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[German version] [1] One of the Tyrrhenian pirates One of the Tyrrhenian pirates who, together with them abducts Dionysius who is disguised as a drunken boy. As a punishment all pirates are transformed into dolphins by the wine god, except the helmsman Acoetes ( Acoetes [1]) who wants to keep them from the outrage (Ov. Met. 3,605-691; Hyg. Fab. 134). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] Brother of Lysander, Spartan nauarch 403 BC Brother of Lysander, as Spartan nauarch he blockaded Piraeus in 403 BC in order to combat the revolt of Thrasybulus and his suppo…

[German version] (Λυκωπεύς; Lykōpeús). Son of the Aetolian hero Agrius [1] who, together with his brothers, dethrones his uncle Oeneus in Calydon in favour of his father. As a result, L., together with his brothers - with the exception of two of them -, is killed by Diomedes [1] (Apollod. 1,77f.; Paus. 2,25,2) or by Tydeus (Diod. Sic. 4,65,2), and Agrius is dethroned (Hyg. Fab. 242). Frey, Alexandra (Basle)

[German version] (Κώκαλος; Kṓkalos; Lat. Cocalus). Mythical king, who took over control of Sicily after the destruction of the  Cyclopes (Just. Epit. 4,2,2). He allowed  Daedalus [1], who was fleeing from the Cretan king  Minos, into the city  Camicus (in Paus. 7,4,6 Inykos), as also Minos who was pursuing him; the latter, however, he then had killed in a shower of hot water (schol. Hom. Il. 2,145; Apollod. [see authors/works] 1,14f.) that his daughters poured down on him through the bathroom ceili…

[German version] (Νέσσος/ Néssos, Νέσος/ Nésos). Centaur, son of Ixion and Nephele [2] (= Nubes), who, after the war of the Lapiths (Lapithae) and the centaurs, flees to the river Euenus (= Lycormas), where he works as a ferryman (Apollod. 2,86). When Heracles [1] and his wife Deianira want to cross the river, N. helps Deianira, carrying her across the water, while Heracles walks or swims (Ov. Met. 9,101ff.) to the other side. In the middle of the river, N. wants to rape Deianira. Heracles shoots N. …

(Λαῖλαψ/ Laîlaps, ‘hurricane’). [German version] [1] Dog of Cephalus The dog of Cephalus, inescapable because of its swiftness. L. is turned to stone during the chase (Ov. Met. 7,771ff.; Hyg. Fab. 189; Serv. Aen. 6,445). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] Dog of Actaeon Dog of Actaeon that, together with the rest of a pack of hounds, attacks and kills his master who has been transformed into a stag by Artemis (Ov. Met. 3,211; Hyg. Fab. 181). Frey, Alexandra (Basle)

(Λαίας, Λαΐας; Laías, Laïas). [German version] [1] Son of the Aegid Hyraeus Son of the Aegid Hyraeus. Together with his brothers, L. erected heroic sanctuaries in Sparta to Cadmus and Aegeus, among others, because the Aegids trace themselves to the Theban dynasty (Paus. 3,15,8; Hdt. 4,147). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] Son of Oxylus Son of Oxylus, king of Elis, and Pieria. After the death of his older brother Aetolus, L. takes over the kingdom from his father; L.'s children, however, do not receive the royal title (Paus. 5,4,4f.). A…

(Λακεδαίμων; Lakedaímōn). [German version] [1] Son of Zeus and Taygete Son of Zeus and Taygete (Apollod. 3,116), name-giver of the Taygetus, mountain range; L. inherits the rule from the childless Eurotas (Paus. 3,1,1f.), gives his name to the region, and founds the city of Sparta, which he names after his spouse Sparte. One of their sons, Amyclas, founds the city of Amyclae [1] (Eust. AD Hom. Il. 295,14f.). One of their daughters, Eurydice, marries Acrisius, king of Argus, and becomes mother of Danae…

[German version] (Μελισσεύς; Melisseús). Mythical king of Crete, father of the nymphs Adrastea and Ide [2] (Apollod. 1,5; Hyg. Fab. 182) or Amalthea [1] and Melissa [1] (Didymus In Lact. inst. 1,22,19 f.). After Rhe(i)a gives birth to Zeus in a cave of Mt Dicte on Crete, she hands them the baby and they raise him on goat's milk and honey. The names of M. and Melissa are derived from Greek méli (honey). According to Didymus (l.c.), M. was the first to sacrifice to the gods and to introduce rites and religious festivals. He appointed his daughter Melissa the first priestess of Mater Magna. Frey, Ale…

(Μύγδων; Mýgdōn). [German version] [1] King of the Bebrycians King of the Bebrycians, brother of Amycus [1]; killed by Heracles when he attacked Heracles' host, Lycus [5]. After M.'s death, Heracles gives Lycus a large part of the land of the Bebrycians, which is renamed Herakleia (Apollod. 2,100). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] Ruler of the Phrygians Along with Otreus, M. rules over the Phrygians at the Sangarius river. These Phrygians are also called Mygdonians, after M. (Paus. 10,27,1; schol. Apoll. Rhod. 2,786f.). Priamus aids them in…

[German version] (Νεῖκος; Neîkos). Personification of hate and strife in Hesiod's creation mythology (Hes. Theog. 229). The goddess Eris, the daughter of Nyx, gives birth to the forces of evil: N., Pseudeis ( pseudeís, lies) and Logoi ( lógoi, wicked talk). In Timon [1. fr. 21], he is named as the brother and servant of Eris. In Empedocles' [1] theory of the origins of the world, N. is the principle of repulsion and separation, the antithesis of Philotes ( philótēs, love). N.  causes the cosmos and the current world to be created from the sphairos where all the forces were mixed together. Frey, …

