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Encyclopaedia |
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Son of Naupilius, came from Euboea to fight with the Argives at Troy. He travelled with Agamemnon and Menelaus before the battle to persuade Odysseus to join them. He tricked Odysseus into joining the battle by placing his son Telemachus in danger, forcing Odysseus to reveal his sanity. Palamedes was also one of the envoys sent to Priam to request the return of Helen. He died during the Trojan war and his father, eager for revenge, set misleading lights on Caphareus causing many shipwrecks.
Pan (the Roman Faunus) was the misshapen god, with goat feet, horns and tail. He was said to be the son of Hermes and Penelope. He was the god of shepherds and flocks and lived in rural Arcadia. He spent his time hunting and dancing with the nymphs, but also lurking in forests waiting to startle travellers with a shout (thus 'panic'). He also loved music having made the first syrinx (or pan-pipes) from a reed which had been metamorphosed from a nymph called Syrinx, who rejected him. He was involved in Zeus' struggle against Typhon.
Pandora was a beautiful woman made by Hephæstos on Zeus' orders, so that he might use her to punish Prometheus. She was given to Epimetheus (Prometheus' brother) as a wife. However when they were married she opened a box releasing all the ills that plague man. She was the Eve of the Ancient Greeks.
Paris was a son of King Priam and Hecuba, but before his birth Hecuba dreamt that she was bearing a blazing firebrand, so on his birth he was exposed on Mount Ida. He was raised by shepherds and lived on Mount Ida. It was there that the Judgement of Paris took place. He declared Aphrodite to be the most fair goddess after she promised he could have the most beautiful woman alive. He discovered his true parentage and sailed to Sparta, where he fell in love with Helen, King Menelaus' wife. When Menelaus went away, Paris carried Helen away to Troy, thus starting the Trojan War.
Aphrodite assisted Paris during the battles, once spiriting him away when he was loosing a duel with Menelaus. Aided by Apollo, Paris shot Achilles in his vulnerable ankle, killing the Greek champion. However in an archery contest with Philoctetes, Paris was mortally wounded. he begged his former lover, the nymph Oenone to save him, but she refused and he died.
The daughter of Helios and Persë, wife of Minos, King of Crete. They're children were Ariadne, Phædra, Glaucus and Androgeos. She fell in love with white bull, and after Dædalus enabled her to fulfill her disire she gave birth to the Minotaur, which lived in the labyrinth of Crete. She helped Dædalus and Icarus escape from the labyrinth when Minos imprisonned him for aiding her.
The cousin, friend and aide of Achilles during the Trojan War. While Achilles refused to fight, Patroclus persuaded his friend to allow him to lead the Myrmidones into the battle while wearing his friends armour, so as to scare the enemy and inspire their troops. He fought bravely, killing Sarpedon, but he ignored the advice of his friend and tried to storm Troy's walls. He was wounded by Euphorbus and killed by Hector. His body was recovered but Achilles' armour was taken by Hector.
Achilles was devastated at his friends death and took to the battle field in a rage. He finally killed Hector in revenge and abused the corpse until Priam begged for the return of his son's body.
The winged horse, offspring of Poseidon and Medusa, brother of the warrior Chrysaor. They both sprang from Medusa's body when she was beheaded by Perseus. Bellerophon caught the horse by using a golden bridle, a gift from Athene, he then used the horse to help him kill the Chimæra. By beating his hoofs on the earth of Mount Helicon, he had created the spring of Hippocrene, sacred to the Muses.
The son of Tyro and Poseidon, his twin brother was Neleus and his sister Æthra (mother of Theseus). His children included Alcestis and Acastus. He and his brother were reared by a horse-herd, then adopted by Tyro and her husband Crethens, the King of Iolcus. Pelias stole the Kingdom from Æson (the son of Tyro and Crethens) imprisoning him, and expelling Neleus. However Æson's son, Jason was spared and raised by Cheiron the Centaur. When Jason returned many years later, Pelias asked him to get the golden fleece from Colchis.
