hymeneal songs. (Serv. ad Aen. 1.655, ad Virg. Eclog. 8.30.)
According to others he was a youth, and was killed by the
breaking down of his house on his wedding-day whence he was
afterwards invoked in bridal songs, in order to be
propitiated (Serv. l.c.); and some related that at the
wedding of Dionysus and Ariadne he sang the bridal hymn, but
lost his voice (Serv. l.c.; comp. Scriptor Rerum Mythic. pp.
26, 148, 229; Ov. Met. 2.683, who makes him a son of Argus
and Perimele; Terent. Adelph. 5.7, 8.) According to the
Orphic legends, the deceased Hymenaeus was called to life
again by Asclepius. (Apollod. 3.10.3.) He is represented in
works of art as a youth, but taller and with a more serious
expression than Eros, and carrying in his hand a bridal
torch. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. ii. p. 224.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith,
Ed.
Read More
Hyperion (Greek Ὑπερίων, "The High-One") was one of the
twelve Titan gods of Ancient Greece, which were later
supplanted by the Olympians.[1][2] He was the brother of
Cronus. He was also the lord of light, and the titan of the
east. He was the son of Gaia (the physical incarnation of
Earth) and Uranus (literally meaning 'the Sky'), and was
referred to in early mythological writings as Helios
Hyperion (Ἥλιος Υπερίων), 'Sun High-one'. But in the
Odyssey, Hesiod's Theogony and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter
the Sun is once in each work called Hyperionides (περίδής)
'son of Hyperion', and Hesiod certainly imagines Hyperion as
a separate being in other writings. In later Ancient Greek
literature, Hyperion is always distinguished from Helios -
the former was ascribed the characteristics of the 'God of
Watchfulness and Wisdom', while the latter became the
physical incarnation of the Sun. Hyperion plays virtually no
role in Greek culture and little role in mythology, save in
lists of the twelve Titans. Later Greeks intellectualized
their myths:
"Of Hyperion we are told that he was the first to
understand, by diligent attention and observation, the
movement of both the sun and the moon and the other stars,
and the seasons as well, in that they are caused by these
bodies, and to make these facts known to others; and that
for this reason he was called the father of these bodies,
since he had begotten, so to speak, the speculation about
them and their nature." -Diodorus Siculus (5.67.1)
There is little to no reference to Hyperion during the
Titanomachy, the epic in which the Olympians battle the
ruling Titans, or the Gigantomachy, in which Gaia attempts
to avenge the Titans by enlisting the aid of the giants
("Γίγαντες") that were imprisoned in Tartarus to facilitate
the overthrow of the Olympians. - Wikipedia
Read More
（Ὑπερίων), a Titan, a son of Uranus and Ge, and married to
his sister Theia, or Euryphaessa, by whom he became the father
of Helios, Selene, and Eos. (Hes. Th. 134, 371, &c.; Apollod.
1.1.3, 2.2.) Homer uses the name in a patronymic sense applied
to Helios, so that it is equivalent to Hyperionion or
Hyperionides; and Homer's example is imitated also by other
poets. (Hom. Od. 1.8, 12.132, Il. 8.480; Hes. Th. 1011; Ov.
Met. 15.406.) Apolldorus dorus (3.12.5) mentions a son of
Priam of the name of Hyperion. - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hypermnestra (Ancient Greek: Ὑπερμνήστρα), in Greek
mythology, was the daughter of Danaus. Danaus was the twin
brother of Aegyptus and son of Belus. He had fifty
daughters, the Danaides, and Aegyptus had fifty sons.
Aegyptus commanded that his sons marry the Danaides and
Danaus fled to Argos, ruled by King Pelasgus. When Aegyptus
and his sons arrived to take the Danaides, Danaus gave them
to spare the Argives the pain of a battle. However, he
instructed his daughters to kill their husbands on their
wedding night. Forty-nine followed through, but one,
Hypermnestra refused because her husband, Lynceus,[1]
honored her wish to remain a virgin. Danaus was angry with
his disobedient daughter and threw her to the Argive courts.
Aphrodite intervened and saved her. Lynceus later killed
Danaus as revenge for the death of his brothers. Lynceus and
Hypermnestra then began a dynasty of Argive kings (the
Danaan Dynasty), beginning with Abas. In some versions of
the legend, the Danaides were punished in the underworld by
being forced to carry water through a jug with holes, or a
sieve, so the water always leaked out. Hypermnestra,
however, went straight to Elysium. Hypermnestra was also the
daughter of Thestius and Eurythemis. Her sisters are Althaea
and Leda. With her husband Oicles, she had a son named
Amphiaraus, who later took part in the war of the Seven
Against Thebes...
Read More
*(upermnh/stra, (a daughter of Thestius and Eurythemis, and
the witie of Oicles, by whom she became the mother of
Amphhiaraus Her tomb was shown at Argos. (Apollod. 1.7.10;
Paus. 2.21.2.) One of the daughters of Danaus was likewise
called Hypermnestra. [LYNCEUS.] - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hypnos (Ὕπνος, "sleep") was the
personification of sleep; the Roman equivalent was known as
Somnus. His twin was Thánatos (Θάνατος, "death"); their mother
was the primordial goddess Nyx (Νύξ, "night"). His palace was
a dark cave where the sun never shines. At the entrance were a
number of poppies and other hypnogogic plants.
Hypnos's three sons or brothers represented things that occur
in dreams (the Oneiroi). Morpheus, Phobetor and Phantasos
appear in the dreams of kings. According to one story, Hypnos
lived in a cave underneath a Greek island; through this cave
flowed Lethe, the river of forgetfulness...
Read More
[SOMNUS.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Iapetus (pronounced /aɪˈæpɪtəs/[1]), also
Iapetos or Japetus (Greek: Ἰαπετός), was a Titan, the son of
Uranus and Gaia, and father (by an Oceanid named Clymene or
Asia) of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius and
through Prometheus, Epimetheus and Atlas an ancestor of the
human race. He was the Titan of Mortal Life, while his son,
Prometheus, was the creator of mankind...
Read More
（Ἰαπετός), a son of Uranus and Ge, a Titan and brother of
Cronus, Oceanus, Coeus, Hyperion, Tethys, Rhea, &c.
(Apollod. 1.1.3; Diod. 5.66.) According to Apollodorus
(1.2.3) he married Asia, the daughter of his brother
Oceanus, and became by her the father of Atlas, Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Menoetius, who was slain by Zeus in the war
against the Titans, and shut up in Tartarus. Other
traditions call the wife of Iapetus Clymene, who was
likewise a daughter of Oceanus, and others again Tethys,
Asopis, or Libya. (Hes. Th. 507, &c.; Tzetz. ad Lycoph.
1277; Orph. Fragm. 8.21, &c.; Verg. G. 1.279.) Hyginus, who
confounds the Titans and Gigantes, makes Iapetus a Giant,
and calls him a son of Tartarus. According to Homer (Hom.
Il. 8.479) Iapetus is imprisoned with Cronus in Tartarus,
and Silius Italicus (12.148, &c.) relates that he is buried
under the island of Inarime. Being the father of Prometheus,
he was regarded by the Greeks as the ancestor of the human
race. His descendants, Prometheus, Atlas, and others, are
often designated by the patronymic forms Iapelidae (es),
Iapetionidae (es), and the feminine Iapetionis. (Hes. Th.
528; Ov. Met. 4.631; Pind. O. 9.59; comp. Voelcker,
Mytholog. des Japetischen Geschlechtes, p. 4, &c.) Another
mythical personage of the same name, the father of Buphagus,
is mentioned by Pausanias (8.27.11). - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Icarus (the Latin spelling, conventionally
adopted in English; Greek: Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, Etruscan:
Vikare[1]) is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. The
main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from
Crete by means of wings constructed by his father. He ignored
instructions not to fly too close to the sun, and fell to his
death. The myth shares thematic similarities with that of
Phaethon, and is often depicted in art...
Read More
（*)/Ikaros), a son of Daedalus. On his flight from Crete, his
father attached to his body wings made of wax, and advised him
not to fly too high; but Icarus, forgetting the advice of his
father, flew so high that the sun melted the wings, and Icarus
fell down into the sea, which was called after him, the
Icarian. (Ov. Met. 8.195; Hyg. Fab. 40.) His body, which was
washed on shore, was said to have been buried by Heracles.
(Paus. 9.11.) The ancients explained the fable of the wings of
Icarus, by understanding by it the invention of sails; and in
fact some traditions stated that Daedalus and Icarus fled from
Crete in a ship. Diodorus (4.77) relates that Icarus, while
ascending into the air in the island of Icaria, fell down
through his carelessness, and was drowned. Respecting the
connection of Icarus with the early history of art, see
DAEDALUS. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Io (pronounced /ˈaɪ.oʊ/ or /ˈiː.oʊ/, in
Ancient Greek Ἰώ /iːɔ́ː/) was a priestess of Hera in Argos,[1]
a nymph who was seduced by Zeus, who changed her into a heifer
to escape detection. Her mistress Hera set ever-watchful Argus
Panoptes to guard her, but Hermes was sent to distract the
guardian and slay him. Heifer Io was loosed to roam the world,
stung by a maddening gadfly sent by Hera, and wandered to
Egypt, thus placing her descendant Belus in Egypt; his sons
Cadmus and Danaus would thus "return" to mainland Greece...
Read More
（Ἰώ). The traditions about this heroine are so manifold,
that it is impossible to give any goneral view of them
without some classification we shall therefore give first
the principal local traditions, next the wanderings of Io,
as they are described by later writers, and lastly mention
the various attempts to explain the stories about her. 1.
Local traditions.--The place to which the legends of lo
belong, and where she was closely connected with the worship
of Zeus and Hera, is Argos. The chronological tables of the
priestesses of Hera at Argos placed Io at the head of the
list of priestesses, under the name of Callirhoe, or
Callithyia. (Preller, de Hellan. Lesb. p. 40.) She is
commonly described as a daughter of Inachus, the founder of
the worship of Hera at Argos, and by others as a daughter of
Iasus or Peiren. Zeus loved Io, but on account of Hera's
jealousy, he metamorphosed her into a white cow. Hera
thereupon asked and obtained the cow from Zeus, and placed
her under the care of Argus Panoptes, who tied her to an
olive tree in the grove of Hera at Mycenae. But Hermes was
commissioned by Zens to deliver Io, and carry her off.
Hermes being guided by a bird (ἱέραξ, πῖκον), who was Zeus
himself (Suid. s. v. Ἰώ), slew Argus with a stone. Hera then
sent a gad-fly. which tormented Io, and persecuted her
through the whole earth, until at length she found rest on
the banks of the Nile. (Apollod. 2.1.2; Hyg. Fab. 145; comp.
Verg. G. 3.148, &c.) This is the common story, which appears
to be very ancient, since Homer constantly applies the
epithet of Argeiphontes (the siaver of Argus) to Hermes. But
there are some slight modifications of the story in the
different writers. Some, for example, place the scene of the
murder of Argus at Nemea (Lucian, Dial. Deor. 3; Etymol.
Mag. s. v. Ἀφέσιος). Ovid (Ov. Met. 1.722) relates that
Hermes first sent Argus to sleep by the sweetness of his
music on the flute, and that he then cut off the head of
Argus, whose eyes Hera transferred to the tail of the
peacock, her favourite bird. (Comp. Moschus, Idyll. 2.59.) A
peculiar mournfill festival was celebrated in honour of Io
at Argos, and although we have no distinct statement that
she was worshipped in the historical ages of Greece, still
it is not improbable that she was. (Suid. l. c.; Palaephat.
p. 43; Strab. xiv. p.673.) There are indeed other places,
besides Argos, where we meet with the legends of Io, but
they must be regarded as importations from Argos, either
through colonies sent by the latter city, or they were
transplanted with the worship of Hera, the Argive goddess.
We may mention Euboea, which probably derived its name from
the cow Io, and where the spot was shown on which Io was
believed to have been killed, as well as the cave in which
she had given birth to Epaphus. (Strab. vii. p. 320; Steph.
Byz. l. s. Ἄργουρα; Etymol. Mag. s. v. Εὔβοια.) Another
place is Byzantium, in the foundation of which Argive
colonists had taken part, and where the Bosporus derived its
name, from the cow Io having swam across it. From the
Thracian Bosporus the story then spread to the Cimmerian
Bosporus and Panticapaeum. Tarsus and Antioch likewise had
monuments to prove that Io had been in their neighbourhood,
and that they were colonies of Argos. Io was further said to
have been at Joppa and in Aethiopia, together with Perseus
and Medusa (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 835, &c.); but it was more
especially the Greeks residing in Egypt, who maintained that
Io had been in Egypt, where she was said to have given birth
to Epaphus, and to have introduced the worship of Isis,
while Epaphus became the founder of a family from which
sprang Danaus, who subsequently returned to Argos. This part
of the story seems to have arisen from certain resemblances
of religious notions, which subsequently even gave rise to
the identification of Io and Isis. Herodotus (i. l, &c.,
2.41) tells us that Isis was represented like the Greek Io,
in the form of a woman, with cows' horns. 2. The wanderings
of Io.--The idea of Io having wandered about after her
metamorphosis appears to have been as ancient as the mythus
respecting her, but those wanderings were extended and
poetically embellished in proportion as geographical
knowledge increased. The most important passage is in the
Prometheus of Aeschylus, 705, &c., although it is almost
impossible to reconcile the poet's description with ancient
geography, so far as we know it. From Argos Io first went to
Molossis and the neighbourhood of Dodona, and from thence to
the sea, which derived from her the name of the Ionian.
After many wanderings through the unknown regions of the
north, she arrived in the place where Prometheus was
fastened to a rock. As the Titan prescribes to her the
course she has yet to take, it is of importance to ascertain
the spot at which he begins to describe her course; but the
expressions of Aeschylus are so vague, that it is a hopeless
attempt to determine that spot. According to the extant
play, it is somewhere in European Scythia, perhaps to the
north of the river Istrus; but in the last play of the
Trilogy, as well as in other accounts, the Caucasus is
mentioned as the place where the Titan endured his tortures,
and it remains again uncertain in what part of the Caucasus
we have to conceive the suffering Titan. It seems to be the
most probable supposition, that Aeschylus himself did not
form a clear and distinct notion of the wanderings he
describes, for how little he cared about geographical
accuracy is evident from the fact, that in the Supplices
(548, &c.) he describes the wanderings of Io in a very
diffent manner from that adopted in the Prometheus. If,
however, we place Prometheus somewhere in the north of
Europe, the course he prescribes may be conceived in the
following manner. Io has first to wander towards the east,
through unknown countries, to the Scythian nomades (north of
Olbia), whom, however, she is to avoid, by travelling
through their country along the sea-coast; she is then to
have on her left the Chalybes, against whom she must
likewise be on her guard. These Chalybes are probably the
Cimmerians, who formerly inhabited the Crimea and the
adjacent part of Scythia, and afterwards the country about
Sinope. From thence she is to arrive on the river Hybristes
(the Don or Cuban), which she is to follow up to its
sources, in the highest parts of Mount Caucasus, in order
there to cross it. Thence she is to proceed southward, where
she is to meet the Amazons (who at that time are conceived
to live in Colchis, afterwards in Themiscyra, on the river
Thermodon), who are to conduct her to the place where the
Salmydessian rock endangers all navigation. This latter
point is so clear an allusion to the coast north of the
mouth of the Bosporus, that we must suppose that Aeschylus
meant to describe Io as crossing the Thracian Bosporus from
Asia into Europe. From thence he leads her to the Cimmerian
Bos porus, which is to receive its name from her, and across
the palus Maeotis. In this manner she would in part touch
upon the same countries which she had traversed before.
After this she is to leave Europe and go to Asia, according
to which the poet must here make the Maeotis the boundary
between Europe and Asia, whereas elsewhere he makes the
Phasis the boundary. The description of the wanderings of Io
is taken up again at verse 788. She is told that after
crossing the water separating the two continents, she is to
arrive in the hot countries situated under the rising sun.
At this point in the description there is a gap, and the
last passage probably described her further progress through
Asia. Io then has again to cross a sea, after which she is
to come to the Gorgonaean plains of Cisthenes (which,
according to the scholiast, is a town of Aethiopia or
Libya), and to meet the Graeae and Gorgones. The sea here
mentioned is probably the so-called Indian Bosporus (Steph.
Byz. s. v. Βόσπορος; Eustath. ad Dionys. Perieg. 143), where
the extremities of Asia and Libya, India and Aethiopia, were
conceived to be close to each other, and where some writers
place the Gorgones. (Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. 10.72.) The
mention, in the verses following, of the griffins and
Arimaspae, who are generally assigned to northern regions,
creates some difficulty, though the poet may have mentioned
them without meaning to place them in the south, but only
for the purpose of connecting the misfortunes of Io with the
best-known monsters. From the Indian Bosporus, Io is to
arrive in the country of the black people, dwelling around
the well of the sun, on the river Aethiops, that is, the
upper part of the Nile or the Niger. She is to follow the
course of that river, until she comes to the cataracts of
the Nile, which river she is again to follow down to the
Delta, where delivery awaits her. (Comp. Eurip. Iphig. Taur.
382, &c.; Apollod. 2.1.3; Hyg. Fab. 145.)
The mythus of Io is one of the most ancient, and at the same
time one of the most difficult to explain. The ancients
believed Io to be the moon, and there is a distinct
tradition that the Argives called the moon Io. (Eustath. ad
Dionys. Perieg. 92; Suid. and IIesych. s. v. Ἰώ.) This
opinion has also been adopted by some modern critics, who at
the same time see in this mythus a confirmation of the
belief in an ancient connection between the religions of
Greece and Egypt. (Buttmann, Mytholog. vol. ii. p. 179, &c.;
Welcker, Die Aeschyl. Trilog. p. 127, &c.; Schwenk, Etymol.
Mythol. Andeutungen, p. 62, &c.; Mytholog. der Griech. p.
52, &c. ; Klausen, in the Rhein. Museum, vol. iii. p. 293,
&c.; Voelcker, Mythol Geogr. der Griech. u. Röm. vol. i.)
That Io is identical with the moon cannot be doubted (comp.
Eurip. Phoen, 1123; Macr. 1.19), and the various things
related of her refer to the phases and phenomena of the
moon, and are intimately connected with the worship of Zeus
and Hera at Argos. Her connection with Egypt seems to be an
invention of later times, and was probably suggested by the
resemblance which was found to exist between the Argive Io
and the Egyptian Isis. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Iobates (Greek: Ἰοβάτης), a.k.a. Jobates,
was a Lycian king, the father of Antea and Philonoe. (This
Iobatēs is sometimes named Amphianax[1].) Bellerophon was sent
into exile to the land of King Iobates. Proetus, King of
Tiryns, wanted Iobates to kill Bellerophon, but Iobates feared
the wrath of the gods if he murdered a guest. So he sent
Bellerophon on a mission that he deemed impossible: to kill a
fire-breathing monster, the Chimera.
An alternate version of the beginning of the quest is that
Bellerophon encountered Proetus, who grew intensely jealous of
him. Proetus was the son-in-law of Iobates, and sent
Bellerophon to him with a sealed message that asked him to
kill Bellerophon. Lycia at the time was in the middle of a
horrific plague and Iobates didn't want to strain the
population with a war, which would surely result if he
murdered Bellerophon. Instead, he sent him to kill the
Chimera...
Read More
Iphigenia (pronounced /ɪfɨdʒɨˈnaɪ.ə/; Greek Ἰφιγένεια,
Ifigeneia) is a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in
Greek mythology.[1] In Attic accounts,[2] Her name means
"strong-born", "born to strength", or "she who causes the
birth of strong offspring."[3] Artemis punished Agamemnon
after he killed a deer in a sacred grove and boasted he was
the better hunter. On his way to Troy to participate in the
Trojan War, Agamemnon's ships were suddenly motionless, as
Artemis stopped the wind in Aulis. The soothsayer, Calchas,
revealed an oracle that appeased Artemis, so that the
Achaean fleet could sail. This much is in Homer, who does
not discuss the aspect of this episode in which other
writers explain that the only way to appease Artemis was to
sacrifice Iphigenia to her. According to the earliest
versions he did so, but other sources claim that Iphigenia
was taken by Artemis to Tauris in Crimea to prepare others
for sacrifice, and that the goddess left a deer[4] or a goat
(the god Pan transformed) in her place. The Hesiodic
Catalogue of Women called her Iphimede/Iphimedeia
(Ἰφιμέδεια)[5] and told that Artemis transformed her into
the goddess Hecate.[6] Antoninus Liberalis said that
Iphigenia was transported to the island of Leuke, where she
was wedded to immortalized Achilles under the name of
Orsilochia...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Iris (Ἴρις) is the personification of the
rainbow and messenger of the gods. As the sun unites Earth and
heaven, Iris links the gods to humanity. She travels with the
speed of wind from one end of the world to the other,[1] and
into the depths of the sea and the underworld. According to
Hesiod's Theogony, Iris is the daughter of Thaumas and the air
nymph Electra. Her sisters are the Harpies; Aello, Celaeno and
Ocypete...
Read More
Ismene (Greek: Ἰσμήνη Ismênê) is the name of two women of
Greek mythology. The more famous is a daughter and half-sister
of Oedipus, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister
of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several
plays of Sophocles: at the end of Oedipus the King and to a
limited extent in Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. She also
appears at the end of Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Ixion (pronounced /ɪkˈsaɪ.ən/, ik-SYE-ən;
Greek: Ἰξίων, Ixīōn) was king of the Lapiths, the most ancient
tribe of Thessaly, and a son of Ares or Antion or the
notorious evildoer Phlegyas, whose name connotes "fiery".
Peirithoös[1] was his son (or stepson, if Zeus were his
father, as the sky-god claims to Hera in Iliad 14).[2] Ixion
married Dia,[3] a daughter of Deioneus (or Eioneus) and
promised his father-in-law a valuable present. However, he did
not pay the bride price, so Deioneus stole some of Ixion's
horses in retaliation. Ixion concealed his resentment and
invited his father-in-law to a feast at Larissa. When Deioneus
arrived, Ixion pushed him into a bed of burning coals and
wood. These circumstances are secondary to the fact of Ixion's
primordial act of murder; it could be accounted for quite
differently: in the Greek Anthology (iii.12), among a
collection of inscriptions from a temple in Cyzicus is an
epigrammatic description of Ixion slaying Phorbas and
Polymelos, who had slain his mother, Megara, the "great
one".[4]...
Read More
In Roman mythology, Janus (or Ianus) is the god of gates,
doors, doorways, beginnings and endings. His most prominent
remnant in modern culture is his namesake, the month of
January, which begins the new year.The reason for this is
because, one is looking back at the previous year and looking
forward to the new year ahead. He is most often depicted as
having two faces or heads, facing in opposite directions.
These heads were believed to look into both the future and the
past...
Read More
Jason (Greek: Ἰάσων, Iásōn) was a late ancient Greek
mythological hero, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and
their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson,
the rightful king of Iolcus. He was married to the sorceress
Medea.
Jason appeared in various literature in the classical world of
Greece and Rome, including the epic poem Argonautica and
tragedian play, Medea. In the modern world, Jason has emerged
as a character in various adaptations of his myths, such as
the film Jason and the Argonauts.
Jason has connections outside of the classical world, as he is
seen as being the mythical founder of the city of Ljubljana,
the capital of Slovenia...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Jocasta, also known as Jocaste (Greek:
Iοκαστη), Epikastê[1], or Iokastê was a daughter of Menoeceus
and Queen consort of Thebes, Greece. She was the wife of
Laius. Wife and mother of Oedipus by Laius, and both mother
and grandmother of Antigone, Eteocles, Polynices and Ismene by
Oedipus. She was also sister of Creon.
The tale goes that one day her husband, King Laius of Thebes,
consulted an oracle while she was heavily pregnant with
Oedipus. The oracle told Laius that the child was destined to
kill his father and marry his own mother, i.e., Jocasta. So
King Laius decided the child must be brought up to the
mountain separating the city of Thebes from Corinth. He got a
servant to travel to the top of the mountain and leave it
there, but the servant saw nothing wrong with the baby and saw
no reason to leave it to die. A shepherd was walking by and
said that he and his wife would take the baby and raise it as
if it were their own and they did for 19 years. Alternatively,
Oedipus gets adopted by the king of Corinth and raised as a
prince of that city. Jocasta allowed Laius to go through with
the abandonment of the child in fear of the prophecy...
Read More
Juno (Latin pronunciation: /juːnoː/) was an ancient Roman
goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She
is a daughter of Saturn and sister (but also the wife) of the
chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars, Minerva and Vulcan.
Her Greek equivalent is Hera.
As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman empire she was
called Regina ("queen") and, together with Jupiter and
Minerva, was worshipped as a triad on the Capitol (Juno
Capitolina) in Rome...
Read More
The name of Juno is probably of the same root as Jupiter,
and differs from it only in its termination. As Jupiter is
the king of heaven and of the gods, so Juno is the queen of
heaven, or the female Jupiter. The Romans identified at an
early time their Juno with Hera, with whom she has indeed
many resemblances, but we shall endeavour here to treat of
the Roman Juno exclusively, and to separate the Greek
notions [HERA] entertained by the Romans, from those which
are of a purely Italian or Roman nature. Juno, as the queen
of heaven, bore the surname of Regina, under which she was
worshipped at Rome from early times, and at a later period
her worship was solemnly transferred from Veii to Rome,
where a sanctuary was dedicated to her on the Aventine.
(Liv. 5.21, 22, 22.1, 27.37; Varr. de L. L. 5.67.) She is
rarely described as hurling the thunderbolt, and the main
feature of her character is, that she was to the female sex
all that Jupiter was to the male, and that she was regarded
as the protectress of every thing connected with marriage.
She was, however, not only the protecting genius of the
female sex in general, but accompanied every individual
woman through life, from the moment of her birth to the end
of her life. Hence she bore the special surnames of
Virginalis and Matrona, as well as the general ones of
Opigena and Sospita (Ov. Fast. 6.33; Hor. Carm. 3.4, 59;
Serv. ad Aen. 8.84; August. de Civ. Dei, 4.11; Festus, p.
343, ed. Müller), under which she was worshipped both at
Lanuvium and at Rome. (Liv. 24.10, 27.3, 32.30; Ov. Fast.
2.56; Cic. de Div. 1.2.) On their birthday women offered
sacrifices to Juno surnamed natalis, just as men sacrificed
to their genius natalis (Tib. 4.6. 13. 15); but the general
festival, which was celebrated by all the women, in honour
of Juno, was called Matronalia (Dict. of Ant. s. v.), and
took place on the 1st of March. Her protection of women, and
especially her power of making them fruitful, is further
alluded to in the festival Populifugia (Dict. of Ant. s.v.)
as well as in the surname of Februarius, Februata, Februta,
or Februalis. (Fest. s.v. Februarius, p. 85, ed. Müller;
comp. Ov. Fast. 2.441.) Juno was further, like Saturn, the
guardian of the finances, and under the name of Moneta she
had a temple on the Capitoline hill, which contained the
mint. (Liv. 6.20.) Some Romans considered Juno Moneta as
identical with Μνημοσύνη, but this identification
undoubtedly arose from the desire of finding the name Moneta
a deeper meaning than it really contains. [MONETA.] The most
important period in a woman's life is that of her marriage,
and, as we have already remarked, she was believed
especially to preside over marriage. Hence she was called
Juga or Jugalis [JUGA], and had a variety of other names,
alluding to the various occasions on which she was invoked
by newly-married people, such as, Domiduca, Iterduca,
Pronuba, Cinxia, Prema, Pertunda, Fluonia, and Lucina.
