Greek and Roman mythology gives us the names Adonis, Argus, Atlas, Bacchus, Dionysus, Endymion, Hermes, Iris, Morpheus, Muses, Nemesis, Okeanos, Olympia, Orpheus, Perseus, Proteus, Pygmalion ...

Come to think of it, “Proteus” would be a great name for a brand of flip-flops. Another old “Pro” was “Procrustes,” the sadist of Greek mythology who ran a bed and “break” fast.

The vast knowledge of Proteus, Greek mythology's Old Man of the Sea, was matched by his reluctance to share it. He knew all things, past, present and future, but would always decline to be ...