tALus AcheLous

 (TalOs) In Greek The ythology,nephew and appren-tice of the great inventor DAEDALUS. Talus, who is said to have invented the saw and also the compass, incurred the jealousy of Daedalus, who murdered him. Some stories say that Daedalus threw the boy from the top of the Acropolis and that the gods changed Talus into a partridge (“perdix”). Perdix was a nickname for Talus or his mother, Polycaste, or for both.

tAntALus Greek A king of LYDIA in ASIA MINOR; father of PELOPS and NIOSE. Tantalus stole food from the gods and served it to mortals. He even attempted to serve up his son, Pelops, in a stew at a banquet for the gods but the gods rescued Pelops. Tantalus was pun-ished for his misdeeds by the downfall of his kingdom and eternal hunger and thirst. It is said that he stands in a pool of water, but whenever he bends down to drink, the water recedes, and that over his head hang branches laden with fruit, but they are just out of reach.

tArtArus Greek A realm of eternal darkness, the deepest, most terrible part of the UNDERwORLD, the opposite of the dome of the sky. Tartarus was even deeper below the Earth than HADES, farther below Hades than the Earth was below the sky, a realm of darkness and death. The OLYMPIAN GODS exiled the TITANS to Tartarus after the great war between the two generations of gods.

The Olympians sent other supernatural beings there as well, such as the CYCLOPES. Humans were also sent there for punishment, including TANTALUS, SISYPHUS, and the 50 daughters of DANAUS, known as the Danaides. Some poets said that evil men who had nothing to do with the gods and their stories were also punished in Tartarus. In later stories, the realm was more closely associated with Hades.

tAygete Greek A NYMPH, born on Mount Cyl-lene, one of the PLEIADES, who served the goddess

ARTEMIS; daughter of ATLAS and PLEIONE, who was a nymph and one of the OCEANIDS.

Taygete was, like other nymphs, coveted by the great god ZEUS. She refused his advances and, afraid of the god, begged Artemis to help, and the goddess changed her into a doe. In that form, Zeus made love to Taygete. Back in human form, Taygete gave birth to Lacedaemon, who became the founder of SPARTA, a prominent city in ancient GREECE.

teLAmon (TelemOn) Greek Son of King Aecus of AEGINA; brother of PELEUS; father, with HESIONE, of TEUCER, the great archer.

Telamon and Peleus killed their half-brother, Pho-cus. After the murder, Telamon fled the country. He lived a heroic life, taking part in the CALYDONIAN Boar HUNT, sailing with the ARGONAUTS, and accompanying HERACLES on his expedition against LAOMEDON of TROY.

teLegonus Greek In some accounts, the son of hero ODYSSEUS and the witch CIRCE. Circe sent her son to find Odysseus in his kingdom of Ithaca. Telegonus killed his father (the two were unknown to each other) with a poisoned spear given to him by Circe. Later Telegonus married PENELOPE, the widow of Odysseus.

teLemAchus Greek Son of ODYSSEUS and PENELOPE. As an infant, Telemachus was placed in the path of his father’s plow as a test of the father’s pretended madness. When the TROJAN WAR ended, Telemachus searched unsuccessfully for his father, returned to Ithaca, and recognized Odysseus; together he and Odysseus slew all the would-be usurpers to the throne who had been imposing upon Penelope to choose a husband from among them. (See Odysseus Returns to Ithaca, under ODYSSEY.)

teLephus Greek The son of HERACLES and Auge, a Tegean princess. Telephus became the king

of Mysia, in AsIA MINOR, where the Greeks landed on their way to TROY. The Greek hero ACHILLEs wounded Telephus in an ensuing scuffle. He was told by an ORACLE that his wound could be cured only by the one who had inflicted it. Telephus went to the Greek camp and sought out Achilles. Since another oracle had told Achilles that only Telephus could show him the way to Troy, Achilles obligingly scraped some rust from his spear into the wound of Telephus, curing him. Telephus showed the Greeks the way to Troy, where they were victorious.

TELLUS (TERRA MATER) Roman A goddess of fecundity, or the ability to produce young. People sought her protection and help even before they developed formalized religion in Italy. Many scholars see Tellus as an equivalent of the Greek GAIA, the EARTH MOTHER. Tellus means “Earth,” as the name of the third planet from the Sun, though the word “Terra” in her alternative name refers to soil or land. Tellus was also the divinity who watched over wed-ding ceremonies and whose goodwill couples sought before their marriages.

On April 15, people gathered to sacrifice a preg-nant cow to Tellus. They cut the unborn calf from its mother and burned it, too. In this ceremony, people sought protection of their own fertility.

Romans seem to have worshiped Tellus in con-junction with the goddesses CEREs and FLORA, both Roman goddesses of fertility, though Tellus is more ancient. All three were feared as goddesses of the dead, Tellus as their queen. This image seems to have evolved from people’s understanding that death was the opposite of birth and the belief the goddess of one function must have an influence over the other. On December 13, people honored Tellus, Ceres, and Flora together.

TEMPE Greek A valley in THEssALY, famous for its beautiful scenery. There are many references to the Vale of Tempe in Greek mythology. It was the scene of APOLLO’s purification after the slaying of PYTHON. It was the scene of the metamorphosis of DAPHNE (from NYMPH pursued by APOLLO into laurel tree). It was also where CYCNus, son of AREs, killed unwary travelers and used their bones to build a temple to his father.

TERMINUS Roman God of boundaries and fron-tiers. Specifically, Terminus was the god of the sacred boundaries of pieces of land that were dedicated to

JuPITER, the supreme god in Roman mythology. In Latin, “terminus” means boundary.

In daily life, Terminus protected the good rela-tionship between owners of neighboring proper-ties. He supported and encouraged harmony among neighbors, a task that was very important in an agrarian or farming culture such as ancient ROME.

New neighbors would dig a hole at the boundary of their properties and consecrate that hole with wine, offerings, and the blood of a sacrificial animal. They then took a large stone, coated it in oil, added garlands of plants to it, and buried it in the hole. Each year after that first ceremony, the neighbors met at the stone and offered a sacrifice to Terminus to seek his help in protecting their land.

Terminus also guarded boundaries in time and marked the end of events as well as pieces of property. His festival in the Roman calendar of festivals, Termi-nalia, on February 23, marked the end of the year.

TETHyS Greek The daughter of two TITANs, URANus and GAIA; sister-wife of OCEANus. With him she bore the OCEANIDs (sea NYMPHs). She was also the mother of STYx, and, some say, the mentor of the goddess HERA.