(Verg. A. 4.166, 457, with Serv. note; Ov. Ep. 6.43; August.
de Civ. Dei, 6.7, 11, 7.3; Arnob. 3.7, 25, 6.7, 25; Fest. s.
vv. The month of June, which is said to have originally been
called Junonius, was considered to be the most favourable
period for marrying. (Macr. 1.12; Ov. Fast. 6.56.) Juno,
however, not only presided over the fertility of marriage,
but also over its inviolable sanctity, and unchastity and
inordinate love of sexual pleasures were hated by the
goddess. Hence a law of Numa ordained that a prostitute
should not touch the altar of Juno, and that if she had done
so, she should with dishevelled hair offer a female lamb to
Juno. (Gel. 4.3.) Women in childbed invoked Juno Lucina to
help them (Plaut. Aulul. 4.7, 11; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 77;
Propert. v 1, 95; Arnob. 3.9, 21, 23), and after the
delivery of the child, a table was laid out for her in the
house for a whole week (Tertull. de Anim. 39), for newly-
born children were likewise under her protection, whence she
was sometimes confounded with the Greek Artemis or
Eileithyia. (Catull. 34.13; Dionys. A. R. 4.15; comp.
MATUTA.）
As Juno has all the characteristics of her husband, in so
far as they refer to the female sex, she presides over all
human affairs, which are based upon justice and
faithfulness, and more especially over the domestic affairs,
in which women are more particularly concerned, though
public affairs were not beyond her sphere, as we may infer
from her surnames of Curiatia and Populonia. [Comp.
EMPANDA.] In Etruria, where the worship of Juno was very
general, she bore the surname of Cupra, which is said to
have been derived from the name of a town, but it may be
connected with the Sabine word cyprus, which, according to
Varro (de L. L. 5.159), signified good, and also occurs in
the name of vicus Cyprius. At Falerii, too, her worship was
of great importance (Dionys. A. R. 1.21), and so also at
Lanuvium, Aricia, Tibur, Praeneste, and other places. (Ov.
Fast. 6.49, 59; Liv. 5.21, 10.2; Serv. ad Aen. 7.739; Strab.
v. p.241.) In the representations of the Roman Juno that
have come down to us, the type of the Greek Hera is commonly
adopted. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Roman mythology, Jupiter or Jove was the king of the gods,
and the god of sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus,
in the Greek pantheon. He was called Iuppiter (or Diespiter)
Optimus Maximus ("Father God the Best and Greatest") As the
patron deity of ancient Rome, he ruled over laws and social
order. He was the chief god of the Capitoline Triad, with
sister/wife Juno. Jupiter is also the father of the god Mars
with Juno. Therefore, Jupiter is the grandfather of Romulus
and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. Jupiter was
venerated in ancient Roman religion, and is still venerated in
Roman Neopaganism. He is a son of Saturn, along with brothers
Neptune and Pluto.[1][2][3] He is also the brother/husband of
Ceres (daughter of Saturn and mother of Proserpina), brother
of Veritas (daughter of Saturn), and father of Mercury...
Read More
Ju'piter or Ju'piter Conciliatrix
or perhaps more correctly, JUPPITER, a contraction of Diovis
pater, or Diespiter, and Diovis or dies, which was
originally identical with divum (heaven); so that Jupiter
literally means "the heavenly father." The same meaning is
implied in the name Lucesius or Lucerius, by which he was
called by the Oscans, and which was often used by the poet
Naevius (Serv. ad Aen. 9.570; comp. Fest. s. v. Lucetium, p.
114, ed. Müller; Macr. 1.15; Gel. 5.12.) The corresponding
name of Juno is Lucina. It is further not impossible that
the forgotten name, divus pater Falacer, mentioned by Varro
(de L. L. 5.84, 7.45), may be the same as Jupiter, since,
according to Festus (s. v. falae, p. 88, ed. Müller),
falandum was the Etruscan name for heaven. The surname of
Supinalis (August. de Civ. Dei, 7.11) likewise alludes to
the dome of heaven.
As Jupiter was the lord of heaven, the Romans attributed to
him power over all the changes in the heavens, as rain,
storms, thunder and lightning, whence he had the epithets of
Pluvius, Fulgurator, Tonitrualis, Tonans, Fulminator, and
Serenator. (Appul. de Mund. 37; Fest. s. v. prorsum; Suet.
Aug. 91.) As the pebble or flint stone was regarded as the
symbol of lightning, Jupiter was frequently represented with
such a stone in his hand instead of a thunderbolt (Arnob.
6.25); and in ancient times a flint stone was exhibited as a
symbolic representation of the god. (Serv. ad Aen. 8.641;
August. de Civ. Dei, 2.29.) In concluding a treaty, the
Romans took the sacred symbols of Jupiter, viz. the sceptre
and flint stone, together with some grass from his temple,
and the oath taken on such an occasion was expressed by per
Jovem Lopidem jurare. (Fest. s.v. Feretrius; Liv. 30.43;
Appul. de Deo Socrat. 4; Cic. Fam. 7.12; Gel. 1.21; Plb.
3.26.) When the country wanted rain, the help of Jupiter was
sought by a sacrifice called aquilicium (Tertull. Apol. 40);
and respecting the mode of calling down lightning, see
ELICIUS. These powers exercised by the god, and more
especially the thunderbolt, which was ever at his command,
made him the highest and most powerful among the gods,
whence he is ordinarily called the best and most high
(optimus maximus), and his temple stood on the capitol; for
he, like the Greek Zeus, loved to erect his throne on lofty
hills. (Liv. 1.10, 38, 43.55.) From the capitol, whence he
derived the surnames of Capitolinus and Tarpeius, he looked
down upon the forum and the city, and from the Alban and
sacred mounts he surveyed the whole of Latium (Fest. s. v.
Sacer Mons), for he was the protector of the city and the
surrounding country. As such he was worshipped by the
consuls on entering upon their office, and a general
returning from a campaign had first of all to offer up his
thanks to Jupiter, and it was in honour of Jupiter that the
victorious general celebrated his triumph. (Liv. 21.63,
41.32, 42.49.) The god himself was therefore designated by
the names of Imperator, Victor, Invictus, Stator, Opitulus,
Feretrius, Praedator, Triumphator, and the like. (Liv. 1.12,
6.29, 10.29; Ov. Fast. 4.621; August. de Civ. Dei, 8.11;
Serv. ad Aen. 3.223; Appul. de Mund. 37; Festus, s. v.
Opitulus; Cic. de Leg. 2.11, in Verr. 4.58.) Under all these
surnames the god had temples or statues at Rome; and two
temples, viz. those of Jupiter Stator at the Mucian gate and
Jupiter Feretrius, were believed to have been built in the
time of Romulus. (Liv. 1.12, 41; Dionys. A. R. 2.34, 50.)
The Roman games and the Feriae Latinae were celebrated to
him under the names of Capitolinus and Latialis.
Jupiter, according to the belief of the Romans, determined
the course of all earthly and human affairs: he foresaw the
future, and the events happening in it were the results of
his will. He revealed the future to man through signs in the
heavens and the flight of birds, which are hence called the
messengers of Jupiter, while the god himself is designated
as Prodigialis, that is, the sender of prodigies. (Plaut.
Amphitr. 2.2, 107.) For the same reason Jupiter was invoked
at the beginning of every undertaking, whether sacred or
profane, together with Janus, who blessed the beginning
itself (August. de Civ. Dei, 7.8; Liv. 8.9; Cato, de R. R.
134, 141; Macr. 1.16); and rams were sacrificed to Jupiter
on the ides of every month by his flamen, while a female
lamb and a pig were offered to Juno on the kalends of every
month by the wife of the rex sacrorum. (Macr. 1.15; Ov.
Fast. 1.587; Fest. s. v. Idulis Ovis.) Another sacrifice,
consisting of a ram, was offered to Jupiter in the regia on
the nundines, that is, at the beginning of every week (Macr.
1.16; Festus. s. v. nundinas); and it may be remarked in
general that the first day of every period of time both at
Rome and in Latium was sacred to Jupiter, and marked by
festivals, sacrifices, or libations.
It seems to be only a necessary consequence of what has been
already said, that Jupiter was considered as the guardian of
law, and as the protector of justice and virtue: he
maintained the sanctity of an oath, and presided over all
transactions which were based upon faithfulness and justice.
Hence Fides was his companion on the capitol, along with
Victoria; and hence a traitor to his country, and persons
guilty of perjury, were thrown down the Tarpeian rock.
Faithfulness is manifested in the internal relations of the
state, as well as in its connections with foreign powers,
and in both respects Jupiter was regarded as its protector.
Hence Jupiter and Juno were the guardians of the bond of
marriage; and when the harmony between husband and wife was
disturbed, it was restored by Juno, surnamed Conciliatrix or
Viriplaca, who had a sanctuary on the Palatine. (Fest. s. v.
Conciliatric; V. Max. 2.1.6.) Not only the family, however,
but all the political bodies into which the Roman people was
divided, such as the gentes and curiae, were under the
especial protection of the king and queen of the gods; and
so was the whole body of the Roman people, that is, the
Roman state itself. The fact of Jupiter being further
considered as the watchful guardian of property, is implied
in his surname of Hercius (from the ancient herctum,
property), and from his being expressly called by Dionysius
(2.74), ὅριος Ζεύς, i.e. Jupiter Terminus, or the protector
of boundaries, not only of private property, but of the
state.
As Jupiter was the prince of light, the white colour was
sacred to him, white animals were sacrificed to him, his
chariot was believed to be drawn by four white horses, his
priests wore white caps, and the consuls were attired in
white when they offered sacrifices in the capitol the day
they entered on their office. (Festus, s.v. albogalerum
pileum.) When the Romans became acquainted with the religion
of the Greeks, they naturally identified Jupiter with Zeus,
and afterwards with the Egyptian Ammon, and in their
representations of the god they likewise adopted the type of
the Greek Zeus. [ZEUS; comp. Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm.
vol. ii. p. 8, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hēbē (Greek: Ἥβη) is the goddess of
youth[1] (Roman equivalent: Juventas).[2] She is the daughter
of Zeus and Hera.[3] Hebe was the cupbearer for the gods and
goddesses of Mount Olympus, serving their nectar and ambrosia,
until she was married to Heracles, (Roman equivalent:
Hercules); her successor was the young Trojan prince Ganymede.
Another title of hers, for this reason, is "Ganymeda." She
also drew baths for Ares and helped Hera enter her
chariot.[4]...
Read More
[HEBE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Lachesis (also Lakhesis, Greek: Λάχεσις,
English: "disposer of lots", Etymology: λαγχάνω - to obtain by
lot, by fate, or by the will of the gods) was the second of
the Three Fates, or Moirae. Her Roman equivalent was Decima.
Lachesis was the apportioner, deciding how much time for life
was to be allowed for each person or being [1] . She measured
the thread of life with her rod. She is also said to choose a
person's destiny after a thread was measured. In mythology, it
is said that she appears with her sisters within three days of
a baby's birth to decide its fate...
Read More
[MOIRA.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, King Laius, or Laios of Thebes was a
divine hero and key personage in the Theban founding myth. Son
of Labdacus, he was raised by the regent Lycus after the death
of his father. While Laius was still young, Amphion and Zethus
usurped the throne of Thebes. Some Thebans, wishing to see the
line of Cadmus continue, smuggled Laius out of the city before
their attack, in which they killed Lycus and took the
throne.[1] Laius was welcomed by Pelops, king of Pisa in the
Peloponnesus.[2] Laius abducted and raped the king's son,
Chrysippus, and carried him off to Thebes while teaching him
how to drive a chariot, or as Hyginus records it, during the
Nemean games. This abduction was the subject of one of the
lost tragedies of Euripides. With both Amphion and Zethus
having died in his absence, Laius became king of Thebes upon
his return...
Read More
（*La/i+os).
1. A son of Labdacus, and father of Oedipus. After his
father's death he was placed under the guardianship of
Lycus, and on the death of the latter, Laius was obliged to
take refuge with Pelops in Peloponnesus. But when Amphion
and Zethus, the murderers of Lycus, who had usurped his
throne, had lost their lives, Laius returned to Thebes, and
ascended the throne of his father. He married Jocaste (Homer
calls her Epicaste), and became by her the father of
Oedipus, by whom he was slain without being known to him.
His body was buried by Damasistratus, king of Plataeae.
(Hdt. 5.59; Paus. 9.5.2; Apollod. 3.5.5, &c.; Diod. 5.64;
comp. OEDIPUS.） 2. A Cretan, who, together with Aegolius,
Celeus, and Cerberus, entered the sacred cave of bees in
Crete, in order to steal honey. They succeeded in their
crime, but perceived the cradle of the infant Zeus, and that
instant their brazen armour broke to pieces. Zeus thundered,
and wanted to kill them by a flash of lightning; but the
Moerae and Themis prevented him, as no one was allowed to be
killed on that sacred spot, whereupon the thieves were
metamorphosed into birds. (Ant. Lib. 19; Plin. Nat. 10.60,
79.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Laocoön (Λαοκόων [laoˈko.ɔːn], English: /leɪˈɒkɵ.ɒn/), the son
of Acoetes[1] is a figure in Greek and Roman mythology, a
Trojan priest of Poseidon[2] (or Neptune), whose rules he had
defied, either by marrying and having sons,[3] or by having
committed an impiety by making love with his wife in the
presence of a cult image in a sanctuary.[4] His minor role in
the Epic Cycle narrating the Trojan War was of warning the
Trojans in vain against accepting the Trojan Horse from the
Greeks-"A deadly fraud is this," he said, "devised by the
Achaean chiefs!"[5]-and for his subsequent divine execution by
two serpents sent to Troy across the sea from the island of
Tenedos, where the Greeks had temporarily camped.[6]...
Read More
According to Sophocles' play Antigone (Sophocles), Haemon
("bloody") (or Haimon, Greek :Άιμον Haimon) was the son of
Creon and Eurydice.
When Oedipus stepped down as King of Thebes, he gave the
kingdom to his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, who both
agreed to alternate the throne every year. However, they
showed no concern for their father, who cursed them for
their negligence. After the first year, Eteocles refused to
step down and Polynices attacked Thebes with his supporters
of the Argive (the Seven Against Thebes). Both brothers died
in the battle. King Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law and the
sons' uncle, decreed that Polynices was not to be buried.
Antigone, Oedipus' daughter and the sister of Polynices,
defied the order, but was caught. Creon decreed that she was
to be thrown into a cave with a days worth of food, in spite
of the fact that she was betrothed to his son, Haemon. The
gods, through the blind prophet Tiresias, expressed their
disapproval of Creon's decision, which convinced him to
rescind his order, and he went to bury Polynices. However,
Antigone had already hanged herself on the way to her
burial. When Creon arrived at the tomb where she was to be
left, his son, Haemon, threatens him and tries to kill him
but ends up taking his own life. Creon's wife Eurydice,
informed of Haemon's death, took her own life out of grief.
Haemon is betrothed to Antigone. He must choose between his
father (whom he has always followed) and his lover Antigone.
He chooses the morally right side of Antigone's but cannot
separate himself from either because of the strong ties of
family and love. He commits suicide because of his helpless
situation, which also leads his mother to commit suicide.
These actions cause Creon's madness at the play's
conclusion. - Wikipedia
Read More
3. A son of Creon of Thebes, perished, according to some
accounts, by the sphinx. (Apollod. 3.5.8; Schol. ad Eurip.
Phoen. 1760.) But, according to other traditions, he survived
the war of the Seven against Thebes, and he is said to have
been in love with Antigone, and to have made away with himself
on hearing that she was condemned by his father to be entombed
alive. (Soph. Antig. 627, &c.; Eur. Phoen. 757, 1587; Hyg.
Fab. 72.) In the Iliad (4.394) Macon is called a son of
Haemon. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hamadryads (Ἁμαδρυάδες) are Greek mythological beings that
live in trees. They are a specific species of dryad, which are
a particular type of nymph. Hamadryads are born bonded to a
specific tree. Some believe that hamadryads are the actual
tree, while normal dryads are simply the entity, or spirit, of
the tree. If the tree died, the hamadryad associated with it
died as well. For that reason, dryads and the gods punished
any mortals who harmed trees. The Deipnosophistae of Athenaeus
lists eight Hamadryads, the daughters of Oxylus and
Hamadryas:...
Read More
In Greek mythology, a harpy ("snatcher", from Latin: harpeia,
originating in Greek: ἅρπυια, harpūia) was one of the winged
spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from
Phineas. The literal meaning of the word seems to be "that
which snatches" as it comes from the ancient Greek word
harpazein (ἁρπάζειν), which means "to snatch".
A harpy was the mother by the West Wind Zephyros of the horses
of Achilles.[1] In this context Jane Ellen Harrison adduced
the notion in Virgil's Georgics (iii.274) that mares became
gravid by the wind alone, marvelous to say.[2]
Hesiod[3] calls them two "lovely-haired" creatures, perhaps
euphemistically. Harpies as ugly winged bird-women, e.g. in
Aeschylus' The Eumenides (line 50) are a late development, due
to a confusion with the Sirens. Roman and Byzantine writers
detailed their ugliness.[4]...
Read More
（Ἅρπυιαι), that is, "the swift robbers," are, in the
Homeric poems, nothing but personified storm winds. (Od.
20.66, 77.) Homer mentions only one by name, viz. Podarge,
who was married to Zephyrus, and gave birth to the two
horses of Achilles, Xanthus and Balius. (Il. 16.149, &c.)
When a person suddenly disappeared from the earth, it was
said that he had been carried off by the Harpies (Od. 1.241,
14.371); thus, they carried off the daughters of king
Pandareus, and gave them as servants to the Erinnyes. (Od.
20.78.) According to Hesiod (Hes. Th. 267, &c.), the Harpies
were the daughters of Thaumas by the Oceanid Electra, fair-
locked and winged maidens, who surpassed winds and birds in
the rapidity of their flight. Their names in Hesiod are
Aello and Ocypete. (Comp. Apollod. 1.2.6.) But even as early
as the time of Aeschylus (Aesch. Eum. 50), they are
described as ugly creatures with wings, and later writers
carry their notions of the Harpies so far as to represent
them as most disgusting monsters. They were sent by the gods
as a punishment to harass the blind Phineus, and whenever a
meal was placed before him, they darted down from the air
and carried it off; later writers add, that they either
devoured the food themselves, or that they dirtied it by
dropping upon it some stinking substance, so as to render it
unfit to be eaten. They are further described in these later
accounts as birds with the heads of maidens, with long claws
on their hands, and with faces pale with hunger. (Verg. A.
3.216, &c.; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 653; Ov. Met. 7.4, Fast.
6.132; Hyg. Fab. 14.) The traditions about their parentage
likewise differ in the different traditions, for some called
them the daughters of Pontus (or Poseidon) and Terra (Serv.
ad Aen. 3.241), of Typhon (Val. Flacc 4.428, 516), or even
of Phineus. (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 166, Chil. 1.220; Palaephat.
23. 3). Their number is either two, as in Hesiod and
Apollodorus, or three; but their names are not the same in
all writers, and, besides those already mentioned, we find
Aellopos, Nicothoe, Ocythoe, Ocypode, Celaeno, Acholoe.
(Apollod. 1.9, 21; Serv. ad Aen. 3.209; Hygin. Fab. Praef.
p. 15, Fab. 14.) Their place of abode is either the islands
called Strophades (Verg. A. 3.210), a place at the entrance
of Orcus (6.289), or a cave in Crete. (Apollon. 2.298.) The
most celebrated story in which the Harpies play a part is
that of Phineus, at whose residence the Argonauts arrived
while he was plagued by the monsters. Hte promised to
instruct them respecting the course they had to take, if
they would deliver him from the Harpies. When the food for
Phineus was laid out on a table, the Harpies immediately
came, and were attacked by the Boreades, Zetes and Calais,
who were among the Argonauts, and provided with wings.
According to an ancient oracle, the Harpies were to perish
by the hands of the Boreades, but the latter were to die if
they could not overtake the Harpies. The latter fled, but
one fell into the river Tigris, which was hence called
Harpys, and the other reached the Echinades, and as she
never returned, the islands were called Strophades. But
being worn out with fatigue, she fell down simultaneously
with her pursuer; and, as they promised no further to molest
Phineus, the two Harpies were not deprived of their lives.
(Apollod. 1.9.21.) According to others, the Boreades were on
the point of killing the Harpies, when Iris or Hermes
appeared, and commanded the conquerors to set them free, or
both the Harpies as well as the Boreades died. (Schol. ad
Apollon. Rhod. 1.286, 297; Tzetz. Chil. 1.217.) In the
famous Harpy monument recently brought from Lycia to this
country, the Harpies are represented in the act of carrying
off the daughters of Pandareus. (Th. Panofka, in the
Archaeol. Zeitung for 1843, No. 4; E. Braun, in the Rhein.
Mus. Neue Folge, vol. iii. p. 481, &c., who conceives that
these rapacious birds with human heads are symbolical
representations of death carrying off everything.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hēbē (Greek: Ἥβη) is the goddess of
youth[1] (Roman equivalent: Juventas).[2] She is the daughter
of Zeus and Hera.[3] Hebe was the cupbearer for the gods and
goddesses of Mount Olympus, serving their nectar and ambrosia,
until she was married to Heracles, (Roman equivalent:
Hercules); her successor was the young Trojan prince Ganymede.
Another title of hers, for this reason, is "Ganymeda." She
also drew baths for Ares and helped Hera enter her chariot.[4]
In Euripides' play Heracleidae, Hebe granted Iolaus' wish to
become young again in order to fight Eurystheus. Hebe had two
children with her husband Heracles: Alexiares and Anicetus.[5]
In Roman mythology, Juventas received a coin offering from
boys when they put on the adult men's toga for the first
time...
Read More
（Ἥβη), the personification of youth, is described as a
daughter of Zeus and Hera (Apollod. 1.3.1.), and is,
according to the Iliad (4.2), the minister of the gods, who
fills their cups with nectar; she assists Hera in putting
the horses to her chariot (5.722); and she bathes and
dresses her brother Ares (5.905). According to the Odyssey
(11.603); comp. Hes. Th. 950), she was married to Heracles
after his apotheosis. Later traditions, however, describe
her as having become by Heracles the mother of two sons,
Alexiares and Anticetus (Apollod. 2.7.7), and as a divinity
who had it in her power to make persons of an advanced age
young again. (Ov. Met. 9.400, &c.) She was worshipped at
Athens, where she had an altar in the Cynosarges, near one
of Heracles. (Paus. 1.19.3.) Under the name of the female
Ganymedes (Ganymeda) or Dia, she was worshipped in a sacred
grove at Sicyon and Phlius. (Paus. 2.13.3; Strab. viii.
p.382.)
At Rome the goddess was worshipped under the corresponding
name of Juventas, and that at a very early time, for her
chapel on the Capitol existed before the temple of Jupiter
was built there; and she, as well as Terminus, is said to
have opposed the consecration of the temple of Jupiter.
(Liv. 5.54.) Another temple of Juventas, in the Circus
Maximus, was vowed by the consul M. Livius, after the defeat
of Hasdrubal, in B. C. 207, and was consecrated 16 years
afterwards. (Liv. 36.36 ; comp. 21.62; Dionys. A. R. 4.15,
where a temple of Juventas is mentioned as early as the
reign of Servius Tullius; August. de Civ. Dei, 4.23; Plin.
Nat. 29.4, 14, 35.36, 22.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hecate or Hekate (ancient Greek Ἑκάτη, Hekátē, pronounced /
ˈhɛkətiː/ or /ˈhɛkət/[1] in English) is a chthonic Greco-Roman
goddess associated with magic and crossroads.
She is attested in poetry as early as Hesiod's Theogony. An
inscription from late archaic Miletus naming her as a
protector of entrances is also testimony to her presence in
archaic Greek religion.[2]...
Read More
（Ἑκάτη), a mysterious divinity, who, according to the most
common tradition, was a daughter of Persaeus or Perses and
Asteria, whence she is called Perseis. (Apollod. 1.2.4;
Apollon. 3.478.) Others describe her as a daughter of Zeus
and Demeter, and state that she was sent out by her father
in search of Persephone (Schol. ad Tleocrit. 2.12); others
again make her a daughter of Zeus either by Pheraea or by
Hera (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 1175; Schol. ad Theocrit. 2.36) ; and
others, lastly, say that she was a daughter of Leto or
Tartarus. (Procl. in Plat. Cratyl. p. 112 ; Orph. Argon.
975.) Homer does not mention her. According to the most
genuine traditions, she appears to have been an ancient
Thracian divinity, and a Titan, who, from the time of the
Titans, ruled in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea, who
ebestowed on mortals wealth, victory, wisdom, good luck to
sailors and hunters, and prosperity to youth and to the
flocks of cattle; but all these blessings might at the same
time be withheld by her, if mortals did not deserve them.
She was the only one among the Titans who retained this
power under the rule of Zeus, and she was honoured by all
the immortal gods. She also assisted the gods in their war
with the Gigantes, and slew Clytius. (Hes. Th. 411-452;
Apollod. 1.6.2.) This extensive power possessed by Hecate
was probably the reason that subsequently she was confounded
and identified with several other divinities, and at length
became a mystic goddess, to whom mysteries were celebrated
in Samothrace (Lycoph. 77; Schol. ad Aristoph. Pac. 277) and
in Aegina. (Paus. 2.30.2; comp. Plut. de Flum. 5.) For being
as it were the queen of all nature, we find her identitied
with Demeter, Rhea (Cybele or Brimo); being a huntress and
the protector of youth, she is the same as Artemis
(Curotrophos); and as a goddess of the moon, she is regarded
as the mystic Persephone. (Hom. Hymn. in Cer. 25, with the
commentat.; Paus. 1.43.1.) She was further connected with
the worship of other mystic divinities, such as the Cabeiri
and Curetes (Schol. ad Theocrit. 2.12; Strab. x. p.472), and
also with Apollo and the Muses. (Athen. 14.645; Strab. x.
p.468.) The ground-work of the above-mentioned confusions
and identifications, especially with Demeter and Persephone,
is contained in the Homeric hymn to Demeter; for, according
to this hymn, she was, besides Helios, the only divinity
who, from her cave, observed the abduction of Persephone.
With a torch in her hand, she accompanied Demeter in the
search after Persephone; and when the latter was found,
Hecate remained with her as her attendant and companion. She
thus becomes a deity of the lower world; but this notion
does not occur till the time of the Greek tragedians, though
it is generally current among the later writers. She is
described in this capacity as a mighty and formidable
divinity, ruling over the souls of the departed ; she is the
goddess of purifications and expiations, and is accompanied
by Stygian dogs. (Orph. Lith. 48; Schol. ad Theocr l.c. ;
Apollon. 3.1211; Lycoph. 1175; Horat. Sat. 1.8. 35; Verg. A.
6.257.) By Phorcos she became the mother of Scylla.
