Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Masters of Mythology

Zeus In Greek mythology, the supreme deity, ruler of the celestial realm, son of Kronos and Rhea and husband of Hera: identified with the Roman Jupiter.

Hera In Greek mythology, the queen of the gods, goddess of women and marriage, sister and wife of Zeus: identified with the Roman Juno. Also spelled Here.

Athena In Greek mythology, the virgin goddess of wisdom, war, and arts and crafts: identified with the Roman Minerva. Also  Athena Parthenos, Athene.  [< Gk. Athēnē
Poseidon In Greek mythology, brother of Zeus and husband of Amphitrite, god of the sea and of horses: identified with the Roman Neptune Poseidonian adj. & n. 
Hades 1. In Greek mythology: a The brother of Zeus, god of the underworld, identified with the Greek and Roman Pluto and the Roman Dis. b The underworld kingdom of the dead, ruled by Hades. 2. In the Revised Version of the New Testament, the condition or the abode of the dead.  [< Gk. Haidēs < a- not + idein to see ]

Demeter The Greek goddess of agriculture, marriage, and fertility: identified with Ceres.

Artemis In Greek mythology, the virgin goddess of the chase and of the moon, twin sister of Apollo: identified with the Roman Diana.

Apollo 1. the ancient Greek and Roman god of light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and manly beauty; the son of Leto and brother of Artemis. 2. a very handsome young man. 3. Aerospace. one of a series of U. S. spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to the moon and back.

Hermes In Greek mythology, the messenger of the gods, conductor of the dead to Hades, and also the god of science, commerce, travel, eloquence and cunning, usually depicted with winged sandals, a hat, and a caduceus: identified with the Roman Mercury.

Hephaestus In Greek mythology, the god of fire and metallurgy, son of Zeus and Hera: identified with the Roman Vulcan. Also Greek Hephaistos.

Aphrodite In Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty, daughter of Zeus and Dione, also said to have been born from the foam of the sea: identified with the Phoenician Astarte and the Roman Venus.  [< Gk. Aphroditē  the foam-born]

Ares In Greek mythology, the god of war: identified with the Roman Mars.

Hestia In Greek mythology, the goddess of the hearth: identified with the Roman Vesta.

Eos In Greek mythology, the goddess of the dawn; daughter of Hyperion: identified with the Roman Aurora.

Asclepius In Greek mythology,  the son of Apollo, and god of medicine: identified with the Roman Aesculapius.

Hebe [ L., fr. Gr. hēbē youth, Hēbē, Hebe.] 1. Gr. Relig. The goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, and cupbearer of the gods before Ganymede. She became the wife of the deified Hercules, and was believed to have the power of restoring youth. Cf. JUVENTAS.

Helios In Greek mythology, the sun god, son of Hyperion: also called Hyperion, Titan.

Hygieia Class. Myth. the ancient Greek goddess of health.  [< Gk, late var. of Hygíeiā, personification of hygíeiā health, equiv. to hygíḗ (s) healthy + -ia -IA] ─Hygieian adj.

Pan In Greek mythology, a god of forests, flocks, and shepherds, having the horns and hooves of a goat: identified with the Roman Faunus.

Selene In Greek mythology, goddess of the moon: identified with the Roman Luna. Also Selena.  [ < Gk. Selēnē, lit., the moon ]

Eris In Greek mythology, the goddess of discord.

Morpheus In Greek mythology, the god of dreams, son of Hypnos, the god of sleep.  [ < L < Gk. morphē form; from the shapes he calls up in dreams ]  Morphean adj.

Mnemosyne In Greek mythology, the goddess of memory and, by Zeus, mother of the Muses.  [< L< Gk. mnēmosynē memory < mnasthai to remember ]

Ate In Greek mythology, a goddess personifying men's blind impulse,  associated with the punishment of crime.

Dionysus In Greek mythology, the god of wine, fertility, etc., worshiped with orgiastic rites:identified with the Roman Bacchus. Also Dionysos.

Hecate In Greek mythology, a goddess of earth, moon, and underworld, later associated with sorcery: also spelled Hekate.

Eros In Greek mythology, the god of love, son of Aphrodite: identified with the Roman Cupid.  n. Astron. An asteroid of the sixth magnitude, discovered in 1898.

Uranus 1. Gk. Myth. The earliest supreme god, who was the son and consort of Gaea and father of the Cyclops and Titans. 2. The seventh planet from the sun, revolving about it every 84.07 years at a distance of approx. 2, 869 million kilometers ( 1, 790 million miles ) and having a mean equatorial diameter of 52, 290 kilometers ( 32, 480 miles ).  [ LLat. Ūranus < Gk. ouranos heaven, Uranus ]

Oceanus a In Greek mythology, a Titan, early god of the sea and father of the Oceanides. b The vast sea supposed to encircle the earth.  [< L< Gk. Ōkeanos ]

Zephyrus In Greek mythology, the west wind: regarded as the mildest and gentlest of all sylvan deities.

Nereus Gk. Myth. A sea-god, son of Oceanus and Gaea and father of the Nereids.

Thanatos In Greek mythology, the god of death: identified with the Roman Mors.

Horae Class. Myth. goddesses of the seasons, of cyclical death,  and rebirth, and sometimes of social order, usually given as three in number, with the names Dike ( Justice ), Eunomia ( Order ), and Irene ( Peace ).  [ < L Hōrae lit., hours]

Proteus In Greek mythology, a sea-god who had the power of assuming different forms.  Protean adj. & n.

Boreas In Greek mythology, the north wind.  [< L< Gk. ]

Persephone In Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, abducted to the underworld by Pluto, but was allowed to return to the earth for part of each year: identified with the Roman Proserpine.

Nike In Greek mythology, the winged goddess of victory: identified with the Roman Victoria.  n. An antiaircraft guided missile.  [< Gk. Nikē victory ]

Hypnos In Greek mythology, the god of sleep:identified with the Roman Somnus. Also Hypnus.

Eurus In Greek mythology, the god of the east or southeast wind.  [< L< Gk. Euros east wind ]

Notus the ancient Greek personification of the south wind. [< L < Gk Nótos, special use of nótos the south ]

Enyo an ancient Greek war goddess and companion of Ares, identified by the Romans with Bellona.

Aether Gk. Myth. The personification of the clear upper air breathed by the Olympians.  [ Lat. < Gk. aithēr, upper air ]

a-1964 Standard College Dictionary

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