Jason returned to Iolcus with the fleece to find that his father had been forced by Pelias to take his own life. Medea (who had returned with Jason) persuaded Pelias' daughters (except Alcestis) to cut their father up and boil him in a cauldron, saying this would rejuvenate him. When Acastus discovered the murder, he expelled Jason and Medea from Iolcus.
Peleus was the son of Æcus (King of Ægina) and Endeis. After he and his brother Telemon killed their half brother Phocus they were expelled by their father. After being purified in Phthia by the King's son Eurytion, but he accidentally killed Eurytion while hunting the Caledonian Boar. Peleus then fled to Iolcus where he was purified by King Acastus. However after he was falsely accused of seducing the queen, Acastus took him to Mount Pelion and sneaked away, leaving Peleus defenceless against the nearby Centaurs. Peleus was rescued by Cheiron.
Zeus decided to make Thetis the nymph his wife. It was at their wedding that Eris cast the Golden Apple which eventually caused the Trojan war. Cheiron advised Peleus how to control his wife, by holding her tight, no matter what form she assumed. Their son was Achilles.
Daughter of King Threspotus at Sicyon, a priestess who was raped by Thyestes.
Son of Tantalus, brother of Niobe, his children were Atreus and Thyestes by Hippodameia. He was killed by Tantalus and served to the gods in a stew, Demeter ate his shoulder before realising what was happening. Zeus ordered Hermes to put the pieces into a cauldron and boil them, Demeter put in an ivory shoulder blade, and Pelops was restored to life.
Pelops was later expelled from his kingdom of Phrygia and travelled to Pisa in Elis. The king, Oenomaus had been told that he would be killed by his daughter Hippodameia's husband. So he challenged all suitors to a chariot race, if the king won, the suitor killed, if the suitor won he was free to marry Hippodameia. Pelops agreed to the challenge, but bribed Oenomaus' charioteer Myrtilus with the promise of half the kingdom, to replace the lynch pin of the king's chariot with one made of wax. The king was flung from his chariot and killed, and Pelops married Hippodameia.
Pelops did not keep his promise to Myrtilus and flung him into the sea. As Myrtilus fell he cursed the house of Pelops. Pelops became master of Olympia and his power in the peninsula was so great that it was renamed the Peloponnesus, or Island of Pelops.
Daughter of King Icarius of Sparta, wife of Odysseus. Odysseus won Penelope in a foot race, but when Icarius tried to persuade his daughter to stay with him, Odysseus told her she could stay if she chose to. She covered her blushes with her veil and went with Odysseus. Their son was Telemachus. It is also said that she was the mother of Pan by either Hermes, or all the suitors.
While her husband was missing after the Trojan War, Penelope was hounded by a group of suitors led by Antinous. She promised to marry one of them as soon as she finished weaving a robe for Lærtes, her father on law. However every night she unpicked the work she had done. Eventually Penelope announced that she would marry the man who could shoot the great bow of Eurytus, which only Odysseus was able to use. Many tried, but only Odysseus succeeded, he killed the suitors and made himself known to Penelope.
Pentheus was king of Thebes, son of Agave and Echion (son of Cadmus). He resisted the spreading worship of Dionysus and was driven mad and torn to pieces by a group of women known as the Mænads also known as the Bacchæ. The group, including his mother and her sisters Autonoe and Ino, believed he was a wild beast. The story is told by Euripides in the play The Bacchæ.
The daughter of King Neleus of Pylos. She married Bias, son of Amythaon, after his brother, Melampus helped him to obtain the bulls of Phylacus.
The daughter of Oceanus, wife of Helios, mother of Æëtes, Circe, Pasiphaë and Perses.
Persephone (aka Core) was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was devoted to her mother and helped her to bring life to the Earth. She was abducted by Hades and sat on his throne as Queen of the Underworld. Zeus decreed that she was allowed to spend 6 months on the Earth with her mother, but had to spend the other six with her husband in the underworld. For the six months that Persephone was with her mother the crops grew and all was well, but while her mother was mourning her daughters absence, nothing grew. This was how the Greeks explained the different seasons.