(Apollon. 4.829 ; comp. Hom. Od. 12.124.) There is another
very important feature which arose out of the notion of her
being an infernal divinity, namely, she was regarded as a
spectral being, who at night sent from the lower world all
kinds of demons and terrible phantoms, who taught sorcery
and witchcraft, who dwelt at places where two roads crossed
each other, on tombs, and near the blood of murdered
persons. She herself too wanders about with the souls of the
dead, and her approach is announced by the whining and
howling of dogs. (Apollon. 3.529, 861, 4.829; Theocrit. l.c.
; Ov. Ep. 12.168, Met. 14.405; Stat. Theb. 4.428 ; Verg. A.
4.609; Orph. Lith. 45, 47; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1197, 1887;
Diod. 4.45.) A number of epithets given her by the poets
contain allusions to these features of the popular belief,
or to her form. She is described as of terrible appearance,
either with three bodies or three heads, the one of a horse,
the second of a dog, and the third of a lion. (Orph. Argon.
975, &c.; Eustath. ad Hom. pp. 1467, 1714.) In works of art
she was some-times represented as a single being, but
sometimes also as a three-headed monster. (Paus. 2.28.8.
30.2.) Besides Samothrace and Aegina, we find express
mention of her worship at Argos (Paus. 2.30.2.) and at
Athens, where she had a sanctuary under the name of
Ἐπιπυργιδία, on the acropolis, not far from the temple of
Nice. (Paus. 2.30.2.) Small statues or symbolical
representations of Hecate (ἑκάταια) were very numerous,
especially at Athens, where they stood before or in houses,
and on spots where two roads crossed each other; and it
would seem that people consulted such Hecataea as oracles.
(Aristoph. Wasps 816, Lysistr. 64; Eur. Med. 396; Porphyr.
de Abstin. 2.16; Hesych. s. v. Ἑκάταια). At the close of
every month dishes with food were set out for her and other
averters of evil at the points where two roads crossed each
other; and this food was consumed by poor people. (Aristoph.
Pl. 596 ; Plut. Synmpos. 7.6.) The sacrifices offered to her
consisted of dogs, honey, and black female lambs. (Plut.
Quaest. Rom. 49; Schol. ad Theocrit. 2.12 ; Apollon.
3.1032.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hectōr (Ἕκτωρ, "holding fast"[1]), or
Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter of Troy in
the Trojan War. As the son of Priam and Hecuba, a descendant
of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the
founder of Troy,[2] he is a prince of the royal house. He was
married to Andromache, with whom he had an infant son,
Astynyax. He acts as leader of the Trojans and their allies in
the defense of Troy, killing 31 Greeks in all[3]. In the
European Middle Ages, Hector figures as one of the Nine
Worthies noted by Jacques de Longuyon, known not only for his
courage but also for his noble and courtly nature. Indeed
Homer places Hector as the very noblest of all the heroes in
the Iliad: he is both peace-loving and brave, thoughtful as
well as bold, a good son, husband and father, and totally
without darker motives. When the Trojans are disputing whether
the omens are favourable, he retorts:...
Read More
（Ἕκτωρ), the chief hero of the Trojans in their war with
the Greeks, was the eldest son of Priam by Hecabe, the
husband of Andromache, and father of Scamandrius. (Hom. Il.
2.817; Apollod. 3.12.5; Theocrit. 15.139.) Some traditions
describe him as a son of Apollo (Tzetz. ad Lycoplh. 265;
Schol. Venet. ad II. 3.314.), and speak of him as the father
of two sons by Andromache, viz. Scamandrius and Laodamas, or
Amphineus. (Dict. Cret. 3.20.) According to the most common
account, Protesilaus, who was the first of the Greeks that
jumped upon the Trojan coast, was slain by Hector. (Lucian,
Dial. Mort. 23, 1; Hyg. Fab. 113.) This, however, is not
mentioned in the Iliad; and his first act described in that
poem is his censure of Alexander (Paris) who, after having
gone out to fight Menelaus in single combat, took to flight.
(Il. 3.39, &c.) He himself then challenged Menelaus. During
the battle he was accompanied by Ares, with whom he rushed
forward to protect his friend Sarpedon, and slew many Greeks
(5.590, &c.) When Diomedes had wounded Ares, and was
pressing the Trojans very hard, Hector hastened to the city
to request Hecabe to pray to Athena for assistance. (6.110.)
Hereupon he went to Paris and had a conversation with him
and Helena, reproaching the former for his cowardice. He
then went to his own house to seek Andromache, but she was
absent; and he afterwards found her with her child
Scamandrius at the Scaean gate. The scene which there took
place is one of the most delicate and beautiful scenes in
the Iliad (6.406, &c.). After having taken leave of his wife
and child, he returned to battle, and challenged the bravest
of the Greeks to single combat. No one ventured to come
forward except Menelaus, who, however, was dissuaded from it
by his friends. The lot then fell upon the Telamonian Ajax.
Hector was wounded, and at nightfall the battle ceased, and
the two heroes honoured each other with presents. After this
he again distinguished himself by various feats (8.307, &c.,
10.299, &c.,11.163, &c.) In the fierce battle in the camp of
the Greeks, he was struck with a stone by Ajax, and carried
away from the field of battle (14.402). Apollo cured his
wound, and then led him back to battle. He there repelled
Ajax, and fire was set to the ships of the Greeks (15.253,
&100.16.114, &c.). In the encounter with Patroclus, he at
first gave way, but, encouraged by Apollo, he returned,
fought with Patroclus, slew him, took off his armour, and
put it on himself (16.654. &c., 17.192). Thereupon a
vehement contest took place about the body of Patroclus,
which Hector refused to give up. Polydamas advised him to
withdraw to the city before the arrival of Achilles, but the
Trojan hero refused (18.160, &c.). Apollo forbade Hector to
enter upon a contest with Achilles; but when the two heroes
met, they were protected by Apollo and Athena (20.375, &c.).
The Trojans fled, but Hector, although called back by his
parents in the most imploring terms, remained and awaited
Achilles. When, however, the latter made his appearance,
Hector took to flight, and was chased thrice around the city
(22.90, &c.). His fall was now determined on by Zeus and
Athena; and assuming the appearance of Deiphobus, Athena
urged him to make his stand against the pursuer. Hector was
conquered, and fell pierced by the spear of Achilles
(22.182-330; comp Dict. Cret. 3.15). Achilles tied his body
to his own chariot, and thus dragged him into the camp of
the Greeks; but later traditions relate that he first
dragged the body thrice around the walls of Ilium. (Verg. A.
1.483.) In the camp the body was thrown into the dust, that
it might be devoured by the dogs. But Aphrodite embalmed it
with ambrosia, and Apollo protected it by a cloud. At the
command of Zeus, however, Achilles surrendered the body to
the prayers of Priam (24.15, &c.; comp. Eustath. ad Hom. p.
1273; Verg. A. 1.484). When the body arrived at Ilium, it
was placed on a bier ; and while Andromache held the head of
her beloved Hector on her knees, the lamentations began,
whereupon the body was burned, and solemnly buried (24.718,
&c.). Funeral games were celebrated on his tomb (Verg. A.
5.371; Philostr. Her. 10), and on the throne of Apollo at
Amyclae, the Trojans were seen offering sacrifices to him.
(Paus. 3.18.9.) In pursuance of an oracle, the remains of
Hector were said to have been conveyed to the Boeotian
Thebes, where his tomb was shown in later times. (Paus.
9.18.4; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 1194.) Hector is one of the
noblest conceptions of the poet of the Iliad. He is the
great bulwark of Troy, and even Achilles trembles when he
approaches him. He has a presentiment of the fall of his
country, but he perseveres in his heroic resistance,
preferring death to slavery and disgrace. But besides these
virtues of a warrior, he is distinguished also, and perhaps
more so than Achilles, by those of a man: his heart is open
to the gentle feelings of a son, a husband, and a father. He
was represented in the Lesche at Delphi by Polygnotus (Paus.
10.31.2), and on the chest of Cypselus (5.19.1), and he is
frequently seen in vase paintings. - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hecuba (also Hekábe, Hecabe, Hécube; Ancient Greek: Ἑκάβη) was
a queen in Greek mythology, the wife of King Priam of Troy,
with whom she had 19 children. The most famous son was Hector
of Troy. Her most famous daughter was Cassandra, priestess of
Apollo. Hecuba was of Phrygian birth; her father was Dymas,
and her mother Eunoe was said to be a daughter of Sangarius,
god of the Sangarius River, the principal river of ancient
Phrygia.
In the Iliad, Hecuba appears as the mother of Hector,
lamenting his death in a well-known speech in Book 24 of the
epic. She has several smaller appearances in the poem; in Book
6, under Heleneus' advice, she leads the Trojan women to the
temple of Athena to pray for help. In Book 22, she pleads with
Hector not to fight Achilles, for fear of "never get[ting] to
mourn you laid out on a bier." [1]...
Read More
[HECABE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Helen (in Greek, Ἑλένη – Helénē), known as
Helen of Troy (and earlier Helen of Sparta), was the daughter
of Zeus and Leda (or Nemesis), daughter of King Tyndareus,
wife of Menelaus and sister of Castor, Polydeuces and
Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan
War. Helen was described by Dr. Faustus in Christopher
Marlowe's eponymous play as having "the face that launched a
thousand ships."...
Read More
（Ἑλένη), a daughter of Zeus and Leda, and the sister of
Polydeuces and Castor ; some traditions called her a
daughter of Zeus by Nemesis. (Apollod. 3.10.6; Hyg. Fab. 77
; Schol. ad Callim. Hymn. in Dian. 232.) She was of
surpassing beauty, and is said to have in her youth been
carried off by Theseus, in conjunction with Peirithous to
Attica. When therefore Theseus was absent in Hades,
Polydeuces and Castor (the Dioscuri) undertook an expedition
to Attica. Athens was taken, Helena delivered, and Aethra,
the mother of Theseus, was taken prisoner, and carried by
the Dioscuri, as a slave of Helena, to Sparta. (Hyg. Fab.
79; comp. Paus. 1.17.6, 41.5, 2.22.7.) After her return to
Sparta, princely suitors appeared from all parts of Greece
and (Hyg. Fab. 81; Apollod. 3.10.8), but, after a
consultation with Odysseus, who was likewise one of them,
Tyndareus, the husband of Leda, gave her in marriage to
Menelaus, who became by her the father of Hermione, and,
according to others, of Nicostratus also. She was
subsequently seduced and carried off by Paris to Troy.
[PARIS ; MENELAUS.] Ptolemaeus Hephaestion (4) mentions six
other mythical personages of the same name: 1. a daughter of
Paris and Helena; 2. a daughter of Aegisthus and
Clytaemnestra; 3. a daughter of Epidamnius; 4. a daughter of
Faustulus, the shepherd who brought up Romulus and Remus ;
5. a daughter of Tityrus; and 6. a daughter of Micythus, the
beloved of Stesichorus. - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Heliades ("children of the sun") were
the daughters of Helios, the god who drove the sun before
Apollo. According to one source, there were three: Aegiale,
Aegle, and Aetheria. According to another source, there were
five: Helia, Merope, Phoebe, Aetheria, and Dioxippe. The
fourth or sixth Heliades was a son called Helias. Their
possible brother, Phaeton, died after attempting to drive his
father's chariot (the sun) across the sky. He was unable to
control the horses and fell to his death. The Heliades grieved
for four months and the gods turned them into poplar trees and
their tears into amber. According to some sources, their tears
(amber) fell into the river Eridanos. According to Hyginus,
the heliades were turned to poplar trees because they yoked
the chariot for their brother without their father helios'
permission.[1] - Wikipedia
Read More
Heliadae
and HELIADES (Ἡλιάδαι and (*Hlia/des), that is, the male and
female descendants of Helios, and might accordingly be applied
to all his children, but in mythology the name is given
particularly to the seven sons and the one daughter of Helios
by Rhode or Rhodos. Their names are, Cercaphus, Actis,
Macarcus, Tanages, Triopas, Phaeton, Ochimus, and Electryone.
These names, however, as well as their number, are not the
same in all accounts. (Diod. 5.56, &c.; Schol. ad Pind. Ol.
7.131, &c.) It should be observed that the sisters of Phaeton
are likewise called Heliades. (Ov. Met. 2.340, &c.; Apollon.
4.604.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the sun was personified as Helios
(pronounced /ˈhiːli.ɒs/, Greek: Ἥλιος "sun", Latinized as
Helius). Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while
Hesiod (Theogony 371) and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a
son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia (Hesiod) or Euryphaessa
(Homeric Hymn) and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon,
and Eos, the dawn. The names of these three were also the
common Greek words for sun, moon and dawn.
Helios was imagined as a handsome god crowned with the shining
aureole of the sun, who drove the chariot of the sun across
the sky each day to earth-circling Oceanus and through the
world-ocean returned to the East at night. Homer described
Helios's chariot as drawn by solar steeds (Iliad xvi.779);
later Pindar described it as drawn by "fire-darting steeds"
(Olympian Ode 7.71). Still later, the horses were given fiery
names: Pyrois, Aeos, Aethon, and Phlegon...
Read More
（*(/Hlios or Ἠέλιος), that is, the sun, or the god of the
sun. He is described as the son of Hyperion and Theia, and
as a brother of Selene and Eos. (Hom. Od. 12.176, 322, Hymn.
in Min. 9, 13; Hes. Th. 371, &c.) From his father, he is
frequently called Hyperionides, or Hyperion, the latter of
which is an abridged form of the patronymic, Hyperionion.
(Hom. Od. 12.176, Hymn. in Cer. 74; Hes. Th. 1011; Hom. (Od.
1.24, 2.19, 398, Hymn. in Apoll. Pyth. 191.) In the Homeric
hymn on Helios, he is called a son of Hyperion and
Euryphaessa. Homer describes Helios as giving light both to
gods and men: he rises in the east from Oceanus, though not
from the river, but from some lake or bog (λίμνη) formed by
Oceanus, rises up into heaven, where he reaches the highest
point at noon time, and then he descends, arriving in the
evening in the darkness of the west, and in Oceanus. (Il.
7.422, Od. 3.1, &c., 335, 4.400, 10.191, 11.18, 12.380.)
Later poets have marvellously embellished this simple
notion: they tell of a most magnificent palace of Helios in
the east, containing a throne occupied by the god, and
surrounded by personifications of the different divisions of
time (Ov. Met. 2.1, &c.); and while Homer speaks only of the
gates of Helios in the west, later writers assign to him a
second palace in the west, and describe his horses as
feeding upon herbs growing in the islands of the blessed.
(Nonn. Dionys. 12.1, &c.; Ath. 7.296; Stat. Theb. 3.407.)
The points at which Helios rises and descends into the ocean
are of course different at the different seasons of the
year; and the extreme points in the north and south, between
which the rising and setting take place, are the τροπαὶ
ἠελίοιο. (Od. 15.403; Hes. Op. et Dies, 449, 525.) The
manner in which Helios during the night passes front the
western into the eastern ocean is not mentioned either by
Homer or Hesiod, but later poets make him sail in a golden
boat round one-half of the earth, and thus arrive in the
east at the point from which he has to rise again. This
golden boat is the work of Hephaestus. (Ath. 11.469;
Apollod. 2.5.10; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1632.) Others represent
him as making his nightly voyage while slumbering in a
golden bed. (Ath. 11.470.) The horses and chariot with which
Helios makes his daily career are not mentioned in the Iliad
and Odyssey, but first occur in the Homeric hymn on Helios
(9, 15; comp. in Merc. 69, in Cer. 88), and both are
described minutely by later poets. (Ov. Met. 2.106, &c.;
Hyg. Fab. 183; Schol. ad Eurip. Pholen. 3 ; Pind. O. 7.71.)
Helios is described even in the Homeric poems as the god who
sees and hears every thing, but, notwithstanding this, he is
unaware of the fact that the companions of Odysseus robbed
his oxen, until he was informed of it by Lampetia. (Od.
12.375.) But, owing to his omniscience, he was able to
betray to Hephaestus the faithlessness of Aphrodite, and to
reveal to Demeter the carrying off of her daughter. (Od.
8.271, Hymn. in Cer. 75, &c., in Sol. 10; comp. Soph. Ajax,
847, &c.) This idea of Helios knowing every thing, which
also contains the elements of his ethical and prophetic
nature, seems to have been the cause of Helios being
confounded and identified with Apollo, though they were
originally quite distinct; and the identification was, in
fact, never carried out completely, for no Greek poet ever
made Apollo ride in the chariot of Helios through the
heavens, and among the Romans we find this idea only after
the time of Virgil. The representations of Apollo with rays
around his head, to characterise him as identical with the
sun, belong to the time of the Roman empire.
The island of Thrinacia (Sicily) was sacred to Helios, and
he there had flocks of oxen and sheep, each consisting of
350 heads, which never increased or decreased, and were
attended to by his daughters Phaetusa and Lampetia. (Hom.
Od. 12.128. 261, &c.; Apollon. 4.965, &c.) Later traditions
ascribe to him flocks also in the island of Erytheia
(Apollod. 1.6.1; comp. 2.5.10 ; Theocrit. 25.130), and it
may be remarked in general, that sacred flocks, especially
of oxen, occur in most places where the worship of Helios
was established. His descendants are very numerous, and the
surnames and epithets given him by the poets are mostly
descriptive of his character as the sun. Temples of Helios
(ήλιεῖα) seem to have existed in Greece at a very early time
(Hom. Od. 12.346), and in later times we find his worship
established in various places, as in Elis (Paus. 6.25.5), at
Apollonia (Hdt. 9.93), Hermione (Paus. 2.34.10), in the
acropolis of Corinth (2.4.7; comp. 2.1.6), near Argos
(2.18.3), at Troezene (2.31.8), Megalopolis (8.9.2, 31.4),
and several other places, especially in the island of
Rhodes, where the famous colossus of Rhodes was a
representation of Helios: it was 70 cubits in height, and,
being overthrown by an earthquake, the Rhodians were
commanded by an oracle not to erect it again. (Pind. O.
7.54, &c.; Strab. xiv. p.652; Plin. Nat. 34.7, 17.) The
sacrifices offered to Helios consisted of white rams, boars,
bulls, goats, Lambs, especially white horses, and honey.
(Hom. Il. 19.197; Eustath. ad Hom. pp. 36,1668; Hyg. Fab.
223; Paus. 3.20.5; Hdt. 1.216; Strab. 11.513.) Among the
animals sacred to him, the cock is especially mentioned.
(Paus. 5.25.5.) The Roman poets, when speaking of the god of
the sun (Sol), usually adopt the notions of the Greeks, but
the worship of Sol was introduced also at Rome, especially
after the Romans had become acquainted with the East, though
traces of the worship of the sun and moon occur at a very
early period. (Varro, de Ling. Lat. 5.74; Dionys. A. R.
2.50; Sext. Ruf. Reg. Urb. iv.) Helios was represented on
the pedestal of the Olympian Zeus, in the act of ascending
his chariot (Paus. 5.11.3), and several statutes of him are
mentioned (6.24.5, 8.9.2, 31.4); he was also represented
riding in his chariot, drawn by four horses. (Plin. Nat.
34.3, 19; comp. Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. 1.35.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith,
Ed.
Read More
Helle (Greek: Ἕλλη) (sometimes also called Athamantis) was a
character in Greek mythology who figured prominently in the
story of Jason and the Argonauts. Phrixus, son of Athamas
and Nephele, along with his twin sister, Helle, were hated
by their stepmother, Ino. Ino hatched a devious plot to get
rid of the twins, roasting all the town's crop seeds so they
would not grow. The local farmers, frightened of famine,
asked a nearby oracle for assistance. Ino bribed the men
sent to the oracle to lie and tell the others that the
oracle required the sacrifice of Phrixus. Before he was
killed though, Phrixus and Helle were rescued by a flying
golden ram sent by Nephele, their natural mother. Helle fell
off the ram into the Hellespont (which was named after her)
and died, but Phrixus survived all the way to Colchis, where
King Aeetes took him in and treated him kindly, giving
Phrixus his daughter, Chalciope, in marriage. In gratitude,
Phrixus gave the king the golden fleece of the ram, which
Aeetes placed in a consecrated grove, under the care of a
sleepless dragon.
With the Greek god Poseidon she was the mother of the giant
Almops and Paeon (called Edonus in some accounts).[1][2] -
Wikipedia
Read More
（Ἕλλη), a daughter of Athainas and Nephele, and sister of
Phrixus. (Apollod. 1.9.1; Apollon. 1.927; Ov. Fast. iv. 909,
Met. 11.195.) When Phrixus was to be sacrificed, Nephele
rescued her two children, who rode away through the air upon
the ram with the golden fleece, the gift of Hermes, but,
between Sigeium and the Chersonesus, Helle fell into the sea,
which was hence called the sea of Helle (Hellespont; Aeschyl.
Pers. 70, 875). Her tomb was shown near Pactya, on the
Hellespont. (Hdt. 7.57; comp. ATHAMAS and ALMOPS.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hephaestus (8 spellings; pronounced /həˈfɛstəs/ or /hɨ
ˈfɛstəs/; Ancient Greek Ἥφαιστος Hēphaistos) was a Greek god
whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and
Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods (or perhaps of Hera
alone). He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen,
artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes.
Like other mythic smiths but unlike most other gods,
Hephaestus was lame, which gave him a grotesque appearance in
Greek eyes. He served as the blacksmith of the gods, and he
was worshiped in the manufacturing and industrial centers of
Greece, particularly in Athens. The center of his cult was in
Lemnos.[1] Hephaestus's symbols are a smith's hammer, an anvil
and a pair of tongs, although sometimes he is portrayed
holding an axe...
Read More
（*(/Hfaistos), the god of fire, was, according to the
Homeric account, the son of Zeus and Hera. (Il. 1.578,
14.338, 18.396, 21.332, Od. 8.312.) Later traditions state
that he had no father, and that Hera gave birth to him
independent of Zeus, as she was jealous of Zeus having given
birth to Athena independent of her. (Apollod. 1.3.5; Hygin.
Fab. Praef.) This, however, is opposed to the common stor,
that Hephaestus split the head of Zeus, and thus assisted
him in giving birth to Athena, for Hephaestus is there
represented as older than Athena. A further development of
the later tradition is, that Hephaestus sprang from the
thigh of Hera, and, being for a long time kept in ignorance
of his parentage, he at length had recourse to a stratagem,
for the purpose of finding it out. He constructed a chair,
to which those who sat upon it were fastened, and having
thus entrapped Hera, he refused allowing her to rise until
she had told him who his parents were. (Serv. ad Aen. 8.454,
Eclog. 4.62.) For other accounts respecting his origin, see
Cicero (de Nat. Deor. 3.22), Pausanias (8.53.2). and
Eustathius (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 987).
Hephaestus is the god of fire, especially in so far as it
manifests itself as a power of physical nature in volcanic
districts, and in so far as it is the indispensable means in
arts and manufactures, whence fire is called the breath of
Hephaestus, and the name of the god is used both by Greek
and Roman poets as synonymous with fire. As a flame arises
out of a little spark, so the god of fire was delicate and
weakly from his birth, for which reason he was so much
disliked by his mother, that she wished to get rid of him,
and dropped him from Olympus. But the marine divinities,
Thetis and Eurynome, received him, and he dwelt with them
for nine years in a grotto, surrounded by Oceanus, making
for them a variety of ornaments. (Hom. Il. 18.394, &c.) It
was, according to some accounts, during this period that he
made the golden chair by which he punished his mother for
her want of affection, and from which he would not release
her, till he was prevailed upon by Dionysus. (Paus. 1.20.2;
Hyg. Fab. 166.) Although Hephaestus afterwards remembered
the cruelty of his mother, yet he was always kind and
obedient towards her, nay once, while she was quarrelling
with Zeus, he took her part, and thereby offended his father
so much, that he seized him by the leg, and hulled him down
from Olympus. Hephaestus was a whole day falling, but in the
evening he came down in the island of Lemnos, where he was
kindly received by the Sintians. (Hom. Il. 1.590, &c. V. Fl.
2.8.5; Apollod. 1.3.5, who, however, confounds the two
occasions on which Hephaestus was thrown from Olympus.)
Later writers describe his lameness as the consequence of
his second fall, while Homer makes him lame and weak from
his birth. After his second fall he returned to Olympus, and
subsequently acted the part of mediator between his parents.
(Il 1.585.) On that occasion he offered a cup of nectar to
his mother and the other gods, who burst out into immoderate
laughter on seeing him busily hobbling through Olympus from
one god to another, for he was ugly and slow, and, owing to
the weakness of his legs, he was held up, when he walked, by
artificial supports, skilfully made of gold. (Il. 18.410,
&c., Od. 8.311, 330.) Iis neck and chest, however, were
strong and muscular. (Il. 18.415, 20.36.)
In Olympus, Hephaestus had his own palace, imperishable and
shining like stars: it contained his workshop, with the
anvil, and twenty bellows, which worked spontaneously at his
bidding. (Il. 18.370, &c.) It was there that he made all his
beautiful and marvellous works, utensils, and arms, both for
gods and men. The ancient poets and mythographers abound in
passages describing works of exquisite workmanship which had
been manufactured by Hephaestus. In later accounts, the
Cyclopes, Brontes, Steropes, Pyracmon, and others, are his
workmen and servants, and his workshop is no longer
represented as in Olympus, but in the interior of some
volcanic isle. (Verg. A. 8.416, &c.) The wife of Hephaestus
also lived in his palace: in the Iliad she is called a
Charis, in the Odyssey Aphrodite (Il. 18.382, Od. 8.270),
and in Hesiod's Theogony (945) she is named Aglaia. the
youngest of the Charites. The story of Aphrodite's
faithlessness to her husband, and of the manner in which he
surprised her, is exquisitely described in Od. 8.266-358.
The Homeric poems do not mention any descendants of
Hephaestus, but in later writers the number of his children
is considerable. In the Trojan war he was on the side of the
Greeks, but he was also worshipped by the Trojans, and on
one occasion he saved a Trojan from being killed by
Diomedes. (Il. 5.9, &c.)
His favourite place on earth was the island of Lemnos, where
he liked to dwell among the Sintians (Od. 8.283, &c., Il.
1.593; Ov Fast. 8.82); but other volcanic islands also, such
as Lipara, Hiera, Imbros. and Sicily, are called his abodes
or workshops. (Apollon. Rhod 3.41; Callim. Hymn. in Dian.
47; Serv. ad Aen. 8.416; Strab. p. 275; Plin. Nat. 3.9; Val.
Flace. 2.96.)
Hephaestus is among the male what Athena is among the female
deities, for, like her, he give skill to mortal artists,
and, conjointly with her, he was believed to have taught men
the arts which embellish and adorn life. (Od. 6.233, 23.160.