TEUcER Greek The son of TELAMON and HEs-IONE; half-brother of the great AJAx (1). He was the best archer among the Greeks and played an impor­tant part in the TROJAN WAR, fighting alongside Ajax. Teucer founded the town of Salamis in Cyprus.

THALASSA Greek An ancient sea goddess; daugh-ter of ETHER, the upper air, and HEMERA, day. With PONTus, an ancient god of the sea, Thalassa was the mother of the fish and animals of the sea.

Thalassa is featured in the stories of classical Greek writers as the form of a woman, made of water. She rises out of the sea and talks with humans who become stranded on her shores. Some say Thalassa was the mother of APHRODITE, for, as the sea, Thal-assa carried the goddess out of the ocean after she had formed from the dismembered parts of URANus.

THANATOS (Death) Greek The personification of death (Mors in Latin). The son of NYx (Night), with no father (according to HEsIOD); twin brother of HYPNOs (Sleep). The only mortal who managed to outwit Thanatos (at least for a while) was SIsYPHus.

THAUMUS (Wonder) Greek An ancient sea god, ranked among the second-generation of TITANs; son

of GAIA and PONTUS; brother of CETO, PHORCYS, NEREUS, and EURYBIA.

Few stories are told of this god. He is known most for being the father, with the OCEANID ELECTRA (3), of IRIS, the goddess of rainbows, and of the strong storm winds known as the HARPIES.

THEBES Greek A city of ancient GREECE, in BOEO-TIA, reputedly founded by CADMUS. Thebes was also associated with other Greek myths, such as those of OEDIPUS, the SEPEN AGAINST THEBEs, and the EPIGONI.

THEIA (Radiant) Greek A first-generation TITAN goddess of sight and the shining light of the blue sky; daughter of GAIA and URANUS; mother, with HYPERION, of the gods who brought light to humans: HELIOS (Sun), SELENE (Moon), and Eos (Dawn). She was known also as the female counterpart of ETHER, the upper air.

Theia’s association with the concept of brilliant light made her also the goddess of gems and gold, because she gave to them their great value. She had the ability to see into the future. The people of THES-SALY built a temple in her name.

THEMIS Greek A TITAN, daughter of GAIA and URANUS; one of the many loves of ZEUS. Mother of the HORAE (Seasons) the MOIRAE (Fates), ASTRAEA, and, some say, of PROMETHEUS. Themis presided over law and order, justice, hospitality, and prophecy. One legend has it that Themis communicated with the ORACLE at DELPHI before Delphi became the favored shrine of the god APOLLO. Another says that she appeared before DEUCALION and told him to repeople the Earth after the deluge.

THESEUS Greek Chief hero of ATHENS, the major city of ATTICA. Son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and Aethra, daughter of King Pittheus of Troezen. The-seus was brought up under the protection of Pittheus and Aethra until he was 16. Then he set off to Athens to claim his birthright. On his way and afterward, he had countless adventures, of which the most famous was the slaying of the MINOTAUR. Upon the death of Aegeus, Theseus became king of Athens and was the hero of many battles. At the end, he retired to Skyros, an island in the Aegean, where he was murdered by Lycomedes.

Scholars believe that the character of Theseus may have been based on a real person, a hero of ancient times, similar in many ways to the demigod

HERACLES. Mythologists may have adapted the char-acter of Theseus to make him a suitable hero for their city of Athens.

Some Adventures of Theseus Theseus, the great hero of ancient Athens, had countless adven-tures. Among them were some showing that he let the punishment fit the crime.

Periphetes was crippled and used a huge bronze club to kill wayfarers. Theseus, on his way to Athens, killed Periphetes with the club, which he carried ever afterward as one of his weapons.

Sinis, “The Pinebender,” was so strong and mon-strously cruel that he bent young pine trees down to the ground, then lashed his victim, a hapless traveler, to the trees so that the victim would be killed by hav-ing his limbs torn apart after Sinis let the trees loose. Theseus inflicted the same punishment on Sinis.

Procrustes, also called Polypemon, was the father of Sinis. He was another scourge of travelers. He would invite them into his house, where he had an iron bed. If the victim did not fit the bed, Procrustes would either chop off the victim’s overhanging parts or stretch his limbs to fit the bed. Theseus forced Procrustes to lie in his own bed, where Theseus slew the villain. The word procrustean has come to denote any cruel attempt to reduce people or ideas to fit one arbitrary standard.

In ELEUSIS, a city northwest of Athens, Theseus defeated the king in a wrestling match. Theseus is said to have perfected the art of wrestling. Eleusis had no king from that day on and came under the leadership of Athens.

Theseus and Aegeus Theseus, the great hero of Athens, was the son of King Aegeus, king of Athens. His mother was Princess Aethra, the daughter of King Pittheus of Troezen. Before he left Troezen, Aegeus lifted a heavy rock and hid his sword and sandals beneath it. He instructed Aethra to bring his son to this rock when he became a young man and to remove the sword and sandals. If Theseus succeeded in doing this, he was to bring the items to Athens to claim his birthright from his father, the king.

Aethra took Theseus, when he was 16, to the rock, which the lad lifted easily, and sent him on his way to Athens.

Theseus had many adventures on his journey and entered Athens as a hero. Warmly welcomed by his father, Theseus then went on to his greatest adven-ture, the slaying of the Minotaur, the dreaded BULL-monster of King MINOS of CRETE. Every year, Minos demanded seven men and seven maids from Athens to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, thus bringing great sorrow to the people of that city. Theseus determined

to put an end to this tragedy. In spite of his father’s protests, he went aboard the fateful ship that took the victims to Crete. Theseus promised Aegeus that if he succeeded in killing the monster, he would bring the ship back flying white sails in place of the black sails it left with. Theseus did indeed defeat the beast, but he forgot to hoist the white sails. Aegeus, watching anxiously from the top of a cliff, saw the black sails and cast himself into the sea in despair. That sea—the Aegean—today bears his name.

Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur The slaying of the Minotaur was Theseus’s greatest and most famous deed, in which he was helped by ARIADNE, daughter of King Minos of Crete. Minos demanded a yearly tribute from Athens because of the murder of his son, ANDROGEUS, by the Athenians. Each year, seven Athenian men and seven maidens were sent to Crete to feed the Minotaur.

Theseus determined to end the yearly tragedy suffered by the Athenians. He boarded the ship that bore the victims to Crete. When she saw him, Ariadne fell in love with the hero. She gave him a ball of string that would help him find his way out of the LABYRINTH where the bull lived. Theseus unwound the string as he followed the tortuous mazes that led him to the Minotaur. He slew the bull after a fero-cious battle and then made his way triumphantly back to the entrance of the labyrinthine palace. When he went back to Athens, Theseus took the lovely Ariadne with him, but he abandoned her on the island of NAXOS and went on his way.

