Post by Board Keeper on Mar 10, 2007 11:36:04 GMT -5
Dictionary of the Greeks and Romans Mythology
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Abaris In Greek mythology Abaris was a priest to the god Apollo. Apollo gave him a golden arrow which rendered him invisible and also cured diseases and gave oracles. Abaris gave the arrow to Pythagoras.
Abas Abas was the son of Celeus and Metaneira. He mocked Demeter and was turned into a lizard. By some accounts he was the 12th king of Argolis who owned a magic shield.
Abdera Abdera was an ancient Greek city supposedly founded by Hercules in honour of his friend Abderus.
Abderus Abderus was a friend of Hercules. Hercules left him to look after the mare of Diomedes, which ate him.
Absyrtus Absyrtus (Apsyrtus) was a son of Aeetes, King of Colchis and brother of Medea. When Medea fled with Jason she took Absyrtus with her and when her father nearly overtook them she murdered Absyrtus and cut his body into pieces and threw it around the road so that her father would be delayed picking up the pieces of his son.
Acacetus Acacetus is a name sometimes given to Hermes because of his eloquence.
Acamas Acamas was a son of Theseus and Phaedra. He went to Troy with Diomedes to demand the return of Helen.
Acastus Acastus was a son of Pelias. He was one of the argonauts.
Acestes In Greek mythology, Acestes was a Sicilian bowman who in a trial of skill discharge an arrow with such force that it ignited.
Achaeus In Greek mythology, Achaeus was a son of Xuthus and Creusa. He returned to Thessaly and recovered the dominions of which his father had been deprived.
Achates In Greek mythology Achates was a companion of Aeneas in his wanderings subsequent to his flight from Troy. He typified a faithful friend and companion.
Achelous In Greek mythology, Achelous was a river god who changed into a snake and a bull while fighting Hercules, but was defeated when Hercules broke off one of his horns.
Achemon Achemon and his brother Basalas were two Cercopes who were for ever arguing. One day they insulted Hercules, who tied them by their feet to his club and marched off with them like a brace of hares.
Acheron Acheron was one of the rivers of Hades.
Acherusia In Greek mythology, Acherusia was a cave on the borders of Pontus which led to the infernal regions. It was through this cave that Hercules dragged Cerberus to earth.
Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles was the son of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons in Thessaly, and of the sea nymph Thetis, who rendered him invulnerable, except for the heel by which she held him, by dipping him in the river Styx. Achilles killed Hector at the climax of the Iliad, and according to subsequent Greek legends was himself killed by Paris, who shot a poisoned arrow into Achilles' heel.
Acis In Greek mythology, Acis was a son of Faunus and a river nymph. He loved the sea-nymph Galatea and was killed by his jealous rival Polyphemus.
Acrisius In Greek mythology, Acrisius was a son of Abas and the twin brother of Proteus with whom he quarrelled even in the womb. He was the father of Danae. When Abas died, Acrisius expelled Proteus from his inheritance, but Proteus returned supported by Iobates and Acrisius was compelled to give him Tiryns while he kept Argos.
Actaeon In Greek mythology, Actaeon was a great hunter who was turned into a stag by Artemis for looking on her while she was bathing. He was subsequently torn to pieces by his own dogs.
Adaro In the mythology of the Solomon Islands, Adaro is a sea-spirit.
Addanc The addanc was a dwarf or marine monster which lived near lake llyon. He was killed in some accounts by Peredu who obtained a magic stone which made him invisible.
Adrastus Adrastus was the son of Talaus and the king of Argos. He attempted to restore Polynices to his throne at Thebes, he failed but led a second assault leading the Epigoni. He died of grief when he heard that his son had been killed in the Epigoni assault.
Aello Aello was one of the harpies.
Aeneas Aeneas was a Trojan hero. He was the son of Anchises and Aphrodite. He led the survivors of the Trojan war to Italy.
Aeolus Aeolus was the son of Hippotes. He lived on a rocky island where the winds were trapped in caves. He let the winds out as commanded by the gods.
Aesculapius Aesculapius was the son of Apollo and Coronis. His mother died at his birth, struck by an arrow of Artemis. His father saved him and took him to the physician Chiron who taught Aesculapius about healing, he was the Roman god of medicine, his worship introduced at Rome about 291 BC.
Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a Greek hero of the Trojan wars, son of Atreus, king of Mycenae, and brother of Menelaus. He married Clytemnestra, and their children included Electra, Iphigenia, and Orestes. He sacrificed Iphigenia in order to secure favorable winds for the Greek expedition against Troy and after a ten years' siege sacked the city, receiving Priam's daughter Cassandra as a prize. On his return home, he and Cassandra were murdered by Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus. His children Orestes and Electra later killed the guilty couple.
Ajax In Greek mythology, Ajax was son of Telamon, king of Salamis, he was second only to Achilles among the Greek heroes in the Trojan War. According to subsequent Greek legends, Ajax went mad with jealousy when Agamemnon awarded the armor of the dead Achilles to Odysseus. He later committed suicide in shame.
Alcaeus Alcaeus was a son of Perseus and Andromeda.
Alcestis Alcestis was the wife of Admetus in Greek mythology. Her husband was ill, and according to an oracle would not recover unless someone vowed to die in his place. Alcestis made the vow and her husband recovered. After she died Hercules brought her back from the infernal regions.
