Junōnis promontorium, a promontory of Peloponnesus.——Laciniæ templum, a temple of Juno in Italy, between Crotona and the Lacinian promontory.
Jūpĭter, the most powerful of all the gods of the ancients. According to Varro, there were no less than 300 persons of that name; Diodorus mentions two; and Cicero three, two of Arcadia, and one of Crete. To that of Crete, who passed for the son of Saturn and Ops, the actions of the rest have been attributed. According to the opinion of the mythologists, Jupiter was saved from destruction by his mother, and entrusted to the care of the Corybantes. Saturn, who had received the kingdom of the world from his brother Titan, on condition of not raising male children, devoured all his sons as soon as born; but Ops, offended at her husband’s cruelty, secreted Jupiter, and gave a stone to Saturn, which he devoured on the supposition that it was a male child. Jupiter was educated in a cave on mount Ida, in Crete, and fed upon the milk of the goat Amalthæa, or upon honey, according to others. He received the name of Jupiter, quasi juvans pater. His cries were drowned by the noise of cymbals and drums, which the Corybantes beat at the express command of Ops. See: [Corybantes]. As soon as he was a year old, Jupiter found him sufficiently strong to make war against the Titans, who had imprisoned his father because he had brought up male children. The Titans were conquered, and Saturn set at liberty by the hands of his son. Saturn, however, soon after, apprehensive of the power of Jupiter, conspired against his life, and was, for this treachery, driven from his kingdom, and obliged to fly for safety into Latium. Jupiter, now become the sole master of the empire of the world, divided it with his brothers. He reserved for himself the kingdom of heaven, and gave the empire of the sea to Neptune, and that of the infernal regions to Pluto. The peaceful beginning of his reign was soon interrupted by the rebellion of the giants, who were sons of the earth, and who wished to revenge the death of their relations the Titans. They were so powerful that they hurled rocks, and heaped up mountains upon mountains, to scale heaven, so that all the gods, to avoid their fury, fled to Egypt, where they escaped from the danger by assuming the form of different animals. Jupiter, however, animated them, and by the assistance of Hercules, he totally overpowered the gigantic race, which had proved such tremendous enemies. See: [Gigantes]. Jupiter, now freed from every apprehension, gave himself up to the pursuit of pleasures. He married Metis, Themis, Eurynome, Ceres, Mnemosyne, Latona, and Juno. See: [Juno]. He became a Proteus to gratify his passions. He introduced himself to Danae in a shower of gold; he corrupted Antiope in the form of a satyr, and Leda in the form of a swan; he became a bull to seduce Europa, and he enjoyed the company of Ægina in the form of a flame of fire. He assumed the habit of Diana to corrupt Callisto, and became Amphitryon to gain the affections of Alcmena. His children were also numerous as well as his mistresses. According to Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 3, he was father of the Seasons, Irene, Eunomia, the Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos by Themis; of Venus by Dione; of the Graces, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, by Eurynome the daughter of Oceanus; of Proserpine by Styx; of the nine muses by Mnemosyne, &c. See: [Niobe], [Laodamia], [Pyrrha], [Protogenia], [Electra], [Maia], [Semele], &c. The worship of Jupiter was universal; he was the Ammon of the Africans, the Belus of Babylon, the Osiris of Egypt, &c. His surnames were numerous, many of which he received from the place or function over which he presided. He was severally called Jupiter Feretrius, Inventor, Elicius, Capitolinus, Latialis, Pistor, Sponsor, Herceus, Anxurus, Victor, Maximus, Optimus, Olympius, Fluvialis, &c. The worship of Jupiter surpassed that of the other gods in solemnity. His altars were not, like those of Saturn and Diana, stained with the blood of human victims, but he was delighted with the sacrifice of goats, sheep, and white bulls. The oak was sacred to him because he first taught mankind to live upon acorns. He is generally represented