1000 Mythological Characters Briefly Described. Adapted to Private Schools, High Schools and Academies

Nightmare, see Incubus.

Nilus (Ni′lus), a king of Thebes, who gave his name to the Nile, the great Egyptian river.

Nine, The, see Muses.

Niobe (Ni′obe) was a daughter of Tantalus, and is the personification of grief. By her husband Amphion she had seven sons and seven daughters. By the orders of Latona the father and sons were killed by Apollo, and the daughters (except Chloris) by Diana. Niobe, being overwhelmed with grief, escaped further trouble by being turned into a stone.

Nomius (No′mius). A law-giver; one of the names of Apollo. This title was also given to Mercury for the part he took in inventing beneficent laws.

Norns. Three Scandinavian goddesses, who wove the woof of human destiny. The three witches in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” have their origin in the Scandinavian Norns.

Notus (No′tus). Another name for Auster, the south wind.

Nox was the daughter of Chaos, and sister of Erebus and Mors. She personified night, and was the mother of Nemesis and the Fates.

Nundina (Nundi′na). The goddess who took charge of children when they were nine days old – the day (Nona dies) on which the Romans named their children.

Nuptialis (Nuptia′lis). A title of Juno. When the goddess was invoked under this name the gall of the victim was taken out and thrown behind the altar, signifying that there should be no gall (bitterness) or anger between married people.

Nuriel (Nu′riel). In Hebrew mythology the god of hailstorms.

Nyctelius (Nycte′lius). A name given to Bacchus, because his festivals were celebrated by torchlight.

Nymphs. This was a general name for a class of inferior female deities who were attendants of the gods. Some of them presided over springs, fountains, wells, woods, and the sea. They are spoken of as land-nymphs or Naiads, and sea-nymphs or Nereids, though the former are associated also with fountains and rivers. The Dryads were forest-nymphs, and the Hamadryads were nymphs who lived among the oak-trees – the oak being always specially venerated by the ancients. The mountain-nymphs were called Oreads.

“With flower-inwoven tresses torn,The nymphs in twilight shadeOf tangled thickets mourn.”MILTON.

Nysae (Ny′sae). The names of the nymphs by whom Bacchus was nursed. See Dionysius.

Nysaeus (Ny′saeus). A name of Bacchus, because he was worshiped at Nysa, a town of Aethiopia.

Nysus (Ny′sus). A king of Megara who was invisible by virtue of a particular lock of hair. This lock his daughter Scylla cut off, and so betrayed her father to his enemies. She was changed into a lark, and the king into a hawk, and he still pursues his daughter, intending to punish her for her treachery.

Oannes (Oan′nes). An Eastern (Babylonian) god, represented as a monster, half-man, half-fish. He was said to have taught men the use of letters in the day-time, and at night to have retired to the depth of the ocean.

Oath, see Lapis.

Obambou (Obam′bou). A devil of African mythology.

Ocean, see Neptune.

Oceanides (Ocean′ides). Sea-nymphs, daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. Their numbers are variously estimated by different poets; some saying there were as many as 3,000, while others say they were as few as sixteen. The principal of them are mentioned under their respective names, as Amphitrite, Doris, Metis, etc.

Oceanus (Oce′anus), son of Coelus and Terra, and husband of Tethys. Several mythological rivers were called his sons, as Alpheus, Peneus, etc., and his daughters were called the Oceanides. Some of the ancients worshiped him as the god of the seas, and invariably invoked his aid when they were about to start on a voyage. He was also thought to personify the immense stream which it was supposed surrounded the earth, and into which the sun and moon and other heavenly bodies sank every day.

Ocridion (Ocrid′ion). A king of Rhodes, who was deified after his death.

Ocypete (Ocy′pete). One of the Harpies, who infected everything she touched. The word means swift of flight.

Ocyroe (Ocy′roe). A daughter of Chiron, who had the gift of prophecy. She was metamorphosed into a mare.

Odin (O′din). In Scandinavian mythology the god of the universe, and reputed father of all the Scandinavian kings. His wife’s name was Friga, and his two sons were Thor and Balder. The Wodin of the early German tribes.

Oeagrus (Oe′agrus). King of Thrace, and father of Orpheus.

