Wikipedia: History of Amalthea

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AMALTHEIA, in Greek mythology, the foster-mother of Zeus.
She is sometimes represented as the goat which suckled
the infant-god in a cave in Crete, sometimes as a nymph of
uncertain parentage (daughter of Oceanus, Haemonius, Olen,
Melisseus), who brought him up on the milk of a goat. This
goat having broken off one of its horns, Amaltheia filled it
with flowers and fruits and presented it to Zeus, who placed
it together with the goat amongst the stars. According to
another story, Zeus himself broke off the horn and gave it to
Amaltheia, promising that it would supply whatever she desired
in abundance. Amaltheia gave it to Acholous? (her reputed
brother), who exchanged it for his own horn which had been
broken off in his contest with Heracles for the possession of
Deianeira?. According to ancient mythology, the owners of
the horn were many and various. Speaking generally, it was
regarded as the symbol of inexhaustible riches and plenty,
and became the attribute of various divinities (Hades,
Gaea?, Demeter, Cybele?, Hermes?), and of rivers (the Nile) as
fertilizers of the land. The term ``horn of Amaltheia'' is
applied to a fertile district, and an estate belonging to
Titus Pomponius Atticus was called Amaltheum. Cretan coins
represent the infant Zeus being suckled by the goat; other
Greek coins exhibit him suspended from its teats or carried in
the arms of a nymph (Ovid, Fasti, v. 115; Metam. ix. 87).

Changed: 15c42

*Mean density: 1.8 g/cm³

	Revision 4 . . November 25, 2001 4:25 pm by Bryan Derksen [1911 content on the greek myth]
	Revision 3 . . November 23, 2001 2:24 am by (logged).128.164.xxx [more detailed description]
	Revision 2 . . (edit) November 20, 2001 2:19 pm by Bryan Derksen [forgot to link Jupiter. :)]
	Revision 1 . . November 20, 2001 2:19 pm by Bryan Derksen [initial entry]