[German version] (παγχαΐα/ panchaía sc. χώρα/ chṓra, ‘a very splendid land’). P. is the main island in a fictional archipelago first mentioned by Euhemerus and located in the Indian Ocean: “Sailing from happy Arabia out into the Ocean”, one arrives “in a still more blessed land”, the “very splendid land” (Diod. Sic. 5,41,3; 6,1,4). P. is  seen as the ideal of a country both for its natural qualities and for its political and economic conditions (Euhemerus FGrH 63 F 2). Utopia Frey, Alexandra (Basle)

(Μίμας). [German version] [1] Titan Giant, killed either by Zeus' thunderbolt in the fight to rule Olympus (Eur. Ion 212ff.), or by Ares' lance, after M. had torn the island of Lemnos out of the sea and hurled it at the god (Apoll. Rhod. 3,1227 with scholia). The field of battle was Phlegra on the Macedonian peninsula of Pallene; the struggle of M. and the Giants against other gods such as Pallas Athena and Hera was equally fruitless (schol. Apoll. Rhod. loc. cit.; Hor. Carm. …

[German version] (Κραγαλεύς). Son of  Dryops in the land of Dryope. C., who is wise and just, is chosen by  Apollo,  Artemis, and  Hercules to act as arbitrator in their dispute about the Epirote city  Ambracia. Apollo demands the city for himself because his son rules the land of Dryope. Artemis demands it because she had liberated the city from a tyrant, and Hercules because he defeated the Celts, the Thesproteans and the Epiroteans. C. awards the city to Hercules and in return is changed into a…

(Κλυτίος, Κλύτιος; Klytíos, Klýtios). [German version] [1] Giant Giant, who was killed either by Hecate with flaming torches or by Hephaestus with red-hot irons (Apollod. 1,37). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] Son of Alcmaeon and Arsinoe [I 3] Son of Alcmaeon and  Arsinoe [I 3]; grandson of Amphiaraus (Apollod. 3,87; Paus. 6,17,6). The soothsaying family of the  Clyti(a)dae in Elis can be traced back to C. (Cic. Div. 1,91). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [3] Argonaut Argonaut, son of Eurytus of Oechalia (Apoll. Rhod. 1,86; 2,1043). C. was killed b…

[German version] (Νῶραξ/ Nôrax). Son of Hermes and Erytheia, daughter of Geryoneus. According to legend, N. led the Iberians out of Spanish Tartessus to Sardinia, and founded the first town there, which was named Nora [1] after him (Paus. 10,17,5). Frey, Alexandra (Basle)

(Κάρπος; Kárpos). [German version] [1] Son of Zephyrus and a certain Hore Handsome youth, son of Zephyrus and of a certain Hore ( Horae). He organizes a swimming race with  Calamus, his best friend, but drowns in the event. In mourning, his friend kills himself and is turned into reeds. C. is turned into a crop of the field (Nonnus, Dion. 11,385-481). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] C. of Antioch Mathematician A mathematician, who lived presumably in the 1st or 2nd cent. AD. Information on him is given in four fragments by Pappus (8,3), Proclus (in Euc…

(Μέντωρ; Méntōr). [German version] [1] Father of Imbrios of Pedaion Father of Imbrius of Pedaeum (Hom. Il. 13,171). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] Son of Alkimos, companion of Odysseus M. of Ithaca, son of Alcimus (Hom. Od. 22,235), companion of Odysseus, who on his departure to Troy hands over to M. the supervision of his household (ibid. 2,225ff.). In the People's Assembly M. firmly opposes the behaviour of the suitors (ibid. 2,224ff.). The goddess Athena often takes on his form in order to help Telemachus wi…

[German version] (Ὤγυγος; Ṓgygos/Ὠγύγης; Ōgýgēs). The name O. is probably pre-Greek, and may derive from the Lydian-Carian migrations; at that time, O. was worshipped as a god. The Boeotian goddesses of oaths, the Praxidikai, were said to be his daughters (Paus. 9,33,5; Suda s.v. Πραξιδίκη; Steph. Byz. s.v. Τρεμίλη). Ancient king of Boeotia (the adjective ὠγύγιος/ ōgýgios is used for 'Boeotian' and 'ancient': Suda s.v. Ὠγύγια κακά; Ὠγύγιον); autochthon and king of the Ectenians (Paus. 9,5,1); son of Boeotus (schol. Eur. Phoen. 1113) and husband of Th…

[German version] (Καφένη; Kaphénē). Carian maiden, who, out of love for the Melian Nymphius betrays her people by divulging their plan to invite the Melians to a feast so as to kill them underhandedly. Instead, the Carians were slain. In return, C. becomes the wife of Nymphius (Plut. Mor. 246d-247a, 207f.; Polyaen. 8,46). Frey, Alexandra (Basle)

(Φείδιππος; Pheídippos). [German version] [1] Son of Thessalus, naval commander at Troy Son of Thessalus, brother of Antiphus, consequently grandson of  Heracles [1] and Chalciope [3] (Hyg. Fab. 97,14). One of Helen [1]'s suitors (Hyg. Fab. 81). He and his brother command 30 ships at Troy (Hom. Il. 2,676-680). On the voyage home he is blown off course to Thesprotia, where he also dies. In Odysseus's tall stories  (Hom. Od. 14,316; 19,287) the king Pheidon of the Thesproti appears twice. The latter's name is…