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Encyclopedia > Proteus
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This article is about Proteus in Greek mythology. For other meanings see Proteus (disambiguation).
Protean redirects here. For the roleplaying game concept please see Discipline (World of Darkness)#Protean.

In Greek mythology, Proteus is an early sea-god, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea"[1], whose name suggests the "first", as protogonos is the "primordial" or the "firstborn". He became the son of Poseidon in the Olympian theogony (Odyssey iv. 432), or of Nereus and Doris, or of Oceanus and a Naiad, and was made the herdsman of Poseidon's seals, the great bull seal at the center of the harem. He can foretell the future, but, in a mytheme familiar from several cultures, will change his shape to avoid having to; he will answer only to someone who is capable of capturing him. From this feature of Proteus comes the adjective protean, with the general meaning of "versatile", "mutable", "capable of assuming many forms": "Protean" has positive connotations of flexibility, versatility and adaptability. The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the telling of stories created by the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about the primordial gods in their mythology. ... In Greek mythology, the Titans (Greek , plural ) were greater even than the gods. ... The twelve gods of Olympus. ... For other uses, see Chthon (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, the Muses (Greek , Mousai: from the Proto-Indo-European root *men- think, from which mind and mental are also derived[1]) are 50 goddesses or spiritual guides who embody the arts and inspire the creation process with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage, writing... Asclepius (Greek also rendered Aesculapius in Latin and transliterated Asklepios) was the god of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology, according to which he was born a mortal but was given immortality as the constellation Ophiuchus after his death. ... The ancient Greeks had a very small number of see gods. ... Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... In the Greek and Roman world-view, Oceanus (Greek , Okeanos), was the world-ocean, which they believed to be an enormous river encircling the world. ... In Greek mythology, Ceto, or Keto (Greek: Κητος, Ketos, sea monster) was a hideous aquatic monster, a daughter of Gaia and Pontus. ... Nereus: in Greek Mythology, eldest son of Pontus and Gaia, the Sea and the Earth. ... In Greek mythology, Glaucus (shiny or bright or bluish-green) referred to several different people. ... This article is about the Greek sea nymph. ... Mosaic from Herculaneum depicting Poseidon and Amphitrite In ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite (not to be confused with Aphrodite) was a sea-goddess. ... In Greek mythology, Tethys was a Titaness and sea goddess who was both sister and wife of Oceanus. ... Triton is a Greek god, the messenger of the deep. ... In Greek mythology, Ophion (serpent), also called Ophioneus ruled the world with Eurynome before the two of them were cast down by Cronus and Rhea, according to some sources. ... Phorcys and Ceto, Mosaic, Late Roman, Bardo Museum, Tunis, Tunisia In Greek mythology, Phorcys, or Phorkys was one of the names of the Old One of the Sea, the primeval sea god, who, according to Hesiod, was the son of Pontus and Gaia. ... In Greek mythology, Pontus (or Pontos, sea) was an ancient, pre-Olympian sea-god, son of Gaia and Aether, the Earth and the Air. ... In Greek and Roman mythology, the Oceanids were the three thousand children of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. ... In Greek mythology, the Nereids (NEER-ee-eds) are blue-haired sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. ... Naiad by John William Waterhouse, 1893 In Greek mythology, the Naiads (from the Greek νάειν, to flow, and νἃμα, running water) were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks, as river gods embodied rivers, and some very... Proteus may refer to: In mythology Proteus, a Greek god who is the son of Poseidon Proteus of Egypt, an Egyptian king in a version of the story of Helen of Troy King Proteus, a mythical Greek ruler, featured in the story of Bellerophon In Science Proteus (bacterium), a bacterium... Disciplines are supernatural powers used by Vampires in White Wolfs World of Darkness setting. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the telling of stories created by the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... Homer (Greek: , HómÄ“ros) was an early Greek poet and aoidos (rhapsode) traditionally credited with the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ... Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... Nereus: in Greek Mythology, eldest son of Pontus and Gaia, the Sea and the Earth. ... Doris Smells!! ... In the Greek and Roman world-view, Oceanus (Greek , Okeanos), was the world-ocean, which they believed to be an enormous river encircling the world. ... Naiad by John William Waterhouse, 1893 In Greek mythology, the Naiads (from the Greek νάειν, to flow, and νἃμα, running water) were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks, as river gods embodied rivers, and some very... Families Odobenidae Otariidae Phocidae Pinnipeds (fin-feet, lit. ... In the study of mythology, a mytheme is an irreducible nugget of myth, an unchanging element, similar to a cultural meme, one that is always found shared with other, related mythemes and reassembled in various ways—bundled was Claude Lévi-Strausss image— or linked in more complicated relationships... In grammar, an adjective is a part of speech that modifies a noun or a pronoun, usually by describing it or making its meaning more specific. ...

