in Pagan mythology, a great and illustrious person, of a mortal nature, though supposed by the populace to partake of immortality, and after his death to be placed among the number of the gods. The word is formed of the Latin hero, and that of the Greek ἥρως, semi-deus, "demi-god."—The Greeks erected columns and other monuments over the tombs of their heroes, and established a kind of worship in honour of the manes both of their heroes and heroines. The Romans also raised statues in honour of their heroes; but there were six of their heroes of a superior order, and who were supposed to be admitted into the community of the twelve great gods: these were Hercules, Bacchus, Ecbatanius, Romulus, Caistor, and Pollux. Writers have distinguished between the worship which the ancients paid to their heroes and that offered to their gods. The latter, it is said, consisted of sacrifices and libations; the former was only a kind of funeral honour, in which they celebrated their exploits, concluding the rehearsal with feasts.

Hero is also used in a more extensive sense, for a great, illustrious, and extraordinary personage; particularly in respect of valour, courage, intrepidity, and other military virtues.

F. Bouhours makes this distinction between a great man and a hero, that the latter is more daring, fierce, and enterprising; and the former more prudent, thoughtful, and reserved. In this sense we properly say, Alexander was a hero, Julius Caesar a great man.

HERO of a poem or romance, is the principal personage, or he who has the chief part in it. Thus the hero of the Iliad is Achilles; of the Odyssey, Ulysses; of the Æneid, Æneas; of Tasso's Jerusalem, Godfrey of Bouillon; of Milton's Paradise Lost, Adam; though Mr Dryden will have the devil to be Milton's hero, because he gets the better of Adam, and drives him out of Paradise.

fabulous history, a famous priestess of Venus, lived at Abydos, in a tower situated on the banks of the Hellespont. She being beloved by Leander, who lived at Sestos on the other side of the strait, he every night swam over to visit her, being directed by a light fixed on the tower. But the light being put out in a stormy night, the youth missed his way, and was drowned; on which Hero threw herself into the sea, and perished.

name of two celebrated Greek mathematicians; the one called the old, and the other the young, Hero. The younger was a disciple of Ctesibius. They are known by two works translated into Latin by Barochius: Spiralium liber, by Hero senior; and Tractat. artis et machin. militar. by Hero junior. They flourished about 130 and 100 B.C.