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Mythological Characters

Achelous [ak-e-loh'us] or Acheloos, "he who washes away cares"
A river god who fought unsuccessfully with Heracles for Deianira, he is the source of the cornucopia, or horn of plenty (Sophocles, Trachiniae 9-22; Apollodorus 2.7.5; Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.1-97; Hyginus, Fabulae 31; Diodorus, Siculus 4.35.3-4). He also purified Alcmaeon for the murder of his mother (Apollodorus 3.7.5). Family Tree 9.

Achilles [a-kil'leez] or Achilleus , "lipless" or "one who grieves"(?)
He is the son of Peleus and Thetis, raised by the centaur Chiron (Apollodorus 3.13.6). He was hidden by his mother among the daughters of Lycomedes on the island of Scyros so he would not have to fight at Troy, but was found by Odysseus and Diomedes (Apollodorus 3.13.8; Hyginus, Fabulae 96). He became the fiercest fighter for the Greeks at Troy and leader of the Myrmidons. He refused to fight after Briseis was taken from him by Agamemnon, but reentered the war after Hector killed his friend Patroclus. He killed Hector in return (Homer, Iliad), but died when Paris hit him in the ankle, his only weak spot, with an arrow (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.3). Family Tree 8.

Actaeon [ak-tee'on], or Aktaion, "one must lead" or "seashore"
He is the son of Aristaeus and Autonoe and a member of the ill-fated family line of Cadmus. Taught by the centaur Chiron to be a hunter, he stumbled upon Artemis bathing in a forest cavern (Apollodorus 3.4.4). When Artemis threw water from the spring at him, he was immediately turned into a stag and his hunting dogs tore him apart (Apollodorus 3.4.4; Diodorus Siculus 4.81.3-5; Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.138-252; Hyginus, Fabulae 180, 181). Family Tree 7. Family Tree 47.

Admetus [ad-mee'tus] or Admetos, "untamed"
He was the king of Pherae, in Thessaly. He participated in the Calydonian boar hunt and was one of the Argonauts. Apollo served him for one year as his penalty for killing the Cyclopes (Apollodorus 3.10.4). His wife, Alcestis, died for him, but Heracles wrestled with Thanatos and restored her to Admetus (Euripides, Alcestis; Apollodorus 1.9.14-15; Hyginus, Fabulae 51).

Adonis [a-don'is], "lord"
He is the son of Cinyras and Myrrha-a handsome young man with whom Aphrodite fell in love (Hyginus, Fabulae 58). When Adonis was mortally wounded by a wild boar, Aphrodite caused an anemone to spring up from his blood and she instituted sacred rites to memorialize his death (Apollodorus 3.14.3-4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.519-552, 10.708-739). Family Tree 13.

Adrastus [a-dras'tus] or Adrastos
He is the son of Talaus and Lysimache and one of the Seven against Thebes. He instituted the Nemean Games in honor of the infant Opheltes, who died tragically at Nemea. Adrastus survived the disaster at Thebes because Arion, his swift horse, carried him from the route. He accompanied the Epigoni against Thebes, but died of grief when his son was the only Argive leader to die in the attack (Pindar, Nemean Odes 9.9; Euripides, Suppliants; Apollodorus 3.6.2-8; Hyginus, Fabulae 242). Family Tree 29.

Aeacus [ee'a-kus] or Aiakos, "bewailing" or "earth-born"
The son of Aegina and Zeus, he became king of the island of Aegina. Hera, jealous that Zeus had carried on with Aegina, sent a plague to the island but Zeus repopulated the island by turning ants into humans (Apollodorus 3.12.6). Aeacus became the leader of these people, who were known as Myrmidons. He had two sons, Telamon and Peleus. After his death, he became a judge in the Underworld (Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.517-660; Hyginus, Fabulae 52). Family Tree 8.

Aeëtes [ee-ee'teez], "eagle," "light up," or "man from Aea (earth)"
The son of Helios and the Oceanid Perse, he possessed the Golden Fleece that Jason had been sent to obtain. After he gave Jason a list of impossible tasks to perform, Aphrodite caused Medea, the daughter of Aeëtes, to fall in love with Jason; Medea used magic to help Jason complete the tasks. Aeetes pursued them unsuccessfully when they fled with the Golden Fleece (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2.1140-4.241; Apollodorus 1.9.23; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.1-158; Hyginus, Fabulae 22; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 5.177-8.139). Family Tree 12.

Aegeus [ee'je-us] or Aigeus
The king of Athens and the father of Theseus, he is generally recognized as a humanization of the god Poseidon. He fathered Theseus in Troezen (Apollodorus 3.15.5-7; Hyginus, Fabulae 37) and, when he thought that Theseus had been unsuccessful against the Minotaur, Aegeus drowned himself in the waters that were later named the Aegean Sea (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.10; Hyginus, Fabulae 43). Family Tree 16.

Aegisthus [ee-jis'thus] or Aigisthos
He was the son of his own sister (Pelopia) and Thyestes. He became the lover of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, and helped kill Agamemnon when he returned from Troy (Homer, Odyssey 4.528-537, 11.404-420; Apollodorus, Epitome 6.23; Aeschylus, Oresteia; Sophocles, Electra; Seneca, Agamemnon). Family Tree 15.

Aegyptus [ee-jip'tus] or Aigyptos, and Danaüs [dan'a-us] or Danaos
They are brothers, sons of Belus, who gave the kingdom of Libya to Danaüs and the kingdom of Arabia to Aegyptus. When the two quarreled, Danaüs fled from Libya to Argos, where he became king. The fifty sons of Aegyptus married the fifty daughters of Danaüs, but forty-nine of the daughters killed their husbands on their wedding night (Apollodorus 2.1.4-5; Hyginus, Fabulae 168). Family Tree 34.

Aeneas [e-nee'as]
The son of Venus and Anchises, he was a noble fighter for Troy during the Trojan War. He escaped from Troy as the Greeks were sacking the city and went off in search of a place to establish the new Troy. He settled in Italy, where his descendants founded the city of Rome (Virgil, Aeneid; Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.623-726, 14.72-157, 14.441-622). Family Tree 42.

Aeolus [ee'o-lus] or Aiolos
He was god of the winds who lived on a floating island; he had six daughters and six sons who were married to one another. He gave Odysseus a bag of winds to aid him on his journey home from Troy, but when Odysseus' men opened the bag and released the winds, Aeolus refused to help him again (Homer, Odyssey 10.1-76).

Aërope [a-er'o-pee]
She was the daughter of Catreus, king of Crete. Catreus had her and her sister Clymene sold into slavery. She was bought by Atreus and became his wife, but she had an affair with his brother, Thyestes, which began the feud between the two brothers (Apollodorus 3.2.1-2, Epitome 2.10). Family Tree 15.

Aesacus [ee'sa-kus] or Aisakos
The son of Priam and Arisbe (Priam's first wife), he learned to interpret dreams from his maternal grandmother, Merops. Some sources say it was he, not Cassandra, who interpreted the dream of Helenus to mean that Paris would be the destruction of Troy if he was not put to death. Some sources say Aesacus married Asterope, daughter of the river god Cebren, and that he was turned into a bird when he mourned her death. Other sources say Aesacus was in love with Cebren's daughter, Hesperia, that he chased her through the woods, and that Tethys turned him into a diver bird when he threw himself into the sea after Hesperia was killed by a snakebite (Apollodorus 3.12.5; Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.749-795).

Aether [ee'ther], "upper air"
The offspring of Erebus and Nyx, he is the personification of the bright, upper atmosphere (Hesiod, Theogony 124-125). Family Tree 2.

Agamemnon [ag-a-mem'non], "very determined"
The son of Atreus and Aërope and brother of Menelaus, he led the Greek army that sailed to Troy to bring back Helen. He sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to appease Artemis so the Greeks could sail to Troy (Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis; Hyginus, Fabulae 98). He also caused Achilles to withdraw from the war by demanding Brise‹s. When he returned to Mycenae after the war with Cassandra, his concubine, he and Cassandra were killed by his wife, Clytemnestra, and Aegisthus, her lover (Aeschylus, Agamemnon; Seneca, Agamemnon; Homer, Odyssey 4.519-537). Family Tree 15.

Ajax the Greater [ay'jaks] or Aias
The son of Telamon and one of the fiercest Greek warriors at Troy, he contended unsuccessfully with Odysseus for the armor of Achilles. He committed suicide when the armor was awarded to Odysseus (Sophocles, Ajax; Homer, Iliad; Pindar, Isthmian Odes 6.41-54; Apollodorus, Epitome 5.4, 6-7; Ovid, Metamorphoses 12.624-13.398; Hyginus, Fabulae 107). Family Tree 17.

Ajax the Lesser [ay'jaks] or Aias
The son of Oileus and leader of the Greeks from Locris in the Trojan War, he desecrated the temple and statue of Athena by raping Cassandra during the sack of Troy (Euripides, Trojan Women 48-97; Apollodorus, Epitome 5.22-23). He was shipwrecked off the island of Tenos; when Ajax boasted that the gods could not keep him from escaping death at sea, Poseidon caused him to drown (Homer, Odyssey 4.499-511; Apollodorus, Epitome 6.6; Virgil, Aeneid 1.39-45). Family Tree 10.

Alcmaeon [alk-mee'on] or Alkamaion
The son of Amphiaraüs, who was one of the Seven against Thebes, he avenged the death of his father by leading the Epigoni in a successful attack against Thebes and by killing his mother, who had been bribed to induce Amphiaraüs to join in the earlier, ill-fated expedition to Thebes (Apollodorus 3.6.2). He married the daughter of King Phegeus, but had to leave because he had committed matricide (Hyginus, Fabulae 73). He was purified by the river god Acheloüs and married Callirhoë, daughter of Acheloüs. He was killed by the sons of Phegeus (Apollodorus 3.7.2-7). Family Tree 11.

Alcyone [al-seye'on-ee] or Alkyone
The daughter of the wind god Aeolus, she found the body of her husband, Ceyx, on the beach after she dreamed he had died at sea. She and her dead husband were turned into kingfishers (Apollodorus 1.7.4; Lucian, Halcyon 1; Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.410-748; Hyginus, Fabulae 65).

Althaea [al-thee'a] or Althaia
The daughter of Thestius and Eurythemis, she married her uncle Oeneus and became the mother of Gorge, Deianira, and Meleager. She was told that Meleager would live until a particular log on the fire burned through, so she preserved the log until Meleager angered her by killing her brothers Toxeus and Plexippus in an argument at the Calydonian boar hunt. She burned the log, Meleager died, and then she killed herself (Homer, Iliad 9.533-599; Apollodorus 1.8.2-3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.268-546; Hyginus, Fabulae 171-174). Family Tree 48.

Amazons, "missing one breast"
They were a race of warlike women. Heracles, Theseus, and Bellerophon made military campaigns against them. They fought on the side of Troy in the Trojan War, where Achilles killed Penthesilea, their leader. Theseus won the Amazon, Antiope (or Hippolyta), and their son was Hippolytus (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.1).

Amphiaraüs [am-fi-a-ray'us]
The son of Oecles and Hypermestra, he was a prophet who took part in the Calydonian boar hunt. He refused to attack Thebes until his wife Eriphyle was bribed by Polynices and she persuaded him to be one of the Seven against Thebes, even though he knew he would be killed. At Thebes, he would have been speared in the back by Periclymenus, but Zeus split the earth open with a thunderbolt. Amphiaraüs fell into the hole along with his chariot and charioteer and vanished (Pindar, Nemean Odes 9.13-27; Euripides, Suppliants; Apollodorus 1.8.2, 3.6.2-8). Family Tree 11.

Amphitrite [am-fi-treye'tee]
She was one of the Nereids. Married to Poseidon and mother of Triton, she played the role of jealous and angry wife because of Poseidon's many affairs (Hesiod, Theogony 243, 252-253; Apollodorus 1.2.2, 1.4.5; Hyginus, Poetica Astronomica 2.17). Family Tree 53.

Amphitryon [am-fi'tri-on]
He ruled Mycenae while his uncle Electryon was away at war, but was banished for accidentally killing Electryon. His wife, Alcmene, refused to sleep with him until he finished Electryon's war against the Teleboans and Taphians. He got help from Creon, the king of Thebes, after solving Creon's problem with a fox by borrowing Laelaps the hound from Cephalus. The night before Amphitryon returned from the battle, Zeus, disguised as Amphitryon, slept with Alcmene and they conceived Heracles; Amphitryon lay with Alcmene the next night and fathered Iphicles (Apollodorus 2.4.5-8; Hyginus, Fabulae 29). Family Tree 31.

Amycus [am'i-kus] or Amykos
The son of Poseidon and king of the Bebryces, he compelled all visitors to compete with him in a boxing match. He had killed all of his opponents before Jason and the Argonauts arrived, when Polydeuces, one of the Dioscuri, boxed with and killed Amycus (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2.1-144; Apollodorus 1.9.20; Hyginus, Fabulae 17; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4.99-343).