Although she had been forced to marry Hades, she was still jealous of his affairs. She changed thenymph Minthe into the plant mint, and another nymph Leuce, into the white poplar.
The son of Danaë daughter of Acrisius. He was cast adrift on the sea in a chest with his mother following a prophecy that he would kill his grandfather. When grown he was sent by Polydectes, who had taken Perseus and his mother in to bring back the head of Medusa. He killed the Gorgon, and on his way home, rescued and married Andromeda. He the returned to Polydectes, who had been pursuing Danaë and turned the king to stone using Medusa's head.
Perseus, with his mother and wife, returned to Argos causing Acrisius to flee to Larissa. However Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather with a discus, during public games. Perseus then swapped kingdoms with his cousin Megapenthes, thus becoming King of Tiryns and he later founded Mycenæ.
The daughter of King Minos of Crete and Pasiphaë and sister of Glaucus, Androgeos and Ariadne. She married Theseus of Athens and had two sons Acamus and Demophon. Her love for her stepson Hippolytus, is the theme of Euripides' Hippolytus and Racine's Phædra.
Son of Helios and Clymene also known as "the shining". His father gave him persmission to drive his chariot of the sun, but he made a mistake and for his error Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt and he fell into the River Po.
Son of Poeas, most famous of the Greek archers. He had kindled the flame of Heracles funeral pyre, and in return received his bow, arrows and quiver. During the voyage to Troy, the Greeks landed on the island of Tenedos. Philoctetes was injured in the foot, either by an arrow, or a snake. The smell of the wound became so bad that on Odysseus' advice he was left on the island of Lemnos.
Eventually after the death of many Greek warriors, the prophet Calchas said that they must fetch the arrows of Heracles. Odysseus and Diomedes went and as described in Sophocles' Philoctetes, persuaded him to return to Troy with them. One of the doctors, Machaon or Podalirius, healed his wound. He challenged Paris to an archery contest, which he won, mortally wounding Paris. After Troy fell, Philoctetes settled in Italy.
King of Psophis, father of Arsinoë. He gave sanctuary to Alcmæon after he had killed his mother. Phlegeus purified him and gave his daughter in marriage. Arsinoë was given Harmonia's necklace and robe, but Alcmæon later promised them to Callirrhoë and had to return to Psophis to obtain them, Phlegeus discovered they were going to another women and ordered his sons to slay Alcmæon. Phlegeus later sent the objects to Delphi.
The son of Æcus (King of Ægina) and Endeis, killed by his half brothers Telemon and Peleus.
Phoebe was the Goddess of the Moon. She was either one of the Titans, a daughter of Gaea and Uranus, or an alternative name for Artemis in her guise as the moon.
The tutor of Achilles, he accompanied him to Troy and advised him many times.
A sea deity, father of Ladon, Echidne, the three Gorgons and the three GreÆ by Ceto.
The King of Pylake, he had a herd a bulls which had to be obtained for someone to marry Pero, daughter of Neleus, King of Pylos. He imprisoned, Melampus, but released him when his skills of prophecy became evident. After Melampus had cured his only son of a disability, Phylacus gave him the heard of cows.
Son of Augeias, King of Elis. He was banished by his father when he refused to lie about a promise his father had made to Heracles, to give him one tenth of his cattle if Heracles could clean his stables in one day.
The son of Ixion and Dia, King of the Lapithæ in Thessaly. He was a friend of Theseus, and it was during Pirithous wedding to Hippodameia that the bride was almost carried off by a drunken Centaur, prompting a fight between the Centaurs and the Lapithæ and Theseus. After Hippodameia's death he helped Theseus carry off Helen, but by lot she fell to Theseus. They then attempted to carry Persephone from the underworld. However they were captured by Hades and chained to a rock. Eventually Theseus was rescued by Heracles, but Pirithous was left there.
The son of Pelops, King of Troezen, his daughter Æthra raised her son Theseus in his house.
The seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione, known as the Seven Sisters. They were companions of Artemis, but she changed them into doves and placed them among the stars when chased by Orion.
