Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
"Phemonoe" | Greek | A mythical Greek poetess of the ante-Homeric period, was said to have been the daughter of Apollo, and his first priestess at Delphi, and the inventor of the hexameter verse. Greek |
Nymph name "Philammon" | Greek | A mythical poet and musician of the ante-Homeric period, was said to have been the son of Apollo and the nymph Chione, or Philonis, or Leuconoe. Greek |
"Philosopher's Stone" | s | The original get rich quick scheme. The ancient alchemists thought there was a substance which would convert all baser metals into gold. This substance they called the philosopher's stone. |
"Philter" | s | A draught or charm to incite in another the påśśion of love. The Thessalian philters were the most renowned, but both the Greeks and Romans used these dangerous potions, which sometimes produced insanity. Lucretius is said to have been driven mad by a love-potion, and Caligula's death is attributed to some philters administered to him by his wife, C?sonia. |
"Phlegethon" | Greek | I. e. the flaming, a river in the lower world, is described as a son of Cocytus; but he is more commonly called Pyriphlegethon. It flowed with fire that burned but did not consume fuel. In the Divine Comedy the river is made of boiling blood and is part of the seventh circle of hell, containing the shades of tyrants, murderers, robbers and those guilty of sins involving violence against others. Greek |
King name "Phlegyas" | Greek | A king of the Lapithae, a son of Ares and Chryse, the daughter of Halmus, succeeded Eteocles, who died without issue, in the government of the district of Orchomenos, which he called after himself Phlegyantis. Greek |
"Phlias" | Greek | A son of Dionysus and Chthonophyle, also called Phlius, was a native of Araithyrea in Argolis, and is mentioned as one of the Argonauts. (Argonautica) According to Pausanias, he was a son of Ceisus and Araithyrea, and the husband of Chthonophyle, by whom he became the father of Androdamas and Hyginus calls him Phliasus, and a son of Dionysus and Ariadne. Greek |
Nymph name "Phorcys" | Greek | An old man ruling over the sea, or "the old man of the sea," to whom a harbour in Ithaca was dedicated. He is described as the father of the nymph Thoosa. Later writers call him the son of Pontus and Gaia and a brother of Thaumas, Nereus, Eurybia, and Ceto. Greek |
"Phyleus" | Greek | A son of Augeias, was expelled by his father from Ephyra, because he gave his evidence in favour of Heracles. He then emigrated to Dulichium. By Ctimene or Timandra Phyleus became the father of Meges, who is hence called Phyleides. Greek |
"Pillars of Hercules" | Spain | The opposite rocks at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea, one in Spain and the other on the African continent. The tale is that they were bound together till Hercules tore them asunder in order to get to Gades (Cadiz). The ancients called them Calpe and Abyla; we call them Gibraltar Rock and Mount Hacho, on which stands the fortress of Ceuta. |
"Pleiades" | Greek | Called daughters of Atlas by Pleione or by the Oceanid Aethra, of Erechtheus, of Cadmus or of the queen of the Amazons. Greek |
"Plutus" | Greek | Sometimes also called Pluton, the personification of wealth, is described as a son of Iasion and Demeter. Greek |
"Podaleirius" | Greek | A son of Asclepius and Epione or Arsinoe, and a brother of Machaon, along with whom he led the Thessalians of Tricca against Troy (Apollodorus iii). He was, like his brother, skilled in the medical art. Greek |
"Poemander" | Greek | A son of Chaeresilaus and Stratonice, was the husband of Tanagra, a daughter of Aeolus or Aesopus, by whom he became the father of Ephippus and Leucippus. He was the reputed founder of the town of Tanagra in Boeotia which was hence called Poemandria. When Poemander inadvertently had killed his own son, he was purified by Elephenor. Greek |
God name "Poeninus" | Roman / Celtic / European | mountain god. Known locally from the alpine regions and generally thought to be åśśimilated with JUPITER.... |
Goddess name "Poluknalai" | Kafir / Afghanistan | Goddess of animals. Locally revered, with the goddess DISANI, among Askun villages in the southwest of Kafiristan.... |
King name "Polycaon" | Greek | 1. A son of Lelex, brother of Myles, and husband of Messene, the daughter of Triopas of Argos. He emigrated from Laconia to Messenia, which country he thus called after his wife. He was the first king of Messenia. |
God name "Polydeukes" | Greek | horse god. One of the Dioskouroi twins; the other is Kastor. According to tradition, they are together åśśociated with a Spartan cult whence they originated. The pair probably derive from the Indo-European model of the ASVINS in Vedic mythology. Kastor is mortal while Polydeukes is immortal. Thus, during battle, Kastor is mortally wounded but, even in death, the two brothers remain inseparable. They rescue individuals from distress and danger, particularly at sea, and are thought to be embodied in the electrical discharges known as St. Elmo's Fire. Also Castor and POLLUX (Roman).... |