Ceyx's death in the storm, from an engraving for the Metamorphoses account of his death

See also Ceyx (disambiguation).

In Greek mythology Ceyx (pronounced /ˈsēks/) was the son of Eosphorus and the king of Thessaly. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance In Greek mythology, Hesperus ( Greek grc Ἓσπερος Hesperos) (Roman equivalent Vesper cf Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. He was married to Halcyone. In Greek mythology, Alcyone ( Greek:) was the daughter of Aeolus, either by Enarete or Aegiale. They were very happy together, and according to Pseudo-Apollodorus's account, often called each other "Zeus" and "Hera. "^[1] This angered Zeus, so while Ceyx was at sea, the god threw a thunderbolt at his ship. Ceyx appeared to Alcyone as an apparition to tell her of his fate, and she threw herself into the sea in her grief. Out of compassion, the gods changed them both into halcyon birds. The tree kingfishers or wood kingfishers, family Halcyonidae, are the most numerous of the three families of Birds in the Kingfisher

Ovid^[2] and Hyginus ^[3] both also recount the metamorphosis of the pair in and after Ceyx's loss in a storm, though they both omit Ceyx and Alcyone calling each other Zeus and Hera- and Zeus's resulting anger - as a reason for it. They both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the etymology for "halcyon days", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that these were originally the seven days each year during which Alcyone (as a kingfisher) laid her eggs and made her nest on the beach and during which her father Aeolus, god of the winds, restrained the winds and calmed the waves so she could do so in safety. For the Click beetle Genus, see Aeolus (beetle. Aeolus ( Greek:, Ailos Modern Greek The phrase has since become a term used to describe a peaceful time generally.

The myth is also briefly referred to by Virgil, again without reference to Zeus's anger. ^[4]

Classical sources

1. ^ Apollodorus i. 7. 3 - 4)
2. ^ Ovid Metamorphoses XI, 410ff.-748 (also here)
3. ^ Hyginus Fabulae 65
4. ^ Virgil Georgics i. 399 - "[At that time] not to the sun's warmth then upon the shore / Do halcyons dear to Thetis ope their wings"

Later references

• Various kinds of kingfishers are named after the couple, in reference to the metamorphosis myth:
  • The genus Ceyx (within the River kingfishers family) is named after him
  • The kingfisher family Halcyonidae (Tree kingfishers) is named after his wife, as is the genus Halcyon. The Bibliotheca (in English: Library) in three books provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic Legends Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a narrative poem Gaius Julius Hyginus (ca 64 BC &ndash AD 17 was a Latin author but whether a native of Spain or of Alexandria is not sure a pupil of the famous Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or The Georgics, published in 29 BCE, is the second major work by the Latin poet Virgil. This article is about the Greek sea nymph Thetis should not be confused with Themis, the embodiment of the laws of nature but see the sea-goddess Tethys. Kingfishers are small bright colored Birds of the three families Alcedinidae ( River kingfishers, Halcyonidae ( Tree kingfishers, and Cerylidae ( Water A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Ceyx is a Old World genus of River kingfishers Black-backed Kingfisher, Ceyx erithacus Philippine Kingfisher The river kingfishers or Alcedinidae, are one of the three families of Bird in the Kingfisher group In Biological classification, family ( Latin The tree kingfishers or wood kingfishers, family Halcyonidae, are the most numerous of the three families of Birds in the Kingfisher Halcyon is a genus of the Tree kingfishers Near passerine Birds in the family Halcyonidae
  • The Belted Kingfisher's Latin species name (Megaceryle alcyon) also references her name. The Belted Kingfisher ( Megaceryle alcyon) is a large conspicuous and noisy Water kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern
• Their story features in The Book of the Duchess. The Book of the Duchess is a Dream vision Narrative poem by Geoffrey Chaucer.

External links

• Smith entry
• Perseus Encylopaedia

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870). The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1849 originally published 1844 under a slightly different title is an Encyclopedia / Biographical dictionary Sir William Smith (1813 &ndash 1893 English Lexicographer, was born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents