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PAGE '2' Of Roman/Greek Gods and Goddesses




HADES - Also known as Pluto , or Aides, he was the dark, grim god of the underworld, and ruled supreme there. He was a son of Rhea , and like his brothers Zeus and Poseidon , demanded a share of the Earth following the overthrow of Kronos . The three siblings cast lots, and to Hades fell the world below. His domain was a bleak one:the three rivers running along its environs were named Styx , Acheron (the river of eternal woe), Pyriplegethon (the stream of fire), Kokytos (the river of weeping and wailing) and Lethe (the river of forgetfulness). Once someone had passed over into the realm of Hades, there was no return (except in the case of Orpheus . Charon , the aged boatman of the dead, ferried the souls of the departed across the river Styx, which flowed into Hades, and once there they were received by Hades and his wife, Persephone .
The lord of the dead had carried off Persephone from the world above, smitten with her beauty and deaf to the cries of her mother, Demeter . Indeed, when Demeter finally found her daughter, Persephone explained that she had eaten of a pomegranate that Hades had given her, and could never return to the upper world. The entrance to Hades was guarded by the triple-headed dog Cerberus , and for those who had led reasonably righteous lives, the afterlife in the underworld was a sort of shadow of their former life, where they could continue to perform the labours and carry on the occupations they had occupied in life. Occasionally, a shade might be allowed to return temporarily to the world above, as a ghost, to their friends, or even summoned by the sacrifice of blood which, when drank by the shade, restored to them partial speech and consciousness, so that they could discourse with the living. But for those who had lefd wicked lives---or lives the gods did not agree with---there was the realm of Tartaros , where all the sins and evils the departed had practiced in the world above were punished, usually in a manner symbolic of their crime. Cases in point here were Tantalos , Ixion , Sisyphos , Tityos and the Danaides , all of whom can be found under their own separate entries, so we will not go into their punishment here.
There also existed in Tartaros Elysion , where the happy and the blessed were received, and which approximates as closely to the Christian ideal of Heaven as is possible, showing that Hades, though dark and forbidding, was not all doom and gloom, punishment and revenge. Hades and Persephone were also seen to be judges of the dead, and in this capacity they were assisted by three heroes whose earthly deeds had identified them as great in wisdom and justice. They were called Minos , Rhadamanthys and Aeakos , the last also being the gatekeeper of the lower region of Hades.

HALIE - One of the Nereides , who with her sister Thoe signified the play of fantastic waves.

HALIRRHOTIOS- A son of Poseidon , whom Alkippe loved, but who was killed by Ares .

HAMADRYADS- See Dryads .

HARMONIA - Daughter of Ares and Aphrodite , whom Zeus gave as bride to Kadmos .

HARPE- The knife with which Hermes had cut off the head of Argos , which he presented to Perseus , on the hero's quest to slay the Gorgon .

HARPIES, THE- The three daughters of the Giant Thaumas and the Okeanid nymph Elektra , the Harpies were employed by the gods to punish crime on the Earth. Their names were Okypete , Aello and Kelaeno , also called Podarge. Their bodies were those of birds, the heads women's, and their manner of punishing a wrongdoer was to carry off all his food, or failing that, to foul it so that the criminal could not eat it. One such person who received such treatment from the Harpies was Phineas , a king of Thrace, who was eventually freed of the curse of the triple sisters by the Argonauts .

HEBDOMEIOS - Another name for Apollo .

HEBE- Also known as Ganymeda, or Dia, Hebe was the goddess of youth, herself remaining eternally young and beautiful. She was a daughter of Zeus and Hera , and like they and the other gods and goddesses, she staved off age by the use of nectar and ambrosia. On Olympus she was the cup-bearer of the gods;being the daughter of the two high deities it was her duty to wait on her father and mother, and their guests. She was also bound to yoke her mother's car, and when Apollo played with the Muses she danced with the other gods. Sometimes she accompanied Aphrodite . But the character in which she was best known was as the divine wife of Hercules , after the hero had been raised to Olympus as a reward for his completion of his extraordinary Twelve Labours on Earth.

HECATE- A daughter of Tartaros and Night, Hecate was of Titanic origin, and was the goddess of Nature, having control over birth, life and death, and she enjoyed great favour among the gods of Olympus. Her chief function was that of goddess of the nether world, of night and darkness;she was mistress of witchcraft and the black arts.

HECTOR- The greatest hero of Troy , Hector, son of King Priam , became the leader of the Trojan forces during that long and bloody war. It was he who led the attack against the Greek camp, after Achilles had withdrawn his men from it, following his arguement with Agamemnon . This raid almost destroyed the enemy and won the war, as the valiant Hector led his men in setting fire to the Greek ships in the harbour. He slew the Greek hero Patroklos , and then engaged in combat with Achilles, who in turn killed him.

HEGEMONE- One of the many Charites , or Graces.

HEKABE - Also known as Hecuba, she was the wife of King Priam of Troy .

HEKATONCHEIRES, THE- Hundred-handed beings, of whom there were three, the sons of Uranos and Gaea , who helped Zeus and his brothers overthrow their father Kronos , advancing like a mighty earthquake on Zeus' side. Their names were Kottos, Gyges and Briareus.

HELEN- Daughter of Zeus and Nemesis , Helen was without a doubt the most famous and most beautiful woman in the ancient world, and it was for her sake that thousands died on the streets of Troy . As a young girl, Helen was so beautiful and graceful that she captured the hearts of many young men, all who vied for her as suitors. Indeed, it was the Greek hero Theseus who became so enamoured of her that he carried the girl off, but she was later rescued by Castor and Pollux, her brothers, who brought her back to Tyndareus , her foster-father. But Tyndareus grew alarmed at the amount of men sueing for Helen's hand, and wary of upsetting them---some of whom were very powerful, or had powerful fathers---he allowed the girl to choose for herself. Then he called upon all the suitors to swear an oath that they would stand by Helen's choice, and further, do all in their power to aid her husband, should he require assistance at any time in the future. All agreed, and Helen chose Menelaus , the brother of Agamemnon . Tyndareus, however, had omitted to make a sacrifice to Aphrodite , and the goddess cursed Helen with an insatiable need for love, and a total lack of fidelity. This was to have dire consequences later on in her life, when she met the young shepherd, Paris .
Paris, the shepherd of Mount Ida, had been promised by Aphrodite the loveliest woman on Earth for his bride, when he had chosen the goddess of love as the most beautiful of the three goddesses, the others being Hera and Athene . After he had chosen her as the winner in the contest, Aphrodite advised him to visit Sparta, where he would find the one he sought. Falling in love with Helen over the course of his stay in Sparta, Paris took the opportunity, when Menelaus had to go abroad on an errand, leaving his wife in the care of the Trojan, to persuade Helen to elope with him, and return to Troy, to live there as his wife. Menelaus, receiving the news of his wife's deception at the court of Idomeneus in Crete, hurried back to Sparta, and with his brother Agamemnon, sought the advice of Nestor , one of the wisest men in Greece. His counsel was that nothing short of a full armed assault on Troy would be sufficient to punish the crime of the abduction of Helen, and expedite her return.
Taking this advice, Menelaus then gathered all those who had competed against him for the hand of Helen, binding them to their oath to help him in times of difficulty. A great fleet was assembled, and the war against Troy began. After the death of Paris, Helen married Deiphobos, his brother, before being finally compelled to return to Sparta with Menelaus, who forgave his errant wife. From the fact that her memory launched the Greek attack fleet comes the famous desciption of Helen as 'the face that launched a thousand ships'.

HELIADES, THE- The three sisters of Phaeton ---Phaethusa , Aegle and Lampetia ---who wept so at the death of their brother that they were turned into larch trees, where the continual tears they shed were changed by the sun into amber.

