M. E. XLVIII

Broteas Class. Myth. a son of Tantalus made insane for denying the divinity of Artemis.

Axiopoenus Class. Myth. an epithet of Athena, meaning "just requital."

Empusae Class. Myth. a class of man-eating monsters having legs of asses with hoofs of brass.

Dexamenus Class. Myth. a centaur, king of Olenus.

infernal 1. Class. Myth. of or pertaining to the underworld.

fortune 7. (cap.) chance personified, commonly regarded as a goddess distributing arbitrarily or capriciously the lots of life: Perhaps Dame Fortune will smile on our venture.

Oschophoria one of the festivals in ancient Athens composing the Dionysia, an autumn festival celebrating the ripening of grapes. [< NL < Gk oscophória, equiv. to oschophó(os) bearing vine branches (óscho(os) (vine) branch + phoros-phore) + ia -y3 ]

Paganalia [L., fr. pagus, district, the country.] Rom. Antiq. An Italian rural festival, celebrated January 24-26, in honor of Ceres and Earth.  ─  Paganalian, adj.

Paeonian adj. [L., Paeonius, fr. Gr. Paionios, fr. Paionia.] Gr. Antiq. Pertaining to Apollo as god of healing; hence, medical.

Gebir A legendary Eastern prince said to have invaded Africa and given his name to Gibraltar.

cosmic egg In several primitive or early cosmologies, as in Egypt, an egg from which the natural world is supposed to have come. Cf. BRAHMANDA.

Harpocrates [Gr. Harpocratēs, fr. Egypt. Heru-p-khart Horus the child.] Gr. & Rom. Relig. The Egyptian solar deity Horus, conceived as a young boy, symbolizing the young Sun, He is regularly represented with a finger at his lips, and seems to have been regarded in Hellenistic times as a god of silence. His cult was popular during the later Roman Empire.

Caecias [L. caecias, fr. Gr. kaikias.] The northeast wind; a personification.

Caesar dives [L.] Rom. Relig. The deified Caesar or emperor of Rome.

Juno's bird The peacock.

Lothur, Lodur [ON. Lōthurr, lit., fire bringer, a name of Loki.] Norse. Myth. One of the Aesir.

Aulis An ancient port of east-central Greece in Boeotia. According to tradition, it was the embarkation point for the Greek fleet during the Trojan War.

man-god 1. One who is both human and divine. 2. A man who is made a god; also, a god in human form.

Attica An ancient Greek region of east-central Greece around Athens. According to Greek legend, the four Attic tribes were unified into a single state by the Athenian King Theseus.

Junonian adj. [L. Junonius.] Of. pertaining to, or characteristic of, Juno.

Giant's Causeway A basaltic formation at the northern coast of Northern Ireland. It consists of thousands of columns of volcanic origin forming three natural platforms. According to legend, it was once a bridge for giants crossing between Ireland and Scotland.

Munychia A festival celebrated in April, in honor of Artemis Munychia, as goddess of the full moon shining alone by night, and instituted to commemorate the defeat of the Persians at Salamis ( Plut. De Gloria Ath. p. 349 F).

Nerǐtos A mountain in Ithaca, and also a small rocky island near Ithaca ( Hom. Odyss. i. 2 ). The adjective Neritius is often used by the poets as equivalent to Ithacan or Odyssean.

Marpessa Class. Myth. a Greek maiden who, being permitted to choose between Apollo and his rival, a mortal named Idas, chose to marry Idas.

Horcus the ancient Greek god of oaths, sometimes identified with Orcus because of his role as punisher of perjurers.

Caelestis [L., lit., heavenly ( sc. goddess ).] Tanith, worshiped as Dea Caelestis in Rome after the Punic wars. See TANITH.

Orion's Hound The constellation Canis Major ( Aratus ); also, the Dog Star.

Ara [Gr.] Gr. Myth. a goddess of vengeance or destruction.

Camus Personification of the river Cam, in Milton's Lycidas ( 1.103 ).

Hecatean, Hecataean adj. Of or pertaining to Hecate; magical.

Acherontic, Acherontical adj.[L. Acheronticus.] Of or pert. to Acheron; infernal; hence, dismal, moribund.

Aonian adj.[L. Aonius, fr. Gr. Aonios, fr. Aonia.] Of or pertaining to Aonia, the region of the mountains Helicon Cithaeron, in ancient Boeotia, or the Muses, who were supposed to dwell there. See PIERIAN.

orichalch [L. orichalcum, fr. Gr. oreichalkos, fr. oros mountain + chalkos brass.] Orig., some yellow metallic substance, considered precious by the ancient Greeks; later, brass alloyed with zinc.

Antheia [Gr., fr. anthos flower.] Gr. Relig. An epithet of Aphrodite as a goddess of flowers.

Dictaean adj. [L. Dictaeus, fr. Gr. Diktaios, fr. Dikē.] Gr. Geog. Pertaining to a cave ( Dicte ) in the Cretan mountain where the infant Zeus was tended by nymphs. The cave was the center of a prehistoric cult.