ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTU–Z

Earth to Elysian Fields Emathia to Eretria Erginos to Eulimene Eumaios to Exomis

Eumaios to Exomis

Eumaios
Eumaeus

The faithful swineherd of Odysseus.

When Odysseus returned home to Ithaka (Ithaca) in disguise, Eumaios welcomed “the stranger” and later fought by Odysseus’ side to reclaim his wife and home; Eumaios was from the island of Syria where he was kidnapped by traders when he was a young boy and eventually sold into slavery to Odysseus’ father, Laertes.

Eumathes

One of the Thirty Tyrants elected to rule the city of Athens after the end of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE).

Having lost the war to the Spartans, the citizens of Athens elected thirty men to lead the new post-war government; these men became known as the Thirty Tyrants; the short lived government they comprised was an oligarchy.

The tyrants immediately began to prosecute Athenians who had been Spartan informers and collaborators during the long, hard war; the punishment of the guilty seemed appropriate to the common citizens and aristocrats alike but it soon became clear that the executions and banishments were going beyond the bounds of necessity or prudence; open hostilities soon developed between members of the Thirty and their authority and rule came to an end after one year.

Eumelus (1)

Eumelus of Korinth (Corinth); the poet who was credited as the author of the War of the Titans which was part of the Epic Cycle; Arktinus (Arctinus) is also listed as the author and we may never know with certainty who actually wrote this portion of the epic.

Eumelus (2)

The son of king Merops and the nymph, Ethemea.

Eumenides (1)

The Kindly Ones; three of the daughters of Nyx (Night); Alekto (Alecto), Megaera and Tisiphone.

They are called by many names but are usually referred to as the Furies; they are also known as the Erinys (Mist-Walkers) and the Semnai (the Holy); they are depicted as winged women of fierce countenance but, according to Pausanias (fl. 160 CE), their images on the Akropolis (Acropolis) at Athens were not fierce or supernatural.

Eumenides (2)

One of the seven surviving tragedies by the Athenian playwright Aeskhylus (Aeschylus).

This play is the third in the Oresteia trilogy dealing with the murder of Agamemnon and the revenge meted out by his son, Orestes; the Eumenides wanted Orestes to be found guilty of murder but Athene (Athena) demanded mercy, saying that Orestes acted in the name of “justice” and not “revenge;” Athene placated the Eumenides by offering them a shrine on the Akropolis (Acropolis).

This is a fine story and well worth reading; if you wish to read this play I suggest The Complete Greek Tragedies, Aeschylus I, edited by David Grene and Richmond Lattimore, ISBN 0226307786; you can find this book at your library in the 800 section or you can order it through the Book Shop on this site which is linked to Amazon.com.

Euneos

The son of Iason (Jason) and Hypsipyle; during the siege of Troy, Euneos brought provisions from the island of Lemnos for the Greek army.

Eunike
Eunice

Rosy-Armed; one of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris collectively known as the Nereids, i.e. the daughters of the Nereus.

Eunomia

Order; the daughter of Zeus and Themis; one of the Horae, i.e. the goddesses of the Seasons.

The Horae are the personification of the cycle of death and rebirth and sometimes credited with social order; her sisters are Dike (Justice) and Eirene (Peace).

Eunomos

The forth Eurypontidai king of the city of Sparta who ruled circa 805-775 BCE.

Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon and the other was required to be a descendant of king Agis I (respectively known as the Eurypontidai and the Agiadai).

Very little is known about Eunomos and the dates given for his rule are extrapolations and should be used only as approximations.

Eupalinus
Eupalinos

A master builder from the city of Megara; son of Naustrophus; credited as the builder of an aqueduct on the island of Samos.

The historian, Herodotus, reported that the aqueduct was 4,620 feet (1,408 meters) long but recent excavations dispute that figure and place the length at only 1,100 feet (335 meters); Herodotus said that this aqueduct was one of the three greatest works to be seen on any Greek land.

