Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Io, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Io, in Greek mythology, daughter of Inachus, king ofo Argos. She was loved by Zeus, who, to protect her from Hera's jealousy, changed her into a white heifer. Hera, however, was not deceived; she clai...

Io, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Io īˈō [key], in astronomy, one of the 39 known moons, or natural satellites, of Jupiter. Io is subject to Jupiter's enormous tidal forces and is, as a result, the most volcanically active body in ...

Linus, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Linus, in Greek mythology. 1 Son of Apollo and Psamathe of Argos. He was deserted by his mother on a hillside and devoured by dogs. When Psamathe's father learned what his daughter had done, he had he...

Leda, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Leda lēˈdə [key], in Greek mythology, daughter of Thestios, king of Aetolia, and wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. According to most legends, she was seduced by Zeus, who visited her in the form o...

Mentor, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Mentor mĕnˈtər, –tôrˌ [key], in Greek mythology, friend of Odysseus and tutor of Telemachus. On several occasions in the Odyssey, Athena assumes Mentor's form to give advice to Telemachus or Od...

Atlas, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Atlas ătˈləs [key], in Greek mythology, a Titan; son of Iapetus and Clymene and the brother of Prometheus. When the Titans were defeated, Atlas was condemned to hold the sky on his shoulders for al...

Medusa, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Medusa mədo͞oˈsə [key], in Greek mythology, most famous of the three monstrous Gorgon sisters. She was once a beautiful woman, but she offended Athena, who changed her hair into snakes and made he...

Arethusa, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Arethusa ărĭtho͞oˈsə [key], in Greek mythology, nymph favored by Artemis and loved by the river god Alpheus. While Arethusa was bathing in his stream, Alpheus rose up and tried to abduct her, but...