Stentor (sten´tor).—A Grecian herald in the Trojan war. His voice was as loud as that of fifty ordinary men together: hence our word stentorian.
Stheno.—See “[Gorgons].”
Stymphalus (stim-fā´lus).—A town in Arcadia; the haunt of the terrible birds slain by Hercules. See “[Hercules (vi)].”
Styx (stiks)—i. e., “the hateful, horrible” (Gr.).—The principal river of the lower world, around which it flows seven times. [Charon] (q.v.) ferried the souls of the departed across it. By the Styx the gods swore their most sacred oaths.
Surya.—The sun-god, according to the Hindu Veda, whose car is drawn by seven green horses, the charioteer being Dawn.
Sybaris (sib´ar-is).—A Greek town in Lucania, notorious for the luxury of its inhabitants: hence our word Sybarite.
Syphax (sif´ax).—King of one of the tribes of the Numidians. See “Sophonisba.”
Syrinx (sī´rinks).—A nymph, who, being pursued by Pan, was metamorphosed into a reed, of which Pan then made his shepherd’s pipe, usually called Pan’s pipe.
T
Tantalus (tan´ta-lus).—Son of Jupiter and the nymph Pluto; father of Pelops and Niobe. Having divulged some of his father’s secrets, he received a terrible punishment in the lower world. He was made to stand up to his chin in water, being at the same time afflicted with a raging thirst, and over his head hung branches of tempting fruit, yet when he attempted to drink the waters receded from him, and when he would pluck the fruit the branches immediately sprang out of his reach. Moreover, a huge rock was suspended above his head, threatening every moment to crush him. (Hence our word tantalize, meaning to torment by holding out hopes or prospects which cannot be realized.)