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[German version] (Μείλιχος; Meílichos). Mythical king of Spain, son of a satyr and the nymph Myrice; with horns on his head was (Sil. Pun. 3,103-105). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel)

[German version] From Sparta, presumably 6th cent. BC. Author of  paeans, which were performed at the Gymnopaedia together with the songs of  Thaletas and  Alcman (Sosibius FGrHist 595 F 5). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel)

[German version] (Ὀϊκλῆς/ Oïklês, Οἰκλῆς/ Oiklês). Mythical seer from Argus, grandson of Melampus [1], son of Antiphates or Mantius, husband of Hypermestra [2], father of Amphiaraus and Iphianira (cf. Hom. Od. 15,241ff.; Pind. Pyth. 8,39; Diod. Sic. 4,68,4f.). O. took part in Heracles' [1] campaign against Troy (Apollod. 2,134; Hom. Od. 15,243); his grave is supposed to have been in Arcadia (Paus. 8,36,6; Apollod. 3,87). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel)

(Περίφας; Períphas). [German version] [1] Hero at Troy, killed by Ares Mythical hero at Troy, from Aetolia, killed by Ares (Hom. Il. 5,842. 847). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [2] Hero at Troy, comrade of Neoptolemus Mythical hero at Troy, comrade of Neoptolemus [1] (Verg. Aen. 2,476). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [3] Trojan Trojan, herald of Anchises, in whose shape Apollo roused Aeneas [1] to battle (Hom. Il. 17,323). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [4] Archaic Attic king before even Cecrops Mythical archaic king of Attica, before even Cecrops; venerate…

[German version] (Ἴσυλλος; Ísyllos) from Epidaurus, son of Socrates. Around 300 BC, poet of a consecutive series of poems (in trochaic tetrametres, dactylic hexametres, ionics, elegiac distichs), extant as inscriptions, for the cult of  Asclepius of  Epidaurus (IG IV 12 128 = [1. 380-383]). In these, I. creates on the one hand a specific Epidaurian mythology of Asclepius, which relocates the roots of the god to the healing sanctuary that had been of increasing importance since the 5th cent. BC. The traditional myth, on the other hand…

(Περικλύμενος/ Periklýmenos, Latin Periclymenus). [German version] [1] Epithet of Pluto Epithet of Pluto (Hesych. s.v. Π.). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [2] Son of Poseidon Son of Poseidon. In the war of the Seven against Thebes he kills Parthenopaeus (Eur. Phoen. 1156ff.; Apollod. 3,75). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [3] Son of Neleus and Chloris Son of Neleus [1] and Chloris [4] (Hom. Od. 11,281ff.). Took part in the campaign of the Argonautai (Apoll. Rhod. 1,56ff.). Despite his ability to change form he was killed by  Heracles [1] …

(Φῶκος; Phôkos). [German version] [1] Mythical hero of Aegina Mythical hero of Aegina, son of Aeacus and the Nereid Psamathe; the latter had attempted in vain to stop Aeacus from raping her by turning herself into a seal ( phṓkē): hence the name P. for the child of this union (Hes. Theog. 1004f., Apollod. 3,158 and 160; Pind. Nem. 5,12). In Phocis P. marries the princess Asterodia and gives his name to this region (Apollod. 1,86). P. is ultimately killed by his step-brothers Peleus and Telamon, and he is buried in Aegina (Paus. 2,29,…

[German version] (Σαλμωνεύς/ Salmōneús). Son of Aeolus [1], brother of Athamas, Sisyphus and Cretheus. S. had delusions of grandeur and endeavoured to have himself worshipped as Zeus, driving around on a chariot drawn by horses, producing artificial lightning flashes and making bronzen cauldrons resound to give the impression of thunder. Zeus flung him into Tartarus. S.' daughter Tyro distanced herself from her father, was spared and married Cretheus (Hes. fr. 10a, 25-27 M.-W.; fr. 30,1-30 M.-W.; A…

[German version] (Πηνέλεως/ Pēnéleōs, Lat. Peneleus). Son of Hippalcimus and Asterope (Hyg. Fab. 97), Argonaut and suitor of Helena [1] (Apollod. 1,113; 3,130), leader of the Boeotians in the Trojan War (Hom. Il. 2,494). There, he kills Ilioneus and Lycon (Hom. Il. 11,487ff.; 16,335ff.), is wounded by Polydamas [1] (Hom. Il. 17,597-600) and finally, in the Posthomerica , is killed by Eurypylus [1] (Paus. 9,5,15); in a different version, P. survives to become one of the warriors inside the Trojan Horse (Tryphiodorus 180) or to take part as a fighter in…

[German version] (Μύσιος/ Mýsios). Mythical Argive who received the goddess Demeter as a guest and was said to have erected a temple in her honour on the road from Argos to Mycene (Paus. 2,35,4). A festival held in Demeter's grove near Pellene, the Mysaeum, was also founded by him: the so-called Mysia (Paus. 7,27,9, cf. 2,18,3) [1]. Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) Bibliography 1 Nilsson, Feste, 327.