Contents

The myth of Proteus

Proteus as "seen" by Andrea Alciato
Proteus as "seen" by Andrea Alciato

According to Homer (Odyssey iv:412), the sandy island of Pharos situated off the coast of the Nile Delta was the home of Proteus, the oracular Old Man of the Sea and herdsman of the sea-beasts. In the Odyssey, Menelaus relates to Telemachus that he had been becalmed here on his journey home from the Trojan War. He learned from Proteus' daughter, Eidothea ("the very image of the Goddess"), that if he could capture her father he could force him to reveal which of the gods he had offended, and how he could propitiate them and return home. Proteus emerged from the sea to sleep among his colony of seals, but Menelaus was successful at holding him, though Proteus took the forms of a lion,a serpent, a leopard, a pig, even of water and a tree. Proteus then answered truthfully, further informing Menelaus that his brother Agamemnon had been murdered on his return home, that Ajax the Lesser had been shipwrecked and killed, and that Odysseus was stranded on Calypso's Isle Ogygia. Image File history File links Proteus-Alciato. ... Image File history File links Proteus-Alciato. ... Emblema CLXXXIX stating Mentem, non formam, plus pollere Andrea Alciato (1492-1550), was a jurist born in Alzano, near Milan, Italy on the 1492-01-12. ... Homer (Greek: , Hómēros) was an early Greek poet and aoidos (rhapsode) traditionally credited with the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ... Odysseus and Nausicaä - by Charles Gleyre The Odyssey (Greek Οδύσσεια (Odússeia) ) is one of the two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to the poet Homer. ... PHAROS IPA: [feə.rʌs] (Platform for Search of Audiovisual Resources Across Online Spaces) is the name given to a planned (and currently being developed) European Internet multimedia search engine led by the Italian system integrator Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SpA. // The PHAROS platform, co-financed by the European Commission and... NASA satellite photograph of the Nile Delta (shown in false colour) The Nile Delta (Arabic:دلتا النيل) is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... Telemachus and Mentor Telemachus departing from Nestor, painting by Henry Howard (1769–1847) Telemachus (also transliterated as Telemachos or Telémakhos; literally, far-away fighter) is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope. ... The fall of Troy by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769) From the collections of the granddukes of Baden, Karlsruhe The Trojan War was waged, according to legend, against the city of Troy in Asia Minor, by the armies of the Achaeans (Mycenaean Greeks), after Paris of Troy stole Helen from... Serpent is a word of Latin origin (serpens, serpentis) which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit term serp, that is normally substituted for snake in a specifically mythic or religious context, in order to distinguish such creatures from the field of biology. ... The so-called Mask of Agamemnon. Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 at Mycenae. ... Ajax (Greek: Αἴας), a Greek hero, son of Oïleus the king of Locris, called the lesser or Locrian Ajax, to distinguish him from Ajax, son of Telamon. ... Head of Odysseus from a Greek 2nd century BC marble group representing Odysseus blinding Polyphemus, found at the villa of Tiberius at Sperlonga Odysseus (Greek Odysseys; Latin: Ulixes), pronounced /oʊˈdɪs. ... In Greek mythology Calypso (Greek: Καλυψώ, I will conceal, also transliterated as Kalypsó or Kālypsō), was a sea nymph, daughter of Atlas who lived on the island of Malta. ... Ogygia was believed to have been an island in the Mediterranean that sank following a huge and powerful earthquake, which shook the area before the bronze age. ...


