A HANDY
DICTIONARY OF MYTHOLOGY

Achil′les was the most valiant of the Greek heroes in the Trojan War. He was the son of Peleus,[Pg 2] King of Thessaly. His mother, Thetis, plunged him, when an infant, into the Stygian pool, which made him invulnerable wherever the waters had washed him; but the heel by which he was held was not wetted, and that part remained vulnerable. He was shot with an arrow in the heel by Paris, at the siege of Troy, and died of his wound.

Acida′lia, a name given to Venus from a fountain in Bœotia.

A′cis. A Sicilian shepherd, loved by the nymph Galatea. One of the Cyclops who was jealous of him crushed him by hurling a rock on him. Galatea turned his blood into a river—the Acis at the foot of Mount Etna.

Actæ′on was the son of Aristæus, a famous huntsman. He intruded himself on Diana while she was bathing, and was changed by her into a deer, in which form he was hunted by his own dogs and torn in pieces.

A′des, see Hades.

Ado′nis, the beautiful attendant of Venus, who held her train. He was killed by a boar, and turned by Venus into an anemone.

Adrastæ′a, another name of Nemesis, one of the goddesses of justice.

Adscripti′tii Dii were the gods of the second grade.

[Pg 3]

Adversity, see Echidna.

Æ′acus, one of the judges of hell, with Minos and Rhadamanthus. See Eacus.

Æcas′tor, an oath used only by women, referring to the Temple of Castor.

Æd′epol, an oath used by both men and women, referring to the Temple of Pollux.

Æge′on, a giant with fifty heads and one hundred hands, who was imprisoned by Jupiter under Mount Etna. See Briareus.

Æ′gis, the shield of Jupiter, so called because it was made of goat skin.

Æ′gle. The fairest of the Naiads.

Ael′lo, the name of one of the Harpies.

Æne′as was the son of Anchises and Venus. He was one of the few great captains who escaped the destruction of Troy. He behaved with great valour during the siege, encountering Diomed, and even Achilles himself. When the Grecians had set the city on fire Æneas took his aged father, Anchises, on his shoulders, whilst his son, Ascanius, and his wife, Creusa, clung to his garments. He saved them all from the flames. After wandering about during several years, encountering numerous difficulties, he at length arrived in Italy, where he was hospitably received by Latinus, king of the[Pg 4] Latins. After the death of Latinus Æneas became king.

Æo′lus was the god of the winds. Jupiter was his reputed father, and his mother is said to have been a daughter of Hippotus. Æolus is represented as having the power of holding the winds confined in a cavern, and occasionally giving them liberty to blow over the world. So much command was he supposed to have over them that when Ulysses visited him on his return from Troy he gave him, tied up in a bag, all the winds that could prevent his voyage from being prosperous. The companions of Ulysses, fancying that the bag contained treasure, cut it open just as they came in sight of Ithaca, the port they were making for, and the contrary winds rushing out drove back the ship many leagues. The residence of Æolus was at Strongyle, now called Strombolo.

Æscula′pius, the god of physic, was a son of Apollo. He was physician to the Argonauts in their famous expedition to Colchis. He became so noted for his cures that Pluto became jealous of him, and he requested Jupiter to kill him with a thunderbolt. To revenge his son’s death Apollo slew the[Pg 5] Cyclops who had forged the thunderbolt. By his marriage with Epione he had two sons, Machaon and Podalirus, both famous physicians, and four daughters, of whom Hygeia, the goddess of health, is the most renowned. Many temples were erected in honour of Æsculapius, and votive tablets were hung therein by people who had been healed by him; but his most famous shrine was at Epidaurus, where, every five years, games were held in his honour. This god is variously represented, but the most famous statue shows him seated on a throne of gold and ivory. His head is crowned with rays, and he wears a long beard. A knotty stick is in one hand, and a staff entwined with a serpent is in the other, while a dog lies at his feet.

Æ′son was father of Jason, and was restored to youth by Medea.

Æ′ta, a king of Colchis, was father of Medea.

Agamem′non was the son of Plisthenes and brother of Menelaus. He was king of the Argives. His brother’s wife was the famous Helen, daughter of Tyndarus, king of Sparta; and when she eloped with Paris, Agamemnon was appointed leader of the Greeks in their expedition against Troy.

Aganip′pides, a name of the Muses, derived from the fountain of Aganippe.

Agine′us, see Apollo.

Agla′ia was one of the Three Graces.

Ag′ni. The Hindoo god of lightning.

[Pg 6]

A′jax was one of the bravest of the Greek warriors in the Trojan war. His father was Telamon, and his mother Eribœa. Some writers say that he was killed by Ulysses; others aver that he was slain by Paris; while others again assert that he went mad after being defeated by Ulysses, and killed himself. Another Ajax, son of Oileus, also took a prominent part in the Trojan War.

Alces′tis, wife of Admetus, who, to save her husband’s life, died in his stead, and was restored to life by Hercules.

Alci′des, one of the names of Hercules.

Alcme′na, the mother of Hercules, was daughter of Electrion, a king of Argos.

Alec′to was one of the Furies. She is depicted as having serpents instead of hair on her head, and was supposed to breed pestilence wherever she went.

Alec′tryon, a servant of Mars, who was changed by him into a cock because he did not warn his master of the rising of the sun.

Al′fadur, in Scandinavian Mythology the Supreme Being—Father of all.

Al′ma Mammo′sa, a name of Ceres.

Alphe′us, a river god. See Arethusa.

Altar. A structure on which a sacrifice was offered. The earliest altars were merely heaps of earth or turf or rough unhewn stone; but as the mode of sacrificing became more ceremonious grander altars were built. Some were of marble and brass, ornamented with carvings and bas-reliefs, and the corners with models of the heads of animals. They varied in height from two feet to four, and some were built solid; others were made[Pg 7] hollow to retain the blood of the victims. Some were provided with a kind of dish, into which frankincense was thrown to overpower the smell of burning fat. This probably was the origin of the custom of burning incense at the altar.

Amal’thæ’a the goat which nourished Jupiter.

Am’azons were a nation of women-soldiers who lived in Scythia. Hercules totally defeated them, and gave Hippolyte, their queen, to Theseus for a wife. The race seems to have been exterminated after this battle.

Ambarva’lia were festivals in honour of Ceres, instituted by Roman husbandmen to purge their fields. At the spring festival the head of each family led an animal, usually a pig or ram, decked with oak boughs, round his grounds, and offered milk and new wine. After harvest there was another festival, at which Ceres was presented with the first-fruits of the season. See Ceres.

Amber, see Heliades.

Ambro’sia were Bacchanalian festivals.

Ami’ca, a name of Venus.

Amphi’on was the son of Jupiter and Antiope. He was greatly skilled in music; and it is said that, at the sound of his lute, the stones arranged themselves so regularly as to make the walls of the city of Thebes.

[Pg 8]

Amphitri′te (or Salatia), the wife of Neptune, was a daughter of Oceanus and Terra. She was the mother of Triton, a sea god.

Amy′cus was king of Babrycia. He was a son of Neptune, and was killed by Pollux.

Ancæ′us. A son of Neptune, who left a cup of wine to hunt a wild boar which killed him, and the wine was untasted. This was the origin of the proverb—“There’s many a slip ’twixt cup and lip.”

Ancil′ia, the twelve sacred shields. The first Ancile was supposed to have fallen from heaven in answer to the prayer of Numa Pompilius. It was kept with the greatest care, as it was prophesied that the fate of the Roman people would depend upon its preservation. An order of priesthood was established to take care of the Ancilia, and on 1st March each year the shields were carried in procession, and in the evening there was a great feast called Cœna Saliaris.

Androm′eda, the daughter of Cepheus, king of the Ethiopians, was wife of Perseus, by whom she was rescued when she was chained to a rock and was about to be devoured by a sea-monster.

Anem′one. Venus changed Adonis into this flower.

Angero′nia, otherwise Volupia, was the goddess who had the power of dispelling anguish of mind.

Anna Peren′na, one of the rural divinities.

Antæ′us, a giant who was vanquished by Hercules. Each time that Hercules threw him the giant[Pg 9] gained fresh strength from touching the earth, so Hercules lifted him off the ground and squeezed him to death.

An′teros, one of the two Cupids, sons of Venus.

Antic′lea, the mother of Ulysses.

Anti′ope was wife of Lycus, King of Thebes. Jupiter, disguised as a satyr, led her astray and corrupted her.

Anu′bis (or Herman′ubis). “A god half a dog, a dog half a man.” Called Barker by Virgil and other poets.

Aon′ides, a name of the Muses, from the country Aonia.

Aph′rodi′te, a Greek name of Venus.

Apis, a name given to Jupiter by the inhabitants of the Lower Nile. Also the miraculous ox, worshipped in Egypt.

A′pis, King of Argivia. Afterwards called Serapis, the greatest god of the Egyptians.

Apol′lo. This famous god, sometime King of Arcadia, was the son of Jupiter and Latona. He was known by several names, but principally by the following:—Sol (the sun); Cynthius, from the mountain called Cynthus in the Isle of Delos, and this same island being his native place obtained for him the name of Delius; Delphinius, from his occasionally assuming the shape of a dolphin. His name of Delphicus was derived from his connection with the splendid Temple at Delphi, where he uttered the famous oracles. Some writers record that this oracle became dumb when Jesus Christ was born. Other common names of Apollo were Didymæus, Nomius, Pæan, and Phœbus. The[Pg 10] Greeks called him Agineus because the streets were under his guardianship, and he was called Pythius from having killed the serpent Python. Apollo is usually represented as a handsome young man without beard, crowned with laurel, and having in one hand a bow, and in the other a lyre. The favourite residence of Apollo was on Mount Parnassus, a mountain of Phocis, in Greece, where he presided over the Muses. Apollo was the accredited father of several children, but the two most renowned were Æsculapius and Phæton.

Apothe′osis. The consecration of a god. The ceremony of deification.

Apple, see Atalanta.

Arach′ne, a Lybian Princess, who challenged Minerva to a spinning contest, but Minerva struck her on the head with a spindle, and turned her into a spider.

Arca′dia, a delightful country in the centre of Peloponnessus, a favourite place of the gods. Apollo was reputed to have been King of Arcadia.

Ar′cas, a son of Calistro, was turned into a he-bear; and afterwards into the constellation called Ursa Minor.

[Pg 11]

Archer, see Chiron.

Areop′agi′tæ, the judges who sat at the Areopagus.

Areop′agus, the hill at Athens where Mars was tried for murder before twelve of the gods.

A′res. The same as Mars, the god of war.

Arethu′sa was one of the nymphs of Diana. She fled from Alpheus, a river god, and was enabled to escape by being turned by Diana into a rivulet which ran underground. She was as virtuous as she was beautiful.

Ar′gonauts. This name was given to the fifty heroes who sailed to Colchis in the ship Argo under the command of Jason, to fetch the Golden Fleece.

Ar′gus was a god who had a hundred eyes which slept and watched by turns. He was charged by Juno to watch Io, but, being slain by Mercury, was changed by Juno into a peacock.

Ariad′ne, daughter of Minos, King of Crete. After enabling Theseus to get out of the Labyrinth by means of a clew of thread, she fled with him to Naxos, where he ungratefully deserted her; but Bacchus wooed her and married her, and the crown of seven stars which he gave her was turned into a constellation.

Ari′on was a famous lyric poet of Methymna, in the Island of Lesbos, where he gained great riches by his art. There is a pretty fable which has made the name of Arion famous. Once when travelling from Lesbos his companions robbed him, and proposed to throw him into the sea. He entreated the seamen to let him play upon his harp before they threw him overboard, and he played so sweetly that the dolphins flocked round the vessel. He[Pg 12] then threw himself into the sea, and one of the dolphins took him up and carried him to Taenarus, near Corinth. For this act the dolphin was raised to heaven as a constellation.

Aristæ′us, son of Apollo and Cyrene, was the god of trees; he also taught mankind the use of honey, and how to get oil from olives. He was a celebrated hunter. His most famous son was Actæon.

Arma′ta, one of the names of Venus, given to her by Spartan women.

Ar′temis. This was the Grecian name of Diana, and the festivals at Delphi were called Artemesia.

Arts and Sciences, see Muses.

Arus′pices, sacrificial priests.

Ascal′aphus was changed into an owl, the harbinger of misfortune, by Ceres, because he informed Pluto that Proserpine had partaken of food in the infernal regions, and thus prevented her return to earth.

