Basilisk
( Cockatrice )
A mythical snake with the head of a rooster, wings of a fowl, and tail of a dragon; a legendary serpent that is hatched from a round, yolk-less egg laid by a seven-year-old rooster and hatched by a toad. According to legend there were two main types:
1. The golden basilisk, who poisoned everything with a stare from its evil eye.
2. The blood-red basilisk, whose sting made the flesh fall off the bones of his victim.
Both species were so dreadful that their breath wilted vegetation and crumbled stones. The only way to kill a basilisk was by holding a mirror, or some reflecting substance, in front of its eyes. When the creature saw its own reflection, it died of fright. It had two natural enemies: the weasel, which was immune to its glance and its poison and could kill it, and the cock, for should the basilisk hear it crow, it would die instantly.
Called the king of serpents because the comb on his head was considered a crown, the Basilisk was described by Pliny, the Roman naturalist, as a serpent that advanced lofty and upright, killed shrubs by touch or breath, and had enough power to split rocks. It was believed that if slain from horseback the poison of the serpent would be conducted through the weapon, killing the executioner and his horse.
Bellerophon
( none )
Bellerophon was the son of Glaukos and Eurynome of Corinth. He is exiled from Corinth after he accidentally kills someone. He travels to Tiryns where he is purified of the killing by the king Proetus. The wife of Proetus, Stheneboea, tries to seduce Bellerophon but he rejects her. Incensed she tells her husband that Bellerophon has tried to rape her. Pretus believes her and decides to send Bellerophon to Lycia where Stheneboea's father Iobates is king. Proetus sends a letter to the king with Bellerophon telling him about the accusation and asking his brother in law to kill Bellerophon. Iobates decides to kill Bellerophon by sending him on very dangerous tasks.
Bellerophon is asked to kill the Chimera. On his way he encounters Pegasus the winged horse that was created from sea foam and the blood of the slaughtered Medusa. He tames Pegasus, and uses the horse to help kill the Chimera. Iobates is pleased but unsatisfied since he wishes to avenge the insult to his sister. So he sends Bellerophon to destroy the very savage people called the Somyoi. Again with the help of the Pegasus he does. Finally, as Homer describes, he is sent by Iobates to kill the Amazons who are harassing his kingdom. With the help of Pegasus he does. Iobates realizes that Bellerophon is too blessed to be killed so he makes him his heir, and his son-in-law when he marries Bellerophon off to his daughter Philonoe. Philonoe's sister, the Stheneboea who started all the trouble for Bellerophon is enraged and either kills herself (after the story by the writer Hyginus) or she confronts Bellerophon who takes her up on Pegasus and pushes her off (version by Euripedes). However hybrid does not allow Bellerophon to leave well enough alone, he decides to challenge Zeus and on Pegasus attacks Olympus. Zeus destroys Bellerophon by a lightning bolt, which kills him and knocks him off the horse.
Bendis
( none )
Thracian mother goddess, equated by the Greeks with Artemis.
Beroe
( none )
There are two of these named Oceanids. The first was named by Nonnus who stated that was why the city of Berytos (Beirut) came by its name. He said that she was offspring of Aphrodite and Adonis. He also mentioned that Beroe was wooed by both Dionysus and Poseidon, and Poseidon won he, so she became another of his consorts.
The other Beroe is mentioned by Virgil and said that she was in the entourage of Cyrene.
Bia
( none )
"Force". Greek goddess of force, daughter of the Titan Pallas and the underworld goddess Styx. She was the sister of Kratos, the god of strength, as well as of Nike and Zelos. Bia was the constant companion of Zeus. It was she who was made to bind Prometheus as punishment for stealing fire from the gods.
Boreas
( none )
Greek god of the north wind. According to Hesiod's Theogony, he was of Thracian origin, the son of Eos and Astraeos. He was the father of many famous horses, including those of Ares and Achilles. Boreas earnt the hatred of the Athenians when he abducted Oreithyia, the daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens, whom he made his wife. He was said to have made up for this deed by sending a storm which destroyed a Persian fleet on its way to attack Athens. In gratitude, the Athenians built a temple dedicated to him, and held a festival in his honour, the Boreasmos.
Briareus
( Aegeon )
In Greek mythology, a giant with fifty heads and a hundred hands.
Britomartis
( none )
"Sweet Maid". Virgin huntress goddess of Crete whose cult later merged with that of Artemis. Daughter of Zeus and Carme. King Minos fell in love with her and pursued her until she jumped from a cliff overlooking the sea. In some accounts she survived the fall and was rescued by fishermen, in others she died and it was her corpse that the fishermen retrieved in their nets. In either case she was made immortal by Artemis in reward for her chastity. She was also known as Dictynna (from diktyon = "net"), in token of her retrieval in the fishermen's nets. In Aegina she was associated with Aphaea, a goddess of local importance.
Bromios
( none )
See Dionysus.
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