the great deity of the Romans, whose attributes corresponded almost exactly with those of the Greek Zeus. The etymology of the word, which is a corruption of Jovis-pater, Dies-piter, or Diu-piter, fixes down its meaning as father of day, or light, or air, and points out Jupiter as having been originally the god of the elements and the controller of the operations of the upper air such as the thunder, rain, snow, &c. Hence in the classics the word is very often used to denote the open air. The root of the word occurs in the kindred languages—Sanctus, dera, Greek θεός, Latin deus and dius—which are all nearly allied to Zeus or Jupiter. In Greek and Latin the oblique cases, Jovis, Jovi, Jovem, are exactly identical with Διός, Διά, Διά, by the same change of letters as in Κύρος, jugum, and dies, diurnus, giorno, jour.

In the old mythology there were three deities known under the name of Jupiter. Of these the most celebrated was the son of Cronos and Rhea. He was born in Crete, and his mother's care saved him from his father's cruelty at his birth. When he grew up he dethroned his father, and divided his kingdom, reserving to himself the upper world of air and earth, and assigning to Neptune the sea, and to Pluto the nether world. The deposed monarch called in the Titans to his aid, but though they made head for a time against the usurper, they were finally overthrown and destroyed. His throne established, Jupiter reigned in heaven and earth with irresistible authority and infinite wisdom. Of his wives the most famous was Juno, by whom he had Mars and Vulcan. His marriage, his loves, and his quarrels were among the commonest themes of the old mythology. His worship was widely diffused throughout Greece and Italy. The most famous of his temples was that on the Capitoline Hill of Rome, where he was worshipped under the title of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. On ancient coins and sculptures the father of gods and men was commonly represented as seated on a throne of ivory, grasping in his right hand a sheaf of thunderbolts, and in his left a sceptre. His favourite bird, the eagle, stands on the right side of the throne.