reaper

Death , due to its prominent place in human culture, is frequently imagined as a personified force, also known as the Grim Reaper. In some mythologies, the Grim Reaper causes the victim's death by coming to collect them. In turn, people in some stories try to hold on to life by avoiding Death's visit, or by fending Death off with bribery or tricks. Other beliefs hold that the Spectre of Death is only a psychopomp, serving to sever the last ties between the soul and the body, and to guide the deceased to the afterlife, without having any control over when or how the victim dies. Death is most often personified in male form, although in certain cultures Death is perceived as female (for instance, Marzanna in Slavic mythology).

Daedalus, a cunning craftsman, who flew from Crete to Italy with his son Icarus by means of wings fastened to their shoulders with wax. Daedalus arrived safely, but Icarus flew too near the sun, which melted the wax, so that he fell into the sea.

Danae, who was visited by Jupiter in a shower of gold, was the mother of Perseus, Jupiter being the father. Before the birth of Perseus, an oracle predicted that the son that would be born would kill his grandfather, Acrisius, king of Argos, and father of Dana£. To avoid that calamity the mother was immured in a brazen tower, and after the birth of Perseus, she and the child were put in a chest and thrown into the sea, but drifted to the shore of Seriphus and were saved. The oracle’s prediction was afterwards fulfilled, Acrisius being accidentally slain by Perseus.

Danaus, son of Belus, king of Tyre, and twin brother of iEgyptus. iEgyptus had fifty sons, Danaus had fifty daughters, and Danaus, to escape his brother and his sons, fled with his daughters to Argos and became king. Hearing of this the sons of iEgyptus betook themselves to Argos, and demanded their uncle’s daughters for wives. Their aims were frustrated, however, by each wife killing her husband on the wedding night, with a dagger provided by their father. One only escaped, Lynceus, who killed Danaus. Another version says that the uncle and nephew were reconciled, and reigned together for many years.

Daphne, a nymph who was changed into a laurel when being pursued by Apollo. The laurel thus became his favourite tree.

Daphnis, a Sicilian shepherd famous as a flute-player. He was struck with blindness for faithlessness to a Naiad.

Dardanus, son of Jupiter and Electra, w$s the founder of Troy and ancestor of the Trojans. It is his name that is commemorated in the Dardanelles.

Deianira. (See Hercules.)

Delphi, in Central Greece, famous for the temple and oracle of Apollo.

Demeter. (See Ceres.)

Deucalion, a son of Prometheus, and his wife Pyrrha, were the only persons saved when Jupiter destroyed Greece by a deluge. To effect the re-peopling of the earth, they were ordered to throw behind them the bones of their mother, so picking up some stones from “ mother earth,” they flung them from them. The stones cast by Deucalion were transformed into men, and those by Pyrrha into women.

Diana (called Artemis by the Greeks), the chaste goddess of hunting, daughter of Jupiter and Latona, and twin sister of Apollo. She was also the goddess of light, and was worshipped in various guises chiefly in Arcadia, Ephesis, and Tauris.

Dido, founder and queen of Carthage, who fled thither from Tyre. Virgil makes her fall in love with iEneas and kill herself when he left.

Diomedes, king of Argos, and one of the champions of the Grecian army in the Trojan War. He contended even with gods, and is one of the most prominent fighting figures of the Iliad.

Dionysus. {See Bacchus.)

Dioscuri, the name given to Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Tyndareus and Leda. They rescued their sister Helen from Theseus, took part in the Argonautic expedition and performed many great deeds while on earth. Pollux was famed for his skill in boxing, Castor for the management of horses, and they were looked on as the patrons of seafarers. Castor was killed by Idas, but at the request of Pollux, Jupiter allowed them to share alternate days in heaven and the underworld.

Diree, wife of Eycas. Because of her cruelty her step-sons caused a wild bull to drag her about till she died, and then threw her body into a fountain in Bceotia.

Dryades, the nymphs of the trees, were supposed to have their birth with and die with the trees, over which they were the divinities.

Echo, a sportful nymph, who diverted the attention of Juno while Jupiter made love to other nymphs. When Juno discovered the deception, she transformed the deceiver into an echo, depriving her of the power of speaking except when spoken to. Subsequently Echo pined away for the love of Narcissus, until only her answering voice remained to perpetuate her name.

