Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Hippolyte

(Encyclopedia)Hippolyte hĭpŏlˈĭtē [key], in Greek mythology, an Amazon queen. One of the 12 labors of Hercules was to take the golden girdle of Ares from her. To accomplish his task Hercules captured Hippolyte...

Gaea

(Encyclopedia)Gaea jēˈə [key], in Greek religion and mythology, the earth, daughter of Chaos, both mother and wife of Uranus (the sky) and Pontus (the sea). Among Gaea's offspring by Uranus were the Cyclopes, th...

Amphiaraüs

(Encyclopedia)Amphiaraüs ămˌfēərāˈəs [key], in Greek mythology, a prophet, one of the ill-fated Seven against Thebes. He foresaw the disaster of the expedition, but Polynices bribed his wife, Eriphyle, with...

Phaedra

(Encyclopedia)Phaedra fēˈdrə [key], in Greek mythology, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë. She was the wife of Theseus. When her stepson, Hippolytus, rejected her love, she accused him of raping her and hanged her...

Phaëthon

(Encyclopedia)Phaëthon fāˈətən [key], in Greek mythology, son of Helios and the nymph Clymene. He tried to drive his father's golden chariot, but he could not control its great steeds. As the chariot plunged t...

constellation, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Constellations: Southern sky CE5 Constellations: Southern sky CE5 Constellations: Southern sky constellation, in common usage, group of stars that appear to form a configuration in the...

Daedalus

(Encyclopedia)Daedalus dĕdˈələs [key], in Greek mythology, craftsman and inventor. After killing his apprentice Talos in envy, he fled from Greece to Crete. There, he arranged the liaison between Pasiphaë and ...

Muses

(Encyclopedia)Muses, in Greek religion and mythology, patron goddesses of the arts, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Originally only three, they were later considered as nine. Calliope was the Muse of epic poetry a...

Aristaeus

(Encyclopedia)Aristaeus ărĭstēˈəs [key], in Greek mythology, son of Apollo and Cyrene, especially honored as the inventor of beekeeping. Aristaeus tried to violate Eurydice, wife of Orpheus. Eurydice was fatal...

Teucer

(Encyclopedia)Teucer tyo͞oˈsər [key], in Greek mythology. 1 Ancestor and king of the Trojans, who are also called the Teucri. He was the father-in-law of Dardanus. 2 Son of Telamon and Hesione. He was the greate...