beautiful attendant of Venus, who held her train. He was killed by a boar, and turned by Venus into an anemone.

Adrastaea (Adrastae′a), another name of Nemesis, one of the goddesses of justice.

Adscriptitii Dii (Adscripti′tii Dii) were the gods of the second grade.

Adversity, see Echidna.

Aeacus (Ae′acus), one of the judges of hell, with Minos and Rhadamanthus. See Eacus.

Aecastor (Aecas′tor), an oath used only by women, referring to the Temple of Castor.

Aedepol (Aed′epol), an oath used by both men and women, referring to the Temple of Pollux.

Aeetes (Aee′tes), a king of Colchis, and father of Medea.

Aegeon (Aege′on), a giant with fifty heads and one hundred hands, who was imprisoned by Jupiter under Mount Etna. See Briareus.

Aegis (Ae′gis), the shield of Jupiter, so called because it was made of goat-skin.

Aegle (Ae′gle). The fairest of the Naiads.

Aello (Ael′lo), the name of one of the Harpies.

Aeneas (Aene′as) was the son of Anchises and Venus. He was one of the few great captains who escaped the destruction of Troy. He behaved with great valor during the siege, encountering Diomed, and even Achilles himself. When the Grecians had set the city on fire Aeneas took his aged father, Anchises, on his shoulders, while his son, Ascanius, and his wife Creusa, clung to his garments. He saved them all from the flames. After wandering about during several years, encountering numerous difficulties, he at length arrived in Italy, where he was hospitably received by Latinus, king of the Latins. After the death of Latinus Aeneas became king.

Aeolus (Aeo′lus) was the god of the winds. Jupiter was his reputed father, and his mother is said to have been a daughter of Hippotus. Aeolus is represented as having the power of holding the winds confined in a cavern, and occasionally giving them liberty to blow over the world. So much command was he supposed to have over them that when Ulysses visited him on his return from Troy he gave him, tied up in a bag, all the winds that could prevent his voyage from being prosperous. The companions of Ulysses, fancying that the bag contained treasure, cut it open just as they came in sight of Ithaca, the port they were making for, and the contrary winds rushing out drove back the ship many leagues. The residence of Aeolus was at Strongyle, now called Strombolo.

Aesculapius (Aescula′pius), the god of physic, was a son of Apollo. He was physician to the Argonauts in their famous expedition to Colchis. He became so noted for his cures that Pluto became jealous of him, and he requested Jupiter to kill him with a thunderbolt. To revenge his son’s death Apollo slew the Cyclops who had forged the thunderbolt. By his marriage with Epione he had two sons, Machaon and Podalirius, both famous physicians, and four daughters, of whom Hygeia, the goddess of health, is the most renowned. Many temples were erected in honor of Aesculapius, and votive tablets were hung therein by people who had been healed by him; but his most famous shrine was at Epidaurus, where, every five years, games were held in his honor. This god is variously represented, but the most famous statue shows him seated on a throne of gold and ivory. His head is crowned with rays, and he wears a long beard. A knotty stick is in one hand, and a staff entwined with a serpent is in the other, while a dog lies at his feet.

Aeson (Ae′son) was father of Jason, and was restored to youth by Medea.

Agamemnon (Agamem′non) was the son of Plisthenes and brother of Menelaus. He was king of the Argives. His brother’s wife was the famous Helen, daughter of Tyndarus, king of Sparta; and when she eloped with Paris, Agamemnon was appointed leader of the Greeks in their expedition against Troy.

Aganippides (Aganip′pides), a name of the Muses, derived from the fountain of Aganippe.

Agineus (Agine′us), see Apollo.

Aglaia (Agla′ia) was one of the Three Graces.

Agni (Ag′ni). The Hindoo god of lightning.

Ajax (A′jax) was one of the bravest of the Greek warriors in the Trojan War. His father was Telamon, and his mother Eriboea. Some writers say that he was killed by Ulysses; others aver that he was slain by Paris; while others again assert that he went mad after being defeated by Ulysses, and killed himself. Another Ajax, son of Oileus, also took a prominent part in the Trojan War.

Alcestis (Alces′tis), wife of Admetus, who, to save her husband’s life, died in his stead, and was restored to life by Hercules.

Alcides (Alci′des), one of the names of Hercules.

Alcmena (Alcme′na), the mother of Hercules, was daughter of Electryon, a king of Argos.

Alecto (Alec′to) was one of the Furies. She is depicted as having serpents instead of hair on her head, and was supposed to breed pestilence wherever she went.

Alectryon (Alec′tryon), a servant of Mars, who was changed by him into a cock because he did not warn his master of the rising of the sun.

Alfadur (Al′fadur), in Scandinavian Mythology the Supreme Being—Father of all.

Alma Mammosa (Al′ma Mammo′sa), a name of Ceres.

Alpheus (Alphe′us), a river god. See Arethusa.

Altar. A structure on which a sacrifice was offered. The earliest altars were merely heaps of earth or turf or rough unhewn stone; but as the mode of