Electra, daughter of Agamemnon, seeing the danger that her brother Orestes was in after the murder of her father by her mother Cly-taemnestra, had him sent away to Phocis, where he was protected by King Strophius In revenge for this, Clytaemnestra compelled Electra to marry a peasant, but the peasant never sought to be more than husband in name, so that when later Orestes returned, Clytaem-nestra was put to death, and Electra became the wife of her brother’s friend, Pylades.

Elysium, the abode of the shades of the blessed.

Endymion, a beautiful south whom Selene, the moon-goddess, put into perpetual sleep on a Carian mountain-side that she might kiss him without his knowledge.

Eos. iSee Aurora.)

Erato. {See Muses.)

Erebus, the son of Chaos, and one of the deities of Hades. The name is also used as a synonym for darkness, referring to the region through which departed souls pass to Hades.

Europa, daughter of Phoenix and beloved of Jupiter, who assumed the shape of a white bull and carried her off to Crete, where she became the mother of Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthus.

Eurydice. {See Orpheus.)

Eurystheus. {See Hercules.)

Euterpe. {See Muses.)

Evander, son of Mercury, who led a colony from Arcadia to Italy, which was later incorporated in Rome. He taught his neighbours the blessings of peace.

Faunus, an old Italian deity, protector of agriculture and shepherds. He was later identified with the Greek Pan.

Flora, the goddess of flowers (Greek Chloris).

Furies. (See Eumenides.)

Galatea. (See Acis.)

Ganymede, Jupiter’s cup-bearer, a mortal youth of such grace and beauty that the god had him carried oft* to Olympus on the back of an eagle.

Genius Loci, the special divinity allotted to a particular place or building.

Glaucus, a Boeotian fisherman, who was made a sea deity by Oceanus, and carried off Ariadne from Naxos. Apollo granted him the gift of prophecy.

Golden Fleece (The) forms one of the most entrancing of the legends of mythology. The fleece was that of the ram Chrysomallus and was deposited on a tr,ee at Colchis, being guarded by a terrible dragon. (See Athamas and Jason.

Gorgons, three hideous maidens, whose heads were covered with snakes instead of hair. (See Medusa.)

Graces (Greek Charites) were three in number, Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia, and represented the perfection of grace and beauty of body and mind. They were daughters of Jupiter and are usually shown as attendants on Venus.

Hades, or Pluto, was the god of the underworld, son of Saturn, brother of Jupiter and Neptune, and husband of Proserpine.. In classical depictions the god is represented seated on a throne, Cerberus lying at his feet. Hades is also the name given to the infernal regions.

Hsemon, son of Creon and lover of Antigone. He killed himself on hearing of her death.

Hamadryads, tree-nymphs.

Harpies, greedy monsters with female heads and long claws and wings, who were used by the gods to torment mortals.

Hebe, cupbearer to Jupiter and the gods, and

<* daughter of Jupiter and Juno. She is represented as the goddess of youth, and by the Romans was named Juventas.

Hecate, often represented with three heads, was supposed to preside over magic and enchantments, and her dominion extended over hell, heaven, earth, and sea. In heaven she was Luna, on earth Diana, and in Hades Proserpine or Hecate. She dwelt particularly at cross roads and was associated with the howling of dogs.

Hector, son of King Priam and Hecuba, and husband of Andromache, was captain of the Trojan forces and the most valiant of them all. After repeated victories over Grecian leaders he was last slain by Achilles, whom he provoked to fight again by killing Patroclus, and his body was dragged in triumph three times round the walls of Troy. Jupiter interposed and ordered the body to be given up to Priam, after which the warrior was buried with great pomp.

Hecuba, wife of Priam was a dignified and much-enduring mother, whose lot it was to see her husband and her favourite sons killed by the enemy. After the fall of Troy she fell to the lot of Ulysses and accompanied the conquerors on the voyage back to Greece, but while halted in the Thracian Chersonesus, after trying to avenge the murder of her son, Polydorus, she cast herself into the sea at Cyneum.

