Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Hector

(Encyclopedia)Hector, in Greek mythology, leader and greatest hero of the Trojan troops during the Trojan War. He was the eldest son of Priam and Hecuba, the husband of Andromache, and the father by her of Astyanax...

Amphitryon

(Encyclopedia)Amphitryon ămfĭˈtrēən, –ŏnˌ [key], in Greek mythology, son of Alcaeus. While betrothed to Alcmene, he accidentally killed her father, Electryon. Alcmene and Amphitryon fled to Thebes, but she...

Helenus

(Encyclopedia)Helenus hĕlˈənəs [key], in Greek mythology, Trojan who was gifted with prophetic powers; son of Priam and Hecuba. When Helen was given to Deiphobus after the death of Paris, Helenus in anger betra...

Sophocles

(Encyclopedia)Sophocles sŏfˈəklēz [key], c.496 b.c.–406 b.c., Greek tragic dramatist, younger contemporary of Aeschylus and older contemporary of Euripides, b. Colonus, near Athens. A man of wealth, charm, an...

Palamedes

(Encyclopedia)Palamedes păləmēˈdēz [key], in Greek mythology, crafty Greek hero of the Trojan War. Because he had exposed Odysseus when he tried to evade going to war, Odysseus falsely accused him of treachery...

Antilochus

(Encyclopedia)Antilochus ăntĭlˈəkəs [key], in Greek mythology, young hero of the Trojan War, a favorite of Achilles. While protecting his father, Nestor, he was killed by Memnon. He was buried with Achilles an...

Agenor

(Encyclopedia)Agenor əjēˈnôr [key], in Greek mythology. 1 King of Tyre, father of Cadmus and Europa. When Europa disappeared, Agenor sent Cadmus and his other sons in search of her. 2 Trojan hero, son of Anteno...

Achilles

(Encyclopedia)Achilles əkĭlˈēz [key], in Greek mythology, foremost Greek hero of the Trojan War, son of Peleus and Thetis. He was a formidable warrior, possessing fierce and uncontrollable anger. Thetis, knowin...

Pirithoüs

(Encyclopedia)Pirithoüs or Peirithoüs both: pīrĭthˈōəs [key], in Greek mythology, king of the Lapithae. He and Theseus swore an oath of eternal friendship. Together they went on the Calydonian hunt and invad...

Kolokotronis, Theodore

(Encyclopedia)Kolokotronis, Theodore kôlôkôtrôˈnyēs [key], 1770–1843, Greek patriot and general. A leader in the Greek War of Independence against Ottoman rule in the 1820s, he was instrumental in the captu...

Browse by Subject