Anchises [an-keye'seez]
The descendant of Dardanus and Ilus and king of the Dardanians, he mated with Aphrodite and became the father of Aeneas. Anchises vowed not to tell anyone of his affair with Aphrodite. When the Greeks were sacking Troy, Aeneas carried Anchises from the city, but Anchises died in Sicily before the Trojans landed in Italy (Homer, Iliad 5.268-272, 13.428-431; Pausanias 8.12.8-9; Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 5; Virgil, Aeneid 2.647-649, 707-789; Hyginus, Fabulae 94). Family Tree 42.

Anticlea [an-ti-klee'a or an-ti-kleye'a] or Antikleia
She was the daughter of Autolycus and mother of Odysseus. One account says Sisyphus seduced her to avenge the theft of his cattle by Autolycus and that she gave birth to Odysseus shortly after Autolycus married her off to Laertes. Another account says Laertes was the father of Odysseus. She died of grief while Odysseus was fighting at Troy (Homer, Odyssey 11.84-89, 11.153-224; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.12, 7.17; Hyginus, Fabulae 201, 243). Family Tree 37.

Antigone [an-tig'o-nee], "contrary birth"
This daughter of Oedipus and sister of Polynices and Eteocles buried Polynices despite Creon's decree that whoever buried him should be killed. Creon confined her to a sealed cave, where she would die-she hanged herself; Haemon, Creon's son, who was engaged to Antigone, killed himself with his sword; Creon's wife, Eurydice, then took her own life (Aeschylus, Seven against Thebes; Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone; Euripides, Phoenician Women; Apollodorus 3.5.8-9, 3.7.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 72). Family Tree 19.

Aphrodite [a-froh-deye'tee], "foam born"(?)
The goddess of beauty, love, and marriage was born from the foam that frothed up in the sea where the genitals of Uranus were cast by Cronus (Hesiod, Theogony 168-200; Apollodorus 1.1.1-4). One account makes her the daughter of Zeus and Dione, a goddess who is virtually unknown (Homer, Iliad 5.370-416; Euripides, Helen 1098; Apollodorus 1.3.1). The islands Cyprus and Cythera were special centers of Aphrodite's worship. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but she had affairs with Hermes, Poseidon, Ares, and Dionysus, as well as the mortal Anchises (Homer, Odyssey 8.266-366; Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 5). Family Tree 50.

Apollo [a-pol'loh], "destroy," or "excite"
The brother of Artemis and son of Leto and Zeus, he was born on the island of Delos (Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo 30-90; Apollodorus 1.4.1). As one of the twelve Olympians-sun god as well as a god of prophecy, music, poetry, and medicine-he represents reason and intellect. He established the famous oracle of Delphi on Mount Parnassus (Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo; Apollodorus 1.4.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 140). He obtained attendants for his temple by turning himself into a dolphin and commandeering a ship (Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo 388-544). The Romans had no equivalent for Apollo. Family Tree 21.

Apsyrtus [ap-sir'tus] or Apsyrtos, also called Aegialeus
The son of Aeëtes and Eidyia and brother of Medea, Apollodorus says he accompanied Medea and Jason from Colchis and that Medea cut him up and threw his body parts into the ocean to slow the pursuit of Aeetes, their father (Apollodorus 1.9.23-24). Apollonius says Apsyrtus pursued Jason and Medea and that Jason killed him in the Danube (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.576-591; Hyginus, Fabulae 23). Family Tree 12.

Arachne [a-rak'nee], "spider."
She was a young maiden who challenged Athena to a weaving contest. When Athena could find no fault with Arachne's tapestry, she tore Arachne's work to shreds and began hitting the girl with her shuttle. Arachne hanged herself, but Athena turned her into a spider (Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.1-145).

Ares [ar'eez] (Mars), "man," "male," "manhood," or "strife."
This son of Zeus and Hera, and god of war, was not popular with the Greeks who saw him as a "butcher." He had a long-term affair with Aphrodite-with whom he produced Eros, Deimos (Panic), Phobus (Fear), and Harmonia-but was trapped in bed with Aphrodite by her husband, Hephaestus (Homer, Odyssey 8.266-366; Homeric Hymn to Ares). Family Tree 22.

Argonauts [ar'goh-nawtz]
They were the heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest to obtain the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from Argo, the ship built by Argus for the expedition, and nautes, the Greek word for sailor-they were the most noble and heroic men in all of Greece (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.23-227; Hyginus, Fabulae 14).

Ariadne [a-ri-ad'nee], "very chaste," or "very pleasing"
This daughter of King Minos of Crete fell in love with Theseus and betrayed her father by giving Theseus a thread to find his way out of the labyrinth (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.7-9; Plutarch, Theseus 19.1; Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.152-173; Hyginus, Fabulae 40-42). She escaped from Crete, but, according to most popular accounts, was left on the island of Naxos, where Dionysus found her and made her his wife (Homer, Odyssey 11.321-325; Apollodorus, Epitome 1.9; Diodorus Siculus 4.61.5; Plutarch, Theseus 20.2-4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.174-182; Hyginus, Fabulae 43). Family Tree 23.

Arion [a-reye'on], "swift," or "the one who flows quickly"
This swift horse was a child of Poseidon, who had turned himself into a stallion, and Demeter who had turned herself into a mare. He was the horse of Adrastus, one of the Seven against Thebes, and saved him from death (Homer, Iliad 23.346-347; Pausanias 8.25.7-10). Family Tree 20.

Artemis [ar'te-mis] (Diana), "fashion," or "cut"(?)
She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin of Apollo. One of the twelve Olympians, she was born on the island of Delos. As goddess of childbirth, nature, and the hunt, she carried a bow and arrows, which she used to avenge misdeeds, particularly crimes against her mother. She also became a moon goddess and took on the characteristics of Selene and Hecate (Homeric Hymn to Artemis). Family Tree 21.

Asclepius [as-klee'pi-us] (Aesculapius) or Asklepios, "cut up," or "turn round and round"(?)
The son of Apollo and Coronis, he was god of medicine and healing, but was raised by the centaur Chiron, who taught him medicine (Pindar, Pythian Odes 3.5-7). He could restore the dead to life, for which offense Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt (Pindar, Pythian Odes 3.54-58; Euripides, Alcestis 3-6; Apollodorus 3.10.4; Hyginus, Fabulae 49; Diodorus Siculus 4.71.2-3). The most famous temple of Asclepius was at Epidaurus. His children included Machaon, Podalirius (Diodorus Siculus 4.71.4), Hygeia (Health), and Panacea (Cure-all). Family Tree 21.

Asopus [a-soh'pus], "slimy muck," or "never silent"
A river god, he was sometimes called the son of Oceanus and Tethys, sometimes the son of Poseidon and Pero, and sometimes the son of Zeus and Eurynome. He married Metope and became the father of Aegina. He caught Zeus lying with his daughter-Zeus fled, but later blasted Asopus with a thunderbolt. Aegina became the mother of Aeacus (Apollodorus 3.12.6; Pausanias 2.5.1; Diodorus Siculus 4.72.1-5). Family Tree 17.

Atalanta [at-a-lan'ta], "balanced," or "not suffering much"
She is sometimes called the daughter of Schoeneus (Apollodorus 1.8.2; Diodorus Siculus 4.34.4, 4.65.4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.609; Hyginus, Fabulae 185) and sometimes the daughter of Iasus (Apollodorus 3.9.2), or Iasius (Hyginus, Fabulae 99). She participated in the Calydonian boar hunt and refused to marry anyone who could not beat her in a footrace. Melanion (Hippomenes in Theocritus, Ovid, and Hyginus) outraced her by throwing golden apples to the side of the course, which she slowed down to pick up. In their haste to consummate the marriage, they had sex in a place sacred to Zeus and were turned into lions (Theocritus 3.40-42; Apollodorus 1.8.2-3, 3.9.2; Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.560-704; Hyginus, Fabulae 99, 174, 185).

Athamas [a'tha-mas], "rich harvest," or "not crowded"(?)
As king of Boeotia, he married a cloud named Nephele and became the father of Phrixus and Helle. He was abandoned by Nephele. Ino, his new wife, tricked him into sacrificing Phrixus and Helle, but Nephele saved them by placing them on a flying ram with a Golden Fleece. Helle fell off at the Hellespont, but Phrixus flew on to Colchis, where he sacrificed the ram to Zeus and gave its Golden Fleece to Aeetes (Apollodorus 1.9.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 2, 3)-this was the fleece that Jason and his Argonauts had to obtain. Family Tree 25.

Athena [a-thee'-na] or Athene (Minerva), "protectress"(?)
Born from the head of Zeus, she was goddess of wisdom, war, arts and crafts-a virginal goddess-known as a protector and benefactor of heroes. She was the patron deity of Athens, which was named for her. She beat Poseidon in a contest for this honor by causing an olive tree to grow after Poseidon had created the first horse or caused a spring to gush forth by hitting a rock with his trident (Apollodorus 3.14.1). Family Tree 51.

Atlas [at'las], "he who bears."
This son of Iapetus and Clymene fought on the side of Cronus against Zeus in the Titanomachy, so Zeus condemned him to hold the sky on his shoulders (Apollodorus 1.2.3; Hyginus, Fabulae 150). He helped Heracles obtain the apples of the Hesperides (Apollodorus 2.5.11). Perseus showed him the head of Medusa and turned him into a stone mountain (Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.627-662). Family Tree 49.

Atreus [ay'tre-us]
The son of Pelops and Hippodamia, he carried on a long term feud with his brother Thyestes and served him a banquet of his own sons. Thyestes cursed the family of Atreus. Among the many dire consequences of this curse, Aegisthus, a later-born son of Thyestes, became the lover of Clytemnestra, and they murdered her husband Agamemnon, the son of Atreus (Hesiod, Catalogue of Women 69; Aeschylus, Agamemnon; Apollodorus 2.4.6, Epitome 2.10-15; Seneca, Thyestes). Family Tree 15.

Atropos [at'ro--pos], "unchangeable," or "inflexible."
A daughter of Zeus and Themis, she was one of the Fates who were also called Moirae or Parcae. She is depicted as an old woman, and cuts the thread of one's life that has been spun and measured out by her two sisters and brings one's life to an end (Hesiod, Theogony 217-222, 901-906, Shield of Heracles 248-269; Apollodorus 1.3.1). Family Tree 5.

Augeas [aw-jee'as], "bright."
He was a son of Phorbas or Poseidon or Helios and king of Elis. He had large herds of cattle, but had never cleaned their stables. Heracles cleaned them in one day as his fifth labor, but Augeas refused to give him the cattle he had promised as payment (Apollodorus 2.5.5; Diodorus Siculus 4.13.3; Pausanias 5.1.9-10; Hyginus, Fabulae 30). Later, Heracles returned with an army to defeat Augeas and capture the city (Apollodorus 2.7.2; Diodorus Siculus 4.33.1, 4; Pausanias 5.1.10-5.3.1).

Bacchus [bak'kus] or Bakchos (Dionysus), "shouting with joy."
The Romans preferred the name Bacchus for the god Dionysus.

Bellerophon [bel-ler'o-fon], "killer of Bellerus," or "bearing spears"
The grandson of Sisyphus, Bellerophon went to Argos to be purified by King Proetus after accidentally killing his own brother. He was falsely accused by Proetus' wife, Stheneboea, of trying to seduce her (Anteia in Homer, Iliad 6.160 and Hyginus, Poetica Astronomica 2.18). Proetus sent Bellerophon to Iobates with a letter asking Iobates to kill Bellerophon, but Iobates gave Bellerophon a series of impossible tasks to perform: kill the Chimaera, subdue the Solymi, fight against the Amazons, and defend himself against the best soldiers of Lycia. With the help of Pegasus, Bellerophon completed these tasks. Bellerophon attempted to fly up to join the gods, but Pegasus hurled Bellerophon from his back and the hero spent the rest of his life as a lonely wanderer (Homer, Iliad 6.157-202; Hesiod, Theogony 319-325; Pindar, Olympian Odes 13.60-91, Isthmian Odes 7.43-47; Apollodorus 2.3.1-2; Hyginus, Fabulae 57, Poetica Astronomica 2.18). Family Tree 45.

Briseïs [breye-see'is], "she who prevails"
This young woman was the prize of Achilles for his raids on villages around Troy, but Agamemnon ordered that Achilles surrender her when Chryseïs had been taken from him. Achilles followed the order, but then refused to fight and the Trojans gained the upper hand in the Trojan War. After Patroclus had been killed, Agamemnon returned Briseïs to Achilles (Homer, Iliad 1.181-187, 318-348, 19.246-302; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.4.1, 3, 7).