Asca′nius, the son of Æneas.

Ascol′ia, Bacchanalian feasts, from a Greek word meaning a leather bottle. The bottles were used in the games to jump on.

Aso′pus. A son of Jupiter, who was killed by one of his father’s thunderbolts.

Assabi′nus, the Ethiopian name of Jupiter.

Asses-ears, see Midas.

Astar′te, one of the Eastern names of Venus.

Aste′ria, daughter of Cæus, was carried away by Jupiter, who assumed the shape of an eagle.

[Pg 13]

Astre′a, mother of Nemesis, was the goddess of justice; she returned to heaven when the earth became corrupt.

Atalan′ta was daughter of Cæneus. The oracle told her that marriage would be fatal to her, but, being very beautiful, she had many suitors. She was a very swift runner, and, to get rid of her admirers, she promised to marry any one of them who should outstrip her in a race, but that all who were defeated should be slain. Hippomenes, however, with the aid of Venus, was successful. That goddess gave him three golden apples, one of which he dropped whenever Atalanta caught up to him in the race. She stopped to pick them up, and he was victorious and married her. They were both afterwards turned into lions by Cybele, for profaning her temple.

A′te. The goddess of revenge, also called the goddess of discord and all evil. She was banished from heaven by her father Jupiter.

Athe′na, a name obtained by Minerva as the tutelary goddess of Athens.

Atlas, was King of Mauritania, now Morocco, in Africa. He was also a great astronomer. He is depicted with the globe on his back, his name signifying great toil or labour. For his inhospitality to Perseus that king changed him into the mountain which bears his name of Atlas. A chain of mountains in Africa is called after him, and so is the Atlantic Ocean. He had seven daughters[Pg 14] by his wife Pleione, they were called by one common name, Pleiades; and by his wife Æthra he had seven more, who were, in the same manner, called Hyades. Both the Pleiades and the Hyades are celestial constellations.

At′reus, the type of fraternal hatred. His dislike of his brother Thyestes went to the extent of killing and roasting his nephews, and inviting their father to a feast, which Thyestes thought was a sign of reconciliation, but he was the victim of his brother’s detestable cruelty.

At′ropos, one of the three sisters called The Fates, who held the shears ready to cut the thread of life.

A′tys, son of Crœsus, was born dumb, but when in a fight he saw a soldier about to kill the king, he gained speech, and cried out, “Save the king!” and the string that held his tongue was broken.

A′tys was a youth beloved by Aurora, and was slain by her father, but, according to Ovid, was afterwards turned into a pine-tree.

Aug′æas, a king of Elis, the owner of the stable which Hercules cleansed after three thousand oxen had been kept in it for thirty years. It was cleansed by turning the river Alpheus through it. Augæas promised to give Hercules a tenth part of his cattle for his trouble, but, for neglecting to keep his promise, Hercules shot him.

Au′gury. This was a means adopted by the Romans of forming a judgment of futurity by the flight of birds, and the officiating priest was called an augur.

[Pg 15]

Auro′ra, the goddess of the morning,

She was daughter of Sol, the sun, and was the mother of the stars and winds. She is represented as riding in a splendid golden chariot drawn by white horses. The goddess loved Tithonus, and begged the gods to grant him immortality, but forgot to ask at the same time that he should not get old and decrepit. See Tithonus.

Aus′ter, the south wind, a son of Jupiter.

Aver′nus, a poisonous lake, referred to by poets as being at the entrance of the infernal regions, but it was really a lake in Campania in Italy.

Averrun′cus Deus, a Roman god, who could divert people from evil doing.

Axe, see Dædalus.

Ba′al, a god of the Phœnicians.

Ba′al-Pe′or, a Moabitish god, associated with licentiousness and obscenity. The modern name is Belphegor.

Babes, see Rumina Dea.

Bac′chantes. The priestesses of Bacchus.

Bac′chus, the god of wine, was the son of Jupiter and Semele. He is said to have married Ariadne, daughter of Minos, King of Crete, after she was deserted by Theseus. The most distinguished of his children is Hymen, the god of marriage.[Pg 16] Bacchus is sometimes referred to under the names of Dionysius, Biformis, Brisœus, Iacchus, Lenæus, Lyceus, Liber, and Liber Pater, the symbol of liberty. The god of wine is usually represented as crowned with vine and ivy leaves. In his left hand is a thyrsus, a kind of javelin, having a fir cone for the head, and being encircled with ivy or vine. His chariot is drawn by lions, tigers, or panthers.

Ba′lios. A famous horse given by Neptune to Peleus as a wedding present, and was afterwards given to Achilles.

Barker, see Anubis.

Bassar′ides. The priestesses of Bacchus were sometimes so called.

Battle, see Valhalla.

Bear, see Calistro.

Beauty, see Venus.

Bees, see Mellona.

Belisa′ma, a goddess of the Gauls. The name means the Queen of Heaven.

Beller′ophon, a hero who destroyed a monster called the Chimæra.

Bello′na, the goddess of war, and wife of Mars. The 24th March was called Bellona’s Day, when her votaries cut themselves with knives and drank the blood of the sacrifice.

[Pg 17]

Belphe′gor, see Baal-Peor.

Be′lus. The Chaldean name of the sun.

Berecyn′thia, a name of Cybele, from a mountain where she was worshipped.

Bi′formis, a name of Bacchus, because he was accounted both bearded and beardless.

Birds, see Augury.

Births, see Lucina and Levana.

Blacksmith, see Brontes and Vulcan.

Blind, see Thanyris.

Blue eyes, see Glaukopis.

Bo′na De′a. “The bountiful goddess,” whose festival was celebrated by the Romans with much magnificence. See Ceres.

Bo′nus Even′tus. The god of good success, a rural divinity.

Bo′reas, the north wind, son of Astræus and Aurora.

Boundaries, see Terminus.

Boxing, see Pollux.

Brah′ma. The great Indian deity, represented with four heads looking to the four quarters of the globe.

Bri′areus, see Ægeon.

Bris′æus. A name of Bacchus, referring to the use of grapes and honey.

Bront′es, one of the Cyclops. He is the personification of a blacksmith.

[Pg 18]

Bubo′na, goddess of herdsmen, one of the rural divinities.

Bud′dah. A pagan deity, the Vishnu of the Hindoos.

Byb′lis. A niece of Sol, mentioned by Ovid. She shed so many tears for unrequited love that she was turned into a fountain.

Cab′iri. The mysterious rites connected with the worship of these deities were so obscene that most writers refer to them as secrets which it was unlawful to reveal.

Cac′odæ′mon. Greek name of an evil spirit.

Ca′cus, a three-headed monster and robber.

Cad′mus, one of the earliest of the Greek demigods. He was the reputed inventor of letters, and his alphabet consisted of sixteen letters. It was Cadmus who slew the Bœotian dragon, and sowed its teeth in the ground, from each of which sprang up an armed man.

Cadu′ceus. The rod carried by Mercury. It has two winged serpents entwined round the top end. It was supposed to possess the power of producing sleep, and Milton refers to it in Paradise Lost as the “opiate rod.”

Calis′tro, an Arcadian nymph, who was turned into a she-bear by Jupiter. In that form she was hunted by her son Arcas, who would have killed her had not Jupiter turned him into a he-bear. The nymph and her son form the constellations known as the Great Bear and Little Bear.

[Pg 19]

Calli′ope. The Muse who presided over epic poetry and rhetoric. She is generally depicted using a stylus and wax tablets, the ancient writing materials.

Cal′pe. One of the pillars of Hercules.

Calyp′so was queen of the island of Ogygia, on which Ulysses was wrecked, and where he was persuaded to remain seven years.

Ca′ma. The Indian god of love and marriage.

Camil′lus, a name of Mercury, from his office of minister to the gods.

Can′ache. The name of one of Actæon’s hounds.

Cano′ba. The Indian Apollo.

Cano′pus. The Egyptian god of water, the conqueror of fire.

Cap′is or Cap′ula. A peculiar cup with ears, used in drinking the health of the deities.

Capitoli′nus. A name of Jupiter, from the Capitoline hill, on the top of which a temple was built and dedicated to him.

Cap′ri′pedes. Pan, the Egipans, the Satyrs, and Fauns, were so called from having goats’ feet.

Caproti′na. A name of Juno.

Cassan′dra, a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, who was granted by Apollo the power of seeing into futurity, but having offended that god he prevented people from believing her predictions.

Cassiope′ia. The Ethiopian queen who set her beauty in comparison with that of the Nereides, who thereupon chained her to a rock and left her[Pg 20] to be devoured by a sea-monster, but she was delivered by Perseus.

Casta′lia. One of the fountains in Mount Parnassus, sacred to the Muses.

Casta′li′des, a name of the Muses, from the fountain Castalia or Castalius.

Cas′tor, son of Jupiter and Leda, twin brother of Pollux, noted for his skill in horsemanship. He went with Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece.

Cau′ther, in Mohammedan mythology, is the lake of paradise, whose waters are as sweet as honey, as cold as snow, and as clear as crystal; and any believer who tastes thereof is said to thirst no more.

Cel′eno was one of the Harpies, progenitor of Zephyrus, the west wind.

Cen′taur. A huntsman who had the fore-part like a man, and the remainder of the body like a horse. The Centauri lived in Thessaly.

Cep′halus was married to Procris, whom he accidentally slew by shooting her, while she was secretly watching him, he thinking she was a wild beast. Cephalus was the type of constancy.

Cerau′nius. A Greek name of Jupiter, meaning The Fulminator, from his thunderbolts.

Cer′berus. Pluto’s famous three-headed dog, which guarded the gate of the infernal regions, preventing the living from entering, and the inhabitants from going out.

[Pg 21]

Ceremonies, see Themis.

Ce′res, daughter of Saturn, the goddess of agriculture, and of the fruits of earth. She taught Triptolemus how to grow corn, and sent him to teach the inhabitants of the earth. She was known by the names of Magna Dea, Bona Dea, Alma Mammosa, and Thesmorphonis. Ceres was the mother of Prosperine. See Ambarvalia.

Ces′tus, the girdle of Venus, which excited irresistible affection.

Cha′os allegorically represented the confused mass of matter supposed to have existed before the creation of the world, and out of which the world was formed.

Char′on was the son of Nox and Erebus. He was the ferryman who conveyed the spirits of the dead, in a boat, over the rivers Acheron and Styx to the Elysian Fields. “Charon’s toll” was a coin[Pg 22] put into the hands of the dead with which to pay the grim ferryman.

Charyb′dis. A dangerous whirlpool on the coast of Sicily. Personified, it was supposed to have been a woman who plundered travellers, but was at last killed by Hercules. Scylla and Charybdis are generally spoken of together to represent alternative dangers.

Che′mos. The Moabitish god of war.

Children, see Nundina.

Chimæ′ra. A wild illusion, personified in the monster slain by Bellerophon. It had the head and breast of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent. It used to vomit fire.

Chi′ron, the centaur who taught Achilles hunting, music, and the use of medicinal herbs. Jupiter placed him amongst the stars, where he appears as Sagittarius the Archer.

[Pg 23]

Chlo′ris. The Greek name of Flora, the goddess of flowers.

Chou. An Egyptian god corresponding to the Roman Hercules.

Chro′nos. Time, the Grecian name of Saturn.

Cil′laros, see Cyllaros.

Cir′ce, daughter of the Sun. The knowledge of poisonous herbs enabled her to destroy her husband, the King of the Sarmatians, for which act she was banished. When Ulysses landed at Æcea, where she lived, she turned all his followers into swine.

Cisse′ta. The name of one of Actæon’s hounds.

Cither′ides. A name of the Muses, from Mount Citheron.

Cli′o. One of the Muses, daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. She presided over history.

Cloaci′na. The Roman goddess of sewers.

Clo′tho was one of the Fates. She was present at births, and held the distaff from which was spun the thread of life. See Atropos and Lachesis.

Clowns of Ly′cia, The, were changed into frogs by Latona, because they refused to allow her to drink at one of their streamlets.

Clu′aci′na. A name of Venus, given to her at the time of the reconciliation of the Romans and the Sabines, which was ratified near a statue of the goddess.

Cly′temnes′tra, wife of Agamemnon, slew her husband and married Ægisthus. She attempted to kill her son Orestes, but he was delivered by his sister Electra, who sent him away to Strophius.[Pg 24] He afterwards returned and slew both Clytemnestra and Ægisthus.

