Trophonius (the Latinate spelling) or Trophonios (in the transliterated Greek spelling) was a Greek hero or daimon or god - it was never certain which one - with a rich mythological tradition and an oracular cult at Lebadaea in Boeotia. Trophonius - Etymology and parallel cults. The name is etymologically derived from trepho, "to nourish". Strabo and several inscriptions refer to him as Zeus Trephonios. Several other chthonic Zeuses with similar titles are known from the Greek world, including ...

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• Trophonius - Etymology and parallel cults
• Trophonius - Trophonius in myth
• Trophonius - Trophonius in cult
• Trophonius - Trophonius in the classical tradition

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Trophonius, Trophonius - Etymology and parallel cults, Trophonius - Trophonius in myth, Trophonius - Trophonius in cult, Trophonius - Trophonius in the classical tradition

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Pausanias, in his account of Boeotia (9.39), relates many details about the cult of Trophonius. Whoever desired to consult the oracle would live in a designated house for a period of days, bathing in the river Herkyna and living on sacrificial meat. He would then sacrifice, by day, to a series of gods, including Kronos, Apollo, Zeus the king, Hera the Charioteer, and Demeter-Europa. At night, he would a black victim into a pit sacred to Agamedes, drink from two rivers called Lethe and Mnemosyne, and then descend into a cave. Here, most consultees were frightened out of their wits, a ...

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Trophonius, Trophonius - Etymology and parallel cults, Trophonius - Trophonius in myth, Trophonius - Trophonius in cult, Trophonius - Trophonius in the classical tradition

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In Greek mythology, Agamedes was a son of Erginus. With his brother, Trophonius, he built Apollo's temple at the oracle at Delphi. Once finished, the oracle told the brothers to do whatsoever they wished for six days and, on the seventh, their greatest wish would be granted. They did and were found dead on the seventh day. The saying "those whom the gods love die young" comes from this story. Alternatively, they built a treasure chamber (with secret entrance only they knew about) for King Hyprieus of Boeotia. Using the secret e ...

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Trophonius (Greek) With his brother Agamedes, legendary architect said to have built the temple of Apollo at Delphi, of Poseidon at Mantineia, the treasuries of Augeas in Elis and Hyrieus in Boeotian Hyria, etc.

Agamedes was killed by Trophonius when they were attempting to steal from the treasury of Hyrieus, and later an oracle and cult were dedicated to Trophonius, which included descending into a cave to receive revelations. The descent was so awe-inspiring that it was said that no one who visited the cave ever smiled again. {BCW 14:135}

(See also: Trophonius, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Greek mythology comprises the collected narratives of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. Our surviving sources of mythology are literary reworkings of this oral tradition, supplemented by interpretations of iconic imagery, sometimes modern ones, sometimes ancient ones, as myth was a means for later Greeks themselves to throw light on cult practices and traditions that were no longer explicable. The historian must sometimes deduce from hints in imagery, such as in ...

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• Greek mythology - Nature and sources of Greek mythology
• Greek mythology - An overview
• Greek mythology - The age of gods
• Greek mythology - The age of gods and men
• Greek mythology - The age of heroes
• Greek mythology - Theories of origin
• Greek mythology - Did the Greeks believe their myths?
• Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism
• Greek mythology - Syncretizing trends
• Greek mythology - Belles and Beaus of Greek Mythology
• Greek mythology - Modern interpreters
• Greek mythology - Greek cosmology
• Greek mythology - Related subjects
• Greek mythology - Sources

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Zeús or Dzeús (Greek Ζεύς) or Dias (Greek Δίας) ("divine king") is the leader of the gods and god of the sky and thunder in Greek mythology. Zeus - Prehistory. Zeus is the continuation of Dyeus, the supreme god in Indo-European religion, also continued as Vedic Dyaus Pitar (cf. Jupiter), and as Tyr (Ziu, Tiw, Tiwaz) in Germanic and Norse mythology. Tyr was however supplanted by Odin as the supreme god among the Germanic tribes and they did not identify Zeu ...