Alcides Alcides is an alternative name for Hercules.
Alcmene In Greek mythology, Alcmene is the virgin goddess of midwinter, midwinter's moon, the new year, stateliness, beauty and wisdom.
Alcyone In Greek mythology, Alcyone is the goddess of the sea, the moon, calm and tranquility; She who brings life to death and death to life.
Alphito In Greek mythology, Alphito was a white goddess of barley flour, destiny and the moon. The hag of the mill and the lady of the nine heights.
Amaethon Amaethon was the celtic god of husbandry.
Amazon in Greek mythology, the Amazons were a group of female warriors living near the Black Sea, who cut off their right breasts to use the bow more easily. Their queen, Penthesilea, was killed by Achilles at the siege of Troy. The Amazons attacked Theseus and besieged him at Athens, but were defeated, and Theseus took the Amazon Hippolyta captive; she later gave birth to Hippolytus.
Ambrosia In Greek mythology, ambrosia was the food of the gods which was supposed to confer eternal life upon all who ate it.
Amor Amor was the Roman god of love.
Amphictyonis In Greek mythology, Amphictyonis was the goddess of wine and friendship between nations.
Amphion In Greek mythology, Amphion was a son of Zeus and Antiope. He was the husband of Niobe. Amphion had great skill in music which he was taught by Hermes. He helped build the walls of Thebes, the stones moving themselves into position at the sound of his lyre.
Amphitrite Amphitrite was the Greek goddess of the sea and wife of Poseidon.
Amphitryon In Greek mythology, Amphitryon was King of Thebes, son of Alcaeus and husband of Alcmena.
Amymone Amymone was a daughter of Danaus. She and her sisters were sent to search for water when Poseidon caused a drought in the district of Argos. Whilst searching she threw a spear at a dear, missed it and hit a satyr which pursued her. She called to Poseidon for help. He came, drove off the satyr and produced a perennial spring for her at Lerna, where he met her.
Anadyomene Anadyomene is a name of Aphrodite when she was represented as rising from the sea.
Androcles In Roman mythology, Androcles was a Roman slave who fled from a cruel master into the African desert, where he encountered a crippled lion and took a thorn from its paw. The lion later recognized the recaptured slave in the arena and spared his life. The emperor Tiberius was said to have freed them both.
Andromache In Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of Hector.
Andromeda Andromeda was a daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopea. Perseus found her bound to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. Perseus rescued her after killing the sea monster so that she might become his wife.
Annona In Roman mythology, Annona was the Goddess of the circling year and its harvest produce; Matron of commerce and the market place.
Antaeus Antaeus was the giant son of Poseidon and Ge. He was invincible so long as he remained in contact with the earth. Hercules killed him by picking him up so that his feet were off the ground and then stifling him.
Anteros In Greek mythology, Anteros was the god of mutual love. He was said to punish those who did not return the love of others.
Antheia In Crete, Antheia was the goddess of vegetation, lowlands, marshlands, gardens, blossoms, the budding earth and human love.
Anthesteria Anthesteria was a Greek festival held each year in honour of the gods, particularly Bacchus and to celebrate the beginning of spring.
Antigone In Greek mythology Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. She was celebrated for her devotion to her father and her brother Polynices.
Antilochus In Greek mythology, Antilochus was a son of Nestor. He was a hero of the Trojan war and was renowned for his speed of foot. He was killed by Memnon.
Antiope In Greek mythology, Antiope was a daughter of Nycteus, King of Thebes. Zeus was attracted by her beauty and came to her in the guise of a Satyr. Antiope conceived twins by Zeus, and scared of her father's wrath fled to Sicyon where she married King Epopeus. Antiope was the goddess of the new moon, the gad-fly dance and fecundity; Mother of the morning and evening star.
Aphrodisia Aphrodisia was the festival in celebration of Aphrodite celebrated throughout Greece and Cyprus.
Aphrodite Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love. The Romans called her Venus.
Apollo Apollo was the Roman name of the Greek god Phoebus.
Arachne In Greek mythology, Arachne was a Lydian woman who was so skillful a weaver that she challenged the goddess Athena to a contest. Athena tore Arachne's beautiful tapestries to pieces and Arachne hanged herself. She was transformed into a spider, and her weaving became a cobweb. She was therefore related to the textile industries. The matron of spinning, weaving and dyeing and the weaver of destiny.
Arcadia Arcadia was a green mountainous isolated region in the centre of Peloponnese inhabited by shepherds and peasants.
Ares Ares was the Greek god of storms and tempests. He was a son of Zeus and Hera. He became symbolic with storms and turmoil in human relationships and hence to being the god of war. The Romans called him Mars.
Arethusa In Greek mythology, Arethusa was a daughter of Nereus and Doris. She was a nympth changed by Artemis into a fountain to enable her to escape the pursuit of Alpheus.
Argonauts In Greek mythology the Argonauts were heroes who made a hazardous voyage to Colchis with Jason in the ship the Argo to get the golden fleece.
Argus In Greek mythology the Argus was a beast with a hundred eyes placed by Juno to guard Io.
Ariadne In Greek mythology Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She helped Theseus out of the labyrinth with a thread. She was abandoned by Theseus on the Isle of Naxos where she subsequently met and married Bacchus.