Clyt′ie. A nymph who got herself changed into a sunflower because her love of Apollo was unrequited. In the form of this flower she is still supposed to be turning towards Sol, a name of Apollo.

Cneph. In Egyptian mythology the creator of the universe.

Cocy′tus, the river of Lamentation. One of the five rivers of the infernal regions.

Cœ’culus, a violent robber, was a son of Vulcan.

Cœ’lus, also called Uranus (or Heaven), was the most ancient of the gods.

Cœ′na Salia′ris, see Ancilia.

Colli′na was one of the rural deities, the goddess of hills.

Comedy, see Thalia.

Co′mus was the god of revelry. He presided over entertainments and feasts.

Con′cord. The symbol of Concord was two right hands joined, and a pomegranate.

Concor′dia. The goddess of peace. One of the oldest Roman goddesses. She is represented as holding a horn of plenty in one hand, and in the other a sceptre, from which fruit is sprouting forth.

Constancy, see Cephalus.

Consu′alia. Games sacred to Neptune.

[Pg 25]

Con′sus. A name given to Neptune as being the god of counsel.

Cophe′tua. A legendary king of Africa, who disliked women, but ultimately fell in love with a “beggar-maid,” as mentioned in Romeo and Juliet.

Co′pia, the goddess of plenty.

Co′ran. One of Actæon’s hounds was so named.

Corn, see Ceres.

Cor′onis, was a consort of Apollo and mother of Æsculapius. Another Coronis was daughter of a king of Phocis, and was changed by Athena into a crow.

Coryban′tes were priests of Cybele. They obtained the name because they were in the habit of striking themselves in their dances.

Cory′don. A silly love-sick swain mentioned by Virgil.

Cory′thaix. A name given to Mars, meaning Shaker of the Helmet.

Cotyt′to. The Athenian goddess of immodesty.

Counsel, see Consus.

Creditors, see Jani.

Crow, see Coronis.

Cultivated Land, see Sylvester.

Cup-bearer, see Ganymede.

[Pg 26]

Cu′pid, the god of love, was the son of Jupiter and Venus. He is represented as a naked, winged boy, with a bow and arrows, and a torch. When he grew up to be a man he married Psyche.

Cuve′ra. The Indian god of wealth, corresponding to the Greek Plutus.

Cy′bele. The mother of the gods, and hence called Magna Mater. She was wife of Saturn. She is sometimes referred to under the names of Ceres, Rhea, Ops, and Vesta. She is represented as riding in a chariot drawn by lions. In one hand she holds a sceptre, and in the other a key. On her head is a castellated crown, to notify that she was the first to protect castles and walls with towers.

Cy′clops or Cy′clopes were the gigantic, one-eyed workmen of Vulcan, who made Jove’s thunderbolts. Hesiod gives their names as Arges, Brontes, and Steropes.

[Pg 27]

Cyg′nus, the bosom friend of Phaëton. He died of grief on the death of his friend, and was turned into a swan.

Cyll′aros, one of Castor’s horses. The colour is mentioned as being coal-black, with white legs and tail. See Cillaros.

Cyl′lo. The name of one of Actæon’s hounds, which was lame.

Cyllop′otes. A name given to one of Actæon’s hounds which limped.

Cyn′osure. One of the nurses of Jupiter, turned by the god into a conspicuous constellation.

Cyparis′sus. A boy of whom Apollo was very fond; and when he died he was changed, at Apollo’s intercession, into a cypress tree, the branches of which typify mourning.

Cy′press, see Cyparissus.

Cy′pria. A name of Venus, because she was worshipped in the island of Cyprus.

Cyth′era. A name of Venus, from the island to which she was wafted in the shell.

Dacty′li were priests of Cybele. They were given the name, because, like the fingers, they were ten in number.

Dæd′alus was a great architect and sculptor. He invented the wedge, the axe, the level, and the[Pg 28] gimlet, and was the first to use sails. Dædalus also constructed the famous labyrinth for Minos, King of Crete. See Icarus.

Da′gon. A god of the Philistines, half man half fish, like the mermaid. Milton describes him as “Upward man and downward fish.”

Da′hak. The Persian devil.

Dai′tyas. In Hindoo mythology the devils or evil gods.

Dan′æ was a daughter of Acrisius and Eurydice. She had a son by Jupiter, who was drifted out to sea in a boat, but was saved by Polydectes and educated.

Dana′ides, see Danaus.

Dana′us, King of Argos, was the father of fifty daughters, who, all but one, at the command of their father, slew their husbands directly after marriage. For this crime they were condemned to the task of for ever trying to draw water with vessels without any bottoms. See Hypermnestra.

Dancing, see Terpsichore.

Dangers, see Scylla.

Daph′ne. The goddess of the earth. Apollo courted her, but she fled from him, and was, at her own request, turned into a laurel tree.

[Pg 29]

Dar′danus, a son of Jupiter, who built the city of Dardania, and by some writers was accounted the founder of Troy.

Dead-toll, see Charon.

Death, see Nox.

Deceiver, The, see Apaturia.

Deiani′ra, daughter of Œneus, was wife of Hercules. See Hercules.

De′los, a name of Apollo, from the island in which he was born.

Del′phi. A town on Mount Parnassus, famous for its oracle, and for a temple of Apollo. See Delphos.

Del′phicus. A name of Apollo, from Delphi.

Del′phos, the place where the temple was built from which the oracle of Apollo was given.

De′marus. The Phœnician name of Jupiter.

De′mogor′gon was the tyrant genius of the soil or earth, the life and support of plants. He was depicted as an old man covered with moss, and was said to live underground. He is sometimes called the king of the elves and fays.

Deucha′lion, one of the demigods, son of Prometheus and Pyrra. He and his wife, by making a ship, survived the deluge which Jupiter sent on the earth, circa 1503 B.C.

Devil, see Dahak, Daityas, and Obambou.

[Pg 30]

Di′ana, goddess of hunting and of chastity. She was the sister of Apollo, and daughter of Jupiter and Latona. She was known amongst the Greeks as Diana or Phœbe, and was honoured as a triform goddess. As a celestial divinity she was called Luna; as a terrestrial Diana or Dictynna; and in the infernal regions Hecate.

Dictyn′na, a Greek name of Diana as a terrestrial goddess.

Di′do. A daughter of Belus, King of Tyre. It was this princess who bought a piece of land in Africa as large as could be encompassed by a bullock’s hide, and when the purchase was completed, cut the hide into strips, and so secured a large tract of land. Here she built Carthage; and Virgil tells that when Æneas was shipwrecked on the neighbouring coast, she received him with every kindness, and at last fell in love with him. But Æneas did not reciprocate her affections, and this so grieved her that she stabbed herself. A tale is told in Facetiæ Cantabrigienses of Professor Porson, who being one of a set party, the conversation turned on the subject of punning, when Porson observing that he could pun on any subject, a person present defied him to do so on the Latin gerunds, di, do, dum, which, however, he immediately did in the following admirable couplet:—

Di′es Pa′ter, or Father of the Day, a name of Jupiter.

Dii Selec′ti composed the second class of gods. They were Cœlus, Saturn, Genius, Oreus, Sol, Bacchus, Terra, and Luna.

[Pg 31]

Din′dyme′ne. A name of Cybele, from a mountain where she was worshipped.

Diome′des, the cruel tyrant of Thrace, who fed his mares on the flesh of his guests, was overcome by Hercules, and was given to the same horses as food.

Dio′ne. A poetic name of Venus.

Diony′sia were festivals in honour of Bacchus.

Diony′sius. A name of Bacchus, either from his father Jupiter (Dios), or from his nurses, the nymphs called Nyseæ.

Di′os, a name of Jupiter.

Dios′curi. Castor and Pollux, the sons of Jupiter.

Di′ræn. A name of the Furies.

Dis. A name of Pluto, god of hell, signifying riches.

Discord, see Ate.

Discor′dia, sister of Nemesis, the Furies, and Death, was driven from heaven for having sown discord amongst the gods.

Diseases, see Pandora.

Distaff, see Pallas.

Dodo′na was a celebrated oracle of Jupiter.

[Pg 32]

Dodonæ′us. A name of Jupiter, from the city of Dodona.

Dog, see Lares.

Dola′bra. The knife used by the priests to cut up the sacrifices.

Dol′phin, see Arion.

Door′ga. A Hindoo goddess.

Do′ris was daughter of Oceanus, and sister of Nereus, two of the marine deities. From these two sisters sprang the several tribes of water nymphs.

Do′to. One of the Nereids or sea nymphs.

Dra′co. One of Actæon’s hounds.

Dragon, seven-headed, see Geryon.

Dreams, see Morpheus.

Dry′ads were rural deities, the nymphs of the forests, to whom their votaries offered oil, milk, and honey.

Dumb′ness, see Atys.

Dweur′gar. Scandinavian god of the Echo—a pigmy.

E′acus, son of Jupiter and Egina, one of the judges of the infernal regions, who was appointed to judge the Europeans. See Æacus.

Earth, see Antæas.

Eb′lis, the Mohammedan evil genius.

[Pg 33]

Echid′na. A woman having a serpent’s tail. She was the reputed mother of Chimera, and also of the many-headed dog Orthos, of the three hundred headed dragon, of the Hesperides, of the Colchian dragon, of the Sphinx, of Cerberus, of Scylla, of the Gorgons, of the Lernæan Hydra, of the vulture that gnawed away the liver of Prometheus, and also of the Nemean lion; in fact, the mother of all adversity and tribulation.

Echno′bas, one of Actæon’s hounds.

Ech′o was a nymph who fell in love with Narcissus. But when he languished and died she pined away from grief and died also, preserving nothing but her voice, which repeats every sound that reaches her. Another fable makes Echo a daughter of Air and Tellus. She was partly deprived of speech by Juno, being allowed only to reply to questions.

Egeon. A giant sea-god, who assisted the Titans against Jupiter.

Ege′ria. A nymph who is said to have suggested to Numa all his wise laws. She became his wife, and at his death was so disconsolate, and shed so many tears, that Diana changed her into a fountain.

E′gil. The Vulcan of northern mythology.

[Pg 34]

Egip′ans were rural deities who inhabited the forests and mountains, the upper half of the body being like that of a man, and the lower half like a goat.

E′gis was the shield of Minerva. It obtained its name because it was covered with the skin of the goat Amalthæa, which nourished Jupiter. See Ægis.

Eleusin′ian Mysteries. Religious rites in honour of Ceres, performed at Eleusis in Attica.

Elys′ium, or the Elysian Fields. The temporary abode of the just in the infernal regions.

Empyre′an, The. The fifth heaven, the seat of the heathen deity.

Endym′ion. A shepherd, who acquired from Jupiter the faculty of being always young. One of the lovers of Diana.

Entertainments, see Comus.

Envy, see Furies.

Enyo was the Grecian name of Bellona, the goddess of war and cruelty.

E′olus, see Æolus.

E′os. The Grecian name of Aurora.

E′ous. One of the four horses which drew the chariot of Sol, the sun. The word is Greek, and means red.

Eph′ial′tes. A giant who lost his right eye in an encounter with Hercules, and the left eye was destroyed by Apollo.

Er′ato. One of the Muses, the patroness of light poetry; she presided over the triumphs and complaints of lovers, and is generally represented as[Pg 35] crowned with roses and myrtle, and holding a lyre in her hand.

Er′ebus, son of Chaos, one of the gods of Hades, sometimes alluded to as representing the infernal regions.

Erga′tis. A name given to Minerva. It means the work-woman, and was given to the goddess because she was credited with having invented spinning and weaving.

Eric′theus, fourth King of Athens, was the son of Vulcan.

Erin′nys. A Greek name of the Furies. It means Disturber of the Mind.

Erisich′thon was punished with perpetual hunger because he defiled the groves of Ceres, and cut down one of the sacred oaks.

Er′os. The Greek god of love.

Eros′tratus. The rascal who burnt the temple of Diana at Ephesus, thereby hoping to make his name immortal.

Eryc′ina. A name of Venus, from Mount Eryx in Sicily.

Erythre′os. The Grecian name of one of the horses of Sol’s chariot.

Escula′pius, see Æsculapius.

E′ta, see Æta.

E′thon, one of the horses who drew the chariot of Sol—the sun. The word is Greek, and signifies hot.