Hymn. in Vaulc. 2. &c.) But he was. nevertheless, conceived
as far inferior to the sublime character of Athena. At
Athens they had temples and festivals in common. (See Dict
of Ant. s. v. Ἡφαιστεῖα, Χαλκεῖα.) Both also were believed
to have great healing powers, and Lemnian earth (terra
Lemnia) from the spot on which Hephaestus had falleen was
believed to cure madness, the bites of snakes, and
haemorrhage, and the priests of the god knew how to cure
wounds inflicted by snakes. (Philostr. Heroic. 5.2; Eustath.
ad Hom. p. 330; Dict. Cret. 2.14.) The epithets and surnames
by which Hephaestus is designated by the poets generally
allude to his skill in the plastic arts or to his figure and
his lameness. He was represented in the temple of Athena
Chalcioecus at Sparta, in the act of delivering his mother
(Paus. 3.17.3); on the chest of Cypselus, giving to Thetis
the armour for Achilles (5.19.2); and at Athens there was
the famous statue of Hephaestus by Alcamenes, in which his
lameness was slightly indicated. (Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1.30;
V. Max. 8.11.3.) The Greeks frequently placed small dwarf-
like statues of the god near the hearth, and these dwarfish
figures seem to have been the most ancient. (Hdt. 3.37;
Aristoph. Birds 436; Callim. Hymnn. in Dian. 60.) During the
best period of Grecian art, he was represented as a vigorous
man with a beard, and is characterised by his hammer or some
other instrument, his oval cap, and the chiton, which leaves
the right shoulder and arm uncovered. (Hirt, Mythol.
Bilderb. 1.42, &c.) The Romans, when speaking of the Greek
Hephaestus, call him Vulcanus, although Vulcanus was an
original Italian divinity. [VULCANUS.] - A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hera (pronounced /ˈhɛrə/; Greek Ήρα, Hēra, equivalently Ήρη,
Hērē, in Ionic and Homer) was the wife and one of three
sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek
Mythology. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and
marriage. In Roman mythology, Juno was the equivalent mythical
character. The cow, and later, the peacock were sacred to her.
Hera's mother was Rhea and her father, Cronus.
Portrayed as majestic and solemn, often enthroned, and crowned
with the polos (a high cylindrical crown worn by several of
the Great Goddesses), Hera may bear a pomegranate in her hand,
emblem of fertile blood and death and a substitute for the
narcotic capsule of the opium poppy.[1] A scholar of Greek
mythology Walter Burkert writes in Greek Religion,
"Nevertheless, there are memories of an earlier aniconic
representation, as a pillar in Argos and as a plank in
Samos."[2]...
Read More
（*(/Hra or Ἥρη), probably identical with kera, mistress,
just as her husband, Zeus, was called ἔρρος in the Aeolian
dialect (Hesych. s. v.). The derivation of the name has been
attempted in a variety of ways, from Greek as well as
oriental roots, though there is no reason for having
recourse to the latter, as Hera is a purely Greek divinity,
and one of the few who, according to Herodotus (2.50), were
not introduced into Greece from Egypt. Hera was, according
to some accounts, the eldest daughter of Cronos and Rhea,
and a sister of Zeus. (Hom. Il. 16.432; comp. 4.58; Ov.
Fast. 6.29.) Apollodorus (1.1.5), however, calls Hestia the
eldest daughter of Cronos; and Lactantius (1.14) calls her a
twin-sister of Zeus. According to the Homeric poems (Il.
14.201, &c.), she was brought up by Oceanus and Thetys, as
Zeus had usurped the throne of Cronos; and afterwards she
became the wife of Zeus, without the knowledge of her
parents. This simple account is variously modified in other
traditions. Being a daughter of Cronos, she, like his other
children, was swallowed by her father, but afterwards
released (Apollod. l.c.), and, according to an Arcadian
tradition, she was brought up by Temenus, the son of
Pelasgus. (Paus. 8.22.2; August. de Civ. Dei, 6.10.) The
Argives, on the other hand, related that she had been
brought up by Euboea, Prosymna, and Acraea, the three
daughters of the river Asterion (Paus. 2.7.1, &c.; Plut.
Sympos. 3.9); and according to Olen, the Horae were her
nurses. (Paus. 2.13.3.) Several parts of Greece also claimed
the honour of being her birthplace; among them are two,
Argos and Samos, which were the principal seats of her
worship. (Strab. p. 413; Paus. 7.4.7; Apollon. 1.187.) Her
marriage with Zeus also offered ample scope for poetical
invention (Theocrit. 17.131, &c.), and several places in
Greece claimed the honour of having been the scene of the
marriage, such as Euboea (Steph. Byz. s. v. Κάρυστος), Samos
(Lactant. de Fals. Relig. 1.17), Cnossus in Crete (Diod.
5.72), and Mount Thornax, in the south of Argolis. (Schol.
ad Theocrit. 15.64; Paus. 2.17.4, 36.2.) This marriage acts
a prominent part in the worship of Hera under the name of
ἱερὸς γάμος; on that occasion all the gods honoured the
bride with presents, and Ge presented to her a tree with
golden apples, which was watched by the Hesperides in the
garden of Hera, at the foot of the Hyperborean Atlas.
(Apollod. 2.5.11; Serv. ad Aen. 4.484.) The Homeric poems
know nothing of all this, and we only hear, that after the
marriage with Zeus, she was treated by the Olympian gods
with the same reverence as her husband. (Il. 15.85, &c.;
comp. 1.532, &c., 4.60, &c.) Zeus himself, according to
Homer, listened to her counsels, and communicated his
secrets to her rather than to other gods (16.458, 1.547).
Hera also thinks herself justified in censuring Zeus when he
consults others without her knowing it (1.540, &c.); but she
is, notwithstanding, far inferior to him in power; she must
obey him unconditionally, and, like the other gods, she is
chastised by him when she has offended him (4.56, 8.427,
463). Hera therefore is not, like Zeus, the queen of gods
and men, but simply the wife of the supreme god. The idea of
her being the queen of heaven, with regal wealth and power,
is of a much later date. (Hyg. Fab. 92; Ov. Fast. 6.27,
Heroid. 16.81; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 81.) There is only one
point in which the Homeric poems represent Hera as possessed
of similar power with Zeus, viz. she is able to confer the
power of prophecy (19.407). But this idea is not further
developed in later times. (Comp. Strab. p. 380; Apollon.
3.931.) Her character, as described by Homer, is not of a
very amiable kind, and its main features are jealousy,
obstinacy, and a quarrelling disposition, which sometimes
makes her own husband tremble (1.522, 536, 561, 5.892.)
Hence there arise frequent disputes between Hera and Zeus;
and on one occasion Hera, in conjunction with Poseidon and
Athena, contemplated putting Zeus into chains (8.408,
1.399). Zeus, in such cases, not only threatens, but beats
her; and once he even hung her up in the clouds, her hands
chained, and with two anvils suspended from her feet (8.400,
&c., 477, 15.17, &c.; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1003). Hence she
is frightened by his threats, and gives way when he is
angry; and when she is unable to gain her ends in any other
way, she has recourse to cunning and intrigues (19.97). Thus
she borrowed from Aphrodite the girdle, the giver of charm
and fascination, to excite the love of Zeus (14.215, &c.).
By Zeus she was the mother of Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus
(5.896, Od. 11.604, Il. 1.585; Hes. Th. 921, &c.; Apollod.
1.3.1.) Respecting the different traditions about the
descent of these three divinities see the separate articles.
Properly speaking, Hera was the only really married goddess
among the Olympians, for the marriage of Aphrodite with Ares
can scarcely be taken into consideration; and hence she is
the goddess of marriage and of the birth of children.
Several epithets and surnames, such as Εἰγείθυια, Γαμηλία,
Ζυλία, Τελεία, &c., contain allusions to this character of
the goddess, and the Eileithyiae are described as her
daughters. (Hom. Il. 11.271, 19.118.) Her attire is
described in the Iliad (14.170, &c.); she rode in a chariot
drawn by two horses, in the harnessing and unharnessing of
which she was assisted by Hebe and the Horase (4.27, 5.720,
&c., 8.382, 433). Her favourite places on earth were Argos,
Sparta, and Mycenae (4.51). Owing to the judgment of Paris,
she was hostile towards the Trojans, and in the Trojan war
she accordingly sided with the Greeks (2.15, 4.21, &c.,
24.519, &c.). Hence she prevailed on Helius to sink down
into the waves of Oceanus on the day on which Patroclus fell
(18.239). In the Iliad she appears as an enemy of Heracles,
but is wounded by his arrows (5.392, 18.118), and in the
Odyssey she is described as the supporter of Jason. It is
impossible here to enumerate all the events of mythical
story in which Hera acts a more or less prominent part; and
the reader must refer to the particular deities or heroes
with whose story she is connected.
Hera had sanctuaries, and was worshipped in many parts of
Greece, often in common with Zeus. Her worship there may be
traced to the very earliest times: thus we find Hera,
surnamed Pelasgis, worshipped at Iolcos. But the principal
place of her worship was Argos, hence called the δώ̀μα Ἡρας.
(Pind. Nem. x. imt.; comp. Aeschyl. Suppl. 297.) According
to tradition, Hera had disputed the possession of Argos with
Poseidon, but the river-gods of the country adjudicated it
to her. (Paus. 2.15.5.) Her most celebrated sanctuary was
situated between Argos and Mycenae, at the foot of Mount
Euboea. The vestibule of the temple contained ancient
statues of the Charites, the bed of Hera, and a shield which
Menelaus had taken at Troy from Euphorbus. The sitting
colossal statue of Hera in this temple, made of gold and
ivory, was the work of Polycletus. She wore a crown on her
head, adorned with the Charites and Horae; in the one hand
she held a pomegranate, and in the other a sceptre headed
with a cuckoo. (Paus. 2.17, 22; Strab. p. 373; Stat. Theb.
1.383.) Respecting the great quinqnennial festival
celebrated to her at Argos, see Dict. of Ant. s. v. Ἤραια.
Her worship was very ancient also at Corinth (Paus. 2.24, 1,
&c.; Apollod. 1.9.28), Sparta (3.13.6, 15.7), in Samos (Hdt.
3.60; Paus. 7.4.4; Strab. p. 637), at Sicyon (Paus. 2.11.2),
Olympia (5.15.7, &c.), Epidaurus (Thuc. 5.75; Paus. 2.29.1),
Heraea in Arcadia (Paus. 8.26.2), and many other places.
Respecting the real significance of Hera, the ancients
themselves offer several interpretations: some regarded her
as the personification of the atmosphere (Serv. ad Aen.
1.51), others as the queen of heaven or the goddess of the
stars (Eur. Hel. 1097), or as the goddess of the moon (Plut.
Quaest. Rom. 74), and she is even confounded with Ceres,
Diana, and Proserpina. (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 1.5).
According to modern views, Hera is the great goddess of
nature, who was every where worshipped from the earliest
times. The Romans identified their goddess Juno with the
Greek Hera [JUNO]. We still possess several representations
of Hera. The noblest image, and which was afterwards looked
upon as the ideal of the goddess, was the statue by
Polycletus. She was usually represented as a majestic woman
at a mature age, with a beautiful forehead, large and widely
opened eyes, and with a grave expression commanding
reverence. Her hair was adorned with a crown or a diadem. A
veil frequently hangs down the back of her head, to
characterise her as the bride of Zeus, and, in fact, the
diadem, veil, sceptre, and peacock are her ordinary
attributes. A number of statues and heads of Hera still
exist. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. i. p. 22; comp. Muller,
Dorians, 2.10.1.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek demigod Heracles, son
of Jupiter (the Roman equivalent of Zeus), and the mortal
Alcmena. Early Roman sources suggest that the imported Greek
hero supplanted a mythic Italic shepherd called "Recaranus" or
"Garanus", famous for his strength, who dedicated the Ara
Maxima that became associated with the earliest Roman cult of
Hercules.[1] While adopting much of the Greek Heracles'
iconography and mythology as his own, Hercules adopted a
number of myths and characteristics that were distinctly
Roman. With the spread of Roman hegemony, Hercules was
worshiped locally from Hispania through Gaul...
Read More
（Ἡρακλῆς), and in Latin HERCULES, the most celebrated of
all the heroes of antiquity. The traditions about him are
not only the richest in substance, but also the most widely
spread; for we find them not only in all the countries round
the Mediterranean, but his wondrous deeds were known in the
most distant countries of the ancient world. The difficulty
of presenting a complete view of these traditions was felt
even by the ancients (Diod. 4.8); and in order to give a
general survey, we must divide the subject, mentioning first
the Greek legends and their gradual development, next the
Roman legends, and lastly those of the East (Egypt,
Phoenicia).
The traditions about Heracles appear in their national
purity down to the time of Herodotus; for although there may
be some foreign ingredients, yet the whole character of the
hero, his armour, his exploits, and the scenes of his
action, are all essentially Greek. But the poets of the time
of Herodotus and of the subsequent periods introduced
considerable alterations, which were probably derived from
the east or Egypt, for every nation of antiquity as well as
of modern times had or has some traditions of heroes of
superhuman strength and power. Now while in the earliest
Greek legends Heracles is a purely human hero, as the
conqueror of men and cities, he afterwards appears as the
subduer of monstrous animals, and is connected in a variety
of ways with astronomical phaenomena. According to Homer
(Hom. Il. 18.118), Heracles was the son of Zeus by Alcmene
of Thebes in Boeotia, and the favourite of his father. (Il.
14.250, 323, 19.98, Od. 11.266, 620, 21.25, 36.) His
stepfather was Amphitryon. (Il. 5.392, Od. 11.269; Hes.
Scut. Herc. 165.) Amphitryon was the son of Alcaeus, the son
of Perseus, and Alcmene was a grand-daughter of Perseus.
Hence Heracles belonged to the family of Perseus. The story
of his birth runs thus. Amphitryon, after having slain
Electryon, was expelled from Argos, and went with his wife
Alcmene to Thebes, where he was received and purified by his
uncle Creon. Alcmene was yet a maiden, in accordance with a
vow which Amphitryon had been obliged to make to Electryon,
and Alcmene continued to refuse him the rights of a husband,
until he should have avenged the death of her brothers on
the Taphians. While Amphitryon was absent from Thebes, Zeus
one night, to which he gave the duration of three other
nights, visited Alcmene, and assuming the appearance of
Amphitryon, and relating to her how her brothers had been
avenged, he begot by her the hero Heracles, the great
bulwark of gods and men. (Respecting the various
modifications of this story see Apollod. 2.4.7, &c.; Hyg.
Fab. 29; Hes. Scut. 3.5, &c.; Pind. I. 7.5, &c., Nem. 10.19,
&c.; Schol. ad Hom. Od. 11.266.) The day on which Heracles
was to be born, Zeus boasted of his becoming the father of a
man who was to rule over the heroic race of Perseus. Hera
prevailed upon him to confirm by an oath that the descendant
of Perseus born that day should be the ruler. When this was
done she hastened to Argos, and there caused the wife of
Sthenelus to give birth to Eurystheus, whereas, by keeping
away the Eileithyiae, she delayed the confinement of
Alcmene, and thus robbed Heracles of the empire which Zeus
had intended for him. Zeus was enraged at the imposition
practised upon him, but could not violate his oath. Alcmene
brought into the world two boys, Heracles, the son of Zeus,
and Iphicles, the son of Amphitryon, who was one night
younger than Heracles. (Hom. Il. 19.95, &c.; Hes. Scut. 1-
56, 80, &c.; Apollod. 2.4.5, &c.) Zeus, in his desire not to
leave Heracles the victim of Hera's jealousy, made her
promise, that if Heracles executed twelve great works in the
service of Eurystheus, he should become immortal. (Diod.
4.9.) Respecting the place of his birth traditions did not
agree; for although the majority of poets and mythographers
relate that he was born at Thebes, Diodorus (4.10) says that
Amphitryon was not expelled from Tiryns till after the birth
of Heracles, and Euripides (Eur. Her. 18) describes Argos as
the native country of the hero.
Nearly all the stories about the childhood and youth of
Heracles, down to the time when he entered the service of
Eurystheus, seem to be inventions of a later age: at least
in the Homeric poems and in Hesiod we only find the general
remarks that he grew strong in body and mind, that in the
confidence in his own power he defied even the immortal
gods, and wounded Hera and Ares, and that under the
protection of Zeus and Athena he escaped the dangers which
Hera prepared for him. But according to Pindar (Pind. N.
1.49, &c.), and other subsequent writers, Heracles was only
a few months old when Hera sent two serpents into the
apartment where Heracles and his brother Iphicles were
sleeping,, but the former killed the serpents with his own
hands. (Comp. Theocrit. 24.1, &c.; Apollod. 2.4.8.) Heracles
was brought up at Thebes, but the detail of his infant life
is again related with various modifications in the different
traditions. It is said that Alcmcne, from fear of Hera,
exposed her son in a field near Thebes, hence called the
field of Heracles; here he was found by Hera and Athena, and
the former was prevailed upon by the latter to put him to
her breast, and she then carried him back to his mother.
(Diod. 4.9; Paus. 9.25.2.) Others said that Hermes carried
the newly-born child to Olympus, and put him to the breast
of Hera while she was asleep, but as she awoke, she pushed
him away, and the milk thus spilled produced the Milky Way.
(Eratosth. Catast. 44; Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. in fin.) As
the hero grew up, he was instructed by Amphitryon in riding
in a chariot, by Autolycus in wrestling, by Eurytus in
archery, by Castor in fighting with heavy armour, and by
Linus in singing and playing the lyre. (See the different
statements in Theocrit. 24.114, 103, 108; Schol. ad
Theocrit. 13.9, 56; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 49.) Linus was killed
by his pupil with the lyre, because he had censured him.
(Apollod. 2.4.9; Diod. 3.66; Aelian, Ael. VH 3.32.) Being
charged with murder, IIeracles exculpated himself by saying
that the deed was done in self-defence; and Amphitryon, in
order to prevent similar occurrences, sent him to attend to
his cattle. In this manner he spent his life till his
eighteenth year. His height was four cubits, fire beamed
from his eyes, and he never wearied in practising shooting
and hurling his javelin. To this period of his life belongs
the beautiful fable about Heracles before two roads,
invented by the sophist Prodicus, which may be read in
Xenoph. Mem. 2.1, and Cic de Off. 1.32. Pindar (Pind. I.
4.53) calls him small of stature, but of indomitable
courage. His first great adventure, which happened while he
was still watching the oxen of his father, is his fight
against and victory over the lion of Cythaeron. This animal
made great havoc among the flocks of Amphitryon and Thespius
(or Thestius), king of Thespiae, and Heracles promised to
deliver the country of the monster. Thespius, who had fifty
daughters, rewarded Heracles by making him his guest so long
as the chase lasted, and gave up his daughters to him, each
for one night. (Apollod. 2.4.10; comp. Hyg. Fab. 162; Diod.
4.29; Athen. 13.556.) Heracles slew the lion, and henceforth
wore its skin as his ordinary garment, and its mouth and
head as his helmet; others related that the lion's skin of
Heracles was taken from the Nemean lion. On his return to
Thebes, he met the envoys of king Erginus of Orchomenos, who
were going to fetch the annual tribute of one hundred oxen,
which they had compelled the Thebans to pay. Heracles, in
his patriotic indignation, cut off the noses and ears of the
envoys, and thus sent them back to Erginus. The latter
thereupon marched against Thebes; but Heracles, who received
a suit of armour from Athena, defeated and killed the enemy,
and compelled the Orchomenians to pay double the tribute
which they had formerly received from the Thebans. In this
battle against Erginus Heracles lost his father Amphitryon,
though the tragedians make him survive the campaign.
(Apollod. 2.4.11; Diod. 4.10, &c.; Paus. 9.37. 2; Theocrit.
16.105; Eur. Her. 41.) According to some accounts, Erginus
did not fall in the tattle, but coneluded peace with
Heracles. But the gorious manner in which Heracles had
delivered his country procured him immortal fame among the
Thebans, and Creon rewarded him with the hand of his eldest
daughter, Megara, by whom he became the father of several
children, the number and names of whom are stated
differently by the different writers. (Apollod. 2.4.11. 7.8;
Hyg. Fab. 32; Eur. Her. 995; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 38; Schol. ad
Pind. Isthm. 3.104.) The gods, on the other hand, made him
presents of arms : Hermes gave him a sword, Apollo a bow and
arrows, Hephaestus a golden coat of mail, and Athena a
peplus, and he cut for himself a club in the neighbourhood
of Nemea, while, according to others, the club was of brass,
and the gift of Hephaestus. (Apollon. 1.1196; Diod. 4.14.)
After the battle with the Minyans, Hera visited Heracles
with madness, in which he killed his own children by Megara
and two of Iphicles. In his grief he sentenced himself to
exile, and went to Thestius, who purified him. (Apollod.
2.4.12.) Other traditions place this madness at a later
time, and relate the circumstances differently. (Eur. Her.
1000, &c.; Paus. 9.11.1; Hyg. Fab. 32; Schol. ad Pind.
Isthm. 3.104.) He then consulted the oracle of Delphi as to
where he should settle. The Pythia first called him by the
name of Heracles--for hitherto his name had been Alcides or
Alcaeus,--and ordered him to live at Tiryns, to serve
Eurystheus for the space of twelve years, after which he
should become immortal. Heracles accordingly went to Tiryns,
and did as he was bid by Eurystheus.
The accounts of the twelve labours of Heracles are found
only in the later writers, for Homer and Hesiod do not
mention them. Homer only knows that Heracles during his life
on earth was exposed to infinite dangers and sufferings
through the hatred of Hera, that he was subject to
Eurystheus, who imposed upon him many and difficult tasks,
but Homer mentions only one, viz. that he was ordered to
bring Cerberus from the lower world. (Il. 8.363,
&100.15.639, &c., Od. 11.617, &c.) The Iliad further alludes
to his fight with a seamonster, and his expedition to Troy,
to fetch the horses which Laomedon had refused him. (5.638,
&c., 20.145, &c.) On his return from Troy, he was cast,
through the influence of Hera, on the coast of Cos, but Zeus
punished Hera, and carried Heracles safely to Argos.
(14.249, &c., xv 18, &c.) Afterwards Heracles made war
against the Pylians, and destroyed the whole family of their
king Neleus, with the exception of Nestor. He destroyed many
towns, and carried off Astyoche from Ephyra, by whom he
became the father of Tlepolemus. (5.395, &c., 2.657, &c.;
comp. Od 21.14, &c.; Soph. Trach. 239, &c.) Hesiod mentions
several of the feats of Heracles distinctly, but knows
nothing of their number twelve. The selection of these
twelve from the great number of feats ascribed to Heracles
is probably the work of the Alexandrines. They are
enumerated in Euripides (Here. Fur.), Apollodorus, Diodorus
Siculus, and the Greek Anthology (2.651), though none of
them can be considered to have arranged them in any thing
like a chronological order.
1. The fight with the Nemean lion.
The mountain valley of Nemea, between Cleonae and Phlius,
was inhabited by a lion, the offspring of Typhon (or
Orthrus) and Echidna. (Hes. Theog. 327; Apollod. 2.5.1;
comp. Aelian, Ael. NA 12.7, Serv. ad Aen. 8.295.) Eurystheus
ordered Heracles to bring him the skin of this monster. When
Heracles arrived at Cleonac, he was hospitably received by a
poor man called Molorchus. This man was on the point of
offering up a sacrifice, but Heracles persuaded him to delay
it for thirty days until he should return from his fight
with the lion, in order that then they might together offer
sacrifices to Zeus Soter; but Heracles added, that if he
himself should not return, the man should offer a sacrifice
to him as a hero. The thirty days passed away, and as
Heracles did not return, Molorchus made preparations for the
heroic sacrifice; but at that moment Heracles arrived in
triumph over the monster, which was slain, and both
sacrificed to Zeus Soter. Heracles, after having in vain
used his club and arrows against the lion, had blocked up
one of the entrances to the den, and entering by the other,
he strangled the animal with his own hands. According to
Theocritus (25.251, &c.), the contest did not take place in
the den, but in the open air, and Heracles is said to have
lost a finger in the struggle. (Ptolem. Heph. 2.) He
returned to Eurystheus carrying the dead lion on his
shoulders; and Eurystheus, frightened at the gigantic
strength of the hero, took to flight, and ordered him in
future to deliver the account of his exploits outside the
gates of the town. (Diod. 4.11; Apollod., Theocrit. ll. cc.;
comp. MOLORCHUS.）
2. Fights against the Lernean hydra.
This monster, like the lion, was the offspring of Typhon and
Echidna, and was brought up by Hera. It ravaged the country
of Lernae near Argos, and dwelt in a swamp near the well of
Amymone: it was formidable by its nine heads, the middle of
which was immortal. Heracles, with burning arrows, hunted up
the monster, and with his club or a sickle he cut off its
heads; but in the place of the head he cut off, two new ones
grew forth each time, and a gigantic crab came to the
assistance of the hydra, and wounded Heracles. However, with
the assistance of his faithful servant Iolaus, he burned
away the heads of the hydra, and buried the ninth or
immortal one under a huge rock. Having thus conquered the
monster, he poisoned his arrows with its bile, whence the
wounds inflicted by them became incurable. Eurystheus
declared the victory unlawful, as Heracles had won it with
the aid of Iolaus. (Hes. Th. 313, &c.; Apollod. 2.5.2; Diod.
4.11; Eurip. Herc. Fur. 419, 1188, Ion, 192; Ov. Met. 9.70;
Verg. A. 8.300; Paus. 2.36.6, 37.4, 5.5.5; Hyg. Fab. 30.)
3. The stag of Ceryneia in Arcadia.
This animal hand golden antlers and brazen feet. It had been
dedicated to Artemis by the nymph Taygete, because the
goddess had saved her from the pursuit of Zeus. Heracles was
ordered to bring the animal alive to Mycenae. He pursued it
in vain for a whole year: at length it fled from Oenoe to
mount Artemisium in Argolis, and thence to the river Ladon
in Arcadia. Heracles wounded it with an arrow, caught it,
and carried it away on his shoulders. While yet in Arcadia,
he was met by Apollo and Artemis, who were angry with him
for having outraged the animal sacred to Artemis; but
Heracles succeeded in soothing their anger, and carried his
prey to Mycenae. According to some statements, he killed the
stag. (Apollod. 2.5.3; Diod 4.13; Callim. Hymn. in Dian.
100, &c.; Ov. Met. 9.188; Verg. A. 6.803; Pind. O. 3.24, 53;
Eur. Her. 378.)
4. The Erymanthian boar.
This animal, which Heracles was ordered to bring alive, had
descended from mount Erymanthus (according to others, from
mount Lampe,) into Psophis. IIeracles chased him through the
deep snow, and having thus worn him out, he caught him in a
net, and carried him to Mycenae. (Apollod. 2.5.4; Diod.
4.12.) Other traditions place the hunt of the Erymanthian
boar in Thessaly, and some even in Phrygia. (Eur. Her. 368;
Hyg. Fab. 30.) It must be observed that this and subsequent
labours of Heracles are connected with other subordinate
ones, called Πάρεργα, and the first of these parerga is the
fight of Heracles with the Centaurs ; for it is said that in
his pursuit of the boar he came to the centaur Pholus, who
had received from Dionysus a cask of excellent wine.
Heracles opened it, contrary to the wish of his host, and
the delicious fragrance attracted the other centaurs, who
besieged the grotto of Pholus. Heracles drove them away:
they fled to the house of Cheiron, and Heracles, eager in
his pursuit, wounded Cheiron, his old friend. Heracles was
deeply grieved, and tried to save Cheiron; but in vain, for
the wound was fatal. As, however, Cheiron was immortal, and
could not die, he prayed to Zeus to take away his
immortality, and give it to Prometheus. Thus Cheiron was
delivered of his burning pain, and died. Pholus, too, was
wounded by one of the arrows, which by accident fell on his
foot and killed him. This fight with the centaurs gave rise
to the establishment of mysteries, by which Demeter intended
to purify the hero from the blood he had shed against his
own will. (Apollod. 2.5.4; Diod. 4.14; Eur. Her. 364, &c.;
Theocrit. 7.150; Apollon. 1.127; Paus. 8.24.2; Ov. Met.