Arimaspians In Greek mythology the Arimaspians were a one-eyed people who conducted a perpetual war against the griffins in an attempt to steal the griffin's gold.
Aristaeus In Greek mythology Aristaeus was the son of Apollo and Cyrene. He introduced bee-keeping.
Artemis Artemis was a Greek goddess of the moon. The Great Virgin Goddess of fertility, vegetation, the wilderness, wild animal life and the chase.
Aruspices The Aruspices (Haruspices) were a class of priests in ancient Rome. Their job was to foretell the future from the entrails of sacrificial victims.
Ascanius Ascanius was a son of Aeneas and Creusa. He escaped from Troy with his father.
Asclepius Asclepius was a Greek god of healing. He was the son of Apollo and Coronis. He was taught the art of healing by Cheiron. Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt as a punishment for bringing a dead man back to life.
Astraea In Greek mythology Astraea was the daughter of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of justice.
Atalanta In Greek mythology Atalanta was a famous huntress of Arcadia. She was to be married only to someone who could outrun her in a race, the consequence of failure being death.
Ate Ate was the goddess of infatuation, mischief and guilt. She would mislead men into actions which would be the ruin of them.
Athena Athena (Athene) was the Greek goddess of intellect. She was the daughter of Zeus and Metis.
Atlantides Atlantides was name given to the Pleiades who were fabled to be the seven daughters of Atlas.
Atlantis In Greek mythology, Atlantis was an island continent, said to have sunk following an earthquake. The Greek philosopher Plato created an imaginary early history for it and described it as a utopia.
Atlas Atlas was a giant who had to support the heavens upon his shoulders.
Atreus In Greek mythology Atreus was the son of Pelops and Hippodamia. He was King of Mycenae. To seek revenge on his brother Thyestes for seducing his wife, Atreus gave a banquet at which Thyestes dined on the flesh of his own sons.
Attis In classical mythology, Attis was a Phrygian god whose death and resurrection symbolized the end of winter and the arrival of spring. He was loved by the goddess Cybele, who drove him mad as a punishment for his infidelity, he castrated himself and bled to death.
Augean stables in Greek mythology, the Augean stables were the stables of Augeas, king of Elis in southern Greece. One of the labours of Hercules was to clean out the stables, which contained 3,000 cattle and had never been cleaned before. He was given only one day to do the task so he diverted the river Alpheus through their yard.
Aurora Aurora was goddess of the dawn. She was the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and Selene.
Autolycus In Greek mythology, Autolycus was an accomplished thief and trickster. He was a son of the god Hermes, who gave him the power of invisibility.
Bacchanalia Bacchanalia were feasts held in honour of Bacchus and characterized by licentiousness and revelry.
Bacchus Bacchus was another name for Dionysus.
Bateia In Greek mythology, Bateia was a daughter of Teucer. She was married to Dardanus by whom she had two sons, Ilus and Erichthonius.
Bellerophon In Greek mythology, Bellerophon was a victim of slander who was sent against the monstrous chimera, which he killed with the help of his winged horse Pegasus. After further trials, he ended his life as a beggar. His story was dramatized by Euripides.
Bellona Bellona was the Roman goddess of war.
Beltaine Beltaine is the name of the feast of the spring equinox.
Bia In Greek mythology, Bia was a son of Styx and the Titan Pallas. Bia was the personification of might and force.
Boan Boan was another name for Dana. In this version of events, Boan visited a sacred well which, to punish her for breaking the law, rose up and pursued her to the sea and thus became the river Boyne where lived the salmon of knowledge which fed on nuts dropped from the nine hazel trees at the water's edge.
Boreas Boreas was the north wind god. He was the son of Astraeus and Aurora.
Bucentaur The bucentaur was a mythical creature, half man and half ox
Cadmus Cadmus was the founder of the ancient city of Cadmeia and gave the Greeks an alphabet.
Caduceus Caduceus is the winged and serpent twisted staff or wand of Hermes.
Calliope Calliope was the muse of eloquence and heroic poems. She was the chief of the muses, and was said to have been the mother of Orpheus by Apollo.
Callisto Callisto was a daughter of Lycaon. She was one of Artemis' huntresses. She bore arcas to Zeus. To conceal their affair, Zeus turned her into a bear.
Calypso In Greek mythology, Calypso was a sea nymph who inhabited the island of Ogygia. She waylaid the homeward-bound Odysseus and promissed him immortality if he would marry her. After seven years she was ordered by the gods to let him depart.
Cassandra In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of Priam, King of Troy. Her prophecies were never believed, because she had rejected the love of the god Apollo. She was murdered with Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra, having been awarded as a prize to the Greek hero on his sacking of Troy.
Castor Castor was the twin brother of Polydeuces. He was a son of Zeus and Leda. He, like his brother was born from an egg after Zeus visited Leda disguised as a swan.
Celaeno Celaeno was one of the harpies.
Celeus In Greek mythology, Celeus was King of Eleusis and the husband of Metaneira.
Centaur A centaur was a beast half horse, and with the head, torso and arms of a man.
Cepheus Cepheus was the king of Aethiopia. He displeased Poseidon by having a beautiful daughter, Andromeda. Poseidon then sent floods and a sea monster to terrorise the area until cepheus gave his daughter as a sacrifice to the sea monster.