Oedipus (Oed′ipus). A son of Laius, King of Thebes, best known as the solver of the famous enigma propounded by the Sphinx. In solving the riddle Oedipus unwittingly killed his father, and, discovering the fact, he destroyed his own eyesight, and wandered away from Thebes, attended by his daughter Antigone. Oedipus is the subject of two famous tragedies by Sophocles.

Oenone (Oeno′ne). Wife of Paris, a nymph of Mount Ida, who had the gift of prophecy.

Ogygia (Ogyg′ia). An island, the abode of Calypso, in the Mediterranean Sea, on which Ulysses was shipwrecked. It was so beautiful in sylvan scenery that even Mercury (who dwelt on Olympus) was charmed with the spot.

Ointment, see Phaon.

Olenus (Ole′nus). A son of Vulcan, who married Lathaea, a woman who thought herself more beautiful than the goddesses, and as a punishment she and her husband were turned into stone statues.

Olives, see Aristaeus.

Olympius (Olym′pius). A name of Jupiter, from Olympia, where the god had a splendid temple, which was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world.

Olympus (Olym′pus) was the magnificent mountain on the coast of Thessaly, 9,000 feet high, where the gods were supposed to reside. There were several other smaller mountains of the same name.

“High heaven with trembling the dread signal took,And all Olympus to the center shook.”POPE.

Olyras (Oly′ras). A river near Thermopylae, which, it is said, attempted to extinguish the funeral pile on which Hercules was consumed.

Omophagia (Omopha′gia). A Bacchanalian festival at which some uncooked meats were served.

Omphale (Om′phale). The Queen of Lydia, to whom Hercules was sold as a bondsman for three years for the murder of Iphitus. Hercules fell in love with her, and led an effeminate life in her society, wearing female apparel, while Omphale wore the lion’s skin.

Onarus (Ona′rus). A priest of Bacchus, said to have married Ariadne after she had been abandoned by Theseus.

Onuva (Onu′va). The Venus of the ancient Gauls.

Opalia (Opa′lia). Roman festivals in honor of Ops, held on 14th of the calends of January.

Opiate-rod, see Caduceus.

“Eyes … more wakeful than to drowse,Charmed with Arcadian pipe – the pastoral reedOf Hermes or his opiate-rod.”MILTON.

Ops. Mother of the gods, a daughter of Coelus and Terra. She was known by the several names of Bona Dea, Rhea, Cybele, Magna Mater, Proserpine, Tellus, and Thya; and occasionally she is spoken of as Juno and Minerva. She personified labor, and is represented as a comely matron, distributing gifts with her right hand, and holding in her left hand a loaf of bread. Her festival was the 14th day of the January calends.

Oracles, see Themis.

Oraea (Orae′a). Certain sacrifices offered to the goddesses of the seasons to invoke fair weather for the ripening of the fruits of the earth.

Orbona (Orbo′na). Roman goddess of children, invoked by mothers when they lost or were in danger of losing their offspring.

Orchards, see Feronia.

Oreades (O′reades) were mountain nymphs, attendants on Diana.

Orgies. Drunken revels. The riotous feasts of Bacchus were so designated.

Orion (Ori′on). A handsome hunter, of great stature, who was blinded by Oenopion for a grievous wrong done to Merope, and was therefore expelled from Chios. The sound of the Cyclops’ hammers led him to the abode of Vulcan, who gave him a guide. He then consulted an oracle, and had his sight restored, as Longfellow says, by fixing

“His blank eyes upon the sun.”

He was afterward slain by Diana and placed amongst the stars, where his constellation is one of the most splendid.

Orithyia (Ori′thy′ia). A daughter of Erechtheus, whose lover, Boreas, carried her off while she was wandering by the river Ilissus. Her children were Zetus and Calais, two winged warriors who accompanied the Argonauts.

Ormuzd (Or′muzd). In Persian mythology the creator of all things.

Oros (O′ros). The Egyptian Apollo.

Orphans, see Orbona.

Orpheus (Or′pheus) was son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope. He was married to Eurydice; but she was stung by a serpent, and died. Orpheus went down to Hades to claim her, and played so sweetly with his lute that Pluto allowed Eurydice to return to the earth with Orpheus, but on condition that he did not look behind him until he had reached the terrestrial regions. Orpheus, however, in his anxiety to see if she were following him, looked round, and Eurydice disappeared from his sight, instantly and forever.

“Orpheus’ lute was strung with poets’ sinews.”SHAKESPEARE.