Theseus and Medea When Theseus was a young man, he set forth to claim his birthright from Aegeus. Aegeus had married the sorceress MEDEA, who knew at once that Theseus was the king’s son. She tried to poison the lad; just in time, Theseus revealed the sacred sword that his father had left behind in Troezen. Aegeus dashed the poisoned cup from the boy’s hand and embraced his son. Medea fled from Athens with her son, Medus.

Theseus and Pirithous Theseus was also famous for having a deep and enduring friendship with PIRITHOÜS, king of the LAPITHS, a mythical people of THESSALY. The friendship originated when Pirithoüs mischievously stole some of Theseus’s cattle. Theseus went in pursuit, but the two young men were so filled with admiration for each other that they forgot their quarrel and swore eternal brotherhood. The young heroes had many adventures together.

In a fight that started at the wedding feast of Pir-ithoüs and HIPPODAMEIA, Theseus helped his friend

to drive the CENTAURS, wild creatures that were half human, half horse, out of Thessaly.

Pirithoüs later helped Theseus carry off HELEN. In return, Theseus descended to the UNDERWORLD (1) to help his friend in his attempt to abduct PERSE-PHONE, reluctant bride of HADES. Hades caught the two friends and they had to remain in the underworld until the hero Heracles came to attempt their rescue. Theseus was freed, but Pirithoüs had to remain a captive for eternity.

Theseus and the Amazons Theseus, great hero of Athens, accompanied the demigod Heracles on his ninth labor, which was to capture the girdle of HIP-POLYTA, queen of the AMAzONS. Heracles captured the girdle, whereupon Hippolyta made war on Athens. Theseus vanquished Hippolyta and made her his wife. She bore him a son, HIPPOLYTUS.

After the death of Hippolyta, Theseus married PHAEDRA, with disastrous consequences. Phaedra fell in love with her young stepson, Hippolytus, and killed herself in despair, whereupon Theseus invoked the help of the sea god, POSEIDON, in causing his son’s death.

The Death of Theseus Theseus led a life full of triumphant adventures. His most famous exploit was the killing of the dreaded Minotaur. But his end was a sad one. He lost both his wife, Phaedra, and his son, Hippolytus, and finally was driven out of Athens by Menesthius, of the ancient line of ERECHTHEUS.

Theseus set sail for Crete, now ruled by Phaedra’s brother, DEUCALION, who had promised him refuge. Theseus’s ship was blown off course and he took shelter on the island of Skyros, where he had a small estate. King Lycomedes of Skyros seemed to welcome the sad and aging king, but he treacherously pushed Theseus off a cliff. Thus the great Theseus died. Later his bones were taken to Athens and enshrined there.

THESSALY Greek The largest division of GREECE, located in the eastern mainland, encircled by moun-tains except for the valley of TEMPE in the northeast corner. Thessaly’s mythical inhabitants were the LAPITHS, whose king, IXION, had fathered the CEN-TAURS, creatures that were half human and half horse. It was also the home of the mythical MYRMIDONS, created by ZEUS to increase Thessaly’s population.

THETIS Greek One of the NEREIDS, sea NYMPH daughters of NEREUS; wife of PELEUS; mother of ACHIL-LES. Both ZEUS and POSEIDON had pursued Thetis, but on being told by the seeress THEMIS that a son borne by Thetis would overthrow the OLYMPIAN GODS, Zeus per-suaded Thetis to marry Peleus. When her son, Achilles,

was born, Thetis wanted to make him invulnerable. She dipped the baby into the river STYx, holding him by one heel. Since that heel did not touch the magical water, it remained vulnerable. It was this heel that later caused Achilles’ death in the TROJAN WAR.

THYESTES Greek Son of PELOPS and HIPPODA-MEIA; brother of ATREUS; father of AEGISTHUS by his own daughter, Pelopia.

Thyestes and Atreus, rivals since childhood, were the victims of the curse made upon their house by the actions of their father, PELOPS. (See also under ATREUS and THYESTES.)

Thyestes ruled for a short time as king of MYCENAE, one of the most important cities of ancient GREECE, with Aegisthus as his heir, but he was eventually driven out by AGAMEMNON and Aegisthus was deposed.

TIBERINUS Roman The god of the river Tiber, upon which the city of ROME was founded. The river was vital to the fortunes of Rome. Numerous festivals were held in honor of its god. Some say that RHEA SILvIA, the mother of the twins ROMULUS AND REMUS, was thrown into the river and became its spouse. In VIRGIL’s AENEiD, Tiberinus visits AENEAS, who is asleep on the banks of the river, and tells him in a dream that his destiny is to found a city on the banks of the river.

TIRESIAS Greek The blind seer of THEBES, a figure who appears several times in Greek mythology.

According to some legends, ATHENE struck Tire-sias blind because he saw her bathing. Another legend says that it was HERA who struck Tiresias blind.

Some scholars think that the figure of Tiresias as a wise man is a mythological embodiment of the person who is out of the ordinary (blind, lame, or otherwise afflicted), endowed with special gifts such as those of Tiresias and HEPHAESTUS, the lame smith-god.

TIRYNS Greek A town in the ARGOS region of the northern PELOPONNESUS. PROETUS, brother of Acrisius, founded the city and built massive walls with the help of the CYCLOPES.

TITAN Greek The race of Greek gods that pre-ceded and gave birth to the OLYMPIAN GODS; the children of GAIA (Earth) and URANUS (Heaven), who were the first gods of Greek mythology. According to most Greek writers, there were 12 Titans, six male and six female. The sons were OCEANUS, HYPERION, COEUS, CRONUS, IAPETUS, and CRIUS. The daughters

were MNEMOSYNE, PHOEBE, RHEA, TETHYS, THEIA, and THEMIS.

Some scholars, however, rank Gaia’s children by the ancient sea god PONTUS among the Titans. They were CETO, PHORCYS, THAUMAS, EURYBIA, and NEREUS.

The children of Gaia’s children were also known as Titans, or second-generation Titans. Hyperion had three children, EOS, HELIOS and SELENE. Coeus had two daughters, LETO and ASTERIA. Iapetus had four sons, ATLAS, PROMETHEUS, EPIMETHEUS, and MENOETIUS. Crius three children, ASTRAEUS, PALLAS, and PERSES.