Euphemos
Euphemus

The son of Poseidon (lord of the Sea) who could run across the sea with only his toes touching the waves; he was one of the Argonauts.

After obtaining the Golden Fleece, the Argonauts were stranded in Libya and were forced to carry their ship, the Argo, across the desert; when they came to lake Trito, they set up a tripod as a tribute to Apollon and prayed for guidance; from the waters of the lake arose another son of Poseidon, Triton; the half-man, half-fish shaped god, Triton, gave Euphemos a clod of earth as a gift and showed the Argonauts the passage that would take them back to the sea.

Several nights later, Euphemos had a divinely inspired dream about the clod of earth that Triton had given him; he took the clod and threw it into the sea and an island emerged from the depths of the sea.

Euphorion (1)

The son of the tragic poet Aeskhylus (Aeschylus).

Euphorion (2)

Euphorion of Khalkis (Chalcis); (fl. 235 BCE); a Greek author of epic poetry from the island of Euboea and the head of the library of Antioch in ancient Syria.

Euphranor

(fl. 360 BCE) A sculptor and painter from the city of Korinth (Corinth) credited with the statue of Apollon Patroos and three works on the Colonnade of Zeus at Athens: the Cavalry Battle, The Twelve Gods and Theseus.

Euphrates River

The river which flows from Asia Minor, through Syria and, after joining the Tigris River in central Iraq, empties into the Persian Gulf; approximately 2,230 miles (3,589 kilometers) in length.

The city of Babylon was located on the Euphrates River which contributed to the Babylonian Empire’s wealth and, according to Herodotus, the river was the means by which the Persians (led by Kyrus (Cyrus) captured the city; the Persians diverted the Euphrates River and entered the city in the shallow river bed.

Euphronios

A master painter from the late sixth century BCE.

Euphrosyne

One of the Graces, i.e. Charities; her name means, Mirth and Merriment; her sisters are Aglaia and Thalia.

Eupolemeia

The daughter of Myrmidon and Peisidike (Peisidice); with Hermes, she was the mother of the Argonaut, Aithalides.

Eupompe

One of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris collectively known as the Nereids, i.e. the daughters of the Nereus; her name might be translated to mean, Happy Issue.

Euripides

A Greek dramatist; he was born at the close of the second Persian invasion of Greece (480 BCE) and lived through the majority of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE).

His plays were not “historical” but used historical themes to place his characters in situations of high drama and noble sacrifice.

His plays (in chronological order of their assumed production dates) include:

  1. Rhesus 455? BCE;
  2. Alkestis (Alcestis), 438;
  3. Medea, 431;
  4. The Herakleidae, i.e. The Children of Herakles (Heracles), 429?;
  5. Hippolytus, 428;
  6. Andromakhe (Andromakhe), 426?;
  7. Hekabe (Hecabe), 425?;
  8. The Cyclops 425?;
  9. Suppliants (The Suppliant Women), 423?;
  10. Herakles, 420?; Trojan Women, 415;
  11. Iphigenia in Tauris, 414?;
  12. Elektra (Electra), 413;
  13. Helen, 412; Ion, 412?;
  14. Phoenissae (The Phoenician Women), 410?;
  15. Orestes, 408;
  16. Iphigenia at Aulis, 405;
  17. Bakkhae (Bacchae), 406; and
  18. Madness of Herakles, date unknown.
Eurokilydon
Eurocilydon

The Gregale, i.e. a strong northeast wind that blows in the central and western Mediterranean Sea.

There are two types of winds:

  1. The divinely created winds, i.e. Boreas (North Wind), Notos (South Wind), Zephyros (West Wind) and the Etesian winds, and
  2. The ill-favored winds that were created by the monster, Typhoeus, when Zeus imprisoned him under the earth.

The divinely created winds nourish and bless the earth but the winds of Typhoeus are wild and destructive.

  • Theogony, lines 869-880
  • Europa (1)
    Europe

    The sister of Kadmus (Cadmus) and the blind seer, Phineus.