Osiris (Osi′ris). The Egyptian god of the sun, the source of warmth, life, and fruitfulness; he was worshiped under the form of a sacred bull, named Apis.

“… After these appearedA crew who, under names of old renown,Osiris, Isis, Orus, and their train,With monstrous shapes and sorceries abusedFanatic Egypt and her priests to seekTheir wandering gods, disguised in brutish formsRather than human.”MILTON.

Ossa (Os′sa). One of the mountains of Thessaly (once the residence of the centaurs) which the giants piled on the top of Mount Pelion to enable them to ascend to heaven and attack the gods.

Ox, see Apis.

Owl, see Aesculapius and Itys.

Pactolus (Pacto′lus). The river in Lydia where Midas washed himself by order of Bacchus, and the sands were turned to gold.

Paean (Pae′an). A name given Apollo, from paean, the hymn which was sung in his honor after he had killed the serpent Python. Paeans were solemn songs, praying either for the averting of evil and for rescue, or giving thanks for help vouchsafed.

“With hymns divine the joyous banquet ends,The Paeans lengthened till the sun descends.”POPE.

Palaemon (Palae′mon), or Melicerta, a sea-god, son of Athamas and Ino.

Pales (Pa′les). The goddess of shepherds and sheepfolds and protectress of flocks; her festivals were called by the Romans Palilia.

“Pomona loves the orchard,And Liber loves the wine,And Pales loves the straw-built shed,Warm with the breath of kine.”MACAULAY.“Great Pales help, the pastoral rites I sing,With humble duty mentioning each thing.”POPE.

Palladium (Palla′dium). A famous statue of the goddess Pallas (Minerva). She is sitting with a spear in her right hand, and in her left a distaff and spindle. Various accounts are given of the origin of the statue. Some writers say that it fell from the skies. It was supposed that the preservation of the statue would be the preservation of Troy; and during the Trojan War the Greeks were greatly encouraged when they became the possessors of it.

Pallas (Pal′las), or Minerva. The name was given to Minerva when she destroyed a famous giant named Pallas. The Greeks called their goddess of wisdom Pallas Athene. See Minerva.

“Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury,Inspire me that I may this treason find.”SHAKESPEARE.

Pan. The Arcadian god of shepherds, huntsmen, and country folk, and chief of the inferior deities, is usually considered to have been the son of Mercury and Penelope. After his birth he was metamorphosed into the mythical form in which we find him depicted, namely, a horned, long-eared man, with the lower half of the body like a goat. He is generally seen playing a pipe made of reeds of various lengths, which he invented himself, and from which he could produce music which charmed even the gods. These are the Pan-pipes, or Syrinx. Pan’s terrific appearance once so frightened the Gauls when they invaded Greece that they ran away though no one pursued them; and the word panic is said to have been derived from this episode. The Fauns, who greatly resembled Pan, were his attendants.

“Piping on their reeds the shepherds go,Nor fear an ambush, nor suspect a foe.”POPE.

Pandora (Pando′ra), according to Hesiod, was the first mortal female. Vulcan made her of clay, and gave her life. Venus gave her beauty; and the art of captivating was bestowed upon her by the Graces. She was taught singing by Apollo, and Mercury taught her oratory. Jupiter gave her a box, the famous “Pandora’s Box,” which she was told to give to her husband, Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus. As soon as he opened it there issued from it numberless diseases and evils which were soon spread all over the world, and from that moment they have afflicted the human race. It is said that Hope alone remained in the box. Pandora means “the all-gifted.”

“More lovely than Pandora, whom the godsEndowed with all their gifts.”MILTON.

Pantheon (Panthe′on) (lit. “the all-divine place”). The temple of all the gods, built by Agrippa at Rome, in the reign of Augustus (B.C. 27). It was 144 feet in diameter, and 144 feet high; and was built in the Corinthian style of architecture, mostly of marble; while its walls were covered with engraved brass and silver. Its magnificence induced Pliny to give it rank among the wonders of the world.

Paphia (Pa′phia), a name of Venus.

Papremis (Pap′remis). The Egyptian Mars.

Parcae, The (Par′cae), were goddesses who presided over the destiny of human beings. They were also called the Fates, and were three in number, Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis. See Fates.