Also commonly counted among the Titans were the eldest of the OCEANIDS, a group of water NYMPHS, daughters of OCEANUS and TETHYS. They were STYx, DIONE, NEDA, METIS, CLYMENE, EURYNOME, DORIS, ELECTRA (3), and PLEIONE.

The children of Cronus and Rhea became the first and perhaps most prominent Olympian Gods. They were ZEUS, POSEIDON, HADES, HERA, DEMETER, and HESTIA.

The Titans were the primary gods of GREECE during the Golden Age, before the rise of the HEL-LENES as the dominant culture. The Hellenes brought their Olympian gods to the peninsula and supplanted the gods of earlier peoples. In the mythology, of the Hellenes, Zeus led the battle of the generations and defeated the Titans, sending most of them to TARTA-RUS, the deepest pit of the UNDERwORLD.

TITHONUS Greek The son of LAOMEDON, king of TROY, and brother of PRIAM. Eos, goddess of the dawn, loved him. She bore him a son, Memnon, one of the heroes of the TROJAN WAR. Eos begged ZEUS to make her husband immortal. Zeus granted her wish and Tithonus lived for a very long time. However, eternal youth was not given to him, and the young man became a shriveled old thing with little more than a strident voice. At last the gods took pity on him and turned him into a cicada.

TRIPTOLEMUS Greek Son of CELEUS and Meta-neira, brother of DEMOPHON. A favorite of the goddess DEMETER, Triptolemus received from her the secrets of corn and of agriculture. It is said that he invented the plow and the science of agriculture and was thus a pioneer of civilization. He was a central figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries.

TRITON Greek A water god; the son of POSEIDON and AMPHITRITE. He was often represented as a mer-man, with the head and body of a man and a fishtail instead of legs.

It is said that he blew on a conch shell trumpet to calm the waves for Poseidon. Sometimes Poseidon is depicted as being escorted by many Tritons.

Triton was a benevolent, helpful deity. During the Olympian war with the TITANS, Triton used his conch shell to terrify the giants. In HOMER’s ODYSSEY, Triton saved the ARGONAUTS from a storm and helped them find the Mediterranean Sea.

In astronomy, Triton is one of the moons of the planet NEPTUNE.

TRojAN wAR Greek A legendary war fought between Achaean (Greek) invaders and the defenders of TROY, a seaport at the northwestern tip of ASIA MINOR, around 1200–1300 B.C. (See below for an account of recent archaeological discoveries that make it certain that such a war, or series of wars, took place.) The events of this war and the return to their homes of some of the Greek generals make up a body of myth that was recounted over the centuries and eventually reshaped and written down by the great poet HOMER in two epics: the ILIAD, which describes the end of the Trojan War, and the ODYSSEY, the journeys of one of the Greek heroes, ODYSSEUS.

The story of the 10-year struggle between the Greeks and Trojans is complex. The cause of the war, according to Greek mythology, was said to be a beauty contest between three goddesses. The silver-footed sea NYMPH, THETIS, and the king of AEGINA, PELEUS, neglected to invite ERIS, goddess of strife, to their wedding. In her anger, Eris threw “the apple of discord” into the midst of the wedding throng. The apple was inscribed “To the Fairest.”

Three goddesses immediately claimed the apple: HERA, the chief goddess and wife of ZEUS; ATHENE, goddess of war; and APHRODITE, goddess of love and beauty. When asked to make a choice among the three goddesses, Zeus wisely declined and gave the task to a young Trojan prince, PARIS, who was said to be exceedingly handsome.

The three goddesses wooed young Paris, tempt-ing him with bribes. Paris succumbed to the offer of Aphrodite, who promised him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world in return for the apple.

At that time, the most beautiful woman in the world was HELEN, the young queen of King MENEL-AUS of SPARTA. Paris went to the court of Menelaus, won Helen, and carried her away to Troy.

King Menelaus immediately rallied around him all the former lovelorn suitors of Helen, who had promised to fight anyone who might try to steal Helen away from GREECE. Menelaus chose his

brother, AGAMEMNON, king of MYCENAE, as leader of the army. Agamemnon soon had a fleet of 1,000 ships ready to sail for Troy. (In later literature, Helen’s face was described as “the face that launched a thousand ships.”) Among the first victims of the war was one of Agamemnon’s daughters, IPHIGENIA, sacrificed in order to gain fair winds to Troy.

ACHILLES was the principal hero of the Greeks who took part in the Trojan War. His contingent numbered about 50 ships and he led his own army, unlike the other Greeks who acknowledged the leadership of Agamemnon and his huge fleet. Achilles captured a number of towns on the coast near Troy. Among his prizes was the beautiful slave girl BRISEIS. Agamemnon stole Briseis away from Achilles. Furi-ous, Achilles withdrew from the war, causing a serious setback to the Greeks. The quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon was one of the starting points of the events of the latter part of the Trojan War described by Homer in the Iliad. Later, Achilles would rejoin the war and help bring the Greeks to victory, this time under the leadership of his dear friend PATROCLUS. HECTOR killed Patroclus. Achilles then slew Hector and dragged his dead body around the ruins of Troy.

Led by the hero Hector, the Trojans were suc-cessful in many major engagements, especially when Achilles temporarily left the conflict after the quarrel with Agamemnon. Eventually, the Trojans lost the war when the Greek hero Odysseus had the cunning idea of hiding troops within a huge wooden horse delivered as a gift within the walls of Troy. The selected troops broke out of their hiding place in the dead of night, slew the Trojans, and looted and set fire to their city.

The gods themselves took sides in the Trojan War and played an active part in the hostilities. APOLLO and the war god ARES supported the Trojans, as did Aphrodite, the champion of Paris. Athene, Hera, and POSEIDON backed the Greeks, and HEPHAESTUS, the smith-god, made armor for Achilles.

The Trojan War was the last great communal enterprise of the Greek heroes. Although it succeeded in its aim to rescue Helen, the difficulties were great and long, and an air of failure and defeat seemed to hang over the enterprise. Few of the heroes returned to find their homes secure.

The Trojan War: Fact or Fiction? The Trojan War of Greek mythology lasted for 10 years, ending in the sack of Troy and a victory for the Greeks.

Scholars now think that such a war did indeed take place, around 1200–1300 B.C. Recent archaeological finds confirm that there was a city of Troy. Extensive

Bronze Age burial grounds and many crematory urns, perhaps some of slain heroes, have been excavated. In addition, caches of food have been found buried beneath the walls of the city, very likely by people from the countryside who were taking refuge within the city walls during a lengthy siege by marauding tribes.