9.192.)
5. The stables of Augeas.
Eurystheus imposed upon Heracles the task of cleaning the
stables of Augeas in one day. Augeas was king of Elis, and
extremely rich in cattle. Heracles, without mentioning the
command of Eurystheus, went to Augeas, offering in one day
to clean his stables, if he would give him the tenth part of
the cattle for his trouble, or, according to Pausanias (v.
1.7) a part of his territory. Augeas, believing that
Heracles could not possibly accomplish what he promised,
agreed, and Heracles took Phyleus, the son of Augeas, as his
witness, and then led the rivers Alpheius and Peneius
through the stables, which were thus cleaned in the time
fixed upon. But Augeas, who learned that Heracles had
undertaken the work by the command of Eurystheus, refused
the reward, denied his promise, and declared that he would
have the matter decided by a judicial verdict. Phyleus then
bore witness against his father, who exiled him from Elis.
Eurystheus declared the work thus performed to be unlawful,
because Heracles had stipulated with Augeas a payment for
it. (Apollod. 2.5.5; Theocrit. 25.88, &c.; Ptolem. Heph. 5;
Athen. 10.412; Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 11.42.) At a subsequent
time Hferacles, to revenge the faithlessness of Augeas,
marched with an army of Argives and Tirynthians against
Augeas, but in a narrow defile in Elis he was taken by
surprise by Cteatus and Eurytus, and lost a great number of
his warriors. But afterwards Heracles slew Cteatus and
Eurytus, invaded Elis, and killed Augeas and his sons. After
this victory, Heracles marked out the sacred ground on which
the Olympian games were to be celebrated, built altars, and
instituted the Olympian festival and games. (Apollod. 2.7.2;
Paus. 5.1.7. 3.1, &c., 4.1; 8.15.2; Pind. O. 11.25, &c.,
comp. 5.5, 3.13, &c.)
6. The Stymphalian birds.
They were an innumerable swarm of voracious birds, the
daughters of Stymphalus and Ornis. They had brazen claws,
wings, and beaks, used their feathers as arrows, and ate
human flesh. They had been brought up by Ares, and were so
numerous, that with their secretions and feathers they
killed men and beasts, and covered whole fields and meadows.
From fear of the wolves, these birds had taken refuge in a
lake near Stymphalus, from which Heracles was ordered by
Eurvstheus to expel them. When Heracles undertook the task,
Athena provided him with a brazen rattle, by the noise of
which he startled the birds, and, as they attempted to fly
away, he killed them with his arrows. According to some
accounts, he did not kill the birds, but only drove them
away, and afterwards they appeared again in the island of
Aretias, whither they had fled, and where they were found by
the Argonauts. (Apollod. 2.5.6; Hyg. Fab. 30; Paus. 8.22.4,
&c.; Serv. ad Aen. 8.300; Apollon. 2.1037, with the Schol.)
7. The Cretan bull.
According to Acusilaus, this bull was the same as the one
which had carried Europa across the sea; according to
others, he had been sent out of the sea by Poseidon, that
Minos might sacrifice him to the god of the sea. But Minos
was so charmed with the beauty of the animal, that he kept
it, and sacrificed another in its stead. Poseidon punished
Minos, by making the fine bull mad, and causing it to make
great havoc in the island. Heracles was ordered by
Eurystheus to catch the bull, and Minos, of course,
willingly allowed him to do so. Heracles accomplished the
task, and brought the bull home on his shoulders, but he
then set the animal free again. The bull now roamed about
through Greece, and at last came to Marathon, where we meet
it again in the stories of Theseus. (Apollod. 2.5.7; Paus.
1.27.9, 5.10.2; Hyg. Fab. 30; Diod. 4.13, &c.; Serv. ad Aen.
8.294.)
8. The mares of the Thracian Diomedes.
This Diomedes, king of the Bistones in Thrace, fed his
horses with human flesh, and Eurystheus now ordered Heracles
to fetch those animals to Mycenae. For this purpose, the
hero took with him some companions. He made an unexpected
attack on those who guarded the horses in their stables,
took the animals, and conducted them to the sea coast. But
here he was overtaken by the Bistones, and during the
ensuing fight he entrusted the mares to his friend Abderus,
a son of Hermes of Opus, who was eaten up by them; but
Heracles defeated the Bistones, killed Diomedes, whose body
he threw before the mares, built the town of Abdera, in
honour of his unfortunate friend, and then returned to
Mycenae, with the horses which had become tame after eating
the flesh of their master. The horses were afterwards set
free, and destroyed on Mount Olympus by wild beasts.
(Apollod. 2.5.8; Diod. 4.15; Hyg. Fab. 30; Eur. Alc. 483,
493, Herc. Fur. 380, &c.; Gel. 3.9; Ptolem. Heph. 5.)
9. The girdle of the queen of the Amazons.
Hippolyte, the queen of the Anmilzons, (Diodorus calls the
queen Melanippe, and her sister Hippolyte), possessed a
girdle, which she had received from Ares, and Admete, the
daughter of Eurystheus, wished to have it. Heracles was
therefore sent to fetch it, and, accompanied by a number of
volunteers, he sailed out in one vessel. He first landed in
Paros, where he became involved in a quarrel with the sons
of Minos. Having killed two of them, he sailed to Mysia,
where his aid was solicited by Lycus, king of the
Mariandynians, against the Bebryces. Heracles assisted
Lycus, took a district of land from the enemy, which was
given to Lycus, who called it Heracleia. When Heracles at
length arrived in the port of Themiscyra (Thermodon), after
having given to the sea he had crossed the name of Euxeinus,
he was at first kindly received by Hippolyte, who promised
him her girdle. But Hera, in the disguise of an Amazon,
spread the report that the queen of the Amazons was robbed
by a stranger. They immediately rose to her assistance, and
Heracles, believing that the queen had plotted against him,
killed her, took her girdle, and carried it with him. This
expedition, which led the hero into distant countries,
afforded a favourable opportunity to poets and mythographers
for introducing various embellishments and minor adventures,
such as the murder of the Boreades, Calais and Zetes, and
his amour with Echidna, in the country of the Hyperboreans,
by whom he became the father of three sons. On his return he
landed in Troas, where he rescued Hesione from the monster
sent against her by Poseidon, in return for which her father
Laomedon promised him the horses he had received from Zeus
as a compensation for Ganymedes. But, as Laomedon did not
keep his word, Heracles on leaving threatened to make war
against Troy. He therefore landed in Thrace, where he slew
Sarpedon, and at length he returned through Macedonia to
Peloponnesus. (Apollod. 2.5.9; Diod. 4.16; Hdt. 4.9, 10, 82;
Eurip. Herc. Fur. 413, Ion. 1143; Plut. Thes. 26; Hom. Il.
5.649, &c.)
10. The oxen of Geryones in Erytheia.
The fetching of these oxen was a subject which, like the
preceding one, was capable of great poetical embellishments,
owing to the distant regions into which it carried the hero.
The adventure is mentioned by Hesiod, but it is further
developed in the later writers, and more especially by the
Roman poets, who took a more direct interest in it, as it
led the hero to the western parts of the world. The story
runs as follows:--Geryones, the monster with three bodies,
lived in the fabulous island of Erytheia (the reddish), so
called because it lay under the rays of the setting sun in
the west. It was originally conceived to be situated off the
coast of Epeirus, but afterwards it was identified either
with Gades or the Balearian islands, and was at all times
believed to be in the distant west. Gervones kept a herd of
red oxen, which fed together with those of Hades, and were
guarded by the giant Eurytion and the two-headed dog
Orthrus. Heracles was commanded by Eurystheus to fetch those
oxen of Geryones. He traversed Europe, and, having passed
through the countries of several savage nations, he at
length arrived in Libya. Diodorus makes Heracles collect a
large fleet in Crete, to sail against Chrysaor, the wealthy
king of Iberia, and his three sons. On his way he is further
said to have killed Antaeus and Busiris, and to have founded
Hecatompolis. On the frontiers of Libya and Europe he
erected two pillars (Calpe and Abyla) on the two sides of
the straits of Gibraltar, which were hence called the
pillars of Heracles. As on his journey Heracles was annoyed
by the heat of the sun, he shot at Helios, who so much
admired his boldness, that he presented him with a golden
cup or boat, in which he sailed across the ocean to
Ervtheia. He there slew Eurytion, his dog, and Geryones, and
sailed with his booty to Tartessus, where he returned the
golden cup (boat) to Helios. On his way home he passed the
Pyrenees and the Alps, founded Alesia and Nemausus in Gaul,
became the father of the Celts, and then proceeded to the
Ligurians, whose princes, Alebion and Dercynus, attempted to
carry off his oxen, but were slain by him. In his contest
with them, he was assisted by Zeus with a shower of stones,
as he had not enough missiles; hence the campus lapideus
between Massilia and the river Rhodanus. From thence he
proceeded through the country of the Tyrrhenians. In the
neighbourhood of Rhegium one of his oxen jumped into the
sea, and swam to Sicily, where Eryx, the son of Poseidon,
caught and put him among his own cattle. Heracles himself
followed, in search of the ox, and found him, but recovered
him only after a fight with Eryx, in which the latter fell.
According to Diodorus, who is very minute in this part of
his narrative, Heracles returned home by land, through Italy
and Illyricum; but, according to others, he sailed across
the Ionian and Adriatic seas. After reaching Thrace, Hera
made his oxen mad and furious. When, in their pursuit, he
came to the river Strymon, he made himself a road through
it, by means of huge blocks of stone. On reaching the
Hellespont, he had gradually recovered his oxen, and took
them to Eurystheus, who sacrificed then to Hera. (Hes. Th.
287, &c.; Apollod. 2.5.10; Diod. 4.17, &c., 5.17, 25; Hdt.
4.8; Serv. ad Acn. 7.662; Strab. iii. pp. 221, 258, &c.;
Dionys. A. R. 1.34; Pind. N. 3.21.)
These ten labours were performed by Heracles in the space of
eight years and one month; but as Eurystheus declared two of
them to have been performed unlawfully, he commanded him to
accomplish two more, viz. to fetch
11. The golden apples of the Hesperides.
This was particularly difficult, since Heracles did not know
where to find them. They were the apples which Hera had
received at her wedding from Ge, and which she had entrusted
to the keeping of the Hesperides and the dragon Ladon, on
Mount Atlas, in the country of the Hyperboreans. (Apollod.
2.5.11.) In other accounts the apples are described as
sacred to Aphrodite, Dionysus, or Helios; but the abode of
the Hesperides is placed by Hesiod, Apollodorus, and others,
in the west, while later writers specify more particularly
certain places in Libya, or in the Atlantic Ocean. The
mention of the Hyperboreans in this connection renders the
matter very difficult, but it is possible that the ancients
may have conceived the extreme north (the usual seat of the
Hyperboreans), and the extreme west to be contiguous.
Heracles, in order to find the gardens of the Hesperides,
went to the river Echedorus. in Macedonia, after having
killed Termerus in Thessaly. In Macedonia he killed Cycnus,
the son of Ares and Pyrene, who had challenged him. He
thence passed through Illyria, and arrived on the banks of
the river Eridanus, and was informed, by the nymphs in what
manner he might compel the prophetic Nereus to instruct him
as to what road he should take. On the advice of Nereus he
proceeded to Libya. Apollodorus assigns the fight with
Antaeus, and the murder of Busiris, to this expedition; both
Apollodorus and Diodorus now make IIeracles travel further
south and east: thus we find him in Ethiopia, where he kills
Emathion, in Arabia, and in Asia he advances as far as Mount
Caucasus, where he killed the vulture which consumed the
liver of Prometheus, and thus saved the Titan. At length
Heracles arrived at Mount Atlas, among the Hyperboreans.
Prometheus had advised him not to fetch the apples himself,
but to send Atlas, and in the meantime to carry the weight
of heaven for him. Atlas accordingly fetched the apples, but
on his return he refused to take the burden of heaven on his
shoulders again, and declared that he himself would carry
the apples to Eurystheus. Heracles, however, contrived by a
stratagem to get the apples and hastened away. On his return
Eurystheus made him a present of the apples, but Heracles
dedicated them to Athena, who, however, did not keep them,
but restored them to their former place. Some traditions add
to this account that Heracles killed the dragon Ladon.
(Apollod. 2.5.11; Diod. 4.26, &c.; Hes. Th. 215, &c.; Plin.
Nat. 6.31, 36; Plut. Thes. 11; Apollon. 4.1396, &c.; Hyg.
Fab. 31, Poet. Astr. 2.6; Eratosth. Catast. 3.)
12. Cerberus.
To fetch this monster from the lower world is the crown of
the twelve labours of Heracles, and is therefore usually
reckoned as the twelfth or last in the series. It is the
only one that is expressly mentioned in the Homeric poems.
(Od. 11.623, &c.) Later writers have added to the simple
story several particulars, such, e. g. that Heracles,
previous to setting out on his expedition, was initiated by
Eumolpus in the Eleusinian mysteries, in order to purify him
from the murder of the Centaurs. Accompanied by Hermes and
Athena, Heracles descended into Hades, near Cape Taenarum,
in Laconia. On his arrival most of the shades fled before
him, and he found only Meleager and Medusa, with whom he
intended to fight; but, on the command of Hermes, he left
them in peace. Near the gates of Hades he met Theseus and
Peirithous, who stretched their arms imploringly towards
him. He delivered Theseus, but, when he attempted to do the
same for Peirithous, the earth began to tremble. After
having rolled the stone from Ascalaphus, he killed one of
the oxen of Hades, in order to give the shades the blood to
drink, and fought with Menoetius, the herdsman. Upon this,
he asked Pluto permission to take Cerberus, and the request
was granted, on condition of its being done without force of
arms. This was accomplished, for Heracles found Cerberus on
the Acheron, and, notwithstanding the bites of the dragon,
he took the monster, and in the neighbourhood of Troezene he
brought it to the upper world. The place where he appeared
with Cerberus is not the same in all traditions, for some
say that it was at Taenarum, others at Hermione, or
Coroneia, and others again at Heracleia. When Cerberus
appeared in the upper world, it is said that, unable to bear
the light, he spit, and thus called forth the poisonous
plant called aconitun. After having shown the monster to
Eurystheus, Heracles took it back to the lower world. Some
traditions connect the descent of Heracles into the lower
world with a contest with Hades, as we see even in the Iliad
(5.397), and more particularly in the Alcestis of Euripides
(24, 846, &c. See Apollod. 2.5.12; Diod. 4.25, &c.; Plut.
Thes. 30; Paus. 2.31.2, 9.34.4, 3.25.4, 2.35.7; Ov. Met.
7.415, Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 2.152, Aen. 6.617).
After the Labors
Such is the account of the twelve labours of Heracles.
According to Apollodorus, Eurystheus originally required
only ten, and commanded him to perform two more, because he
was dissatisfied with two of them; but Diodorus represents
twelve as the original number required. Along with these
labours (ἆθλοι), the ancients relate a considerable number
of other feats (πάρεργα) which he performed without being
commanded by Eurystheus; some of them are interwoven with
the twelve Α῏θλοι, and others belong to a later period.
Those of the former kind have already been noticed above;
and we now proceed to mention the principal πάρεργα of the
second class. After the accomplishment of the twelve
labours, and being released from the servitude of
Eurystheus, he returned to Thebes. He there gave Megara in
marriage to Iolaus; for, as he had lost the children whom he
had by her, he looked upon his connection with her as
displeasing to the gods (Paus. 10.29), and went to Oechalia.
According to some traditions, Heracles, after his return
from Hades, was seized with madness, in which he killed both
Megara and her children. This madness was a calamity sent to
him by Hera, because he had slain Lycus, king of Thebes,
who, in the belief that Heracles would not return from
Hades, had attempted to murder Megara and her children.
(Hyg. Fab. 32; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 38.) Eurytus, king of
Oechalia, an excellent archer, and the teacher of Heracles
in his art, had promised his daughter Iole to the man who
should excel him and his sons in using the bow. Heracles
engaged in the contest with them, and succeeded, but Eurytus
refused abiding by his promise, saying, that he would not
give his daughter to a man who had murdered Ills own
children. Iphitus, the son of Eurytus, endeavoured to
persuade his father, but in vain. Soon after this the oxen
of Eurytus were carried off, and it was suspected that
Heracles was the offender. Iphitus again defended Heracles,
went to him and requested his assistance in searching after
the oxen. Heracles agreed; but when the two had arrived at
Tiryns, Heracles, in a fit of madness, threw his friend down
from the wall, and killed him. Deiphobus of Amyclae, indeed,
purified Heracles from this murder, but he was,
nevertheless, attacked by a severe illness. Heracles then
repaired to Delphi to obtain a remedy, but the Pythia
refused to answer his questions. A struggle between Heracles
and Apollo ensued, and the combatants were not separated
till Zeus sent a flash of lightning between them. Heracles
now obtained the oracle that he should be restored to
health, if he would sell himself, would serve three years
for wages, and surrender his wages to Eurytus, as an
atonement for the murder of Iphitus. (Apollod. 2.6.1, 2;
Diod. 4.31, &c.; Hom. Il. 2.730, Od. 21.22, &c.; Soph.
Trach. 273, &c.) Heracles was sold to Omphale, queen of
Lydia, and widow of Tmolus. Late writers, especially the
Roman poets, describe Heracles, during his stay with
Omphale, as indulging at times in an effeminate life: he
span wool, it is said, and sometimes he put on the garments
of a woman, while Omphale wore his lion's skin; but,
according to Apollodorus and Diodorus, he nevertheless
performed several great feats. (Ov. Fast. 2.305, Heroid.
9.53; Senec. Hippol. 317, Herc. Fur. 464; Lucian, Dial.
Deor. 13.2; Apollod. 2.6.3; Diod. 4.31, &c.) Among these, we
mention his chaining the Cercopes [CERCOPES], his killing
Syleus and his daughter in Aulis, his defeat of the
plundering Idones, his killing a serpent on the river
Sygaris, and his throwing the blood-thirsty Lytierses into
the Maeander. (Comp. Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.14; Schol. ad
Theocrit. 10.41; Athen. 10.415.) He further gave to the
island of Doliche the name of Icaria, as he buried in it the
body of Icarus, which had been washed on shore by the waves.
He also undertook an expedition to Colchis, which brought
him in connection with the Argonauts (Apollod. 1.9.16; Hdt.
7.193; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 1.1289; Ant. Lib. 26); he
took part in the Calydonian hunt, and met Theseus on his
landing from Troezene on the Corinthian isthmus. An
expedition to India, which was mentioned in some traditions,
may likewise be inserted in this place. (Philostr. Vit.
Apoll. 3.4, 6; Arrian, Ind. 8, 9.)
When the period of his servitude and his illness had passed
away, he undertook an expedition against Troy, with 18 ships
and a band of heroes. On his landing, he entrusted the fleet
to Oicles, and with his other companions made an attack upon
the city. Laomedon in the mean time made an attack upon the
ships, and slew Oicles, but was compelled to retreat into
the city, where he was besieged. Telamon was the first who
forced his way into the city, which roused the jealousy of
Heracles to such a degree that lie determined to kill him;
but Telamon quickly collected a heap of stones, and
pretended that he was building an altar to Heracles
καλλίνικος or ἀλεξίκακος. This soothed the anger of the
hero; and after the sons of Laomedon had fallen, Heracles
gave to Telamon Hesione, as a reward for his bravery. (Hom.
Il. 5.641, &c., 14.251, 20.145, &c.; Apollod. 2.6.4; Diod.
4.32, 49; Eur. Tro. 802, &c.)
On his return from Troy, Hera sent a storm to impede his
voyage, which compelled him to land in the island of Cos.
The Meropes, the inhabitants of the island, took him for a
pirate, and received him with a shower of stones; but during
the night he took possession of the island, and killed the
king, Eurypylus. Heracles himself was wounded by Chalcodon,
but was saved by Zeus. After he had ravaged Cos, he went, by
the command of Athena, to Phlegra, and fought against the
Gigantes. (Apollod. 2.7.1; Hom. Il. 14.250, &c.; Pind. N.
4.40.) Respecting his fight against the giants, who were,
according to an oracle, to be conquered by a mortal, see
especially Eur. Her. 177, &c., 852, 1190, &c., 1272. Among
the giants defeated by him we find mention of Alcyoneus, a
name borne by two among them. (Pind. N. 4.43, Isthm. 6.47.)
Soon after his return to Argos, Heracles marched against
Augeas to chastise him for his breach of promise (see
above), and then proceeded to Pylos, which he took, and
killed Periclymenus, a son of Neleus. He then advanced
against Lacedaemon, to punish the sons of Hippocoon, for
having assisted Neleus and slain Oeonus, the son of
Licymnius. (Paus. 3.15.2, 2.18.6; Apollod. 2.7.3; Diod.
4.33.) Heracles took Lacedaemon, and assigned the government
of it to Tyndarens. On his return to Tegea, he became, by
Auge, the father of Telephus [AUGE], and then proceeded to
Calydon, where he demanded Deianeira, the daughter of
Oeneus, for his wife. [DEIANEIRA; ACHELOUS.] The adventures
which now follow are of minor importance, such as the
expedition against the Dryopians, and the assistance he gave
to Aegimius, king of the Dorians, against the Lapithae; but
as these events led to his catastrophe, it is necessary to
subjoin a sketch of them.
Heracles had been married to Deianeira for nearly three
years, when, at a repast in the house of Oeneus, he killed,
by an accident, the boy Eunomus, the son of Architeles. The
father of the boy pardoned the murder, as it had not been
committed intentionally; but Heracles, in accordance with
the law, went into exile with his wife Deianeira. On their
road they came to the river Euenus, across which the centaur
Nessus used to carry travellers for a small sum of money.
Heracles himself forded the river, and gave Deianeira to
Nessus to carry her across. Nessus attempted to outrage her:
Heracles heard her screaming, and as the centaur brought her
to the other side, Heracles shot an arrow into his heart.
The dying centaur called out to Deianeira to take his blood
with her, as it was a sure means for preserving the love of
her husband. (Apollod. 2.7.6; Diod. 4.36; Soph. Trach. 555,
&c.; Ov. Met. 9.201, &c.; Senec. Herc. Oct. 496, &c.; Paus.
10.38.1.) From the river Euenus, Heracles now proceeded
through the country of the Dryopes, where he showed himself
worthy of the epithet "the voracious," which is so often
given to him, especially bv late writers, for in his hunger
he took one of the oxen of Theiodamas, and consumed it all.
At last he arrived in Trachis, where he was kindly received
by Ceyx, and conquered the Dryopes. He then assisted
Aegimius, king of the Dorians, against the Lapithae, and
without accepting a portion of the country which was offered
to him as a reward. Laogoras, the king of the Dryopes, and
his children, were slain. As Heracles proceeded to Iton, in
Thessaly, he was challenged to single combat by Cycnus, a
son of Ares and Pelopia (Hesiod. Scut. Her. 58, &c.); but
Cycnus was slain. King Amyntor of Ormenion refused to allow
Heracles to pass through his dominions, but had to pay for
his presumption with his life. (Apollod. 2.7.7; Diod. 4.36,
&c.)
Heracles now returned to Trachis, and there collected an
army to take vengeance on Eurytus of Oechalia. Apollodorus
and Diodorus agree in making Heracles spend the last years
of his life at Trachis, but Sophocles represents the matter
in a very different light, for, according to him, Heracles
was absent from Trachis upwards of fifteen months without
Deianeira knowing where he was. During that period he was
staying with Omphale in Lydia; and without returning home,
he proceeded from Lydia at once to Oechalia, to gain
possession of Iole, whom he loved. (Soph. Trach. 44, &c.;
248, &c., 351, &c.) With the assistance of his allies,
Heracles took the town of Oechalia, and slew Eurytus and his
sons, but carried his daughter Iole with him as a prisoner.
On his return home he landed at Cenaeum, a promontory of
Euboea, and erected an altar to Zeus Cenaeus, and sent his
companion, Lichas, to Trachis to fetch him a white garment,
which he intended to use during the sacrifice. Deiancira,
who heard from Lichas respecting Iole, began to fear lost
she should supplant her in the affection of her husband, to
prevent which she steeped the white garment he had demanded
in the preparation she had made from the blood of Nessus.
Scarcely had the garment become warm on the body of
Heracles, when the poison which was contained in the
ointment, and had come into it from the poisoned arrow with
which Heracles had killed Nessus, penetrated into all parts
of his body, and caused him the most fearful pains. Heracles
seized Lichas by his feet, and threw him into the sea. He
wrenched off his garment, but it stuck to his flesh, and
with it he tore whole pieces from his body. In this state he
was conveyed to Trachis. Deianeira, on seeing what she had
unwittingly done, hung herself; and Heracles commanded
Hyllus, his eldest son, by Deianeira, to marry Iole as soon
as he should arrive at the age of manhood. He then ascended
Mount Oeta, raised a pile of wood, ascended, and ordered it
to be set on fire. No one ventured to obey him, until at
length Poeas the shepherd, who passed by, was prevailed upon
to comply with the desire of the suffering hero. When the
pile was burning, a cloud came down from heaven, and amid
peals of thunder carried him into Olympus, where he was
honoured with immortality, became reconciled with Hera, and
married her daughter Hebe, by whom he became the father of
Alexiares and Anicetus. (Hom. Od. 11.600, &c.; Hes. Th. 949,
&c.; Soph. Trach. l.c., Philoct. 802; Apollod. 2.7. §. 7;
Diod. 4.38; Ov. Met. 9.155, &c.; Hdt. 7.198; Conon, Narrat.
17; Paus. 3.18.7; Pind. Nem. i. in fin., 10.31, &c., Isthm.
4.55, &c.; Virg. Aen. 8.300, and many other writers.)
The wives and children of Heracles are enumerated by
Apollodorus (2.7.8), but we must refer the reader to the
separate articles. We may, however, observe that among the
very great number of his children, there are no daughters,
and that Euripides is the only writer who mentions Macaria
as a daughter of Heracles by Deianeira. We must also pass
over the long series of his surnames, and proceed to give an
account of his worship in Greece. Immediately after the
apotheosis of Heracles, his friends who were present at the
termination of his earthly career offered sacrifices to him
as a hero; and Menoetius established at Opus the worship of
Heracles as a hero. This example was followed by the
Thebans, until at length Heracles was worshipped throughout
Greece as a divinity (Diod. 4.39; Eur. Her. 1331); but he,
Dionysus and Pan, were regarded as the youngest gods, and
his worship was practised in two ways, for he was worshipped
both as a god and as a hero. (Hdt. 2.44, 145.) One of the
most ancient temples of Heracles in Greece was that at Bura,
in Achaia, where he had a peculiar oracle. (Paus. 7.25.6;
Plut. de Malign. Herod. 31.) In the neighbourhood of
Thermopylae, where Athena, to please him, had called forth
the hot spring, there was an altar of Heracles, surnamed
μελάμπυγος (Schol. ad Aristoph. Nub. 1047; Hdt. 7.176); and
it should be observed that hot springs in general were
sacred to Heracles. (Diod. 5.3; Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 12.25;
Liv. 22.1; Strab. pp. 60, 172, 425, 428.) In Phocis he had a
temple under the name of μισολύνης; and as at Rome, women
were not allowed to take part in his worship, probably on
account of his having been poisoned by Deianeira. (Plut.