as sitting upon a golden or ivory throne, holding in one hand thunderbolts just ready to be hurled, and in the other, a sceptre of cypress. His looks express majesty, his beard flows long and neglected, and the eagle stands with expanded wings at his feet. He is sometimes represented with the upper parts of his body naked, and those below the waist carefully covered, as if to show that he is visible to the gods above, but that he is concealed from the sight of the inhabitants of the earth. Jupiter had several oracles, the most celebrated of which were at Dodona, and Ammon, in Libya. As Jupiter was the king and father of gods and men, his power was extended over the deities, and everything was subservient to his will, except the Fates. From him mankind received their blessings and their miseries, and they looked upon him as acquainted with everything past, present, and future. He was represented at Olympia with a crown like olive branches; his mantle was variegated with different flowers, particularly by the lily, and the eagle perched on the top of the sceptre which he held in his hand. The Cretans represented Jupiter without ears, to signify that the sovereign master of the world ought not to give a partial ear to any particular person, but be equally candid and propitious to all. At Lacedæmon he appeared with four heads, that he might seem to hear with greater readiness the different prayers and solicitations which were daily poured to him from every part of the earth. It is said that Minerva came all armed from his brains when he ordered Vulcan to open his head. Pausanias, bks. 1, 2, &c.—Livy, bks. 1, 4, 5, &c.—Diodorus, bks. 1 & 3.—Homer, Iliad, bks. 1, 5, &c.; Odyssey, bks. 1, 4, &c.; Hymn 23 to Zeus.—Orpheus.—Callimachus, Hymn to Zeus.—Pindar, Olympian, bks. 1, 3, 5.—Apollonius, bk. 1, &c.—Hesiod, Theogony; Shield of Heracles; Works and Days.—Lycophron, Cassandra.—Virgil, Æneid, bks. 1, 2, &c.; Georgics, bk. 3.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 1, fable 1, &c.—Horace, bk. 3, ode 1, &c.
Jura, a high ridge of mountains separating the Helvetii from the Sequani, or Switzerland from Burgundy. Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 1, ch. 2.
Justīnus Marcus Junianus, a Latin historian in the age of Antoninus, who epitomized the history of Trogus Pompeius. This epitome, according to some traditions, was the cause that the comprehensive work of Trogus was lost. It comprehends the history of the Assyrian, Persian, Grecian, Macedonia, and Roman empires, &c., in a neat and elegant style. It is replete with many judicious reflections and animated harangues, but the author is often too credulous, and sometimes examines events too minutely, while others are related only in a few words too often obscure. The indecency of many of his expressions is deservedly censured. The best editions of Justin are that of Abraham Gronovius, 8vo, Leiden, 1719, that of Hearne, 8vo, Oxford, 1703, and that of Barbou, 12mo, Paris, 1770.——Martyr, a Greek father, formerly a Platonic philosopher, born at Palestine. He died in Egypt, and wrote two apologies for the christians, besides his dialogue with a Jew; two treatises, &c., in a plain, unadorned style. The best editions of Justin Martyr are that of Paris, folio, 1636; that of his apologies, 2 vols., 8vo, 1700 & 1703; and Jebb’s dialogue with Trypho, published in London, 1722.——An emperor of the east, who reigned nine years, and died A.D. 526.——Another, who died A.D. 564, after a reign of 38 years.——Another, who died 577 A.D., after a reign of 13 years.
Juturna, a sister of Turnus king of the Rutuli. She heard with contempt the addresses of Jupiter, or, according to others, she was not unfavourable to his passion, so that the god rewarded her love with immortality. She was afterwards changed into a fountain of the same name near the Numicus, falling into the Tiber. The waters of that fountain were used in sacrifices, and particularly in those of Vesta. They had the power to heal diseases. Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 1, ch. 10.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 1, li. 708; bk. 2, li. 585.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 12, li. 139.—Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, ch. 36.