It seems certain that there were numerous trade routes common to the Greeks and the Trojans. Troy, at the northwestern tip of Asia Minor, controlled the seaway between the Aegean and the Black seas, through the narrow inlet called, in ancient times, the HELLES-PoNT, now known as the DARDANELLES. This strait led to the Sea of Marmara, which in turn led to the Black Sea via the passageway known as the Bosporus.

Once Troy had fallen, the Greeks were able to establish colonies along the coast of Asia Minor. They dealt in gold, silver, iron, cinnabar, timber, linen, hemp, dried fish, oil, and Chinese jade. In fact, the return of Helen to the Greeks may have symbolized the restoration of Greek rights to enter the Hellespont. The Iliad may be an assemblage of folk memories of a series of raids by the Greeks against the shores of Anatolia (Asia Minor)—and, in particular, Troy, the guardian of the Dardanelles—to ensure vital passage to the Black Sea and its valuable trade.

The Wooden Horse of Troy The Trojan War came to an end when the Greek hero Odysseus had the idea of building a huge wooden horse, inside which would be hidden hundreds of Greek soldiers. The horse was given as a gift to the Trojans and dragged within their walls. In the dark of night, the Greek soldiers burst forth from their clever hiding place, fought the unprepared soldiers and citizens of Troy, and destroyed the city, thus winning the war.

Many explanations for the Trojan horse have been put forth. The most likely is that it was a battering ram, a device used to knock down walls since ancient times. The massive walls of Troy, with their sloping bases, presented an almost unsolvable problem to enemy forces. It seems likely that the Greeks con-structed a towering “ram” that would be capable of attacking the more vulnerable upper structure of the walls. The “legs” raised the battering ram up to the level of the superstructure. The tool would be moved up to the wall on rollers. To the soldiers, the battering ram may have looked somewhat like a gigantic horse. In the ancient world, it was common for soldiers to give animal nicknames to pieces of equipment. For example, the Romans called their catapults scorpions. The word ram comes from the name for a male sheep or goat, which has a solid, sturdy shape.

TROY Greek One of the most famous cities in Western literature and the site of the 10-year-long siege and battle of Troy (see TRoJAN WAR). Excava­tions during the 19th and 20th centuries prove that there were no fewer than nine cities built—one after and on top of the other—on the mound of Hissarlik, a strategic position overlooking the DARDANELLES, the strait that leads to the Black Sea. The founder of Troy was DARDANUS, a son of ZEUS. PRIAM, king of Troy, was a descendant of Dardanus. Troy com-manded the trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It was, in fact, at the crossroads between east and west. In mythology, the Trojan War was caused by the abduction of HELEN, wife of the king of SPARTA, by the Trojan prince PARIS. Many scholars think the abduction was a metaphor for the rivalry between the Greeks and Trojans over the lucrative trade route to the Black Sea.

The city discovered by the archaeologists was in fact only about 200 yards across, more of a citadel than a city. Excavations in 1984 and 1985 revealed many burial urns. They have also revealed caches of food buried beneath the walls of the citadel, perhaps the supplies of the people from the neighboring countryside who came inside the walls of the citadel for refuge from the marauding tribes.

TURNUS Roman King of the RUTULI people, who lived in a region 20 miles southeast of the hills of RoME, at the time that AENEAS arrived in Italy after the TRoJAN WAR; son of Daunus and his wife, the NYMPH VENILIA, and sister of JUTURNA.

Turnus was betrothed to LAVINIA, daughter of LATINUS, king of neighboring LATIUM, but when Aeneas arrived on the shores of Italy, he fell in love with Lavinia. Facing pressure from Aeneas and his army, Latinus and his wife Amata broke their promise to Turnus and betrothed their daughter to the Trojan hero. This led to a war between the Rutuli king and the Trojan hero that involved the great gods who watched over Aeneas.

Near the end of the war, which caused many deaths on both sides, Aeneas fought Turnus in one-to-one combat. The Trojan finally defeated Turnus, and was about to spare his life, when Aeneas noticed that Turnus was wearing the belt of PALLAS, a fallen Trojan. In vengeance, Aeneas killed Turnus.

TYCHE Greek A goddess, the personification of plenty, also of chance and fate, both good and bad. Very few stories surround Tyche, but she was an important

concept and figure in the lives of Greek citizens and, later, in the lives of Romans as the goddess FoRTuNA. People recognized the power of good and bad luck in their lives and considered Tyche the provider of that luck. Her influence was so great that each individual had his or her own Tyche. Over time, people believed she had power over the fates of entire cities and each city had its own Tyche. A wheel symbolized her ever-changing nature and a balance showed her power to weigh the good and bad events in a person’s life.

The Greek poet HESIoD, who wrote in the 800s B.C., named her as one of the OCEANIDS, daughters of the sea TITANS OCEANuS and TETHYS.

TYPHON (TypHOEus) Greek A hundred-headed monster whose parents were GAIA (Earth) and TARTA-RuS. Although it was the largest monster ever born, according to Greek mythology, with coiled serpents for legs, ZEuS defeated the monster and threw it into HADES.

Another version of the Typhon myth was that Typhon did mighty battle with Zeus, hurling rocks

and mountains against the thunderbolts of the god and eventually capturing Zeus. Typhon cut the sinews from the hands and feet of Zeus, thus rendering him powerless. He thrust Zeus into a mountain cave, and stuffed the precious sinews into a bearskin sack or leather bag. HERMES and PAN found Zeus and managed to steal back the sinews and restore them to Zeus’s appendages.

The struggle between Typhon and Zeus contin-ued. Delicious food given to Typhon by the Fates weakened him. He made a final stand on Mount Haemus (Blood Mountain) in Thrace, where Zeus injured him so severely that his blood made the streams run red, giving the mountain its name. Typhon was able to flee to Sicily, but Zeus caught up with him and finally crushed him into the Earth under a volcano, Mount Etna, which is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

Before he was imprisoned Typhon fathered with ECHIDNA a host of monsters, among them CERBERuS, the CHIMERA, the Lernaean HYDRA, the Nemean Lion, Orthos, and the SPHINX.

uLysses AcheLous Roman In Geek The Lain mythology, spelling of ODYSSEUS, the Greek hero whose stories are told by HOMER in the odyssey. The Roman spelling was Ulixes.

The Romans and other peoples of central Italy apparently had no unique stories to add to the legends of this hero. They learned of him from the Greek colonists who settled on the southeastern shores of the Italian peninsula.

underworLd (1) Greek The black abyss known as HADES and the dwelling place of the dead. The lord of the Greek underworld was Hades or, sometimes, PLUTO. The consort of Hades was PERSEPHONE, who lived in the underworld for four months of the year. (See Demeter and Persephone, under DEMETER.)