HELIOS- Seen as another facet of Apollo , Helios was the Greek god of the sun, and every day he drove his sun-chariot across the sky, pulled by magical horses, shedding light over the face of the world, and disappearing at night. The most famous story concerning Helios is that of his son Phaeton , who, on engaging in an argument with Epaphos , a sonof Zeus and Io , as to who Phaeton's father was, implored Helios to prove his parentage of the boy by allowing him to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky for one day. After much wheedling and trying to change the boy's mind, Helios gave in to Phaeton's request, with the tragic result that the sun god's son lost control of the chariot, causing widespread damage upon the Earth, for which he had to be slain by Zeus. Helios owned seven herds of cows and seven herds of lambs, with fifty in each herd, whose number never increased or decreased. The herds were sacred to him, and he loved to watch them grazing when he rose in the morning, and when he descended in the evening. His sigils were horses' heads, a crown of seven rays, a cornucopia, and a ripened fruit.

HELLE- One of the two children of Aeolos and Nephele , Helle fled like her brother on the back of the ram with the golden fleece, sent by her mother to rescue them from the murderous attentions of their stepmother, but Helle fell from the ram's back, and was drowned.

HELLEN- The son of Deukalion , he propogated the mighty Hellenic race.

HEMERA- Goddess of the Day, Hemera was one of the first offspring of Erebos and Nyx , at the creation of the world.

HEPHAESTOS- More commonly known as Vulcan , Hephaestos was the son of Zeus and Hera , and was born crippled, lame in one leg. Disgusted at this flawed product of her loins, Hera cast him out of Olympus , and falling into the sea he was rescued by Thetis and Eurynome . These two cared for him, and he abided there for nine years, fashioning many wondrous artifacts, using his inborn sense of creativity and genius to form the most incredible objects and machines.
One of the most ingenious things he fashioned while secluded with the sea gods was a throne, which he presented to Hera, knowing that once his mother sat in it, she would be locked there forever. Ares , hastening to force the smith to free Hera, was beaten off by Hephaestos, who brandished a torch of fire at the war god. It was Dionysos , god of music and sweet speech, who finally succeeded in talking the crippled god into freeing his mother.
Hephaestos was god of fire, the unbridled, unchecked, raging inferno that is the heart of the volcano, and indeed this was fitting, as he was first and foremost a smith, a worker in metal and fire. Those wonders which Hephaestos made he gave away freely to his friends;he made the dreaded aegis and a sceptre for Zeus, the armour of Achilles and Memnon , and for himself he fashioned two beautiful handmaidens of gold, who would move around like living beings, and attend him wherever he walked. He also made the cunning net that was the undoing of Ares and his unfaithful wife, Aphrodite . It was he, too, who nailed Prometheus to a rock, after the god had stolen fire from the gods and given it to man.
Hephaestos also became known and worshipped as the god of fertility, and the god of artistic creativity, especially pottery. He was represented as an aged bearded man, with serious furrowed face, and wearing a workman's cap, crouched over his anvil, working on some artifact of wonder, his lameness apparent. Although Hephaestos was married to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, he had no children by her, perhaps due to the fact that he was a cripple.

HERA- Also known as Juno, Hera was the wife of Zeus , and as such the Queen of Olympus . However, she was frequently jealous, angry and quarrelsome, and mistrustful of her husband, who, it must be said, was less than faithful to her. She was lofty and proud, aloof and cold, and prone to bitterness. The marriage of Zeus and Hera was never a smooth one;in one instance, Hera threw her own son, Hephaestos , off Olympus, because he was a cripple. In another, Zeus hung her out of Olympus with two great weights attached to her feet, and her arms bound by golden chains, as punishment for her having plotted against Hercules . Again, Hera tried to chain down Zeus, with the help of Poseidon and Athene , but the arrival of Thetis with the sea giant Aegaeon put paid to their plans.
Hera was goddess of the storms and the mother of, among others, Ares , god of war. She herself liked to take part in war occasionally, as when she fought on the Greek side in the Trojan War, but her favourite companions, in times of peace, were the Charites and the Horae . Her constant attendant was Iris , goddess of the rainbow. Hera herself was also goddess of faithful women, and punished severely any who transgressed her law. This made it morally acceptable for her to act against those women with whom her husband had dallied, as with Semele , and Alkmene . Her worship was mostly restricted to women, who also saw her as the patroness of childbirth and care. She was jealous of the moon, personified by Io , with whom Zeus had been unfaithful to her, and she set Argos , with his innumerable eyes, as the constant surveyor of Io.
Vain as were all the beautiful goddesses of Olympus, Hera was one of the two goddesses who lost out to Aphrodite , competing for the coveted title of the most fair goddess. Since it was Paris that made the final judgement, Hera ever after bore special enmity towards the shepherd, and his city, Troy .

HERCULES- (Including the Twelve Labours ) Perhaps the most famous and celebrated of all the Greek heroes, and himself a demigod and more, Hercules was born as a son to Zeus and Alkmene , the wife of Amphitryon , a descendant of Perseus . On the day of his birth Hera, furious at her husband for allowing yet another child into the world that was not the union of their two bodies, obtained from Zeus a promise that the child born that day should have power and dominion over all who dwelt around him. Then he hastened to Argos, to speed the birth of the child Eurystheus , while simultaneously delaying the birth of Hercules. The result of this was that Hercules was born a subject of Eurystheus, who was later to make his life a misery and, paradoxically, elevate him to godhood.
Refusing to suckle the infant Hercules, when her deceit had been discovered by Zeus, the Thunderer commanded Hermes to convey his son to Olympus , and place him at Hera's breast, so that she did not know whose child drew from her the divine milk that lent Hercules his almost godlike strength. Learning what had transpired later, Hera sent a serpent to kill Hercules, but the infant strangled it, utilising his new strength. On Earth, the youth of Hercules was spent under the instruction of the greatest heroes and wisest men of the day, like Rhadamanthys , who became one of the Argonauts , and Linos , who made the mistake of punishing Hercules for some neglect, resulting in the old man's death at the hands of the hero. Because of this, Amphitryon carried him off to the hills, where he grew up under the care of herdsmen, leading a simple, happy and frugal life. The hunting and sport out in the fresh air aided the development of his supernatural muscles, and he grew to an enormous size. At the age of eighteen he slew an enormous lion that had infested Mount Kithaeron, and on his return met the heralds of the king of Minyae, come to claim the traditional tribute of a hundred cattle from Thebes. Hercules' answer to this was to cut off the ears and noses of the heralds, bind their hands, and send them home. A war ensued, in which Hercules and his brother Iphikles distinguished themselves .But after the war was over, Hera commanded Eurystheus to exercise his power over Hercules, for the benefit of the Queen of Olympus, and Hercules, enquiring of the oracle at Delphi if it were possible to avoid the summons, was told it was not. But the oracle also told him that while in Eurystheus' service, he would be told to perform twelve great labours, and that once he had completed these, he would be reckoned with the gods of Olympus. With this in mind, he reported to Eurystheus.

