Cephissus (mythology)
{{Short description|River gods in Greek mythology}}
File:Votive relief dedicated by Xenokrateia to the river-god Cephissus - NAMA 2756.JPG, from the late fifth century BC, commemorates the founding of a sanctuary to Cephissus, National Archaeological Museum of Athens.]]
In Greek mythology Cephissus also spelled Kephissos ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɛ|f|ɪ|ˌ|s|ə|s}} or {{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ɪ|f|ɪ|ˈ|s|oʊ|s}}; {{langx|grc|Κηφισός|Kephisos}}) is a river god of ancient Greece, associated with the river Cephissus in Attica and/or with the river Cephissus in Boeotia, both in Greece.
Family
Cephissus was a son of Pontus and Thalassa.{{DGRBM|author=LS|title=Cephissus|volume=1|page=671|url=}}
The daughters of Cephissus were
- the naiad Lilaea, the eponym of Lilaea,Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+10.33.4&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=10:chapter=33&highlight=Cephisus 10.33.4]
- Daulis, the eponym of the city of DaulisPausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+10.4.7&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=10:chapter=4&highlight=Cephisus 10.4.7] and
- Melaeno mother of Delphus by Apollo, though he also gives two other accounts of Delphus' mother.Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+10.6.4&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=10:chapter=6&highlight=Cephisus 10.6.4]
However, one of these alternate versions is that Thyia daughter of the aboriginal Castalius was Delphus' mother, almost certainly the same Thyia whom Herodotus claims was daughter of Cephissus to whom the Delphians built an altar to the winds and who was eponym of the Thyiades.Herodotus, 7.178.1
A mortal son of Cephissus was Eteocles by Euippe, daughter of Leucon, son of Athamas. This Euippe later on became the wife of King Andreus of Orchomenus and Eteocles inherited Andreus' throne.Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+9.34.9&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=9:chapter=34&highlight=Cephisus 9.34.9] Eteocles or Eteoclus, son of Cephissus, was confirmed from Hesiod's and Pindar's accounts.Hesiod, Ehoiai fr. 70; Pindar, Olympian Odes 14 He was the first made offering to the Charites by the side of the river Cephissus.
Cephissus was also said to be the father of Narcissus by the naiad Liriope.Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.342; Hyginus, Fabulae 271; Statius, Thebaid 7.340 Another son, Euonymus who gave his name to Euonymeia, was the father of Aulis, the eponym of Aulis.Stephanus of Byzantium, s.v. Euonymeia, Aulis
Mythology
This Cephisus may also be the Argive river-god of the same name who together with two other river-gods, Inachus and Asterion, judged that the land of Argolis to be belonged to Hera instead of Poseidon. Thus, the sea god made their waters disappear and for this reason neither of the three rivers provide water to the land except after rain.Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+2.15.5&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=2:chapter=15&highlight=Cephisus 2.15.5] In an obscure myth, Cephissus greatly lamented his grandson being turned into a seal by Apollo.Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.388
Notes
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References
- Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
- Herodotus, The Histories with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1920. {{ISBN|0-674-99133-8}}. [https://topostext.org/work/22 Online version at the Topos Text Project.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0125 Greek text available at Perseus Digital Library].
- Hesiod, Catalogue of Women from Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica translated by Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann, 1914. [http://www.theoi.com/Text/HesiodCatalogues.html Online version at theio.com]
- Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
- Pindar, Odes translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0162 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
- Pindar, The Odes of Pindar including the Principal Fragments with an Introduction and an English Translation by Sir John Sandys, Litt.D., FBA. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1937. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0161 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
- Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses translated by Brookes More (1859–1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0028 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
- Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
- Publius Papinius Statius, The Thebaid translated by John Henry Mozley. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928. [https://topostext.org/work/149 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
- Publius Papinius Statius, The Thebaid. Vol I-II. John Henry Mozley. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1928. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0498 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.]
- Smith, William. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: Taylor, Walton, and Maberly.
- Stephanus of Byzantium, Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt, edited by August Meineike (1790–1870), published 1849. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling. [https://topostext.org/work/241 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
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Category:River gods in Greek mythology
Category:Mythological people from Attica