Brettii, a people of Italy. Strabo, bk. 6.
Briăreus, a famous giant, son of Cœlus and Terra, who had 100 hands and 50 heads, and was called by men Ægeon, and only by the gods Briareus. When Juno, Neptune, and Minerva conspired to dethrone Jupiter, Briareus ascended the heavens, and seated himself next to him, and so terrified the conspirators by his fierce and threatening looks that they desisted. He assisted the giants in their war against the gods, and was thrown under mount Ætna, according to some accounts. Hesiod, Theogony, li. 148.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 1.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 1, li. 403.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 6, li. 287; bk. 10, li. 565.——A Cyclops, made judge between Apollo and Neptune, in their dispute about the isthmus and promontory of Corinth. He gave the former to Neptune, and the latter to Apollo. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 1.
Brias, a town of Pisidia.
Brigrantes, a people in the northern parts of Britain. Juvenal, satire 14, li. 196.—Pausanias, bk. 8, ch. 43.
Brigrantīnus, a lake of Rhœtia between the Alps, now the lake of Constance. The town on its eastern banks is now Bregentz in the Tyrol, anciently called Brigantium. Pliny, bk. 9, ch. 17.
Brilessus, a mountain of Attica. Thucydides, bk. 2, ch. 23.
Brīmo (terror), a name given to Proserpine and Hecate. Propertius, bk. 2, poem 2, li. 11.
Brisēis, a woman of Lyrnessus, called also Hippodamia. When her country was taken by the Greeks, and her husband Mines and brother killed in the fight, she fell to the share of Achilles in the division of the spoils. Agamemnon took her away some time after from Achilles, who made a vow to absent himself from the field of battle. Briseis was very faithful to Achilles; and when Agamemnon restored her to him, he swore he had never offended her chastity. Homer, Iliad, bks. 1, 2, &c.—Ovid, Heroides, poem 3; De Ars Amatoria, bks. 2 & 3.—Propertius, bk. 2, poems 8, 20, & 22.—Pausanias, bk. 5, ch. 24.—Horace, bk. 2, ode 4.
Brises, a man of Lyrnessus, brother to the priest Chryses. His daughter Hippodamia was called Briseis, from him.
Briseus, a surname of Bacchus, from his nurse Briso, or his temple at Brisa, a promontory at Lesbos. Persius, bk. 1, li. 76.