Cerberus Cerberus was a huge and savage dog with 3 heads which guarded the entrance to Hades. He was the offspring of Echidne and Typhon.
Cercyon Cercyon was a son of Hephaestus. He was king near Eleusis. He challenged all travellers and wrestled them to death until he challenged and was killed by Theseus.
Ceres Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek Demeter.
Cestus In Greek mythology, the cestus was a girdle worn by Aphrodite and which was endowered with the power of exciting love towards the wearer.
Chalybes The Chalybes were mythical inhabitants of north Asia Minor who invented iron working.
Chaos In Greek mythology, Chaos was the infinite space before Ge (the earth) was created.
Charites The Charites were the Greek goddesses of gracefulness and the charms of beauty.
Charon Charon was the ferryman who transported the dead across the river Styx to Hades.
Charybdis In Greek mythology, the charybdis was a whirlpool formed by a monster of the same name on one side of the narrow straits of Messina, Sicily, opposite the monster Scylla.
Cheiron Cheiron was a centaur. He was a son of Cronus and Philyra. He learnt hunting and medicine from Apollo and Artemis.
Chimaera The chimaera was a monster composed of the head of a lion, the body of a goat and a serpant for a tail. Bellerophon was sent to slay it.
Chryse In Greek mythology, Chryse was a warlike goddess of the metal gold, in its refinement and all that is regarded as having great value.
Circe In Greek mythology, Circe was an enchantress living on the island of Aeaea. In Homer's Odyssey, she turned the followers of Odysseus into pigs. Odysseus, bearing the herb moly provided by Hermes to protect him from the same fate, forced her to release his men.
Clio Clio was the muse of history.
Clytemnestra In Greek mythology, Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon. With the help of her lover Aegisthus, she murdered her husband and his paramour Cassandra on his return from the Trojan War, and was in turn killed by her son Orestes.
Comus In later Greek mythology, Comus was a god of revelry, banquets and nocturnal entertainments. He was generally depicted as a drunken youth. The depiction by Milton of Comus as a son of Bacchus and Circe was an idea thought of by Milton, and not the Greeks or Romans.
Corbenic Corbenic was the castle in the Arthurian legend in which the Holy Grail was kept.
Cornucopia In Greek mythology, the cornucopia was one of the horns of the goat Amaltheia, which was caused by Zeus to refill itself indefinitely with food and drink.
Cratos Cratos was a son of Uranus and Gaea. He was very strong.
Creusa In Greek mythology, Creusa was the daughter of Erechtheus and wife of Xuthus. She was also loved by Apollo.
Cronus Cronus was the son of Uranus. He succeeded to the throne of the gods when Uranus was deposed. He married Rhea. He appears in Greek mythology.
Cupid Cupid was another name for Amor.
Curetes In Greek mythology the Curetes were attendants of Rhea. They were supposed to have saved the infant Zeus from his father Cronus and then to have become a sort of bodyguard of the god.
Cybele Cybele was the Great Mother Goddess of the Phrygians and later the Greeks and Romans.
Cyclops In Greek mythology, the Cyclops wereone of a race of Sicilian giants, who had one eye in the middle of the forehead and lived as shepherds. Odysseus blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey.
Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus was an Athenian artisan supposed to have constructed for King Minos of Crete the labyrinth in which the Minotaur was imprisoned. When Minos became displeased with him, Daedalus fled from Crete with his son Icarus using wings made by them from feathers fastened with wax.
Daemons The daemons were an order of invisible beings. Zeus assigned one daemon to each man to attend, protect and guide him.
Danaans The Danaans were one of the 3 Nemedian families who survived the Fomorian victory. The brought the stone of destiny from Falias.
Danae In Greek mythology, Danae was daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. He shut her up in a bronze tower because of a prophecy that her son would kill his grandfather. Zeus became enamored of her and descended in a shower of gold; she gave birth to Perseus.
Daphne Daphne was a daughter of Peneus. She was pursued by Apollo and asked to be turned into a laurel tree to escape him, which she was.
Daphnis Daphnis was a son of Hermes and a nymph. He was raised by Sicillian shepherds when his mother abandoned him.
Dardanus In Greek mythology, Dardanus was a son of Zeus and Electra. He was originally a king in Arcadia, he migrated to Samothrace and from there to Asia where Teucer gave him the site of his town, Dardania. He married Bateia.
Deianeira Deianeira was the daughter of Oeonus and the wife of Hercules.
Deidamia Deidamia fell in love with Achilles and bore him Neoptolemus.
Demeter Demeter was a Greek goddess of the earth. She is also called Ceres. She was the nourishing mother, bringing forth fruits. She was a daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
Demigod A demigod was a Greek hero. They were men who posessed god-like strength and courage and who had performed great tasks in the past.
Deucalion In Greek mythology, Deucalion was the son of Prometheus. Warned by his father of a coming flood, Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha built an ark. After the waters had subsided, they were instructed by a god to throw stones over their shoulders which then became men and women.
Diana Diana was the Roman name for the Greek goddess Artemis.
Dike Dike was the attendant of justice to Nemesis.
Dionysus Dionysus was a Greek god of happiness. He was also called Bacchus and Iacchus.
Dis In Roman mythology, Dis was the god of the underworld, also known as Orcus.
Discordia Discordia was the Roman goddess of strife.