Quaest. Rom. 57, de Pyth. Orac. 20; Macr. 1.12.) But temples
and sanctuaries of Heracles existed in all parts of Greece,
especially in those inhabited by the Dorians. The sacrifices
offered to him consisted principally of bulls, boars, rams
and lambs. (Diod. 4.39; Paus. 2.10.1.) Respecting the
festivals celebrated in his honour, see Dict. of Ant. s. v.
Ἠράκλεια.
The worship of Hercules at Rome and in Italy requires a
separate consideration. His worship there is connected by
late, especially Roman writers, with the hero's expedition
to fetch the oxen of Geryones; and the principal points are,
that Hercules in the West abolished human sacrifices among
the Sabines, established the worship of fire, and slew
Cacus, a robber, who had stolen eight of his oxen. (Dionys.
A. R. 1.14; CACUS.) The aborigines, and especially Evander,
honoured the hero with divine worship. (Serv. ad Aen. 8.51,
269.) Hercules, in return, feasted the people, and presented
the king with lands, requesting that sacrifices should be
offered to him every year, according to Greek rites. Two
distinguished families, the Potitii and Pinarii, were
instructed in these Greek rites, and appointed hereditary
managers of the festival. But Hercules made a distinction
between these two families, which continued to exist for a
long time after; for, as Pinarius arrived too late at the
repast, the god punished him by declaring that lie and his
descendants should be excluded for ever from the sacrificial
feast. Thus the custom arose for the Pinarii to act the part
of servants at the feast. (Diod. 4.21; Dionys. A. R. 1.39,
&c.; Liv. 1.40, 5.34; Nepos, Hann. 3; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 18;
Ov. Fast. 1.581.) The Fabia gens traced its origin to
Hercules, and Fauna and Acca Laurentia are called mistresses
of Hercules. In this manner the Romans connected their
earliest legends with Hercules. (Macr. 1.10; August. de Civ.
Dei, 6.7.) It should be observed that in the Italian
traditions the hero bore the name of Recaranus, and this
Recaranus was afterwards identified with the Greek Heracles.
He had two temples at Rome, one was a small round temple of
Hercules Victor, or Hercules Triumphalis, between the river
and the Circus Maximus, in the forum boarium, and contained
a statue, which was dressed in the triumphal robes whenever
a general celebrated a triumph. In front of this statue was
the ara maxima, on which, after a triumph, the tenth of the
booty was deposited for distribution among the citizens.
(Liv. 10.23; Plin. H. N. 34.7, 16 ; Macr. 3.6; Tac. Ann.
12.24; Serv. ad Aen. 12.24; Ath. 5.65; comp. Dionys. A. R.
1.40.) The second temple stood near the porta trigemina, and
contained a bronze statue and the altar on which Hercules
himself was believed to have once offered a sacrifice.
(Dionys. A. R. 1.39, 40; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 60; Plin. Nat.
33.12, 45.) Here the city praetor offered every year a young
cow, which was consumed by the people within the sanctuary.
The Roman Hercules was regarded as the giver of health
(Lydus, de Mens. p. 92), and his priests were called by a
Sabine name Cupenci. (Serv. ad Aen. 12.539.) At Rome he was
further connected with the Muses, whence he is called
Musagetes, and was represented with a lyre, of which there
is no trace in Greece. The identity of the Italian with the
Greek Heracles is attested not only by the resenmblalce in
the traditions and the mode of worship, but by the distinct
belief of the Romans themselves. The Greek colonies had
introduced his worship into Italy, and it was thence carried
to Rome, into Gaul, Spain, arid even Germany. (Tac. Germ.
2.) But it is, nevertheless, in the highest degree probable
that the Greek mythus was engrafted upon, or supplied the
place of that about the Italian Recaranus or Garanus.
[GARANUS.]
The works of art in which Heracles was represented were
extremely numerous, and of the greatest variety, for he was
represented at all the various stages of his life, from the
cradle to his death; but whether he appears as a child, a
youth, a struggling hero, or as the immortal inhabitant of
Olympus, his character is always that of heroic strength and
energy. Specimens of every kind are still extant. In the
works of the archaic style he appeared as a man with heavy
armour (Paus. 3.15.7), but he is usually represented armed
with a club, a Scythian bow, and a lion's skin. His head and
eyes are small in proportion to the other parts of his body;
his hair is short, bristly, and curly, his neck short, fat,
and resembling that of a bull; the lower part of his
forehead projects, and his expression is grave and serious;
his shoulders, arms, breast, and legs display the highest
physical strength, and the strong muscles suggest the
unceasing and extraordinary exertions by which his life is
characterised. The representations of Heracles by Myron and
Parrhasius approached nearest to the ideal which was at
length produced by Lysippus. The socalled Farnesian
Heracles, of which the torso still exists, is the work of
Glycon, in imitation of one by Lysippus. It is the finest
representation of the hero that has come down to us: he is
resting, leaning on his right arm, while the left one is
reclining on his head, and the whole figure is a most
exquisite combination of peculiar softness with the greatest
strength. (Müller, Handb. der Archäol. p. (p. 640, &100.2d
edit.; E. A. Hagen, de Herculis Laboribus Comment. Arch.,
Regiomont. 1827.)
The mythus of Heracles, as it has come down to us, has
unquestionably been developed on Grecian soil; his name is
Greek, and the substance of the fables also is of genuine
Greek growth: the foreign additions which at a later age may
have been incorporated with the Greek mythus can easily be
recognised and separated from it. It is further clear that
real historical elements are interwoven with the fables. The
best treatises on the mythus of Heracles are those of
Buttmann (Mythologus, vol. i. p. 246, &c.), and C. O. Müller
(Dorians, ii. cc. 11 and 12), both of whom regard the hero
as a purely Greek character, though the former considers him
as entirely a poetical creation, and the latter believes
that the whole mythus arose from the proud consciousness of
power which is innate in every man, by means of which he is
able to raise himself to an equality with the immortal gods,
notwithstanding all the obstacles that may be placed in his
way.
Before we conclude, we must add a few remarks respecting the
Heracles of the East, and of the Celtic and Germanic
nations. The ancients themselves expressly mention several
heroes of the name of Heracles, who occur among the
principal nations of the ancient world. Diodorus, e.g.
(3.73, comp. 1.24, 5.64, 76) speaks of three, the most
ancient of whom was the Egyptsian, a son f Zeus, the second
a Cretan, and one of the Idacan Dactyls, and the third or
youngest was Heracles the son of Zeus by Alcmena, who lived
shortly before the Trojan war, and to whom the feats of the
earlier ones were ascribed. Cicero (de Nat. Deor. 3.16)
counts six heroes of this name, and he likewise makes the
last and youngest the son of Zeus and Alcmena. Varro (apud
Serv. ad Aen. 8.564) is said to have reckoned up forty-four
heroes of this name, while Servius (l.c.) assumes only four,
viz. the Tirynthian, the Argive, the Theban, and the Libyan
Heracles. Herodotus (2.42, &c.) tells us that he made
inquiries respecting Heracles: the Egyptian he found to be
decidedly older than the Greek one; but the Egyptians
referred him to Phoenicia as the original source of the
traditions. The Egyptian Heracles, who is mentioned by many
other writers besides Herodotus and Diodorus, is said to
have been called by his Egyptian name Som or Dsom, or,
according to others, Chon (Etym. M. s. v. Χῶν), and,
according to Pausanias (10.17.2), Maceris. According to
Diodorus (1.24), Som was a son of Amon (Zeus); but Cicero
calls him a son of Nilus, while, according to Ptolemaeus
Hephaestion, Heracles himself was originally called Nilus.
This Egyptian Heracles was placed by the Egyptians in the
second of the series of the evolutions of their gods. (Diod.
l.c.; Hdt. 2.43, 145, 3.73; Tac. Ann. 2.6.) The Thebans
placed him 17,000 years before king Amasis, and, according
to Diodorus, 10,000 years before the Trojan war; whereas
Macrobius (Macr. 1.20) states that he had no beginning at
all. The Greek Heracles, according to Diodorus, became the
heir of all the feats and exploits of his elder Egyptian
namesake. The 'Egyptian Heracles, however, is also mentioned
in the second classof the kings; so that the original
divinity, by a process of anthropomorphism, appears as a
man, and in this capacity he bears great resemblance to the
Greek hero. (Diod. 1.17, 24, 3.73.) This may, indeed, be a
mere reflex of the Greek traditions, but the statement that
Osiris, previous to his great expedition, entrusted Heracles
with the government of Egypt, seems to be a genuine Egyptian
legend. The other stories related about the Egyptian
Heracles are of a mysterious nature, and unintelligible, but
the great veneration in which he was held is attested by
several authorities. (Hdt. 2.113; Diod. 5.76; Tac. Ann.
2.60; Macr. 1.20.)
Further traces of the worship of Heracles appear in Thasus,
where Herodotus (2.44) found a temple, said to have been
built by the Phoenicians sent out in search of Europa, five
generations previous to the time of the Greek Heracles. He
was worshipped there principally in the character of a
saviour (σωτήρ, Paus. 5.25.7, 6.11.2).
The Cretan Heracles, one of the Idacan Dactyls, was believed
to have founded the temple of Zeus at Olympia (Paus.
5.13.5), but to have originally come from Egypt. (Diod.
4.18.) The traditions about him resemble those of the Greek
Heracles (Diod. 5.76; Paus. 9.27.5); but it is said that he
lived at a much earlier period than the Greek hero, and that
the latter only imitated him. Eusebius states that his name
was Diodas, and Hieronymus makes it Desanaus. He was
worshipped with funeral sacrifices, and was regarded as a
magician, like other ancient daemones of Crete. (Cic. de
Nat. Deor. 3.16; Diod. 5.64.)
In India, also, we find a Heracles, who was called by the
unintelligible name Διρσάνηρ. (Plin. Nat. 6.16, 22; Hesych.
s.v. Δορσάνηρ.) The later Greeks believed that he was their
own hero, who had visited India, and related that in India
he became the father of many sons and daughters by Pandaea,
and the ancestral hero of the Indian kings. (Arrian, Ind. 8,
9; Diod. 2.39, 17.85, 96; Philostr. Vit. Apoll. 3.46.)
The Phoenician Heracles, whom the Egyptians considered to be
more ancient than their own, was probably identical with the
Egyptian or Libyan Heracles. See the learned disquisition in
Movers (Die Phoenicier, p. 415, &c.) He was worshipped in
all the Phoenician colonies, such as Carthage and Gades,
down to the time of Constantine, and it is said that
children were sacrificed to him. (Plin. Nat. 36.5.)
The Celtic and Germanic Heracles has already been noticed
above, as the founder of Alesia, Nemausus, and the author of
the Celtic race. We become acquainted with him in the
accounts of the expedition of the Greek Heracles to
Geryones. (Hdt. 1.7, 2.45, 91, 113, 4.82; Pind. O. 3.11,
&c.; Tacit. Germ. 3, 9.) We must either suppose that the
Greek Heracles was identified with native heroes of those
northern countries, or that the notions about Heracles had
been introduced there from the East. - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Hermes (pronounced /ˈhɜrmiːz/; Greek Ἑρμῆς) is the great
messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and additionally as a
guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Cyllene in
Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries
and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and
cowherds, of the cunning of thieves and liars,[1] of orators
and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics and sports, of
weights and measures, of invention, and of commerce in
general.[2] His symbols include the tortoise, the rooster, the
winged sandals, the winged hat, and the caduceus (given to him
by Apollo in exchange for the lyre)...
Read More
Ἑρμῆς, (*(Ermei/as, Dor. Ἑρμᾶς), a son of Zeus and Maia, the
daughter of Atlas, was born in a cave of Mount Cyllene in
Arcadia (Hom. Od. 8.335, 14.435, 24.1; Hymn. in Merc. 1,
&c.; Ov. Met. 1.682, 14.291), whence he is called
Atlantiades or Cyllenius; but Philostratus (Icon. 1.26)
places his birth in Olympus. In the first hours after his
birth, he escaped from his cradle, went to Pieiria, and
carried off some of the oxen of Apollo. (Hom. Hymn. in Merc.
17.) In the Iliad and Odyssey this tradition is not
mentioned, though Hermes is characterised as a cunning
thief. (Il. 5.390, 24.24.) Other accounts, again, refer the
theft of the oxen to a more advanced period of the life of
the god. (Apollod. iii. 10.2; Ant. Lib. 23.) In order not to
be discovered by the traces of his footsteps, Hermes put on
sandals, and drove the oxen to Pylos, where he killed two,
and concealed the rest in a cave. (Comp. the different
stratagems by which he escaped in Horn. Hymn. in Merc. 75,
&c., and Anton. Lib. l.c.) The skins of the slaughtered
animals were nailed to a rock, and part of their flesh was
prepared and consumed, and the rest burnt; at the same time
he offered scrifices to the twelve gods, whence he is
probably called the inventor of divine worship and
sacrifices. (Hom. Hymn. in Merc. 125, &c.; Diod. 1.16.)
Hereupon he returned to Cyllene, where he found a tortoise
at the entrance of his native cave. He took the animal's
shell, drew strings across it, and thus invented the lyre
and plectrum. The number of strings of his new invention is
said by some to have been three and by others seven, and
they were made of the guts either of oxen or of sheep. (Hom.
l.c. 51; Diod. 1.16, 5.75; Orph. Argon. 381; Hor. Carm.
1.10. 6.) Apollo, by his prophetic power, had in the
meantime discovered the thief, and went to Cyllene to charge
him with it before his mother Maia. She showed to the god
the child in its cradle; but Apollo took the boy before
Zeus, and demanded back his oxen. Zeus commanded him to
comply with the demand of Apollo, but Hermes denied that he
had stolen the cattle. As, however, he saw that his
assertions were not believed, he conducted Apollo to Pylos,
and restored to him his oxen; but when Apollo heard the
sounds of the lyre, he was so charmed that he allowed Hermes
to keep the animals. Hermes now invented the syrinx, and
after having disclosed his inventions to Apollo, the two
gods concluded an intimate friendship with each other. (Hom.
l.c. 514, &c.) Apollo presented his young friend with his
own golden shepherd's staff, taught him the art of
prophesying by means of dice, and Zeus made him his own
herald, and also of the gods of the lower world. According
to the Homeric hymn (533, &c.), Apollo refused to teach
Hermes the art of prophecy, and referred him for it to the
three sisters dwelling on Parnassus; but he conferred upon
him the office of protecting flocks and pastures (568; comp.
Lucian, Dial. Deor. 7; Ov. Met. 2.683, &c.).
The principal feature in the traditions about Hermes
consists in his being the herald of the gods, and in this
capacity he appears even in the Homeric poems; his original
character of an ancient Pelasgian, or Arcadian divinity of
nature, gradually disappeared in the legends. As the herald
of the gods, he is the god of skill in the use of speech and
of eloquence in general, for the heralds are the public
speakers in the assemblies and on other occasions. (Il.
1.333, 4.193, 7.279, 385, 8.517, 11.684; comp. Orph. Hymn.
27. 4; Aelian, Ael. NA 10.29; Hor. Carm. 1.10. 1.) As an
adroit speaker, he was especially employed as messenger,
when eloquence was required to attain the desired object.
(Od. 1.38, Il. 24.390; Hom. Hymn. in Cer. 335.) Hence the
tongues of sacrificial animals were offered to him.
(Aristoph. Peace 1062; Athen. 1.16.) As heralds and
messengers are usually men of prudence and circumspection,
Hermes was also the god of prudence and skill in all the
relations of social intercourse. (Il. 20.35, 24.282, Od.
2.38.) These qualities were combined with similar ones, such
as cunning both in words and actions, and even fraud,
perjury, and the inclination to steal; but acts of this kind
were committed by Hermes always with a certain skill,
dexterity, and even gracefulness. Examples occur in the
Homeric hymn on Hermes (66, 260, 383; comp. Eustath. ad Hom.
p. 1337; Hom. Il. 5.390, 24.24; Apollod. 1.6.3).
Being endowed with this shrewdness and sagacity, he was
regarded as the author of a variety of inventions, and,
besides the lyre and syrinx, he is said to have invented the
alphabet, numbers, astronomy, music, the art of fighting,
gymnastics, the cultivation of the olive tree, measures,
weights, and many other things. (Plut. Sympos. 9.3; Diod.
l.c. and 5.75; Hyg. Fab. 277.) The powers which he possessed
himself he conferred upon those mortals and heroes who
enjoyed his favour, and all who had them were under his
especial protection, or are called his sons. (Od. x. 277,
&c., 15.318, &c., 19.397; Soph. Philoct. 133; Hes. Op. 67;
Eustath. ad Hom. pp. 18, 1053.) He was employed by the gods
and more especially by Zeus on a variety of occasions which
are recorded in ancient story. Thus he conducted Priam to
Achilles to fetch the body of Hector (Il. 24.336), tied
Ixion to the wheel (Hyg. Fab. 62), conducted Hera,
Aphrodite, and Athena to Paris (Hyg. Fab. 92; Paus. 5.19.1),
fastened Prometheus to Mount Caucasus (Serv. ad Virg. Eclog.
6.42), rescued Dionysus after his birth from the flames, or
received him from the hands of Zeus to carry him to Athamas
(Apollod. 3.4.3; Apollon. 4.1137), sold Heracles to Omphale
(Apollod. 2.6.3), and was ordered by Zeus to carry off Io,
who was metamorphosed into a cow, and guarded by Argus; but
being betrayed by Hierax, he slew Argus. (Apollod. 2.1.3.)
From this murder he is very commonly called Ἀργειφόντης.
(Il. 24.182; comp. Schol. ad Aeschyl. Prom. 563; Ov. Met.
1.670, &c.) In the Trojan war Hermes was on the side of the
Greeks. (Il. 20.72, &c.) His ministry to Zeus is not
confined to the offices of herald and messenger, but he is
also the charioteer and cupbearer. (Hom. Od. 1.143, Il.
24.178, 440, Hymn. in Cer. 380; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1205.)
As dreams are sent by Zeus, Hermes, the ἡγήτωρ ὀνείρων,
conducts them to man, and hence he is also described as the
god who had it in his power to send refreshing sleep or to
take it away. (Hom. Hymn. in Merc. 14, Il. 2.26, 24.343,
&c.) Another important function of Hermes was to conduct the
shades of the dead from the upper into the lower world,
whence he is called ψυχοπομπός, νεκροπομτός, ψυχαγωγός, &c.
(Hom. Od. 24.1, 9, Hymn. in Cer. 379, &c.; Eustath. ad Hom.
p. 561; D. L. 8.31; Hyg. Fab. 251.)
The idea of his being the herald and messenger of the gods,
of his travelling from place to place and concluding
treaties, necessarily implied the notion that he was the
promoter of social intercourse and of commerce among men,
and that he was friendly towards man. (Od. 19.135, Il.
24.333.) In this capacity he was regarded as the maintainer
of peace, and as the god of roads, who protected travellers,
and punished those who refused to assist travellers who had
mistaken their way. (Il. 7.277, &c.; Theocrit. 25.5;
Aristoph. Pl. 1159.) Hence the Athenian generals, on setting
out on an expedition, offered sacrifices to Hermas, surnamed
Hegemonius, or Agetor; and numerous statues of the god were
erected on roads, at doors and gates, from which
circumstance he derived a variety of surnames and epithets.
As the god of commerce, he was called διέμπορος, ἐμπολαῖος,
παλιγκάπηλος, κερδέμπορος, ἀγοραῖος, &c. (Aristoph. Pl.
1155; Pollux, 7.15; Orph. Hymn. 27.6; Paus. 1.15.1, 2.9. §.
7, 3.11.8, &c.); and as commerce is the source of wealth,
Hermes is also the god of gain and riches, especially of
sudden and unexpected riches, such as are acquired by
commerce. As the giver of wealth and good luck
(πλουτοδότης), he also presided over the game of dice, and
those who played it threw an olive leaf upon the dice, and
first drew this leaf. (Hom. Il. 7.183; Aristoph. Peace 365;
Eustath. ad Hom. p. 675.) We have already observed that
Hermes was considered as the inventor of sacrifices, and
hence he not only acts the part of a herald at sacrifices
(Aristoph. Peace 433), but is also the protector of
sacrificial animals, and was believed in particular to
increase the fertility of sheep. (Hom. Hymn. in Merc. 567,
&c., Il. 14.490, 16.180, &c; Hes. Th. 444.) For this reason
he was especially worshipped by shepherds, and is mentioned
in connection with Pan and the Nymphs. (Hom. Od. 14.435;
Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1766; Aristoph. Thes. 977; Paus. 8.16.1;
9.34.2; Schol. ad Soph. Philoct. 14, 59.) This feature in
the character of Hermes is a remnant of the ancient Arcadian
religion, in which he was the fertilising god of the earth,
who conferred his blessings on man; and some other traces of
this character occur in the Homeric poems. (Il. 24.360, Od.
8.335, 16.185, Hymn. in Merc. 27.)
Another important function of Hermes was his being the
patron of all the gymnastic games of the Greeks. This idea
seems to be of late origin, for in the Homeric poems no
trace of it is found; and the appearance of the god, such as
it is there described, is very different from that which we
might expect in the god of the gymnastic art. But as his
images were erected in so many places, and among them, at
the entrance of the gymnasia, the natural result was, that
he, like Heracles and the Dioscuri, was regarded as the
protector of youths and gymnastic exercises and contests
(Pind. N. 10.53), and that at a later time the Greek artists
derived their ideal of the god from the gymnasium, and
represented him as a youth whose limbs were beautifully and
harmoniously developed by gymnastic exercises. Athens seems
to have been the first place in which he was worshipped in
this capacity. (Pind. P. 2.10, Isthm. 1.60; Aristoph. Pl.
1161.) The numerous descendants of Hermes are treated of in
separate articles. It should be observed that the various
functions of the god led some of the ancients to assume a
plurality of gods of this name. Cicero (de Nat. Deor. 3.22)
distinguishes five, and Servius (Serv. ad Aen. 1.301, 4.577)
four; but these numbers also include foreign divinities,
which were identified by the Greeks with their own Hermes.
The most ancient seat of his worship is Arcadia, the land of
his birth, where Lycaon, the son of Pelasgus, is said to
have built to him the first temple. (Hyg. Fab. 225.) From
thence his worship was carried to Athens, and ultimately
spread through all Greece. The festivals celebrated in his
honour were called Ἕρμαια. (Dict. of Ant. s, v.) His temples
and statues (Dict. of Ant. s.v. Hermae) were extremely
numerous in Greece. The Romans identified him with Mercury.
[MERCURIUS.] Among the things sacred to him we may mention
the palm tree, the tortoise, the number four, and several
kinds of fish; and the sacrifices offered to him consisted
of incense, honey, cakes, pigs, and especially lambs and
young goats. (Paus. 7.22.2; Aristoph. Pl. 1121, 1144; Hom.
Od. 14.435, 19.397; Athen. 1.16.)
The principal attributes of Hermes are: 1. A travelling hat,
with a broad brim, which in later times was adorned with two
little wings; the latter, however, are sometimes seen
arising from his locks, his head not being covered with the
hat. 2. The staff (ῥάβδος or σκῆπτρον): it is frequently
mentioned in the Homeric poems as the magic staff by means
of which he closes and opens the eyes of mortals, but no
mention is made of the person or god from whom he received
it, nor of the entwining serpents which appear in late works
of art. According to the Homeric hymn and Apollodorus, he
received it from Apollo; and it appears that we must
distinguish two staves, which were afterwards united into
one: first, the ordinary herald's staff (Il. 7.277, 18.505),
and secondly, a magic staff, such as other divinities also
possessed. (Lucian, Dial. Deor. 7.5; Verg. A. 4.242, &c.)
The white ribbons with which the herald's staff was
originally surrounded were changed by later artists into two
serpents (Schol. ad Thuc. 1.53; Macr. 1.19; comp. Hygin.
Poet. Astr. 2.7; Serv. ad Aen. 4.242, 8.138), though the
ancients themselves accounted for them either by tracing
them to some feat of the god, or by regarding them as
symbolical representations of prudence, life, health, and
the like. The staff, in later times, is further adorned with
a pair of wings, expressing the rapidity with which the
messenger of the gods moved from place to place. 3. The
sandals (πέδιλα.) They were beautiful and golden, and
carried the god across land and sea with the rapidity of
wind; but Homer no where says or suggests that they were
provided with wings. The plastic art, on the other hand,
required some outward sign to express this quality of the
god's sandals, and therefore formed wings at his ancles,
whence he is called πτηνοπέδιλος, or alipes. (Orph. Hymn.
27.4; Ov. Met. 11.312.) In addition to these attributes,
Hermes sometimes holds a purse in his hands. Several
representations of the god at different periods of his life,
as well as in the discharge of his different functions, have
come down to us. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. i. p. 63, &c.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
A hero (heroine for females) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs), in
Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their
cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient
Greek religion.[1] Later, hero (male) and heroine (female)
came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and
adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and
the will for self sacrifice-that is, heroism-for some greater
good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to
martial courage or excellence but extended to more general
moral excellence.
Stories of heroism may serve as moral examples. In classical
antiquity, hero cults-veneration of deified heroes such as
Heracles, Perseus, and Achilles-played an important role in
Ancient Greek religion. Politicians, ancient and modern, have
employed hero worship for their own apotheosis (i.e., cult of
personality)...
Read More
（Ἥρω), the name of three mythical personages, one a daughter
of Danaus (Hyg. Fab. 170), the second a daughter of Priam
(Hyg. Fab. 90), and respecting the third, see LEANDER. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hesperus (Greek Ἓσπερος Hesperos) is the
Evening Star, the planet Venus in the evening. He is the son
of the dawn goddess Eos (Roman Aurora) and is the brother of
Eosphorus (also called Phosphorus, and Lucifer), the Morning
Star. Hesperus' Roman equivalent is Vesper (cf. "evening",
"supper", "evening star", "west"[1]). Hesperus' father was
Cephalus, a mortal, while Eosphoros' was the star god
Astraios...
Read More
（*(/Esperos), the evening-star, is called by Hesiod a son of
Astraeus and Eos, and was regarded, even by the ancients, as
the same as the morning star, whence both Homer and Hesiod
call him the bringer of light, ἑωσφόρος (Il. 22.317, 23.226;
comp. Plin. Nat. 2.8; Mart. Capell. 8.882, &c., ed. Kopp.)
Diodorus (3.60) calls him a son of Atlas, who was fond of
astronomy, and once, after having ascended Mount Atlas to
observe the stars, he disappeared. He was worshipped with
divine honours, and regarded as the fairest star in the
heavens. (Eratosth. Catast. 24.) Hyginus (de Sign. Coel. 2)
says that some called him a son of Eos and Cephalus. The
Romans designated him by the names Lucifer and Hesperus, to
characterise him as the morning or evening star. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William
Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology Hestia (Roman Vesta), daughter of Cronus
and Rhea (ancient Greek Ἑστία, "hearth" or "fireside"), is the
virgin goddess of the hearth and of the right ordering of
domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at
every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the
hearth of the prytaneum functioned as her official sanctuary.
