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BRIAREUS

Volume 2 · 106 words · 1778 Edition

in fabulous history, a giant; the son of Æther, Titan, or Coelus, and Terra. This was his name in heaven; on earth he was called Ægeon. He was of signal service to Jupiter, when Juno, Pallas, Neptune, and the rest of the gods, endeavoured to bind him in chains and dethrone him. Afterwards, however, he conspired with the rest of his gigantic brethren to dethrone Jupiter. Virgil, on this occasion, describes him as having 100 hands, 50 heads, and breathing out fire. The fable says that Jupiter, to punish him, threw him under mount Aetna, which, as often as he moves, belches out fire. See AETNA.