Cacus [ka'kus] or Kakos, "bad"
He was a minor fire deity who stole some of the cattle of Geryon that Heracles was taking to Mycenae. When Heracles heard one of the stolen animals lowing in Cacus' cave, he broke into the cave and strangled Cacus (Virgil, Aeneid 8.252-367; Livy 1.7.4-7).

Cadmus [kad'mus] or Kadmos, "east"
The brother of Europa, he built the city of Cadmeia (Thebes), where he saw a cow lie down. He married Harmonia and became the father of Ino, Semele, Autonoë, Agave, and (according to some accounts) Polydorus (Apollodorus 3.4.1-2; Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.1-135; Hyginus, Fabulae 178). Later he became the leader of the Encheleans and the Illyrians. He and Harmonia were turned into snakes and went to Elysium (Apollodorus 3.5.4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.563-603; Hyginus, Fabulae 6). Family Tree 46.

Caeneus [see'ne-us] or Kaineus, "new"
Originally a woman named Caenis, Poseidon raped her and then offered her whatever she desired. She asked to become a man and she changed her name to Caeneus. When Caeneus demanded to be worshiped as a god, Zeus caused him to be buried under a pile of logs-he flew away as a bird with yellow wings (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.57-64; Apollodorus, Epitome 1.22; Ovid, Metamorphoses 12.189-209, 459-531).

Calchas [kal'kas] or Kalchas, "searcher"
He was a wise and accurate prophet of the Greeks at the Trojan War. After the war he went to Colophon, where he lost to Mopsus in a contest of prophetic ability and died (Apollodorus, Epitome 6.2-4). Family Tree 27.

Callisto [kal-lis'toh] or Kallisto , "most beautiful"
She was a follower of Artemis. Zeus forced his affection on her. Some accounts say he turned her into a bear to avoid detection by Hera, but Hera convinced Artemis to shoot the bear (Apollodorus 3.8.2). Other accounts say Hera herself turned Callisto into a bear (Pausanias 8.3.6-7; Hyginus, Fabulae 177). Ovid says Artemis expelled Callisto from the ranks of her followers when she discovered that Callisto was pregnant (Metamorphoses 2.409-495). Callisto's son, Arcas, was hunting one day and happened upon his mother, who was in the form of a bear, without realizing who she was-Zeus transformed both of them into constellations to avert the matricide (Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.496-507; Hyginus, Poetica Astronomica 2.1-2).

Calydonian [kal-i-doh'ni-an] boar hunt
This was the hunt for a wild boar sent by Artemis to ravage Calydon. Meleager led the expedition, which included the greatest heroes of the age. Atalanta first wounded the boar and Meleager killed it. Meleager awarded the boar's skin to Atalanta, which enraged his uncles. Meleager killed them in the argument that ensued (Homer, Iliad 9.533-599; Apollodorus 1.8.2-3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.268-546; Hyginus, Fabulae 171-174).

Calypso [ka-lip'soh] or Kalypso, "concealer"
The daughter of Thetis and Atlas (some sources say Nereus or Oceanus), she lived on the island of Ogygia where she detained Odysseus for seven years, promising him immortality if he would stay with her. After Zeus sent Hermes to tell Calypso she had to let Odysseus go, Odysseus built a raft and set sail (Homer, Odyssey 5.1-269). Family Tree 24.

Cassandra [kas-sand'ra] or Kassandra, "trapper of men."
Daughter of King Priam of Troy, she received the ability to prophesy from Apollo when she promised to sleep with him, but he fated her never to be believed when she went back on her promise (Apollodorus 3.12.5). She predicted that Paris' trip to Sparta to get Helen would be disastrous for Troy and that the wooden horse built by the Greeks contained armed soldiers (Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1202-1212; Apollodorus, Epitome 5.17). Agamemnon took her as his concubine after the war, and she predicted that both of them would be killed in Mycenae (Aeschylus, Agamemnon; Apollodorus, Epitome 6.23). Family Tree 42.

Castor [kas'tor] or Kastor.
A son of Leda and Tyndareus and "twin" of Polydeuces, he and Polydeuces were known as the Dioscuri (sons of Zeus). After he was killed in a quarrel with his cousins he lived with Polydeuces, one day in the Underworld and the next on Olympus (Pindar, Nemean Odes 10.60-91; Theocritus, 22.137ff.; Euripides, Helen 16ff.; Apollodorus 3.10.7, 3.11.2, Epitome 1.23; Hyginus, Fabulae 77, 80; Plutarch, Theseus 32, 34; Diodorus Siculus 4.63.1-5; Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.301-302, 373-375, Fasti 5.699ff.). Family Tree 32.

Catreus [ka'tre-us] or Katreus.
The son of Minos and Pasiphaë, he ruled a portion of Crete and was fated to be killed by one of his children. His son, Althaemenes, went to Rhodes and his daughters were sold abroad. As an old man he desired to leave his kingdom to his son, but when he sailed to Rhodes to get him, Althaemenes mistook him for an invader and killed him (Apollodorus 3.1.2, 3.2.1-2, Epitome 3.3). Family Tree 23.

Cecrops [see'kropz] or Kekrops, "tail with a face."
He was born from the earth without parents and was a snake from the waist down. He became the first king of Attica, built temples to Athena, married Agraulos and became the father of Aglauros, Herse, and Pandrosos (Apollodorus 3.14.1-2; Pausanias 1.2.6, 8.2.2-3, Hyginus, Fabulae 48).

centaurs [sen'tawrs] or Kentauroi, "bull-goaders."
A race of creatures with the head of a man and the legs and body of a horse, they were descendants of Centaurus, a son of Ixion, and the mares with whom he mated on the slopes of Mount Pelion. Chiron was the most famous of the centaurs. At the wedding of Pirithous, the centaurs tried to rape the bride and other Lapith women, causing a huge fight in which the centaurs were routed (Pindar, Pythian Odes 2.21-48; Apollodorus, Epitome 1.21; Diodorus Siculus 4.69.1-70.1; Ovid, Metamorphoses 12.210-535; Hyginus, Fabulae 33). Family Tree 33.

Cephalus [se'fa-lus] or Kephalos, "head."
This son of Hermes and Herse, and grandson of Cecrops, had an affair with Eos (Hesiod, Theogony 986-987; Apollodorus 1.9.4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.700-713; Hyginus, Fabulae 270). He married Procris, though, and tested her faithfulness by trying to seduce her in disguise. When he caught her beginning to yield, she joined the followers of Artemis, where she was given a hound named Laelaps, which was destined to catch its quarry in every hunt, and a javelin that was destined to hit its mark on every throw. The hound was later employed by Amphitryon in Thebes to chase a fox that was destined to outrun any pursuer. Zeus turned both of them to stone. When Cephalus and Procris were reunited, Procris thought Cephalus was having an affair, so she followed him when he went hunting; he heard her in the foliage and thought she was his prey, so he threw the javelin that always hit its mark-Procris was killed (Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.670-862; Hyginus, Fabulae 189). Family Tree 28.

Cerberus [ser'ber-us] or Kerberos, "monster of the pit"(?).
One of the offspring of Echidna and Typhon, he is the dog that guards the entrance to the Underworld to keep the living from entering and the dead from leaving. Some accounts say Cerberus has fifty heads (Hesiod, Theogony 310-312), while others say he has three heads and a mane of snakes (Apollodorus 2.5.12). The twelfth labor of Heracles was to drag Cerberus from Hades and bring him to Eurystheus (Homer, Iliad 8.366-368, Odyssey 11.623-626; Euripides, Heracles 22-25, 1276-1280; Apollodorus 2.5.12; Diodorus Siculus 4.25.1, 4.26.1; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.408-419; Hyginus, Fabulae 30). Family Tree 1.

Cercopes [ser-koh'peez] or Kerkopes, "tailed men."
These twin sons of Oceanus and Theia were great tricksters. Their mother had warned them to beware of the "great Black Bottom." Heracles caught them attempting to steal his arrows, so he tied the two upside down at opposite ends of a pole, lifted the pole to his shoulders, and began to bear them away, but the Cercopes laughed uncontrollably. When Heracles learned that they were laughing because his bottom was black from years of exposure to the sun, he was amused and released them (Diodorus Siculus 4.31.7). Zeus turned the Cercopes into monkeys (Ovid, Metamorphoses 14.88-100). Family Tree 26.

Cercyon [ser'si-on] or Kerkyon, "tail."
He was a wrestler at Eleusis who compelled all visitors to wrestle to the death with him. Theseus accepted the challenge and killed Cercyon by smashing him to the ground (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.3; Diodorus Siculus 4.59.5; Plutarch, Theseus 11; Pausanias 1.39.3; Hyginus, Fabulae 38).

Ceres [see'reez] (Demeter), "one who produces."
She was an Italian grain goddess -- the equivalent of Demeter. In 493 B.C., a temple was dedicated to her on the Aventine Hill in Rome.

Ceto [see'toh], "whale."
A daughter of Pontus and Gaia, she was a sea monster, and mother of the Gorgons and the Graeae by Phorcys (Hesiod, Theogony 237-336). Family Tree 1 Family Tree 6.

Chaos [kay'os], "gaping."
This refers to an enormous mass with no limits or order from which the universe originated. From Chaos emerged Ge, Tartarus, Eros, Erebus and Night (Hesiod, Theogony 116-123). Family Tree 1.

Charon [ka'ron], "bright-eyed."
He was the ferryman who takes the souls of the dead across the River Styx on a barge. It was customary in antiquity to bury a persons with a coin between their teeth to pay Charon for passage across the river (Aristophanes, Frogs 138-140, 180-269; Euripides, Alcestis 252-259; Virgil, Aeneid 6.295-330). Several living people managed to gain passage from Charon--Orpheus accomplished it by charming Charon with his singing, Heracles intimidated him, and Aeneas bribed him with the Golden Bough (Virgil, Aeneid 6.384-416).

Charybdis [ka-rib'dis], "one who sucks down."
This is the name of a whirlpool in the narrow strait between Italy and Sicily, that sucked ships down to the bottom of the ocean. Opposite Charybdis lay the monster Scylla. Sailors who tried to avoid Scylla were destroyed by Charybdis, and those who tried to stay away from Charybdis were attacked by Scylla (Homer, Odyssey 12.101-110, 12.234-244; Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.825-826).

Chimaera [keye-mee'ra or ki-mee'ra] or Chimaira, "she-goat."
A child of Echidna and Typhon, she was a lion in her forepart and a goat in the middle, with a serpent's tail. Bellerophon, at the behest of Iobates, killed the Chimaera by swooping down on it atop Pegasus and throwing spears at the monster (Homer, Iliad 6.178-183; Hesiod, Theogony 319-325; Apollodorus 2.3.1-2; Hyginus, Fabulae 57, Poetica Astronomica 2.18). Family Tree 1.

Chimaereus [ki-mee're-us] or Chimaireus.
He was a son of Prometheus and Celaeno and was buried at Troy. Menelaus made a sacrifice on his tomb to end a plague at Sparta because Apollo had said the plague would pass when a sacrifice was performed on the tomb of a son of Prometheus. Family Tree 4.

Chiron [keye'ron], "hand."
As the most noble and learned of the centaurs, he was the teacher of Achilles, Actaeon, Aeneas, Peleus, Heracles, Asclepius, and Jason. He was skilled in medicine, music, archery, and the use of plants and herbs. When he was accidentally wounded by one of Heracles' poisoned arrows, Chiron exchanged his immortality for the mortality of Prometheus so he could find relief from his pain in death (Apollodorus 2.5.4; Hyginus, Poetica Astronomica 2.38).

Chrysaor [kreye-say'or], "golden sword."
The son of Poseidon and Medusa, he sprang, fully grown and brandishing a golden sword, from Medusa when Perseus cut off her head. He married Callirhoë, an Oceanid, and became the father of Geryon and Echidna (Hesiod, Theogony 278-288, 979-983; Apollodorus 2.4.2). Family Tree 1.

Chryseïs [kreye-see'is], "gold."
The daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo, she was awarded to Agamemnon after the Greeks had captured her while they were making raids on the small towns around Troy. When Agamemnon refused to return her to her father, Apollo sent a plague to the Greek army. Agamemnon gave the girl back, but demanded that Achilles give him his girl, Briseïs. Achilles did so, but then refused to fight in the war (Homer, Iliad 1.8-474; Hyginus, Fabulae 121).

Cicones [si-koh'neez] or Kikones
These were a people who lived in the Thracian city of Ismarus. Odysseus attacked them on his way home from Troy, but the Cicones regrouped and attacked Odysseus' men while they were feasting and enjoying the spoils of the conquest. Six men from each of Odysseus' ships were lost in the counterattack (Homer, Odyssey 9.39-61).