Helen, daughter of Jupiter and Leda, famed for her beauty. In her youth she was carried off to A ttica by Theseus and Pirithous, but rescued by her brothers Castor and Pollux. Among her suitors were the most celebrated princes of the age, but she ultimately became the wife of Mene-laus, King of Lacedaemon. After three years of happiness, Paris, son of Priam, king of Troy, came on a visit to the court of Menelaus, and persuaded Helen to follow hiqi to Troy. To avenge this outrage the Trojan war was begun.

When Paris was killed, in the ninth year of the war, she married Deiphobus, but afterwards betrayed him in order to regain the favour of Menelaus, which she succeeded in doing, and remained with him until his death. Of her own fate there are numerous varying accounts.

Helenus, son of Priam and Hecuba, famous for his prophetic powers, who deserted from the Trojans to the Greeks. After the Trojan war he settled in Epirus and married Andromache.

Helicon, a range of mountains in Bceotia, sacred to Apollo and the Muses.

Helius, or Sol, the god of the sun, who daily drove his four-horsed chariot across the sky.

Helle. (See Athamas.)

Hephaestus, the Greek name for Vulcan.

Hera, the Greek name for Juno.

Heraclidae, the name given to the descendants of Hercules, who were said to have led the Dorians in the invasion of Peloponnesus.

Hercules (Greek, Heracles), son of Jupiter and Alcmena, is the personification of physical strength, and the most wonderful stories are related of his exploits. Even while in his cradle he strangled two serpents which Juno had sent to destroy him. At eighteen he killed the lion of Mount Cithaeon. Afterwards, having been rendered mad by Juno, he killed his own children and those of his brother, and on recovering was so plunged in grief that he exiled himself and went to consult the oracle of Apollo at Adelphi. He was commanded to serve Eurystheus for twelve years, during which period he was to perform twelve “ labours.” The gods equipped him for his tasks and he carried them through successfully. The first was to kill the lion of Nemea, which he choked to death; the second was to destroy the seven-headed Lemean hydra, which he killed with his club of brass, the gift of Vulcan; _ 'The llllli*1 Wkk U)-TAi')ltne the Al'CadMn stag, ’ which he caught in a trap; the fourth to destroy the wild boar of Erymanthus; the fifth, to clean the Augean stables; sixth, to kill the carnivorous birds of Stymphalis; seventh, to capture the wild bull of Crete; eighth, to capture the mares of Diomedes; ninth, to obtain the girdle of the Queen of the Amazons; tenth, to capture the oxen of Geryon; eleventh, to obtain some golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides; and twelfth, to bring to earth Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades. He was now free from service to Eurystheus and returned to Thebes. He married Deianira, daughter of (Eneus of Calydon, and when Nessus, a Centaur, tried to outrage her, Hercules shot him with a poisoned arrow. The dying Nessus told Deianira to keep his blood, as it would always preserve her husband’s love. Later, fearing that she was being supplanted by Iole, Deianira sent Hercules a garment soaked in the blood of Nessus, and it poisoned him. On his death he was carried to Olympus and endowed with immortality.

Hermes, Greek name for Mercury.

Hero and Leander. (See Leander.)

Hesperides, the three daughters of Atlas and Hesperis, appointed to protect the golden apples which Earth gave to Juno at her marriage to Jupiter. The hundred-headed dragon, Ladon, was always on guard at the foot of the tree, but was slain by Hercules when he seized the apples.

Hesperus, the evening star.

Hippocrene, a fountain at the foot of Mount Helicon, originally set flowing by the ground being struck by the hoofs of Pegasus, the winged horse. It was dedicated to the Muses.

Hippolytus, son of Theseus, who was accused by Phaedra, his stepmother, of attempting to dishonour her. He was accordingly cursed by Theseus and killed in his chariot through the agency of Neptune, but his innocence was later discovered, and Phaedra slew herself.

Horatius, a Roman who, with two others, defended the bridge over the Tiber against the whole Etruscan army while the citizens were cutting it down. When the bridge was destroyed he sprang fnto the river and swam safely back.

Hyacinthus, a beautiful youth, killed by accident by Apollo while playing quoits. From his blood sprang the hyacinth.

Hydra, a monster of seven or more heads, each of

PEARS CYCLOPAEDIA 675* CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY

towards LeucothoS, who had deserted her, Apollo transformed her into a sunflower, so that it might always be turned towards him in his daily journey across the heavens.