In Greek mythology, the location of the under-world changed over time. In ancient times, it was supposed to be in “the Far West,” the place that lay beyond the sea that encircled the Earth, which then was thought to be flat. The Far West was thought to be barren and uninhabited. However, as geographic knowledge progressed, it became evident that other lands lay beyond the ocean and were fruitful and peopled. Consequently, the underworld was placed under the Earth, a region of dark shadows and mystery, where the dead were buried.

Travelers seeking access to the underworld had first to cross the Grove of Persephone. At the gate to Hades waited the dog CERSERUS, who had at least three heads, in some accounts as many as 50. A monstrous watchdog, Cerberus had a roaring bark to terrify all, but he could be appeased by a “sop,” a piece of honeyed bread.

Surrounding Hades and leading to its subter-ranean depths were many rivers: AcHERON (River of Sadness), Cocytus (River of Lamentation), LETHE (River of Oblivion), and STYx (River of Hate).

To cross the Styx, a soul needed to pay old CHARON, the miserly ferryman. Once in Hades the

souls of the dead drank from the Lethe to obtain forgetfulness of their former lives and thoughts.

The fortunate few who had won the favor of the gods went to ELYSIUM, a special section of the underworld, or perhaps that magical place called “the Far West.” Here the shades, or spirits, of the dead lived in great happiness until eternity.

Those who were truly evil were sent to TARTARUS, the deepest, darkest, vilest section of the underworld.

underworLd (2) Roman While most strongly influenced by Greek mythology, the Roman view of an underworld, was, in the earliest ages, simply a realm below the Earth, a realm of riches, a place where gods and goddesses awaited the spring.

DIS PATER, originally an Etruscan god of riches, became the early Roman god who ruled over the underworld. He was the god of the precious gems and metals found deep below the surface of the Earth. PROSERPINA, an ancient goddess of fertility and of the germination of seeds, was originally asso-ciated with Dis. Over time, however, the underworld became connected with death, not only of people but of nature, as winter settled in and people awaited spring. Dis Pater and Proserpina emerged from the underworld to plant seeds and return life to the Earth.

By the middle of the third century s.c., Dis Pater and Proserpina had also become the rulers of the realm of dead spirits. Together they became an official part of the Roman religious ceremonies. Beginning in 249 s.c., Romans held games known as the Ludi Tarentini or Tarentine Games, to recognize, honor, and appease these two gods. Much of the mythology of Dis Pater and Proserpina had by this time taken on the stories of the Greek gods HADES (or PLUTO) and PERSEPHONE, who ruled over a realm also known as HADES.

However, Roman mythology also included spirits of the dead who did not appear to inhabit this under‑

world. The MANES, beneficial spirits of the dead, were called upon in ceremonies held over graves in Febru-ary to watch over and protect the living. They were in turn ruled over by the goddess Mania, an ancient goddess of crossroads. The LARES, HOUSEHOLD GODS, were believed to be the spirits of a family’s ancestors who watched over the home.

Romans also deified their founders, AENEAS and ROMULUS AND REMUS, and their emperors, without associating them with this underworld.

By the first century s.C., Roman historians and poets were describing the underworld as a rugged, craggy, gloomy place inhabited by the spirits of the night and the souls of the dead. According to VIRGIL, in his masterpiece the AENEiD, the entrance to hell was located on the edge of Lake Averna, a lake in the center of a dormant volcanic crater near Naples, and also near the cave of the SISYL OF CUMAE.

URANUS (OuRANOs; Heaven) Greek The per-sonification of heaven and the starlit sky. Uranus was

the son of GAIA (Earth) and with her the father of the TITANS, the CYCLOPES, and the HECATONCHEIRES. Uranus did not care for his offspring and banished them to the UNDERwORLD. Gaia, mourning for her children, bade her son CRONUS to wound and muti-late Uranus. This Cronus did, with a flint sickle made by Gaia. From the spilled blood of Uranus sprang the FURIES, the GIGANTES (Giants), and the goddess APHRODITE. Uranus, defeated and wounded, left the Earth to the Titans. Before he died, he prophesied that Cronus, in his turn, would be overthrown by one of his sons. His prophecy came true when ZEUS deposed Cronus.

The Greek poet HESIOD tells the story of Uranus.

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun in the SOLAR SYSTEM. The English astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered the gas giant in 1781. Uranus was the first planet to receive the name of a Greek god. Uranus has five moons, none of which is named after a Greek or Roman deity or hero, unlike the moons of other planets.

veniLiA AcheLous Roma In A rek spiri mythlgy, of the sea and wind, most likely a NYMPH, known for her kindness. Some ancient sources identify her as the wife of the god JANus. Others say she was the wife of Daunus, an early king of the RuTuLI, and with him the mother of TuRNus and JuTuRNA. Venilia’s sister, Amata, was the wife of LATINus, an early king of LATIuM, a kingdom in Central Italy near ROME.

venus Roman An ancient goddess originally of springtime, crop cultivation, and gardens. By the end of the third century B.C., the Romans had given Venus

the characteristics of the Greek goddess APHRODITE, and Venus became the goddess of love and beauty.

The name Venus means desire, charm, and grace in Latin, though the name is much older than the Roman civilization.

In some accounts, Venus was the daughter of JuPITER and DIONE, who was a NYMPH. Venus became the wife of VuLCAN and the mother of CuPID. Accord-ing to the Roman poet VIRGIL, Venus was also the mother of the hero AENEAs. Though scholars believe that people in Italy worshiped Venus long before the Greek influence arrived, one story says that Aeneas

Venus rises from the sea on a shell, the zephyrs blowing her to shore, in the masterpiece of Italian art by San-dro Botticelli (1445-1510). The painting now hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

brought her cult with him when he arrived there after fleeing TRoY.

The Romans regarded Venus as one of the founders of their people. Julius Caesar, who ruled RoME from 49 to 44 B.c., and Augustus, who became emperor in 27 B.c., both considered her their patroness and guardian.

Many artists chose this goddess of beauty as their subject. The Venus de Milo, now in the Louvre museum in Paris, is one of the most famous statues in the world. It was sculpted in the second or first century B.c. and was found on the island of Melos in A.D. 1820. The 15th-century Italian painter known as Botticelli (Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi) portrayed her as rising from the sea and standing on a half scal-lop shell in Birth of Venus, which hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Venus is the name of the second planet from the Sun in the SoLAR SYSTEM. It is the brightest object to appear in the night sky, shining as either the morning star or the evening star, depending on the season and the planet’s position relative to Earth. Early Greeks and Romans believed they saw two different planets until Pythagoras (c. 500 B.c.), a Greek philosopher and mathematician who settled in Italy, demonstrated that they were the same object.