Cinyras [sin'i-ras] or Kinyras, "wailing."
The grandson of Pygmalion and Galatea, his daughter, Myrrha, fell in love with him. Myrrha's nurse arranged for the girl to sleep with her father without her identity becoming known; later, when Cinyras did learn that it was his own daughter with whom he'd been sleeping, he pursued her in anger. She was transformed into a myrrh tree, which drips her tears. From the tree was born her son, Adonis. Hyginus (Fabulae 242) reports that Cinyras took his own life (Pindar, Pythian Odes 2.15-17; Apollodorus 3.14.3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.298-518; Hyginus, Fabulae 58). Family Tree 13.

Circe [sir'see] or Kirke, "hawk."
A sorceress-the daughter of Helios and the sister of Aeëtes-she lived on the island of Aeaea. She purified Jason and Medea of the murder of Medea's brother, Apsyrtus (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.559-591, 4.659-752; Apollodorus 1.9.24). Odysseus spent an entire year with Circe on his way back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. She directed him to go to the Underworld for a consultation with Tiresias. Telegonus was the son of Circe and Odysseus; when Telegonus grew up, he killed his father accidentally (Homer, Odyssey 10.133-574). Family Tree 12.

Clotho [kloh'thoh] or Klotho, "she who spins."
A daughter of Zeus and Themis, she was one of the Fates who were also called Moirae or Parcae. Usually depicted as an old woman, she spun out the thread of one's life (Hesiod, Theogony 217-222, 901-906; Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 248-269; Apollodorus 1.3.1). Family Tree 5.

Clymene [kleye'me-nee] or Klymene, "glorious might."
She was a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. According to Hesiod, she married Iapetus and became the mother of Atlas, Menoetius, Prometheus, and Epimetheus (Hesiod, Theogony 507-511). Ovid makes her the wife of Helius and the mother of Phaëthon (Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.750-2.366). Family Tree 4.

Clytemnestra [kleye-tem-nes'tra] or Klytaimnestra, "praiseworthy wooer."
She was the daughter of Tyndareus and Leda, wife of Agamemnon, and mother of Iphigenia, Orestes, Electra, and Chrysothemis (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.16). When Agamemnon was fighting at Troy, Clytemnestra became the lover of Aegisthus; the two of them killed Agamemnon when he returned home (Aeschylus, Agamemnon; Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.21-22, 4.23; Hyginus, Fabulae 117). Orestes later avenged the murder of his father by killing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus (Pindar, Pythian Odes 11.17-37; Aeschylus, Choephori; Sophocles, Electra; Euripides, Electra; Apollodorus, Epitome 4.24-25; Hyginus, Fabulae 119). Family Tree 15 Family Tree 32.

Coeus [see'us] or Koios, "one who perceives."
This son of Uranus and Gaia-one of the Titans-married his sister Phoebe and became the father of Asteria and Leto, the mother of Apollo (Hesiod, Theogony 134, 409-410; Apollodorus 1.1.3). Family Tree 3 Family Tree 21.

Coronis [co-roh'nis] or Koronis, "crow."
She was a young woman from Thessaly whom Apollo loved. The raven saw her in the arms of another young man and reported the incident to Apollo, who shot Coronis through the breast with an arrow. As Coronis lay dying, she told Apollo she was pregnant with their child. Apollo tried to save her, but it was too late; however, he was able to save the infant, whom he named Asclepius. He gave the boy to Chiron and cursed the raven with the black color that it has today (Pindar, Pythian Odes 3.8-46; Apollodorus 3.10.3; Pausanias 2.26.6; Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.533-632; Hyginus, Fabulae 202, Poetica Astronomica 2.40).

Creon [kree'on] or Kreon (1), "ruler."
He was the king of Corinth when Jason and Medea arrived there as exiles from Iolcus. When Jason arranged to marry Creon's daughter, Glauce, Medea sent a crown and a robe to Glauce, after smearing them with an ointment that would burn into Glauce's flesh. When Glauce put them on, she fell to the ground in unbearable agony. Creon tried to embrace her as she lay dying and he too was burned to death by Medea's trap (Euripides, Medea; Apollodorus 1.9.28; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.391-403; Hyginus, Fabulae 25).

Creon [kree'on] or Kreon (2), "ruler."
This son of Menoeceus and brother of Jocasta and uncle of Oedipus became king of Thebes when Oedipus' sons, Eteocles and Polynices, were killed in the attack of the Seven against Thebes. He decreed that anyone who buried Polynices would be put to death. When Antigone performed burial rites for Polynices, he sealed her in a cave where she would starve to death. His son, Haemon, who was betrothed to Antigone, killed himself; his wife, Eurydice, then committed suicide also (Aeschylus, Seven against Thebes; Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone; Euripides, Phoenician Women; Apollodorus 3.5.8-9, 3.7.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 72).

Cretheus [kree'the-us] or Kretheus, "ruler."
He was the brother of Athamas and king of Iolcus; he was also the father of Aeson, who was the father of Jason. When Cretheus died, his stepson Pelias, son of Poseidon, and Tyro, the wife of Cretheus, seized the throne, usurping it from Aeson (Apollodorus 1.9.8, 1.9.11; Homer, Odyssey 11.235-237, 11.258-259). Family Tree 45.

Creusa [kre-ou'sa] or Kreousa.
This daughter of Priam and Hecuba, wife of Aeneas, and mother of Iulus (Ascanius) became lost while following her husband out of the burning city of Troy and was killed by the Greeks (Apollodorus 3.12.5; Pausanias 10.26.1; Virgil, Aeneid 2.596-598, 2.673-674, 2.736-795). Family Tree 42.

Crius [kreye'us] or Krios, "ram"(?).
This son of Uranus and Gaia and one of the Titans married his sister Eurybia and became the father of Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses (Hesiod, Theogony 134, 375-377; Apollodorus 1.1.3). Family Tree 3 Family Tree 18.

Cronus [kro'nus] or Kronos (Saturn), "crow," "rocky," or "accomplisher"(?).
This son of Uranus and Gaia was the youngest of the Titans (Hesiod, Theogony 137-138). He dethroned his father by castrating him. He was ruler of the world during the Golden Age. He married his sister Rhea and together they produced Hestia, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Zeus. Cronus swallowed his children as they were born, but Rhea gave him a rock bundled in baby blankets instead of Zeus, who was taken to Crete, where he grew up. Zeus later came back and dethroned Cronus in the Titanomachy (Hesiod, Theogony 453-506; Apollodorus 1.1.3-2.1; Pausanias 8.8.2; Diodorus Siculus 5.70.1-71.1). Family Tree 2 Family Tree 3.

Cupid [kyou'pid] (Eros [er'os]), "yearning."
He was the Roman equivalent of Eros, often depicted as a winged cherub.

Cyclopes [seye-klo'peez] or Kyklopes, "round-eyes."
These three children of Uranus and Gaia each had only one eye in the center of his forehead (Hesiod, Theogony 139-146). They were confined within Gaia by Uranus but were released when Cronus castrated Uranus (Apollodorus 1.1.2-4). The Cyclopes served Zeus by providing him with thunderbolts, which they forged with their own hands (Hesiod, Theogony 501-506; Apollodorus 1.2.1; Virgil, Aeneid 8.439-453). They were slain by Apollo, who was angry because Zeus had used one of their thunderbolts to kill Asclepius, Apollo's son (Euripides, Alcestis 3-6; Apollodorus 3.10.4; Diodorus Siculus 4.71.2-3; Hyginus, Fabulae 49). Family Tree 3.

Cycnus [sik'nus] or Kyknos, "swan."
This son of Poseidon-king of Colonae, near Troy-fought on the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War, but Achilles killed him in the first battle. He was turned into a swan by his father, and flew away (Ovid, Metamorphoses 12.71-145, 580-606).

Cyrene [seye-ree'nee] or Kyrene, "lady of the rein."
She was a nymph whom Apollo saw wrestling a lion; he whisked her away to a place in Libya that was later named for her. Cyrene bore a son to Apollo named Aristaeus, who married Autonoë and became the father of Actaeon (Pindar, Pythian Odes 9.5-8; Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2.500-527; Diodorus Siculus 4.81-82; Virgil, Georgics 4.315-558). Family Tree 47.

Cyzicus [siz'i-kus] or Kyzikos, "exalted."
He was a king of the Doliones who lived in a small village on the coast of the Euxine Sea just inside the Hellespont. Jason and the Argonauts stopped there on their way to get the Golden Fleece. They killed Cyzicus unwittingly when a storm at sea blew them back to land and a battle ensued, with neither side realizing whom it was fighting. When daylight showed that a tragic mistake had been made, Jason and the Argonauts helped to mourn and bury Cyzicus (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.946-1077; Apollodorus 1.9.18; Hyginus, Fabulae 16; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 2.634-3.361).

Daedalus [dee'da-lus] or Daidalos, "clever worker."
He was a skilled craftsman who learned his art from Athena. Banished from his hometown of Athens after he murdered Perdix, his nephew, he went to Crete, where he worked for King Minos and his wife, Pasiphaë (Apollodorus 3.15.8; Hyginus, Fabulae 39). He constructed the Labyrinth which housed the Minotaur (Apollodorus 3.1.4), but Minos imprisoned Daedalus for telling Theseus the secret of the Labyrinth. Daedalus fashioned wings out of feathers and wax for himself and his son, Icarus, who had been imprisoned with him. Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wax melted, the feathers fell from his arms, and he plunged into the sea; the place where he fell was named the Icarian Sea after him (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.7-13; Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.163-262; Hyginus, Fabulae 40). Minos searched in many lands for Daedalus but was killed in Sicily by the daughters of Cocalus, who was harboring Daedalus (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.14-15).

Daphne [daf'nee], "laurel."
She was a daughter of the river god Peneus-Apollo fell in love with her, but she fled from him. When Peneus turned her into a laurel tree to save her, Apollo vowed that he would use laurel sprigs to wreathe his head as well as to adorn his quiver and his lyre (Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.452-567; Hyginus, Fabulae 203).

Dardanus [dar'da-nus] or Dardanos, "burn," or "divide."
This son of Zeus and Electra (daughter of Atlas) survived the great flood and sailed to the area that later became known as Troy. He married the daughter of Teucer, who was king of the area, built a city, and named it after himself. When Teucer died, Dardanus succeeded him as king and renamed the entire area Dardania; the inhabitants of the region were known as Dardani. The Trojan royal house traced its lineage back to Dardanus (Homer, Iliad 20.215-222; Apollodorus 3.12.1-2; Diodorus Siculus 5.48.2-3). Family Tree 42.

Deïanira [dee-ya-neye'ra] or Deianeira, "man-killer."
She was the sister of Meleager. Heracles won her hand by defeating Acheloüs in a fight, but the centaur Nessus tried to rape her after carrying her across the River Evenus. Heracles saved her by shooting Nessus with an arrow that had been dipped in the poison of the Lernaean hydra. Nessus told Deïanira to gather some of his blood as a love potion to use on Heracles should he ever begin to stray from her; later, when Heracles wooed Iole, Deïanira sent him a robe that had been dipped in the blood of Nessus. When Heracles donned the robe, his flesh was eaten away-he finally stopped the excruciating pain by ending his life on a pyre he had Poeas build and ignite. Deïanira took her life with a sword (Sophocles, Trachiniae; Apollodorus 2.7.5-7; Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.1-238; Hyginus, Fabulae 34, 36). Family Tree 48.

Demeter [de-mee'ter] (Ceres), "grain mother," or "earth mother"(?).
This daughter of Cronus and Rhea was one of the twelve Olympians-goddess of grain and the earth's fertility. By Iasion she is the mother of Plutus, the god of wealth, and by Poseidon she gave birth to Arion. Her affair with Zeus produced Persephone. She searched for Persephone after the maiden was abducted by Hades (Homeric Hymn to Demeter; Apollodorus 1.5.1-3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 5.359-550). This story was the basis for the Eleusinian Mysteries-initiates into these mysteries believed in a life after death and trusted that their lot in that life would be better because they had taken part in the mysteries. Family Tree 2.

Deucalion [dou-kay'li-on] or Deukalion, "wet," and Pyrrha [pir'ra], "red-haired."
Deucalion was the son of Prometheus and Pyrrha was the daughter of Epimetheus. Warned by Prometheus, they built a boat and survived the great flood; they repopulated the earth by throwing stones behind their backs (Apollodorus 1.7.1-2; Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.318-415). Family Tree 4.

Diana [deye-a'na] (Artemis), "goddess."
She was an Italian goddess concerned with the affairs of women, particularly childbirth, who became identified with Artemis.

Dike [dee'kay], "justice, order, right."
This daughter of Zeus and Themis was one of the Seasons. She and her sisters attended the divinities of vegetation and fertility, Dionysus, Persephone, and Demeter-they often accompanied Aphrodite (Hesiod, Theogony 901-906; Apollodorus 1.3.1). Family Tree 5.