The Twelve Labours of Hercules
--------- 1. The Nemean Lion :- The offspring of Typhon and Echidna , this fearsome beast had been sent by Hera to devastate the neighbourhood of Nemea, a task in which it had succeeded. The lion was known to be invulnerable, proof against even the magic arrows Hercules had received from, and moreover, the Plain of Nemea was sacred to Zeus. Disdaining therefore his weapons, Hercules entered the cave of the lion, wrestled it and strangled. He used the inpenetrable skin as his own protection later on.
2. The Lernaean Hydra:- Also the fruit of the union of Typhon and Echidna, the Hydra was a terrible monster with nine heads, eight of which were mortal, while the ninth was invulnerable. The beast had been sent by Hera, and it lived in the marsh near the fountain of Amymone, even its smell bringing poisonous death. Hercules arrived at the spot in his chariot, attended by Iolaos, and flushed the Hydra from its den by shooting his arrows at it. As battle was joined, Hercules struck off one of the heads of the Hydra, but as soon as it toppled into the muck, two more appeared to take its place. To add to his difficulty, a giant crab arrived and seized him by the heel. Hercules ordered Iolaos to set the neighbouring wood on fire, and from it procure a burning brand. He then struck off one of the heads of the Hydra, and as soon as it fell he sealed the wound with the flame, and burned the severed head. In this way he proceeded until only the last head was left, the ninth. This too he struck off, and buried it under a huge rock. Having defeated the Hydra, Hercules dipped his arrows in the poison of the monster, but on returning to Eurystheus was told that the slaying of the Hydra did not count as one of the Labours, since Iolaos had rendered assistance.
3. The Erymanthian Boar :- This was a wild and savage animal that haunted the slopes of Mount Erymanthos, in Arcadia. Hercules slew it easily, but on his return, bearing the carcass on his shoulders, Eurystheus fled in fear, and hid in a large bronze vessel. To this Hercules, unknowing, proceeded, and deposited the body of the boar there, as the safest place for his latest prize. In connection with this part of his Labours is the story of when Hercules met his friend Pholos the Centaur . Opening a cask of the choicest Centaur wine, given his people by Dionysos , Pholos and Hercules drank together in comradeship. But the smell attracted other Centaurs, who went wild, and attacked Hercules. The hero beat most of them off, but after the fight his friend Pholos was killed when he accidentally dropped one of Hercules' poisoned arrows on his foot.
4. The Keryneian Stag :- With antlers of gold and hooves of brass, this stag was one of the fleetest animals on the Earth, and was sacred to Artemis . Hercules was ordered to capture it and bring it back alive. He pursued the stag for a whole year, eventually coming back to where he had started from, and would have killed the beast, had it not been for the intervention of Apollo and Artemis.
5. The Stymphalian Birds :- Maneaters and numberless, the birds of the Vale of Stymphalia had talons of iron and feathers sharp as arrows, and it was Hercules' Fifth Labour to rid the valley of them. To do this, he sounded a large bell, and when the birds emerged from the thick woods wherein were their nests, he shot many of them, and the rest flew away in fright.
6. The Augeian Stables:- Augeias, the rich king of Elis, owned endless stables, by the banks of the river Menios, and it was given to Hercules as a task to clean out the filthy stalls in one day, and alone. He accomplished this by breaking through the wall at a part where the river approached it. The inrushing water cleaned out the stables thoroughly, but Augeias refused to pay Hercules the price agreed before the undertaking of the task, that of a tenth of his herd. This later caused a war between Hercules and Elis.
7. The Cretan Bull :- Craving a sacrifice he could offer up to Poseidon , King Minos of Crete was presented by the sea god with a marvellous white bull, but the king refused to sacrifice it, instead setting it to graze with the sacred herds of Helios . This angered Poseidon, and he drove the bull wild, so that it broke from its traces and ran off, pursued by the wife of Minos, Pasiphae , whom the god of the sea had cursed with an unnatural passion for the beast. Finally catching it, with the aid of Daedalus , Pasiphae lay with the bull, and the outcome of their union was the monstrous Minotaur The task set Hercules was to capture the bull and bring it back alive. This he did, riding on the Cretan Bull's back as it swam over the sea to Mykenae, and back to Eurystheus.
8. The Horses of Diomedes:- The reputed son of Ares, Diomedes was a king of Thrace, and a fierce warrior, like the people he ruled. He possessed monstrous horses, which fed on human flesh, being fed this by their master, the meat gained from the body of any unfortunates that were shipwrecked on the coast of Thrace. The horses, once fed on human meat, became so furious and powerful that they had to be secured with chains of iron.To Hercules fell the problem of bringing these wild, evil animals back alive to Eurystheus. He landed at Abdera, seat of Diomedes' power, and quickly overpowered the guards he found there, leading the famed horses away. But at the coast he was confronted by a host of the king's subjects, most of whom he slew, Diomedes himself among them. Then he continued on to Mykenae with the horses, presenting them to Eurystheus, from whom it is said they later escaped, being finally devoured by the wolves of Zeus.
9. The Girdle of Hippolyte:- Hippolyte was the queen of the Amazons, and wore a girdle which had been given her by Ares . It was supposed to be the symbol of the power of a rushing headlong storm. Hercules was charged to obtain this girdle for Admete , the daughter of Eurystheus. He slew the Amazon, and returned to Mykenae with the girdle.
10. The Cattle of Geryoneus:- Geryoneus was a fierce giant with three bodies, three heads and three sets of arms and legs, who owned immense herds of cattle, which Hercules was instructed to convey to Mykenae. He landed at Erytheia, stronghold of Geryoneus, having travelled in the vessel that Helios himself utilised when circuiting the world from west to east at night, and was immediately attacked by the two-headed dog of Geryoneus. He slew the beast, and was next attacked by the herdsman Eurytion ,and after slaying him also, he was shown the cattle of Geryoneus by Menoitios. He was in the act of driving them away when the triple-giant himself appeared, and Hercules and Geryoneus engaged in fierce combat, which ended with the latter dead, shot through the heart by one of the poisoned arrows of Hercules. On his way home with the cattle, Hercules battled Cacous the robber, Giants and other enemies. At rest in the mountains between Rhegium and Locri, his sleep was disturbed by grasshoppers chirping in the night, and at his request the gods removed the creatures from the district forever. On the way across the south of Italy, one of Hercules' bulls escaped and he had to chase it across the sea to Sicily, holding on to the horns of one of the other bulls. In Sicily he met and fought with more Giants, particularly Eryx , found friendship among the nymphs of Himera and Egesta, and finally arrived at Mykenae, with more of his herd having been scattered by a gadfly sent by Hera.
11. The Apples of the Hesperides :- These golden fruits were said to be guarded by the Hesperides, in a garden sacred to them, whose location was unknown to any man. Hercules, on the way there to find the garden, met some nymphs who advised him that the sea god Nereus knew where it could be found. After many transformations, through all of which Hercules held on to the slippery god, Nereus told the hero the way, and he set off.Arriving in Libya, he met the Giant Antaeus , whose habit was to kill all strangers in his land. Antaeus was a son of Poseidon and the Earth, so as long as he remained in contact with the earth, he could not be bested. Hercules, however, lifted him off the ground, and thus defeated him, after which he lay down to rest. When he awoke, he found himself covered in tiny Pygmies, which he wrapped in his lion's skin and killed. He then continued on to Egypt, where he was captured by the followers of Busiris , and offered up, as were all travellers through that land, as a sacrifice. Hercules broke free, sacrificing instead Busiris, his son and all of his retinue. From there he went to India, where in the Caucasus Mountains he came across Prometheus , chained to a rock by the gods. He freed the prisoner, and the grateful Prometheus told him the way to the region of the Hyperboreans, where lived Atlas and the Hesperides.Finally reaching his destination, Hercules prevailed upon the Giant Atlas to pluck the three apples for him. But Atlas was engaged in the eternal task of holding up the world, and so Hercules must needs take the burden on his shoulders while Atlas fetched him the golden apples. The Giant, returning, tried to trick Hercules by offering to convey the fruits to Mykenae himself, and Hercules appeared to agree, but said that he would need to obtain a pad for his head, and asked Atlas to take the world from him a moment, while he fetched it. Of course, once Atlas had again shouldered his burden, Hercules made off with the golden apples.
12. Cerberus :- The last, and mightiest Labour of Hercules, was to descend to Hades , and from there steal the triple-headed guardian of the Underworld, Cerberus the dog, and bring it up to the world above. As he made his way down into Hades, the shades of the dead fled in terror before the sight of a living man in the kingdom of the dead. Hercules came across his friends Theseus and Peirithoos near the gates, attached to a rock as if growing from it, in great anguish. He freed Theseus, but the earth shook when he tried to repeat the process for Peirithoos. he did, however, obtain life for his friends by feeding them blood from one of the cows of Hades, which he had to fight Menoitios to take. Reaching the court of Hades himself, the dark king agreed that Hercules might borrow Cerberus, and take the dog to the upper world, provided he could do so without the assistance of any arms. This Hercules did, and leading Cerberus to Mykenae, completed the last of his Twelve Labours. Apart from his Labours, Hercules performed many other heroic feats, which added to his fame and legend, before being taken up to Olympus, to assume his place among the gods. Alkestis , wife of Admetos of Pherae, had offered up her own life to the gods, in a bargain with Hades, following the advice of an oracle that stated that the dying king would not recover unless someone could be found to take his place in the shadow world. Hercules, however, seized Hades and would not let go until the god promised to set both Alkestis and Admetos free.He accompanied Jason and the Argonauts , in their search for the Golden Fleece, and he took part in the first war against Troy, which was caused by a breach of faith on behalf of the then king, Laomedon, who had promised the hand of his daughter Hesione to Hercules, after the hero had saved her from a sea monster. Incensed at Laomedon's betrayal, Hercules and his men surrounded the king's citadel, took him and all of his sons prisoner, and slew them all except Podarkes, at the entreaties of Hesione. Hercules gave the girl to his friend Telamon , and Podarkes took over the Trojan throne, changing his name to Priam, and initiating a new dynasty there. Returning later in his life to Thebes, Hercules fell violently ill, and went temporarily insane, during which time he committed some unfortunate acts, including the carrying off of the priestess of Apollo's oracle at Delphi, for which outrage the god of light pursued and fought with him, their quarrel being finally decided by Zeus, their father. Seeking to atone for his misdeeds, Hercules placed himself in the service of Queen Omphale of Lydia for three years.Hercules had become enamoured of Iole , daughter of Eurytos, king of Oechalia, but despite carrying out many tasks for her father, he having promised Hercules her hand on these conditions, the pact was reneged on, and Hercules, furious, turned his attentions to Deianeira , a daughter of Oeneus, king of Kalydon. He swore to marry his daughter to the man who could wrestle the sea god Acheloos to a standstill. This Hercules did, and received Deianeira as his wife.
Next he proceeded to take revenge against Iole's father, destroying his castle and killing him and all his children, except Iole, whom he bore to Euboea, intending to offer her as a sacrifice to Zeus. But his wife, thinking that Hercules' passion for Iole was reawakening, steeped his sacrifical robe in a concoction prepared by the Centaur Nessos , thinking the solution to be a charm to rekindle her husband's love for her. She did not know that it was in fact deadly poison. Once Hercules had donned the robe, the venom entered his body and he died shortly afterwards. He painfully built a pyre of wood, while in his death-throes, and after committing his famous bow and arrows to his friend Philoktetes , mounted the pyre and was consumed by it. Deianeira, learning of her tragic error, killed herself. Hercules' spirit rose as a cloud from the funeral pyre, was conducted by Iris and Hermes to Olympus, where he was reconciled to Hera, married the goddess Hebe, and ever afterward enjoyed great favour and honour among the gods, as had been promised him.