Juvenālis Decius Junius, a poet born at Aquinum in Italy. He came early to Rome, and passed some time in declaiming; after which he applied himself to write satires, 16 of which are extant. He spoke with virulence against the partiality of Nero for the pantomime Paris, and though all his satire and declamation were pointed against this ruling favourite of the emperor, yet Juvenal lived in security during the reign of Nero. After the death of Nero, the effects of the resentment of Paris were severely felt, and the satirist was sent by Domitian as governor on the frontiers of Egypt. Juvenal was then in the 80th year of his age, and he suffered much from the trouble which attended his office, or rather his exile. He returned, however, to Rome, after the death of Paris, and died in the reign of Trajan, A.D. 128. His writings are fiery and animated, and they abound with humour. He is particularly severe upon the vice and dissipation of the age he lived in; but the gross and indecent manner in which he exposed to ridicule the follies of mankind, rather encourages than disarms the debauched and licentious. He wrote with acrimony against all his adversaries, and whatever displeased or offended him was exposed to his severest censure. It is to be acknowledged that Juvenal is far more correct than his contemporaries, a circumstance which some have attributed to his judgment and experience, which were uncommonly mature, as his satires were the productions of old age. He may be called, and with reason, perhaps, the last of the Roman poets. After him poetry decayed, and nothing more claims our attention as a perfect poetical composition. The best editions are those of Casaubon, 4to, Leiden, 1695, with Persius, and of Hawkey, Dublin, 12mo, 1746, and of Grævius, cum notis variorum, 8vo, Leiden, 1684.
Juventas, or Juventus, a goddess at Rome who presided over youth and vigour. She is the same as the Hebe of the Greeks, and represented as a beautiful nymph, arrayed in variegated garments. Livy, bk. 5, ch. 54; bk. 21, ch. 62; bk. 36, ch. 36.—Ovid, ex Ponto, bk. 1, ltr. 9, li. 12.
Juverna, or Hibernia, an island at the west of Britain, now called Ireland. Juvenal, satire 2, li. 160.
Ixibatæ, a people of Pontus.
Ixīon, a king of Thessaly, son of Phlegas, or, according to Hyginus, of Leontes, or, according to Diodorus, of Antion, by Perimela daughter of Amythaon. He married Dia daughter of Eioneus or Deioneus, and promised his father-in-law a valuable present for the choice he had made of him to be his daughter’s husband. His unwillingness, however, to fulfil his promises obliged Deioneus to have recourse to violence to obtain it, and he stole away some of his horses. Ixion concealed his resentment under the mask of friendship; he invited his father-in-law to a feast at Larissa, the capital of his kingdom, and when Deioneus was come, according to the appointment, he threw him into a pit, which he had previously filled with wood and burning coals. This premeditated treachery so irritated the neighbouring princes, that all of them refused to perform the usual ceremony, by which a man was then purified of murder, and Ixion was shunned and despised by all mankind. Jupiter had compassion upon him, and he carried him to heaven, and introduced him at the table of the gods. Such a favour, which ought to have awakened gratitude in Ixion, served only to inflame his lust; he became enamoured of Juno, and attempted to seduce her. Juno was willing to gratify the passion of Ixion, though according to others she informed Jupiter of the attempts which had been made upon her virtue. Jupiter made a cloud in the shape of Juno, and carried it to the place where Ixion had appointed to meet Juno. Ixion was caught in the snare and from his embrace with the cloud, he had the Centaurs, or, according to others, Centaurus. See: [Centauri]. Jupiter, displeased with the insolence of Ixion, banished him from heaven; but when he heard that he had seduced Juno, the god struck him with his thunder, and ordered Mercury to tie him to a wheel in hell which continually whirls round. The wheel was perpetually in motion, therefore the punishment of Ixion was eternal. Diodorus, bk. 4.—Hyginus, fable 62.—Pindar, bk. 2, Pythian, poem 2.—Virgil, Georgics, bk. 4, li. 484; Æneid, bk. 6, li. 601.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 12, lis. 210 & 338.—Philostratus, Imagines, bk. 2, ch. 3.—Lactantius [Placidus] on [Statius’] Thebaid, bk. 2.——One of the Heraclidæ, who reigned at Corinth for 57 or 37 years. He was son of Alethes.