Comus, the god of revelry and feasting.

Coriolanus, a Roman exiled because of his haughty bearing towards the people. He joined the Volsci and led them against Rome, but finally his mother and wife, at the head of the Roman matrons, persuaded him to retreat without attacking the city.

Cornucopia, the horn of plenty, was supposed to have its origin as the gift of Jupiter to Amalthea, in return for her having fed him while young with goat’s milk.

Creon, king of Thebes, who gave up the throne to CEdipus and later resumed it. His harshness to Antigone caused the suicide of his son Haemon, her lover.

Cronus. (See Saturn.)

Cupid, god of love, by the Greeks called Eros. He was the son of Venus by Jupiter (or, as some represent, Mercury). (See Psyche.)

Cybele, mother-godciess of Phrygia.

Cyclopes, a race of shepherds of gigantic stature, with only one eye, in the middle of the forehead. They lived near Mount Etna, and assisted Vulcan at his forges. (See Polyphemus.

Daphne, a nymph who was changed into a laurel when being pursued by Apollo. The laurel thus became his favourite tree.

Daphnis, a Sicilian shepherd famous as a flute-player. He was struck with blindness for faithlessness to a Naiad.

Dardanus, son of Jupiter and Electra, w$s the founder of Troy and ancestor of the Trojans. It is his name that is commemorated in the Dardanelles.

Deianira. (See Hercules.)

Delphi, in Central Greece, famous for the temple and oracle of Apollo.

Demeter. (See Ceres.)

Dido, founder and queen of Carthage, who fled thither from Tyre. Virgil makes her fall in love with iEneas and kill herself when he left.

Diomedes, king of Argos, and one of the champions of the Grecian army in the Trojan War. He contended even with gods, and is one of the most prominent fighting figures of the Iliad.

Dionysus. {See Bacchus.)

Diree, wife of Eycas. Because of her cruelty her step-sons caused a wild bull to drag her about till she died, and then threw her body into a fountain in Bceotia.

Dryades, the nymphs of the trees, were supposed to have their birth with and die with the trees, over which they were the divinities.

Elysium, the abode of the shades of the blessed.

Endymion, a beautiful south whom Selene, the moon-goddess, put into perpetual sleep on a Carian mountain-side that she might kiss him without his knowledge.

Eos. iSee Aurora.)

Erato. {See Muses.)

Erebus, the son of Chaos, and one of the deities of Hades. The name is also used as a synonym for darkness, referring to the region through which departed souls pass to Hades.

Eros. {See Cupid.)

Eteocles, a son of CEdipus and Iocasta. After his father’s death, he and his brother Polynices agreed to reign in alternate years, Eteocles, as the elder, taking the first turn. At the end of his year he refused to relinquish the crown to Polynices, and Adrastus, king of Argos, was appealed to. Adrastus, whose daughter had become the wife of Polynices, sent an army and s.even of his bravest generals (the Seven against Thebes) to his son-in-la^s aid, and a severe conflict ensued. In the end the two brothers agreed to settle their differences by single combat, and both were slain.

Eumenides, or Furies, were the avenging deities, three hideous winged maidens who pursued and punished the guilty.

Euphrosyne, one of the three Graces.

Europa, daughter of Phoenix and beloved of Jupiter, who assumed the shape of a white bull and carried her off to Crete, where she became the mother of Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthus.

Eurydice. {See Orpheus.)

Eurystheus. {See Hercules.)

Euterpe. {See Muses.)

Evander, son of Mercury, who led a colony from Arcadia to Italy, which was later incorporated in Rome. He taught his neighbours the blessings of peace.

Faunus, an old Italian deity, protector of agriculture and shepherds. He was later identified with the Greek Pan.

Flora, the goddess of flowers (Greek Chloris).

Furies. (See Eumenides.)

Galatea. (See Acis.)

Ganymede, Jupiter’s cup-bearer, a mortal youth of such grace and beauty that the god had him carried oft* to Olympus on the back of an eagle.

Genius Loci, the special divinity allotted to a particular place or building.