    Europa was abducted by Zeus when he assumed the form of a bull and took Europa to the island of Crete; she bore Zeus three sons: Rhadamanthus, Minos and Sarpedon; in most instances, she is said to be the daughter of the king of Tyre, Agenor, and Libya but in The Iliad (book 14, lime 321), she and her brothers are said to be the children of Phoinix (Phoenix).

    Europa (2)
    Europe

    An Okeanid, i.e. one of the three thousand daughters of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys.

    Zeus gave the Okeanids, Apollon and the Rivers the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.

    Eurotas River

    A river on the Peloponnesian Peninsula which runs north to south in the district of Lakonia (Laconia) just east of the city of Sparta and empties into the Gulf of Lakonia; approximately 50.95 miles (82 kilometers) in length.

    Eurus
    Euros

    The East or Southeast Wind.

    There are two types of winds: 1) the divinely created winds, i.e. Boreas (North Wind), Notos (South Wind), Zephyros (West Wind) and the Etesian winds, and 2) the ill-favored winds that were created by the monster, Typhoeus, when Zeus imprisoned him under the earth; Eurus is one of the ill-favored winds.

    The divinely created winds nourish and bless the earth but the winds of Typhoeus are wild and destructive.

    Euryale

    One of the three sisters known as the Gorgons; her name means Wide-Wanderer.

    The Gorgons, with the exception of Medusa, were immortal creatures and all three were hideous to behold; Euryale and her two sisters had snakes on their heads, about their wrists and around their waists; Euryale and her sister, Sthenno, gave chase to Perseus after he beheaded Medusa but could not catch him.

    The Gorgons were the daughters of Phorkys (Phorcys) and Keto (Ceto) and sisters of the Graiae (Gray Sisters).

    For more detailed information on the Gorgons I suggest that you consult the Immortals section of this site.

    Euryalos
    Euryalus

    The son of Mekisteus (Mecisteus); one of the co-commanders of the Greeks from Argos during the siege of Troy; Diomedes was the commander and Sthenelos was the other co-commander.

    Eurybates

    The herald of Odysseus.

    When Odysseus came home in disguise, he gave his wife, Penelope, a detailed description of Eurybates in order to convince her that he had personal knowledge of Odysseus’, i.e. his own, travels.

    Eurybia

    A Titan; the daughter of Pontos (the Sea) and Gaia (Earth); in consort with Krios (Crios), she was the mother of Pallas, Astraios and Perses.

    Eurybiades

    The Spartan commander at the time of the Persian invasion of 480 BCE; he was the commander of the united Greek army and navy against the forces of the Persian king, Xerxes.

    After the city of Athens had fallen to the Persians, his plan was to remove the remainder of the Greek navy to the Isthmus of Korinth (Corinth) and, if the sea battle was lost, retreat to Sparta; the Athenian commander, Themistokles (Themistocles) convinced him to sail against the Persian navy from the island of Salamis; the victory was stunning and the Persians were forced to flee with their decimated fleet.

    Eurydamas (1)

    One of the Argonauts; the son of Ktimenos (Ctimenos).

    Eurydamas (2)

    The dream interpreter, Old Eurydamas; he was the father of the Trojan allies, Abas and Polyidos, who were slain by Diomedes.

    Eurydike (1)
    Eurydice

    The wife of Kreon (Creon) who, according to the poet Sophokles (Sophocles), killed herself because of the suicide death of her son, Haemon.

    Kreon became king of the city of Thebes after the two sons of Oedipus, Polynikes (Polynices) and Eteokles (Eteocles), were killed in battle; Kreon refused to give Polynikes a proper burial and imprisoned Oedipus’ daughter, Antigone, in a cave when she disobeyed his command and gave Polynikes a proper burial.

    Kreon then decided to free Antigone but before he could free her, she had already killed herself; Kreon’s son, Haemon, tried unsuccessfully to kill his father and then, in desperation, killed himself; when Eurydike heard of her son’s death, she too committed suicide.

