A
Abdalrahman
(Ab-dal-rahˈman), founder of the independent Ommiad (Saracenic) power in Spain, conquered at Tours by Charles Martel.
Aberfraw
(Abˈer-fraw), scene of nuptials of Branwen and Matholch.
Absyrtus
(Ab-syrˈtus), younger brother of Medea.
Abydos
(A-byˈdos), a town on the Hellespont, nearly opposite to Sestos.
Abyla
(Abˈy-la), Mount, or Columna, a mountain in Morocco, near Ceuta, now called Jebel Musa or Ape’s Hill, forming the Northwestern extremity of the African coast opposite Gibraltar. See Pillars of Hercules.
Acestes
(A-cesˈtes), son of a Trojan woman who was sent by her father to Sicily, that she might not be devoured by the monsters which infested the territory of Troy.
Acetes
(A-ceˈtes), Bacchanal captured by Pentheus.
Achates
(A-chaˈtes), faithful friend and companion of Aeneas.
Achelous
(Ach-e-loˈus), river-god of the largest river in Greece—his Horn of Plenty.
Achilles
(A-chilˈles), the hero of the Iliad, son of Peleus and of the Nereid Thetis, slain by Paris.
Acis
(Aˈcis), youth loved by Galatea and slain by Polyphemus.
Acontius
(A-conˈti-us), a beautiful youth, who fell in love with Cydippe, the daughter of a noble Athenian.
Acrisius
(A-crisˈi-us), son of Abas, king of Argos, grandson of Lynceus, the great-grandson of Danaüs.
Actaeon
(Ac-taeˈon), a celebrated huntsman, son of Aristaeus and Autonoë, who, having seen Diana bathing, was changed by her to a stag and killed by his own dogs.
Admeta
(Ad-meˈta), daughter of Eurystheus, covets Hippolyta’s girdle.
Admetus
(Ad-meˈtus), king of Thessaly, saved from death by Alcestis.
Adonis
(A-doˈnis), a youth beloved by Aphrodite (Venus), and Proserpine; killed by a boar.
Adrastus
(A-drasˈtus), a king of Argos.
Aeacus
(Aeˈa-cus), son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Aegina, renowned in all Greece for his justice and piety.
Aeaea
(Ae-aeˈa), Circe’s island, visited by Ulysses.
Aeetes
(Ae-eˈtes), or Aeeta, son of Helios (the Sun) and Perseis, and father of Medea and Absyrtus.
Aegeus
(Ae-geˈus), king of Athens.
Aegina
(Ae-giˈna), a rocky island in the middle of the Saronic gulf.
Aegis
(Aeˈgis), shield or breastplate of Jupiter and Minerva.
Aegisthus
(Ae-gisˈthus), murderer of Agamemnon, slain by Orestes.
Aeneas
(Ae-neˈas), Trojan hero, son of Anchises and Aphrodite (Venus), and born on Mount Ida, reputed first settler of Rome.
Aeneid
(Ae-neˈid), poem by Virgil, relating the wanderings of Aeneas from Troy to Italy.
Aeolus
(Aeˈo-lus), son of Hellen and the nymph Orseis, represented in Homer as the happy ruler of the Aeolian Islands, to whom Zeus had given dominion over the winds.
Aesculapius
(Aesˈcu-laˈpi-us), god of the medical art.
Aeson
(Aeˈson), father of Jason, made young again by Medea.
Aethiopians
(Ae-thi-oˈpi-ans), inhabitants of the country south of Egypt.
Aethra
(Aeˈthra), mother of Theseus by Aegeus.
Aetna
(Aetˈna), volcano in Sicily.
Agamedes
(Agˈa-meˈdes), brother of Trophonius, distinguished as an architect.
Agamemnon
(Agˈa-memˈnon), son of Plisthenis and grandson of Atreus, king of Mycenae; although the chief commander of the Greeks, is not the hero of the Iliad, and in chivalrous spirit altogether inferior to Achilles.