According to Virgil in the fourth Georgic, at one time the bees of Aristaeus, son of Apollo, all died of a disease. Aristaeus went to his mother, Cyrene, for help; she told him that Proteus could tell him how to prevent another such disaster, but would do so only if compelled. Aristeus had to seize Proteus and hold him, no matter what he would change into. Aristeus did so, and Proteus eventually gave up and told him to sacrifice 12 animals to the gods, leave the corpses in the place of sacrifice, and return three days later. When Aristaeus returned after the three days he found in one of the carcasses a swarm of bees, which he took to his apiary. The bees were never again troubled by disease. A bust of Virgil, from the entrance to his tomb in Naples, Italy. ... Georgics Book III, Shepherd with Flocks, Vatican The Georgics, published in 29 BC, is the second major work by the Latin poet Virgil. ... A minor god in Greek mythology, Aristaeus or Aristaios was the son of Apollo and the huntress Cyrene, who despised spinning and other womanly arts but spent her days hunting. ... For other uses, see Apollo (disambiguation). ... A minor god in Greek mythology, Aristaeus or Aristaios was the son of Apollo and the huntress Cyrene, who despised spinning and other womanly arts but spent her days hunting. ... In Greek mythology, as recorded in Pindars 9th Pythian ode, Cyrene (or Kyrene) (sovereign queen) was the daughter of Hypseus, King of the Lapiths. ... An Apiary in South Carolina, Langstroth hives on pallets An apiary (also known in the US as a bee yard) is a place where beehives of honeybees are kept. ...


The children of Proteus include besides Eidothea, Polygonos and Telegonos, who both challenged Heracles and were defeated and killed, one of Heracles' many successful encounters with representatives of the pre-Olympian world order. In Greek mythology, Telegonus (born afar) was the youngest son of Circe and Odysseus. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) For other uses, see Heracles (disambiguation). ...

Main article Proteus of Egypt.

In the Odyssey (iv.430ff) Menelaus wrestles with "Proteus of Egypt, the immortal old man of the sea who never lies, who sounds the deep in all its depths, Poseidon's servant" (Robert Fagles' translation). Proteus of Egypt, is mentioned in an alternate version of the story of Helen in Euripides' tragedy Helen (produced in 412 BC). The often unconventional playwright introduces a "real" Helen and a "phantom" Helen (who caused the Trojan War), and gives a backstory that makes the father of his character Theoclymenus, Proteus, a king in Egypt who had been wed to a Nereid Psamathe. In keeping with one of his themes in Helen, Euripides mentions in passing Eido ("image"), another unseen daughter of the king. Euripides' king (never seen) is only marginally related to the "Old Man of the Sea" [1] and should not be confused with the sea god Proteus. Proteus was an Egyptian king who is mostly known for his involvement in an alternate version of the story of Helen of Troy. ... Odysseus and Nausicaä - by Charles Gleyre The Odyssey (Greek Οδύσσεια (Odússeia) ) is one of the two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to the poet Homer. ... Robert Fagles is a Professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University. ... In Greek mythology, Helen (Greek: , Helénē), better known as Helen of Troy, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda and the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. ... A statue of Euripides Euripides (Greek: Ευριπίδης) (c. ... The fall of Troy by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769) From the collections of the granddukes of Baden, Karlsruhe The Trojan War was waged, according to legend, against the city of Troy in Asia Minor, by the armies of the Achaeans (Mycenaean Greeks), after Paris of Troy stole Helen from... In Greek mythology, Theoclymenus, son of Polypheides, was a prophet from Argos, who in the Odyssey had been exiled from that city after killing one of his relatives. ... In Greek mythology, the Nereids (NEER-ee-eds) are blue-haired sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. ... In Greek mythology, there were two people named Psamathe. ...