Diomedes [deye-o-mee'deez], "divine ruler."
One of the Epigoni and later one of the leading Greeks in the Trojan War, he wounded Aeneas and even the goddess Aphrodite. He stole the Palladium from Troy, helped bring Philoctetes from Lemnos, and was one of the men who hid inside the wooden horse. He had a safe voyage home from Troy (Homer, Iliad 2.559-568, 5.1-444; 6.119-236, 8.78-171, 10.219-579, 14.109-134; Apollodorus 1.8.5-6; Hyginus, Fabulae 98, 102, 108, 175). Family Tree 29.

Dione [deye-oh'nee].
A goddess about whom little is known, Homer says she was the mother of Aphrodite by Zeus. Her name may be a feminine form of the name Zeus (Homer, Iliad 5.370-416; Hesiod, Theogony 353; Euripides, Helen 1098; Apollodorus 1.1.3, 1.3.1). Family Tree 50.

Dionysus [deye-o-neye'sus] or Dionysos (Bacchus), "Zeus's limp"(?).
This son of Zeus and Semele (also known to the Greeks as Bakchos), was god of vegetation, particularly of the grapevine and wine. He was also a resurrection god and leader of a mystery cult and, in this capacity, represents the ecstatic, mystical, emotive side of life. His followers were bacchants or bacchantes (male or female), maenads (always female, also known as bacchae), satyrs, and sileni (both always male) (Euripides, Bacchae; Apollodorus 3.4.2-3.5.3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.513-4.41, 4.389-419). Pirates kidnapped Dionysus when he was a young man but he caused wine to flow on the ship and vines to climb up the mast; he turned himself into a lion and created a bear in the middle part of the ship. The pirates jumped overboard to save themselves and Dionysus turned them into the first dolphins -- he blessed the helmsman, who had pleaded for his release, with happiness and fortune (Homeric Hymn to Dionysus 7; Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.582-691; Hyginus, Fabulae 134). Dionysus replaced Hestia as one of the twelve Olympians. Family Tree 23 Family Tree 46.

Dioscuri [dye-os'kou-ree] or Dioskouroi, "sons of Zeus."
This is the name for Castor and Polydeuces (also known as Pollux) -- sons of Leda said to have been fathered by Zeus (Euripides, Helen 16ff.; Apollodorus 3.10.7; Hyginus, Fabulae 77). They brought their sister Helen back to Sparta after Theseus had kidnapped her (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.23; Plutarch, Theseus 32, 34; Diodorus Siculus 4.63.1-5). They also took part in the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts and in the Calydonian boar hunt (Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.301-302, 373-375). When they quarreled with their cousins Idas and Lynceus -- Castor was killed -- Zeus offered to grant immortality to Polydeuces and to take him up to Olympus or to allow him to live forever with Castor, one day on Olympus and the next day in the Underworld. Polydeuces chose to remain with his brother (Pindar, Nemean Odes 10.60-91; Theocritus, 22.137ff.; Apollodorus 3.11.2; Cypria 1; Ovid, Fasti 5.699ff.; Hyginus, Fabulae 80). After their deaths, the Dioscuri were worshiped as gods -- they were believed to protect seafarers as Saint Elmo's fire and to defend the just (Pliny, Natural History 2.101). Family Tree 48.

Doris [dor'is], "gifted."
This daughter of Oceanus and Tethys was a sea goddess; she married Nereus and became mother of the Nereids (Hesiod, Theogony 240-264, 350; Apollodorus 1.2.2, 1.2.7). Family Tree 6.

Echidna [e-kid'na], "viper."
Half snake and half nymph -- child of Chrysaor and Callirhoë, an Oceanid -- she mated with Typhon and bore Orthus, Cerberus, the Lernaean hydra, and the Chimaera. Echidna and Orthus then produced the Theban Sphinx and the Nemean lion (Hesiod, Theogony 295-332; Apollodorus 2.1.2). Family Tree 1.

Eileithyia [eye-leye-theye'a], "she who has come."
This daughter of Zeus and Hera was goddess of childbirth. The birth of Apollo was delayed while Hera detained her (Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo 3.91-119). Hera sent her to delay the birth of Heracles (Homer, Iliad 19.96-133; Apollodorus 2.4.5; Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.281-323). Family Tree 22.

Eirene [eye-ree'nee], "peace."
This daughter of Zeus and Themis was one of the Seasons. She and her sisters attended the divinities of vegetation and fertility, Dionysus, Persephone, and Demeter-they often accompanied Aphrodite (Hesiod, Theogony 901-906; Apollodorus 1.3.1). Family Tree 5.

Electra [e-lek'tra] or Elektra (1), "amber."
The daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra (though Homer does not mention her among Agamemnon's children [Homer, Iliad 9.142]), she helped Orestes avenge the murder of their father by killing Clytemnestra; she married Pylades and gave birth to Medon and Strophius (Aeschylus, Libation Bearers; Sophocles, Electra; Euripides, Electra, Orestes; Apollodorus, Epitome 2.15, 4.23, 4.28; Seneca, Agamemnon; Hyginus, Fabulae 117, 122). Family Tree 15.

Electra [e-lek'tra] or Elektra (2), "amber."
She was the mother of Iris and the Harpies (Hesiod, Theogony 265-269; Apollodorus 1.2.6). Family Tree 6.

Electra [e-lek'tra] or Elektra (3), "amber."
One of the Pleiades (daughters of Atlas and Pleione), Zeus fell in love with her and carried her to Olympus from her home in Samothrace; when she clung to the Palladium for safety, Zeus threw it from Olympus. In grief at either the death of her son Dardanus or at the destruction of Troy, she withdrew to the Arctic Circle, leaving her star in the Pleiades constellation virtually invisible (Apollodorus 3.10.1, 3.12.1, 3.12.3; Hyginus, Fabulae 192, Poetica Astronomica 2.21). Family Tree 49.

Electryon [e-lek'tri-on] or Elektryon, "shining."
This son of Perseus and king of Mycenae attacked the Taphians and the Teleboans (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.747-751). He left his nephew Amphitryon in charge of Mycenae and promised to give his daughter, Alcmene, to Amphitryon. Amphitryon accidentally killed Electryon by throwing a club at one of his cows, but the club ricocheted off the cow's horns and struck Electryon (Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 11-12, 79-82; Apollodorus 2.4.5-6). Family Tree 31.

Elysium [e-liz'ee-um] or Elysion.
This home of the blessed in the afterlife -- also known as the Elysian Fields, Isles of the Blest, Blessed Isles, Heaven, and Paradise -- was originally seen as the destination of heroes only, later of anyone who led a good life. It is variously located next to the Underworld, beyond the River Ocean in the west, or in the heavens (Homer, Odyssey 4.561-569; Hesiod, Works and Days 167-173; Pindar, Olympian Odes 2.61-83; Pausanias 3.19.11-13).

Eos [ee'os], "dawn," (Aurora).
This daughter of Hyperion and Theia was goddess of the dawn. She had affairs with Ares, Orion, Cephalus, Tithonus, and others. When she asked the gods to grant immortality to Tithonus, a royal Trojan, she forgot to ask that he be ageless as well as deathless -- Tithonus got older and older, eventually he became nothing but a grasshopper (Hesiod, Theogony 371-382, 984-991; Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 5.218-238; Apollodorus 1.4.5, 3.12.4, 3.14.3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.576-622; Hyginus, Fabulae 189). Family Tree 30.

Epigoni [e-pig'o-neye] or Epigonoi, "later offspring."
They were descendants of the Seven against Thebes who avenged the defeat of their forebears at Thebes by attacking and sacking the city (Apollodorus 3.6.2).

Erebus [er'e-bus] or Erebos, "darkness."
One of the offspring of Chaos, together with Night, Erebus produced Air (Aether, the bright upper atmosphere) and Day. Poets later equated Erebus with the realm of Hades (Hesiod, Theogony 123-125). Family Tree 2.

Erichthonius [er-ik-thohn'i-us] or Erichthonios , "conflict with the earth"(?).
Part snake and part man, he was born from the earth when Hephaestus tried to rape Athena and his semen fell on the ground. When Gaia refused to take care of the child, Athena named him Erichthonius, placed him in a box and gave him to Aglauros, daughter of Cecrops. Aglauros was turned to stone by Hermes, and her mother and two sisters peeked inside the box; when they saw that the infant was part snake, they jumped off the Acropolis of Athens in terror. Athena then raised Erichthonius herself; he became king of Athens and instituted the annual festival known as the Panathenaea (Euripides, Ion 20-24, 260-274; Apollodorus 3.14.6; Hyginus, Fabulae 166, Poetica Astronomica 2.13).

Erinyes [er-rin'i-eez] or Furies, "strong ones"(?).
These were fierce, winged spirits who avenged wrongs against blood relatives, often by driving the criminals mad. They sprang up out of the blood that fell to the ground from the castrated genitals of Uranus. They pursued Orestes for killing Clytemnestra, but when Orestes was acquitted in the court of the Areopagus in Athens, the Erinyes were appeased by the promise of Athena that they would have a home in Athens and would be worshiped there. The Erinyes (Furies) thereafter became known as the Eumenides, which means "the kind ones" (Hesiod, Theogony 168-200; Aeschylus, Eumenides; Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 940-967; Apollodorus, Epitome 6.25; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.451-511). Family Tree 3.

Eris [er'is], "strife."
The goddess of discord, she was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. She came anyway and threw into the midst of the goddesses an apple that became known as the apple of discord -- on it were inscribed the words "For the most beautiful." When Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all claimed the apple, Zeus decreed that the matter should be decided by Paris. The Judgment of Paris and its consequences eventually led to the Trojan War (Homer, Iliad 4.439-445, 11.3-14; Hesiod, Works and Days 11-19, Theogony 225-232; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.1-2; Hyginus, Fabulae 92).

Eros [er'os], "love," (Cupid).
He emerged shortly after Chaos at the first stage of creation. The male counterpart of Aphrodite (Hesiod, Theogony 120-122, 201) -- later mythology called him the son of Aphrodite and Ares -- the Romans knew this depiction of the god as Cupid (Virgil, Aeneid 1.667-722). Family Tree 2 Family Tree 22.

Eteocles [e-tee'o-kleez] or Eteokles.
This son of Oedipus and Jocasta was to alternate rule of Thebes with his brother Polynices, each brother ruling for one year at a time and then stepping down. When Eteocles refused to hand the throne over to Polynices at the end of the first year, Polynices and six other leaders (the Seven against Thebes) led an expedition against the city. Eteocles and Polynices killed each other at the same moment (Aeschylus, Seven against Thebes; Euripides, Phoenician Women; Apollodorus 3.6.5-6; Pausanias 9.5.11-13). Family Tree 19.

Eunomia [you-noh'mi-a], "good order."
This daughter of Zeus and Themis was one of the Seasons. She and her sisters attended the divinities of vegetation and fertility, Dionysus, Persephone, and Demeter -- they often accompanied Aphrodite (Hesiod, Theogony 901-906; Apollodorus 1.3.1). Family Tree 5.

Europa [you-roh'pa] or Europe, "wide-faced."
This daughter of Agenor was seduced by Zeus and carried to Crete where she bore Minos. Her brother Cadmus searched for her and founded Cadmeia (Thebes) (Apollodorus 3.1.1-2; Diodorus Siculus 5.78.1; Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.836-875; Hyginus, Fabulae 178). Family Tree 23 Family Tree 46.

Eurybia [you-ri'bi-a] or Eurybie, "broad might."
She was the offspring of Pontus and Gaia, mother of Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses by the Titan Crius. Nothing is known of her function (Hesiod, Theogony 239, 375-377; Apollodorus 1.2.6). Family Tree 6 Family Tree 18.

Eurydice [you-ri'di-see] or Eurydike, "broad justice."
The wife of Orpheus, she was bitten by a snake on her wedding day and died. Orpheus charmed Hades and Persephone with his music, so they allowed him to lead Eurydice out of the Underworld provided that he not look behind on the way out. Orpheus became worried that Eurydice was not following, so he turned to see her -- Eurydice slipped away from him and died a second time. When Orpheus tried a second time to retrieve her, Charon refused to ferry him across the River Styx (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.23-34; Apollodorus 1.3.2; Virgil, Georgics 4.453-527; Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.1-85, 11.1-84; Hyginus, Poetica Astronomica 2.7).

Eurynome [you-ri'noh-mee] (1), "wide ruling," or "wind wandering."
This daughter of Oceanus and Tethys bore the three Graces and the river Asopus by Zeus (Hesiod, Theogony 358, 907-911; Apollodorus 3.12.6; Pausanias 8.41.4-6). Family Tree 8 Family Tree 55.