The mother of the Pleiades by Atlas.
Son of Atreus by his first wife, he was killed by his father after Thyestes, his uncle, tricked him.
A son of Asclepius, brother of Machaon. He worked as a healer for the Greeks during the Trojan War.
Son of Laomedan, the given name of Priam, King of Troy. He changed his name after he was ransomed by his sister Hesione, having been captured by Heracles and Telemon after his father and brothers were killed.
Father of Philoctetes.
Son of Priam and Hecuba, at the fall of Troy, he was killed by Neoptolemus, in front of his parents.
The Roman name for Polydeuces, with his brother Castor forms the Dioscuri.
The King of the isle of Seriphos, he took in Danaë and Perseus. He desired to marry Danaë and sent Perseus to bring back the head of Medusa. When Perseus returned Polydectes had caused Danaë to flee to a temple, and he was turned into stone by Perseus using Medusa's head.
See Dioscuri for details.
I - Son of Cadmus and Harmonia, Oedipus was one of his descendants.
II - The youngest son of King Priam and Hecuba, Homer says he was killed by Achilles. However other accounts say Priam entrusted him to Polymestor, but when Troy fell Polydorus was killed by his guardian. Hecuba, after finding her son's body, killed Polymestor and his two sons, and turned herself into a bitch called Mæra to evade capture. The story of Hecuba's revenge is told in Euripides' Hecuba.
Polymestor was King of the Thracian Chersoneus. Just before Troy fell, Priam entrusted his youngest son Polydorus to the King with a lot of gold. When he found out that Troy had been conquered, Polymestor killed the boy by throwing him into the sea, and stole the gold. Hecuba found her sons body and killed Polymestor and his two sons in revenge. She evaded the angry Thracian's by turning herself into a bitch named Mæra.
The son of Oedipus, King of Thebes and Jocasta, brother of Antigone, Ismene and Eteocles, husband of Argia an father of Thersander. Oedipus cursed his sons because they (unlike their sisters) had not followed him into exile, saying they would divide their inherited lands by the sword. The brothers agreed to rule in turn, but Eteocles refused to give up the throne at the end of his allotted time. Polyneices went to Argos, where he persuaded King Adrastus to help him fight Eteocles and married Adrastus' daughter. They were joined by 5 other leaders and they marched on Thebes. As prophesied by Adrastus' brother in law Amphiaraus, all the leaders were killed except Adrastus, as was Eteocles. The battle is described in Sophocles' Seven Against Thebes and Euripides' The Phoenician Maidens.
Even after his death Polyneices was still a major character in Sophocles' Antigone, the new king, Creon, refused to give Polyneices' body a burial because he had led foreign enemies against his home city. He is finally buried by his sister Antigone, but she is punished for it.
A Cyclops, son of Poseidon, he had a flock of sheep on the west coast of Sicily. He trapped Odysseus and twelve of his companions in his cave, and proceeded to eat the men. Odysseus managed to get the giant drunk, and blinded him. They then escaped by hanging onto Polyphemus' sheep as he drove them out the next day. The blinding of his son angered Poseidon, who hindered Odysseus journey home at all available occasions.
Daughter of Priam and Hecuba. Achilles fell deeply in love with her, and some say this was the real reason he withdrew from the Trojan War, not due to his argument with Agamemnon. After the fall of Troy she was taken by Neoptolemus, and at the demand of Achilles' ghost she was sacrificed, either at Troy, or at Thrace, to ensure favourable winds for the returning Greek fleet. her sacrifice is described in Euripides' Hecuba.
The offspring of Gaea, the personification of the oceans and seas.
Family
Poseidon (the Roman Neptune) was the eldest son of Cronos and Rhea. Poseidon planned to marry the nymph Thetis, until it was prophesied that her son would be greater than his father. He later married Amphitrite, daughter of Nereus and their son was Triton. But Poseidon had offspring by other gods and mortals. In the form of a horse he raped Demeter, who was in the form of a mare at the time, their offspring were the horse Arion and the nymph Despoena. His children by the nymph Tyro were Pelias, Neleus, and Æthra, the mother of Theseus. His children by Medusa were Chrysaor and Pegasus. The gigantic Aloediæ, Ephialtes and Otus were his sons by Iphimedeia.