    In the poem, Shield of Herakles (Heracles) by Hesiod, Kreon’s wife is said to be Eniokhe (Enioche); since Hesiod predates Sophokles we should assume that Eniokhe was, in fact, the name of king Kreon’s wife.

    Eurydike (2)
    Eurydice

    A tree nymph, a dryad; she is also called Agriope; the wife of Orpheus.

    Eurydike was bitten by a poisonous snake and died as she was fleeing from Apollon’s son, Aristaios.

    After her death, Orpheus was so distraught that he ventured into the Underworld in an attempt to bring her back to the sunlight; Orpheus used his wit and talent to charm Hades (lord of the Underworld) and Eurydike was allowed to return to the surface of the earth provided that Orpheus lead the way and not look back to see if Eurydike was following him; at the very last moment Orpheus was compelled to look around and, by doing so, Eurydike was returned to the land of the dead and lost to Orpheus until he also died.

    Eurydike (3)
    Eurydice

    The daughter of Adrastus; the wife of Ilus.

    Eurydike (4)
    Eurydice

    The eldest daughter of Klymenos (Clymenos) and the wife of Nestor; the mother of: Antilokhos (Antilochus), Aretos, Polykaste (Polycaste), Ekhephron (Echephron), Stratios, Perseus, Thrasymedes and Peisistratos.

    Eurykrates
    Eurycrates

    The tenth Agiadai king of the city of Sparta who ruled circa 665-640 BCE.

    Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Agis I and the other was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon (respectively known as the Agiadai and the Eurypontidai).

    Very little is known about Eurykrates and the dates given for his rule are extrapolations and should be used only as approximations.

    Eurykratidas
    Eurycratidas

    The twelfth Agiadai king of the city of Sparta who ruled circa 615-590 BCE.

    Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Agis I and the other was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon (respectively known as the Agiadai and the Eurypontidai).

    Very little is known about Eurykratidas and the dates given for his rule are extrapolations and should be used only as approximations.

    Eurymedon

    A river in southeastern Asia Minor in the district of Pamphylia; the Persian fleet of Xerxes was defeated by Kimon (Cimon) at the mouth of the Eurymedon in 468 BCE.

    Eurynome

    An Okeanid, i.e. one of the three thousand daughters of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys.

    Eurynome and Zeus are the parents of the three Graces: Euphrosyne, Aglaia and Thalia; as the consort of Ophion, she and Ophion were the first to occupy Mount Olympos (Olympus); they were forced off the mountain and returned to the sea by the Titans, Kronos (Cronos) and Rheia (Rhea); Eurynome and Thetis took care of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) for nine years after he had been flung from Mount Olympos (Olympus).

    Zeus gave the Okeanids, Apollon and the Rivers the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.

    Euryodia

    She and Zeus were the great-grandparents of Odysseus.

    Eurypon

    The first and eponymous Eurypontidai king of the city of Sparta who ruled circa 895-865 BCE.

    Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon and the other was required to be a descendant of king Agis I (respectively known as the Eurypontidai and the Agiadai).

    Very little is known about Eurypon and the dates given for his rule are extrapolations and should be used only as approximations.

    Eurypontidai

    The family name for the descendants of one of the first kings of the city of Sparta, king Eurypon; the dates of his rule are not known for certain but we can assume that he ruled circa 895-865 BCE.

    Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon and the other was required to be a descendant of king Agis I; their families were respectively known as the Eurypontidai and the Agiadai; the Eurypontidai are also referred to as the Eurypontids.

    Eurysakes
    Eurysaces

    The son of Aias (Ajax); the name literally means, With Broad Shield.

    Eurystheus

    A king of Mykenai (Mycenae) and the cousin of Herakles (Heracles).

    Eurystheus was used as the instrument of revenge by Hera upon Zeus; Hera made Zeus promise that the next son born in the line of Perseus would rule Argos; Zeus was sure that his son, Herakles, would be that ruler but Hera delayed the goddess of childbirth, Eileithyia (Eilithyia), and Eurystheus was born before Herakles.

