Agamemnon (ag-a-mem´nōn).—King of Mycenæ, and brother of Menelaus. He married Clytemnestra, who bore him Iphigenia, Chrysothemis, Laodice (Electra) and Orestes. He was the most powerful prince in Greece. When [Helen] (q.v.) was carried off by Paris, and the Greek chiefs sought to regain her, Agamemnon was chosen commander-in-chief of the expedition. He is not, however, the hero of the Iliad, as he is the inferior of Achilles in true nobility of character. At the capture of Troy he received Cassandra, the daughter of Priam, as his prize. On his return home he was murdered by Ægisthus, who, during his absence at Troy, had been living with Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra. His son Orestes avenged his father’s death by slaying both Ægisthus and Clytemnestra.
Aganippe (ag-a-nip´pē).—A fountain at the foot of Mount Helicon, in Bœotia, sacred to the Muses, who were hence called Aganippides (ag-a-nip´pi-dēz).
Ajax (ā´jaks).—There are two heroes having this name, Ajax the Great, or Ajax Telamonius, and The Lesser Ajax, or Ajax Oïleus. (i) Ajax the Great was son of Telamon, king of Salamis, and grandson of Æacus. He took a very prominent part in the Trojan war, and was placed second to Achilles alone in bravery. He was conquered by Ulysses in struggle for the armor of Achilles, and this, according to Homer, was the cause of his death. (ii) The Lesser Ajax, or Ajax, son of Oïleus, also took part in the Trojan war. He was, next to Achilles, the most swift-footed among the Greeks.
Alcathous (al-kath´o-us).—Son of Pelops and Hippodamia. Obtained his wife by slaying the Cithæronian lion, which had killed the king’s son, and succeeded his father-in-law as king of Megara, the walls of which he restored.
Alcestis or Alceste (al-ses´tē).—Wife of [Admetus] (q.v.).
Alcmene (alk-mē´nē).—Wife of Amphitryon. Jupiter, who appeared disguised as her husband, became by her the father of Hercules.
Alcyone (al´si-on-ē) or Halcyone.—Daughter of Æolus and wife of Ceyx. Her husband having perished in a shipwreck, Alcyone’s grief became so intense that she threw herself into the sea. Out of compassion the gods changed the two into birds, and while these birds (halcyons) were breeding the sea always remained calm.
Alecto (a-lek´tô).—One of the [Furies] (q.v.).
Aloeus (al-lō´-ūs).—Son of Neptune and Canace. His wife had, by Neptune, two sons, Otus and Ephialtes, the Aloidæ (a-lō´i-dē), who were of extraordinary size [823] and strength. At the age of nine years they attempted to scale heaven by piling Mount Ossa upon Olympus and Pelion upon Ossa. To prevent them accomplishing this when they grew older Apollo destroyed them before their beards began to appear.
Althæa (al-the´a).—Wife of Æneus and mother of [Meleager] (q.v.).