Astræus (as-trē´us).—A Titan, husband of Aurora (the goddess of the dawn), and father of the winds and the stars.
Astyanax (as-tī´an-ax)—i. e. lord of the city.—A name given by the people of Troy to Scamandrius (or Scamander), son of Hector and Andromache, because his father was the protector of Troy. His mother saved him from the flames at the fall of Troy, but the Greeks hurled him down from the walls.
Atalanta (at-a-lan´ta).—A maiden of great beauty and exceedingly swift of foot, who determined to live in celibacy. She was the daughter of Iasus and Clymene, and was exposed by her father in her infancy. She was, however, suckled by a she-bear, the symbol of Diana. She took part in the celebrated Calydonian boar hunt, and received the boar’s hide from Meleager, who slew the animal. She was subsequently recognized by her father, who desired her to marry. She agreed to do so on condition that every suitor should run a race with her, and that the first that outran her should be her husband, but all those whom she beat in the race should be put to death. In this way many suitors perished; but at last came Milanion (mī-lan´i-on), who, with the aid of Venus, reached the goal first, and was rewarded with her hand. The goddess gave him three golden apples, which he dropped during the race, one after the other. Attracted by their beauty, Atalanta stopped to pick them up, thus enabling Milanion to reach the goal first. “Atalanta’s race” has formed the subject of several magnificent pictures.
Athamas (ath´am-as).—King of Orchomenus, in Bœotia. He married Nephele, who bore him Helle and Phrixus. He fell in love, however, with Ino, daughter of Cadmus, whom he married, and became by her the father of Melicertes and Learchus. As he had married Nephele at the command of Juno, he thus incurred the wrath of both Juno and Nephele, and was seized with madness. In this state he slew his son Learchus. Ino and Melicertes then leaped into the sea and became changed into marine deities, Leucothea and Palæmon respectively.
Athena (a-thē´na).—The great divinity of the Greeks, corresponding to the Roman [Minerva] (q. v.).
Athenæum (a-thē-nē´um).—A school founded by the emperor Hadrian at Rome, about A. D. 133, for the advancement of literature and philosophy. The name Athenæum means a place sacred to Minerva, who was the goddess of wisdom.
Atlas (at´las).—A Titan, son of Japetus and Clymene, and brother of Prometheus and Epimetheus. It is related that Perseus, after his conquest of the Gorgons, asked Atlas to shelter him, which Atlas declined to do. Whereupon Perseus, by exposing Medusa’s head, changed him into the mountain Atlas (in the northwest of Africa), on which rested heaven and all the stars. Atlas married Pleione (plē´i-ō-nē), daughter of Oceanus, and became by her the father of the Pleiades (plē´i-a-dēz).
Atreus (ā´trūs).—Son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and brother of Thyestes. By his first wife, Cleola, he was the father of Plisthenes, and by his second—Aërope, widow of his son Plisthenes—the father of the heroes Agamemnon and Menelaus, and a daughter, Anaxibia. Atreus became king of Mycenæ. His brother, Thyestes, having seduced his wife Aërope, Atreus banished him. Thyestes then sent, from his place of exile, Atreus’s son Plisthenes to slay his own father, but the converse actually took place, Atreus unwittingly killing his son. Atreus took terrible revenge on Thyestes for this. He recalled him to Mycenæ, and in a banquet placed before him the flesh of Thyestes’ two sons, whom he had slain, and Thyestes unknowingly partook of the horrible repast. After the feast, Atreus produced the heads of Thyestes’ sons, and convinced him of what had been done. Thyestes fled with horror, and the gods cursed Atreus and his house. The country was now visited by famine, and Atreus, following the advice of the oracle, went in search of Thyestes. In the course of his wanderings he married, as his third wife, Thyestes’ daughter Pelopia, thinking she was the daughter of Thesprotus. Pelopia became, by her own father, the mother of Ægisthus, who afterwards slew his uncle, Atreus, because the latter had commanded him to kill his father, Thyestes. This tragic story forms the foundation of several Greek plays.
Atropos (at´rop-os).—One of the Fates or [Parcæ] (q.v.).
Atys (ā´tis).—A beautiful shepherd of Phrygia, beloved by Cybele (sib´el-ē). Having proved unfaithful, the goddess caused him to become mad, and he was changed into a fir tree.