HERMAPHRODITUS-The son of Hermes and Aphrodite , he excited the passions of the nymph Salmacis , but spurned her advances. Desolate, Salmacis asked the gods that she and the boy be united as one, never to part. This was accomplished as Hermaphroditus bathed in the waters of her fountain;Salmacis embraced the youth and their bodies were forever joined as one.

HERMES-A son of Zeus and Maia , a daughter of Atlas , Hermes was the messenger of the gods. He was also the god of trade, commerce, shrewd dealings and prolific nature. As deity of shrewdness and cunning, he became ascribed as patron to rogues and thieves. But it was as messenger and herald to the gods, especially Zeus, that Hermes is best known. He it was who travelled between Earth and Olympus , conveying the wishes and edicts of the gods, and due to this he also became known and respected as an oracle. He even had the right of passage into Hades , where he was known as Psychopompos, and guided the souls of the departed, crossing in Charon's ferry, conveying them into the presence of Hades and Persephone . In this capacity also he is known as Oneiropompos, guide of dreams. Somewhat mischevious in character, as would be expected, Hermes played his first trick when only one day old. Sneaking out of the cave in which he was supposed to be asleep, he stole a number of cattle belonging to his brother Apollo , under cover of darkness, and confused the sun god by attaching bunches of broom to their hooves, then driving the cattle backwards, into a cave at Pylos, giving the impression that they had left instead of entered the cave. When Apollo found out the trick, he was very angry and dragged Hermes before Apollo, determined to have the young god punished, and made an example of. But Hermes made a lyre out of tortoise shell, and began playing on it, so amusing both Zeus and Apollo that both forgot about the prank. Hermes then gave the lyre to Apollo. The sun god gave Hermes in return a golden divining-rod, and the power of prophecy, with a proviso attached:Hermes was not to communicate the future to men by words, as did Apollo, but by signs and occurrences.
Somewhat of a thief by nature, Hermes stole the sceptre of Zeus, the girdle of Aphrodite , the trident belonging to Poseidon , Ares ' sword and the tongs of Hephaestos , and Apollo's bow and arrows, but he always managed to make the damage good, by virtue of his irrepressible character. The most famous story of his exploits of these kind, however, was that of the many-eyed Argos , whom Hera had jealously set to watch over Io , another of her husband's paramours. Since Argos had a hundred eyes, only fifty of which were ever closed, even in his deepest sleep, Hermes found the order of Zeus, that he set free Io from her surveillance without using force, a tall one. However, he proceeded to Argos, and began telling him humorous and interesting tales, by which he gained the watchman's confidence. Then he played on the shepherd's pipe he had made, and lulled Argos into a sleep so deep that all hundred of his eyes slid closed. As soon as the last eyelid dropped, Hermes slew Argos, and set Io free.
The messenger of the gods was companion and guide to heroes, and he watched over and helped those whom the gods favoured. He also aided human messengers and travellers. His sigils were a short staff with a pair of wings and a knotted snake attached to it, and a winged cap. His animals were cocks and goats, and the tongues of animals were sacrificed to him.

HESPERE- One of the seven Hesperides .

HESPERIDES, THE- The seven daughters of Atlas the Giant, they were entrusted with the care and protection of the golden apples which Titaea , a goddess of the Earth, had caused to grow on a wonderful tree that appeared out of thin air, at her direction, at the marriage feast of Zeus and Hera . The Hesperides and their apples resided in the Garden of the Hesperides, and the apples were so tempting that there had to be a guardian of the tree. This was the serpent Ladon , whom Hercules slew when he fetched three apples from the Garden of the Hesperides, as part of his Twelve Labours . The names of only four of the seven Hesperides are known, these being Aegle , Erytheis , Hespere and Arethusa .

HESTIA- Also known as Vesta, she was a daughter of Kronos and Rhea , and sister to Demeter . She was worshipped as the goddess of the hearth, the guardian of family life. Hestia detested love, and obtained from Zeus the permission to remain in a single state, a figure of virtue and chastity. She it was whose priestesses were the famous Vestal Virgins , innocence and virginity being her province.

HIMEROS- Another name for Eros .

HIPPIA- Another name for Pallas-Athene.

HIPPO- An okeanid nymph , her name meant 'like a swift current'.

HIPPOLOCHOS- One of the three children of Bellerophon .

HIPPOLYTE- Queen of the Amazons, whose girdle Hercules had to steal as part of his Twelve Labours , and whom he slew in the act.

HORAE, THE- Goddesses of the seasons, they were daughters of Zeus and Themis , and were of indeterminate number. They were directly under the control of the higher gods, such as Zeus and Hera , and were often found in the company of the Charites . They could also be found with Aphrodite , and with Apollo and the Muses , delighting in the wonder of nature. Their duties also included the regulation of the weather, in respect to the sowing, germinating and harvesting of crops. They were tender and loving, and were always good to mankind. Another phase of the character of the Horae was to act as guides to human morality and propriety, and for this task in particular, three Horae were selected. Their names were Eunomia (wise legislation), Dike (justice) and Eirene (peace). Chloris , also known as Flora, goddess of buds and flowers, was also styled as a Hora.

HYADS- Daughters of Atlas and Aethra , and sisters to Hyas , they mourned their sister's death so that they were changed into seven stars. They were also called Dodonids.

HYAKINTHIOS- Another name for Apollo .

HYAKINTHOS- A boy whom Apollo dearly loved with, but whom the wind god Zephyros also loved, and caused Apollo's flung discus to fly back at the boy, severing his head.

HYGEIA- Greek goddess of health and medicine, she was represented as a young, active, smiling goddess, in whom Apollo took a special interest.

HYLAEOS- Another name for Pan .

