Labdacus

Labdacus was the son of Polydorus (Cadmus' son) and Nyctei's. Robert Graves rather contrivedly offers lampadon acos as an origin for the name, this meaning 'help of torches' and referring to some torchlight procession heralding a symbolic ruler.

Apollodorus, however, makes a rather neat suggestion: Labdacus, he says, starts with the Greek letter lambda (also called labda) (λ), and the name resembles the word for the letter; this letter follows the Greek letter kappa (K) in the alphabet, and kappa is the first letter of Cadmus' name! Alas, Labdacus' own son did not have a name that began with the next letter of the alphabet, mu (M) but was Laïus, the first husband of Jocasta and the father of Oedipus.

Lacedaemon

Lacedaemon was the son of Zeus and the mountain nymph Taygete. He married Sparte, and named his capital city of Sparta after her, himself being the mythical ancestor of the Lacedaemonians.

His name strongly suggests 'lake demon', which although an English phrase derives from similar Greek words: lacos (or laccos), 'pond', 'lake' and daimon, 'god', 'demon'. This seems to point to some religious or magical ceremony, perhaps involving a sacrifice (to an underwater monster?).

Lachesis

Lachesis was one of the Fates, and her name literally means 'drawing of lots' (lachesis) from lanchano, 'to obtain by lot', 'draw lots'. She was thus the goddess who 'apportioned' a person's life, who laid down (or measured) what one's lot in life should be.

Compare the names of the other Fates - Clotho and Atropos. Clotho, whose name suggests spinning, came to give the three a consecutive ordering of a person's destiny, with Clotho drawing the thread of life out, Lachesis measuring it, and Atropos cutting it of.

Lacinius

Lacinius was a robber who tried to steal Geryon's cattle (which in fact Heracles was trying to steal at the same time). His name could derive from lacis, 'tearing', 'rending', perhaps referring to his clothes (the word is related to lacisma, 'something torn', 'rags') or to his rough behaviour or violent nature.

Ladon

Ladon was a hundred-headed serpent, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. His main assignment was guarding the tree of golden apples that belonged to the Hesperides. His name can hardly derive from ladanon, 'ladanum' (a type of gum resin, not to be confused with laudanum, which is an invented word). Perhaps it is a worn-down form of some such name as Laodamon, meaning 'tamer of men'. Compare Laodamas and Laodamia.

Laelaps

Laelaps was an infallible dog that no beast could escape. It seems to have changed hands several times, originally (perhaps) being given by Zeus to Europe as a watchdog. To an English speaker the name may suggest 'lapdog' but this was certainly no pet Pom! Its name denotes its ferocious and speedy nature, since it means 'hurricane' or 'whirlwind', from lailaps, 'tempest', 'storm'. Perhaps Storm is actually the best English name for it.

Laertes

Laertes was the father of Odysseus, and himself was the son of Acrisius and Chalcomedusa (or Cephalus and Procris). His name apparently means 'people urger', from laos, 'people' and an old root er-, 'to urge on'. (His name appears in the Linear Β tablets at Knossos as Law-er-tas.)

Laïus

Laïus was the son of Labdacus. After an infatuation with the young boy Chrysippus, whom he kidnapped, he became the first husband of Jocasta, who bore him Oedipus. His name is so 'elemental' that a number of derivations can be proposed for him, all apt. Since the Thebans called him to the throne on the death of Zethus (who had usurped it), his name could be a shortened form of Laomedon and so be 'king of the people'.

It could also be interpreted as 'unlucky', from laios, 'left', since his fate was to be killed by Oedipus, who was not aware that Laïus was his father. On similar sinister lines his name could be linked with that of Lethe, since Laïus was a kind of emblem of darkness. Or it could simply be a propitious name, from lets, 'herd of cattle', meaning 'one who is rich in cattle'.

Lamia

Lamia was the daughter of Poseidon and Libya, but the name is best known for the bogeywoman (with the face and breasts of a woman and the body of a serpent) who had been deformed by Hera and in revenge lured strangers so that she could devour them. (Some mythologists equate both Lamias.)

Her name is traditionally held to derive from laimos, 'throat', 'gullet', which would certainly be appropriate. However, there could also be a link with lamyros, 'voracious', 'gluttonous'. Perhaps the influence of both words is present in the name.

Lampetia

Lampetia has an obviously 'shining' name (from lampo, 'to shine'), and this is fitting for two of the best known: the daughter of Helios (the sun) who became the wife of Asclepius, and the daughter and chief herdswoman of Hyperion (which name see for its 'sun' link). Perhaps the latter half of the name is etos, 'year', so that she is the 'brightness of the year'.

Lampon

Lampon was one of the four stallions (or mares) of king Diomedes, together with Podargus, Deinus and Xanthus. The name means 'bright', in reference to the horse's shining coat. Compare the name of Podargus, and see also the next entry.

Lampus

Lampus was the son of Laomedon, and one of king Priam's brothers. Lampus was also an alternative name for Lampon. The name means 'bright', which for Laomedon's son was just a 'good omen' name.

Lamus

Lamus was the son of Heracles and Omphale (and another Lamus was one of the many sons of Poseidon). Perhaps the name, like that of Lamia, means something like 'glutton', from laimos, 'throat'. We are not given any information to support this, however, and we cannot assume that the name was originally Lampus.

Laocoön

Laocoön was the priest of Poseidon at Troy who was killed, together with his two young sons, by two huge sea-serpents who crushed all three in their coils. (The scene is portrayed in the famous Greek statue that stands in the Vatican Museum.)

There was another Laocoön who was the son (or possibly the brother) of Oeneus, king of Calydon. The name, however, does not appear to relate to the serpentine fate, and it perhaps derives from laos, 'people' and some such word as coinos, 'common', meaning 'impartial to people', 'common to all the people'. If so, it is a generally commendatory name.

Laodamas

Laodamas was the son of Eteocles and a king of Thebes. As befits a king (at any rate, a classical Greek one), his name means 'people tamer', 'master of the folk', from laos, 'people', and damao, 'to tame', 'subdue'.

Laodamia

Laodamia was the name of two noted women: the daughter of Acastas and Astydamia who became the wife of Protesilaüs, king of Phylace, and the daughter of Bellerophon who became the mother of Sarpedon and who was slain by Artemis when she was still young. The name is a propitious one, meaning 'tamer of the people'.

Laodice

Laodice was the name of several women. Among them were the most beautiful daughter of Priam and Hecabe, the daughter of Agapenor, and the daughter of Agamemnon who later became Electra. Here is another stock propitious name on the lines of Creusa, meaning 'justice of the people', from laos, 'people' and dice, 'justice'.

Laomedon

Laomedon was a king of Troy who was the son of Ilus (also king of Troy) and Eurydice. His name, appropriately enough, means 'ruler of the people', from laos, 'people' and medon, 'ruler'. If all names were as 'transparent' as this life would be not nearly so interesting!

Laonome

Laonome has yet another 'people' name. She was the daughter of Guneus who according to some accounts married Alcaeüs and bore him Amphitryon and Anaxo. Her name means 'law of the people', from laos, 'people' and nomos, 'law'.

Laothoë

Laothoë was the mistress of Priam, king of Troy, and she was the mother of Lycaon. Her name seems to mean 'active among the people', from laos, 'people' and thoos, 'quick', 'active', although Robert Graves, without any explanation, derives it from laas, 'stone' and the same thoos to mean 'rushing stone'. It is hard to see the significance of this.