Wings 91-99
pg. 92 — Dawe
An English painter of the late 18th century and early 19th century, who spent the later years of his life painting Russian military leaders in St. Petersburg. These paintings were displayed at the 1812 gallery in the Winter Palace.
pg. 93 — Count Guidetti
An old and rich man, half mad and involved in several lewd scandals.
pg. 94 — Pontasieve
Pontasieve is a small town near Florence named after the Sieve river that flows through it. Located in Tuscany, the small town is frequented by those looking for a country vacation.
pg. 94 — Annunziata
Refers to The Church of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence's Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. It is a shrine to Mary built in the 15th century and painted in the 16th century, with marble, stucco, and gold lining its interior. The Annunziata is particularly famous for a beautiful window with a golden grate, often looked out of by royalty. In addition to marble and gold throughout the interior, the church has large frescoes depicting different religious scenes.
pg. 94 — St. George
A Christian martyr symbolizing valour and selflessness. Legends depict him as a warrior saint, rescuing a princess and slaying a dragon. He is the patron saint of England.
pg. 94 — Archangel Michael
An angel and, more specifically, the leader of the angels. According to Christian ideology, he has four purposes: to fight Satan, to escort the dead to heaven, to fight for the Church and Christianity, and to call upon men in their hour of judgement. He is the patron of soldiers, police, and doctors.
pg. 94 — Bithynia
Described in the book as "the Switzerland of Asia Minor," Bithynia was an ancient kingdom in Rome. This ancient kingdom was unique, in that they never submitted to the Persians or Alexander the Great. Though a small kingdom, it was very powerful, reaching its peak in the 2nd century.
pg. 94 — Hadrian
Refers to Publius Aelius Hadrianus, who unified the vast Roman empire in the 2nd century. He was known as one of the "Five Good Emperors," and he was greatly influenced by Greek culture. Before his ascent to emperor, he was a senator and military tribune.
pg. 95 — Nile
The Nile River, located in Africa, is the longest river in the world. The Nile Basin is an extremely fertile area, known for being the settling area of many important civilizations. The river flows northward through Africa, draining in the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is was very prevalent in Egyptian mythology and culture, earning it the name "Father of African rivers."
pg. 95 — Diana
Diana is the Roman goddess of the wild and the hunt. Her Greek equivalent is Artemis, who similarly is the deity of animals and fertility. Diana, likewise, is the deity of fertility and was called upon during pregnancy and birth. Both Diana and Artemis are associated with the moon, though Diana is thought to have inherited this association from Artemis and not from her own mythology.
pg. 95 — Mithra
The god of light in Iranian mythology, Mithra is associated with power and wisdom. He was followed by a cult who spread from India to the West. The earliest mention of Mithra dates back to 1400 B.C. Mithra was also embedded in Persian and Hellenic culture.
pg. 96 — Tiberius
The second Roman emperor, son of Augustus. Towards the end of his life he became a recluse and a tyrant, inflicting terror on Rome.
pg. 96 — Suetonius
A Roman writer known for his biographies of Roman officials and other notable figures. He was made most famous by writing a book of gossip about Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors. He also wrote about Tiberius's life on Capri, which he described as one of unbridled sexuality.
pg. 96 — Cascine
A city in Tuscany, Italy. It was originally a farm owned by the Medici's, but soon it became a park open to the public. The park is comprised of sprawling fields, lanes, and full forests.
pg. 98 — Golden Fleece
A famous Greek myth. The golden fleece, possessed by a golden ram, became sought after by Jason, who sought it out with the help of the Argonauts. The fleece was gifted to King Aeetes and eventually retrieved by Jason.
pg. 98 — Prometheus
A titan know for being a trickster and a god of fire. Many myths paint him as a great intellectual, craftsmen, and the creator of mortals. There are many myths about Prometheus, the most famous being that Zeus nailed him to a mountain and sent an eagle to eat his liver, which constantly regenerated, for eternity.
pg. 98 — Sphinx
A mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. The most famous of the sphinxes, the winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes, demanded mortals answer her riddle, and killed mortals if they answered incorrectly.
pg. 98 — Pasiphae
The daughter of son god Helios, Pasiphae was an immortal and talented witch. Her siblings include the famous witch Circe and the king Aeetes. Pasiphae married King Minos, but later committed a crime against the gods. For her crime, she was punished with an attraction to bulls. She eventually conceived the minotaur.
pg. 98 — Metamorphoses
A fifteen book poem written by Ovid in Latin. The epic poem details legends and myths (many Greek) that feature transformation, or rather, a metamorphosis.
pg. 98 — Icarus
In Greek mythology Icarus perished by flying too close to the sun against his father's warning. His father, the inventor Daedalus, built him wax wings, which melted in the sun.
pg. 98 — Phaeton
The son of Helios, Phaeton asked to ride Helios chariot of the sun but was unable to control it. The chariot came too close to earth, starting to burn it, forcing Zeus to throw a lightning bolt at Phaeton, who fell to the earth and perished.
pg. 98 — Ganymede
The son of Tros, king of Troy. He was kidnapped by the gods, specifically, Zeus disguised as an eagle, to serve them because of his exceptional beauty. During the 5th century, it was believed that Zeus had a homosexual attraction to him.