Eurynome [you-ri'noh-mee] (2), "wide ruling," or "wind wandering."
The daughter of Nisus, Athena instructed her until she equaled the gods in wisdom. She married Glaucus and became the mother of Bellerophon; some sources say Poseidon lay with Eurynome and fathered Bellerophon (Hesiod, Catalogue of Women 7). Apollodorus calls her Eurymede (Apollodorus 1.9.3). Family Tree 45.

Eurystheus [you-ris'the-us], "broadly powerful."
The son of Sthenelus and the man whom Heracles had to serve for twelve years in order to become immortal, Eurystheus was born before Heracles because Hera hastened his birth and delayed Heracles' (Homer, Iliad 19.96-133; Apollodorus 2.4.5; Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.281-323). He became king of Mycenae (Apollodorus 2.4.12). Family Tree 31.v

Fates, Moirae, or Moirai [moi'reye].
They were generally considered offspring of Zeus and Themis, though some sources list Night or Erebus as their mother. They are also called Moirae or Parcae. They were personifications of an individual's fate and were depicted as three old women (Hesiod, Theogony 217-222, 901-906, Shield of Heracles 248-269). Family Tree 5.

Faunus [faw'nus], "kindly one."
An Italian god of woods and forests, he was associated with the Roman festival known as the Lupercalia because of his identification with Pan. He saw Hercules (Heracles in Greek mythology) and Omphale, and fell in love immediately with Omphale. He crept into their cave and located in the dark the individual wearing feminine clothing, but Hercules and Omphale had traded clothes -- Hercules thrashed him (Ovid, Fasti 2.303-358).

Five Ages of Man
These are the stages of human beings' existence on the earth. They are as follows:
Golden Age. This took place during the reign of Cronus -- harmony and peace prevailed. Humans did not grow old, but died peacefully. This race of humans died out (Diodorus Siculus 5.66.4-6).
Silver Age. These people lived for 100 years as children without growing up, then they suddenly aged and died. Zeus destroyed these people because of their impiety.
Bronze Age. These humans were fierce and warlike -- their tools and implements were made of bronze. They destroyed one another in wars.
Heroic Age. In this period lived noble demigods and heroes. This race died and went to Elysium.
Iron Age. This is the age in which we live -- humans who bicker and fight. They have to struggle to eke out their existence; Zeus will someday destroy this race (Hesiod, Works and Days 111-201).

Gaia [geye'a] or Gaea [jee'a] or Ge [gay], "earth."
She came into being shortly after Chaos in the first stage of creation. She produced Uranus, Ourea (Mountains), and Pontus without a partner, then mated with Uranus to give birth to the Hecatonchires, the Cyclopes, and the Titans. She conspired with her youngest son, Cronus, to overthrow Uranus (Hesiod, Theogony 116-187, 233-239, 459-497, 820-822, 881-885; Apollodorus 1.1.1-5). Family Tree 1 Family Tree 2.

Galatea [ga-la-tee'a] (1), "milk white."
She was the woman Pygmalion created out of ivory for himself.

Galatea [ga-la-tee'a] (2), "milk white."
A Nereid with whom the Cyclops Polyphemus fell in love, she was enamored of Acis, the son of Faunus. Polyphemus cut his beard with a scythe and combed his hair with a rake, but Galatea was still not interested. When Polyphemus caught Galatea and Acis in the act of love, he chased after them; Galatea jumped into the sea and Acis was crushed beneath a huge rock hurled by the Cyclops (Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.750-897).

Ganymede [gan'i-meed], "delighting in manliness."
The son of Tros, Zeus snatched handsome Ganymede and made him a cupbearer for the gods. Zeus sent Hermes to Tros with some swift horses to compensate for the loss of his son (Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 5.202-217; Apollodorus 2.5.9, 3.12.2; Hyginus, Poetica Astronomica 2.16, 2.29). Family Tree 42.

Geryon [jer'i-on or ger'i-on], "shouter."
This child of Callirhoë and Chrysaor was a monster with three heads who lived far to the west on the island of Erythia, where he kept cattle. Orthus, a hound with two heads, and Eurytion, a giant, helped him tend his herd. For his tenth labor, Heracles had to bring these cattle back to Mycenae; Heracles killed Orthus, Eurytion, and Geryon (Hesiod, Theogony 287-294, 979-983; Pindar, Fragment 169.4-7; Herodotus 4.8; Euripides, Heracles 423-424; Apollodorus 2.5.10; Diodorus Siculus 4.17). Family Tree 1.

Giants [jee'je-nays and gay'ge-nays] or Gegeneis, "earth-born."
They sprang up from the blood that dripped to the earth from the castrated genitals of Uranus and fought against Zeus in the Gigantomachy. Some sources say Heracles helped Zeus secure the victory (Apollodorus 1.6.1-2; Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.151-160). Family Tree 3.

Gorgons [gor'gonz] or Gorgones, "fierce ones."
These three daughters of Phorcys and Ceto -- their names are Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale -- have serpents for hair, and anyone who looks at them is turned to stone. Perseus had to bring the head of Medusa back to Polydectes (Hesiod, Theogony 270-283; Apollodorus 2.4.2). Family Tree 35.

Graces, or Charites [kar'i-teez].
These daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, usually said to be three in number, are personifications of beauty and grace. They often serve as attendants of Aphrodite at joyous occasions such as weddings and are typically portrayed in art as nubile young women dancing nude (Hesiod, Theogony 64-65, 945-946). Family Tree 55.

Graeae [gree'ee or geye'eye] or Graiai, "old women."
These three daughters of Phorcys and Ceto were born old and had gray hair at birth. They share one razor-sharp tooth and one eye. Perseus consulted the Graeae to learn the whereabouts of the Stygian nymphs who had some implements he needed for his expedition to the Gorgons. He took the Graeae's one eye and refused to return it until they told him where he could find the Stygian nymphs (Hesiod, Theogony 270-283; Apollodorus 2.4.1-2). Family Tree 35.

Hades [hay'deez], "unseen one," (Pluto).
Although this son of Cronus and Rhea is ruler of the Underworld, he is not considered one of the Olympian gods, because he does not live on Olympus (Hesiod, Theogony 453-455). Though fixed and immovable, Hades is a just ruler. He is married to Persephone (Homeric Hymn to Demeter; Apollodorus 1.5.1-3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 5.359-550). Family Tree 2.

Harmonia [har-moh'ni-a], "concord."
The daughter of Ares and Aphrodite (some sources say of Zeus and Electra, the daughter of Atlas), she was married to Cadmus. The marriage was a grand affair, attended by gods and mortals alike. Along with her husband, she was turned into a snake at the end of her life (Apollodorus 3.5.4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.563-603; Hyginus, Fabulae 6). Family Tree 46.

Harpies [har'peez], "snatchers."
These children of Thaumas and the Oceanid Electra have wings and talons like birds, but in their upper bodies and faces they resemble women. They are personifications of the winds that carry things away (Hesiod, Theogony 265-269). Both Jason and Aeneas had adventures with Harpies on their travels. Family Tree 6.

Hebe [hee'bee], "youth."
This daughter of Zeus and Hera is goddess of youthful bloom and the first blush of puberty. She serves the immortals as a cupbearer (Homer, Iliad 4.2-3), and became the wife of Heracles after he died (Pindar, Isthmian Odes 4.55-60; Apollodorus 2.7.7). Family Tree 22.

Hecate [hek'a-tee] or Hekate, "far darter."
A descendant of the Titans, she is a fertility goddess whose home is in the Underworld. She is associated with darkness, black magic, and witchcraft, and was especially worshiped at crossroads, which were thought to be centers of ghostly activities. She became identified with her cousin Artemis (Hesiod, Theogony 409-452). Family Tree 18.

Hecatonchires [hek-a-ton-keye'reez] or Hekatoncheires, "hundred-handers."
They are three children of Uranus and Gaia, each of whom has 100 hands. Uranus imprisoned them inside Gaia, but Cronus released them and they joined the side of Zeus in the tenth year of the Titanomachy. Zeus placed them as guards over the Titans in Tartarus (Hesiod, Theogony 147-160, 617-735; Apollodorus 1.1.1-2, 4-5; 1.2.1). Family Tree 3.

Hector [hek'tor], "prop."
Son of Priam and Hecuba, he was the Trojans' greatest warrior. He was married to Andromache and father of Astyanax. After he killed Patroclus, Achilles reentered the battle and killed Hector; each day for twelve successive days Achilles dragged Hector's body around the city and each night Apollo restored the corpse. Priam ransomed his son's body from Achilles (Homer, Iliad). When the Greeks sacked Troy, Andromache was given to Neoptolemus and Astyanax was thrown to his death from the city walls (Little Iliad 14; Euripides, Andromache). Family Tree 42.

Hecuba [he'kyou-ba] or Hekabe.
Sometimes called Hecabe, this daughter of Dymas or Cisseus or the river god Sangarius and Metope, was the mother of numerous children. She was awarded to Odysseus after the Trojan War, but in Thrace she was turned into a dog with fiery eyes after blinding and killing King Polymestor, who had robbed and killed her son (Pindar, Paeans 8; Euripides, Hecuba, The Trojan Women; Apollodorus, Epitome 5.23; Pausanias 10.27.2; Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.536-575; Hyginus, Fabulae 91, 111). Family Tree 42.

Helen, "light."
The daughter of Zeus and Leda, Tyndareus was her earthly father. Many suitors wooed her, but she married Menelaus, king of Sparta, after Tyndareus made the suitors swear an oath to protect Helen and her husband (Hesiod, Catalogue of Women 67-68; Apollodorus 3.10.8-9; Pausanias 3.1.4-5; Hyginus, Fabulae 77, 80, 81). But Paris took her to Sparta as his prize for naming Aphrodite the most beautiful of the goddesses (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.3), and the Trojan War was fought to reclaim Helen. One account says Helen was in Egypt during the Trojan War and that it was a phantom Helen that Paris took to Troy (Herodotus 2.112-120; Euripides, Helen 31-51, Electra 1280-1283). Family Tree 32.

Helenus [hel'e-nus] or Helenos, "of the light."
The son of Priam and Hecuba, he had the gift of prophecy. When he was captured by the Greeks in the tenth year of the Trojan War, he told them that they would win the conflict only if the bones of Pelops were brought to Troy; if the Palladium was taken from the city; if Neoptolemus took the place of his father, Achilles; and if Philoctetes was fetched to use the bow and arrows of Heracles that he had acquired from his father. After the war, Helenus established the city of Buthrotum, in northwestern Greece (Homer, Iliad 6.72-101, 7.44-53, 13.576-600; Sophocles, Philoctetes 604-613, 1337-1342; Virgil, Aeneid 3.294-491; Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.437-452; Apollodorus, Epitome 5.9-10, 23, 6.12-13). Family Tree 42.

Helius [hee'li-us] or Helios, "sun."
He is son of Hyperion and Theia and a sun god (Hesiod, Theogony 371-374, 956-962). Family Tree 30.

Helle, [hel'lee].
The daughter of Athamas and Nephele, she was saved by a flying golden ram when her stepmother, Ino, tried to have her killed. She fell from the ram into the strait that became known as the Hellespont after her (Apollodorus 1.9.1; Diodorus Siculus 4.47; Hyginus, Fabulae 1-3, Poetica Astronomica 2.30). Family Tree 25.

Hemera [hee'me-ra], "day."
This offspring of Erebus and Nyx (Night) was the personification of day (Hesiod, Theogony 124-125; Pausanias 1.3.1). Family Tree 2.

Hephaestus [he-fees'tus or he-fes'tus] or Hephaestos (Vulcan), "light"(?).
This son of Zeus and Hera is the god of creative and divine fire; he is a cupbearer at the gods' banquets and a highly skilled blacksmith and artisan. He made new armor for Achilles during the Trojan War. He was a cripple at birth and his mother hurled him from Olympus; he landed in the sea, and was cared for by Thetis and Eurynome. Hera later restored him to Olympus and married him to Aphrodite (Homer, Iliad 18.394-405; Apollodorus 1.3.5). Zeus also threw him from Olympus once -- he landed on the island of Lemnos, which became an important center of his worship (Homer, Iliad 1.584-594). Family Tree 22.

Hera [hee'ra] (Juno), "she who protects."
The daughter of Cronus and Rhea, she married her brother Zeus and became his queen. One of the twelve Olympians, she is a goddess of marriage and childbirth. She figures prominently as the bane of Heracles and the protector of Jason (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica). Family Tree 22.

Heracles [her'a-kleez] or Herakles (Hercules), "glory of Hera."
This son of Zeus and Alcmene was plagued by Hera, who beset him with fits of madness. He married Megara, but killed her and their children. He had to perform twelve labors for Eurystheus. A lion skin, a club, and a bow and arrows were his trademarks. He married Deïanira, but pursued Iole. He was sold as a slave to Omphale. He was poisoned by Deïanira with blood from Nessus that was tainted with toxin from the Lernaean hydra, and had Poeas (father of Philoctetes) light a funeral pyre on which he died. He became a god, was reconciled with Hera, and married Hebe. Family Tree 31.