At Pharos—in Hellenistic times the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria—a king of Egypt named Proteus welcomed Dionysus in the young god's wanderings. PHAROS IPA: [feÉ™.rÊŒs] (Platform for Search of Audiovisual Resources Across Online Spaces) is the name given to a planned (and currently being developed) European Internet multimedia search engine led by the Italian system integrator Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SpA. // The PHAROS platform, co-financed by the European Commission and... A drawing of the lighthouse. ... Dionysus with a leopard, satyr and grapes on a vine, in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy) Dionysus (Latin) or Dionysos (Greek) (from Ancient Greek: or ; in both Greek and Roman mythology and associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine...


A further Proteus occurs in Greek myth, as one of the fifty sons of King Aegyptus. This article is about the Aegyptus from Egyptian mythology. ...


Biology

Proteus anguinus with two subspecies Proteus anguinus anguinus Laurenti 1768, Proteus anguinus parkelj Sket & Arnzten 1994.

"Proteus" and "protean" in English

From his transforming nature, and multifarious aspects comes our adjective "protean". A "protean career" would embrace many human concerns. For example, Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, a sculptor, a scientist, a designer of fortifications: his career was "protean". This article is about Proteus from the Greek mythology. ... The Mona Lisa Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian polymath: scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, and writer. ...


The very variable plant genus Protea is named after Proteus. Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... species see text Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of flowering plants. ...


Proteus syndrome is the name given to the deforming disease that afflicted Joseph Merrick, "The Elephant Man". Although difficult to differentiate from severe neurofibromatosis, there have been about 200 cases of Proteus syndrome over the last few decades. Proteus Syndrome is a congenital disorder that causes skin overgrowth and atypical bone development, often accompanied by tumors on over half the body. ... For the Jamaican missionary to Cameroon, see Joseph Merrick (missionary) Joseph Carey Merrick. ... Joseph Merrick, sometimes called John Merrick, known as The Elephant Man. ... Neurofibromatosis is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder. ...


Proteus in literature and psychology

The German mystical alchemist Heinrich Khunrath (1560-1605) wrote of the shape-changing sea-god who, because of his relationship to the sea, is both a symbol of the unconscious as well as the perfection of the art. Alluding to the scintilla, the spark from ‘the light of nature’ and symbol of the anima mundi , Khunrath in Gnostic vein stated of the Protean element Mercury Heinrich Khunrath (1560-1605) Heinrich Khunrath (1560-1605), or Dr Henricus Khunrath as he was also called, was a famous Hermetic philosopher. ...

our Catholick Mercury, by virtue of his universal fiery spark of the light of nature, is beyond doubt Proteus, the sea god of the ancient pagan sages, who hath the key to the sea and ....power over all things”.

(from Von Hyleanischen Chaos cited in Carl Jung, vol.14:50) Carl Jungs partially autobiographical work Memories , Dreams, Reflections, Fontana edition “Karl Jung” redirects here. ...


The poet John Milton was also aware of the association of Proteus with the Hermetic art of alchemy. In Paradise Lost (III.603-06) he wrote of the alchemists who sought the philosopher's stone For other persons named John Milton, see John Milton (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... Title page of the first edition (1667) Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. ... The philosophers stone, in Latin lapis philosophorum, is a legendary substance that supposedly could turn inexpensive metals such as lead into gold (chrysopoeia in the Greek language) and/or create an elixir that would make humans younger, thus delaying death. ...

In vain, though by their powerful Art they bind
Volatile Hermes, and call up unbound
In various shapes old Proteus from the Sea,
Drain'd through a Limbec to his native form.

In his discourse The Garden of Cyrus (1658) Milton's contemporary Sir Thomas Browne, pursuing the figure of the quincunx, queried Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles, found at the Heraion, Olympia, 1877 Hermes (IPA: , Greek IPA: ), in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and... An alembic is an alchemical still consisting of two retorts connected by a tube. ... The Garden of Cyrus or The Quincuniall, or Lozenge, or Network Plantations of the Ancients, naturally, artificially, mystically considered is a work written by Sir Thomas Browne. ... Sir Thomas Browne (October 19, 1605 – October 19, 1682) was an English author of varied works that disclose his wide learning in diverse fields including medicine, religion, science and the esoteric. ... Five dots forming a quincunx A quincunx is the arrangement of five units in the pattern corresponding to the five-spot on dice, playing cards, or dominoes. ...