Et′na. A volcanic mountain, beneath which, according[Pg 36] to Virgil, there is buried the giant Typhon, who breathes forth devouring flames.

Eu′dromos. The name of one of Actæon’s hounds.

Eu′lalon, one of the names of Apollo.

Eumen′ides, a name of the Furies, meaning mild, and referring to the time when they were approved by Minerva.

Euphro′syne, one of the three Graces, see Graces.

Eu′rus. The east wind. A son of Æolus.

Eury′ale was one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and Ceto.

Euryd′ice, wife of Orpheus, who was killed by a serpent on her wedding night.

Euryth′ion. A seven-headed dragon. See Geryon.

Eu′terpe, one of the Muses, the patroness of instrumental music. The word means agreeable.

Eu′vyhe, an expression meaning “Well done, son.” Jupiter so frequently addressed his son Bacchus by those words that the phrase at last became one of his names.

Evening star, see Hesperus.

Evil, see Cacodæmon.

[Pg 37]

Evils, see Pandora.

Eye, see Cyclops and Glaukopis.

Fame was a poetical deity, represented as having wings and blowing a trumpet. A temple was dedicated to her by the Romans.

Fate, see Nereus.

Fates, or Parcæ, were the three daughters of Necessity. Their names were Clotho, who held the distaff; Lachesis, who turned the spindle; and Atropos, who cut the thread with the fatal shears.

Faun. A rural divinity, half man and half goat. They were very similar to the Satyrs. The Fauns attended the god Pan, and the Satyrs attended Bacchus.

Favo′nius. The wind favourable to vegetation, that is, Zephyr—the west wind.

Fays.

Feasts, see Comus.

Fe′bris (fever), one of the evil deities, was worshipped that she might not do harm.

Feb′ruus. A name of Plato, from the part of the funeral rites which consisted of purifications.

[Pg 38]

Fero′nia, the Roman goddess of orchards, was patroness of enfranchised slaves. Some authors think Feronia is the same as Juno.

Fertility, see Lupercus.

Festivals, see Thalia.

Fidelity, see Iolaus.

Fi′des, the goddess of faith and honesty, had a temple in the Capitol of Rome.

Fine Arts, see Minerva.

Fire, see Salamander, Vesta, and Vulcan.

Fire Insurance, see Canopus.

Fisherman, see Glaucus.

Flath′-in′nis, in Celtic mythology, is Paradise.

Fleece, Golden, see Golden Fleece, Argonauts, and Jason.

Flies, see Muscarius.

Flocks, see Pales.

Flo′ra, goddess of flowers and gardens, was wife of Zephyrus. She enjoyed perpetual youth. Her Grecian name was Chloris.

Flora′lia were licentious games instituted in honour of the goddess Flora.

Flowers, see Flora, Chloris, Hortensis, and Zephyrus.

Flute, see Marsyas.

Fortu′na, the goddess of fortune, had a temple erected to her by Servius Tullius. She was supposed to be able to bestow riches or poverty on mankind, and was esteemed one of the most potent of the ancient goddesses. She is usually represented[Pg 39] as standing on a wheel, with a bandage over her eyes, and holding a cornucopia.

Fraud, one of the evil deities, was represented as a goddess with a human face and a serpent’s body, and in the end of her tail was a scorpion’s sting. She lived in the river Cocytus, and nothing but her head was ever seen.

Frey′r. The Scandinavian god of fertility and peace. The patron god of Sweden and Iceland.

Frey′ja. The Scandinavian Venus. The goddess of love.

Fri′ga. The Saxon goddess of earthly enjoyments. The name Friday is derived from her. In Scandinavian mythology she is the goddess of marriage.

Fro. The Scandinavian god of tempests and winds.

Frogs, see Clowns of Lycia.

Fruits, see Ceres and Pomona.

Funerals, see Libitina and Manes.

Furies, The, were the three daughters of Acheron and Nox. They were the punishers of evildoers. Their names were Tisiphone, Megæra, and Alecto, and were supposed to personify rage, slaughter, and envy.

Futurity, see Cassandra.

Ga′briel, in Jewish mythology is the prince of fire and thunder, and the angel of death to the favoured people of God.

Galatæ′a. A sea nymph. Polyphemus, one of the Cyclops, loved her, but she disdained his attentions[Pg 40] and became the lover of Acis, a Sicilian shepherd.

Gallan′tes, madmen, from Galli (which see).

Gal′li were priests of Cybele who used to cut their arms with knives when they sacrificed, and acted so like madmen that demented people got the name of Gallantes.

Gan′esa. The Indian Mercury. The god of wisdom and prudence.

Ganga. One of the three Indian river goddesses.

Ganymede, a beautiful Phrygian youth, son of Tros, King of Troy. He succeeded Hebe in the office of cup-bearer to Jupiter. He is generally represented sitting on the back of a flying eagle.

Gardens, see Pomona.

Gates, see Janus.

Gauta′ma. The chief deity of Burmah.

Genii were domestic divinities. Every man was supposed to have two of these genii accompanying him; one brought him happiness, the other misery.

Gen′itor. A Lycian name of Jupiter.

Geometry, see Mercury.

Ge′ryon was a triple-bodied monster who lived at Gades, where his numerous flocks were guarded by Orthos, a two-headed dog, and by Eurythion, a seven-headed dragon. These guardians were destroyed by Hercules, and the cattle taken away.

Gimlet, see Dædalus.

Girdle, see Cestus.

[Pg 41]

Glau′cus was a fisherman who became a sea-god through eating a sea-weed, which he thought invigorated the fishes and might strengthen him.

Glauko′pis. A name given to Minerva, because she had blue eyes.

Gno′mes, a name given by Plato to the invisible deities who were supposed to inhabit the earth.

Gnos′sis, a name given to Ariadne, from the city of Gnossus in Crete.

Goat, see Iphigenia, Mendes, and Venus.

Goat’s Feet, see Capripedes.

Golden Apple, see Atalanta.

Golden Fleece, The, was a ram’s hide, sometimes described as white, and at other times as purple and golden. It was given to Phryxus, who carried it to Colchis, where King Æta entertained Phryxus, and the hide was hung up in the grove of Mars. Jason and forty-nine companions fetched back the golden fleece. See Argonauts.

Gopy′a. Indian mythological nymphs.

Gor′gons, The, were three sisters, named Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. They petrified every one they looked at. Instead of hair their heads were covered with vipers. Perseus conquered them, and cut off the head of Medusa, which was placed on the shield of Minerva, and all who fixed their eyes thereon were turned into stone.

Graces, The, were the attendants of Venus. Their names were, Aglaia, so called from her beauty and goodness; Thalia, from her perpetual freshness; and Euphrosyne, from her cheerfulness. They are generally depicted as three cheerful maidens with[Pg 42] hands joined, and either nude or only wearing transparent robes,—the idea being that kindnesses, as personified by the Graces, should be done with sincerity and candour, and without disguise. They were supposed to teach the duties of gratitude and friendship, and they promoted love and harmony among mankind.

Graces (fourth), see Pasithea.

Grad′ivus. A name given to Mars by the Romans. It meant the warrior who defended the city against all external enemies.

Gra′gus. The name by which Jupiter was worshipped in Lycia.

Granaries, see Tutelina.

Grap′sios. A Lycian name of Jupiter.

Grasshopper, see Tithonus.

Grief, see Niobe.

Ha′da. The Babylonian Juno.

Ha′des. The Greek name of Pluto, the god of hell, the word signifying hidden, dark, and gloomy; the infernal regions; sometimes written, Ades.

Hailstorms, see Nuriel.

Halcy′one, one of the Pleiades, was a daughter of Atlas and Pelione.

Halcy′ons were sea-birds, supposed to be the Greek king-fishers. They made their nests on the waves, and during the period of incubation the sea was always calm. Hence the modern term Halcyon Days.

[Pg 43]

Hamadry′ades were wood-nymphs, who presided over trees.

Happiness, see Genii.

Haroe′ris. The Egyptian god, whose eyes are the sun and moon.

Har′pies were animals with the heads and breasts of women, the bodies of birds, and the claws of lions. Their names were Aello, Ocypete, and Celeno. They were loathsome creatures, living in filth, and poisoning everything they came in contact with.

Harpi′kruti. The Egyptian name of the god Harpocrates.

Harpoc′rates, son of Isis, was the god of silence and meditation. He is usually represented as a young man, holding a finger of one hand to his lips, while in the other hand he holds a cornucopia.

Harvest, see Segesta.

Hawk, see Nysus.

Ha′zis. The Syrian war-god.

Health, see Hygeia and Salus.

Hea′ven, Queen of, see Belisama. God of, see Cœlus.

He′be was the goddess of youth. She was cup-bearer to Jupiter and the gods, until she had an awkward fall at a festival, and so displeased Jupiter that[Pg 44] she was deprived of her office, and Ganymede was appointed in her stead.

Hec′ate. There were two goddesses known by this name, but the one generally referred to in modern literature is Hecate, or Prosperine, the name by which Diana was known in the infernal regions. In heaven her name was Luna, and her terrestrial name was Diana.

Hec′uba. The mother of Paris, was allotted to Ulysses after the destruction of Troy, and was afterwards changed into a hound.

Heifer, see Ino.

Hel′ena when a child was so beautiful that Theseus and Perithous stole her, but she was restored by Castor and Pollux. She became the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, but eloped with Paris, and thus caused the Trojan War. After the death of Paris she married Deiphobus, his brother, and then betrayed him to Menelaus. She was strangled by order of Polyxo, king of Rhodes.

He′liades were the daughters of Sol, and the sisters of Phaeton, at whose death they were so sad that they stood mourning till they became metamorphosed into poplar trees, and their tears were turned into amber.

[Pg 45]

Hel′icon. A mountain in Bœotia sacred to the Muses, from which place the fountain Hippocrene flowed.

Helico′nides. A name of the Muses, from Mount Helicon.

Heliop′olis, in Elysium, was the city of the sun.

He′lios. The Grecian sun-god, who went home every evening in a golden boat which had wings.

Hel′iotrope. Clytie was turned into this flower by Apollo. See Clytie.

Hel′le was drowned in the sea, into which she fell from off the back of the golden ram, on which she and Phryxus were escaping from the oppression of their stepmother Ino. The episode gave the name of the Hellespont to the part of the sea where Helle was drowned, and it is now called the Dardanelles.

Hellespontia′cus. A title of Priapus.

Hemph′ta. The Egyptian god Jupiter.

Hephæs′tos. The Greek Vulcan.

He′ra. The Greek name of Juno.

Her′acles, is the same as Hercules.

Her′cules was the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. The goddess Juno hated him from his birth, and sent two serpents to kill him, but though only eight months old he strangled the snakes. As he[Pg 46] got older he was set by his master Eurystheus what were thought to be twelve impossible tasks, which have long been known as the “Twelve Labours of Hercules.” They were:—

All these tasks he successfully accomplished, and, besides, he assisted the gods in their wars with the giants. Several other wonderful feats are mentioned under other headings, as Antæus, Cacus, etc. His death was brought about through his endeavours to preserve Deianira from the attacks of Nessus, the centaur, whom he killed. The[Pg 47] centaur, before he expired, gave his mystic tunic to Deianira, who in turn gave it to Hercules, and he put it on, but his doing so brought on an illness of which he could not be cured. In a fit of desperation he cast himself into a funeral pile on Mount Æta; but Jupiter had him taken to heaven in a four-horse chariot, and only the mortal part of Hercules was consumed.

Herdsmen, see Bubona.

Her′mæ were statues of Hermes (Mercury), which were set up in Athens for boundaries, and as direction marks for travellers.

Her′manu′bis, see Anubis.

Hermathe′nae were statues of Mercury and Minerva placed together.

Her′mes. A Greek name of the god Mercury.

Hermi′one, daughter of Mars and Venus, who was turned into a serpent, and allowed to live in the Elysian fields. There was another Hermione, daughter of Menelaus; she was betrothed to Orestes, but was carried away by Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles.

He′ro. A priestess of Venus, with whom Leander was so enamoured that he swam across the Hellespont every night to visit her, but at last was drowned; when Hero threw herself into the sea and was drowned also.

Heroes, see Valhalla.

[Pg 48]

Hesper′ides. Three daughters of Hesperus, King of Italy. They kept in their garden the golden apples which Juno gave Jupiter on their wedding day. See Hercules.

Hes′perus, brother of Atlas, was changed into the evening star.

Hes′tia. The Greek name of Vesta.