HYMEN- Both the Greeks and Romans worshipped him as the god of marriage, and in this regard he was connected with Hera , who among other things was the goddess of the marriage troth. He was born so delicate and beautiful that he might be mistaken for a girl, and used this appearance to get close to a young Athenian maiden whom he loved, but whom he could not marry, on account of his poverty. Joining a band of maidens with whom she was engaged in celebrating a festival of Demeter , he was captured with the rest of the girls when robbers appeared and abducted them, carrying them off to their ship.nished, and After some time, the brigands landed at an island, where they became besotted with drink, and fell asleep. Hymen, seeing the opportunity, incited his fellow captives to rise up and slay the robbers, which they did. Returning to Athens, he sought an audience with the parents of the girl he loved, they fearing for her safety, and longing to have her home. He obtained from them a pledge that, should he return the girl, her parents would allow him to marry her. To this the distraught parents readily agreed, and Hymen set sail for the island where he had left the maidens, returning with them all, and gaining she whom he loved as his wife. So happy was the couple's marriage, that Hymen became identified with matrimony, and became elevated to the status of a god. Indeed, he was seen as the playmate of Eros , and was said to live with the Muses on Mount Helikon. He is supposed to have lost his voice, and his life, while singing the marriage song of Dionysos and Ariadne . He is always depicted as a youth of staggering beauty, with a mantle of golden colour---though sometimes he is nude---and carrying a torch, or a veil.

HYPERBOREANS, THE- A race of people who were rumoured to live in the north of the world, in a region where it was always light, and where Apollo would spend the winter months. In their land, too, was the Garden of the Hesperides .

HYPERION- Another name for Helios .

HYPERMNESTRA- One of the fifty daughters of Danaos , the only one who refused to obey her father's order that his daughters kill their newly-wed husbands. She was cast into a dungeon by Danaos, and later brought to trial, where she was acquitted, and her husband, Lynkeus , returned to claim the throne of Argos.

HYPNOS- Also known as Somnus, Hypnos was the god of rest, and a twin brother of Thanatos . His influence extended beyond men, to gods as well, the deities welcoming rest and refreshment as much as anyone. He lived in deep subterranean darkness near the entrance to Tartaros with his brother, and was styled many different ways:as a youth holding a poppy or a horn, from which sleep trickled down on those reposing;as a child;or as an aged, bearded man. On his head were the wings of a hawk or a night bird, and beside him frequently a lizard. He was looked on as a favourite of the Muses , because of the dreams he was supposed to communicate to men.

HYPSIPYLE- Jason's lover, who bore to him a child named Euneos . She had been sent into slavery by the other women of Lemnos, jealous of Jason's love for her, and had come into the possession of King Lykurgos, who charged her to take care of his child, Opheltes . On encountering the 'Seven against Thebes' , and being asked by them if she could find them water in that parched land, she left the child down on the ground in the wood. When she returned, the child was dead, encircled in the coils of a serpent. Amphiaraos , however, pronounced the snake to be a miraculous creature, sent by Zeus as an evil omen, and renamed the child Archemoros . The heroes appeased the angry king by performing splendid obsequies to the child, and Hypsipyle was taken back to her home by Euneos, who had come looking for her.

HYADS- Daughters of Atlas and Aethra , and sisters to Hyas , they mourned their sister's death so that they were changed into seven stars. They were also called Dodonids.

HYAKINTHIOS- Another name for Apollo .

HYAKINTHOS- A boy whom Apollo dearly loved with, but whom the wind god Zephyros also loved, and caused Apollo's flung discus to fly back at the boy, severing his head.

HYGEIA-Greek goddess of health and medicine, she was represented as a young, active, smiling goddess, in whom Apollo took a special interest.

HYLAEOS- Another name for Pan .

HYMEN- Both the Greeks and Romans worshipped him as the god of marriage, and in this regard he was connected with Hera , who among other things was the goddess of the marriage troth. He was born so delicate and beautiful that he might be mistaken for a girl, and used this appearance to get close to a young Athenian maiden whom he loved, but whom he could not marry, on account of his poverty. Joining a band of maidens with whom she was engaged in celebrating a festival of Demeter , he was captured with the rest of the girls when robbers appeared and abducted them, carrying them off to their ship.nished, and After some time, the brigands landed at an island, where they became besotted with drink, and fell asleep. Hymen, seeing the opportunity, incited his fellow captives to rise up and slay the robbers, which they did. Returning to Athens, he sought an audience with the parents of the girl he loved, they fearing for her safety, and longing to have her home. He obtained from them a pledge that, should he return the girl, her parents would allow him to marry her. To this the distraught parents readily agreed, and Hymen set sail for the island where he had left the maidens, returning with them all, and gaining she whom he loved as his wife. So happy was the couple's marriage, that Hymen became identified with matrimony, and became elevated to the status of a god. Indeed, he was seen as the playmate of Eros , and was said to live with the Muses on Mount Helikon. He is supposed to have lost his voice, and his life, while singing the marriage song of Dionysos and Ariadne . He is always depicted as a youth of staggering beauty, with a mantle of golden colour---though sometimes he is nude---and carrying a torch, or a veil.

HYPERBOREANS, THE- A race of people who were rumoured to live in the north of the world, in a region where it was always light, and where Apollo would spend the winter months. In their land, too, was the Garden of the Hesperides .

HYPERION- Another name for Helios .

HYPERMNESTRA- One of the fifty daughters of Danaos , the only one who refused to obey her father's order that his daughters kill their newly-wed husbands. She was cast into a dungeon by Danaos, and later brought to trial, where she was acquitted, and her husband, Lynkeus , returned to claim the throne of Argos.

HYPNOS- Also known as Somnus, Hypnos was the god of rest, and a twin brother of Thanatos . His influence extended beyond men, to gods as well, the deities welcoming rest and refreshment as much as anyone. He lived in deep subterranean darkness near the entrance to Tartaros with his brother, and was styled many different ways:as a youth holding a poppy or a horn, from which sleep trickled down on those reposing;as a child;or as an aged, bearded man. On his head were the wings of a hawk or a night bird, and beside him frequently a lizard. He was looked on as a favourite of the Muses , because of the dreams he was supposed to communicate to men.

HYPSIPYLE- Jason's lover, who bore to him a child named Euneos . She had been sent into slavery by the other women of Lemnos, jealous of Jason's love for her, and had come into the possession of King Lykurgos, who charged her to take care of his child, Opheltes . On encountering the 'Seven against Thebes' , and being asked by them if she could find them water in that parched land, she left the child down on the ground in the wood. When she returned, the child was dead, encircled in the coils of a serpent. Amphiaraos , however, pronounced the snake to be a miraculous creature, sent by Zeus as an evil omen, and renamed the child Archemoros . The heroes appeased the angry king by performing splendid obsequies to the child, and Hypsipyle was taken back to her home by Euneos, who had come looking for her.

IDA - One of the two nymphs who nursed the infant Zeus , on Mount Ida, after his mother, Rhea , had taken and hidden him there, in fear of her husband, Kronos .

IKELOS - Assistant to the god of dreams, Morpheus , Ikelos fashioned dreams that had all the appearance of reality.

ILIAD, THE - The epic poem written by the Greek scribe Homer , describing the Trojan War, and the events that led up to it.

ILIUM- See Troy .

INACHOS - A son of Okeanos , Inachos the river god was the forefather of the Argive line of heroes, siring Phoroneus and Io .

INO- See Leukothea .

INUUS- Another name for Pan .

IO- Another of Zeus' paramours, whom he transformed into a cow, in order that she might escape the vengeance of Hera . But the Queen of Olympus set Argos , the watchman with a hundred eyes, to keep her under constant surveillance, which he did, until Hermes slew him.

IOLAOS- Hercules ' friend and helper, who assisted him in the despatching of the Hydra . The feat was later deemed by Eurystheus not to be counted as one of the Twelve Labours , as Iolaos had helped Hercules.

IOLE- The daughter of King Eurytos of Oechalia, with whom Hercules fell in love. But having performed the tasks set him by the king, in return for which he was to receive the maiden's hand in marriage, Eurytos refused to honour the bargain. For this, Hercules slew him and all his children, torched his citadel and carried off Iole to be sacrificed to Zeus . He was in the midst of the preparation for this when the poison-soaked robe that his wife had sent him took his life.

ION- A son of Apollo and Kreusa , Ion was taken at birth from his mother, to be brought up in the temple of Apollo's oracle at Delphi . Ion's mother had since married Xuthos of, and this pair consulted the oracle concerning their prospects of posterity. They were advised to adopt the first youth they should meet, and as he was living in the temple, this happened to be Ion, who thus regained his mother, and a new father.