Dryades The dryades were nymphs of the woods and trees.
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Abaris In Greek mythology Abaris was a priest to the god Apollo. Apollo gave him a golden arrow which rendered him invisible and also cured diseases and gave oracles. Abaris gave the arrow to Pythagoras.
Abas Abas was the son of Celeus and Metaneira. He mocked Demeter and was turned into a lizard. By some accounts he was the 12th king of Argolis who owned a magic shield.
Abdera Abdera was an ancient Greek city supposedly founded by Hercules in honour of his friend Abderus.
Abderus Abderus was a friend of Hercules. Hercules left him to look after the mare of Diomedes, which ate him.
Absyrtus Absyrtus (Apsyrtus) was a son of Aeetes, King of Colchis and brother of Medea. When Medea fled with Jason she took Absyrtus with her and when her father nearly overtook them she murdered Absyrtus and cut his body into pieces and threw it around the road so that her father would be delayed picking up the pieces of his son.
Acacetus Acacetus is a name sometimes given to Hermes because of his eloquence.
Acamas Acamas was a son of Theseus and Phaedra. He went to Troy with Diomedes to demand the return of Helen.
Acastus Acastus was a son of Pelias. He was one of the argonauts.
Acestes In Greek mythology, Acestes was a Sicilian bowman who in a trial of skill discharge an arrow with such force that it ignited.
Achaeus In Greek mythology, Achaeus was a son of Xuthus and Creusa. He returned to Thessaly and recovered the dominions of which his father had been deprived.
Achates In Greek mythology Achates was a companion of Aeneas in his wanderings subsequent to his flight from Troy. He typified a faithful friend and companion.
Achelous In Greek mythology, Achelous was a river god who changed into a snake and a bull while fighting Hercules, but was defeated when Hercules broke off one of his horns.
Achemon Achemon and his brother Basalas were two Cercopes who were for ever arguing. One day they insulted Hercules, who tied them by their feet to his club and marched off with them like a brace of hares.
Acheron Acheron was one of the rivers of Hades.
Acherusia In Greek mythology, Acherusia was a cave on the borders of Pontus which led to the infernal regions. It was through this cave that Hercules dragged Cerberus to earth.
Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles was the son of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons in Thessaly, and of the sea nymph Thetis, who rendered him invulnerable, except for the heel by which she held him, by dipping him in the river Styx. Achilles killed Hector at the climax of the Iliad, and according to subsequent Greek legends was himself killed by Paris, who shot a poisoned arrow into Achilles' heel.
Acis In Greek mythology, Acis was a son of Faunus and a river nymph. He loved the sea-nymph Galatea and was killed by his jealous rival Polyphemus.
Acrisius In Greek mythology, Acrisius was a son of Abas and the twin brother of Proteus with whom he quarrelled even in the womb. He was the father of Danae. When Abas died, Acrisius expelled Proteus from his inheritance, but Proteus returned supported by Iobates and Acrisius was compelled to give him Tiryns while he kept Argos.
Actaeon In Greek mythology, Actaeon was a great hunter who was turned into a stag by Artemis for looking on her while she was bathing. He was subsequently torn to pieces by his own dogs.
Adaro In the mythology of the Solomon Islands, Adaro is a sea-spirit.
Addanc The addanc was a dwarf or marine monster which lived near lake llyon. He was killed in some accounts by Peredu who obtained a magic stone which made him invisible.
Adrastus Adrastus was the son of Talaus and the king of Argos. He attempted to restore Polynices to his throne at Thebes, he failed but led a second assault leading the Epigoni. He died of grief when he heard that his son had been killed in the Epigoni assault.
Aello Aello was one of the harpies.
Aeneas Aeneas was a Trojan hero. He was the son of Anchises and Aphrodite. He led the survivors of the Trojan war to Italy.
Aeolus Aeolus was the son of Hippotes. He lived on a rocky island where the winds were trapped in caves. He let the winds out as commanded by the gods.
Aesculapius Aesculapius was the son of Apollo and Coronis. His mother died at his birth, struck by an arrow of Artemis. His father saved him and took him to the physician Chiron who taught Aesculapius about healing, he was the Roman god of medicine, his worship introduced at Rome about 291 BC.
Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a Greek hero of the Trojan wars, son of Atreus, king of Mycenae, and brother of Menelaus. He married Clytemnestra, and their children included Electra, Iphigenia, and Orestes. He sacrificed Iphigenia in order to secure favorable winds for the Greek expedition against Troy and after a ten years' siege sacked the city, receiving Priam's daughter Cassandra as a prize. On his return home, he and Cassandra were murdered by Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus. His children Orestes and Electra later killed the guilty couple.
Ajax In Greek mythology, Ajax was son of Telamon, king of Salamis, he was second only to Achilles among the Greek heroes in the Trojan War. According to subsequent Greek legends, Ajax went mad with jealousy when Agamemnon awarded the armor of the dead Achilles to Odysseus. He later committed suicide in shame.
Alcaeus Alcaeus was a son of Perseus and Andromeda.
Alcestis Alcestis was the wife of Admetus in Greek mythology. Her husband was ill, and according to an oracle would not recover unless someone vowed to die in his place. Alcestis made the vow and her husband recovered. After she died Hercules brought her back from the infernal regions.