Hierogly′phics, see Mercury.

Highways, see Janus.

Hil′dur. The Scandinavian Mars.

Hip′pia. A name of Minerva.

Hip′pius. A name of Neptune.

Hippocam′pus. The name of Neptune’s favourite horse.

Hippocre′nides, a name of the Muses, from the fountain of Hippocrene (the horse fountain), which was formed by a kick of the winged horse Pegasus.

Hippoly′te, queen of the Amazons, daughter of Mars. Her father gave her a famous girdle, which Hercules was required to procure (see Hercules). She was conquered by Hercules, and given by him in marriage to Theseus.

[Pg 49]

Hippoly′tus was son of Theseus and Hippolyte; he was killed by a fall from a chariot, but was raised to life again by Diana, or, as some say, by Æsculapius.

Hippo′na was a rural divinity, the goddess of horses.

History, see Clio and Saga.

Honey, see Aristæus and Dryads.

Hope, see Pandora.

Ho′ræ were the daughters of Sol and Chronis.

Horse, see Cyllaros.

Horse Races, see Neptune.

Horses, see Hippona.

Horten′sis, a name of Venus, because she looked after plants and flowers in gardens.

Ho′rus. A name of Sol, the Egyptian day god.

Hostil′ina. A rural divinity; goddess of growing corn.

Hunger, see Erisichthon.

Hunting, see Diana.

Huntsmen, see Pan.

Hyacin′thus was a boy greatly loved by Apollo; but he was accidentally slain by him with a quoit. Apollo caused to spring from his blood the flower Hyacinth.

Hy′ades were seven daughters of Atlas and Æthra, and they form a constellation which, when it rises with the sun, threatens rain.

Hy′dra. A famous monster serpent, which had many heads. It was slain by Hercules. See Hercules.

[Pg 50]

Hyge′ia, the goddess of health, was a daughter of Æsculapius and Epione. She was represented as a young woman feeding a serpent, which is twined round her arm.

Hy′las. A beautiful boy beloved by Hercules. The nymphs were jealous of him, and spirited him away while he was drawing water for Hercules.

Hy′men, the Grecian god of marriage, was either the son of Bacchus and Venus, or, as some say, of Apollo and one of the Muses. He was represented as a handsome youth, holding in his hand a burning torch.

Hymn, see Pæan.

Hype′rion. Son of Cœlus and Terra. The model of manly beauty, synonymous with Apollo. The personification of the sun.

Hypermnes′tra. One of the fifty daughters of Danaus, who were collectively called the Danaides. She was the one who refused to kill her husband on the wedding night. See Danaus.

Iac′chus. A name of Bacchus.

Iap′etos. The father of Atlas. See Japetus.

[Pg 51]

Ib′lees. The Arabian Satan.

Ic′arus, son of Dædalus, who with his father made themselves wings with which to fly from Crete. They were fixed to the shoulders by wax. Icarus flew too near the sun, and the heat melting the wax, caused the wings to drop off, and he fell into the sea and was drowned.

Ichnoba′te. One of Actæon’s hounds; it means tracker.

Idæ′a. A name of Cybele, from Mount Ida, where she was worshipped.

Idæ′an Mother. Cybele was sometimes so called.

Ida′lia. A name of Venus, from Mount Idalus.

Impera′tor was a name of Jupiter, given to him at Præneste.

I′nachus was one of the earliest of the demigods or heroes.

Incendiary, see Erostratus.

Incense, see Venus.

In′cubus. A Roman name of Pan, meaning The Nightmare. See Innus.

Indig′etes were deified mortals, gods of the fourth order. They were peculiar to some district.

In′dra. The Hindoo Jupiter; his wife was Indrant, who presides over the winds and thunder.

Infants, see Natio.

In′nus. A name of Pan, the same as Incubus.

I′no, second wife of Athamas, King of Thebes, father of Phryxus and Helle. Ino had two children, who could not ascend the throne while Phryxus and[Pg 52] Helle were alive. Ino therefore persecuted them to such a degree that they determined to escape. They did so on a ram, whose hide became the Golden Fleece (see Phryxus and Helle). Ino destroyed herself, and was changed by Neptune into a sea-goddess.

Ino′a were festivals in memory of Ino.

Instrumental Music, see Euterpe.

I′o was a daughter of Inachus, and a priestess of Juno at Argus. Jupiter courted her, and was detected by Juno, when the god turned Io into a beautiful heifer. Juno demanded the beast of Jupiter, and set the hundred-eyed Argus to watch her. Jupiter persuaded Mercury to destroy Argus, and Io was set at liberty, and restored to human shape. Juno continued her persecutions, and Io had to wander from place to place till she came to Egypt, where she became wife of King Osiris, and won such good opinions from the Egyptians that after her death she was worshipped as the goddess Isis.

Iola′us, son of Iphicles, assisted Hercules in conquering the Hydra, by burning with hot irons the place where the heads were cut off; and for his assistance he was restored to youth by Hebe. Lovers used to go to his monument at Phosis and ratify their vows of fidelity.

Io′thun. Celtic mythological monsters, or giants.

Iph′iclus was twin brother of Hercules, and father of Iolaus.

Iphigeni′a was a daughter of Agamemnon. He made a vow to Diana, which involved the sacrifice of Iphigenia, but just at the critical moment she was carried to heaven, and a beautiful goat was found on the altar in her place.

[Pg 53]

I′ris, daughter of Thaumas and Electra, was the attendant of Juno, and one of the messengers of the gods. Her duty was to cut the thread which detained expiring souls. She is the personification of the rainbow.

Iron, see Vulcan.

I′sis, wife of Osiris, see Io.

I′tys was killed by his mother Progne when six years old, and given to his father Tereus as food. The gods were so enraged at this that they turned Itys into a pheasant, Progne into a swallow, and Tereus into an owl.

Ixi′on was son of Phlegyas, King of the Lapithæ. For attempting to produce thunder, Jupiter cast him into hell, and had him bound to a wheel, surrounded with serpents, which is for ever turning over a river of fire.

J′ani was a place in Rome where there were three statues of Janus, and it was a meeting-place for usurers and creditors.

Ja′nitor. A title of Janus, from the gates before the doors of private houses being called Januæ.

[Pg 54]

Ja′nus. A king of Italy, said to have been the son of Cœlus, others say of Apollo; he sheltered Saturn when he was driven from heaven by Jupiter. Janus presided over highways, gates, and locks, and is usually represented with two faces. A brazen temple was erected to him in Rome, which was always open in time of war, and closed during peace.

Jap′etus, son of Cœlus and Terra, husband of Clymene. He was looked upon by the Greeks as the father of mankind. See Iapetos.

Ja′son was son of Æson, king of Iolcos; he was brought up by the centaur Chiron. His uncle Æta sent him to fetch the Golden Fleece from Colchis (see Argonauts). He went in the ship Argo with forty-nine companions, the flower of Greek youth. With the help of Juno they got safe to Colchis, but the King Ætes promised to restore the Golden Fleece only on condition that the Argonauts performed certain services. Jason was to tame the wild fiery bulls, and to make them plough the field of Mars; to sow in the ground the teeth of a serpent, from which would spring armed men who would fight against him who ploughed the field of Mars; to kill the fiery dragon which guarded the tree on which the Golden Fleece was hung. The fate of Jason and the rest of the Argonauts seemed certain; but Medea, the king’s daughter, fell in love with Jason, and with the help of charms which she gave him he overcame all the difficulties which the[Pg 55] king had put in his way. He took away the Golden Fleece and Medea also. The king sent his son Absyrtus to overtake the fugitives, but Medea killed him, and strewed his limbs in his father’s path, so that he might be delayed in collecting them, and this enabled Jason and Medea to escape. After a time Jason got tired of Medea, and married Glauce, which cruelty Medea revenged by killing her children before their father’s eyes. Jason was accidentally killed by a beam of the ship Argo falling on him.

Jocas′ta (otherwise Epicasta), wife of Laius, King of Thebes, who in after life married her own son, Œdipus, not knowing who he was, and, on discovering the fatal mistake, hanged herself.

Jove. A very general name of Jupiter.

Judges in Hell, The, were Rhadamanthus for Asiatics; Æacus for Europeans; Minos was the presiding judge. See Triptolemus.

Jugatin′us was one of the nuptial deities.

Ju′no was the daughter of Saturn and Ops, alias Cybele. She was married to Jupiter, and became queen of all the gods and goddesses, and mistress of heaven and earth. Juno was the mother of Mars, Vulcan, Hebe, and Lucina. She prompted the gods to conspire against Jupiter, but the attempt was frustrated, and Apollo and Neptune were banished from heaven by Jupiter. Juno is the goddess of marriage, and the protectress of married women; and she had special regard for virtuous women. In the competition for the celebrated Golden[Pg 56] Apple, which Juno, Venus, and Minerva each claimed as the fairest amongst the goddesses, Juno was much displeased when Paris gave the apple to Venus. The goddess is generally represented riding in a chariot drawn by peacocks, with a diadem on her head, and a sceptre in her hand.

Ju′piter, son of Saturn and Cybele (or Ops), was born on Mount Ida, in Crete, and nourished by the goat Amalthæa. When quite young Jupiter rescued his father from the Titans; and afterwards, with the help of Hercules, defeated the giants, the sons of earth, when they made war against heaven. Jupiter was worshipped with great solemnity under various names by most of the heathen nations. The Africans called him Ammon; the Babylonians, Belus; and the Egyptians, Osiris (see Jove). He was represented as a majestic personage seated on a throne, holding in his hands a sceptre and a thunderbolt; at his feet stood a spread eagle.

Justice, see Astrea, Nemesis.

Kali. A Hindoo goddess, after whom Calcutta is named.

Ka′loc. One of the chief of the Mexican gods.

Kam′a. The Hindoo god of love.

Keb′la. The point of the compass which worshippers look to during their invocations. Thus the Sol or Sun worshippers turn to the east, where the sun rises, and the Mohammedans turn towards Mecca.

[Pg 57]

Ke′derli, in Mohammedan mythology, is a god corresponding to the English St. George, and is still invoked by the Turks when they go to war.

Ki′un. The Egyptian Venus.

Kneph. An Egyptian god, having a ram’s head and a man’s body.

Krish′na. An Indian god, the revenger of wrongs; also called the Indian Apollo.

Kro′do. The Saxon Saturn.

Ku′ma′ra. The war-god of the Hindoos.

Ku′vera. The Hindoo god of riches.

La′be. The Arabian Circe, who had unlimited power of metamorphosis.

La′bour, see Atlas, Hercules.

Labyrinth, see Theseus.

Lach′esis. One of the three Fates or Parcæ. She spun the thread of life.

Lacin′ia. A name of Juno.

Lactura. One of the goddesses of growing corn.

La′don. The dragon which guarded the apples in the garden of the Hesperides. Also the name of one of Actæon’s hounds. Also the river to which Syrinx fled when pursued by Pan, where she was changed into a reed, and where Pan made his first pipe.

Læ′laps. One of Diana’s hunting dogs, which, while pursuing a wild boar, was petrified. Also the name of one of Actæon’s hounds.

[Pg 58]

Laks′mi. Hindoo goddess of wealth and pleasure. One of the husbands of Vishnu.

Lamentation, see Cocytus.

Lam′ia. An evil deity amongst the Greeks and Romans, and the great dread of their children, whom she had the credit of constantly enticing away and destroying.

Lamp, see Lares and Penates.

Lam′pos. One of Aurora’s chariot horses, the other being Phæton.

Laoc′oon. One of the priests of Apollo, who was, with his two sons, crushed to death by serpents, because he opposed the admission of the wooden horse to Troy.

Laom′edon, son of Ilus, a Trojan king. He was famous for having, with the assistance of Apollo and Neptune, built the walls of Troy.

Lap′is. The oath stone. The Romans used to swear by Jupiter Lapis.

Lap′ithus, son of Apollo. His numerous children were called Lapithæ, and they are notorious for their fight with the centaurs at the nuptial feast of Perithous and Hippodamia.

La′res and Pen′ates were sons of Mercury and Lara, or, as other mythologists say, of Jupiter and Lamida. They belonged to the lower order of Roman gods, and presided over homes and families. Their statues were generally fixed within the doors of houses, or near the hearths. Lamps were sacred to them, as symbols of vigilance, and the dog was their sacrifice.

[Pg 59]

Lark, see Scylla and Nysus.

