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(Μοῖραι [ Moîrai]; Latin Parcae) A. Myth While Homer speaks only of one Moirē (with the sole exception of Hom. Il. 24,49, where a group of goddesses of fate appears), ruling the fates and lives of men and determining their end (Hom. Il. 16,853; 18,119 et al.), the M. make their first appearance as three sisters in Hesiod’s Theogony. Hesiod sometimes calls them daughters of Zeus and Themis, sisters of the Horae (Hes. Theog. 901–906), and sometimes daughters of Nyx (Night) like Ker and Thanatos (Death; Hes. Theog. 217f.). He also gives them the names and…

(Γαλάτεια, Πολύφηµος; Latin Galatea, Polyphemus) A. Myth The unrequited love of the Cyclops P. for the Nereid G. is first recorded in a dithyramb by Philoxenus of Cythera dated to the early 4th cent. BC, also the source of the association of the daughter of Nereus and the nymph Doris previously mentioned only in the catalogues of Nereids in Homer and Hesiod (Hom. Il. 18,45; Hes. Theog. 250) with the one-eyed giant (Hom. Od. 1,70) descended from Poseidon. Referring to the Odyssey, Philoxenus goes on to say that the awkward P. courts G. in vain, because she has decided in favo…

( Marcus Tullius Cicero; Greek Κικέρων/ Kikérōn) A. Historical dimension Marcus Tullius C., renowned author, orator and politician of the late Roman Republic (106–43 BC), was born in Arpinum in southern Latium. Through his father's connections, he received his education at Rome from the foremost orators (Lucius Licinius Crassus and Marcus Antonius) and jurists of the day (Mucius Scaevola Augur and Mucius Scaevola Pontifex). He achieved his first successes as a lawyer with his defence of Quincti…

( Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus; Greek Μάρκος Αὐρήλιος/ Márkos Aurḗlios) A. Historical dimension The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121–180, reigned 161–180) was born Marcus Annius Verus in Rome, and his grandfather adopted him after the early death of his father. As son of a senator, he received a solid education in language and literature, but was also taught painting. His teacher, Diognetus, is said to have kindled his interest in philosophy. At the age of twelve, he the…

(Μοίϱαι, lat. Parcae) A. Mythos Während Homer bis auf eine Ausnahme (Hom. Il. 24,49, wo eine Gruppe von Schicksalsgöttinnen erscheint) stets nur eine Moire kennt, die über Geschick und Lebensgang der Menschen waltet und diesen ihr Ende setzt (Hom. Il. 16,853; 18,119 u.ö.), erscheinen die M. in Gestalt dreier Schwestern erstmals in der Theogonie Hesiods. Dieser bezeichnet sie bald als Töchter des Zeus und der Themis und Schwestern der Horen (Hes. theog. 901–906), bald zusammen mit Ker und Thanatos (Tod) als Töchter der Nyx (Nacht; Hes. theog. 217 f…

(Γαλατεία, Πολὐφημος, lat. Galatea, Polyphemus) A. Mythos Die unerwiderte Liebe des Kyklopen P. zur Nereide G. ist erstmals in einem an den Beginn des 4. Jh. v. Chr. zu datierenden Dithyrambos des Philoxenos von Kythera belegt, auf den die Verbindung der bis dahin nur in den Nereidenkatalogen Homers und Hesiods (Hom. Il. 18,45; Hes. theog. 250) erwähnten Tochter des Nereus und der Nymphe Doris mit dem von Poseidon abstammenden einäugigen Riesen (Hom. Od. 1,70) auch zurückgeht. Philoxenos erzählte in Anknüpfung an die Odyssee, daß der unbeholfene P. vergeblich G. den Hof macht…