Paris (Par′is), the son of Priam, king of Troy, and of his mother Hecuba. It had been predicted that he would be the cause of the destruction of Troy, and his father therefore ordered him to be strangled as soon as he was born; but the slave who had been entrusted with this mission took the child to Mount Ida, and left it there. Some shepherds, however, found the infant and took care of him. He lived among them till he had grown to man’s estate, and he then married Oenone, a nymph of Ida. At the famous nuptial feast of Peleus and Thetis, Discordia, who had not been invited, attended secretly; and when all were assembled, she threw among the goddesses a golden apple, on which was inscribed “Let the fairest take it.” This occasioned a great contention, for each thought herself the fairest. Ultimately, the contestants were reduced to three, Juno, Pallas (Minerva), and Venus; but Jove himself could not make these three agree, and it was decided that Paris should be the umpire. He was sent for, and each of the goddesses courted his favor by offering all sorts of bribes. Juno offered him power, Pallas wisdom, and Venus promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris gave the golden apple to Venus. Soon after this episode Priam owned Paris as his son, and sent him to Greece to fetch Helen, who was renowned as being the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta; but during his absence Paris carried Helen away to Troy, and this gave rise to the celebrated war between the Greeks and the Trojans, which ended in the destruction of Troy. Paris was among the 676,000 Trojans who fell during or after the siege.

Parnassides (Parnas′sides), a name common to the Muses, from Mount Parnassus.

Parnassus (Parnas′sus). The mountain of the Muses in Phocis, and sacred to Apollo and Bacchus. Any one who slept on this mountain became a poet. It was named after one of the sons of Bacchus.

Parthenon (Par′thenon). The temple of Minerva (or Pallas) on the Acropolis at Athens. It was destroyed by the Persians, and rebuilt by Pericles.

Parthenos (Par′thenos) was a name of Juno, and also of Minerva. See Pallas.

Pasiphae (Pasiph′ae) was the reputed mother of the Minotaur killed by Theseus. She was said to be the daughter of Sol and Perseis, and her husband was Minos, king of Crete.

Pasithea (Pasith′ea). Sometimes there are four Graces spoken of; when this is so, the name of the fourth is Pasithea. Also called Aglaia.

Pavan (Pav′an), the Hindoo god of the winds.

Peace, see Concordia.

Peacock, see Argus.

Pegasus (Peg′asus). The famous winged horse which was said to have sprung from the blood of Medusa when her head was cut off by Perseus. His abode was on Mount Helicon, where, by striking the ground with his hoof, he caused water to spring forth, which formed the fountain afterward called Hippocrene.

“Each spurs his fadedPegasus apace.”BYRON.“Thy stumbling founder’d jade can trot as highAs any other Pegasus can fly.”EARL OF DORSET.“To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus,And witch the world with noble horsemanship.”SHAKESPEARE.

Peleus (Pe′leus). A king of Thessaly, who married Thetis, one of the Nereides. It is said that he was the only mortal who married an immortal.

Pelias (Pe′lias). A son of Neptune and Tyro. He usurped the throne of Cretheus, which Jason was persuaded to relinquish and take the command of the Argonautic expedition. On the return of Jason, Medea, the sorceress, undertook to restore Pelias to youth, but required that the body should first be cut up and put in a caldron of boiling water. When this had been done, Medea refused to fulfil her promise. Pelias had four daughters, who were called the Peliades.

Pelias (Pe′lias) was the name of the spear of Achilles, which was so large that none could wield it but the hero himself.

Pelion (Pe′lion). A well-wooded mountain, famous for the wars between the giants and the gods, and as the abode of the Centaurs, who were expelled by the Lapithae. See Ossa, a mount, which the giants piled upon Pelion, to enable them to scale the heavens.

“The gods they challenge, and affect the skies,Heaved on Olympus tottering Ossa stood;On Ossa, Pelion nods with all his wood.”POPE.

Pelops (Pe′lops), son of Tantalus, king of Phrygia. His father killed him, and served him up to be eaten at a feast given to the gods, who, when they found out what the father of Pelops had done, restored the son to life, and he afterward became the husband of Hippodamia.

Penates (Pena′tes). Roman domestic gods. The hearth of the house was their altar. See Lares.

Perpetual Punishment, see Sisyphus.

Persephone (Perseph′one). The Greek name of Proserpine.

