Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Augeas

(Encyclopedia)Augeas ôjēˈəs [key], in Greek mythology, son of Helios and king of Elis. He kept his huge herds of cattle in the Augean Stables. As his sixth labor, Hercules cleaned the stables in one day by dive...

Hymen

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

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. ...

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. ...

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 ...

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...

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 ...