Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Europa, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Europa yo͝orōˈpə [key], in Greek mythology, daughter of Agenor and Telephassa. Zeus, enamored of her, appeared as a white bull, enticed her to climb on his back, and swam off with her to Crete. Th...

Europa, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Europa yo͝orōˈpə [key], in astronomy, one of the 39 known moons, or natural satellites, of Jupiter. Magnetic-field data collected by the space probe Galileo in 2002 strongly indicated a liquid-wat...

Harpy, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Harpy, in Greek mythology, winged women with sharp claws who snatched food, objects, or people.

Iapetus, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Iapetus, in Greek mythology, a Titan. By the nymph Clymene he fathered Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.

Ganymede, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Ganymede, in Greek mythology, a youth of great beauty. He was carried off by Zeus to be cupbearer to the gods.

Argos, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Argos, in Greek mythology: see Argus. ...

Alexander, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Alexander, in Greek mythology: see Paris. ...

Pasiphaë, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Pasiphaë, in Greek mythology: see Minos. ...

Phoebe, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Phoebe, in Greek mythology, a Titan. She was the mother of Leto and Asteria and the grandmother of Artemis. In some legends she was identified with Artemis as the goddess of the moon. ...

Autolycus, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Autolycus, in Greek mythology, the son of Hermes, from whom he received special powers in thieving and trickery. According to one legend Autolycus stole from Sisyphus, who revenged himself by seducing...