Perseus (Per′seus) was a son of Jupiter and Danae, the daughter of Acrisius. His first famous exploit was against the Gorgon, Medusa. He was assisted in this enterprise by Pluto, who lent him a helmet which would make him invisible. Pallas lent him her shield, and Mercury supplied him with wings. He made a speedy conquest of the Gorgons, and cut off Medusa’s head, with which he flew through the air, and from the blood sprang the winged horse Pegasus. As he flew along he saw Andromeda chained to the rock, and a sea-monster ready to devour her. He killed the monster, and married Andromeda. When he got back, he showed the Gorgon’s head to King Polydectes, and the monarch was immediately turned into stone.

“Now on Daedalian waxen pinions stray,Or those which wafted Perseus on his way.”F. LEWIS.

Persuasion, goddess of, see Pitho.

Phaeton (Pha′eton). A son of Sol, or, according to many mythologists, of Phoebus and Clymene. Anxious to display his skill in horsemanship, he was allowed to drive the chariot of the sun for one day. The horses soon found out the incapacity of the charioteer, became unmanageable, and overturned the chariot. There was such great fear of injury to heaven and earth, that Jove, to stop the destruction, killed Phaeton with a thunderbolt.

“Now Phaeton, by lofty hopes possessed,The burning seat with youthful vigor pressed.”“The breathless Phaeton, with flaming hair,Shot from the chariot like a falling starThat in a summer’s evening from the topOf heaven drops down, or seems at least to drop.”ADDISON.

Phaon (Pha′on). A boatman of Mitylene, in Lesbos, who received from Venus a box of ointment, with which, when he anointed himself, he grew so beautiful that Sappho became enamored of him; but when the ointment had all been used Phaon returned to his former condition, and Sappho, in despair, drowned herself.

Pheasant, see Itys.

Philoctetes (Philoct′etes) was son of Poeas, and one of the companions of Jason on his Argonautic expedition. He was present at the death of Hercules, and received from him the poisoned arrows which had been dipped in the blood of Hydra. These arrows, an oracle declared, were necessary to be used in the destruction of Troy, and Philoctetes was persuaded by Ulysses to go and assist at the siege. He appears to have used the weapons with great dexterity and with wonderful effect, for Paris was among the heroes whom he killed. The story of Philoctetes was dramatized by the Greek tragedians Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles.

Philomela (Philome′la) was a daughter of Pandion, king of Athens, who was transformed into a nightingale. She was sister to Procne, who married Tereus, King of Thrace. The latter having offered violence to Philomela, her sister, Procne, came to her rescue, and to punish her husband slew her son Itylus, and at a feast Philomela threw Itylus’s head on the banquet table.

“Forth like a fury Philomela flew,And at his face the head of Itys threw.”POPE.“And thou, melodious Philomel,Again thy plaintive story tell.”SIR THOMAS LYTTLETON.

Phlegethon (Phleg′ethon). A river of fire in the infernal regions. It was the picture of desolation, for nothing could grow on its parched and withered banks. Also called Pyriphlegethon.

“… Infernal rivers …… Fierce Phlegethon,Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage.”Milton.

Phlegon (Phle′gon) (burning), one of the four chariot horses of Sol.

Phlegyas (Phle′gyas). Son of Mars and father of Ixion and Coronis. For his impiety in desecrating and plundering the temple of Apollo at Delphi, he was sent to Hades, and there was made to sit with a huge stone suspended over his head, ready to be dropped on him at any moment.

Phoebus (Phoe′bus). A name of Apollo, signifying light and life.

“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,Toward Phoebus’ lodging.”SHAKESPEARE.

Phorcus (Phor′cus), or Porcys. A son of Neptune, father of the Gorgons. The same as Oceanus.

Phryxus (Phryx′us), see Golden Fleece.

Picumnus (Picum′nus). A rural divinity, who presided over the manuring of lands, also called Sterentius.

Picus (Pi′cus). A son of Saturn, father of Faunus, was turned into a woodpecker by Circe, whose love he had not requited.

Pierides (Pier′ides). A name of the Muses, derived from Pieria, a fountain in Thessaly, near Mount Olympus, where they were supposed to have been born. Also, the daughters of Pierus, a king of Macedonia, who settled in Boeotia. They challenged the Muses to sing, and were changed into magpies.

Pietas (Pie′tas). The Roman goddess of domestic affection.

Pillar, see Calpe.