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• Zeus - Prehistory
• Zeus - Role and epithets
• Zeus - Panhellenic cults of Zeus
• Zeus - Some local Zeus-cults
• Zeus - Oracles of Zeus
• Zeus - Zeus and foreign gods
• Zeus - Zeus in myth
• Zeus - Consorts and children
• Zeus - Zeus miscellany
• Zeus - Zeus in Neopaganism
• Zeus - Spoken-word myths - audio files

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In Classical Greek, Lethe literally means "forgetfulness" or "concealment". The Greek word for "truth" is a-lethe-ia, meaning "un-forgetfulness" or "un-concealment". In Greek mythology, Lethe is one of the several rivers of Hades. Drinking from the river Lethe ("forgetfulness" or "oblivion") caused complete forgetfulness. Some ancient Greeks believed that souls were made to drink from the river before being reincarnated, so they would not remember their past lives. Lethe was a Naiad nymph and her river was in the ...

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Delphi (Greek Δελφοί - Delphoi; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece. In ancient times it was the site of the Delphic Sibyl, dedicated to the god Apollo. Delphi was revered throughout the Greek world as the site of the ομφαλός (omphalos) stone, the centre of the universe. In the inner εστία (hestia), or hearth, of the Temple of Delphic Apollo (Απόλλων Δελφίνιος - Apollon Delphinios), an άσβεστος φλό ...

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• Delphi - Location
• Delphi - Apollo
• Delphi - Oracle
• Delphi - Footnote
• Delphi - Treasuries
• Delphi - Tholos
• Delphi - Modern Delphi
• Delphi - Reference

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(Most of the gods and goddesses had Roman equivalents.) See also family tree of the Greek gods and the list of Greek mythological creatures. List of Greek mythological characters - Immortals. List of Greek mythological characters - The twelve gods of Olympus. Aphrodite - Goddess of beauty and Love Apollo - God of healing, light, and poetry, patron of scribes Arês - God of war Artemis - Goddess of the hunt and the moon Athena - G ...

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• List of Greek mythological characters - Greek mythological characters
• List of Greek mythological characters - Immortals
• List of Greek mythological characters - The twelve gods of Olympus
• List of Greek mythological characters - Other deities
• List of Greek mythological characters - Primeval gods
• List of Greek mythological characters - Titans
• List of Greek mythological characters - The Hundred-Handed
• List of Greek mythological characters - Cyclopes
• List of Greek mythological characters - River gods
• List of Greek mythological characters - Nymphs
• List of Greek mythological characters - Giants
• List of Greek mythological characters - Mortals
• List of Greek mythological characters - A-B
• List of Greek mythological characters - C-G
• List of Greek mythological characters - H-L
• List of Greek mythological characters - M-P
• List of Greek mythological characters - R-Z

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(Most of the gods and goddesses had Roman equivalents.) See also family tree of the Greek gods and the list of Greek mythological creatures. ...

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List of Greek mythological characters, List of Greek mythological characters - Greek mythological characters, List of Greek mythological characters - Immortals, List of Greek mythological characters - The twelve gods of Olympus, List of Greek mythological characters - Other deities, List of Greek mythological characters - Primeval gods, List of Greek mythological characters - Titans, List of Greek mythological characters - The Hundred-Handed, List of Greek mythological characters - Cyclopes, List of Greek mythological characters - River gods, List of Greek mythological characters - Nymphs, List of Greek mythological characters - Giants, List of Greek mythological characters - Mortals, List of Greek mythological characters - A-B, List of Greek mythological characters - C-G, List of Greek mythological characters - H-L, List of Greek mythological characters - M-P, List of Greek mythological characters - R-Z

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The span of stories and characters in Greek mythology is incredibly far-reaching. Events ranging from the atrocities of the early gods to the brutal wars of Troy and Thebes, from the youthful pranks of Hermes to the heartfelt grief of Demeter for Persephone are related in detail. The number of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, monsters, daemons, nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs waiting to be discovered by anyone interested enough to delve into the myths ...

