Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Astraea

(Encyclopedia)Astraea ăstrēˈə [key], in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of justice; daughter of Zeus and Themis. Because of the wickedness of man, she withdrew from the earth at the end of the Golden Age ...

Asopus

(Encyclopedia)Asopus əsōˈpəs [key], in Greek mythology, river god. He tried to prevent Zeus from abducting his daughter Aegina, but Zeus drove him off with a thunderbolt. ...

Hymen

(Encyclopedia)Hymen hīmənēˈəs [key], in Greek mythology, personification of marriage, represented as a beautiful youth carrying a bridal torch and wearing a veil. ...

Phaeacia

(Encyclopedia)Phaeacia fēāˈshə [key], in Greek mythology, island of Scheria (location unknown). It was inhabited by a seafaring people who were hospitable to sailors and fond of joyous, luxurious living. When O...

Salmoneus

(Encyclopedia)Salmoneus sălmōˈnēəs [key], in Greek mythology, king of Elis; son of Aeolus. Pretending to be Zeus, he demanded sacrifices, threw torches to imitate lightning, and made noises like thunder with h...

Symplegades

(Encyclopedia)Symplegades sĭmplĕgˈədēz [key], in Greek mythology, two floating cliffs that swung together and crushed anything going between them until Jason's ship, the Argo, passed safely through them. They ...

Aganippe

(Encyclopedia)Aganippe ăgˌənĭpˈē [key], in Greek mythology, nymph. Her spring on Mt. Helicon, sacred to the Muses, gave poetic inspiration to all who drank from it. ...

Hecate

(Encyclopedia)Hecate hĕkˈətē, hĕkˈĭt [key], in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. Originally she seems to have been an extremely powerful and benevolent goddess, identified with ...

Hermaphroditus

(Encyclopedia)Hermaphroditus hərmăfrədīˈtəs [key], in Greek mythology, beautiful son of Hermes and Aphrodite. He scorned the nymph Salmacis, who prayed that they might never be separated. When Hermaphroditus ...

Polyxena

(Encyclopedia)Polyxena pōlĭkˈsĭnə [key], in Greek mythology, daughter of Priam and Hecuba. After the death of Achilles, she was claimed by his ghost and was sacrificed at his tomb. According to later legends A...