in Pagan mythology, a great and illustrious person, of a mortal nature, though supposed by the populace to have partaken of immortality, and after his death to have been placed amongst the number of the gods. The word is formed from the Latin heros, and that from the Greek ἥρως, semi-deus or 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 names 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, who were supposed to have been admitted into the community of the twelve great gods, namely, Hercules, Bacchus, Æaculapius, Romulus, Castor, 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.

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

name of two celebrated Greek mathema- Herod ticians; the one called the older and the other the younger Hero. The latter was a disciple of Ctesibius. They are known by two works translated into Latin by Barochius; Spiratum liber, by Hero the elder; and Tractat. Artis et Machin. Militar, by Hero the younger. They flourished about 130 and 100 B.C.