Why Proteus in Homer the Symbole of the first matter, before he settled himself in the midst of his Sea-Monsters, doth place them out by fives?

Shakespeare uses the image of Proteus to establish the character of his great villain Richard III in the play Henry VI, Part Three, the prequel to his play Richard III. In Act III, Scene ii, Richard (not yet the king), boasts: Shakespeare redirects here. ... Richard III may refer to: King Richard III of England Richard III, a play by William Shakespeare about the king Richard III may also refer to motion pictures based on the Shakespeare play: Richard III, 1995 (UK/USA), starring Ian McKellen Richard III, 1986 (Soviet Union) Richard III, 1980 (France...

"I can add colors to the chameleon,
Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,
And set the murderous Machiavel to school.
Can I do this, and cannot get a crown?
Tut, were it farther off, I'll pluck it down."

In 1807 William Wordsworth finished his sonnet on the theme of a modernity deadened to Nature, which opens "The world is too much with us", with a sense of nostalgia for the lost richness of a world numinous with deities: William Wordsworth (April 7, 1770 – April 23, 1850) was a major English romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads. ... Francesco Petrarca, or Petrarch, one of the best-known early Italian sonnet writers. ... Galunggung in 1982, showing a combination of natural events. ...

...I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea. [2]
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.


In modern times the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung defined the mythological figure of Proteus as a personification of the unconscious, who, because of his gift of prophecy and shape-changing has much in common with the central but elusive figure of alchemy, Mercurius. Triton is a Greek god, the messenger of the deep. ... Carl Jungs partially autobiographical work Memories , Dreams, Reflections, Fontana edition “Karl Jung” redirects here. ... Mercury is a god, also known as the god of trade, profit and commerce. ...


"Proteus" in modern fiction

In James Joyce's Ulysses, Chapter 3 uses Protean transformations of matter in time for self exploration. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (Irish Séamus Seoighe; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish writer and poet, widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. ... Ulysses is a 1922 novel by James Joyce, first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from 1918 to 1920, and published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on February 2, 1922, in Paris. ...


The term "Proteus" and "vombis" also were used in a James Blish short story about a race of alien beings who could change shape at will, but were not as malevolent as The Thing written about by John W. Campbell. James Benjamin Blish (East Orange, New Jersey, May 23, 1921 - Henley-on-Thames, July 29, 1975) was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. ... John Carpenters The Thing is a 1982 science fiction film directed by John Carpenter. ... The cover of , volume 1, with a picture of Campbell drawn by Frank Kelly Freas John Wood Campbell, Jr. ...


In the film Fantastic Voyage , Proteus is the apt name for the experimental submarine which is shrunk to sub-cellular size, and injected into a dying scientist to save his life. Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner. ...


In the role-playing games Vampire: the Masquerade and Vampire: the Requiem, vampires of the Gangrel clan may possess a discipline named Protean that allows them to transform into bats, wolves, mist and such. Vampire: The Masquerade (Revised Edition) cover. ... This articles content is specific to the fictional setting known as the World of Darkness. ... The Gangrel are a clan of vampires, often associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studios Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and Vampire: The Requiem books and role-playing games. ...


Kurt Vonnegut's novel Player Piano revolves around the actions of Paul Proteus, a manager of a machine works in New York. Paul's life mirrors Proteus in that he must change his "shape" (character) to find his place in a machine-controlled society with which he is out of sympathy. The player piano is a type of piano that plays music without the need for a human pianist to depress the normal keys or pedals. ...


In the Film "Lost in Space", "Proteus" is the name of the space ship that is sent to look for the Robinson Family in an alternate time. The ship is subsequently destroyed. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...


In another Film, "Demon Seed", the evil supercomputer is named "Proteus IV" Demon Seed is a 1977 film, starring Julie Christie, and directed by Donald Cammell. ...