Agave
(A-gaˈve), daughter of Cadmus, wife of Echion, and mother of Pentheus.
Agenor
(A-geˈnor), father of Europa, Cadmus, Cilix, and Phoenix.
Aglaia
(Ag-laˈi-a), one of the Graces.
Agni
(Agˈni), Hindu god of fire.
Agramant
(Agˈra-mant), a king in Africa.
Agrican
(Agˈri-can), fabled king of Tartary, pursuing Angelica, finally killed by Orlando.
Agrivain
(Agˈri-vain), one of Arthur’s knights.
Ahriman
(Ahˈri-man), the Evil Spirit in the dual system of Zoroaster. See Ormuzd.
Ajax
(Aˈjax), son of Telamon, king of Salamis, and grandson of Aeacus; represented in the Iliad as second only to Achilles in bravery.
Alba
(Alˈba), the river where King Arthur fought the Romans.
Alba Longa
(Alˈba Lonˈga), city in Italy founded by son of Aeneas.
Alberich
(Alˈber-ich), dwarf guardian of Rhinegold treasure of the Nibelungs.
Alcestis
(Al-cesˈtis), wife of Admetus, offered herself as sacrifice to spare her husband, but rescued by Hercules.
Alcina
(Al-ciˈna), enchantress.
Alcinoüs
(Al-cinˈo-us), Phaeacian king.
Alcippe
(Al-cipˈpe), daughter of Mars; carried off by Halirrhothius.
Alcmena
(Alc-meˈna), wife of Jupiter, and mother of Hercules.
Alcuin
(Alˈcu-in), English prelate and scholar.
Aldrovandus
(Al-dro-vanˈdus), dwarf guardian of treasure.
Alecto
(A-lecˈto), one of the Furies.
Alexander the Great
(Al-ex-anˈder the Great), king of Macedonia, conqueror of Greece, Egypt, Persia, Babylonia, and India.
Alfadur
(Al-faˈdur), a name for Odin.
Alfheim
(Alfˈheim), abode of the elves of light.
Alice
(Alˈice), mother of Huon and Girard, sons of Duke Sevinus.
Alphenor
(Al-pheˈnor), son of Niobe.
Alpheus
(Al-pheˈus), river-god pursuing Arethusa, who escaped by being changed to a fountain.
Althaea
(Al-thaeˈa), mother of Meleager, whom she slew because he had in a quarrel killed her brothers, thus disgracing “the house of Thestius,” her father.
Amalthea
(Am-al-theˈa), nurse of the infant Jupiter in Crete.
Amata
(A-maˈta), wife of Latinus, driven mad by Alecto.
Amaury of Hauteville
(Amˈau-ry of Hauteville), false-hearted Knight of Charlemagne.
Amazons
(Amˈa-zons), mythical race of warlike women.
Ambrosia
(Am-broˈsi-a), celestial food used by the gods.
Ammon
(Amˈmon), Egyptian god of life, identified by Romans with phases of Jupiter, the father of gods.
Amphiaraus
(Am-phi-a-raˈus), a great prophet and hero at Argos.
Amphion
(Am-phiˈon), a musician, son of Jupiter and Antiope. See Dirce.
Amphitrite
(Am-phi-triˈte), wife of Neptune.
Amphrysos
(Am-phyrˈsos), a small river in Thessaly.
Ampyx
(Amˈpyx), assailant of Perseus, turned to stone by seeing Gorgon’s head.
Amrita
(Am-riˈta), nectar giving immortality.
Amun
(Aˈmun), see Ammon.
Amymone
(Amˈy-moˈne), one of the fifty daughters of Danaüs, and mother by Poseidon (Neptune) of Nauplius, the father of Palamedes.
Anaxarete
(Anˈax-arˈe-te), a maiden of Cyprus, who treated her lover Iphis with such haughtiness that he hanged himself at her door.
Anbessa
(An-bessˈa), Saracenic governor of Spain (725 AD).
Anceus
(An-ceˈus), one of the Argonauts.
Anchises
(An-chiˈses), beloved by Aphrodite (Venus), by whom he became the father of Aeneas.
