Jupiter
Jupiter names 3 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Jupiter in Roman mythology
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
in Roman mythology, the 483,000,000 miles; iles; and a railway train il a talike train supreme Roman deity, identified with the Greek miles traveling 50 ng 50 an hour, would an hour, would Zeus. He was the son of Saturn require nine centuries to go from the sun and Rhea. Jupiter was the king and to go from the sun to Jupiter. The latter body revolves on its father of men, but his power extended over er body revolves on axis in about 9 hours and 55 minutes, which the deities also; and everything was urs and 55 minutes, is the length of its day and night. f its day and night. subservient to his will except the Fates. Though traveling in its orbit round the its orbit round the sun at the rate of 28,743 miles an hour, equity has of deciding cases brought it takes nearly 12 years to complete its revolution; this, therefore, is the length of its year. It is surrounded by four conspicuous belts of a brownish-gray color, two N., two S. of the equator, with feebler ones toward the poles. The equatorial region of the planet is brighter than the rest. Jupiter has nine satellites, four of which were discovered Jan. 6, 1610, by Galileo, and another Sept. 9, 1892, by Prof. Edward E. Barnard, then of the Lick Observatory. The four discovered by Galileo are usually known by their numbers, which proceed in order of distance from the planet. If named they are called Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The 9th satellite was discovered by Nicholson in 1914.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a large planet, sixth in the order of Bode's Law, between the asteroids and Saturn. It is a brilliant planet, which, with its large size, entitled it, in the opinion of the Romans, to the name of their chief deity. As compared with the earth, Jupiter is five times as far from the sun. Its surface is 122 and its bulk 1,355 times that of the earth. In bulk it is larger than all the other planets put together. Jupiter is not dense, but, owing to its great size, its mass is about 317 times that of the earth. A person would weigh about 2 2/3 times as much on Jupiter as he does on the earth. Under the telescope the surface of Jupiter is curiously marked with cloudy belts parallel to its equator. Jupiter turns on its axis with great rapidity, so its day is a little less than ten of our hours. Four satellites of Jupiter were the first discovery made by Galileo with his new telescope. A fifth was discovered in 1892. See Planets ; Satellites
Jupiter Known to the Greeks as Zeus
1000 Classical Characters (1900)
Known to the Greeks as Zeus . The chief of all the gods of the ancients. According to Varro there were three hundred persons of that name. To him of Crete , who passed for the son of Saturn and Ops, the actions of the rest have been attributed. Jupiter was educated in a cave on Mount Ida, in Crete, and fed with the milk of the goat Amalthaea. While he was very young he made war on the Titans, whom he conquered. The beginning of his reign in the supernal regions was interrupted by the rebellion of the giants who were sons of the Earth, and who were desirous of revenging the death of the Titans, but by the aid of Hercules , Jupiter overpowered them. Jupiter married Metis , Themis , Ceres , Euronyme, Mnemosyne, Latona, and Juno. His worship was universal: he was the Ammon of the Africans, the Belus of Babylon, and the Osiris of Egypt. Jura or Jurassus Mons. A range of mountains running north of the lake Lemanus as far as Augusta Rauracorum (August, near Basle), on the Rhine, forming the boundary between the Sequani and Helvetii. Juvenalis, D. Junius. A poet born at Aquinum in Italy. He came to Rome at an early age, where he applied himself to the writing of satires, some of which are extant. He died in the reign of Trajan A. D. 128. His writings are distinguished by a lively style, but abound with ill humor. Laberius, J. Decimus. A Roman knight famous for his skill in writing pantomimes. Caesar made him appear on the stage in one of his plays, which he resented by throwing out aspersions on Caesar during the performance, and by warning the audience againt tyranny. Labienus, T. Tribune of the Plebs, B. C. 63, was a friend and partisan of Caesar, and his chief legatus in his wars against the Gauls; but on the breaking out of the civil war in B. c. 49, he went over to Pompey.
Jupiter in Roman mythology
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
in Roman mythology, the greatest of the gods. He corresponds to the Zeus of the Greeks. The different names given him indicate his character. As the heavenly father he had all power over the skies. Jupiter Pluvius was the rain giver; Jupiter Tonans, the thunderer; Jupiter Fulminator, the lightning-hurler, and Jupiter Serenator, the weather-clearer. As Jupiter Prodigialis he sent the children of men prodigies or signs of what was about to happen. Jupiter Imperator was a ruler; Jupiter Victor, the conqueror; Jupiter Stator, a supporter or stander-by. Jupiter was also Optimus Maximus, the best and greatest of the gods. The Romans erected temples in his honor. His principal temple was on the Capitoline Hill, whence he was called Jupiter Capitolinus. In this temple his statue was associated with Fides and Victoria. When war and other important measures were under consideration lots were cast and the prodigies were observed, as perchance Jupiter might grant some intimation of what it were wise to do. When about to go into battle, the consuls offered sacrifices to Jupiter, praying that he might lead them against the enemy, and, on their return from victory, thanksgivings were offered in his name. Jupiter was the divinity of the heavens, the sky; hence, white, the color of day, was the sacred color. His priests were clad in white, white animals were offered on his altar, and white horses drew his chariot. The genuinely Roman conception of Jupiter appears to have assigned him attributes of dignity, truthfulness, and fatherly love for his people.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
The mythology stands: Jupiter is still Zeus under a Roman name, still Optimus Maximus of the Capitoline temple, and Aiton's 1910 list of his epithets would pass in a classics seminar today. The astronomy has not fared so well. Collier's counted nine satellites in 1921, the last found by Nicholson in 1914; more than ninety are now confirmed, most of them small outer captures found by digital surveys since the 1990s. Aiton's talk of "the surface of Jupiter" has also gone, since the planet is now known to have no solid surface at all ": spacecraft from Pioneer 10 in 1973 to Galileo, which dropped a probe into the atmosphere in 1995, and Juno, in orbit since 2016, have shown a hydrogen-helium world whose belts are cloud decks over a fluid interior.
Written for this edition, 2026.