With the establishment of a new colony, flame from Hestia's
public hearth in the mother city would be carried to the new
settlement. She sat on a plain wooden throne with a white
woolen cushion and did not trouble to choose an emblem for
herself.[1]...
Read More
*(Esti/a, (Ion. Ἱστίη), the goddess of the hearth, or rather
the fire burning on the hearth, was regarded as one of the
twelve great gods, and accordingly as a daughter of Cronus
and Rhea. According to the common tradition, she was the
first-born daughter of Rhea, and was therefore the first of
the children that was swallowed by Cronus. (Hes. Th. 453,
&c.; Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 22; Apollod. 1.1.5.) She was, like
Artemis and Athena, a maiden divinity, and when Apollo and
Poseidon sued for her hand, she swore by the head of Zeus to
remain a virgin for ever (Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 24, &c.), and
in this character it was that her sacrifices consisted of
cows which were only one year old. The connection between
Hestia and Apollo and Poseidon, which is thus alluded to in
the legend, appears also in the temple of Delphi, where the
three divinities were worshipped in common, and Hestia and
Poseidon appeared together also at Olympia. (Paus. 5.26.26,
10.5.3; Hom. Hymn. 31.2.) As the hearth was looked upon as
the sacred centre of domestic life, so Hestia was the
goddess of domestic life and the giver of all domestic
happiness and blessings, and as such she was believed to
dwell in the inner part of every house (Hom. Hymn. in Ven.
30; Callim. Hymn. in Del. 325, in Cer. 129), and to have
invented the art of building houses. (Diod. 5.68; Eustath.
ad Hom. p. 735.) In this respect she appears often together
with Hermes, who was likewise a deus penetralis, as
protecting the works of man. (Hom. Hymn. 32.10: Paus.
10.11.3.) As the hearth of a house is at the same time the
altar on which sacrifices are offered to the domestic gods
(ἑστιοῦχοι or ἐφέστιοι), Hestia was looked upon as presiding
at all sacrifices, and, as the goddess of the sacred fire of
the altar, she had a share in the sacrifices in all the
temples of the gods. (Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 31.) Hence when
sacrifices were offered, she was invoked first, and the
first part of the sacrifice was offered to her. (Hom. Hymn.
32.5; Pind. N. 11.5; Plat. Cratyl. p. 401d. ; Paus. 5.14.5;
Schol. ad Aristoph. Vesp. 842 ; Hesych. s. v. ἀφ̓ ἑστίας
ἀρχόμενος.) Solemn oaths were sworn by the goddess of the
hearth, and the hearth itself was the sacred asylum where
suppliants implored the protection of the inhabitants of the
house. (Hom. Od. 14.159; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1579.) A town
or city is only an extended family, and therefore had
likewise its sacred hearth, the symbol of an harmonious
community of citizens and of a common worship. This public
hearth usually existed in the prytaneium of a town, where
the goddess had her especial sanctuary (Δάλαμος), under the
name of Πρυτανῖτις, with a statue and the sacred hearth.
There the prytanes offered sacrifices to her, on entering
upon their office, and there, as at a private hearth, Hestia
protected the suppliants. As this public hearth was the
sacred asylum in every town, the state usually received its
guests and foreign ambassadors there, and the prytanes had
to act the part of hosts. When a colony was sent out, the
emigrants took the fire which was to burn on the hearth of
their new home from that of the mother town. (Pind. N. 11.1,
&c., with the Scholiast; Parthen. Erot. 18; Dionys. A. R.
2.65.) If ever the fire of her hearth became extinct, it was
not allowed to be lighted again with ordinary fire, but
either by fire produced by friction, or by burning glasses
drawing fire from the sun. The mystical speculations of
later times proceeded from the simple ideas of the ancients,
and assumed a sacred hearth not only in the centre of the
earth, but even in that of the universe, and confounded
Hestia in various ways with other divinities, such as
Cybele, Gaea, Demeter, Persephone, and Artemis. (Orph. Hymn.
83; Plut. de Plac. Philos. 3, 11, Numa, 11.) There were but
few special temples of Hestia in Greece, as in reality every
prytaneum was a sanctuary of the goddess, and as a portion
of the sacrifices, to whatever divinity they were offered,
belonged to her. There was, however, a separate temple of
Hestia at Hermione, though it contained no image of her, but
only an altar. (Paus. 2.35.2.) Her sacrifices consisted of
the primitiae of fruit, water, oil, wine, and cows of one
year old. (Hesych. l.c. ; Hom. Hymn. 31.3, 32.6; Pind. N.
11.6.) The Romans worshipped the same goddess, or rather the
same ideas embodied in her, under the name of Vesta, which
is in reality identical with Hestia; but as the Roman
worship of Vesta differed in several points from that of
Hestia in Greece, we treat of Vesta in a separate article. -
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hippolyta or Hippolyte (Ἱππολύτη) is the
Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given
by her father Ares, the god of war. Hippolyta first appears in
myth when she encounters Theseus, king of Athens, who was
accompanying Heracles on his quest against the Amazons. When
Theseus first arrived at the land of the Amazon they expected
no malice, and so Hippolyta came to his ship bearing gifts.
Once she was aboard Theseus abducted her and made her his
wife. Thereafter Theseus and a pregnant Hippolyta returned to
Athens. Theseus' brazen act sparked an Amazonomachy, a great
battle between the Athenians and Amazons...
Read More
（Ἱππούτη).
1. A daughter of Ares and Otrera, was queen of the Amazons,
and a sister of Antiope and Melanippe. She wore, as an emblem
of her dignity, a girdle given to her by her father; and when
Heracles, by the command of Eurystheus, came to fetch this
girdle, Hippolyte was slain by Heracles. (HERACLES; Hyg. Fab.
30.) According to another tradition, Hippolyte, with an army
of Amazons, marched into Attica, to take vengeance on Theseus
for having carried off Antiope; but being conquered by
Theseus, she fled to Megara, where she died of grief, and was
buried. Her tomb, which was shown there in later times, had
the form of an Amazon's shield. (Paus. 1.41.7; Plut. Thes. 27;
Apollod. 2.5.9; Apollon. 2.968.) In some accounts Hippolyte is
said to have been married to Theseus instead of Antiope.
Euripides, in his Hippolytus, makes her the mother of
Hippolytus. 2. The wife of Acastus, according to Pindar (Pind.
N. 4.57, 5.26); but Apollodorus calls her Astydameia.
[ACASTUS.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hippolytus (Greek Ἱππόλυτος meaning
"looser of horses"[1]) was a son of Theseus and either Antiope
or Hippolyte. He was identified with the Roman forest god
Virbius.
The most common legend regarding Hippolytus states that he was
killed after rejecting the advances of Phaedra, the second
wife of Theseus and Hippolytus's stepmother. Spurned, Phaedra
convinced Theseus that Hippolytus had raped her. Infuriated,
Theseus believed her and, using one of the three wishes he had
received from Poseidon, cursed Hippolytus. Hippolytus' horses
were frightened by a sea monster and dragged their rider to
his death. Alternatively, Dionysus sent a wild bull that
terrified Hippolytus' horses, causing them to drag Hippolytus
to his death...
Read More
（*(Ippo/lutos).
1. One of the giants who was killed by Hermes. (Apollod.
1.6.2.) 2. A son of Theseus by Hippolyte or Antiope. (Schol.
ad Aristoph. Ran. 873; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 449, 1329, 1332;
Eurip. Hippol.) After the death of the Amazon, Theseus
married Phaedra, who fell desperately in love with
Hippolytus; but as the passion was not responded to by the
stepson, she brought accusations against him before Theseus,
as if he had made improper proposals to her. Theseus
thereupon cursed his son, and requested his father (Aegeus
or Poseidon) to destroy him. (Cic. de Nat. Deor. 3.31, de
Off. 1.10 ; Serv. ad Aen. 6.445, 7.761.) Once therefore,
when Hippolytus was riding in his chariot along the sea-
coast, Poseidon sent a bull forth from the water. The horses
were frightened, upset the chariot, and dragged Hippolytus
till he was dead. Theseus afterwards learned the innocence
of his son, and Phaedra, in despair, made away with herself.
Asclepius restored Hippolytus to life again, and, according
to Italian traditions, Artemis placed him, under the name of
Virbius, under the protection of the nymph Egeria, in the
grove of Aricia, in Latium, where he was honoured with
divine worship. (Hyg. Fab. 47, 49; Apollod. 3.10.3; Ov. Met.
15.490, &c., Fast. 3.265, 6.737 ; Hor. Carm. 4.7.25; comp.
VIRBIUS.) There was a monument of his at Athens, in front of
the temple of Themis. (Paus. 1.22.1.) At Troezene, where a
tomb of Hippolytus was shown, there was a different
tradition about him. (Paus. 1.22.2; comp. Eurip.
Hippolytus.）
There are two other mythical personages of this name.
(Apollod. 2.1.5; Diod. 4.31.) - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Hippomenes (Ἰππομένης), also known as
Melanion, was the husband of Atalanta. When men who were
struck by Atalanta's beauty watched her run through the
forest, she became angry and told them "I will race anyone who
wants to marry me! Whoever is so swift that he can outrun me
will receive the prize of my hand in marriage! But whomever I
beat - will die."...
Read More
[CHARITES.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology Europa (Greek Εὐρώπη) was a Phoenician
woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent
Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in
Hesiod's long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and
Tethys.[1] The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a
white bull was a Cretan story; as Kerényi points out "most of
the love-stories concerning Zeus originated from more ancient
tales describing his marriages with goddesses. This can
especially be said of the story of Europa".[2]
The daughter of the earth-giant Tityas and mother of Euphemus
by Poseidon was also named Europa.
Europa's earliest literary reference is in the Iliad, which is
commonly dated to the 8th century BC.[3] Another early
reference to her is in a fragment of the Hesiodic Catalogue of
Women, discovered at Oxyrhyncus.[4] The earliest vase-painting
securely identifiable as Europa, dates from mid-7th century
BC.[5]...
Read More
（Εὐρώπη), according to the Iliad (14.321), a daughter of
Phoenix, but according to the common tradition a daughter of
Agenor, was carried off by Zeus, who had metamorphosed himself
into a bull, from Phoenicia to Crete. (Apollod. 3.1.1; Mosch.
2.7; Hdt. 1.173; Paus. 7.4.1, 9.19.1; Ov. Met. 2.839, &c.;
Comp. AGENOR.) Europe, as a part of the world, was believed to
have received its name from this fabulous Phoenician princess.
(Hom. Hymn. in Apoll. 251; Hdt. 4.45.) There are two other
mythical personages of this name (lies. Theog. 357; Pind. P.
4.46), which occurs also as a surname of Demeter. (Paus.
9.39.4.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
East wind (Eurus)- Eurus (Greek: Εύρος, Eúros) was the Greek
deity representing the unlucky east wind. He was thought to
bring warmth and rain, and his symbol was an inverted vase,
spilling water. His Roman counterpart was Vulturnus, not to be
confused with Volturnus, a tribal river-god who later became a
Roman deity of the River Tiber...
Read More
Euryale (Greek: Εὐρυάλη, English translation: "far-roaming"),
in Greek mythology, was one of the Gorgons, three vicious
sisters with brass hands, sharp fangs, and hair of living,
venomous snakes. She, like her sisters, was able to turn any
creature to stone with her gaze. Her sister Stheno was also
immortal, but Medusa, the last of the sisters, was mortal.
They were daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. In many stories,
Euryale is noted for her bellowing cries, particularly in the
tale of Medusa's death at Perseus' hands.
Another Euryale, daughter of King Minos of Crete, was the
mother of Orion, in Hesiod and other sources; there are other
stories of his birth as well. - Wikipedia
Read More
（Εὐριάλη), the name of three mythical beings. (Hes. Th. 276;
Pind. P. 22.20; Apollod. 1.4.3; V. Fl. 5.312 ; comp. ORION.) -
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Eurydice (Εὐρυδίκη, Eurydíkē) (yur-ID-ih-see) in Greek
mythology, was an oak nymph or one of the daughters of Apollo
(the god of light). She was the wife of Orpheus, who loved her
dearly; on their wedding day, he played joyful songs as his
bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr saw and
pursued Eurydice, who stepped on a venomous snake, dying
instantly. Distraught, Orpheus played and sang so mournfully
that all the nymphs and gods wept and told him to travel to
the Underworld and retrieve her, which he gladly did. After
his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone, his
singing so sweet that even the Erinyes wept, he was allowed to
take her back to the world of the living. In another version,
Orpheus played his lyre to put Cerberus, the guardian of
Hades, to sleep, after which Eurydice was allowed to return
with Orpheus to the world of the living. Either way, the
condition was attached that he must walk in front of her and
not look back until both had reached the upper world. However,
just as they reached the portals of Hades and daylight, he
could not help but turn around to gaze on her face, and
Eurydice vanished again from his sight, this time forever...
Read More
（Εὐρυδίκη). The most celebrated of the many mythical
personages bearing this name is Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus.
[ORPHEUS.] There are seven others beside, viz. one of the
Danaides (Apollod. 2.1.5), a daughter of Adrastus and mother
of Laomedon (Apollod. 3.12.3), a daughter of Lacedaemon and
wife of Acrisius (Apollod. 2.2.2, 3.10.3; Paus. 3.13.6), a
daughter of Clymenus and wife of Nestor (Hom. Od. 3.452), the
wife of Lycurgus and mother of Archemorus (Apollod. 1.9.14),
the wife of Creon, king of Thebes (Soph. Antigone), and,
according to the "Cypria," the wife of Aeneias. (Paus.
10.26.1.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Eurystheus (Εὐρυσθεύς meaning "wide
strength" in folk etymology) was king of Tiryns, one of
three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid: Sthenelus was
his father and the "victorious horsewoman" Nicippe his
mother, and he was a grandson of the hero Perseus, as was
his opponent Heracles. He was married to Antimache,[1]
daughter of Amphidamas. In the contest of wills between Hera
and Zeus over whose candidate would be hero, fated to defeat
the remaining creatures representing an old order and bring
about the reign of the Twelve Olympians, Eurystheus was
Hera's candidate and Heracles - though his name implies that
at one archaic stage of myth-making he had carried "Hera's
fame" - was the candidate of Zeus.[2] The arena for the
actions that would bring about this deep change are the
Twelve Labors imposed on Heracles by Eurystheus. The
immediate necessity for the Labours of Heracles is as
penance for Heracles' murder of his own family, in a fit of
madness, which had been sent by Hera; however, further human
rather than mythic motivation is supplied by mythographers
who note that their respective families had been rivals for
the throne of Mycenae. Details of the individual episodes
may be found in the article on the Labours of Heracles, but
Hera was connected with all of the opponents Heracles had to
overcome.[3]...
Read More
[HERACLES.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, Euterpe (Eὐτέρπη) (pronounced /juː
ˈtɜrpiː/, /eu̯térpɛ̀ː/ in Ancient Greek, or [ɛfˈtɛrpi] in
Modern Greek; "rejoicing well" or "delight" from Ancient Greek
εὖ (well) + τέρπειν terpein (to please)) was one of the Muses,
the daughters of Mnemosyne, fathered by Zeus. Called the
"Giver of delight", when later poets assigned roles to each of
the Muses, she was the muse of music. In late Classical times
she was named muse of lyric poetry and depicted holding a
flute. A few say she invented the aulos or double-flute,
though most mythographers credit Marsyas with its invention.
The river god Strymon impregnated Euterpe; her son Rhesus led
a band of Thracians and was killed by Diomedes at Troy,
according to Homer's Iliad. - Wikipedia
Read More
[MUSAE.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
The Fates were three mythological goddesses and may refer to:
Moirae the Fates of Greek mythology
Parcae, the Fates of Roman mythology
Read More
The faun (also phaunos or faunus) is a rustic forest god or
place-spirit (genii) of Roman mythology often associated with
Greek satyrs and the Greek god Pan[1]. The faun is a half
human - half goat (from the head to the waist being the human
half, but with the addition of goat's horns) manifestation of
forest and animal spirits which would help or hinder humans at
whim. Romans believed fauns inspired fear in men traveling in
lonely, remote or wild places but were also capable of guiding
humans in need...
Read More
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Faunus was the horned god
of the forest, plains and fields; when he made cattle fertile
he was called Inuus. He came to be equated in literature with
the Greek god Pan.
Faunus was one of the oldest Roman deities, known as the di
indigetes. According to the epic poet Virgil, he was a
legendary king of the Latins who came with his people from
Arcadia. His shade was consulted as a god of prophecy under
the name of Fatuus, with oracles[1] in the sacred grove of
Tibur, around the well Albunea, and on the Aventine Hill in
ancient Rome itself [2]
Marcus Terentius Varro asserted that the oracular responses
were given in Saturnian verse.[3] Faunus revealed the future
in dreams and voices that were communicated to those who came
to sleep in his precincts, lying on the fleeces of sacrificed
lambs. W. Warde Fowler suggested that Faunus is identical with
Favonius,[4] one of the Roman wind gods (compare the
Anemoi)...
Read More
the son of Picus and father of Latinus, was the third in the
series of the kings of the Laurentes. In his reign Faunus,
like his two predecessors, Picus and Saturn, had promoted
agriculture and the breeding of cattle among his subjects,
and also distinguished himself as a hunter. (Plin. Nat. 9.6;
Propert. 4.2. 34.) In his reign likewise the Arcadian
Evander and Heracles were believed to have arrived in
Latium. (Plut. Parall. Gr. et Rom. 38.) Faunus acts a very
prominent part in the mythical history of Latium, for,
independent of what he did for agriculture, he was regarded
as one of the great founders of the religion of the country;
hence Lactantius (1.24.9) places him on an equality with
Numa. He was therefore in later times worshipped in two
distinct capacities: first, as the god of fields and
shepherds, and secondly, as an oracular and prophetic
divinity. The festival of the Faumalia, which was celebrated
on the 5th of December, by the country people, with great
feasting and merriment, had reference to him as the god of
agriculture and cattle. (Hor. Carm. 3.18.) As a prophetic
god, he was believed to reveal the future to man, partly in
dreams, and partly by voices of unknown origin. （Verg. A.
7.81, &c.; Cic. de Nut. Deor. 2.2, 3.6, de Divin. 1.45.)
What he was in this respect to the male sex, his wife Fauna
or Faula was to the female, whence they bore the surnames
Fatuus, Fatua, or Fatuellus, Fatuella, derived from fari,
fatum. (Justin, 43.1; Lactant. 1.22.) They are said to have
given their oracles in Saturnian verse, whence we may
perhaps infer that there existed in Latium collections of
oracles in this metre. (Varro, de L. L. 7.36.) The places
where such oracles were given were sacred groves, one near
Tibur, around the well Albunea, and another on the Aventine,
near Rome. (Virg. l.c.; Ov. Fast. 4.649, &c.) The rites
observed in the former place are minutely described by
Virgil : a priest offered up a sheep and other sacrifices;
and the person who consulted the oracle had to sleep one
night on the skin of the victim, during which the god gave
an answer to his questions either in a dream or in
supernatural voices. Similar rites are described by Ovid as
having taken place on the Aventine. (Comp. Isidor. 8.11,
87.) There is a tradition that Numa, by a stratagem,
compelled Picus and his son Faunus to reveal to him the
secret of calling down lightning from heaven [ELICIUS], and
of purifying things struck by lightning. (Arnob. 5.1; Plut.
Num. 15; Ov. Fast. 3.291, &c.) At Rome there was a round
temple of Faunus, surrounded with columns, on Mount Caelius
and another was built to him, in B. C. 196, on the island in
the Tiber, where sacrifices were offered to him on the ides
of February, the day on which the Fabii had perished on the
Cremera. (Liv. 33.42, 34.53; P. Vict. Reg. Urb. 2; Vitr.
3.1; Ov. Fast. 2.193.) In consequence of the mauner in which
be gave his oracles, he was looked upon as the author of
spectral appearances and terrifying sounds (Dionys. A. R.
5.16); and he is therefore described as a wanton and
voluptuous god, dwelling in woods, and fond of nymphs.
(Horat. l.c.) The way in which the god manifested himself
seems to have given rise to the idea of a plurality of fauns
(Fauni), who are described as monsters, half goat, and with
horns. (Ov. Fast. 5.99, Heroid. 4.49.) Faunus thus gradually
came to be identified with the Arcadian Pan, and the Fauni
as identical with the Greek satyrs, whence Ovid (Ov. Met.
6.392) uses the expression Fauni et Satyri fratres. As
Faunus, and afterwards the Fauni, were believed to be
particularly fond of frightening persons in various ways, it
is not an improbable conjecture that Faunus may be a
euphemistic name, and connected with faveo. (Hartung, Die
Relig. d. Röm. vol. ii. p. 183, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Favonius
Zephyrus' Roman equivalent was Favonius, who held dominion
over plants and flowers. The name Favonius, which meant
"favorable", was also a common Roman name...
Read More
In Roman mythology, Flora was a goddess of flowers and the
season of spring. While she was otherwise a relatively minor
figure in Roman mythology, being one among several fertility
goddesses, her association with the spring gave her particular
importance at the coming of springtime. Her festival, the
Floralia, was held in April or early May and symbolized the
renewal of the cycle of life, drinking, and flowers. Her Greek
equivalent was Chloris. Flora was married to Favonius, the
wind god, and her companion was Hercules. Her name is derived
from the Latin word "flos" which means "flower." In modern
English, "Flora" also means the plants of a particular region
or period. [1]
Flora achieved more prominence in the neo-pagan revival of
Antiquity among Renaissance humanists than she had ever
enjoyed in ancient Rome.
One of the fairies in the Sleeping Beauty is named Flora after
this goddess. - Wikipedia
Read More
the Roman goddess of flowers and spring. The writers, whose
object it was to bring the Roman religion into contempt,
relate that Flora had been, like Acca Laurentia, a courtezan,
who accumulated a large property, and bequeathed it to the
Roman people, in return for which she was honoured with the
annual festival of the Floralia. (Lactant. 1.20.) But her
worship was established at Rome in the very earliest times,
for a temple is said to have been vowed to her by king Tatius
(Varro, de. L. L. 5.74), and Numa appointed a flamen to her.
The resemblance between the names Flora and Chloris led the
later Romans to identify the two divinities. Her temple at
Rome was situated near the Circus Maximus (Tac. Ann. 2.49),
and her festival was celebrated from the 28th of April till
the first of May, with extravagant merriment and
lasciviousness. (Dict. of Ant. s. v. Floralia.) - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Fortuna (equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) was the
goddess of fortune and personification of luck in Roman
religion. She might bring good luck or bad: she could be
represented as veiled and blind, as in modern depictions of
Justice, and came to represent life's capriciousness. She was
also a goddess of fate: as Atrox Fortuna, she claimed the
young lives of the princeps Augustus' grandsons Gaius and
Lucius, prospective heirs to the Empire.[1]
Her father was said to be Jupiter and like him, she could also
be bountiful (Copia). As Annonaria she protected grain
supplies. June 11 was sacred to her: on June 24 she was given
cult at the festival of Fors Fortuna.[2][3]...
Read More
the goddess of chance or good luck, was worshipped both in
Greece and Italy, and more particularly at Rome, where she
was considered as the steady goddess of good luck, success,
and every kind of prosperity. The great confidence which the
Romans placed in her is expressed in the story related by
Plutarch (de Fortitud. Rom. 4), that on entering Rome she
put off her wings and shoes, and threw away the globe, as
she intended to take up her permanent abode among the
Romans. Her worship is traced to the reign of Ancus Martius
and Servius Tullius, and the latter is said to have built
two temples to her, the one in the forum boarium, and the
other on the banks of the Tiber. (Plut. l.c. 5, 10; Dionys.
A. R. 4.27; Liv. 10.46 ; Ov. Fast. 6.570.) The Romans
mention her with a variety of surnames and epithets, as
publica, privata, muliebris (said to have originated at the
time when Coriolanus was prevented by the entreaties of the
women from destroying Rome, Plut. l.c.), regina,
conservatrix, primigenia, virilis, &c. Fortuna Virginensis
was worshipped by newlymarried women, who dedicated their
maiden garments and girdle in her temple. (Arnob. 2.67 ;
Augustin. de Civ. Dci, 4.11.) Ovid (Fast iv. 145) tells us
that Fortuna Virilis was worshipped by women, who prayed to
her that she might preserve their charms, and thus enable
them to please their husbands. Her surnames, in general,
express either particular kinds of good luck or the persons
or classes of persons to whom she granted it. Her worship
was of great importance also at Antium and Praeneste, where
her sortes or oracles were very celebrated. (Dict. of Ant.
s. v. Oraculum; Hartung, die Relig. d. Röm. vol. ii. p. 233,
&c. Comp. TYCHE.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology the Erinýes (Ἐρινύες, pl. of Ἐρινύς,
Erinýs; literally "the angry ones") or Eumenídes (Εὐμενίδες,
pl. of Εὐμενίς; literally "the gracious ones" but also
translated as "Kind-hearted Ones" or "Kindly Ones") or Furies
or Dirae in Roman mythology were female chthonic deities of
vengeance or supernatural personifications of the anger of the
dead. A formulaic oath in the Iliad (iii.278ff; xix.260ff)
invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever
has sworn a false oath". Burkert suggests they are "an
embodiment of the act of self-cursing contained in the
oath".[1]...
Read More
[EUMENIDES.] - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and
mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Gaia (pronounced /ˈɡeɪ.ə/ or /ˈɡaɪ.ə/; from Ancient Greek Γαῖα
"land" or "earth"; also Gæa, Gaea or Gea, from Koine and
Modern Greek Γῆ[1]) is the primal Greek goddess personifying
the Earth, the Greek version of "Mother Nature", of which the
earliest reference to the term is the Mycenaean Greek ma-ka
(transliterated as ma-ga), "Mother Gaia", written in Linear B
syllabic script.[2]
Gaia is a primordial deity in the Ancient Greek pantheon and
considered a Mother Titan or Great Titan.
Her equivalent in the Roman pantheon was Terra Mater or
Tellus. Romans, unlike Greeks, did not consistently
distinguish an Earth Titan (Tellus) from a grain goddess
(Ceres).[3]...
Read More
or GE (Γαια or Γῆ), the personification of the earth. She
appears in the character of a divine being as early as the
Homeric poems, for we read in the Hiad (3.104) that black
sheep were sacrificed to her, and that she was invoked by
persons taking oaths. (3.278, 15.36, 19.259, Od. 5.124.) She
is further called, in the Homeric poems, the mother of
Erechthens and Tithyus. (Il. 2.548, Od. 7.324, 11.576; comp.
Apollon. 1.762, 3.716. According to the Theogony of Hesiod
(117, 12,5, &c.), she was the first being that sprang front
Chaos, sand gave birth to Uranus and Pontus. By Uranus she
then became the mother of a series of beings,--Oceanus,
Coeus, Creius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Theia, Rheia, Themis,
Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Thetys, Cronos, the Cyclopes, Brontes,
Steropes, Arges, Cottus, Briareus, and Gyges. These children
of Ge and Uranus were hated by their father, and Ge
therefore concealed. them in the bosom of the earth; but she
made a large iron sickle, gave it to her sons, and requested
them to take vengeance upon their father. Cronos undertook
the task, and mutilated Uranus. The drops of blood which
fell from him upon the earth (Ge), became the seeds of the
Erinnyes, the Gigantes, and the Melian nymphs. Subsequently
Ge became, by Pontus, the mother of Nereus, Thaumas,
Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia. (Hes. Th. 232, &c.; Apollod.
