Ceres(mythology)
In ancient
Roman religion, Ceres was a goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly
relationships. She was
originally the central deity in Rome's so-called plebeian or Aventine
Triad, then was paired with her daughter Proserpina in what Romans described as "the
Greek rites of Ceres". Her seven-day April festival of Cerealia included the popular Ludi Ceriales (Ceres' games). She was also honoured in the May lustratio of the fields at the Ambarvalia festival, at harvest-time, and during Roman marriages and funeral
rites.
Ceres is the only one of Rome's many agricultural deities to be listed among the Dii Consentes, Rome's equivalent to
the Twelve Olympians of Greek mythology. The Romans saw her
as the counterpart of the Greek goddess Demeter, whose mythology was reinterpreted for Ceres in Roman art and literature.
Ceres (dwarf planet)
Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Its diameter is
approximately 945 kilometers (587 miles), making it the largest of the minor planets within the orbit of Neptune. The 33rd-largest known
body in the Solar System, it is the only dwarf planet within the orbit of Neptune. Composed
of rock and ice, Ceres is estimated to compose approximately one third of the
mass of the entire asteroid belt. Ceres is the only object in the asteroid belt known to be rounded by its own gravity.
From Earth, the apparent magnitude of Ceres ranges from 6.7 to 9.3, and
hence even at its brightest, it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye,
except under extremely dark skies.
Ceres was the
first asteroid discovered, by Giuseppe
Piazzi at Palermo on 1 January 1801. It was
originally considered a planet, but was reclassified as an asteroid in the
1850s when many other objects in similar orbits were discovered.
Ceres appears to be differentiated into a rocky core and
icy mantle, and may have a
remnant internal ocean of liquid
water under the layer of ice. The surface is probably a mixture of water ice and various hydrated minerals such as carbonates and clay.
In January 2014, emissions of water vapor were detected from several regions of
Ceres. This was unexpected,
because large bodies in the asteroid belt typically do not emit vapor, a
hallmark of comets.
Nausicaa
Is a character in Homer's Odyssey. She is the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen
Arete of Phaeacia. Her name, in Greek, means
"burner of ships"
Nausicaä and her handmaidens go to the sea-shore to wash
clothes. Awoken by their games, Odysseus emerges from the forest completely
naked, scaring the servants away, and begs Nausicaä for aid. Nausicaä gives
Odysseus some of the laundry to wear, and takes him to the edge of the town.
Realizing that rumors might arise if Odysseus is seen with her, she and the
servants go ahead into town. But first she advises Odysseus to go directly to
Alcinous' house and make his case to Nausicaä's mother, Arete. Arete is known
as wiser even than Alcinous, and Alcinous trusts her judgment. Odysseus follows
this advice, approaching Arete and winning her approval, and is received as a
guest by Alcinous.
During his stay, Odysseus recounts his adventures to Alcinous
and his court. This recounting forms a substantial portion of the Odyssey. Alcinous then
generously provides Odysseus with the ships that finally bring him home to Ithaca.
Nausicaä is young and very pretty; Odysseus says that she resembles a goddess, particularly Artemis. Nausicaä is known to
have several brothers. According to Aristotle and Dictys
of Crete, Nausicaä later
married Telemachus, the son of
Odysseus, and had a son named Ptoliporthus.
Homer gives a literary account of love never expressed (possibly
one of the earliest examples of unrequited
love in literature). While she is
presented as a potential love interest to Odysseus – she says to her friend
that she would like her husband to be like him, and her father tells Odysseus
he would let him marry her – no romantic relationship takes place between the
pair. Nausicaä is also a
mother figure for Odysseus; she ensures Odysseus' return home, and thus says "Never forget me,
for I gave you life," indicating her status as a "new mother" in
Odysseus' rebirth. Odysseus never tells Penelope about his encounter
with Nausicaä, out of all the women he met on his long journey home. Some
suggest this indicates a deeper level of feeling for the girl.
Circe
Is a goddess of magic (or sometimes a nymph, witch, enchantress or sorceress). By most accounts,
Circe was the daughter of Helios,
the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid. Her brothers were Aeetes, the keeper of the Golden Fleece, and Perses. Her sister was Pasiphaë, the wife of King Minos and mother of the Minotaur. Other accounts make her the
daughter of Hecate, the goddess
of witchcraft herself. Circe
was renowned for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs. Through the
use of these and a magic wand or a staff, she transformed her enemies, or those who offended
her, into any kind of animals. Some say she was exiled to the solitary
island of Aeaea by her subjects and her father Helios
for killing her husband, the prince of Colchis.