Lato′na, daughter of Cœus and Phœbus, mother of Apollo and Diana. Being admired so much by Jupiter, Juno was jealous, and Latona was the object of the goddess’s constant persecution.

Laughter, see Momus and Venus.

Lau′rel, see Daphne.

Laver′na. The goddess of thieves.

Law, see Menu.

Lawgiver, see Nomius.

Laws, see Themis.

Lean′der, see Hero.

Leather Bottle, see Ascolia.

Le′da was the mother of Castor and Pollux, their father being Jupiter, in the shape of a swan. After her death she received the name of Nemesis.

Lem′nius. One of the names of Vulcan.

Lem′ures. The spectres of departed souls. Milton, in his “Ode to the Nativity,” says—

They are sometimes referred to as the Manes of the dead.

Lenæ′us. One of the names of Bacchus.

Ler′na. The lake near Argos where Hercules conquered the Hydra.

Le′the. One of the rivers of the infernal regions, of which the souls of the departed are obliged to drink to produce oblivion or forgetfulness of[Pg 60] everything they did or knew while alive on the earth.

Leucoth′ea. The name of Ino after she was transformed into a sea-nymph.

Leva′na. The deity who presided over new-born infants.

Level, The, see Dædalus.

Liak′ura. Mount Parnassus.

Liberal Arts, see Minerva.

Lib′er Pat′er. A name of Bacchus.

Liberty, see Bacchus.

Lib′issa. Queen of fays and fairies.

Libiti′na. The chief of the funeral deities.

Licentiousness, see Belphegor.

Lige′a. A Greek syren or sea-nymph.

Lightning, see Agni.

Li′lith. A Jewish myth who is a great enemy to new-born children. She was said to have been Adam’s first wife, but, refusing to submit to him, was turned from Paradise and made a spectre.

Li′na. The goddess of the art of weaving.

Lin′dor. A lover in the shape of a shepherd, like Corydon; a love-sick swain.

[Pg 61]

Lion, see Atalanta, Chimæra.

Liver, see Tityus and Prometheus.

Locks, see Janus.

Lo′fen. The Scandinavian god who guards friendship.

Lof′ua. The Scandinavian goddess who reconciles lovers.

Loke. The Scandinavian Satan, the god of strife, the spirit of evil.

Lo′tis. A daughter of Neptune, who fled from Priapus, and only escaped from him by being transformed into a lotus-plant.

Lo′tus-Plant, see Lotis.

Love, see Cupid, Eros, Venus.

Lu′cian. The impersonation of folly, changed into an ass.

Lu′cifer. The morning star.

Luci′na. The goddess who presides at the birth of children. She was a daughter of Jupiter and Juno.

Lud. In ancient British mythology the king of the Britons.

Lu′na. The name of Diana as a celestial divinity. See Diana and Hecate.

Lu′percus, or Pan. The Roman god of fertility; his festival day was 15th February, and the festivals were called Lupercalia.

[Pg 62]

Lycaon′ian Food. Execrable viands, such as were supplied to Jupiter by Lycaon. To test the divine knowledge of the god he served up human flesh, which Jove discovered, and punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf.

Lycian Clowns were turned into frogs by Latona or Ceres.

Lymni′ades. Nymphs who resided in marshes.

Lyn′ceus. One of the Argonauts. The personification of sharpsightedness.

Lyre. This musical instrument is constantly associated with the doings of the ancient deities. Amphion built the walls of Thebes by the music of his lyre. Arion charmed the dolphins in a similar way. Hercules broke the head of Linus, his music master, with the lyre he was learning to use; and Orpheus charmed the most savage beasts, and even the Harpies and gods of the infernal regions, with the enchanting music of the lyre. See Mercury.

Mæn′ades. Priestesses of Bacchus.

Magicians, see Telchines.

Mag′na De’a, a name of Ceres.

Magpies, see Pierides.

Ma′ha′soor. The Hindoo god of evil.

Ma′ia. The mother of the Grecian Mercury.

Mam′mon. The money-god.

[Pg 63]

Ma′nes. The souls of the departed. The god of funerals and tombs.

Manuring Land, see Picumnus.

March 24, Bellona’s Day. See Bellona.

Mari′na. A name of Venus, meaning sea-foam, from her having been formed from the froth of the sea. See Aphrodite.

Marriage, see Cama, Hymen, Juno, Jugatinus.

Mars, the god of war, was the son of Jupiter and Juno. Venus was his favourite goddess, and amongst their children were Cupid, Anteros, and Harmonia. In the Trojan War Mars took the part of the Trojans, but was defeated by Diomedes.

Marshes, see Lymniades.

Mar′syas. The name of the piper who challenged Apollo to a musical contest, and, being defeated, was flayed to death by the god. He was the supposed inventor of the flute.

Ma′rut. The Hindoo god of tempestuous winds.

Matu′ra. One of the rural deities who protected the growing corn at time of ripening.

Max′imus. One of the appellations of Jupiter, being the greatest of the gods.

Measures and Weights, see Mercury.

[Pg 64]

Mede′a. Wife of Jason, chief of the Argonauts. See Jason.

Medicine, see Apollo.

Meditation, see Harpocrates.

Medu′sa. One of the Gorgons. Minerva changed her beautiful hair into serpents. She was conquered by Perseus, who cut off her head, and placed it on Minerva’s shield. Every one who looked at the head was turned into stone.

Meg′æra. One of the three Furies.

Meg′ale. A Greek name of Juno, meaning great.

Melicer′ta, see Palæmon.

Mello′na. One of the rural divinities, the goddess of bees.

[Pg 65]

Melpom′ene. One of the Muses, the goddess of tragedy.

Memory, see Mnemosyne.

Men′des. An Egyptian god like Pan. He was worshipped in the form of a goat.

Menela′us. A Spartan king. The elopement of his wife Helen with Paris was the origin of the siege of Troy. See Helena.

Me′nu. The Hindoo god of law. See Satyavrata.

Merchants, see Mercury.

Mer′cury, the son of Jupiter and Maia, was the messenger of the gods, and the conductor of the souls of the dead to Hades. He was the supposed inventor of weights and measures, and presided over orators and merchants. Mercury was accounted a most cunning thief, for he stole the bow and quiver of Apollo, the girdle of Venus, the trident of Neptune, the tools of Vulcan, and the sword of Mars, and he was therefore called the god of thieves. He is the supposed inventor of the lyre, which he exchanged with Apollo for the Caduceus. There was also an Egyptian Mercury, under the name of Thot, who is credited with having taught the Egyptians geometry and hieroglyphics.

[Pg 66]

Me′ru. The abode of the Hindoo god Vishnu. It is at the top of a mountain 80,000 leagues high. The Olympus of the Indians.

Mi′das. A king of Phrygia, who begged of Bacchus the special gift that everything that he touched might be turned into gold. The request was granted, and as soon as he touched his food it also was turned to gold, and for fear of being starved he was compelled to ask the god to withdraw the power he had bestowed upon him. He was told to bathe in the river Pactolus. He did so, and the sands which he stood on were golden for ever after. It was this same king who, being appointed to be judge in a musical contest between Apollo and Pan, gave the Satyr the palm; whereupon Apollo, to show his contempt, bestowed on him a pair of asses’ ears. This gave rise to the term “Midas-eared,” as a synonym for ill-judged, or indiscriminate.

Mi′lo, a celebrated Cretan athlete, who is said to have felled an ox with his fist, and to have eaten the beast in one day. His statue is often seen with one hand in the rift of a tree trunk, out of which he is vainly trying to withdraw it. The fable is, that when he got an old man he attempted to split an oak tree, but having lost his youthful vigour, the tree closed on his hand and he was held a prisoner till the wolves came and devoured him.

Mimallo′nes. The “wild women” who accompanied Bacchus, so called because they mimicked his actions.

[Pg 67]

Mi′mir. In Scandinavian mythology the god of wisdom.

Mind, see Erinnys.

Miner′va, the goddess of wisdom, war, and the liberal arts, is said to have sprung from the head of Jupiter fully armed for battle. She was a great benefactress of mankind, and patroness of the fine arts. She was the tutelar deity of the city of Athens. She is also known by the names of Pallas, Parthenos, Tritonia, and Glaukopis. She was very generally worshipped by the ancients, and her temple at Athens, the Parthenon, still remains. She is represented in statues and pictures as wearing a golden helmet encircled with an olive branch, and a breastplate. In her right hand she carries a lance, and by her side is the famous Ægis or shield, covered with the skin of Amalthæa, the goat which nourished Jupiter; and for the boss of the shield is the head of Medusa. An owl, the emblem of meditation, is on the left; and a cock, the emblem of courage, on the right. The Elgin Marbles in the British Museum were brought from the Parthenon, her temple at Athens.

Mi′nos. The principal of the three judges of hell, before whom the spirits of the departed appeared and heard their doom.

Mi′notaur. The monster, half man, half bull, which Theseus slew.

Mirth, see Momus.

Misery, see Genii.

[Pg 68]

Mith′ra. A Persian divinity, the ruler of the universe, corresponding with the Roman Sol.

Mnemos′yne. Mother of the Muses and goddess of memory. Jupiter courted the goddess in the guise of a shepherd.

Moak′ibat. The recording angel of the Mohammedans.

Mo′loch. A god of the Phœnicians to whom human victims, principally children, were sacrificed. Moloch is figurative of the influence which impels us to sacrifice that which we ought to cherish most dearly.

Mo′mus. The god of sarcasm. The god who blamed Jove for not having made a window in man’s breast, so that his thoughts could be seen. His bitter jests occasioned his being driven from heaven in disgrace. He is represented as holding an image of Folly in one hand, and raising a mask from his face with the other. He is also described as the god of mirth or laughter.

Mone′ta. A name given to Juno by those writers who considered her the goddess of money.

Money, see Moneta.

[Pg 69]

Money-God, see Mammon.

Moon. The moon was, by the ancients, called Hecate before and after setting; Astarte when in crescent form; Diana when in full. See Luna.

Mor′pheus. The god of sleep and dreams, the minister of Somnus.

Mors. Death, a daughter of Nox.

Mountain, see Atlas, Nymph.

Mul′ciber. A name of Vulcan, sometimes spelled Mulcifer. See Vulcan.

Mun′in. The Scandinavian god of memory, represented by the raven that was perched on Odin’s shoulder.

Musca′rius. A name given to Jupiter because he kept off the flies from the sacrifices.

Mu′ses, The, were nine daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. They presided over the arts and sciences, music and poetry. Their names were, Calliope, Clio, Erato, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Euterpe, Polyhymnia, and Urania. They[Pg 70] principally resided in Mount Parnassus, at Helicon.

Music, see Apollo, Muses.

My′thras. The Egyptian name of Apollo.

Nai′ads, the, were beautiful nymphs of human form who presided over springs, fountains, and wells. They resided in the meadows by the sides of rivers. Virgil mentions Ægle as being the fairest of them.

Nan′di. The Hindoo goddess of joy.

Nar′ae. The name of the infernal regions amongst the Hindoos.

Na′ra′yan. The mover of the waters. The Hindoo god of tides.

Narcis′sus, son of Cephisus and the Naiad Liriope, was a beautiful youth, who was so pleased with the reflection of himself which he saw in the placid water of a fountain that he could not help loving it, imagining that it must be some beautiful nymph. His fruitless endeavours to possess himself of the supposed nymph drove him to despair, and he killed himself. There sprang from his blood a flower, which was named after him, Narcissus.

[Pg 71]

Nastr′ond. The Scandinavian place of eternal punishment, corresponding with Hades.

Na′tio. A Roman goddess who took care of young infants.

Nemæ′an Lion, see Hercules.

Nem′esis, the goddess of vengeance or justice, was one of the infernal deities. Her mother was Nox. She was supposed to be constantly travelling about the earth in search of wickedness, which she punished with the greatest severity. She is referred to by some writers under the name of Adrastæa. The Romans always sacrificed to this goddess before they went to war, because they wished to signify that they never took up arms but in the cause of justice.

Nepha′lia. Grecian festivals in honour of Mnemosyne, the mother of the Muses.

