|
The Dorians were one of the four great branches of the Greek nation who migrated from Thessaly southwards, settling for a time in the mountainous district of Doris in Northern Greece and finally in Peloponnesus. Their migration to the latter was said to have taken place in 1104 BC; and as among their leaders were certain descendants of Hercules (or Heracles), it was known as the return of the Heraclidae. The Dorians ruled in Sparta with great renown as a strong and warlike people, though less cultivated than the other Greeks in arts and letters. Their laws were severe and rigid, as typified in the codes of the great Doric legislators Minos and Lycurgus. The Doric dialect was characterized by its broadness and hardness, yet on account of its venerable and antique style was often used in solemn odes and choruses.
 Research Dorians
In Greek mythology, Aeacus was a son of Zeus and Aegina, born on the island of Aegina, of which he became the ruler. His sons Telamon and Peleus abandoned the island, Telamon going to Salamis and Peleus to Phthia. After his death, Zeus made him a judge of the shades in Hades with Minos and Rhadamanthus.
Research Aeacus
Aegeus was a king of Athens. He gave his name to the Aegean sea. His son, Theseus, went to Crete to free Athens from the tribute exacted by Minos. Theseus pledged that if he succeeded he would hoist a white sail upon his return voyage as a signal of his safety. Neglecting to hoist the signal, king Aegeus seeing Theseus' ship returning assumed Theseus was dead and committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea.
Research Aegeus
In Greek mythology Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him out of the labyrinth with a thread in exchange for him promising to take her back to Athens and marry her. She was abandoned by Theseus on the Isle of Naxos where she subsequently met and married Bacchus.
Research Ariadne
In Greek mythology, Arne was a Thracian woman who betrayed the island of Siphnos to Minos in return for gold and subsequently for her greed she was turned into a jackdaw.
Research Arne
In Cretan mythology, Britomartis was a daughter of Zeus and Carme. Like Artemis, she was a virgin huntress. Minos loved and pursued her, and to escape from him she threw herself into the sea but was saved by Artemis who made her a goddess.
Research Britomartis
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was an Athenian artisan whose skill rivalled that of Hephaestus. He was ordered by King Minos to construct a vast underground palace linked by a labyrinth of rooms into which Minos imprisoned his wife Pasiphae and her monstrous child the Minotaur. Daedalus fled from Crete because he knew the secret of the labyrinth and didn't trust Minos not to kill him. He fled with his son Icarus using wings made by them from feathers fastened with wax, Daedalus warning his son not to fly to close to the sun less the heat melted the wax. Icarus ignored his father's advice, the wax melted and he fell to his death. Daedalus however escaped to Sicily or mainland Italy, depending upon accounts.
Research Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Glaucus was a sea-god, the son of Anthedon and Alcyone or else Poseidon and Nais. In Greek mythology, Glaucus was the son of Sisyphus and Merope. He owned a team of mares which he kept high spirited by depriving them of the company of stallions. When he lost the chariot-race at Pelias' funeral games the mares became so angry that they killed and ate Glaucus, whose ghost subsequently haunted the stadium of the Isthmian Games near Corinth scaring horses. In Greek mythology Glaucus was the son of Minos. As a child he fell into a jar of honey and drowned, only to be brought back to life by the seer Polyidus using a herb. In Greek mythology Glaucus was son of Hippolochus, a Lycian and together with Sarpedon, the commander of the Lycian forces allied with Priam in the Trojan War. He was killed by Aias while they were fighting over the corpse of Achilles.
Research Glaucus
Icarus was the son Daedalus. They went to Crete and were prevented from leaving by ship by king Minos. They escaped from the Minos labyrinth by means of wings made by his father Daedalus of feathers stitched to ribs of willow and the feathers held together by wax. In escaping Icarus showed off and flew too close to the sun, the wax holding the feathers to the wings melted and
Icarus fell into the sea and was drowned.
Research Icarus
In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete (son of Zeus and Europa). He was a philanderer, and this displeased his wife Pasiphae who blamed Aphrodite. He demanded a yearly tribute of young men and girls from Athens for the Minotaur. After his death, he became a judge in Hades.
Research Minos
|
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
|
|
|
Abbreviations