Powers
When the sons of Cronos divided the Earth up between them, Poseidon became Lord of the Oceans. He lived in an under-water palace near Ægæ in Euboea. His symbol of power was the trident, with which he could cause earthquakes or subdue the waves.
Poseidon craved power over surface kingdoms, he competed with Athene for possession of Athens. He created the horse and offered to teach the Athenians how to use them, but they chose Athene's olives instead. He was the protector of horses and chariot races. He also tried to possess Triezen, but Zeus ruled he and Athene had to share it, and Corinth, but was awarded only the isthmus.
Poseidon was jealous of Zeus' power and resented his younger brother's pride. He joined with Hera and the other Olympians to put Zeus in chains. Zeus punished him by sending him to Laomedan as a bondsman with Apollo. He built the walls of Troy, but argued with Laomedan about the wages due and sent a sea-monster which would have devoured Laomedan's daughter if Heracles hadn't saved her.
Poseidon supported the Greeks during the Trojan war. However he was hostile to Odysseus and was the principle reason the heroes journey home from Troy took so long. Odysseus had angered the god by blinding Polyphemus, the son of the god.
Myths
The son of Laomedan, King of Troy. He was originally called Podarces, but after his father and brothers were killed by Heracles and he was saved by his sister Hesione he took the name Priam, meaning "redeemed". Priam had fifty sons, nineteen by his second wife Hecuba, including Hector, Paris, Deiphobus, Helenus, Polites and Polydorus and daughters including Cassandra and Polyxena.
Although the principle cause of the Trojan War was Paris' abduction of Helen, a secondary cause was that the Greeks refused to return Hesione to Priam when he sent Antenor to ask for her return.
Priam's principle role in the Iliad was as a father, not a ruler. He begged Hector to return to the city and not fight Achilles, to no avail. And after Hector's body had been taken to the Greek camp to be defiled, Priam risked his life travelling to Achilles, unaware Hermes was protecting him, to beg for the return of his son's burial.
As Troy fell, Priam was persuaded by Hecuba to take refuge with her and their daughters at a shrine of Zeus. However when their son Polites was killed before their eyes Priam tried to attack his killer, Neoptolemus and was also killed by Achilles' son. All of his male descendants were killed.
Son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, a god of Fruitfulness.
The son of Abas, on his father's death he split the kingdom with his twin brother, Acrisius, and he became King of Argos. Proetus had three daughters who were driven mad by the gods because they were arrogant and ignored their religious duties. In return for two thirds of his Kingdom, Melampus purified the girls, and the other women of Argos who had also been effected.
Prometheus (meaning forethought) and his brothers Epimetheus (meaning afterthought) and Atlas were the children of Iapetus and Clymene. Unlike Atlas, Prometheus and Epimetheus did not side with the Titans in the great battle, but supported Zeus. However when Prometheus saw how the people were suffering without fire, and saw that the gods were unwilling to help them, he stole fire from Olympus and took it to the people.
Zeus was furious and punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock where all day long an eagle tore at his liver, but the organ grew whole again during the night, for the torture to continue. After many years, Zeus allowed Heracles to shoot the eagle and free Prometheus.
Zeus had Hephæstus create Pandora, and sent her to Epimetheus as a gift. After they were married Pandora opened a box, thus releasing all the troubles that plague mankind.
Pygmalion was a Cypriot king who fell in love with an ivory statue he created. Aphrodite listened to his prayer and brought the woman to life. She was named Galatea and their sons were Paphus and Metharme.
Another name for Neoptolemus, Achilles' son by Deidamia.
Apollo's priestess at Delphi, and sometimes described as his mystical bride. She would sit on a tripod over a chasm and gave his oracle after chewing intoxicating laurel leaves. She told Heracles that if he did whatever Eurystheus, King of Argos asked of him for 12 years he would be granted immortality.