Nep′tune, god of the sea, was a son of Saturn and Cybele, and brother of Jupiter and Pluto. He quarrelled with Jupiter because he did not consider that the dominion of the sea was equal to Jupiter’s empire of heaven and earth; and he was banished from the celestial regions, after having conspired with Pluto to dethrone Jupiter. Neptune was married to Amphitrite, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, by whom he had a son named Triton. He was also father of Polyphemus (one of the Cyclopes), Phoreus, and Proteus. Neptune is represented as being seated in a shell chariot, drawn by dolphins or sea-horses, and surrounded by[Pg 72] Tritons and sea-nymphs. He holds in his hand a trident, with which he rules the waves. Though a marine deity, he was reputed to have presided over horse-training and horse-races; but he is principally known as the god of the ocean; and the two functions of the god are portrayed in the sea-horses with which his chariot is drawn, the fore-half of the animal being a horse, and the hind-half a dolphin. Ships were also under his protection, and whenever he appeared on the ocean there was a dead calm.

Nere′ides, The, were aquatic nymphs. They were daughters of Nereus and Doris, and fifty in number. They are generally represented as beautiful girls riding on dolphins, and carrying tridents in the right hand.

Nere′us. A sea deity, husband of Doris. He had the gift of prophecy, and foretold fates; but he had also the power of assuming various shapes, which enabled him to escape from the importunities of those who were anxious to consult him.

Nes′sus. The name of the Centaur which was destroyed by Hercules for insulting Dejanira.

Nes′tor. A grandson of Neptune, his father being Neleus, and his mother Chloris. Homer makes him one of the greatest of the Greek heroes. He was present at the famous battle between the Lapithæ and the Centaurs, and took a leading part in the Trojan war.

[Pg 73]

Niceph′orus. A name of Jupiter, meaning the bearer of victory.

Nid′hogg. In Scandinavian mythology the dragon who dwells in Nastrond.

Nif′lheim. The Scandinavian hell. It was supposed to consist of nine vast regions of ice beneath the North Pole, where darkness reigns eternally. See Nastrond.

Night, see Nox.

Nightingale, see Philomela.

Nightmare, see Incubus.

Nine, The, see Muses.

Ni′obe was a daughter of Tantalus, and is the personification of grief. By her husband Amphion she had seven sons and seven daughters. By the orders of Latona the father and sons were killed by Apollo, and the daughters (except Chloris) by Diana. Niobe, being overwhelmed with grief, escaped further trouble by being turned into a marble statue.

No′mius. A lawgiver; one of the names of Apollo. This title was also given to Mercury for the part he took in inventing beneficent laws.

Norns. Three Scandinavian goddesses, who wove the woof of human destiny.

No′tus. Another name for Auster, the south wind.

Nox was the daughter of Chaos, and sister of Erebus and Mors. She personified night, and was the mother of Nemesis and the Fates.

Nun′dina. The goddess who took charge of children[Pg 74] when they were nine days old—the day on which the Romans named their children.

Nuptia′lis. A title of Juno. When the goddess was invoked under this name, the gall of the victim was taken out and thrown behind the altar, signifying that there should be no gall (bitterness) or anger between married people.

Nu′riel. In Hebrew mythology the god of hailstorms.

Nycte′lius. A name given to Bacchus, because his festivals were celebrated by torchlight.

Nym′phs. This was a general name for a class of inferior female deities who were attendants of the gods. Some of them presided over springs, fountains, wells, woods, and the sea. They are spoken of as land-nymphs or Naiads, and sea-nymphs or Nereides, though the former are associated also with fountains and rivers. The Dryades were forest-nymphs, and the Hama-dryades were nymphs who lived amongst the oak-trees—the oak being always specially venerated by the ancients. The mountain-nymphs were called Oreades.

Ny′sæ. The names of the nymphs by whom Bacchus was nursed. See Dionysius.

Ny′sæus. A name of Bacchus, because he was worshipped at Nysa.

Ny′sus. A king of Megara who was invisible by virtue of a particular lock of hair. This lock his[Pg 75] daughter Scylla cut off, and so betrayed her father to his enemies. She was changed into a lark, and the king into a hawk, and he still pursues his daughter, intending to punish her for her treachery.

Oan′nes. An Eastern god, represented as a monster, half man, half fish. He was said to have taught men the use of letters in the day-time, and at night to have retired to the depth of the ocean.

Oath, see Lapis.

Obam′bou. A devil of African mythology.

Ocean, see Neptune.

Ocean′ides. Sea-nymphs, daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. Their numbers are variously estimated by different poets; some saying there were as many as 3000, while others say they were as few as sixteen. The principal of them are mentioned under their respective names, as Amphitrite, Doris, Metis, etc.

Oce′anus, son of Cœlus and Terra, and husband of Tethys. Several mythological rivers were called his sons, as Alpheus, Peneus, etc., and his daughters were called the Oceanides. Some of the ancients worshipped him as the god of the seas, and invariably invoked his aid when they were about to start on a voyage. He was also thought to personify the immense stream which it was supposed surrounded the earth, and into which the sun and moon and other heavenly bodies sank every day.

Ocrid′ion. A king of Rhodes, who was deified after his death.

[Pg 76]

Ocy′pete. One of the Harpies, who infected everything she touched. The word means swift of flight.

Ocy′roe. A daughter of Chiron, who had the gift of prophecy. She was metamorphosed into a mare.

O′din. In Scandinavian mythology the god of the universe, and reputed father of all the Scandinavian kings. His wife’s name was Friga, and his two sons were Thor and Balder.

Œ′agrus. Father of Orpheus.

Œ′dipus. A son of Laius, King of Thebes, best known as the solver of the famous enigma propounded by the Sphinx.

Œno′ne. Wife of Paris, a nymph of Mount Ida, who had the gift of prophecy.

Ogyg′ia. An island, the abode of Calypso, in the Mediterranean Sea. It was so beautiful in sylvan scenery that even Mercury (who dwelt on Olympus) was charmed with the spot.

Ointment, see Phaon.

Ole′nus. A daughter of Vulcan, wife of Lethæa, a woman who thought herself more beautiful than the goddesses, and as a punishment she and her husband were turned into stone statues.

Olives, see Aristæus.

Olym′pius. A name of Jupiter, from Olympia, where the god had a splendid temple, which was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world.

Olym′pus was the magnificent mountain on the coast of Thessaly, 6000 feet high, where the gods were[Pg 77] supposed to reside. There were several other smaller mountains of the same name.

Oly′ras. A river near Thermopylæ, which, it is said, attempted to extinguish the funeral pile on which Hercules was consumed.

Omopha′gia. A Bacchanalian festival at which some uncooked meats were served.

Om′phale. The Queen of Lydia, to whom Hercules was sold as a bondsman for three years for the murder of Iphitus. Hercules fell in love with her, and led an effeminate life in her society, wearing female apparel, while Omphale wore the lion’s skin.

Ona′rus. A priest of Bacchus, said to have married Ariadne after she had been abandoned by Theseus.

Onu′va. The Venus of the ancient Gauls.

Opa′lia. Roman festivals in honour of Ops, held on 14th of the calends of January.

Opiate-rod, see Caduceus.

Ops. Mother of the gods, a daughter of Cœlus and Terra. She was known by the several names of Bona Dea, Rhea, Cybele, Magna Mater, Proserpine, Tellus, and Thya; and occasionally she is spoken of as Juno and Minerva. She personified[Pg 78] labour, and is represented as a comely matron, distributing gifts with her right hand, and holding in her left hand a loaf of bread. Her festival was the 14th day of the January calends.

Oracles, see Themis.

Oræ′a. Certain sacrifices offered to the goddesses of the seasons to invoke fair weather for the ripening of the fruits of the earth.

Orbo′na. The goddess of orphans.

Orchards, see Feronia.

O′reads were mountain nymphs, attendants on Diana.

Orgies. Drunken revels. The riotous feasts of Bacchus were so designated.

Ori′on. A famous handsome giant, who was blinded by Œnopion for a grievous wrong done to Merope, and he was expelled from Chios. The sound of the Cyclopes’ hammers led him to the abode of Vulcan, who gave him a guide. He then consulted an oracle, and had his sight restored, as Longfellow says, by fixing

He was afterwards slain by Diana and placed amongst the stars, where his constellation is one of the most splendid.

Ori′thy′ia. A daughter of Erechtheus, whose lover, Boreas, carried her off while she was wandering by the river Ilissus. Her children were Zetes and Calais, two winged warriors who accompanied the Argonauts.

Or′muzd. In Persian mythology the creator of all things.

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O′ros. The Egyptian Apollo.

Orphans, see Orbona.

Or′pheus was son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope. He was married to Eurydice; but she was stung by a serpent, and died. Orpheus went down to Hades to claim her, and played so sweetly with his lute that Pluto allowed Eurydice to return to the earth with Orpheus, but on condition that he did not look behind him until he had reached the terrestrial regions. Orpheus, however, in his anxiety to see if she were following him, looked round, and Eurydice disappeared from his sight, instantly and for ever.

Osi′ris. The Egyptian god of the sun; he was worshipped under the form of an ox.

Os′sa. One of the mountains which the giants piled on the top of Olympus to enable them to ascend to heaven and attack the gods.

Ox, see Apis.

Owl, see Æsculapius and Itys.

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Pacto′lus. The river in Lydia where Midas washed himself by order of Bacchus, and the sands were turned to gold.

Pæ′an. A name given to Apollo, from pæan, the hymn which was sung in his honour after he had killed the serpent Python.

Palæ′mon, or Melicerta, a sea-god, son of Athamas and Ino.

Pa′les. The goddess of shepherds and protectress of flocks; her festivals were called Palilia.

Palla′dium. A famous statue of the goddess Pallas (Minerva). She is sitting with a spear in her right hand, and in her left a distaff and spindle. Various accounts are given of the origin of it. Some writers say it fell from the skies. It was supposed that the preservation of the statue would be the preservation of Troy; and during the Trojan War the Greeks were greatly encouraged when they became the possessors of it.

Pal′las, or Minerva. The name was given to Minerva[Pg 81] when she destroyed a famous giant named Pallas. See Minerva.

Pan. The Arcadian god of shepherds, huntsmen, and country folk, and chief of the inferior deities, is usually considered to have been the son of Mercury and Penelope. After his birth he was metamorphosed into the mythical form in which we find him depicted, namely, a horned, long-eared man, with the lower half of the body like a goat. He is generally seen playing a pipe made of reeds of various lengths, which he invented himself, and from which he could produce music which charmed even the gods. These are the Pan-pipes, played by Punch and Judy showmen. Pan’s terrific appearance once so frightened the Gauls when they invaded Greece that they ran away though no one pursued them; and the word panic is said to have been derived from this episode. The Fauns, who greatly resembled Pan, were his attendants.

Pando′ra, according to Hesiod, was the first mortal female. Vulcan made her of clay, and gave her life. Venus gave her beauty; and the art of captivating was bestowed upon her by the Graces. She was taught singing by Apollo, and Mercury taught her oratory. Jupiter gave her a box, the famous “Pandora’s Box,” which she was told to give to her husband, Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus. As soon as he opened it there issued[Pg 82] from it numberless diseases and evils which were soon spread all over the world, and from that moment they have afflicted the human race. It is said that Hope alone remained in the box.

Panthe′on. The temple of all the gods, built by Agrippa at Rome, in the reign of Augustus. It was 144 feet in diameter, and 144 feet high; and was built in the Corinthian style of architecture, mostly of marble; while its walls were covered with engraved brass and silver. Its magnificence induced Pliny to give it rank amongst the wonders of the world.

Pa′phia, a name of Venus.

Pap′remis. The Egyptian Mars.

Par′cæ, The, were goddesses who presided over the destiny of human beings. They were also called the Fates, and were three in number, Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis. See Fates.

Par′is was son of Priam, king of Troy, and his mother was Hecuba. It had been predicted that he would be the cause of the destruction of Troy, and his father therefore ordered him to be strangled as soon as he was born; but the slave who had been entrusted with this mission took the child to Mount Ida, and left it there. Some shepherds, however, found the infant and took care of him. He lived amongst them till he had grown to man’s estate, and he then married Œnone, a nymph of Ida. At the famous nuptial feast of Peleus and Thetis, Discordia, who had[Pg 83] not been invited, attended secretly; and when all were assembled, she threw amongst the goddesses a golden apple, on which was inscribed “Let the fairest take it.” This occasioned a great contention, for each thought herself the fairest. Ultimately, the contestants were reduced to three, Juno, Pallas (Minerva), and Venus; but Jove himself could not make these three agree, and it was decided that Paris should be the umpire. He was sent for, and each of the goddesses courted his favour by offering all sorts of bribes. Juno offered him power, Pallas wisdom, and Venus promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris gave the golden apple to Venus. Soon after this episode Priam owned Paris as his son, and sent him to Greece to fetch Helen, who was renowned as being the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta; but during his absence Paris carried Helen away to Troy, and this gave rise to the celebrated war between the Greeks and the Trojans, which ended in the destruction of Troy. Paris was amongst the 676,000 Trojans who fell during or after the siege.