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Greek mythology, Greek mythology - Nature and sources of Greek mythology, Greek mythology - An overview, Greek mythology - The age of gods, Greek mythology - The age of gods and men, Greek mythology - The age of heroes, Greek mythology - Theories of origin, Greek mythology - Did the Greeks believe their myths?, Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism, Greek mythology - Syncretizing trends, Greek mythology - Modern interpreters, Greek mythology - Greek cosmology, Greek mythology - Related subjects, Greek mythology - Sources

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Hesiod's Theogony (116ff) tells how, after Chaos, arose broad-breasted Gaia the everlasting foundation of the gods of Olympus. She brought forth Uranus, the starry sky, her equal, to cover her, the hills, and the fruitless deep of the Sea, Pontus, "without sweet union of love," out of her own self. But afterwards, Hesiod tells, she lay with Uranus and bore the World-Ocean Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and the Titans Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and Phoebe of the golden crown and lovely Tethys. "After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most te ...

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Gaia mythology, Gaia mythology - In Greek mythology, Gaia mythology - Gaia in Neopaganism, Gaia mythology - Family tree, Gaia mythology - Interpretations, Gaia mythology - In other cultures, Gaia mythology - In modern ecological theory, Gaia mythology - In popular culture

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The first oracle at Delphi was commonly known as Sibyl or Pythia, though her name was Herophile. She sang her predictions, which she received from Gaia. Later, "Sibyl" became a title given to whichever priestess manned the oracle at the time. The Sibyl sat on the Sibylline Rock, breathing in vapors from the ground1 and gaining her often puzzling predictions from that. Pausanias claimed that the Sibyl was "born between man and goddess, daughter of sea monsters and an immortal nymph". Others said she was sister or daughter to Apollo. Still others claimed the Sibyl received her powers from Gaia originally, who passed the oracle to ...

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Delphi, Delphi - Location, Delphi - Apollo, Delphi - Oracle, Delphi - Footnote, Delphi - Treasuries, Delphi - Tholos, Delphi - Modern Delphi, Delphi - Reference

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The scope of Greek mythology is enormous. It extends from the horrific crimes of the early gods and the bloody wars of Troy and Thebes, to the childhood pranks of Hermes and the touching grief of Demeter for Persephone. The legions of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, monsters, daemons, nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs that one encounters in traversing this vast landscape are beyond count. Greek mythology has an approximate internal chronology. While contradictions in the material make an absolute timeline impossible, it breaks down roug ...

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Greek mythology, Greek mythology - Nature and sources of Greek mythology, Greek mythology - An overview, Greek mythology - The age of gods, Greek mythology - The age of gods and men, Greek mythology - The age of heroes, Greek mythology - Theories of origin, Greek mythology - Did the Greeks believe their myths?, Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism, Greek mythology - Syncretizing trends, Greek mythology - Belles and Beaus of Greek Mythology, Greek mythology - Modern interpreters, Greek mythology - Greek cosmology, Greek mythology - Related subjects, Greek mythology - Sources

Read more here: » Greek mythology: Encyclopedia II - Greek mythology - An overview

Zeus is the continuation of Dyeus, the supreme god in Indo-European religion, also continued as Vedic Dyaus Pitar (cf. Jupiter), and as Tyr (Ziu, Tiw, Tiwaz) in Germanic and Norse mythology. Tyr was however supplanted by Odin as the supreme god among the Germanic tribes and they did not identify Zeus/Jupiter with either Tyr or Odin, but with Thor. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical Zeus also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the ancient Near East, such as the scepter. < ...