    Herakles was later bound to Eurystheus and required to perform the labors known as the Twelve Labors of Herakles.

    Eurytion (1)

    The herdsman of the three-bodied creature, Geryon, who was slain by Herakles (Heracles) in the course of his Tenth Labor.

    Eurytion (2)

    A Centaur who was slain by Herakles (Heracles).

    Eurytion (3)

    One of the Argonauts; the son of Iros.

    Eurytus (1)
    Eurytos

    He and Kteatus (Cteatus) are believed to be the sons of Aktor (Actor) and Molione.

    Eurytus was the king of Oekhalia (Oechalia) and father of the maiden, Iole; he and his sons were slain by Herakles (Heracles); Eurytus offered his daughter, Iole, in marriage to the winner of an archery competition and refused to honor his promise when Herakles won; Herakles killed Eurytus and his sons and took Iole as his concubine.

    It’s not clear as to the chronology of some of the events in Herakles’ life but two of Eurytus’ sons, Iphitos and Klytios, were with Herakles as crew members of the Argo; Herakles was forced to leave the crew of the Argo and return to his Labors; after he had completed his labors, Herakles embarked on a series of adventures known as the praxeis or Deeds; the incident with Iole took place after the voyage of the Argonauts and would be considered as one of his Deeds.

    Eurytus (2)
    Eurytos

    Eurytus was a Spartan soldier and accompanied the king, Leonidas, to the narrow pass at Thermopylae to await the invading Persian army; the three hundred Spartans faced perhaps as many as five hundred thousand Persians.

    Eurytus and another man named Aristodemus where afflicted by an ailment of the eye and were not fit to fight; Leonidas released both men from their duty but when the Persians finally broke through the Spartan lines, Eurytus had his helot take him into the thick of the fighting where he was killed; his death was one of dignity and in keeping with the Spartan ideals of bravery and manhood.

    Euterpe

    One of the nine Muses; the Muse of music and lyric poetry; her name means Delightful.

    Euthyphro

    A dialogue by Plato in which Sokrates (Socrates) and Euthyphro debate the subtleties of religion and piety pitting the philosophy of ancient gods against more modern spiritual beliefs.

    Euxine

    The large inland sea we call the Black Sea; originally called Axenos (Axine) by the Greeks and then later called Euxine (Pontos Euxinus).

    The word Axenos literally means “an inhospitable place” but the name Euxine means “kind to strangers;” the Euxine is also called simply Pontus; approximately 178,000 square miles (461,018 square kilometers) in area.

    Euxitheos

    A master potter from the late sixth century BCE.

    Evadne
    Euadne

    The wife of Kapaneus (Capaneus) who, as one of the Seven Against Thebes, was killed in the siege of the city; Evadne was so grief-stricken that she threw herself on Kapaneus’ funeral pyre.

    Exadios
    Exadius

    He was mentioned by Nestor as one of the mighty heroes in the era which proceeded the Trojan War; Nestor and other heroes such as Exadios defeated the Centaurs in their mountain lairs.

    Exekias
    Execias

    A master painter noted for his black-figure vases; circa 540 BCE.

    Exodos

    In Greek comedy, the conclusion of the play which typically revolves around some sort of celebration, i.e. a banquet or wedding.

    The classifications into which modern scholars have divided Old Comedy are usually expressed in six elements:

    1. Prologue (setting the theme of the play),
    2. Parodos (introduction of the chorus),
    3. Agon (argumentation),
    4. Parabasis (choral ode),
    5. Episodes (resolving the Agon) and
    6. Exodos (celebratory conclusion).
    Exomis

    A course, stiff, loose fitting, one-piece garment worn by workmen.

    Eumaios to Exomis

    Earth to Elysian Fields Emathia to Eretria Erginos to Eulimene Eumaios to Exomis

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