IPHIGENEIA- A daughter of Agamemnon , whom the goddess Artemis demanded of the king as sacrifice, in recompense for his having slain one of her sacred stags. Agamemnon, wracked with grief, nevertheless could not gainsay the fierce goddess, and so he sent for his daughter to be brought to Aulis, ostensibly to marry Achilles . When she had arrived, Agamemnon made to sacrifice her, but Artemis, satisfied that he had obeyed her, appeared and carried the girl off, setting her to tend her temple in Taurus. It was in her office here that she later aided her brother Orestes , in his efforts to escape the Erinys , by taking from the temple am image of Apollo and returning with it to Greece.

IPHIKLES- One of the sons of Amphitryon , of whom Hercules was the other, albeit an adopted child, his real father being Zeus. Iphikles fought side by side with Hercules against the Minyaeans.

IPHIMEDEIA- Wife of the Giant Aloeus , who gave birth to Otos and Ephialtes , whose greatest claim to fame was that they once imprisoned Ares in a bronze vase for thirteen months.

IRIS- Goddess of the rainbow, a daughter of Thaumas and Elektra and a sister to the Harpies , Iris was also the personal messenger to Zeus and Hera (in this she differed from Hermes , who was messenger to all the gods of Olympus ). She was also looked on, like Hermes, as a guide and an advisor, and she travelled with the speed of the wind, from one end of the world to the other, could penetrate to the bottom of the sea, or even to the Styx . She was believed to charge the clouds with water from lakes and rivers, so that the rain might fall and fertilise and refresh the land. Contrary to Christian myth, when her rainbow appeared in the sky it was taken as a sign of rain, welcomed by farmers. Represented as a beautiful virgin with wings the colour of the rainbow itself, Iris was said to ride on the rainbow, sometimes with a nimbus on her head, in which the colours of the rainbow were reflected.

ISANDROS- One of the three children of Bellerophon , Isandros was killed by Ares .

ISMENE- One of the two daughters of Oedipus and Jokaste .

ITYS- Son of Tereus , whom the two sisters Prokne and Philomena slew, and placed before the boy's father as a dish.

IXION- Perpetrator of, it is said, the first murder of a relative in the world, Ixion reneged on his promise to provide many splendid gifts to Deioneus , on the marriage of Ixion to his daughter, Dia . When Deioneus came looking for the promised tribute, Ixion caused him to fall into a pit of fire which he had prepared. For this act he was punished by the gods with lunacy, and wandered the Earth mad, until Zeus received and purified him. However, Ixion then conceived a passion for Hera , and lay with her, fathering the race of the Centaurs . Rash enough to boast about the fact, he was despatched by Zeus to Tartaros , where he was bound to a huge revolving wheel, by Hermes .

JACCHOS - See Dionysos .

JANUS- A purely Roman god, Janus was seen as the origin of all things, the introducer of the system of the years, the changing of the seasons, the ups and downs of fortune, and the civilisation of the human race by means of agriculture, industry, art and religion. Janus was said to have been originally an ancient king who came from Greece to Latium, instituting the worship of the gods and the building of temples to them, and was himself later elevated to godhood. Almost as powerful as Jupiter himself, Janus was the orchestrator of all things, and any enterprises, even be they begun by Jupiter, were seen to be under the control of Janus. He opened and closed all things, and sat, not only on the confines of the Earth, but also at the gates of Heaven. Air, sea and land were in the hollow of his hands, and the world moved on its hinges at his command. He was popularly represented seated, with two heads, one that of a youth (to signify the concept of beginning), the other that of an aged man (indicating the end). In his left hand he held a key, to show that he opened all things in the beginning, and shuts them at the end, and in his right hand he carried the sceptre with which he controlled all undertakings and their progress.

JAPETOS- One of the twelve Titans created by Uranos and Gaea .

JASION- The first sower of grain, with whom Demeter lay, and from whose union sprang Plutos .

JASO - See Meditrina .

JASON- One of the great Greek heroes, Jason was born to Aeson , king of Iolkos in Thessaly, and grew up under the care of the wise Centaur Cheiron , after he had been smuggled out of the city, his father's throne having been usurped by his step-brother, Pelias . At the age of twenty, Jason was told by an oracle to return to Iolkos and present himself to Pelias, claiming back his father's throne. Pelias, however, had also been advised by an oracle that a descendant of Aeson would dethrone him, and moreover, that that descendant would appear wearing only one sandal. On his way back to Iolkos, Jason had to ford the river Enipeus, and was helped across by Hera , taking the form of an old woman. In the crossing, however, Jason lost one sandal, and so arrived at the court of Pelias wearing but one sandal. The king, recognising him, but reluctant to abdicate, instead set Jason the task of proving himself, by fetching the fabled Golden Fleece from Kolchis. Agreeing to this, Jason set about having a ship built, the largest vessel at the time, which he called Argo . When the ship was ready, he sent out a call for the greatest heroes in Greece to join him on his quest. Among those who answered his call were Hercules , Castor and Pollux , Meleagros , Orpheus , Peleus , Neleus , Admetos , Theseus, Peirithoos , his personal friend, and two sons of the wind god Boreas , called Kalais and Zetes .
The story of the Golden Fleece was thus:Nephele , the departed wife of Athamas , himself a son of Jason's grandfather, the wind god Aeolos , appeared to Athamas, warning him that his new wife, Ino, disliked her two children, Phrixos and Helle , and was plotting to kill them. To save the two children, Nephele presented to Athamas a large golden ram, on which the two children escaped over the sea, Helle being drowned on the way. But Phrixos survived, and landing at Kolchis, sacrificed the ram to Zeus , and hung the fleece up in the temple of Ares . The heroes, or Argonauts , as they became known, set off on their search, and reached the island of Lemnos, where they stayed awhile, siring a new race of heroes. Jason fell in love with Hypsipyle , who bore to him a son called Euneos . Leaving the island, the heroes proceeded to Kyzikos, where Hercules, having broken his oar, went ashore to cut wood for a new one, accompanied by Hylas. But some nymphs on the island, taken with the beauty of Hylas, captured him, and Hercules resolved to remain there until he rescued his friend. The expedition could not wait, and the Argonauts had to proceed without their greatest hero.
Next they reached Scutari, where the king, Amykos challenged them to a boxing match, as he did all strangers in his land. Famed as a boxer, and as a man of extraordinary cruelty, Amykos nevertheless met his match in Pollux, and the Argonauts continued their journey, reaching the district where the blind Phineus lived, constantly plagued by Harpies . Kalais and Zetes released him from this bondage, driving the foul creatures off, and in gratitude the aged man showed them a safe path through the Symplegades , two giant cliffs that closed together, crushing all caught in their deadly embrace. Jason sent a pigeon through the gap, and the rocks closed on the bird. Then, as they were moving apart again, the Argo sailed quickly through, passing safely, with the loss of her rudder only.
Finally, the heroes reached Kolchis, but the king there, Aeetes, refused to give up the fleece unless the Argonauts could perform certain tasks for him. The first was to yoke his unmanageable bulls, which snorted fire and had hooves of brass, to a plough, and then to sow the fields with dragon's teeth, from which armed men would spring in the furrows. This was all done, and Jason was allowed fetch the Golden Fleece, which was guarded by a huge dragon where it hung on an oak, in a grove sacred to Ares. Jason, however, had been made proof against fire and sword by Medea , and he succeeded in taking the fleece.
The Argonauts left Kolchis, Jason taking with him Medea, Aeetes' daughter. When he missed her, the king gave chase, and was only stopped when Medea, dismembering her younger brother and casting the pieces in the sea, delayed him. Jason returned to present the Golden Fleece to Pelias, who, refusing yet to give over the throne, was slain by the hero, who then ruled over Iolkos, as well as Corinth, which Medea's father had ruled before leaving for Kolchis. Jason ruled for some years with Medea by his side, but then he formed a relationship with Kreusa , and married her. Incensed by this, Medea sent her rival a poisoned dress, which took her life, and not content with this, set fire to the palace of her father, Kreon, and slew all the children she herself had borne to Jason. Then she fled to Athens, where she married Aegeus, living with him until Theseus drove her out. Jason himself, troubled at the grief his ex-wife had caused, retired to the isthmus of Corinth, where the Argo lay. But on approaching the ship, part of the stern gave way and fell on him, killing him.