Later traditions tell of her leaving or even destroying the island and moving
to Italy, where she was identified with Cape
Circeo.
Calypso
was a nymph in Greek
mythology, who lived on the island of Ogygia,
where she detained Odysseus for several years. She is
generally said to be the daughter of the Titan Atlas. Hesiod, and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter,
mention either a different Calypso or possibly the same Calypso as one of the Oceanid daughters of Tethys and Oceanus. Apollodorus includes the name Calypso in his list
of Nereids, the daughters of Nereus and Doris.
Calypso is remembered most for her role
in Homer's Odyssey,
in which she keeps the fabled Greek hero Odysseus on her island to make him her immortal husband. According to Homer, Calypso kept Odysseus prisoner at Ogygia for seven years, while
Apollodorus says five years, and Hyginus says one. Calypso enchants Odysseus with her singing as she moves to
and fro, weaving on her loom with a golden shuttle. During this time they sleep
together, although Odysseus soon comes to wish for circumstances to change.
Moira
In Greek
mythology, often known in English as the Fates (Latin: Fatae), were the white-robed incarnations of destiny;
their Roman equivalent was the Parcae (euphemistically the "sparing
ones"). Their number became fixed at three: Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable).
They controlled
the mother thread of life of every mortal from birth to death. They
were independent, at the
helm of necessity, directed fate, and watched that the fate assigned to
every being by eternal laws might take its course without obstruction. The gods and men had to submit
to them, although Zeus's relationship with them is a matter of
debate: some sources say he is the only one who can command them (the Zeus Moiragetes), yet others
suggest he was also bound to the Moirai's dictates. In the Homeric poems Moira or Aisa, is related with the limit and end of life, and Zeus appears
as the guider of destiny. In the Theogony of Hesiod,
the three Moirai are
personified, daughters of Nyx and are acting over the gods. Later they are daughters of Zeus and Themis, who was the embodiment of
divine order and law. In Plato's Republic the Three Fates are daughters of Ananke (necessity).
It seems that Moira is related with Tekmor (proof, ordinance) and with Ananke (destiny, necessity), who were primeval
goddesses in mythical cosmogonies. The ancient Greek writers might call this power Moira or Ananke, and even the gods could not
alter what was ordained. The
concept of a universal principle of natural order has been compared to similar
concepts in other cultures like the Vedic Rta, the Avestan Asha (Arta)
and the Egyptian Maat.
Theatre
of Dionysus
The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major theatre in Athens,
built at the foot of the Athenian
Acropolis. Dedicated to Dionysus,
the god of plays and wine (among other things), the theatre could seat as many
as 17,000 people with excellent acoustics, making it an ideal location for ancient
Athens' biggest theatrical celebration, the Dionysia.
It was the first stone theatre ever
built, cut into the southern
cliff face of the Acropolis, and supposedly birthplace of Greek tragedy. The remains of a
restored and redesigned Roman version can still be seen at the site today. It
is sometimes confused with the later, smaller, and better-preserved Odeon of Herodes Atticus, located
nearby on the southwest slope of the Acropolis.
The site was used as a theatre since the sixth century BC. The
existing structure dates back to the fourth century BC but had many other later
remodellings. On November 24, 2009 the Greek government announced that they
would partially restore the Theatre of Dionysus.
Metamorphoses
The Metamorphoses is a Latin narrative
poem by the Roman poet Ovid,
considered his magnum opus.
Comprising fifteen books and over 250 myths,
the poem chronicles the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar within a loose mythico-historical
framework.
Although meeting the criteria for an epic, the poem defies simple genre
classification by its use of varying themes and tones. Ovid took inspiration
from the genre of metamorphosis poetry, and some of the Metamorphoses derives from earlier treatment of the
same myths; however, he diverged significantly from all of his models.
One of the most
influential works in Western
culture, the Metamorphoses has inspired such authors as Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, and William Shakespeare. Numerous
episodes from the poem have
been depicted in acclaimed works of sculpture, painting, and music.
Although interest in Ovid faded after the Renaissance,
there was a resurgence of attention to his work towards the end of the
twentieth century; today, the Metamorphoses continues to inspire and be retold
through various media. The work has been the subject of numerous translations into English, the first by William Caxton in 1480.
