Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/23

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NAMES OF GODS, GODDESSES, AND HEROES.


Following the example of Dr. Thirlwall and other excellent scholars, I call the Greek deities by their real Greek names, and not by the Latin equivalents used among the Romans. For the assistance of those readers to whom the Greek names may be less familiar, I here annex a table of the one and the other.

Greek. Latin.
Zeus, Jupiter.
Poseidôn, Neptune.
Arês, Mars.
Dionysus, Bacchus.
Hermês, Mercury.
Hêlios, Sol.
Hêphæstus, Vulcan.
Hadês, Pluto.
Hêrê, Juno.
Athênê, Minerva.
Artemis, Diana.
Aphroditê, Venus.
Eôs, Aurora.
Hestia, Vesta.
Lêtô, Latona.
Dêmêtêr, Ceres.
Hêraklês, Hercules.
Asklêpius, Æsculapius.

A few words are here necessary respecting the orthography of Greek names adopted in the above table and generally throughout this history. I have approximated as nearly as I dared to the Greek letters in preference to the Latin; and on this point I venture upon an innovation which I should have little doubt of vindicating before the reason of any candid English student. For the ordinary practice of substituting, in a Greek name, the English C in place of the Greek K, is, indeed, so obviously incorrect, that