JOKASTE- The wife of Laios , whom her son, Oedipus , married, and had three children by. After the shameful nature of their parentage became known to the children, Jokaste slew herself.

JUNO- See Hera .

JUNONES- The spirits that guarded women, in Roman myth.

JUPITER- See Zeus .

JUVENTES- See Hebe

KADMILOS - Another name for Hermes .

KADMOS- Son of Agenor ---himself a son of Apollo --- and Telephassa , Kadmos was brother to Europa , Phoenix and Kilix. His sister, Europa, having disappeared, carried off by a great white bull, Kadmos and his brothers searched long for her, Phoenix and Kilix finally giving up in despair, while Kadmos continued the search, accompanied by his mother, who remained with him until she eventually wearied and died. Kadmos finally reached the oracle at Delphi , and sought its advice. This oracle told him to stop searching, and instead follow a cow which would cross his path, and where it lay down to found there a city.
Leaving the oracle, he spied a cow, as predicted, and followed it until it lay down in the district of Thebes, where Kadmos later built the city of the same name, becoming therefore its founder. Intending to sacrifice the cow to Athene , Kadmos sent his servants to fetch water from a nearby fountain. However, the fountain was guarded by a fierce dragon, which devoured his men. Kadmos slew the monster, with the help of Athene, and at her direction sowed its teeth in the ground. From these seeds sprang a number of wild armed giants, called Spartae . The giants fought among themselves until only five remained, and it was from these five survivors that the noblest families in Thebes traced their lineage. Having angered Ares by slaying his dragon, Kadmos was compelled to enter the war god's service for eight years, at the end of which he was raised to the throne of Thebes by Athene, and given by the gods Harmonia as his wife. All the gods attended the marriage ceremony, and the Muses sang a wedding song. Some of the gifts presented by Kadmos to his new wife were a wonderful dress, called Peplos , which Athene had made for him, and a necklace made by Hephaestos . From Kadmos' marriage came four daughters, Semele , Ino , Autonoe and Agaue , and one son, Polydoros . However, all of his children came to grief, and Kadmos and Harmonia, leaving Thebes, wandered devastated until they died, their spirits being uplifted to Elysion , while their bodies were transformed into twin snakes, which lay beside their tomb.

KALAIS - One of the two sons of Boreas , the wind god, who, with his brother Zetos , drove off the Harpies that plagued Phineus .

KALIOPE- The Greek Muse of heroic poems, looked on as the chief of the Muses, usually represented seated, holding a writing tablet and a stylus.

KALLISTE- Another name for Artemis .

KALYDONIAN BOAR, THE- A fierce, savage pig sent by Artemis to ravage the lands of Kalydon, and which caused untold destruction there, until a band of heroes, led by Meleagros , put a stop to its rampaging. In the expedition to hunt down the Boar were people like Theseus , Castor and Pollux , Jason , Peleus , Idas and Lynkeus , Admetos , Ankaeos and Atalante , many of whom later accompanied Jason in the hunt for the Golden Fleece of Kolchis. The Boar was finally slain by the spear of Meleagros, but as Atalante had in fact been the first to wound the animal, the leader of the expedition presented the skin of the Boar as trophy to her. However, on the way home she was robbed of it by the brothers of Meleagros' mother, Althaea .

KARNEIOS- Another name for Apollo

. KARPO- One of the Horae , the goddess of harvest and fruit.

KASSIEPEIA- Wife to King Kepheus of Aethiopia, Kassiepeia had dared to compare her own beauty to that of the Nereids , and for this temerity the Nereids' protector, Poseidon , visited the land with a terrible flood, and also sent the Kraken to terrorise the citizenry. Kepheus and Kassiepeia were advised by an oracle that the only way that the plague would be lifted from their country was for the rulers to sacrifice their daughter, Andromeda , to the Kraken.

KASTALIA- One of the nine Muses .

KEKROPS- Father of the race of the people of Attica, Kekrops had extremities in the shape of snakes, and he was asked to judge in a contest between Pallas-Athene and Poseidon , as to who should have control of the city. Arguing that the sea was common to all, while the olive was particularly adapted to the soil of his city, he found in favour of the goddess.

KELAENO- One of the three Harpies .

KELEOS- One who received the goddess Demeter so cordially, during her search for her abducted daughter, Persephone , that the goddess taught him the use of the plough, and before departing presented his son, Triptolemos , with the carriage she rode in, and the seed of the barley, so that he might travel the lands, teaching man the art of agriculture.

KEPHALOS- One of the youths whom the goddess Eos took an interest in, but who rebuffed her advances. In anger at this, Eos caused him to slay his own wife accidentally.

KEPHEUS- King of Aethiopia, whose daughter, Andromeda , had to be sacrificed to the sea beast, the Kraken , in order to lift the curse of Poseidon from his land.

KEPHISSOS- One of the river gods of Greece, whose son was Narcissus .

KERYNEIAN STAG- One of the fleetest animals in the world, with antlers of gold and hooves of brass, which Hercules had to capture, as part of his Twelve Labours .

KETO- Father of both the Gorgons and the Graeae .

KILIX- One of the three sons of Agenor and Telephassa .

KITHAERON- An Oread nymph , native to the slopes of the mountain of the same name.

KLEITOS- Another of the conquests of the goddess Eos , whom she carried off and obtained immortality for.

KLETA- One of the Charites .

KLOTHO- One of the three Parcae , Klotho was the youngest, and it was she who spun the thread that she and her sisters worked on, fashioning the destinies of men.

KLYTAMNESTRA- Wife of Agamemnon , she slew her husband in favour of Aegisthos , by tangling a cloth around his head as Agamemnon climbed out of his bath, and thus blinded, unable to protect himself, the king was killed. Agamemnon's son, Orestes , later slew his mother in revenge for the foul murder of his father.

KLYTIOS- One of the Giants who warred against the gods, and was overcome by Hephaestos .

KOIOS-One of the twelve Titans .

KOMOS-God of festal banquets, mirthful enjoyment and lively humour, fun and social pleasures. He was also seen as the god of overindulgence, represented often as drunk, asleep or leaning against something.

KORA-See Persephone .

KORONIDES-Another name for Asklepios

KOTTOS-One of the three Hekatoncheires .

KREIOS- One of the twelve Titans .

KRONIDES- Another name for Zeus .

KRONION- Another name for Zeus .

KRONOS- A son of Uranos , and father to Zeus , Kronos was 'the ripener', 'the harvester god'. Deposing his father from the throne of Olympus , Kronos married his own sister, Rhea , thus siring not only Zeus, but Poseidon , Hades , Hestia , Demeter and Hera . Fearing that the prophecy that warned him that his youngest born would dethrone him, Kronos swallowed his first five children, but when it came to Zeus' turn, Rhea gave her husband a stone shaped like an infant, and secretly conveyed the baby away to Mount Ida, in Crete. There he was looked after by the nymphs Ida and Adrastea , with Rhea's servants, the Kuretes , being appointed to carry on a continual noise by dancing and clashing their swords and shields, lest the infant's cries be heard by his father. When Zeus had grown to manhood he returned to Olympus, persuading Kronos to yield back into the world the five sons he had swallowed, and the six then plotted together to overthrow their father. In this they were opposed by the Titans , whom Kronos had created, and a long war began between the two factions.

KURETES- Servants of Rhea , whom she employed during the deception of Kronos to set up a continual noise, so that her husband would not hear the cries of his child on Mount Ida.

KYBELE- Another name for Rhea .

KYKNOS- A friend of the slain Phaeton , who mourned the loss of the son of Helios so that the gods transformed him into a swan. He was later slain by Hercules , this being the focus of an altercation between Ares and the Greek hero, which had to be decided by Zeus .

KYLLENIOS- Another name for Hermes

LACHESIS - One of the three Parcae , Lachesis' job was to spin the thread that fashioned the destinies of men.

LADON- The serpent placed around the tree on which grew the golden apples of the Hesperides . The snake was put there to discourage the guardians of the apples from eating them themselves. It was finally slain by Hercules .