Glaucus, a Boeotian fisherman, who was made a sea deity by Oceanus, and carried off Ariadne from Naxos. Apollo granted him the gift of prophecy.

Gorgons, three hideous maidens, whose heads were covered with snakes instead of hair. (See Medusa.)

Hsemon, son of Creon and lover of Antigone. He killed himself on hearing of her death.

Hamadryads, tree-nymphs.

Harpies, greedy monsters with female heads and long claws and wings, who were used by the gods to torment mortals.

Hebe, cupbearer to Jupiter and the gods, and

<* daughter of Jupiter and Juno. She is represented as the goddess of youth, and by the Romans was named Juventas.

Helenus, son of Priam and Hecuba, famous for his prophetic powers, who deserted from the Trojans to the Greeks. After the Trojan war he settled in Epirus and married Andromache.

Helicon, a range of mountains in Bceotia, sacred to Apollo and the Muses.

Helius, or Sol, the god of the sun, who daily drove his four-horsed chariot across the sky.

Helle. (See Athamas.)

Hephaestus, the Greek name for Vulcan.

Hera, the Greek name for Juno.

Heraclidae, the name given to the descendants of Hercules, who were said to have led the Dorians in the invasion of Peloponnesus.

Hermes, Greek name for Mercury.

Hero and Leander. (See Leander.)

Hesperus, the evening star.

Hippocrene, a fountain at the foot of Mount Helicon, originally set flowing by the ground being struck by the hoofs of Pegasus, the winged horse. It was dedicated to the Muses.

Hyacinthus, a beautiful youth, killed by accident by Apollo while playing quoits. From his blood sprang the hyacinth.

Hydra, a monster of seven or more heads, each of

which grew again when cut off. It was killed by Hercules.

Hygeia, the goddess of health.

and Vulcan. She aided the Greeks iu the Trojairwuf.*"

Jupiter (Greek Zeus), son of Saturn and Rhea, was the lord of heaven and presumed father of gods and men. He was brought up in a cave on Mount Ida to hide him from his father, who had eaten the rest of his children, and while a child conquered the Titans. Thus he became master of the world, and after giving the empire of the sea to Neptune, and that of the infernal regions to Pluto, installed himself king of heaven. The story of his adventures and amours occupies a chief part of the mythological legends, and are referred to under the distinctive names of the personages or places concerned. He is usually depicted seated on a throne, with thunderbolts in one hand ready to be hurled against his enemies, and a sceptre of cypress in the other, and wearing a wreath of olive or myrtle.

Hylas, a beautiful youth loved by Hercules, whom he accompanied on the Argo. When on shore drawing water he was carried off by the Naiads.

Hyllus, son of Hercules and Deianira.

Hymen, the god of marriage.

Hyperion, one of the Titans, was father by Thea of the Sun (Helios), the Moon (Selene), and the Dawn (Eos). His father was Heaven (Uranus), his mother Earth (Ge).

Icarus. (See Daedalus.)

Io, a princess of Argos, whom Jupiter loved and changed into a heifer for fear of Juno. But Juno was aware of the change and put Argus to watch Io. When Argus was killed by Mercury Juno tormented the animal with a gadfly from place to place until she reached the Nile, where Io recovered her form and bore a son to Jupiter.

Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytem-nestra. At the outbreak of the Trojan War it was proclaimed by the priest of Apollo that the wrath of the gods, aroused by the killing of the sacred stag by Agamemnon, could not be appeased except by the sacrifice of Iphigenia, and contrary winds detained the fleets until this was performed. Just as the knife of the priest was uplifted, Artemis carried off Iphigenia to Tauris, and a goat that appeared in her place was immolated instead of her. The Greeks then proceeded against Troy. Iphigenia became a priestess, and was afterwards instrumental in saving the life of her brother Orestes when he was about to be sacrificed.

Lachesis. (See Parcse.)

Laertes, King of Ithaca and father of Ulysses.

Laocoon, priest of Apollo, and son of Priam. For the part he took in opposing the entrance into Troy of the wooden horse of the Greeks, Minerva caused two gigantic serpents to issue from the sea and engage Laocoon’s two sons in their toils. The father rushed to the rescue of his sons, and the next moment all three were in the grasp of the serpents, and were crushed to death.

