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Adonis
Adonis , in Greek mythology, beautiful youth beloved by Aphrodite and Persephone . He was born of the incestuous union of Myrrha (or Smyrna) and Cinyras, king of Cyprus. Aphrodite left Adonis in the care of Persephone, who raised him and made him her lover. Aphrodite later demanded the youth for ...
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Bion
Bion , fl. 2d cent.? BC, Greek bucolic poet, an imitator of Theocritus, b. Phlossa, near Smyrna. Only fragments of his work survive. The Lament for Adonis, attributed to him, was the model for Shelley's Adonais and was translated by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
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John Blow
John Blow 1649-1708, English composer. He was organist and choirmaster at Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal and the teacher of Henry Purcell. He wrote more than 100 anthems and 10 sacred services, mostly unpublished, and a masque, Venus and Adonis.
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Adonis
Adonis or Adunis, pen name of Ali Ahmad Said, 1930-, Syrian poet and essayist, generally considered the Arab world's greatest living poet. He began writing poetry in the 1950s. After being jailed (1955) for antigovernment activities, he moved (1956) to Beirut, where he cofounded (1957) the jour...
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Attis
Attis or Atys , in Phrygian religion, vegetation god. When Nana ate the fruit of the almond tree, which had been generated by the blood of either Agdistis or of Cybele , she conceived Attis. Later, Agdistis or Cybele fell in love with Attis, and so that none other would have him, she caused him...
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Henry Wriothesley Southampton, 3d earl of
Henry Wriothesley Southampton, 3d earl of , 1573-1624, English nobleman and patron of letters. He succeeded to his title in 1581, was educated at Cambridge, and gained favor at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. A generous patron of such writers as Barnabe Barnes, Thomas Nash, and John Florio, he is be...
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Byblos
Byblos , ancient city, Phoenicia, a port 17 mi (27 km) NNE of modern Beirut, Lebanon. The principal city of Phoenicia during the 2d millennium BC, it long retained importance as an active port under the Persians. Byblos was the chief center of the worship of Adonis. Because of its papyruses, it was ...
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Tammuz
Tammuz , ancient nature deity worshiped in Babylonia. A god of agriculture and flocks, he personified the creative powers of spring. He was loved by the fertility goddess Ishtar , who, according to one legend, was so grief-stricken at his death that she contrived to enter the underworld to get him ...
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anemone
anemone or windflower, any of the perennial herbs, wild or cultivated, of the genus Anemone of the family Ranunculaceae ( buttercup family). A rich legendary history has gained the anemone many names and attributes. It is said to have sprung from the blood of Adonis; Romans considered it val...
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Aphrodite
Aphrodite , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of fertility, love, and beauty. Homer designated her the child of Zeus and Dione. Hesiod's account of her birth is more popular: she supposedly rose from the foam of the sea where Uranus' genitals had fallen after he had been mutilated by Kronos. ...
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