(Ναύπλιος; Naúplios). [German version] [1] Hero who founded Nauplia Son of Poseidon and Amymone. Born in Argos, he founded Nauplia (Paus. 2,38,2; 4,35,2) on the other side of the Gulf of Argolis. He was a famous sailor and represented the prototype of the slave-trading merchant captain. When Heracles seduces Auge [2] , her father Aleus [1] of Tegea, asks N. to either drown Auge or sell her. He sells her to Teuthras. Later the Cretan king Catreus asks him to sell his daughters Aërope and Clymene [5]. He s…

[German version] (Φημονόη/ Phēmonóē). Daughter of Apollo; she was his first seer (Pythia) in Delphi and invented the hexameter verse; the maxim 'know yourself'(γνῶθι σεαυτόν/ gnôthi seautón) is supposed to have come from her (Paus. 10,5,4; 10,6,3; 10,12,5; Str. 9,3,5). Her name is also widely used to mean a prophetess (Luc. 5,126. 185; Stat. Silv. 2,2,39). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel)

[German version] (Ῥέα/ Rhéa, Ῥέη/ Rhéē, Ῥεία/ Rheía, Ῥείη/ Rheíē). Greek goddess; daughter of Uranus and Gaia, sister and consort of her brother Kronos, and by him the mother of Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon and Hestia (Hes. Theog. 453-463). Kronos devours the children in order to avoid the danger of being deprived of his power by one of them. However R. hides Zeus in Crete and instead gives Kronos a stone wrapped in swaddling bands. When Zeus is grown up he frees his brothers and sisters and with…

[German version] (Ὠγυγία/ Ōgygía, epic -η/ ē). Mythical island on which the goddess Calypso lives (Hom. Od. 1,49ff.; 5,13ff.) and on which Odysseus stayed for almost ten years. In the 'Odyssey', O. is situated in the west (cf. Hom. Od. 5,271ff.) - as omphalòs thalássēs ('navel of the sea', cf. on this aspect [1. 2070ff.]). Since antiquity the geographical position has been a contentious issue: (1) near Crete (Antimachus fr. 142 Wyss); (2) in or near Italy: (a) Gozo (Callim. fr. 470), (b) Lacinium (Scylax 13 GGM), (c) Nymphaea (Apoll. Rhod…

(Ὀφίων/ Ophíōn). [German version] [1] First ruler of the world also Ophioneus (Pherecydes of Syrus 7 B 4 Diels/ Kranz). First ruler of the world, overthrown by Kronos (Apoll. Rhod. 1,503-506), husband of Eurynome [1], referred to by schol. Lycophr. 1191 as a Titan, considered by Nonn. Dion. 41,352 to be identical with Uranus. The idea of a serpent ( óphis) as ruler of the world may be derived from Orphic (Orphism) or near eastern beliefs [1]. Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [2] Giant in the shape of a serpent Giant in the shape of a serpent, defeated by Zeus in a battle against …

[German version] (Ὄκνος/ Óknos, Latin Ocnus). 'One who hesitates', 'one who wavers': character punished in the Underworld; he is forced to twist a rope forever, which is then devoured by a donkey standing behind him (cf. Danaids, Sisyphus, Tantalus; Prop. 4,3,21f.). According to Paus. 10,29,1f., O. was a symbol of a hard-working man whose wasteful wife kept using up what he had earned. Other versions: O. sits helpless before a donkey that has stumbled, as its load of wood falls to the ground (Apul. M…

[German version] (Ὀπώρα/ Opṓra). Goddess of rich harvests, especially of the wine harvest and its season. She, together with Theoria ('festive delegation'), accompanies Eirene [1] ('peace') in Aristoph. Pax 523, 706ff. The Attic comic writers Alexis (PCG II fr. 169f.) and Amphis (PCG II fr. 47) both wrote a work called O.: Sirius the star comes to earth and falls in love with O. When he is unable to win her, his amorous passion becomes so great that the people turn to the gods for help. The north wind Boreas orders his sons to obtain O. for Sir…

[German version] (Πειρίθοος, -θους/ Peiríthoos, - thous; Περίθοος, -θους/ Períthoos, - thous; Latin Pirithous, Perithous etc.). Thessalian, later also Attic hero, king of the Lapithae, son of Zeus (Hom. Il. 2,741; 14,317f.; cf. Hom. Od. 11,631; Hellanicus FGrH 4 F 134; Pl. Resp. 391c-d) or Ixion (Ephorus FGrH 70 F 23; Diod. Sic. 4,63,1; 4,69,3; Ov. Met. 8,403f., 567, 613; 12,210, 338; Apollod. 1,68) and Dia [3], brother of Clymene [6], husband of Hippodamia [2], father of Polypoetes [1] (Hom. Il. 2,740-742; 1…

(Μέρμερος; Mérmeros). [German version] [1] Trojan Trojan, killed by Antilochus (Hom. Il. 14,513). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [2] Father of the mythical King Ilus of Ephyre Father of a mythical king, Ilius of Ephyre in Thesprotia, visited by Odysseus (Hom. Od. 1,259f.). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) [German version] [3] A son of Jason [1] and Medea One of the two sons of Jason [1] and Medea. He and his brother Pheres are killed by their mother in revenge on Jason (Eur. Med.). According to Paus. 2,3,7, he is killed by a lioness during a hunt on Corfu. Käppel, Lutz (Kiel)

[German version] (Μελικέρτης; Melikértēs). Mythical son of Athamas and Ino. Threatened by Athamas, Ino jumps with M. from a cliff into the sea (Eur. Med. 1284 ff.; Ov. Met. 4,48 1 ff.; schol. Lycophr. 229). She becomes Leucothea, M. Palaemon. Sisyphos, king of Corinth, finds his body at the Isthmus of Corinth and buries him. Leucothea and Palaemon are henceforth regarded as saviours for those in distress at sea. In Corinth, M./Palaemon was worshipped in cult; the Isthmian Games ( Isthmia) were supposedly founded for him (Paus. 2,1,3). It is doubtful whether M. is the Greek form of Melqart. Kä…