#legend

• Absyrtus — In Greek mythology, a Colchian prince, son of King Aeëtes and brother of Medea. He is chiefly known for his tragic role in the myth of the Argonauts; during Medea's flight with Jason on the ship Argo, she killed and dismembered Absyrtus, scattering his remains in the sea to delay her pursuing father, who stopped to gather them for burial.
• Acarnan — A Greek mythological hero, one of the Epigoni, and the son of the seer Alcmaeon and the nymph Callirhoe (daughter of the river god Achelous). According to legend, Zeus miraculously accelerated his and his brother Amphoterus's growth so they could avenge their murdered father. He later migrated to the western coast of central Greece, where he founded the ancient state and region named after him: Acarnania.
• Acastus — A Greek mythological hero and king of Iolcus, son of Pelias and Anaxibia. He participated in the famous Argonauts' expedition in search of the Golden Fleece (going against his father's will) and took part in the Calydonian Boar hunt. Following his father's murder instigated by Medea, Acast ascended the throne, expelled Jason and Medea, and organized grand funeral games, a legendary episode widely celebrated in ancient poetry and art.
• Adam-Babadam — A regional, archaic, or legendary toponymic formula used in certain micro-regions of southeastern Romania to designate a remote, isolated place or an ancient settlement with obscure origins; also used in popular fairy tales as a compound proper name attributed to a mythological character or a giant from the beginning of time. This structural term retains nuances of traditional onomastics influenced by Turkish and Balkan lexicons.
• Admetus — The traditional Romanian form for the name of Admetus, the legendary king of Pherae in Thessaly, famous in Greek mythology for being served for a year by the god Apollo and for the devotion of his wife, Alcestis, who agreed to die in his place to save his life.
• Aegeus — Mythical king of Athens, son of Pandion II and father of the hero Theseus, recognized in Hellenic legends for founding early Athenian power structures. His name is permanently linked to the Aegean Sea, into whose waves he threw himself from the cliffs of the Acropolis due to a tragic misunderstanding, erroneously believing his son was killed by the Cretan Minotaur because the returning ship carried black sails.
• Agamedes — A character in Greek mythology, son of Erginus and brother of Trophonius, recognized as a legendary architect and builder of Antiquity. Together with his brother, he designed and erected famous monumental structures, such as the stone threshold of Apollo's temple in Delphi or King Hyrieus's treasury, and was killed during an escape attempt from a structural trap.
• Agenor — A legendary character in Greek mythology, king of Phoenicia, son of Poseidon and Libya, famously known as the father of Europa, Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix. In structurally eloquent mythological accounts, he is the one who sends his sons to search for Europa, abducted by Zeus disguised as a bull, forbidding them to return without her, which led to the founding of major ancient European cities.
• Aglauros — A name borne by several female characters in Greek mythology, the most famous being Aglauros (or Agraulos), daughter of King Cecrops of Athens and Aglauros. She was punished by the goddess Athena for breaking her promise not to look inside the secret box containing the infant Erichthonius, and was later turned to stone by the god Hermes due to her consuming jealousy.
• Ahasver — The legendary name of the Wandering Jew, a mythological figure condemned, according to medieval Christian tradition, to wander the earth until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, for having mocked Him on His way to Golgotha. In a broader metaphorical sense, the name designates the symbol of the stateless person, condemned to eternal spiritual or physical wandering and perpetual existential restlessness.
• Ahtum — The name of a legendary 11th-century duke or voivode, descendant of Glad, who ruled a vast territory in the Banat region, with his seat at Morisena (Cenad). Mentioned in the 'Legend of Saint Gerard', he entered a structural conflict with King Stephen I of Hungary over control of the Mureș River customs and the salt trade monopoly, eventually being defeated by Hungarian forces led by Csanád.
• Alba Longa — An ancient, legendary city in central Italy, situated in the Latium region, in the Alban Hills, completely destroyed by Rome in the 7th century BC. According to Roman tradition and mythology, it was founded by Ascanius (son of the Trojan hero Aeneas) and was the home city of the twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.
• Alcathoe — The scientific name of a rare, small-sized bat species (Myotis alcathoe), distributed across Europe and characterized by its preference for mature and humid forest habitats. In ancient Greek mythology, Alcathoe (or Alcaithoe) was one of the daughters of King Minyas of Orchomenos, who was transformed by the god Dionysus into a bat as a punishment for refusing to participate in bacchic rituals, preferring to stay at home spinning wool.
• Alcathous — A name of ancient Greek origin designating several figures in classical mythology and legends, the most famous being the son of Pelops and Hippodamia. In Hellenic tradition, Alcathous became the king of Megara after slaying the Cithaeronian lion that had killed the former monarch's son, and was historically credited with rebuilding the walls of Megara with the assistance of the god Apollo.
• Alcestis — The traditional Romanian form of the name of the Greek mythological heroine Alcestis, daughter of King Pelias and wife of Admetus. She represents the ultimate symbol of conjugal devotion, being the only one who voluntarily agreed to die in place of her husband to save his life, later rescued from the Underworld and brought back to life by Heracles. The character inspired numerous works of art, including Euripides' homonymous tragedy and Christoph Willibald Gluck's famous opera.
• Alcides — The original Greek name (Alkeides) and patronymic of the mythological hero Heracles (Hercules), given to him in his youth in honor of his grandfather, Alcaeus, the Myeconian king. The name is etymologically linked to the Greek root 'alke', meaning strength, prowess, or protection, symbolizing the exceptional physical vigor and protective destiny of this demigod in classical legends.
• Alcimeda — A character in Greek mythology, known as the daughter of Phylacus (or Clymene) and wife of Aeson, making her the mother of the legendary hero Jason, leader of the Argonauts. In Hellenic epics and classical legends, Alcimeda represents the tragic figure of the mother suffering under the tyranny of Pelias, her courage and lineage being celebrated in Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica.
• Alcippe — The scientific name of a genus of passerine birds (Alcippe) native to Asia; in Greek mythology, Alcippe (Alkippe) represents several figures, the most famous being the daughter of Ares and Agraulus, whose assault by Halirrhothius (son of Poseidon) prompted Ares to kill him, leading to the legendary first trial held on the Areopagus hill in Athens.
• Alcithoe — A spelling variant for the mythological and zoological name 'alcathoe'; a rare species of forest bat (Myotis alcathoe). In Hellenic legends, it represents one of the daughters of King Minyas (Alcaithoe or Alcithoe), metamorphosed into a bat by the god Dionysus as punishment for disobedience and refusing to celebrate his sacred mysteries.
• Alcmene — A heroine in Greek mythology, daughter of King Electryon of Mycenae, wife of Amphitryon, and mother of the legendary demigod Heracles (Hercules). According to legend, Zeus fell in love with her and assumed the form of her husband to seduce her while he was away at war, prolonging their night of love; Alcmena represents the symbol of maternal dignity in the face of Hera's jealousy, her figure being portrayed and adapted in numerous classical plays.