Andraemon
(An-draeˈmon), husband of Dryope; saw her changed into a tree.
Andret
(Anˈdret), a cowardly knight, spy upon Tristram.
Andromache
(An-dromˈa-che), wife of Hector.
Andromeda
(An-dromˈe-da), daughter of King Cephas, delivered from monster by Perseus.
Aneurin
(Anˈeur-in), Welsh bard.
Angelica
(An-gelˈi-ca), Princess of Cathay.
Anemone
(A-nemˈo-ne), short-lived windflower, created by Venus from the blood of the slain Adonis.
Angerbode
(An-gerˈbo-de), giant prophetess, mother of Fenris, Hela, and the Midgard Serpent.
Anglesey
(Anˈgle-sey), a Northern British island, refuge of Druids fleeing from Romans.
Antaeus
(An-taeˈus), giant wrestler of Libya, killed by Hercules, who, finding him stronger when thrown to the earth, lifted him into the air and strangled him.
Antea
(An-teˈa), wife of jealous Proetus.
Antenor
(An-teˈnor), descendants of, in Italy.
Anteros
(Anˈte-ros), deity avenging unrequited love, brother of Eros (Cupid).
Anthor
(Anˈthor), a Greek.
Antigone
(An-tigˈo-ne), daughter of Aedipus, Greek ideal of filial and sisterly fidelity.
Antilochus
(An-tilˈo-chus), son of Nestor.
Antiope
(An-tiˈo-pe), Amazonian queen. See Dirce.
Anubis
(A-nuˈbis), Egyptian god, conductor of the dead to judgment.
Apennines
(Apˈen-nines).
Aphrodite
(Aph-ro-diˈte), see Venus, Dione, etc.
Apis
(Aˈpis), Egyptian bull-god of Memphis.
Apollo
(A-polˈlo), god of music and song.
Apollo Belvedere
(A-polˈlo Bel-ve-dereˈ), famous antique statue in Vatican at Rome.
Apples of the Hesperides
(Apples of the Hesperides), wedding gifts to Juno, guarded by daughters of Atlas and Hesperis, stolen by Atlas for Hercules.
Aquilo
(Aqˈui-lo), or Boreas, the North Wind.
Aquitaine
(Aqˈui-taine), ancient province of Southwestern France.
Arachne
(A-rachˈne), a maiden skilled in weaving, changed to a spider by Minerva for daring to compete with her.
Arcadia
(Ar-caˈdi-a), a country in the middle of Peloponnesus, surrounded on all sides by mountains.
Arcady
(Arˈca-dy), star of, the Polestar.
Arcas
(Arˈcas), son of Jupiter and Callisto.
Archer
(Archer), constellation of the.
Arden
(Arˈden), forest of.
Areopagus
(A-re-opˈa-gus), court of the, at Athens.
Ares
(Aˈres), called Mars by the Romans, the Greek god of war, and one of the great Olympian gods.
Arethusa
(Ar-e-thuˈsa), nymph of Diana, changed to a fountain.
Argius
(Arˈgius), king of Ireland, father of Isoude the Fair.
Argo
(Arˈgo), builder of the vessel of Jason for the Argonautic expedition.
Argolis
(Arˈgo-lis), city of the Nemean games.
Argonauts
(Arˈgo-nauts), Jason’s crew seeking the Golden Fleece.
Argos
(Arˈgos), a kingdom in Greece.
Argus
(Arˈgus), of the hundred eyes, guardian of Io.
Ariadne
(A-ri-adˈne), daughter of King Minos, who helped Theseus slay the Minotaur.
Arimanes
(A-rimˈa-nes), see Ahriman.
Arimaspians
(Arˈi-masˈpi-ans), one-eyed people of Syria.
Arion
(A-riˈon), famous musician, whom sailors cast into the sea to rob him, but whose lyric song charmed the dolphins, one of which bore him safely to land.
Aristaeus
(Ar-is-taeˈus), the beekeeper, in love with Eurydice.
