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Daedalus
An Athenian, who was the most ingenious artist of his age; he was the inventor of the wedge and many other mechanical instruments. He made…
Damascus
One of the most ancient cities of the world, mentioned as existing in the time of Abraham (Gen. xiv. 15), stood in the district afterwards…
Damo
A daughter of Pythagoras and Theano, to whom Pythagoras entrusted his writings, and forbade her to give them to anyone. This command she…
Damocles
A Syracusan, one of the courtiers of Dionysius the elder. Damocles, having extolled the great felicity of Dionysius, was invited by him to…
Danae
Daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos, and Eurydice. Jupiter was enamored of her, and they had a son, with whom Danae was exposed in a boat…
Danaides
The fifty daughters of Danaüs, king of Argos, who married the fifty sons of their uncle Aegyptus. Danaüs had been told by the oracle that…
Daphne
A daughter of the River Peneus, or of the Ladon, and the goddess Terra, and of whom Apollo became enamored. Daphne fled to avoid the…
Daphnis
A Sicilian shepherd, son of Hermes (Mercury) by a nymph, was taught by Pan to play on the flute, and was regarded as the inventor of…
Dardanus
A son of Jupiter, who killed his brother Jasius to obtain the kingdom of Etruria. He built the city of Dardania, and was reckoned to have…
Dares
A priest of Hephaestus (Vulcan) at Troy, mentioned in the Iliad, to whom was ascribed in antiquity an Iliad, believed to be more ancient…
Darius (Noble satrap of Persia son)
A noble satrap of Persia, son of Hystaspes, who usurped the crown of Persia after the death of Cambyses. Darius was twentynine years old…
Darius (Second king of Persia)
The second king of Persia of that name, ascended the throne of Persia soon after the murder of Xerxes. He carried on many wars with…
Darius (Third king of Persia)
The third king of Persia of that name. He soon had to take the field against Alexander, who invaded Persia. Darius met him with an enormous…
Deiotarus
Tetrarch of Galatia, adhered to the Romans in their wars against Mithridates, and was rewarded by the senate with the title of king. In the…
Deiphobus
Son of Priam and Hecuba, who married Helen after the death of Paris. On the capture of Troy by the Greeks he was slain and fearfully…
Dejanira
A daughter of Oeneus, king of Aetolia. Her beauty procured her many admirers, and her father promised to give her in marriage to him who…
Delphi
A town of Phocis at the southwest side of Mount Parnassus. It was famous for a temple of Apollo, and for an oracle celebrated in every age…
Demetrius (Son of Antigonus)
A son of Antigonus and Stratonice, surnamed Poliorcetes, destroyer of towns. At the age of twenty-two he was sent by his father against…
Demetrius (Surnamed Soter king of Syria)
Surnamed Soter, king of Syria. His father gave him as a hostage to the Romans. After the death of his father, Seleucus Philopator…
Demetrius (Son of Soter whom he succeeded)
Son of Soter, whom he succeeded after he had driven from the throne a usurper, Alexander Bala. Demetrius gave himself up to luxury, and…
Demetrius Phalereus
A disciple of Theophrastus, who gained such influence over the Athenians by his eloquence and the purity of his manners, that he was…
Democritus
A celebrated philosopher of Abdera, one of the disciples of Leucippus. He traveled over the greatest part of Europe, Asia, and Africa in…
Demosthenes
A celebrated Athenian, was the son of a rich blacksmith, and Cleobule. He became a pupil of Plato, and applied himself to study the…
Deucalion
A son of Prometheus, who married Pyrrha, the daughter of Epimetheus. He reigned over part of Thessaly, and in his age the earth was covered…
Diana
The goddess of hunting. According to Cicero there were three of the name-viz., a daughter of Jupiter and Proserpine, a daughter of Jupiter…
Dido
A daughter of Belus, king of Tyre, who married Sichaeus or Sicharbus, her uncle, who was priest of Hercules. Pygmalion killed Sichaeus to…
Diogenes
A celebrated Cynic philosopher of Sinope, banished from his country for coining false money. From Sinope he retired to Athens, where he…
Diogenes Laertius
An Epicurean philosopher, born in Cilicia. He wrote the lives of the philosophers in ten books. This work contains an accurate account of…
Diomedes (Son of Tydeus and Deiphyle)
A son of Tydeus and Deiphyle, was king of Aetolia, and one of the bravest of the Grecian chiefs in the Trojan war. He often engaged Hector…
Diomedes (King of Thrace son of Mars)
A king of Thrace, son of Mars and Cyrene, who fed his horses with human flesh. Hercules destroyed Diomedes, and gave him to his own horses…
Dion
A Syracusan, son of Hipparina, famous for his power and abilities. He was related to Dionysius the First, who constantly advised with him…
Dion Cassius
A native of Nicaea in Bithynia, who was raised to some of the greatest offices of state in the Roman empire. He is celebrated as the writer…
Dion Chrysostomus
Surnamed the goldenmouthed, on account of his eloquence. There are extant eighty of his orations; but they are rather essays on political…
Dione
A female Titan, by Zeus (Jupiter), by whom she became the mother of Aphrodite (Venus), who is hence called Dionaea, and sometimes even…
Dioscuri
Sons of Zeus (Jupiter), the wellknown heroes Castor and Pollux, called by the Greeks, Polydeuces. The two brothers were sometimes called…
Dirce
A woman whom Lycus, king of Thebes, married after he had divorced Antiope. Amphion and Zethus, sons of Antiope, for cruelties she practiced…
Discordia
A malevolent deity, daughter of Nox, and sister to Nemesis, the Parcae, and Death. She was driven from heaven by Jupiter because she sowed…
Dodona
The most ancient oracle in Greece, situated in Epirus, founded by the Pelasgians, and dedicated to Zeus (Jupiter). The responses of the…
Donatus
A celebrated grammarian, who taught at Rome in the middle of the fourth century, and was the preceptor of St. Jerome. His most famous work…
Doris
Daughter of Oceanus and Thetis, wife of her brother Nereus, and mother of the Nereides. The Latin poets sometimes use the name of this…
Draco
A celebrated lawgiver of Athens, who made a code of laws, B. C. 623, which, on account of their severity, were said to be written in…
Dryades
Nymphs that presided over the woods. Oblations of milk, oil, and honey were offered to them. Sometimes the votaries of the Dryads…
Duilius
Consul B. c. 260, gained a victory over the Carthaginian fleet by means of grapplingirons, which drew the enemy's ships toward his, and…
Duumviri
Two patricians at Rome, first appointed by Tarquin to keep the Sibylline books, which were supposed to contain the fate of the Roman…
Dacia – Dryas
A Roman province, lay between the Danube and the Carpathian Mountains, and comprehended the modern Transylvania, Wallachia, Moldavia, and…