VERTUMNUS Roman An ancient god of fertility and harvest to the people of ETRURIA, but a lesser god among the Romans; the protector of harvests and vegetation. Vertumnus is best known for his ability to change shape and for using that ability to woo and win the love of PoMoNA, a goddess of fruit trees and harvest.

He was portrayed as both handsome and youthful and old and gray-bearded, symbols of the chang-ing seasons which he also represented. A statue of Vertumnus stood at the entrance to the Etruscan district of RoME during the days of the republic and the empire.

VESTA Roman Goddess of the hearth, worshiped in every household of ancient RoME. She was identi-fied with the Greek goddess HESTIA, one of the OLYMPIAN GoDS.

Primitive Roman religion was a domestic affair, concerned with the welfare of the family, house, and farm. The focus of the home was the hearth. (The Latin word focus means “hearth.”) The caretakers of the hearth were the young females of the family (the males of the family being out in the fields, the mother and older females working at the loom or in the kitchen). As families became more extended,

richer, and more sophisticated, the caretakers of the hearth became young women (see VESTAL VIRGINS) who were designated to guard the fires of the goddess Vesta rather than their own family hearths.

VESTAL VIRGINS Roman Priestesses who guard-ed the temple of the goddess VESTA. They were guardians of the hearth who kept the sacred fires of Vesta burning. Vestal Virgins served for 30 years. If one was found to be unchaste, she was buried alive or otherwise punished.

VICTORIA (Victory) Roman An ancient goddess of agriculture.

Victoria had the power to bring military success to RoME and was a favorite of soldiers. She was the humanlike representation of the concept of victory. Victoria was also a favorite of many of the ruling families in Roman history and was often pictured as a winged figure holding a wreath with which to crown the conqueror. She became a prominent symbol of the growing Roman Empire. Victoria was worshiped at a temple on the Aventine Hill.

Very late in Roman history, Victoria became asso-ciated with the Greek goddess NIKE and was made a member of the Roman PANTFIEoN.

VIRGIL (vERGil) (70–19 b.c.) A great Roman poet, born Publius Vergilius Maro near present-day Mantua (now Italy, then Cisalpine Gaul). Virgil’s education took him to Cremona, Milan, and RoME.

Virgil’s first works were the Eclogues, short pasto­ral poems. Later he wrote the Georgics, more poems about country life. His final work was the AENEiD, an epic poem that took him the last 11 years of his life to write and remained unfinished, as far as he was concerned. People consider it one of the great literary works of the world.

Virgil enjoyed admiration and a great reputation during his lifetime. The Aeneid became a school text-book almost as soon as it appeared. It was known and quoted by people of all classes. The Aeneid had great influence on worldwide thought but particularly on Roman thought, since it was a uniquely Roman myth that glorified the city and inspired all with pride and patriotic fervor. Furthermore, Virgil’s fame and popularity continued into the Christian era, for the Christians saw his poetic epic as having foretold the birth of Christ and the advent of Christianity, which occurred only 40 years after Virgil wrote the fourth Eclogue.

Virgil’s influence on Roman thought derives more from the Aeneid than the Eclogues or the Georgics, for it foretells the glory of Rome, expressing the feelings of the time and the country of Virgil.

VIRGO (Virgin) Greek One of the constellations; sixth sign of the Zodiac, named for the maiden ERI-GONE, who hanged herself from a tree after finding the grave of her murdered father, IcARIUS of ATTIcA. The gods took Erigone up to the heavens and trans-formed her into the constellation Virgo.

VIRTUS Roman Goddess of courage and bravery, called upon by soldiers in battle. While her origins appear to be very old, Virtus was often worshiped in more recent Roman times with HONOS, the god of honor. Military leaders also built temples to Virtus near the sites of successful battles and conquests.

Virtus appears frequently on Roman coins, wearing a helmet and carrying a sword.

She eventually took on the characteristics of ARETE, a minor Greek goddess of virtue.

VULCAN Roman Ancient god of fire, worshiped by the Romans throughout their early history. Vulcan was associated with volcanoes and volcanic fire. Later, he was identified with the Greek god HEPHAESTUS and therefore supposed to have workshops under Mount Etna and other volcanoes, where he was assisted by the CYcLOPES in forging thunderbolts for JUPITER. However, while the Greek Hephaestus was “the divine artificer,” a great craftsman, Vulcan was only a fire god. He was also called Mulciber (Softener or Smelter).

Vulcan’s parents were JUPITER and JUNO. His wife was VENUS, with whom he fathered CUPIn.

windsAcheLous Greek I andGrek Romanmythogy, Both Greek and Roman cultures in classical times personified the winds, recognizing the power of these forces.

In Greek mythology, the four principle winds were known as the Anemoi, and were the children of the TITANS ASTREUS and Eos, goddess of the dawn. However, the god AEOLUS was known as the father of the winds and was said to have kept them in a bag to protect people from their power.

In ROME, the winds were called the Venti, and their characteristics often varied depending on the storyteller.

Winds were described by their moods—anger for a cold north wind, pleasant for a warm west wind. Some Greek winds, such as BOREAS and ZEPHYRUS, had important roles to play in stories. Boreas, for example, was the father of two of the fastest ARGONAUTS, Calais and Zetes, and of the marvelous horses that belonged to King ERICHTHONIUS, which could gallop across

water without causing a ripple. Zephyrus carried PSYCHE to CUPID and pushed APOLLO’s discus off course, causing it to kill HYANCINTHUS. People invoked the names of the other winds when they needed favors related to those winds or their fates.

The wind gods were among the oldest invoked by the Romans and the people of Central Italy who preceded them. The oldest was, according to some writers, the god of the northwest wind Corus (Cau-rus) or perhaps Africus, a warm wind from across the Mediterranean Sea.

