 |
Encyclopedia |
|
| |
Encyclopedia |
|
The son of Ælus, he committed incest with his sister Canace and their daughter was loved by Apollo.
A son of Asclepius, a doctor for the Greeks at the battle of Troy.
The name of the dog which Hecuba turned herself into to evade the Thracians who were pursuing her after she plotted to murder Polymestor and his two sons. As told in Euripides' Hecuba.
The daughter of Atlas and Pleione, eldest and most beautiful of the Pleiades. She was the mother of Hermes by Zeus.
The daughter of Euenus, the River God. She was loved by Apollo but Idas carried her off. Apollo and Idas fought until Zeus intervened and decreed that Marpessa could choose who to stay with and she chose to marry Idas.
The Roman name for Ares, god of war.
The daughter of Heracles, when an oracle demanded the sacrifice of one of Heracles' children, she killed herself.
The daughter of Æëtes, a sorceress. She fell in love with Jason and promised to help him get the fleece if he would marry her. When her father betrayed Jason, to help them escape she murdered her half brother Absyrtus and chopped him into pieces which Æëtes stopped to collect so didn't chase them.
Eventually Medea and Jason settled in Corinth and lived happily for many years. Then Jason left Medea for Glauce as described in Euripides' Medea. The sorceress sent Glauce a dress which burst in to flames when she put it on destroying the palace. It is also suggested that Medea murdered her own children. She fled to Athens and married Ægeus, but she fled when Theseus arrived and eventually became an immortal.
One of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. She had slept with Poseidon in one of Athene's temples, the angry goddess turned Medusa into a winged monster with claws and serpent hair anyone that looked at her turned to stone. Perseus was sent by Danaë" to bring him the head of Medusa. Athene gave him a polished shield so that he did not have to look directly at her. He beheaded her while she slept and Chrysaor and Pegasus prung from her body, children of Poseidon. Perseus used her head to turn several people to stone, including those who threatened to carry away his bride Andromeda and Danaë and Dictys. Medusa's head was then given to Athene who placed it on her shield.
The eldest daughter of Creon, the wife of Heracles and mother of several children. Heracles went mad and killed their children and then had to perform the twelve labours as penance. What happened when he returned is unclear, most say he gave Megara to his nephew Iolaus but in Euripides' Heracles the hero is driven mad again and kills his wife and children.
Son of Amythaon, brother of Bias. Prophet and seer who introduced Dionysus into Greece. He cured three daughters of Proetus and other women of madness, for which he and his brother were rewarded with two-thirds of the kingdom.
Son of Eos and Tithonus, King of Ethiopia. He fought for the Trojans and killed several Greeks including Antilochus. Achilles fought him in single combat and Zeus weighed their fates and Memnon was killed. At the request of his mother Zeus caused a flock of Memnonides birds to rise from the funeral pyre and fight until they killed each other and fell as a sacrifice. The birds were said to return to his tomb every year and many other monuments (Memnonia) were put up.
The son of Atreus and Ærope, the King of Sparta and husband of Helen. When Helen was abducted by Paris Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon led the Greek army to Troy to rescue her. When they conquered Troy Menelaus pardoned Helen however he forgot to sacrifice to Athene and it took them eight years to return to Sparta.
A nymph who was pursued by Hades and was changed into the plant mint by a jealous Persephone.
See The Fates.
Son of Apollo and Manto, a prophet who defeated Calchas in a prophecy competition. He founded the city of Mallus with Amphilochus, but they fought over who possessed it and killed each other.
Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over arts and music. They were born at Piera near Mt. Olympus and lived on Mt. Helicon.
A group led by Achilles from Phthia in Thessaly.
The charioteer of Oenomaus, King of Pisa. During a competition for the hand of Oenomaus' daughter Hippodamia he was bribed by Pelops to remove the lynch pin from the king's chariot and substitute a wax one. He did so and the Oenomaus was flung from the chariot and killed. However Pelops did not give Myrtilus the promised half of the kingdom instead flinging him into the sea. As Myrtilus died he cursed all the descendants of Pelops and his image was set in the stars as the charioteer.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z