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Zeus, Zeus - Prehistory, Zeus - Role and epithets, Zeus - Panhellenic cults of Zeus, Zeus - Some local Zeus-cults, Zeus - Oracles of Zeus, Zeus - Zeus and foreign gods, Zeus - Zeus in myth, Zeus - Consorts and children, Zeus - Zeus miscellany, Zeus - Zeus in Neopaganism, Zeus - Spoken-word myths - audio files

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The Telegony comprises two distinct episodes: Odysseus' voyage to Thesprotia, and the story of Telegonus. Probably each of the two books of the Telegony related one of these episodes. In current critical editions only two lines of the poem's original text survive. For its storyline we are almost entirely dependent on a summary of the Cyclic epics contained in the Chrestomatheia (see also chrestomathy) attributed to the 5th century CE philosopher Proclus Diadochos. A few other references also give ...

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Telegony, Telegony - Title, Telegony - Date, Telegony - Content, Telegony - Editions, Telegony - Other uses

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List of Greek mythological characters - The twelve gods of Olympus. Aphrodite - Goddess of beauty and Love Apollo - God of the Sun music, healing, light, and poetry, patron of scribes Arês - God of war Artemis - Goddess of the hunt and the moon Athena - Goddess of wisdom, strategy, and war, Zeus' favorite daughter Dêmêtêr - Goddess of agriculture Hephaestus (Hepháistos) - God of fire and the forge Hêra - Goddess of marriage, wife of ZeusSee also:

List of Greek mythological characters, List of Greek mythological characters - Greek mythological characters, List of Greek mythological characters - Immortals, List of Greek mythological characters - The twelve gods of Olympus, List of Greek mythological characters - Other deities, List of Greek mythological characters - Primeval gods, List of Greek mythological characters - Titans, List of Greek mythological characters - The Hundred-Handed, List of Greek mythological characters - Cyclopes, List of Greek mythological characters - River gods, List of Greek mythological characters - Nymphs, List of Greek mythological characters - Giants, List of Greek mythological characters - Mortals, List of Greek mythological characters - A-B, List of Greek mythological characters - C-G, List of Greek mythological characters - H-L, List of Greek mythological characters - M-P, List of Greek mythological characters - R-Z

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The general issues in studying myths are discussed in the mythography article. While all cultures throughout the world have their own myths, the term mythology is a Greek coinage and had a specialized meaning within Greek culture. The Greek term mythologia is a compound of two smaller words: mythos — which in Homeric Greek means roughly "a ritualized speech act", as of a chieftain at an assembly, or of a poet or priest. logos — which in cla ...

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Greek mythology, Greek mythology - Nature and sources of Greek mythology, Greek mythology - An overview, Greek mythology - The age of gods, Greek mythology - The age of gods and men, Greek mythology - The age of heroes, Greek mythology - Theories of origin, Greek mythology - Did the Greeks believe their myths?, Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism, Greek mythology - Syncretizing trends, Greek mythology - Modern interpreters, Greek mythology - Greek cosmology, Greek mythology - Related subjects, Greek mythology - Sources

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In antiquity, historians such as Herodotus theorized that the Greek gods had been stolen directly from the Egyptians. Later on, Christian writers tried to explain Hellenic paganism through degeneration of Biblical religion. Since then, the sciences of archaeology and linguistics have been applied to the origins of Greek mythology with some interesting results. To begin with, extant literary sources indicate that the ancient Greeks used the word Αιθιοπία to refer to a peoples: whom they considered sacred, favored by the gods, and li ...

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Greek mythology, Greek mythology - Nature and sources of Greek mythology, Greek mythology - An overview, Greek mythology - The age of gods, Greek mythology - The age of gods and men, Greek mythology - The age of heroes, Greek mythology - Theories of origin, Greek mythology - Did the Greeks believe their myths?, Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism, Greek mythology - Syncretizing trends, Greek mythology - Modern interpreters, Greek mythology - Greek cosmology, Greek mythology - Related subjects, Greek mythology - Sources

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