Hermaphroditus [her-ma-froh-dee'tus] or Hermaphroditos , "of Hermes and Aphrodite."
He was the son of Hermes and Aphrodite. When he was fifteen years old, the nymph of the fountain Salmacis fell in love with him and pulled him into the fountain. She wrapped herself around him and prayed that they would never be separated. The gods made of Hermaphroditus and Salmacis one person, a hermaphrodite, neither male nor female (Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.385-388). Family Tree 38.

Hermes [her'meez] (Mercury), "pillar" or "support."
This son of Zeus and Maia is one of the twelve Olympians. He delivers messages for the gods and is also the god of travelers, roads, orators, commerce, and thieves. He accompanies the souls of the dead to the Underworld. On the first day of his life he escaped from his crib, created the first lyre from a tortoise shell and reeds, and stole some of the cattle of his half-brother Apollo. He and Apollo were reconciled, and he gave the lyre to Apollo (Homeric Hymn to Hermes; Apollodorus 3.10.2). Family Tree 38.

Hermione [her-meye'o-nee].
The daughter of Menelaus and Helen, she married Orestes and was the mother of Tisamenus. Some accounts say she had been married, or at least promised, to Neoptolemus (Homer, Iliad 3.174, Odyssey 4.5-14; Euripides, Andromache 967-981, Orestes 1653-1657; Apollodorus 3.11.1, Epitome 3.3, 6.14, 6.28; Pausanias 2.18.6; Hyginus, Fabulae 123). Family Tree 15.

Hero [hee'roh], "devoted to Hera"(?), and Leander [lee-an'der], "lion man."
They were two lovers who lived on opposite sides of the Hellespont. Each night, Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite, set out a lamp on a tower and Leander swam across the Hellespont to be with her. One night, a fierce storm extinguished Hero's lamp, and Leander, unable to find his way to the shore, drowned in the storm. Hero discovered her lover's corpse and threw herself off the tower (Ovid, Heroides 18, 19).

Hestia [hes'ti-a], "hearth," (Vesta).
The daughter of Cronus and Rhea, she was one of the twelve Olympians until she was replaced by Dionysus. Goddess of the hearth and its fire, she was accorded special honor at feasts and sacrifices. She was also a goddess of chastity (Hesiod, Theogony 453-506; Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 5.21-32; Homeric Hymns to Hestia 24, 33). Family Tree 2.

Hippodamia [hip-poh-da-mee'a or hip-poh-da-meye'a] or Hippodameia, "tamer of horses."
The daughter of Oenomaus and either Sterope or Euarete, her father promised to give her to the man who could beat him in a chariot race, but he killed all those who lost to him. Pelops won the race by bribing Oenomaus' charioteer, Myrtilus, to sabotage Oenomaus' vehicle (Pindar, Olympian Odes 1.67; Apollodorus, Epitome 2.4-9; Diodorus Siculus 4.73; Pausanias 5.10.6, 5.14.6, 5.17.7, 6.20.17, 6.21.6-11, 8.14.10; Hyginus, Fabulae 84). Family Tree 15.

Hippolytus [hip-pol'itus] or Hippolytos, "releaser of horses."
The son of Theseus and his Amazon wife, Antiope, his stepmother, Phaedra, fell in love with him. He refused her advances, so she accused him of trying to seduce her and then she killed herself. Theseus believed the allegations and called on Poseidon to punish Hippolytus. Poseidon sent a bull from the sea and Hippolytus' horses were so frightened that they overturned the chariot, dragging Hippolytus. Theseus was reconciled with his son before the young man died (Euripides, Hippolytus; Seneca, Phaedra; Apollodorus, Epitome 1.18-19; Diodorus Siculus 4.62; Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.497-546; Virgil, Aeneid 7.761-782; Hyginus, Fabulae 47). Family Tree 16.

Hylas [heye'las], "of the woods."
He accompanied Heracles as one of the Argonauts. When the Argonauts stopped at Cios so Heracles could make a new oar to replace one he had broken, Hylas leaned over to drink from a spring. The nymph of the spring g.htmled his neck and pulled him into the water. Heracles searched in vain for his friend and was unwilling to leave him behind, so the Argonauts had to sail without Heracles (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.1207-1357; Apollodorus 1.9.19; Hyginus, Fabulae 14; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 3.521-610).

Hyperion [heye-per'i-on], "he who goes above."
One of the Titans -- a sun god -- he married his sister Theia, and together they bore Helius, Selene, and Eos (Hesiod, Theogony 134, 371-374; Homeric Hymn to Helios 31). Family Tree 30.

Iapetus [eye-ap'e-tus] or Iapetos, "struck"(?).
One of the Titans, he married Clymene, and was the father of Atlas, Menoetius, Epimetheus, and Prometheus (Hesiod, Theogony 132-136, 507-514; Apollodorus 1.2.3). Family Tree 4.

Iasion [i-as'i-on], "healing"(?).
He fell in love with Demeter at the wedding of Cadmus and Harmonia. They made love in a nearby field, but when Zeus realized what had happened, he killed Iasion with a thunderbolt. The offspring of this union between Iasion and Demeter was Plutus, the god of wealth (Homer, Odyssey 5.125-128; Apollodorus 3.12.1; Diodorus Siculus 5.48.3-5.49.5). Family Tree 14.

Icarius [i-kar'i-us] or Ikarios, "follower"(?).
He entertained Dionysus in his home in Attica, so the god gave him the gift of wine. When Icarius shared the wine with his countrymen, they thought they had been poisoned and they killed him. When Erigone, his daughter, found his corpse, she hanged herself. Plagues and hardships buffeted the people until, on the advice of Apollo, they instituted a festival to honor Icarius and Erigone (Apollodorus 3.14.7; Hyginus, Fabulae 130, Poetica Astronomica 2.4).

Ilus [eye'lus] or Ilos, "troop."
Founder of the city that was named Troy after his father, Tros, Ilus followed a cow until it rested, and he built a city there. When he prayed for a sign that he had chosen the right spot, Zeus dropped from the sky a statue that was sacred to Athena: the Palladium. Ilus built a temple to house the statue, and Troy was safe from foreign enemies as long as the Palladium remained within the city walls (Homer, Iliad 21.231-236; Apollodorus 3.12.2-3). Family Tree 42.

Ino [eye'noh], "sinew."
The daughter of Cadmus and sister of Semele, she married Athamas and attempted to have his children, Phrixus and Helle, destroyed. Nephele, the children's real mother, foiled her plot by helping the children escape on a golden ram with wings (Apollodorus 1.9.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 2). Ino also became the caretaker of the infant Dionysus, but Hera drove her mad, causing her to commit suicide and kill her son, Melicertes, by jumping into the sea with him (Apollodorus 3.4.3). She became a minor deity and was known as Leucothea. One of her chief functions was to rescue shipwrecked sailors (Homer, Iliad 5.333-353, 458-462; Apollodorus 3.4.3). Family Tree 46.

Io [eye'oh], "moon."
She was the daughter of the river god Inachus and a priestess of Hera. Zeus turned her into a cow to hide his affair with her. Hera claimed the cow as her own and placed it under the guard of Argus. Zeus sent Hermes to free her; Hermes was able to lull 100 of Argus' eyes to sleep at once by telling him a story (other sources say he played the flute for Argus). Hermes then killed Argus and gave his eyes to Hera, who put them on the tail of the peacock. Still in the form of a cow, Io wandered around the world, and Hera sent a gadfly to pester her; eventually Zeus restored her to human form, and she gave birth to Epaphus, Zeus' son. The Ionian Sea was named for her (Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 561-886; Apollodorus 2.1.3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.583-750). Family Tree 34.

Iole [eye'o-lee], "moon" and "people"(?).
The daughter of Eurytus, king of Oechalia, Heracles won her hand in an archery contest, but Eurytus refused to give her to him. Heracles returned to his home in Tiryns, but later he threw Iphitus, the brother of Iole, to his death from the city walls. When he went to Delphi to learn what he could do to be rid of the fits of madness that led him to such destructive acts, Heracles was told that he had to be sold into slavery for one year. With Hermes serving as auctioneer, Heracles was sold to Queen Omphale of Lydia; after serving her for twelve months, Heracles sacked Oechalia, killed Eurytus, and took Iole (Sophocles, Trachiniae; Apollodorus 2.6.1, 2.7.7; Diodorus Siculus 4.31).

Iphigenia [if-i-je-neye'a or if-i-je-nee'a] or Iphigeneia, "of mighty birth."
She was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. When the Greek army could not sail from Aulis to Troy because of bad weather, they sacrificed Iphigenia in order to appease Artemis, who had been offended because Agamemnon and Menelaus had killed a stag that was sacred to her. Iphigenia was brought to Aulis on the pretext that Achilles wanted to marry her before going to Troy. When she arrived, she was sacrificed, but some versions of the tale say that Artemis snatched her up at the last moment, took her to the land of the Taurians to be a priestess, and substituted a stag in her place at the altar (Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.21-23; Ovid, Metamorphoses 12.24-38; Hyginus, Fabulae 98). Family Tree 15.

Iris [eye'ris], "rainbow."
The daughter of Thaumas and the Oceanid Electra, and goddess of the rainbow, she served the gods, especially Hera, as a messenger (Hesiod, Theogony 265-269; Apollodorus 1.2.6). Family Tree 6.

Ismene [is-mee'nee].
Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, she refused to help Antigone bury the body of their brother Polynices. Later, when Ismene tried to take part of the responsibility for the action, Antigone rebuked her (Sophocles, Antigone; Apollodorus 3.5.8). Family Tree 19.

Ixion [ik-seye'on], "strength."
The son of Phlegyas, he was betrothed to Dia, but he killed her father by setting a trap for him. Zeus brought him up to Olympus to purify him, but Ixion fell in love with Hera. Zeus fashioned a cloud in the form of Hera, so when Ixion forced himself on what he thought was Hera, Zeus captured him and affixed him to a burning wheel that revolves forever. The offspring of Ixion and the cloud was Centaurus, who became the father of the race of centaurs (Pindar, Pythian Odes 2.21-48; Apollodorus, Epitome 1.20; Diodorus Siculus 4.69.3-5; Hyginus, Fabulae 62). Family Tree 33.

Janus [jay'nus], "door."
He is a Roman deity for whom there is no Greek equivalent. Originally associated with water, particularly with bridges and crossing places over bodies of water, he developed into a god of comings and goings, of entrances and exits, and of beginnings. He gave his name to January, the first month of the year. He was often depicted with two faces, one looking ahead and one looking behind, because as a god of entrances and exits, he could look in two directions at once (Ovid, Fasti 1.89-144). He saved Rome from the attacking Sabines when boiling water gushed from the mouth of his statue in the Forum.

Jason [jay'son], "healer."
The son of Aeson, he was raised by Chiron (Pindar, Pythian Odes 4.111-115). Pelias sent him to Colchis to obtain the Golden Fleece. Hera was his ally and protector (Pindar, Pythian Odes 4.71-167), so with the help of Hera and Medea, Jason obtained the fleece and returned to Iolcus, where Medea caused the death of Pelias. Jason and Medea went to Corinth in exile, where Jason fell in love with Glauce, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. Medea killed Glauce, Creon, and the two sons she (Medea) had had with Jason. Years later, a piece of the Argo, Jason's ship, fell and killed the hero (Euripides, Medea 1386-1387). Family Tree 45.

Jocasta [joh-kas'ta] or Iokaste, "shining moon."
She is also called Epicaste by Homer. She was the mother of Oedipus and later became his wife, but hanged herself when it was discovered that she had married her son (Homer, Odyssey 11.271-280; Sophocles, Oedipus the King; Apollodorus 3.5.7-9).

Juno [jou'noh], "young"(?), (Hera).
The Roman equivalent of Hera, she was goddess of all.htmlects of the life of a woman, especially childbirth. Originally she was not associated with Jupiter, but when the Romans equated her with Hera, they made her the wife of Jupiter, the chief Roman god, just as Hera was the wife of Zeus, the supreme god of the Greeks. Juno's chief festival was the Matronalia, which the Romans celebrated in March.

Jupiter [jou'pi-ter], "father sky," (Zeus).
The Roman sky god, he is the equivalent of the Greeks' Zeus. He is the chief god of the Romans; he was worshiped as Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the Best and the Greatest) and his wife was Juno.

Labdacus [lab'da-kus] or Labdakos.
The son of Polydorus and Nycteis, he became king of Thebes. He warred with Pandion, king of Athens, over boundaries and died young (Apollodorus 3.5.5; Pausanias 2.6.2, 9.5.4-5). Family Tree 19 Family Tree 46.