Surviving documents, from poets, historians, and scientists, provide a jumbled picture of the importance of the winds in mythology and in explaining the world around them. However, the frequency with which the eight winds are named shows scholars that the people of classical Rome and GREECE had significant respect for the power of these natural forces.

zAgreus AcheLous Greek In Geek The son mythology, of ZEUS and his own daughter, PERSEPHONE. In order to save his child from the TITANS, Zeus repeats his own history by hiding Zagreus on Mount IDA (2) and setting the CURETES to clashing their armor and shouting, just as they did for the infant Zeus. However, Zagreus slips away as the Curetes sleep and in spite of brave efforts to save himself by magical transformations into various animals, the Titans seize Zagreus and eat him. This myth represents the annual sacrifice of a boy, which took place in ancient CRETE in honor of MINOS, the BULL king.

zeLus (ZElOs; Zeal, Strife) Greek The per-sonification of rivalry, envy, jealousy, and eagerness; a demigod or lesser god; son of the TITAN PALLAS and the water NYMPH STYX; brother of NIIΠ(Victory), BIA (Force), and CRATUS (Strength).

With his sisters and brother, Zelus stood beside the throne of ZEUS, carrying out the great god’s commands and guarding his home against intruders. When their mother, Styx, sided with Zeus in his battle with his father, CRONUS, and the Titans, she brought Zelus, Nike, Cratus, and Bia into service with her, though their father was a Titan.

Zelus was seen as a force, often a negative influ­ence, that encouraged rivalry, that separated families due to envy and that caused an almost blind drive by some people to surpass the abilities and successes of others. People used his name as an oath, sometimes almost a curse. He was seen as a companion to the spirits of competition, jealousy, and strife.

Zelus’ Roman counterpart was Invidia, the god-dess of envy.

zephyrus (West Wind) Greek The personifica-tion of the West Wind. Zephyrus was the son of EOS, goddess of the dawn, and of ASTRAEUS, a TITAN, or AEOLUS, the king of the winds.

Zephyrus was a balmy, gentle wind. Among his many adventures, he blew APHRODITE to the shores of Cyprus after she was born full grown in the foam of the sea. He helped CUPID protect PSYCHE from the anger of Aphrodite. With the one of the HARPIES, Zephyrus fathered the divine horses of ACHILLES and the white horses of the DIOSCURI.

zethus Greek Son of ZEUS and ANTIOPE, who was the daughter of a prince of THEBES; twin brother of AMPHION; husband of Thebe. Zethus was an impor­tant character, with his brother, in the story of the founding of the Greek city of Thebes.

After growing up in a shepherd village, unaware that their grandfather had been king of Thebes, the brothers gathered an army to claim Thebes as their birthright. They captured the city and decided to build a wall around it. While Zethus, a strong war-rior, struggled to move the great stones, his brother, a gifted musician, played beautiful music on the lyre given to him by HERMES and moved the stones easily.

Zethus was a great hunter and herdsman, well practiced in the art of war. According to the oDyssEy, Zethus’s wife killed their only son in a fit of madness and Zethus died of heartbreak.

zeus (Day, Bright Sky) Greek The chief god of Greek mythology. He was the son of CRONUS and RHEA, both TITANS; brother of HADES, HESTIA, DEMETER, POSEIDON, and HERA, who was also his wife. Over time the Romans attributed many of the legends of Zeus to their own supreme god, JUPITER.

Zeus was a sky and weather god, having authority over the sky, the winds, the clouds, rain, thunder, and lightning. His name has a close connection with the Latin word for day, dies. Zeus was also the god of battle, the patron of games and agriculture and protector of the state. He was called the father of both

This ancient Roman copy of a Greek bust of Zeus was made in the third century and found in 1775 in exca­vations of the ancient site at Otricoli, north of Rome. It is now in the Vatican Museums in Vatican City.

(Photograph by Marie-Lan Nguyen.)

gods and humans. After defeating his father, Cronus, Zeus reigned supreme over the gods of OLYMPuS, the home of the gods. He was the father of many children by Titanesses, goddesses, NYMPHS, and mortal women. Among his offspring were APOLLO, ARES, ARTEMIS, ATHENE, and DIONYSuS. (See The Loves of Zeus, below.) His most famous sanctuary was at DODONA.

Zeus is often depicted as wearing a crown of oak leaves (the oak tree was sacred to him), and bearing a scepter in one hand and a thunderbolt in the other. Often he wore his shield, called an AEGIS, and had an eagle at his feet.

The Childhood of Zeus Cronus the Titan, father of Zeus, learned that one of his children would kill him, so he swallowed his children as soon as they were born. Thus Hades, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, and Poseidon disappeared into his mouth. But Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus, saved her last child by

wrapping a stone in swaddling clothes and presenting it to Cronus, who promptly swallowed it. The stone was called the OMPHALOS, later set up at DELPHI as the “navel of the Earth.” Rhea hid Zeus in a cave on Mount IDA (2), in CRETE. There he was nursed by the she-goat AMALTHEA and the NYMPHS ADRASTIA and IDA (1). Young warriors known as the CuRETES clashed their weapons together to disguise the infant’s cries.

Zeus Rescues His Siblings After young Zeus grew to manhood, he left Mount Ida, where he had been sheltered by Nymphs, and went to visit the Titaness METIS. Metis was very wise. She advised Zeus how to get Cronus, the Titan father of Zeus, to disgorge his brothers and sisters, whom Cronus had swallowed. Zeus was to disguise himself as a cupbearer and offer Cronus a drink so vile that the Titan would immediately vomit and his offspring would reappear. This Zeus did and all went according to plan. His brothers and sisters, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon were expelled alive and well from the body of their father. The stone, which Cronus had been made to believe was Zeus wrapped in baby clothes, was also expelled and later set up at Delphi as the Omphalos, or navel, of the Earth.

The War with the Titans Once Zeus had induced Cronus into releasing his brothers and sisters, the siblings decided to go to war against Cro-nus and the Titans. For 10 long years, Zeus fought against the Titans, who were led by the mighty ATLAS, for Cronus was now old. Finally Zeus enlisted the help of GAIA (Earth), who advised him to release the CYCLOPES and the Hundred-Handed Ones (the HECATONCHEIRES), who had been imprisoned in the UNDERWORLD. Zeus did this, and in gratitude the Cyclopes gave Zeus the thunderbolt as a weapon. They gave a helmet of invisibility to Hades, and to Poseidon, a trident. With these weapons and the help of the Hundred-Handed Ones, Cronus and all the Titans were overthrown, and never troubled GREECE again. Atlas was ordered, as punishment, to carry the sky on his shoulders forevermore.

When the war was over, the three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, drew lots to see who should rule the universe. To Poseidon fell the rule of the seas and rivers; to Hades, the Underworld; and to Zeus all the rest of the universe, except for Olympus, which was to be the realm of all the gods and goddesses.

The war between the Titans and the OLYMPIAN GODS may have been a symbolic description of the invasion of the land now called Greece, by the migrating tribes who became the first Greeks. They brought their gods with them, including Zeus. The