Alcides Alcides is an alternative name for Hercules.
Alcmene In Greek mythology, Alcmene is the virgin goddess of midwinter, midwinter's moon, the new year, stateliness, beauty and wisdom.
Alcyone In Greek mythology, Alcyone is the goddess of the sea, the moon, calm and tranquility; She who brings life to death and death to life.
Alphito In Greek mythology, Alphito was a white goddess of barley flour, destiny and the moon. The hag of the mill and the lady of the nine heights.
Amaethon Amaethon was the celtic god of husbandry.
Amazon in Greek mythology, the Amazons were a group of female warriors living near the Black Sea, who cut off their right breasts to use the bow more easily. Their queen, Penthesilea, was killed by Achilles at the siege of Troy. The Amazons attacked Theseus and besieged him at Athens, but were defeated, and Theseus took the Amazon Hippolyta captive; she later gave birth to Hippolytus.
Ambrosia In Greek mythology, ambrosia was the food of the gods which was supposed to confer eternal life upon all who ate it.
Amor Amor was the Roman god of love.
Amphictyonis In Greek mythology, Amphictyonis was the goddess of wine and friendship between nations.
Amphion In Greek mythology, Amphion was a son of Zeus and Antiope. He was the husband of Niobe. Amphion had great skill in music which he was taught by Hermes. He helped build the walls of Thebes, the stones moving themselves into position at the sound of his lyre.
Amphitrite Amphitrite was the Greek goddess of the sea and wife of Poseidon.
Amphitryon In Greek mythology, Amphitryon was King of Thebes, son of Alcaeus and husband of Alcmena.
Amymone Amymone was a daughter of Danaus. She and her sisters were sent to search for water when Poseidon caused a drought in the district of Argos. Whilst searching she threw a spear at a dear, missed it and hit a satyr which pursued her. She called to Poseidon for help. He came, drove off the satyr and produced a perennial spring for her at Lerna, where he met her.
Anadyomene Anadyomene is a name of Aphrodite when she was represented as rising from the sea.
Androcles In Roman mythology, Androcles was a Roman slave who fled from a cruel master into the African desert, where he encountered a crippled lion and took a thorn from its paw. The lion later recognized the recaptured slave in the arena and spared his life. The emperor Tiberius was said to have freed them both.
Andromache In Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of Hector.
Andromeda Andromeda was a daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopea. Perseus found her bound to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. Perseus rescued her after killing the sea monster so that she might become his wife.
Annona In Roman mythology, Annona was the Goddess of the circling year and its harvest produce; Matron of commerce and the market place.
Antaeus Antaeus was the giant son of Poseidon and Ge. He was invincible so long as he remained in contact with the earth. Hercules killed him by picking him up so that his feet were off the ground and then stifling him.
Anteros In Greek mythology, Anteros was the god of mutual love. He was said to punish those who did not return the love of others.
Antheia In Crete, Antheia was the goddess of vegetation, lowlands, marshlands, gardens, blossoms, the budding earth and human love.
Anthesteria Anthesteria was a Greek festival held each year in honour of the gods, particularly Bacchus and to celebrate the beginning of spring.
Antigone In Greek mythology Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. She was celebrated for her devotion to her father and her brother Polynices.
Antilochus In Greek mythology, Antilochus was a son of Nestor. He was a hero of the Trojan war and was renowned for his speed of foot. He was killed by Memnon.
Antiope In Greek mythology, Antiope was a daughter of Nycteus, King of Thebes. Zeus was attracted by her beauty and came to her in the guise of a Satyr. Antiope conceived twins by Zeus, and scared of her father's wrath fled to Sicyon where she married King Epopeus. Antiope was the goddess of the new moon, the gad-fly dance and fecundity; Mother of the morning and evening star.
Aphrodisia Aphrodisia was the festival in celebration of Aphrodite celebrated throughout Greece and Cyprus.
Aphrodite Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love. The Romans called her Venus.
Apollo Apollo was the Roman name of the Greek god Phoebus.
Arachne In Greek mythology, Arachne was a Lydian woman who was so skillful a weaver that she challenged the goddess Athena to a contest. Athena tore Arachne's beautiful tapestries to pieces and Arachne hanged herself. She was transformed into a spider, and her weaving became a cobweb. She was therefore related to the textile industries. The matron of spinning, weaving and dyeing and the weaver of destiny.
Arcadia Arcadia was a green mountainous isolated region in the centre of Peloponnese inhabited by shepherds and peasants.
Ares Ares was the Greek god of storms and tempests. He was a son of Zeus and Hera. He became symbolic with storms and turmoil in human relationships and hence to being the god of war. The Romans called him Mars.
Arethusa In Greek mythology, Arethusa was a daughter of Nereus and Doris. She was a nympth changed by Artemis into a fountain to enable her to escape the pursuit of Alpheus.
Argonauts In Greek mythology the Argonauts were heroes who made a hazardous voyage to Colchis with Jason in the ship the Argo to get the golden fleece.
Argus In Greek mythology the Argus was a beast with a hundred eyes placed by Juno to guard Io.
Ariadne In Greek mythology Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She helped Theseus out of the labyrinth with a thread. She was abandoned by Theseus on the Isle of Naxos where she subsequently met and married Bacchus.
