Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Sergel, Johan Tobias yo͞oˈhän to͞obēˈäs sĕrˈyəl [key], 1740–1814, Swedish sculptor. He studied (1767–79) in Rome, and much of his sculpture is in the neoclassical style. His subjects, ot...

(Encyclopedia) Teucer tyo͞oˈsər [key], in Greek mythology. 1 Ancestor and king of the Trojans, who are also called the Teucri. He was the father-in-law of Dardanus. 2 Son of Telamon and Hesione. He was the greate...

(Encyclopedia) Grey, Sir George, 1812–98, British colonial administrator. He explored the Swan River district in NW Australia (1838) and later was governor of South Australia (1841–45) and of New Zealand (1845�...

(Encyclopedia) Peleus pēˈlēəs, –ləs [key], in Greek mythology, son of Aeacus and the father of Achilles by Thetis. He and his brother Telamon killed their half-brother Phocus and were exiled from Aegina. Afte...

(Encyclopedia) Laomedon lāŏmˈĭdŏn [key], in Greek mythology, king of Troy. When Laomedon failed to pay Poseidon, Apollo, and King Aeacus for building the walls of Troy, Poseidon sent a sea monster to ravage the...

(Encyclopedia) Philomela and Procne fĭlōmēˈlə, prŏkˈnē [key], in Greek mythology, daughters of King Pandion of Attica. Procne married Tereus, king of Thrace, and bore him a son, Itys (or Itylus). Tereus late...

(Encyclopedia) Cephalus sĕˈfäləs [key], in Greek mythology, husband of Procris. The two swore eternal fidelity, but Eos, who had fallen in love with Cephalus, persuaded him to test his wife. Cephalus disguised h...

(Encyclopedia) Valkyries vălkērˈēz [key], in Germanic mythology, warrior maidens of Odin. They presided over battles, chose those who were to die, and brought the souls of the dead heroes back to Valhalla. Chief...

(Encyclopedia) Ragnarok rägˈnərŏkˌ [key], in Norse mythology, the doom of the gods. According to prophecy the end of the world would follow a severe ice age, in which human civilization would be destroyed. Then...

(Encyclopedia) Hecate hĕkˈətē, hĕkˈĭt [key], in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. Originally she seems to have been an extremely powerful and benevolent goddess, identified with ...