Volume 2: 1771 Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica!

Goddess

Goddess, a heathen deity of the female sex.

The ancients had almost as many goddesses as gods;such as Juno, the goddess of air; Diana, the goddess of woods, etc. And under this character were represented the virtues, graces, and principal advantages of life; Truth, Justice, Piety, Liberty, Fortune, Victory, etc.

It was the peculiar privilege of the goddesses to be represented naked on medals; for it was supposed that the imagination must be awed and restrained by the consideration of the divine character.

---

Click here for the index to Volume 1: A-B

Click here for the index to Volume 2: C-L

Click here for the index to Volume 3: M-Z

Click here for the index to the 1771 Encyclopedia

---

This Encyclopedia project is brought to you by the American Conservatory of Music and the Orthodox Church of Belize. This Web Site and all content therein to the extent permissible by law is Copyright © 2006 by the American Conservatory of Music. All Rights Reserved. Permission to copy from this web site is freely granted as long as credit is given to the American Conservatory of Music. However, mirroring of this web site is not permitted.