Arimaspians In Greek mythology the Arimaspians were a one-eyed people who conducted a perpetual war against the griffins in an attempt to steal the griffin's gold.
Aristaeus In Greek mythology Aristaeus was the son of Apollo and Cyrene. He introduced bee-keeping.
Artemis Artemis was a Greek goddess of the moon. The Great Virgin Goddess of fertility, vegetation, the wilderness, wild animal life and the chase.
Aruspices The Aruspices (Haruspices) were a class of priests in ancient Rome. Their job was to foretell the future from the entrails of sacrificial victims.
Ascanius Ascanius was a son of Aeneas and Creusa. He escaped from Troy with his father.
Asclepius Asclepius was a Greek god of healing. He was the son of Apollo and Coronis. He was taught the art of healing by Cheiron. Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt as a punishment for bringing a dead man back to life.
Astraea In Greek mythology Astraea was the daughter of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of justice.
Atalanta In Greek mythology Atalanta was a famous huntress of Arcadia. She was to be married only to someone who could outrun her in a race, the consequence of failure being death.
Ate Ate was the goddess of infatuation, mischief and guilt. She would mislead men into actions which would be the ruin of them.
Athena Athena (Athene) was the Greek goddess of intellect. She was the daughter of Zeus and Metis.
Atlantides Atlantides was name given to the Pleiades who were fabled to be the seven daughters of Atlas.
Atlantis In Greek mythology, Atlantis was an island continent, said to have sunk following an earthquake. The Greek philosopher Plato created an imaginary early history for it and described it as a utopia.
Atlas Atlas was a giant who had to support the heavens upon his shoulders.
Atreus In Greek mythology Atreus was the son of Pelops and Hippodamia. He was King of Mycenae. To seek revenge on his brother Thyestes for seducing his wife, Atreus gave a banquet at which Thyestes dined on the flesh of his own sons.
Attis In classical mythology, Attis was a Phrygian god whose death and resurrection symbolized the end of winter and the arrival of spring. He was loved by the goddess Cybele, who drove him mad as a punishment for his infidelity, he castrated himself and bled to death.
Augean stables in Greek mythology, the Augean stables were the stables of Augeas, king of Elis in southern Greece. One of the labours of Hercules was to clean out the stables, which contained 3,000 cattle and had never been cleaned before. He was given only one day to do the task so he diverted the river Alpheus through their yard.
Aurora Aurora was goddess of the dawn. She was the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and Selene.
Autolycus In Greek mythology, Autolycus was an accomplished thief and trickster. He was a son of the god Hermes, who gave him the power of invisibility.
Bacchanalia Bacchanalia were feasts held in honour of Bacchus and characterized by licentiousness and revelry.
Bacchus Bacchus was another name for Dionysus.
Bateia In Greek mythology, Bateia was a daughter of Teucer. She was married to Dardanus by whom she had two sons, Ilus and Erichthonius.
Bellerophon In Greek mythology, Bellerophon was a victim of slander who was sent against the monstrous chimera, which he killed with the help of his winged horse Pegasus. After further trials, he ended his life as a beggar. His story was dramatized by Euripides.
Bellona Bellona was the Roman goddess of war.
Beltaine Beltaine is the name of the feast of the spring equinox.
Bia In Greek mythology, Bia was a son of Styx and the Titan Pallas. Bia was the personification of might and force.
Boan Boan was another name for Dana. In this version of events, Boan visited a sacred well which, to punish her for breaking the law, rose up and pursued her to the sea and thus became the river Boyne where lived the salmon of knowledge which fed on nuts dropped from the nine hazel trees at the water's edge.
Boreas Boreas was the north wind god. He was the son of Astraeus and Aurora.
Bucentaur The bucentaur was a mythical creature, half man and half ox
Cadmus Cadmus was the founder of the ancient city of Cadmeia and gave the Greeks an alphabet.
Caduceus Caduceus is the winged and serpent twisted staff or wand of Hermes.
Calliope Calliope was the muse of eloquence and heroic poems. She was the chief of the muses, and was said to have been the mother of Orpheus by Apollo.
Callisto Callisto was a daughter of Lycaon. She was one of Artemis' huntresses. She bore arcas to Zeus. To conceal their affair, Zeus turned her into a bear.
Calypso In Greek mythology, Calypso was a sea nymph who inhabited the island of Ogygia. She waylaid the homeward-bound Odysseus and promissed him immortality if he would marry her. After seven years she was ordered by the gods to let him depart.
Cassandra In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of Priam, King of Troy. Her prophecies were never believed, because she had rejected the love of the god Apollo. She was murdered with Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra, having been awarded as a prize to the Greek hero on his sacking of Troy.
Castor Castor was the twin brother of Polydeuces. He was a son of Zeus and Leda. He, like his brother was born from an egg after Zeus visited Leda disguised as a swan.
Celaeno Celaeno was one of the harpies.
Celeus In Greek mythology, Celeus was King of Eleusis and the husband of Metaneira.
Centaur A centaur was a beast half horse, and with the head, torso and arms of a man.
Cepheus Cepheus was the king of Aethiopia. He displeased Poseidon by having a beautiful daughter, Andromeda. Poseidon then sent floods and a sea monster to terrorise the area until cepheus gave his daughter as a sacrifice to the sea monster.
Cerberus Cerberus was a huge and savage dog with 3 heads which guarded the entrance to Hades. He was the offspring of Echidne and Typhon.