Lachesis [lak'e-sis], "she who apportions."
A daughter of Zeus and Themis, she was one of the Fates, who were also called Moirae or Parcae; usually depicted as an old woman, she measured the thread on one's life (Hesiod, Theogony 217-222, 901-906, Shield of Heracles 248-269; Apollodorus 1.3.1). Family Tree 5.

Laertes [lay-er'teez].
The son of Acrisius, or of Cephalus and Procris, and king of Ithaca, he married Anticlea and became the father of Odysseus, though some sources say Anticlea was pregnant with Odysseus by Sisyphus when Laertes married her (Homer, Odyssey; Apollodorus 1.9.16; Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.143-145; Hyginus, Fabulae 201). Family Tree 37.

Laestrygonians [les-tri-goh'ni-anz] or Laistrygones.
These were cannibals with whom Odysseus had a disastrous experience on his way home from the Trojan War. When Odysseus reached the island home of the Laestrygonians, he was reluctant to dock in the harbor, but the captains of his other eleven ships anchored in the port. The Laestrygonians sank the ships in the harbor by throwing rocks at them from cliffs, then they speared the men floundering in the water for a later meal. Only Odysseus and the men on his ship were able to escape (Homer, Odyssey 10.80-132).

Laius [lay'us or leye'us] or Laios, "unlucky" or "rich in cattle"(?).
He was the king of Thebes when, while a guest in the home of Pelops, Laius fell in love with and abducted Chrysippus, the son of Pelops. His punishment was to have a son who would kill him. Later, when Jocasta, his wife, gave birth to a son, Laius drove a spike through the infant's ankles and ordered a servant to expose the child; the baby was given to a shepherd from Corinth and he was raised there as Oedipus. Oedipus later killed Laius without realizing he was committing parricide (Sophocles, Oedipus the King; Apollodorus 3.5.5-8; Pausanias 9.5.5-10, 9.26.2-3; Hyginus, Fabulae 85). Family Tree 19.

Laocoön [lay-o'coh-on], "very perceptive."
He was a Trojan who realized that Sinon was lying when he said the huge wooden horse the Greeks had left outside the walls of Troy was an offering to Athena that would make the Trojans invincible if it was brought into the city. He uttered the famous words, "I fear the Greeks, even when they bring gifts." But two snakes swam to shore from the open sea and strangled Laocoön and his two sons -- the Trojans mistakenly interpreted this as Laocoön's punishment for desecrating something that was holy to Athena (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.16-18; Virgil, Aeneid 2.40-56, 199-231; Hyginus, Fabulae 135).

Laomedon [lay-om'e-don], "ruler of the people."
He was the king of Troy when Apollo and Poseidon built the walls of the city. Laomedon cheated them out of their pay, so Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon unleashed a sea monster on the city. Laomedon had to sacrifice his daughter, Hesione, to the monster to save the city, but when Hesione was set out for the sea creature, Heracles saw her and arranged to save her in return for the immortal horses that Tros had received from Zeus. After Heracles had killed the monster, Laomedon refused to give him the horses, so Heracles returned later with an army, sacked Troy, killed Laomedon, gave Hesione to his companion, Telamon, and placed Laomedon's young son, Podarces, on the throne of Troy; Podarces' name was then changed to Priam (Homer, Iliad 21.441-457; Pindar, Olympian Odes 8.30-46; Apollodorus 2.5.9; Diodorus Siculus 4.42; Hyginus, Fabulae 89; Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.194-220; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 2.451-578). Family Tree 42.

Lares [lar'-eez], "lords."
Originally, these agricultural spirits brought prosperity and well-being to Roman farmers and their families; they were later seen as household spirits that protected the home. Each family had its own Lar (singular of Lares), called a Lar familiaris, to whom it made offerings. Rome itself had Lares, called guardian Lares, who were worshiped on May 1 (Ovid, Fasti 5.129-146).

Learchus [lee-ar'kus].
The son of Athamas and Ino, he was killed by his father. One account says Athamas was driven mad by Hera, mistook Learchus for a deer, and shot him with an arrow. Another account says Athamas mistook him for a lion and pushed him from a cliff. Yet another version says Athamas learned that Ino had plotted to kill Phrixus and Helle and while attempting to punish her, he accidentally killed Learchus (Apollodorus 1.9.2, 3.4.3; Pausanias 1.44.7, 9.34.7; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.481-542; Hyginus, Fabulae 2, 4). Family Tree 25.

Leda [lee'da], "lady."
The wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, she gave birth to two sets of twins. One version says Zeus made love to Leda in the form of a swan and she laid two eggs; from one of these eggs were born Polydeuces (also known as Pollux) and Helen, and from the other egg came Castor and Clytemnestra. Some versions say Tyndareus had sex with Leda in the same night that Zeus impregnated her and that Tyndareus was the father of Castor and Clytemnestra (Apollodorus 3.10.7; Hyginus, abulae 77). Family Tree 48.

Lernaean hydra [ler-nee'an heye'dra], "water serpent of Hydra."
It was a huge, nine-headed poisonous snake that haunted the swamps of Lerna, near Argos. Heracles killed this serpent as his second labor. Eight of the hydra's heads were mortal; one was immortal, but each time Heracles cut off one of the heads, two more grew in its place. While Heracles and Iolaus, his nephew, were grappling with the hydra's heads, a huge crab, sent by Hera, snapped at their feet. They killed the crab and then Heracles had Iolaus use his torch to cauterize each neck from which Heracles had severed a head -- new heads could not grow from the burned necks. Heracles chopped off the head that was immortal and buried it under a huge rock; he then dipped his arrows into the creature's poison, and this poison later caused his death (Hesiod, Theogony 313-318; Sophocles, Trachiniae 1094; Euripides, Heracles 419-422; Apollodorus 2.5.2; Diodorus Siculus 4.11.5-6; Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.69-74; Hyginus, Fabulae 30). Family Tree 1.

Lethe [lee'thee], "forgetfulness."
This was one of the five rivers in the Underworld. When the souls of the dead drink the waters of Lethe, they forget their earthly concerns and troubles. According to some ancient religions that believed in reincarnation, the dead drank from Lethe to forget their previous existence before beginning a new life.

Leto [lee'toh], (Latona).
The daughter of Coeus and Phoebe, she slept with Zeus and became the mother of Apollo and Artemis, who avenged and protected her from such adversaries as Niobe and Tityus (Homer, Iliad 5.447-449, Odyssey 11.576-581; Hesiod, Theogony 404-410, 918-920; Homeric Hymn to Apollo 3; Apollodorus 1.4.1, 3.10.4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.157-381; Hyginus, Fabulae 53, 55, 140). Family Tree 21.

Linus [leye'nus] or Linos, "flax."
He was the music teacher of Heracles. During one of their lessons, Linus struck Heracles; the youth flew into a rage and killed Linus. Although Heracles was acquitted on grounds of self-defense, Heracles' earthly father, Amphitryon, sent him to Mount Cithaeron lest the young hero lose his temper again and kill someone else (Apollodorus 2.4.9).

Lotus-eaters.
These were people who ate the fruit of the lotus plant, which relieved them of all their cares and troubles. They greeted Odysseus and his men warmly, but Odysseus soon realized that the lotus fruit was very dangerous; his men who had eaten the fruit were no longer interested in reboarding the ships to sail back to their homes and families. So Odysseus rounded up all his troops, kept any more of them from eating the drug, and forced those who were under the influence of the plant to get back on the ships (Homer, Odyssey 9.82-104).

Lycaon [leye-kay'on] or Lykaon, "wolf"(?).
He was the king in Arcadia who tested the divinity and omniscience of Zeus by serving him human flesh. Zeus detected the trick and turned Lycaon into a wolf (Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.318-415).

Lycurgus [leye-kur'gus] or Lykurgos, "wolf work."
The king of Thrace, he chased Dionysus' nurses with an ox goad, frightening even Dionysus himself and causing him to jump into the sea. Thetis rescued Dionysus, who later returned to Thrace, cursed the crops, and drove Lycurgus mad. Lycurgus killed his son, maimed himself, and was then torn apart by his own people (Homer, Iliad 6.130-140; Apollodorus 3.5.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 132).

Lycus [leye'kus] or Lykos (1), "wolf."
He was king of the Mariandyni. Amycus, king of the Bebryces, had seized much of Lycus' kingdom, so when Polydeuces, one of the Argonauts, killed Amycus, Lycus became indebted to Jason and his men. When the Argonauts came to Lycus' kingdom on their journey, Lycus entertained them hospitably and sent his son, Dascylus, to accompany them (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2.720-903; Apollodorus 1.9.23; Hyginus, Fabulae 18; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4.733-762).

Lycus [leye'kus] or Lykos (2), "wolf."
He was son of Prometheus and Celaeno, but we have no significant stories involving him. Family Tree 4.

Marpessa [mar-pes'sa], "g.htmler."
The daughter of Evenus and granddaughter of Ares, she was loved by both Apollo and Idas, one of the Argonauts. Idas snatched her away in his chariot, and Evenus killed himself when he could not get his daughter back. Apollo then took Marpessa from Idas in the same way Idas had stolen the girl from her father. When the two rivals met to fight over Marpessa, Zeus intervened and allowed her to choose between her suitors. Marpessa chose Idas on the grounds that he was mortal and the ageless Apollo would be more likely to reject her as she got older (Apollodorus 1.7.8-9). Family Tree 41.

Mars [marz] (Ares), "to fight"(?).
The Roman equivalent of Ares, he was originally an agricultural deity. He was thought to be responsible for the regeneration and growth in springtime; March, the first month of the pre-Julian calendar, was named for him. As the Romans became more warlike, Mars took on the characteristics of a war god and his agricultural.htmlects were largely forgotten.

Marsyas [mar'si-as], "fighter."
He was a satyr who had the temerity to challenge Apollo to a contest of musical skill after picking up the flute that Athena had fashioned and then discarded. Apollo agreed to the contest on the condition that the victor be allowed to do with the loser as he wished. Apollo won and flayed Marsyas alive; his blood formed the river that bears his name (Herodotus 7.26; Apollodorus 1.4.2; Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.382-400; Hyginus, Fabulae 165).

Medea [me-dee'a] or Medeia, "cunning."
She was the daughter of Aeëtes. As a priestess of Hecate and a niece of Circe, she was skilled in the arts of magic; she used her skill in magic to help Jason perform the tasks Aeëtes had imposed on him as a condition for obtaining the Golden Fleece. As she and Jason fled from Colchis, she killed her brother, Apsyrtus, cut up his body, and threw the pieces one at a time into the sea so that Aeëtes would have to stop many times to retrieve his son's body (Pindar, Pythian Odes 4.213-250; Apollodorus 1.9.23-24; Hyginus, Fabulae 22-23). In Iolcus, Medea arranged the death of Pelias by tricking his daughters into boiling him alive (Apollodorus 1.9.27; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.238-349; Hyginus, Fabulae 24); for this crime Jason and Medea had to go into exile. In Corinth, Jason fell in love with Glauce, daughter of King Creon; Medea killed her, Creon, and the two sons she (Medea) had had with Jason (Euripides, Medea; Apollodorus 1.9.28; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.391-403; Hyginus, Fabulae 25). She then went to live in Athens, where she married Aegeus, father of Theseus, and became the mother of Medus. She tried to trick Aegeus into poisoning Theseus so that her son would eventually become king of Athens, but Aegeus discovered the plot (Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.404-424). She then fled from Athens with her son, who later gave his name to the people known as the Medes (Hyginus, Fabulae 27). Family Tree 12.

Medusa [me-dou'sa] or Medousa, "ruler."
One of the three Gorgons, some accounts say she was a beautiful woman until Athena caught her making love with Poseidon in one of her temples. As a punishment, Athena turned Medusa into a monster with bulging eyes, a protruding tongue, and snakes for hair. When Perseus beheaded Medusa, Chrysaor and Pegasus, the children Poseidon had fathered, sprang from her (Hesiod, Theogony 270-283; Apollodorus 2.4.2). Family Tree 35.

Megara [meg'a-ra], "temple."
The daughter of Creon, king of Thebes, she was the first wife of Heracles. In a fit of madness, Heracles killed her and their children. Heracles then went to Delphi to ask where he should live. The Pythia told him he should serve Eurystheus, king of Tiryns, for twelve years; if he completed all the labors imposed on him, Heracles would become immortal (Apollodorus 2.4.12; Diodorus Siculus 4.11.1-2). Hyginus (Fabulae 32) says Heracles killed Megara after he had completed the twelve labors and that he was sold into slavery to Queen Omphale to expiate the crime.

Melampus [me-lam'pus] or Melampos, "black foot."
The grandson of Cretheus, he was the first mortal to acquire the gift of prophecy; he could understand the speech of animals. He helped his brother, Bias, steal the cattle of Phylacus, king of Phylace, a city in Thes