Parnas′sides, a name common to the Muses, from Mount Parnassus.

Parnas′sus. The mountain of the Muses in Phocis, and sacred to Apollo and Bacchus. Any one who slept on this mountain became a poet. It was named after one of the sons of Bacchus.

Par′thenon. The temple of Minerva (or Pallas), at Athens. It was destroyed by the Persians, and rebuilt by Pericles.

Par′thenos was a name of Juno, and also of Minerva. See Pallas.

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Pasiph′ae was the reputed mother of the Minotaur killed by Theseus. She was said to be the daughter of Sol and Perseis, and her husband was Minos, king of Crete.

Pasith′ea. Sometimes there are four Graces spoken of; when this is so, the name of the fourth is Pasithea.

Pa′van, the Hindoo god of the winds.

Peace, see Concordia.

Peacock, see Argus.

Peg′asus. The famous winged horse which was said to have sprung from the blood of Medusa when her head was cut off by Perseus. His abode was on Mount Helicon, where, by striking the ground with his hoof, he caused water to spring forth, which formed the fountain afterwards called Hippocrene.

Pe′leus. A king of Thessaly, who married Thetis, one of the Nereids.

Pe′lias. A son of Neptune and Tyro. He usurped the throne of Cretheus, which Jason was persuaded to relinquish and take the command of the Argonautic expedition. On the return of Jason, Medea, the sorceress, undertook to restore Pelias to youth, but required that the body should first be cut up and put in a caldron of boiling[Pg 85] water. When this had been done, Medea refused to fulfil her promise. Pelias had four daughters, who were called the Peliades.

Pe′lias was the name of the spear of Achilles, which was so large that none could wield it but the hero himself.

Pe′lion. A well-wooded mountain, famous for the wars between the giants and the gods, and as the abode of the Centaurs, who were expelled by the Lapithæ.

Pe′lops, son of Tantalus, king of Phrygia. His father killed him, and served him up to be eaten at a feast given to the gods, who, when they found out what the father of Pelops had done, restored the son to life, and he afterwards became the husband of Hippodamia.

Pena′tes. Roman domestic gods. See Lares.

Perpetual Punishment, see Sisyphus.

Perseph′one. The Greek name of Proserpine.

Per′seus was a son of Jupiter and Danæ, the daughter of Acrisius. His first famous exploit was against the Gorgon, Medusa. He was assisted in this enterprise by Pluto, who lent him a helmet which would make him invisible. Pallas lent him her shield, and Mercury supplied him with wings. He made a speedy conquest of the Gorgons, and cut off Medusa’s head, with which he flew through the air, and from the blood sprang the winged[Pg 86] horse Pegasus. As he flew along he saw Andromeda chained to the rock, and a sea-monster ready to devour her. He killed the monster, and married Andromeda. When he got back, he showed the Gorgon’s head to King Polydectes, and the monarch was immediately turned into stone.

Persuasion, goddess of, see Pitho.

Pha′eton. A son of Sol, or, according to most mythologists, of Phœbus and Clymene. Anxious to display his skill in horsemanship, he was allowed to drive the chariot of the sun for one day. The horses soon found out the incapacity of the charioteer, became unmanageable, and overturned the chariot. There was such great fear of injury to heaven and earth, that Jove, to stop the destruction, killed Phaeton with a thunderbolt.

Pha′on. A boatman, who received from Venus a box of ointment, with which, when he anointed himself, he grew so beautiful that Sappho became enamoured of him; but when the ointment had all been used Phaon returned to his former condition, and Sappho, in despair, drowned herself.

Pheasant, see Itys.

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Philoct′etes was son of Pœas, and one of the companions of Jason on his Argonautic expedition. He was present at the death of Hercules, and received from him the poisoned arrows which had been dipped in the blood of the Hydra. These arrows, an oracle declared, were necessary to be used in the destruction of Troy, and Philoctetes was persuaded by Ulysses to go and assist at the siege. He appears to have used the weapons with great dexterity and with wonderful effect, for Paris was amongst the heroes whom he killed.

Philome′la was a daughter of Pandion, King of Athens, who was transformed into a nightingale.

Phleg′ethon. A river of fire in the infernal regions. It was the picture of desolation, for nothing could grow on its parched and withered banks.

Phle′gon (earth loving), one of the four chariot horses of Sol.

Phle′gyas. Son of Mars and father of Ixion and Coronis. For his impiety in desecrating and plundering the temple of Apollo at Delphi, he was sent to Hades, and there was made to sit with a[Pg 88] huge stone suspended over his head, ready to be dropped on him at any moment.

Phœ′bus. A name of Apollo, signifying light and life.

Phor′cus. A son of Neptune, father of the Gorgons.

Phryx′us, see Golden Fleece.

Picum′nus. A rural divinity, who presided over the manuring of lands, called also Sterentius.

Pi′cus. A son of Saturn, father of Faunus, was turned into a woodpecker by Circe, whose love he had not requited.

Pier′ides. A name of the Muses, derived from Pieria, a fountain near Mount Olympus, where they were supposed to have been born. Also, the daughters of Pierus, a king of Macedonia, who settled in Bœotia. They challenged the Muses to sing, and were changed into magpies.

Pillar, see Calpe.

Pilum′nus. A rural divinity, which presided over the corn while it was being ground.

Pine-Tree, see Atys.

Pirith′ous. A son of Ixion and great friend of Theseus, King of Athens. The marriage of Pirithous and Hippodamia became famous for the quarrel between the drunken Centaurs and the Lapithæ, who, with the help of Theseus, Pirithous, and Hercules, attacked and overcame the Centaurs, many of whom were killed, and the rest took to flight.

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Pi′tho, the goddess of Persuasion, daughter of Mercury and Venus. She is sometimes referred to under the name of Suada.

Plants, see Demogorgon.

Pleasure, see Rembha.

Plei′ades, The. Seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Their names were Electra, Alcyone, Celæno, Maia, Sterope, Taygete, and Merope. They were made a constellation, but as there are only six stars to be seen, the ancients believed that one of the sisters, Merope, married a mortal, and was ashamed to show herself amongst her sisters, who had all been married to gods.

Plu′to. King of the infernal regions. He was a son of Saturn and Ops, and husband of Proserpine, daughter of Ceres. He is sometimes referred to under the name Dis, and he personifies hell. His principal attendant was the three-headed dog Cerberus, and about his throne were the Eumenides, the Harpies, and the Furies.

Plu′tus, the god of riches, was son of Jason and Ceres. He is described as being blind and lame; blind because he so often injudiciously bestows his riches, and lame because fortunes come so slowly.

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Plu′vius. A name of Jupiter, because he had the rain in his control.

Podalir′ius. A famous surgeon, a son of Æsculapius, who was very serviceable amongst the soldiers in the Trojan war.

Poet, see Parnassus.

Poetry, see Apollo, Calliope, The Muses.

Poisonous Herbs, see Circe.

Poisonous Lake, see Avernus.

Poll′ear. Son of Siva, the Hindoo god of wisdom.

Pol′lux. Twin brother of Castor. Their father was Jupiter and their mother Leda. He and his brother form the constellation Gemini. His Greek name was Polydeuces. See Ædepol.

Polybo′tes. One of the giants who made war against Jupiter.

Polydec′tes was turned into stone when Perseus showed him Medusa’s head. See Perseus.

Polydeu′ces. The Greek name of Pollux.

Polyhym′nia. Daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. One of the Muses who presided over singing and rhetoric.

Polyphe′mus, one of the most celebrated of the Cyclopes, a son of Neptune. He captured Ulysses and twelve of his companions, and it is said that six of them were eaten. The rest escaped by the ingenuity of Ulysses, who destroyed the Cyclop’s one eye with a firebrand.

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Polyx′ena. Daughter of Priam, king of Troy. It was by her treachery that Achilles was shot in the heel.

Pomo′na. The Roman goddess of fruits and gardens.

Poplar-Tree, see Heliades.

Portu′nus (Palæmon), son of Ino, was god of harbours.

Posei′don. A name of Neptune.

Prac′riti. The Hindoo goddess of nature.

Predictions, see Cassandra.

Pri′am. The last king of Troy. See Paris.

Pria′pus, the guardian of gardens and god of natural reproduction, was son of Venus and Bacchus.

Pris′ca. Another name of Vesta.

Pro′cris. Daughter of the king of Athens. See Cephalus.

Prog′ne, wife of Tereus. See Itys and Tereus.

Prome′theus was son of Japetes and father of Deucalion. He presumed to make clay men, and animate them with fire which he had stolen from heaven. This so displeased Jupiter that he sent him a box full of evils, which Prometheus refused; but his brother Epimetheus, not so cautious, opened[Pg 92] it, and the evils spread over all the earth. Jupiter then punished Prometheus by commanding Mercury to bind him to Mount Caucasus, where a vulture daily preyed upon his liver, which grew in the night as much as it had been reduced in the day, so that the punishment was a prolonged torture. Hercules at last killed the vulture and set Prometheus free.

Prophecy, see Nereus.

Proser′pine. A daughter of Jupiter and Ceres. Pluto carried her off to the infernal regions and made her his wife. She was known by the names of “the Queen of Hell,” Hecate, Juno Inferna, and Libitina.

Pro′teus. A marine deity, who could foretell events and convert himself at will into all sorts of shapes.

Psy′che. The wife of Cupid. The name is Greek, signifying the soul or spirit.

Pygma′lion. A famous sculptor who had resolved to remain unmarried, but he made such a beautiful statue of a goddess that he begged Venus to give[Pg 93] it life. His request being granted, Pygmalion married the animated statue.

Py′lades.

Pylo′tis. A Greek name of Minerva.

Pyr′acmon, one of the chiefs of the Cyclopes.

Py′rois (luminous). One of the four chariot horses of Sol.

Py′thia. The priestess of Apollo at Delphi, who delivered the answers of the oracle. Also the name of the games celebrated in honour of Apollo’s victory over the Pithon.

Py′thon. A famous serpent killed by Apollo. See Septerion.

Quadra’tus. A surname given to Mercury, because some of his statues were four-sided.

Quad′rifron′tis. Janus was sometimes depicted with four faces instead of the usual two, and he was then called Janus Quadrifrontis.

Qui′es. The Roman goddess of rest; she had a temple just outside the Collini gate of Rome.

Quie′tus. One of the names of Pluto.

Quiri′nus. A name given to Mars during war time; and Virgil refers to Jupiter under the same name.

Quoit, see Hyacinthus.

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Race, see Atalanta.

Radaman′thus, see Rhadamanthus.

Rage, see Furies.

Rainbow, see Iris.

Ra′ma. A Hindoo god, who was the terrestrial representative of Vishnu.

Ram’s Hide, see Golden Fleece.

Reeds, see Pan and Syrinx.

Rem′bha. The Hindoo goddess of pleasure.

Reproduction, see Priapus.

Rest, see Quies.

Revenge, see Ate.

Rhadaman′thus, a son of Jupiter and Europa, was the judge of the Asiatics in the infernal regions.

Rhamnu′sia. A name of Nemesis, from Rhamnus, a town in Attica, where she had a temple in which was her statue, made of one stone ten cubits high.

Rhe′a. The Greek name of Cybele.

Rhetoric, see Calliope, Polyhymnia.

[Pg 95]

Riches, see Plutus.

Riddle, see Sphinx.

Rim′mon. A Phrygian god of whom Milton says—

Riot, see Saturnalia.

River of Fire, see Phlegethon.

Roads, see Vialis.

Robber, see Cacus, Cœculus.

Rom′ulus. The traditional founder of Rome. He was a son of Mars and Ilia, and twin brother of Remus. The infants were thrown into the Tiber, but were miraculously saved and suckled by a she-wolf, till they were found by Faustulus, a shepherd, who brought them up. Remus was killed in a quarrel with his brother, and Romulus became the famous emperor.

Rumi′a Dea. The Roman goddess of babes in arms.

Runci′a. The goddess of weeding or cleansing the ground.