Cercyon Cercyon was a son of Hephaestus. He was king near Eleusis. He challenged all travellers and wrestled them to death until he challenged and was killed by Theseus.
Ceres Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek Demeter.
Cestus In Greek mythology, the cestus was a girdle worn by Aphrodite and which was endowered with the power of exciting love towards the wearer.
Chalybes The Chalybes were mythical inhabitants of north Asia Minor who invented iron working.
Chaos In Greek mythology, Chaos was the infinite space before Ge (the earth) was created.
Charites The Charites were the Greek goddesses of gracefulness and the charms of beauty.
Charon Charon was the ferryman who transported the dead across the river Styx to Hades.
Charybdis In Greek mythology, the charybdis was a whirlpool formed by a monster of the same name on one side of the narrow straits of Messina, Sicily, opposite the monster Scylla.
Cheiron Cheiron was a centaur. He was a son of Cronus and Philyra. He learnt hunting and medicine from Apollo and Artemis.
Chimaera The chimaera was a monster composed of the head of a lion, the body of a goat and a serpant for a tail. Bellerophon was sent to slay it.
Chryse In Greek mythology, Chryse was a warlike goddess of the metal gold, in its refinement and all that is regarded as having great value.
Circe In Greek mythology, Circe was an enchantress living on the island of Aeaea. In Homer's Odyssey, she turned the followers of Odysseus into pigs. Odysseus, bearing the herb moly provided by Hermes to protect him from the same fate, forced her to release his men.
Clio Clio was the muse of history.
Clytemnestra In Greek mythology, Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon. With the help of her lover Aegisthus, she murdered her husband and his paramour Cassandra on his return from the Trojan War, and was in turn killed by her son Orestes.
Comus In later Greek mythology, Comus was a god of revelry, banquets and nocturnal entertainments. He was generally depicted as a drunken youth. The depiction by Milton of Comus as a son of Bacchus and Circe was an idea thought of by Milton, and not the Greeks or Romans.
Corbenic Corbenic was the castle in the Arthurian legend in which the Holy Grail was kept.
Cornucopia In Greek mythology, the cornucopia was one of the horns of the goat Amaltheia, which was caused by Zeus to refill itself indefinitely with food and drink.
Cratos Cratos was a son of Uranus and Gaea. He was very strong.
Creusa In Greek mythology, Creusa was the daughter of Erechtheus and wife of Xuthus. She was also loved by Apollo.
Cronus Cronus was the son of Uranus. He succeeded to the throne of the gods when Uranus was deposed. He married Rhea. He appears in Greek mythology.
Cupid Cupid was another name for Amor.
Curetes In Greek mythology the Curetes were attendants of Rhea. They were supposed to have saved the infant Zeus from his father Cronus and then to have become a sort of bodyguard of the god.
Cybele Cybele was the Great Mother Goddess of the Phrygians and later the Greeks and Romans.
Cyclops In Greek mythology, the Cyclops wereone of a race of Sicilian giants, who had one eye in the middle of the forehead and lived as shepherds. Odysseus blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey.
Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus was an Athenian artisan supposed to have constructed for King Minos of Crete the labyrinth in which the Minotaur was imprisoned. When Minos became displeased with him, Daedalus fled from Crete with his son Icarus using wings made by them from feathers fastened with wax.
Daemons The daemons were an order of invisible beings. Zeus assigned one daemon to each man to attend, protect and guide him.
Danaans The Danaans were one of the 3 Nemedian families who survived the Fomorian victory. The brought the stone of destiny from Falias.
Danae In Greek mythology, Danae was daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. He shut her up in a bronze tower because of a prophecy that her son would kill his grandfather. Zeus became enamored of her and descended in a shower of gold; she gave birth to Perseus.
Daphne Daphne was a daughter of Peneus. She was pursued by Apollo and asked to be turned into a laurel tree to escape him, which she was.
Daphnis Daphnis was a son of Hermes and a nymph. He was raised by Sicillian shepherds when his mother abandoned him.
Dardanus In Greek mythology, Dardanus was a son of Zeus and Electra. He was originally a king in Arcadia, he migrated to Samothrace and from there to Asia where Teucer gave him the site of his town, Dardania. He married Bateia.
Deianeira Deianeira was the daughter of Oeonus and the wife of Hercules.
Deidamia Deidamia fell in love with Achilles and bore him Neoptolemus.
Demeter Demeter was a Greek goddess of the earth. She is also called Ceres. She was the nourishing mother, bringing forth fruits. She was a daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
Demigod A demigod was a Greek hero. They were men who posessed god-like strength and courage and who had performed great tasks in the past.
Deucalion In Greek mythology, Deucalion was the son of Prometheus. Warned by his father of a coming flood, Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha built an ark. After the waters had subsided, they were instructed by a god to throw stones over their shoulders which then became men and women.
Diana Diana was the Roman name for the Greek goddess Artemis.
Dike Dike was the attendant of justice to Nemesis.
Dionysus Dionysus was a Greek god of happiness. He was also called Bacchus and Iacchus.
Dis In Roman mythology, Dis was the god of the underworld, also known as Orcus.
Discordia Discordia was the Roman goddess of strife.
Dryades The dryades were nymphs of the woods and trees.