Armorica
(Ar-morˈi-ca), another name for Britain.
Arridano
(Ar-ri-daˈno), a magical ruffian, slain by Orlando.
Artemis
(Arˈte-mis), see Diana.
Arthgallo
(Arth-galˈlo), brother of Elidure, British king.
Arthur
(Arˈthur), king in Britain about the 6th century.
Aruns
(Aˈruns), an Etruscan who killed Camilla.
Asgard
(Asˈgard), home of the Northern gods.
Ashtaroth
(Ashˈta-roth), a cruel spirit, called by enchantment to bring Rinaldo to death.
Aske
(Asˈke), the first man, made from an ash tree.
Astolpho of England
(As-tolˈpho of England), one of Charlemagne’s knights.
Astraea
(As-traeˈa), goddess of justice, daughter of Astraeus and Eos.
Astyages
(As-tyˈa-ges), an assailant of Perseus.
Astyanax
(As-tyˈa-nax), son of Hector of Troy, established kingdom of Messina in Italy.
Asuras
(A-suˈras), opponents of the Braminical gods.
Atalanta
(At-a-lanˈta), beautiful daughter of King of Icaria, loved and won in a footrace by Hippomenes.
Ate
(Aˈte), the goddess of infatuation, mischief and guilt.
Athamas
(Athˈa-mas), son of Aeolus and Enarete, and king of Orchomenus, in Boeotia. See Ino.
Athene
(A-theˈne), tutelary goddess of Athens; the same as Minerva.
Athens
(Athˈens), the capital of Attica, about four miles from the sea, between the small rivers Cephissus and Ilissus.
Athor
(Aˈthor), Egyptian deity, progenitor of Isis and Osiris.
Athos
(Aˈthos), the mountainous peninsula, also called Acte, which projects from Chalcidice in Macedonia.
Atlantes
(At-lanˈtes), foster-father of Rogero, a powerful magician.
Atlantis
(At-lanˈtis), according to an ancient tradition, a great island west of the Pillars of Hercules, in the ocean, opposite Mount Atlas.
Atlas
(Atˈlas), a Titan, who bore the heavens on his shoulders, as punishment for opposing the gods; one of the sons of Iapetus.
(Atˈlas), Mount, general name for range in northern Africa.
Atropos
(Atˈro-pos), one of the Fates.
Attica
(Atˈti-ca), a state in ancient Greece.
Audhumbla
(Aud-humˈbla), the cow from which the giant Ymir was nursed. Her milk was frost melted into raindrops.
Augean stables
(Au-geˈan stables), cleansed by Hercules.
Augeas
(Au-geˈas), king of Elis.
Augustan age
(Au-gusˈtan age), reign of Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, famed for many great authors.
Augustus
(Au-gusˈtus), the first imperial Caesar, who ruled the Roman Empire 31 BC−14 AD.
Aulis
(Auˈlis), port in Boeotia, meeting-place of Greek expedition against Troy.
Aurora
(Au-roˈra), identical with Eos, goddess of the dawn.
Aurora Borealis
(Au-roˈra Bo-re-aˈlis), splendid nocturnal luminosity in northern sky, called Northern Lights, probably electrical.
Autumn
(Auˈtumn), attendant of Phoebus, the Sun.
Avalon
(Avˈa-lon), land of the Blessed, an earthly paradise in the Western Seas, burial-place of King Arthur.
Avatar
(Avˈa-tar), name for any of the earthly incarnations of Vishnu, the Preserver (Hindu god).
Aventine
(Avˈen-tine), Mount, one of the Seven Hills of Rome.
Avernus
(A-verˈnus), a miasmatic lake close to the promontory between Cumae and Puteoli, filling the crater of an extinct volcano, by the ancients thought to be the entrance to the infernal regions.
Avicenna
(Av-i-cenˈna), celebrated Arabian physician and philosopher.
Aya
(Aˈya), mother of Rinaldo.
Aymon
(Ayˈmon), Duke, father of Rinaldo and Bradamante.