LAIOS - Father of Oedipus , who the hero slew, unaware that he fought his own father, when the two met during Oedipus' travels.

LAMPETIA- One of the three daughter of Helios , who, along with her sisters, was turned into a larch tree, so much did she weep at her brother's death.

LAODAMIA - One of the three children of Bellerophon , she was killed by Artemis .

LAOKOON- A priest of Apollo , who, on seeing the huge Wooden Horse at Troy, warned his people not to accept the gift of the invaders. He even went as far as to stick his spear into the wooden belly of the contraption, and the clank of swords and spears was heard to issue from within. For this defacement of the sacred horse, the gods punished Laokoon by sending two enormous serpents, which issued from the sea as Laokoon and his two sons were sacrificing to Apollo. The snakes wrapped around the boys first, then their father, and dragged the three to their painful death. Seeing this as a judgement on them by the gods for their doubt of the gift of the Greeks, the Trojans accepted the Wooden Horse, and brought it into their city. From Laokoon's advice comes of course the famous sayings "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" and "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts".

LAOMEDON- King of Troy before Priam , he had enlisted the help of the gods Apollo and Poseidon in building the wall around the city, but when it was finished he refused to provide the reward promised. Angry at this, Poseidon sent a great flood to devastate the land, and also a sea monster, to get rid of which Laomedon was told he must sacrifice his daughter Hesione. Hercules , however, slew the beast and rescued Hesione. The king, however, reneged again on a promise, this time that of offering Hesione's hand to Hercules. For this he was slain by the hero, along with all of his family, except Podarkes, who took over the rule of the city, changing his name to Priam.

LARA- Mother, in Roman legend, of the Lares , she was a nymph , and had lain with Mercury (Hermes) to give birth to the above.

LARES- Protecting spirits, peculiar to the Roman mythos, who guarded homes, cities and towns, fields and people. It was generally believed that the Lares were the spirits of the Genii or Daemons of good people who had died.

LARVAE- The antithesis of the Lares , these were believed to have been the Genii of evil people, who after death wandered the Earth afflicting mankind with illness for which there was no remedy but expiatory sacrifices to the gods. If a person died without expiating every wrong they had done in life, they were pursued by the Larvae in the lower world. Larvae were also called Lemures.

LATONA - See Leto .

LEARCHOS- One of the two children borne by Ino to Athamas , whom the woman placed above Athamas' own children by Nephele , even to the extent of plotting to slay the two

LEIMONIADS- Nymphs of meadows and flowers.

LEMURES- See Larvae .

LERNAEAN HYDRA- A fearsome beast with nine heads, whose very breath or odour was poison, eight of the Hydra's heads were mortal, the ninth invulnerable. As soon as one head was struck off, two more grew to take its place. To Hercules was given the task of defeating this awesome creature, as part of his Twelve Labours .

LETHE- The 'River of forgetfulness', in Hades . It was said that any who drank from it completely forgot their former life, in the world above.

LETO- Mother of Apollo and Artemis , by Zeus .

LEUKOPHRYNE- Another name for Artemis

. LEUKOSIA- One of the three Sirens .

LEUKOTHEA- Protecting goddess of those who travelled the sea, Leukothea was originally the second wife of Athamas , Ino , who plotted such wrong against his two children by Nephele . She had suckled the infant Bacchus , angering Hera , who sent her husband raving after her. She was thrown into the sea, where she took her place as a marine goddess, friendly to all sailors, mariners and seafarers.

LIBERA- Another name for Persephone

LIGEIA- One of the three Sirens .

LIMNADS- Nymphs of lakes, marshes and swamps, they lured travellers to their deaths by singing, or by mimicking the screams of distressed people.

LIMNAIA- Another name for Artemis .

LIPS- One of the female wind gods of Greece, she wafted home the ships from the southeast. She was depicted holding the ornament from a ship's stern in her hands.

LITAE, THE- Sweet- natured goddesses, whose special task was to provide recompense for the people whom Ate had reduced to distress and ruin. They are described as lame, wrinkled and squinting:these deformities brought on by their trying to make good the evil done by Ate, which they accomplished by placing the prayers of the penitent before their father, Zeus .

LUCIFER- The morning star, who normally lit the way before Eos .

LUCINA- Another name for Hera .

LUNA- See Selene .

MAENADS- Followers of Dionysos , these were women who engaged in riotous ceremonies of dancing and orgy, and their rituals often included the rending of human flesh.

MAIA - The mother of Hermes .

MANES, THE - The shades of the departed, who inhabited Hades .

MARS - See Ares .

MARSAYAS- Who had boasted that he could play the flute better than Apollo . For this he was flayed alive.

MECHANTIS- Another name for Pallas-Athene .

MEDEA- Daughter of King Aeetes of Kolchis, she fell in love with Jason during his recovery of the Golden Fleece , and returned with him to Iolkos, dismembering her younger brother on the way, to slow down her vengeful pursuing father. Ten years later, her husband conceived a passion for Kreusa , and married her. Fuming at this treatment, Medea steeped a costly dress in posion, and sent it to her rival, this bringing about her death. She also slew Kreusa's father, Kreon , and put to death all the children she herself had borne to Jason. Then she fled, arriving at last in Athens, where she lived for a time with Aegeus , until the intervention of Theseus precipitated her departure, she cursing both father and son.

MEDITRINA- The Roman goddess of health, Meditrina was identical with the Greek goddess Jaso , but differed from Hygea in that whereas the Greek deity preserved good health, Meditrina restored it.

MEDUSA- One of the three Gorgons , Medusa was the youngest, and orginally very beautiful. But she had loved the god Poseidon , and appeared in his temple, for which profanity the god took away her beauty, and replaced her hair with hissing, writhing snakes. She lived, with her two sisters, in a cave at the entrance to Tartaros . With Poseidon she had sired the wonder horse, Pegasus . It was the Greek hero Perseus who finally slew her, using the shield of polished brass that Athene had given him, to protect him against the Gorgon's stare, which could turn a man to stone instantly. Creeping up on her, Perseus cut off her head, and from her trunk sprang Pegasus and Chrysaor , the father of Geryoneus .

MEGAERA- 'The grim', one of the three Erinys .

MELEAGROS- The Greek hero who headed the expedition that hunted the Kalydonian Boar , and who later joined the Argonauts in their search for the Golden Fleece .

MELETE- One of the nine Muses .

MELIAN NYMPHS, THE- Nymphs of the oak, from whose wood the shafts for the arrows of war were fashioned.

MELIKERTES- Youngest son of Leukothea , he was saved from the sea by the Nereides , having been thrown in with his mother. Melikertes became the god of harbours, under the name of Palaemon.

MELOLOSIS- One of the Okeanids , her name meant 'like a river that waters the meadows.'

MELPOMENE- One of the nine Muses , Melpomene was the Muse of tragedy, a serious, dignified figure, who was depicted as standing with her foot raised on a rock, in her right hand a mask, in her left a scroll, as for a part in a play. She wore a long robe girt under the breast, and fell in wide folds. From her shoulders hung a mantle.

MEMNON- A son of Eos and Tithonos , who was famed for his beauty, Memnon took part in the Trojan War , fighting on the side of the defenders. He met Achilles in combat, and as they were fighting, both the heroes' mothers petitioned Zeus to spare their sons. Zeus, checking the outcome in the golden balance which weighed out life and death, announced that it was Memnon's fate to die at the hands of Achilles. Anxiously, Eos sped to Troy, but found that her son was already dead. She built a great monument to Memnon in Thebes, which, when the first rays of the sun struck it, gave forth a sound like the snapping of a harpstring.

MENALAUS- Brother to Agamemnon , Menalaus ruled over Sparta with his wife, the immortal Helen . Thither came Paris from Troy , and after ingratiating himself with the king, took the opportunity to abscond with Helen, with whom he had fallen in love. Menalaus then called on all of Helen's previous suitors to honour the vow they had taken at the girl's choice of him:to render aid to her husband whenever he needed it. Gathering a fleet, he proceeded to Troy, where Paris and Helen had fled, and laid siege to the city. After years of war, the city was finally taken, sacked, its defenders put to death, and Menalaus, reconciling himself to his now penitent wife, took Helen with him back to Sparta.

MERCURY- See Hermes


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