Laodainia, wife of Protesilaus, in answer to whose prayers her husbandwas restoredto life for three hours. When he died a second time, Laodamia died with him.

Laomedon, father of Priam, for whom Neptune built the walls of Troy. Laomedon refused to give the promised reward, so Neptune sent a monster to plague the city. It was killed by Hercules, but when Laomedon again broke his word, he was slain by the hero.

Lapithae. (See Pirithous.)

Lares, the spirits of dead ancestors, who watched over a house.

Latona, or Leto, daughter of a Titan, loved by Jupiter and persecuted by Juno. She wandered from place to place till Jupiter gave her a refuge on Delos, where she bore him Apollo and Diana.

Leander, a youth of Abydos, who swam nightly across the Hellespont to visit Hero, a priestess in Sestos, guided by a lamp which Hero hung out from a tower. The light being blown out one wild night Leander lost his wajr and was drowned, on discovering which Hero threw herself into the sea.

Leda, wife of Tyndarus, king of Sparta, who was loved by Jupiter in the form of a swan, and brought forth two eggs, from one of which sprang Helen, and from the other Castor and Pollux.

[ Iris, messenger of the gods and goddess of the rainbow.

Ixion, king of Thessaly, and husband of Dia, to whose father Deioneus he promised a valuable gift, but being unable to obtain the gift, he put his father-in-law to death to get out of his promise. Jupiter, after a long period of expiation, summoned hfm to Olympus and placed him at the table of the gods. Afterwards Ixion began to make love to Juno, but Jupiter substituted a cloud of the shape of the goddess, and from this the Centaurs were born. Then as a punishment Ixion wras condemned to be bound to a fiery wheel that never ceased to roll through Hades.

Janus, an old Italian god with two faces, facing opposite ways. He was the god of doors, because every door looks both ways. He had a temple at Rome that was open in time of war and closed during peace.

Jason, son of iEson and Alcimede. When iEson was driven from the throne of Ioleus by his half-brother Pelias, Jason was saved and brought up by the Centaur Chiron. When

grown up he demanded his father’s kingdom, JLff

and Pelias promised to hand it over if Jason. would bring him the Golden Fleece {seel Mars (Greek Ares), the god of war, son of Jupiter Athamas) which was kept by King Acetes of and Juno, and lover of Venus.

Colchis in the custody of a dragon. Accordingly Medea. (See Jason.)

Jason gathered a band of heroes and set out in the ship Argo. Acetes agreed to surrender the Fleece if Jason would perform various seemingly impossible feats—yoking the fire-breathing oxen and sowing the dragon’s teeth. Medea, daughter of Acetes fell in love with him, and with her aid he performed the tasks and returned home with the Fleece, taking Medea with him. Medea then tricked the daughters of Pelias into killing their father. For a time Jason and Medea lived happily, but then Jason deserted her for Glauce or Creusa, whereupon Medea killed her children by Jason, sent Glauce a poisoned garment which burned her up, and fled to Athens. Jason slew him-- ■ self in grief. ^

Medusa, one of the Gorgons, killed by Perseus, whose face turned the gazer to stone.

Meleager, son of (Eneus, king of JStolia, and Althaea, was one of the Argonauts, and led the chase after the Calydonian boar* It had been decreed by the Fates that he should live as long as a certain firebrand should not be burned up, and his mother snatched the brand from the fire and jealously guarded it. When Althaea heard of Meleager’s slaying of the boar she went to the temple to return thanks, but on the way she saw the bodies of her brothers whom Meleager had slain because they protested against the skin being given to Atalanta. This so incensed Althaea that she cast the fatal firebrand on the fire, and when it was consumed Meleager died.

^Melpomene. (See Muses.)

Menelaus, king of Sparta and brother of Aga-I memnon, was the husband of Helen, and after I she left him for Paris, he entered upon the I Trojan war, in which he bore himself with great / bravery. After the war he forgave Helen and

Juno (Greek Hera), daughter of Saturn and Rhea^ sister and wife of Jupiter, and queen of heaven. She was an exacting and jealous wife, and avenged herself with severity upon the numerous mortal maidens of whom Jupiter became enamoured as well as upon their offspring. She was the mother of Mars, Hebe, Lucinia,

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