1.1.1, &c.) Besides these, however, various other divinities
and monsters sprang from her. As Ge was the source from
which arose the vapours producing divine inspiration, she
herself also was regarded as an oracular divinity, and it is
well known that the oracle of Delphi was believed to have at
first been in her possession (Aeschyl. Eum. 2; Paus.
10.5.3), and at Olympia, too, she had an oracle in early
times. (Paus. 5.14.8.) That Ge belonged to the Δεοὶ χθίνιοι,
requires no explanation, and hence she is frequently
mentioned where they are invoked. (Philostr. Va. Apoll.
6.39; Ov. Met. 7.196.) The surnames and epithets given to Ge
have more or less reference to her character as the all-
producing and all-nourishing mother (mater omniparens et
alma), and hence Servius (Serv. ad Aen. 4.166) classes her
together with the divinities presiding over marriage. Her
worship appears to have been universal among the Greeks, and
she had temples or altars at Athens, Sparta, Delphi,
Olympia, Bura, Tegea, Phlyus, and other places. (Thuc. 2.15;
Paus. 1.22.3, 24.3, 31.2, 3.11.8, 12.7, 5.14.8, 7.25.8,
8.48.6.) We have express statements attesting the existence
of statues of Ge in Greece, but none have come down to us.
At Patrae she was represented in a sitting attitude, in the
temple of Demeter (Paus. 7.21.4), and at Athens, too, there
was a statue of her. (1.24.3.) Servius (Serv. ad Aen.
10.252) remarks that she was represented with a key.
At Rome the earth was worshipped under the name of Tellus
(which is only a variation of Terra). There, too, she was
regarded as an infernal divinity (Δέα χθόνια) being
mentioned in connection with Dis and the Manes, and when
persons invoked them or Tellus they sank their arms
downwards, while in invoking Jupiter they raised them to
heaven. (Varro, de Re Rust. 1.1. 15; Macr. 3.9; Liv. 8.9,
10.29.) The consul P. Sempronius Sophus, in B. C. 304, built
a temple to Tellus in consequence of an earthquake which had
occurred during the war with the Picentians. This temple
stood on the spot which had formerly been occupied by the
house of Sp. Cassius, in the street leading to the Carinae.
(Flor. 1.19.2; Liv. 2.41; V. Max. 6.3.1; Plin. Nat. 34.6,
14; Dionys. A. R. 8.79.) Herfestival was celebrated on the
15th of April, immediately after that of Ceres, and was
called Fordicidia or Hordicidia. The sacrifice, consisting
of cows, was offered up in the Capitol inthe presence of the
Vestals. A male divinity, to whom the pontiff prayed on that
occasion, was called Tellumo. (Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm.
vol. ii. p. 84, &c.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Galatea (Greek: Γαλάτεια; "she who is milk-white")[1] is a
name popularly applied to the statue carved of ivory by
Pygmalion of Cyprus in Greek mythology. An allusion to Galatea
in modern English has become a metaphor for a statue that has
come to life. Galatea is also the name of Polyphemus's object
of desire in Theocritus's Idylls VI and XI and is linked with
Polyphemus again in the myth of Acis and Galatea in Ovid's
Metamorphoses...
Read More
Galatea (Greek: Γαλάτεια; "she who is milk-white")[1] is a
name popularly applied to the statue carved of ivory by
Pygmalion of Cyprus in Greek mythology. An allusion to Galatea
in modern English has become a metaphor for a statue that has
come to life. Galatea is also the name of Polyphemus's object
of desire in Theocritus's Idylls VI and XI and is linked with
Polyphemus again in the myth of Acis and Galatea in Ovid's
Metamorphoses...
Read More
In Greek mythology, Ganymede, or Ganymedes (Greek: Γανυμήδης,
Ganymēdēs), is a divine hero whose homeland was Troy. He was a
prince, son of the eponymous Tros of Dardania and of
Callirrhoe, and brother of Ilus and Assaracus. Ganymede was
the most attractive of mortals, which led Zeus to abduct him,
in the form of an eagle, to serve as cup-bearer to the gods
and, in Classical and Hellenistic Greece, as Zeus's eromenos.
For the etymology of his name, Robert Graves' The Greek Myths
offers ganyesthai + medea, "rejoicing in virility".
One of the moons of Jupiter is named after him, and was
discovered by Galileo Galilei...
Read More
（Γανυμήδης). According to Homer and others, he was a son of
Tros by Calirrhoe, and a brother of Ilus and Assaracus;
being the most beautiful of all mortals, he was carried off
by the gods that he might fill the cup of Zeus, and live
among the eternal gods. (Hom. Il. 20.231, &c.; Pind. O. 1.
44, xi. in fin.; Apollod. 3.12.2.) The traditions about
Ganymedes, however, differ greatly in their detail, for some
call him a son of Laomedon (Cic. Tusc. 1.22; Eur. Tro. 822),
others a son of Ilus (Tzetz. ad Lycph. 34), and others,
again, of Erichthonius or Assaracus. (Hyg. Fab. 224, 271.)
The manner in which he was carried away from the earth is
likewise differently described; for while Homer mentions the
gods in general, later writers state that Zeus himself
carried him off, either in his natural shape, or in the form
of an eagle, or that he sent his eagle to fetch Ganymedes
into heaven. (Apollod. l.c. ; Verg. A. 5.253; Ov. Met.
10.255; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 4.) Other statements of later
date seem to be no more than arbitrary interpretations
foisted upon the genuine legend. Thus we are told that he
was not carried off by any god, but either by Tantalus or
Minos, that he was killed during the chase, and buried on
the Mysian Olympus. (Steph. Byz. s. v. Ἀρπαλία; Strab. xiii.
p.587 ; Eustath. ad Hom. pp. 986, 1205.) One tradition,
which has a somewhat more genuine appearance, stated that he
was carried off by Eos. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 3.115.)
There is, further, no agreement as to the place where the
event occurred. (Strab., Steph. Byz. ll. cc., Hor. Carm.
3.20, in fin.) The early legend simply states that Ganymedes
was carried off that he might be the cupbearer of Zeus, in
which office he was conceived to have succeeded Hebe (comp.
Diod. 4.75; Verg. A. 1.28) : but later writers describe him
as the beloved and favourite of Zeus, without allusion to
his office. (Eur. Orest. 1392; Plat. Phaedr. p. 255; Xenoph.
Symp. 8.30; Cic. Tusc. 4.33.) Zeus compensated the father
for his loss with the present of a pair of divine horses
(Hom. Il. 5.266, Hymn. in Ven. 202, &c.; Apollod. 2.5.9 ;
Paus. 5.24.1 ), and Hermes, who took the horses to Tros, at
the same time comforted him by informing him that by the
will of Zeus, Ganymedes had become immortal and exempt from
old age. Other writers state that the compensation which
Zeus gave to Tros consisted of a golden vine. (Schol. ad
Eurip. Orest. 1399; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1697.) The idea of
Ganymedes being the cupbearer of Zeus (urniger) subsequently
gave rise to his identification with the divinity who was
believed to preside over the sources of the Nile (Philostr.
Vit. Apoll. 6.26; Pind. Fragm. 110. ed. Böckh.), and of his
being placed by astronomers among the stars under the name
of Aquarius. (Eratosth. Catast. 26; Verg. G. 3.304; Hyg.
Fab. 224; Poet. Astr. 2.29.) Ganymedes was frequently
represented in works of art as a beautiful youth with the
Phrygian cap. He appears either as the companion of Zeus
(Paus. 5.24.1), or in the act of being carried off by an
eagle, or of giving food to an eagle from a patera. The
Romans called Ganymnedes by a corrupt form of his name
Catamitus. (Plaut. Men. 1.2. 34.)
Ganymedes was an appellation sometimes given to handsome
slaves who officiated as cupbearers. (Petron. 91; Martial,
Epigr. 9.37; Juv. 5.59.) - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Glaucus (Greek: Γλαῦκος) was a Greek sea-god. His parentage is
different in the different traditions, which Athenaeus lists
(Athen. vii. c. 48 , Claud. de Nupt. Mar. x. 158.):
Theolytus the Methymnaean, in his Bacchic Odes - Copeus (also
records an affair between Glaucus and Ariadne)
Promathides of Heraclea, in his Half Iambics - Polybus of
Sicyon (by his wife Euboea)
Mnaseas, in Book III of his History of the Affairs of Europe -
Anthedon and Alcyone
Euanthes, in his Hymn to Glaucus - Poseidon and the nymph
Naias...
Read More
7. Of Anthedon in Boeotia, a fisherman, who had the good
luck to eat a part of the divine herb which Cronos had sown,
and which made Glaucus immortal. (Ath. 7.295; Claud. de
Nupt. Mar. 10.158.) His parentage is different in the
different traditions, which are enumerated by Athenaeus;
some called his father Copeus, others Polybus, the husband
of Euboea, and others again Anthedon or Poseidon. He was
further said to have been a clever diver, to have built the
ship Argo, and to have accompanied the Argonauts as their
steersman. In the sea-fight of Jason against the
Tyrrhenians, Glaucus alone remained unhurt; he sank to the
bottom of the sea, where he was visible to none save to
Jason. From this moment he became a marine deity, and was of
service to the Argonauts. The story of his sinking or
leaping into the sea was variously modified in the different
traditions. (Bekker, Anecdot. p. 347; Schol. ad Plat. de
Leg. x. p. 611.) There was a belief in Greece that once in
every year Glaucus visited all the coasts and islands,
accompanied by marine monsters, and gave his prophecies.
(Paus. 9.22.6.) Fishermen and sailors paid particular
reverence to him, and watched his oracles, which were
believed to be very trustworthy. The story of his various
loves seems to have been a favourite subject with the
ancient poets, and many of his l06e adventures are related
by various writers. The place of his abode varies in the
different traditions, but Aristotle stated that he dwelt in
Delos, where, in conjunction with the nymphs, he gave
oracles; for his prophetic power was said by some to be even
greater than that of Apollo, who is called his disciple in
it. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 1.1310; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 753;
Eustath. ad Hom. p. 271; Ov. Met. 13.904, &c.; Serv. ad
Virg. Georg. 1.437, Aen. 3.420, 5.832, 6.36; Strab. p. 405.)
A representation of Glaucus is described by Philostratus
(Imag 1.15): he was seen as a man whose hair and beard were
dripping with water, with bristly eye-brows, his breast
covered with sea-weeds, and the lower part of the body
ending in the tail of a fish. (For further descriptions of
his appearance, see Nonn. Dionys. 13.73, 35.73, 39.99;
Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 318, 364 ; Stat. Silv. 3.2, 36,
Theb. 7.335, &c.; Vell. 2.83.) This deified Glaucus was
likewise chosen by the Greek poets as the subject of
dramatic compositions (Welcker, Die Aeschyl. Trilogie, pp.
311, &c., 471, &c., Nachtrag, p. 176, &c.), and we know from
Velleius Paterculus that the mimus Plancus represented this
marine daemon on the stage. - A Dictionary of Greek and
Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece (Greek: Χρυσόμαλλον
Δέρας, Georgian: ოქროს საწმისი) is the fleece of the gold-
haired[1] winged ram. It figures in the tale of Jason and his
band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King
Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on
the throne of Iolcus in Thessaly. The story is of great
antiquity – it was current in the time of Homer (eighth
century BC) – and consequently it survives in various forms,
among which details vary. Thus, in later versions of the story
the ram is said to have been the offspring of the sea god
Poseidon and Themisto (less often, Nephele or Theophane). The
classic telling is the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes,
composed in mid-third century BC Alexandria, recasting early
sources that have not survived. Another, much less-known
Argonautica, using the same body of myth, was composed in
Latin by Valerius Flaccus during the time of Vespasian...
Read More
In Greek mythology, the Gorgon (plural: Gorgons) (Greek:
Γοργών or Γοργώ Gorgon/Gorgo) was a terrifying female
creature. It derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means
"dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek
literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters
who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a horrifying gaze
that turned those who beheld it to stone. Traditionally, while
two of the Gorgons were immortal, Stheno and Euryale, their
sister Medusa was not, and was slain by the mythical hero
Perseus.
Gorgons were a popular image of Greek mythology, appearing in
the earliest of written records of Ancient Greek religious
beliefs such as those of Homer. Because of their legendary
gaze, images of the Gorgons were put upon objects and
buildings for protection. For example, an image of a Gorgon
holds the primary location at the pediment of the temple at
Corfu. It is the oldest stone pediment in Greece and is dated
to c. 600 BC...
Read More
In Greek mythology, a Charis (Χάρις) is one of several
Charites (Χάριτες; Greek: "Graces"), goddesses of charm,
beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They
ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea
("Beauty"), Euphrosyne ("Mirth"), and Thalia ("Good Cheer").
In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the
"Graces". In some cases Charis was one of the Graces and was
not the plural form of their name.
The Charites were usually considered the daughters of Zeus and
Eurynome, though they were also said to be daughters of
Dionysus and Aphrodite or of Helios and the naiad Aegle. Homer
wrote that they were part of the retinue of Aphrodite. The
Charites were also associated with the underworld and the
Eleusinian Mysteries.
The river Cephissus near Delphi was sacred to them...
Read More
The Graeae (English translation: "old women", "gray ones", or
"gray witches"; alternatively spelled Graiai (Γραῖαι), Graiae,
Graii), were three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth
among them. They are one of several trios of archaic goddesses
in Greek mythology. The Graeae were daughters of Phorcys, one
aspect of the "old man of the sea," and Ceto. Thus, they were
among the Phorcydes, all of which were primordial deities of
the sea or of the earth. The Graiae were sisters to the
Gorgons.[1] The Graeae took the form of old grey-haired women;
though, at times poets euphemistically described them as
"beautiful." Their age was so great that a human childhood for
them was hardly conceivable. Hesiod reports their names as
Deino (Δεινώ "dread", the dreadful anticipation of horror),
Enyo (Ἐνυώ "horror" the "waster of cities" who had an identity
separate from this sisterhood) and Pemphredo (Πεμφρηδώ
"alarm").[2] Hyginus adds a fourth, Persis or Perso...
Read More
（Γραῖαι), that is, " the old women." were daughters of
Phorcys and Ceto. They had grey hair from their birth. Hesiod
(Hes. Th. 270, &c.) mentions only two Graeae, viz. Pephredo
and Enyo; Apollodorus (2.4.2) adds Deino as a third, and
Aeschylus (Prom. 819) also speaks of three Graeae. The
Scholiast on Aeschylus (Prom. 793) describes the Graeae, or
Phorcides, as he calls them, as having the figure of swans,
and he says that the three sisters had only one tooth and one
eye in common, which they borrowed from one another when they
wanted them. It is conmmonly believed that the Graeae, like
other members of the family of Phorcys, were marine
divinities, and personifications of the white foam seen on the
waves of the sea. (Comp. GORGO and PERSEUS.） - A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to
the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the
nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their
own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in
ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to the myths and study
them in an attempt to throw light on the religious and
political institutions of Ancient Greece, its civilization,
and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making
itself.[1] Some theologists speculate that the Ancient Greeks
created myths to explain nearly everything so that – so to
speak – no loose ends remained...
Read More
Hades (Άδης or Ἀΐδας; from Greek ᾍδης, Hadēs, originally
Ἅιδης, Haidēs or Άΐδης, Aidēs, meaning "the unseen"[1][2])
refers both to the ancient Greek underworld, the abode of
Hades, and to the god of the underworld. Hades in Homer
referred just to the god; the genitive ᾍδου, Haidou, was an
elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades".
Eventually, the nominative, too, came to designate the abode
of the dead...
Read More
or PLUTON (Ἅιδης, Πλούτων or poetically Ἀΐδης, Ἀἵδωνεύς and
Πλουτεν́ς), the god of the lower world. Plato (Cratyl. p.
403) observes that people preferred calling him Pluton (the
giver of wealth) to pronouncing the dreaded name of Hades or
Aides. Hence we find that in ordinary life and in the
mysteries the name Pluton became generally established,
while the poets preferred the ancient name Aides or the form
Pluteus. The etymology of Hades is uncertain: some derive it
from α-ιδεῖν, whence it would signify "the god who makes
invisible," and others from ἅδω or χάδω; so that Hades would
mean "the allembracer," or " all-receiver." The Roman poets
use the names Dis, Orcus, and Tartarus as synonymous with
Pluton, for the god of the lower world.
Hades is a son of Cronus and Rhea, and a brother of Zeus and
Poseidon. He was married to Persephone, the daughter of
Demeter. In the division of the world among the three
brothers, Hades obtained " the darkness of night," the abode
of the shades, over which he rules. (Apollod. i. ]. § 5,
2.1.) Hence he is called the infernal Zeus (Ζεὺς
καταχθόνιος), or the king of the shades (ἂναε ἐνέρων, Hom.
Il. 9.457, 20.61. 15.187, &c.). As, however, the earth and
Olympus belonged to the three brothers in common, he might
ascend Olympus, as he did at the time when he was wounded by
Heracles. (Il. 5.395; comp. Paus. 6.25.3; Apollod. 2.7.3;
ind. Ol. 9.31.) But when Hades was in his own kingdom, he
was quite unaware of what was going on either on earth or in
Olympus (Il. 20.61, &c.), and it was only the oaths and
curses of men that reached his ears, as they reached those
of the Erinnyes. He possessed a helmet which rendered the
wearer invisible (Il. 5.845), and later traditions stated
that this helmet was given him as a present by the Cyclopes
after their delivery from Tartarus. (Apollod. 1.2.1.)
Ancient story mentions both gods and men who were honoured
by Hades with the temporary use of this helmet. (Apollod.
1.6.2, 2.4.2.) His character is described as fierce and
inexorable, whence of all the gods he was most hated by
mortals. (Il. 9.158.) He kept the gates of the lower world
closed (whence he is called Πυλάρτης, Il. 8.367; comp. Paus.
5.20.1.; Orph. Hymn. 17. 4), that no shade might be able to
escape or return to the region of light. When mortals
invoked him, they struck the earth with their hands (Il.
9.567), and the sacrifices which were offered to him and
Persephone consisted of black male and female sheep, and the
person who offered the sacrifice had to turn away his face.
(Od. 10.527; Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 2.380.)
The ensign of his power was a staff, with which, like
Hermes, he drove the shades into the lower world (Pind. O.
9.35), where he had his palace and shared his throne with
his consort Persephone. When he carried off Persephone from
the upper world, he rode in a golden chariot drawn by four
black immortal horses. (Orph. Argon. 1192, Hymn. 17. 14; Ov.
Met. 5.404; Hom. Hymn. in Cer. 19; Claudian, Rapt. Proserp.
i. in fin.) Besides these horses he was also believed to
have herds of oxen in the lower world and in the island of
Erytheia, which were attended to by Menoetius. (Apollod.
2.5. §§ 10, 12.) Like the other gods, he was not a faithful
husband; the Furies are called his daughters (Serv. ad Aen.
1.86); the nymph Mintho, whom he loved, was metamorphosed by
Persephone into the plant called mint (Strab. viii. p.344;
Ov. Met. 10.728), and the nymph Leuce, with whom he was
likewise in love, was changed by him after her death into a
white poplar, and transferred to Elysium. (Serv. ad Virg.
Eclog. 7.61.) Being the king of the lower world, Pluton is
the giver of all the blessings that come from the earth: he
is the possessor and giver of all the metals contained in
the earth, and hence his name Pluton. (Hes. Op. et Dies,
435; Aeschyl. Prom. 805; Strab. iii. p.147; Lucian, Tim.
21.) He bears several surnames referring to his ultimately
assembling all mortals in his kingdom, and bringing them to
rest and peace; such as Polydegmon, Polydectes, Clymenus,
Παγκοίτης, &c. (Hom. Hymn. in Cer. 9; Aeschyl. Prom. 153 ;
Soph. Antig. 811; Paus. 2.35.7.) Hades was worshipped
throughout Greece and Italy. In Elis he had a sacred
enclosure and a temple, which was opened only once in every
year (Paus. 6.25.3) ; and we further know that lie had
temples at Pylos Triphyliacus, near Mount Menthe, between
Tralles and Nysa, at Athens in the grove of the Erinnyes,
and at Olympia. (Strab. iii. p.344, xiv. p. 649 Paus.
1.28.6, 5.20.1.) We possess few representations of this
divinity, but in those which still exist, he resembles his
brothers Zeus and Poseidon, except that his hair falls down
his forehead, and that the majesty of his appearance is dark
and gloomy. His ordinary attributes are the key of Hades and
Cerberus. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. i. p. 72, &c.)
In Homer Aides is invariably the name of the god; but in
later times it was transferred to his house, his abode or
kingdom, so that it became a name for the lower world
itself. We cannot enter here into a description of the
conceptions which the ancients formed of the lower world,
for this discussion belongs to mythical geography. - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
Read More
Dionysus or Dionysos (English pronunciation: /ˌdaɪ.ɵˈnaɪsəs/;
Greek: Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος, pron. [di.'o.ny.sos]) is the
ancient Greek god of wine, wine cups, wineskin, grapes,
theater, and fertility. The god who inspires ritual madness,
joyful worship, and ecstasy, carnivals, celebration and a
major figure of Greek mythology. He is included as one of the
twelve Olympians in some lists. Dionysus is typical of the god
of the epiphany, "the god that comes". He was also known as
Bacchus, the name adopted by the Romans[1] and the frenzy he
induces, bakkheia. In addition to winemaking, he is the patron
deity of agriculture and the theater. Hailed as an Asiatic
foreigner, he was thought to have had strong ties to the East
and to Ethiopia in the South. He was also known as the
Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's normal self,
by madness, ecstasy or wine.[2] The divine mission of Dionysus
was to mingle the music of the aulos and to bring an end to
care and worry.[3] Scholars have discussed Dionysus'
relationship to the "cult of the souls" and his ability to
preside over communication between the living and the
dead.[4]...
Read More
（*Dio/nusos or Διώνυσος), the youthful, beautiful, but
effeminate god of wine. He is also called both by Greeksand
Romans Bacchus (Βάκχος), that is, the noisy or riotous god,
which was originally a mere epithet or surname of Dionysus,
but does not occur till after the time of Herodotus.
According to the common tradition, Dionysus was the son of
Zeus and Semele, the daughter of Cadmus of Thebes (Hom.
Hymn. 6.56; Eurip. Bacch. init.; Apollod. 3.4.3); whereas
others describe him as a son of Zeus by Demeter, Io, Dione,
or Arge. (Diod. 3.62, 74; Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. 3.177; Plut.
de Flum. 16.) Diodorus (3.67) further mentions a tradition,
according to which he was a son of Ammon and Amaltheia, and
that Ammon, from fear of Rhea, carried the child to a cave
in the neighbourhood of mount Nysa, in a lonely island
formed by the river Triton. Ammon there entrusted the child
to Nysa, the daughter of Aristaeus, and Athena likewise
undertook to protect the boy. Others again represent him as
a son of Zeus by Persephone or Iris, or describe him simply
as a son of Lethe, or of Indus. (Diod. 4.4; Plut. Sympos.
7.5; Philostr. Vit. Apollon. 2.9.) The same diversity of
opinions prevails in regard to the native place of the god,
which in the common tradition is Thebes, while in others we
find India, Libya, Crete, Dracanum in Samos, Naxos, Elis,
Eleutherae, or Teos, mentioned as his birthplace. (Hom.
Hymn. 25.8; Diod. 3.65, 5.75; Nonnus, Dionys. 9.6; Theocrit.
26.33.) It is owing to this diversity in the traditions that
ancient writers were driven to the supposition that there
were originally several divinities which were afterwards
identified under the one name of Dionysus. Cicero (de Nat.
Deor. iii 23) distinguishes five Dionysi, and Diodorus
(3.63, &c.) three.
The common story, which makes Dionysus a son of Semele by
Zeus, runs as follows: Hera, jealous of Semele, visited her
in the disguise of a friend, or an old woman, and persuaded
her to request Zeus to appear to her in the same glory and
majesty in which he was accustomed to approach his own wife
Hera. When all entreaties to desist from this request were
fruitless, Zeus at length complied, and appeared to her in
thunder and lightning. Semele was terrified and overpowered
by the sight, and being seized by the fire, she gave
premature birth to a child. Zeus, or according to others,
Hermes (Apollon. 4.1137) saved the child from the flames: it
was sewed up in the thigh of Zeus, and thus came to
maturity. Various epithets which are given to the god refer
to that occurrence, such as πυριγενής, μηρορραφής,
μηροτραφής and ianigena. (Strab. xiii. p.628; Diod. 4.5;
Eur. Ba. 295; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 310; Ov. Met. 4.11.) After
the birth of Dionysus, Zeus entrusted him to Hermes, or,
according to others, to Persephone or Rhea (Orph. Hymn.
45.6; Steph. Byz. s. v. Μάσταυρα), who took the child to Ino
and Athamas at Orchomenos, and persuaded them to bring him
up as a girl. Hera was now urged on by her jealousy to throw
Ino and Athamas into a state of madness, and Zeus, in order
to save his child, changed him into a ram, and carried him
to the nymphs of mount Nysa, who brought him up in a cave,
and were afterwards rewarded for it by Zeus, by being placed
as Hyades among the stars. (Hyg. Fab. 182; Theon, ad Arat.
Phaen. 177; comp. HYADES.）
The inhabitants of Brasiae, in Laconia, according to
Pausanias (3.24.3), told a different story about the birth
of Dionysus, When Cadmus heard, they said, that Semele was
mother of a son by Zeus, he put her and her child into a
chest, and threw it into the sea. The chest was carried by
the wind and waves to the coast of Brasiae. Semele was found
dead, and was solemnly buried, but Dionysus was brought up
by Ino, who happened at the time to be at Brasiae. The plain
of Brasiae was, for this reason, afterwards called the
garden of Dionysus.
The traditions about the education of Dionysus, as well as
about the personages who undertook it, differ as much as
those about his parentage and birthplace. Besides the nymphs
of mount Nysa in Thrace, the muses, Lydae, Bassarae,
Macetae, Mimallones (Eustath. ad Hom. pp. 982, 1816), the
nymph Nysa (Diod. 3.69), and the nymphs Philia, Coronis, and
Cleis, in Naxos, whither the child Dionysus was said to have
been carried by Zeus (Diod. 4.52), are named as the beings
to whom the care of his infancy was entrusted. Mystis,
moreover, is said to have instructed him in the mysteries
(Nonn. Dionys. 13.140), and Hippa, on mount Tmolus, nursed
him (Orph. Hymn. 47.4); Macris, the daughter of Aristaeus,
received him from the hands of Hermes, and fed him with
honey. (Apollon. 4.1131.) On mount Nysa, Bromie and Bacche
too are called his nurses. (Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 6.15.)
Mount Nysa, from which the god was believed to have derived
his name, was not only in Thrace and Libya, but mountains of
the same name are found in different parts of the ancient
world where he was worshipped, and where he was believed to
have introduced the cultivation of the vine. Hermes,
however, is mixed up with most of the stories about the
infancy of Dionysus, and he was often represented in works
of art, in connexion with the infant god. (Comp. Paus.
3.18.7.)
When Dionysus had grown up, Hera threw him also into a state
of madness, in which he wandered abou