In Craig Thomas' novel Sea Leopard, the British submarine is named HMS Proteus. Craig Thomas may be: Craig Thomas (author), (born 1942) Craig Thomas (politician), (born 1933) US Senator from Wyoming. ...


In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Protean Charm is a complex spell used by Hermione Granger to enchant coins so that changing the serial number on one affected the others as well. She used it to communicate the times of secret meetings. It was also used by Voldemort to communicate with his Death Eaters. This article is about the book. ... Hermione Jane Granger (b. ...


In the Marvel comic series X-men, Proteus is the villain identity of reality-changing mutant Kevin MacTaggart, son of Moira MacTaggart on Muir Isle Mutant Research Facility. Marvel or marvel can refer to: Incredilble Hulk Comics Marvel Comics, a comic book publishing, entertainment, and licensing company based in the United States of America. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character in the X-Men stories in Marvel Comics universe. ...


In Rick Wakeman's song "The Battle/The Journey" Proteus is described as a giant pre-historic man who herds mastadons in the center of the Earth.


"Proteus" in gaming

Proteus was first used as the name of a roleplaying game published in 1992 by Bruce Gomes Industries and written by Bruce Gomes and Duncan Barrow. Non-standard races and an original world setting, using skill rolls under stats on 1d30. Current out-of-print. A roleplaying game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. ...


PROTEUS is also the name of a cross-genre roleplaying game. PROTEUS is a freely downloadable game available through base113 Games[3]. The game focuses on characters with incredible mental powers, Psionics. PROTEUS was a project to artificially create such people for military purposes. The name of the Greek god was chosen to reflect both the fact that these individuals are extremely adaptable and that they are among the first of their kind. A roleplaying game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. ...


The collectible card game Magic: The Gathering references Proteus in the card Proteus Machine from the Scourge expansion that is able to change its creature type to any type when it is morphed. Recently in the Dissension expansion, the creature Protean Hulk allows its controller to replace it with other creatures when it dies. Magic: The Gathering (colloq. ...


Proteus is the name of an expansion for the collectible card game Netrunner. Netrunner is a collectible card game designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering. ...


Proteus is also the name of a key document in the computer game Freelancer. A freelancer or freelance worker is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer. ...


In the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, Protean is a special vampire power of clan Gangrel (World of Darkness) that enables them to shapeshift, grow claws and see in the dark. Vampire: The Masquerade (Revised Edition) cover. ... This article is about Proteus from the Greek mythology. ... The Gangrel are a clan of vampires, often associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studios Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and Vampire: The Requiem books and role-playing games. ...


Non-uniqueness of Power

Protean has come to mean shape-shifting in modern usage, but it is odd in light of other Greek gods. For example, Zeus has many famous stories where he changed shape, mostly in pursuit of women--famously, when he revealed his "true" form, it would kill a human. Athena often changed shape or disguised herself in order to directly influence human beings. A listing of Greek mythological beings. ... The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 BC. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in Ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th century engraving Zeus (in Greek: nominative: Zeús, genitive: Diós), is...


References in popular culture

  • TV series episode from "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (Season 2, Episode 20) Protean Challenge (1996)

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was a television series produced from 1995 to 1999, very loosely based on the tales of the classical culture hero Hercules. ...

Notes

  1. ^ See also Nereus and Phorkys

Nereus: in Greek Mythology, eldest son of Pontus and Gaia, the Sea and the Earth. ... In Greek mythology, Phorcys, or Phorkys was a primevil sea god, son of Pontus and Gaia. ...

References

One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Karl (Carl, Károly) Kerényi (January 19, 1897 - April 14, 1973) was born in Hungary but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1943. ... Portrait of Robert Graves (circa 1974) by Rab Shiell Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 5 November 1955) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ...

See also

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Proteus emerged from the sea to sleep among his colony of seals, but Menelaus was successful at holding him, though Proteus took the forms of a lion, a serpent, a leopard, a pig, even of water and a tree.
Proteus of Egypt, is mentioned in an alternate version of the story of Helen in Euripides' tragedy Helen (produced in 412).
Proteus syndrome is the name given to the deforming disease that afflicted the elephant man.
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