Callirrhoe (kal-lir´ro-ē).—Second wife of Alcmæon. She induced her husband to get the peplus and necklace of Harmonia, whereupon he was slain. See “Alcmæon.”
Callisto (kal-lis´tō).—An Arcadian nymph beloved by Jupiter, by whom she became the mother of Arcas. Jupiter changed her into a she-bear, and afterwards placed her among the stars as Ursa major.
Calpe (kal´pē).—One of the Pillars of Hercules; now Gibraltar.
Calydon (kal´i-dōn).—A very ancient town in Ætolia. In the mountains around it the celebrated Calydonian Boar Hunt took place. The story is as follows: During the reign of Œneus, king of Calydon, Diana sent a huge boar to devastate the country, because the king had neglected her divinity. All the heroes of the age joined together for the purpose of killing this boar. Meleager, son of Œneus, slew the boar, and gave its hide to Atalanta, with whom he was in love. See “[Atalanta].”
Calypso (kal-ip´sō).—A nymph who ruled in the island of Ogygia, on which Ulysses was shipwrecked on his journey home from Troy. She desired Ulysses to marry her, and detained him on the island for seven years.
Camenæ (kam-ē´nē).—Originally prophetic nymphs belonging to the religion of ancient Italy, afterwards identified with the Muses.
Campus Martius (kam´pus mar´shi-us)—i. e. the plain of Mars; so named because it was consecrated to the god Mars. An open plain outside the walls of Rome, where the Roman youths performed their gymnastic and warlike exercises, and where the Roman people met for the purpose of electing magistrates.
Capitolium (kap-it-ō´li-um).—The temple of Jupiter and the citadel of Rome.
Cassandra (kas-san´dra).—Daughter of Priam, king of Troy, and Hecuba. She possessed great beauty, and was beloved by Apollo, who bestowed on her the gift of prophecy. She disappointed him, however, whereupon the god ordained that no one should believe her predictions. On the fall of Troy she fell to the share of Agamemnon, who took her to Mycenæ, where she was murdered by Clytæmnestra.
Castor and Pollux (kas´tor, pol´luks).—Twin brothers, often called the Dioscuri (di-os´ku-rī), i. e. sons of Zeus (Jupiter), because they were the sons of Jupiter and Leda, the wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. Castor was famous for his skill in managing horses, and Pollux for his ability as a boxer. Castor was supposed to be mortal, while Pollux was immortal. They took part in the celebrated expedition of the Argonauts, and assisted the Romans against the Latins in the great battle of Lake Regillus. They were greatly attached to each other, and were placed by Jupiter among the stars as Gemini (jem´in-ī), i. e. twins, where they served as a guide to mariners. They were worshiped more especially as the protectors of sailors.