Coeus

Ancient Greek Titan
Coeus
Member of Titans
AbodeTartarus
BattlesTitanomachy
ParentsUranus and Gaia
ConsortPhoebe
OffspringLeto, Asteria

In Greek mythology, Coeus (/ˈsəs/;[1] Ancient Greek: Κοῖος, romanizedKoîos, "query, questioning" or "intelligence"[2]), also called Polus,[3] was one of the Titans, one of the three groups of children born to Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth).

Mythology

Coeus was an obscure figure,[4] and like most of the Titans he played no active part in Greek mythology—he appears only in lists of Titans[5]—but was primarily important for his descendants.[6] With his sister, "shining" Phoebe, Coeus fathered two daughters, Leto[7][8] and Asteria.[9] Leto copulated with Zeus (the son of fellow Titans Cronus and Rhea) and bore Artemis and Apollo. Asteria became the mother of Hecate by Perses (son of fellow Titan Crius and half-sister Eurybia).

Along with the other Titans, Coeus was overthrown by Zeus and the other Olympians in the Titanomachy. Afterwards, he and all his brothers (sans Oceanus) were imprisoned in Tartarus by Zeus. Coeus, later overcome with madness, broke free from his bonds and attempted to escape his imprisonment, but was repelled by Cerberus.[10]

Tacitus wrote that Coeus was the first inhabitant of the island of Kos, which claimed to be the birthplace of his daughter Leto.[11] Coeus's name was modified from Κοῖος (Koîos) to Κῶιος (Kōios), leading to his association with the island.[12]

Eventually Zeus freed the Titans, presumably including Coeus.[13]

Genealogy

Coeus's family tree [14]
UranusGaiaPontus
OceanusTethysHyperionTheiaCriusEurybia
The RiversThe OceanidsHeliosSelene [15]EosAstraeusPallasPerses
CronusRheaCOEUSPhoebe
HestiaHeraPoseidonZeusLetoAsteria
DemeterHadesApolloArtemisHecate
IapetusClymene (or Asia) [16]Themis(Zeus)Mnemosyne
Atlas [17]MenoetiusPrometheus [18]EpimetheusThe HoraeThe Muses

Notes

  1. ^ Gardner, Dorsey (1887). Webster's Condensed Dictionary. George Routledge and Sons. p. 714. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  2. ^ Robert Graves. The Greek Myths, section 14 s.v. Births of Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus
  3. ^ Hyginus, Fabulae Preface and 140
  4. ^ Ovid in Metamorphoses (VI.185) alludes to Coeus' obscure nature: "Latona, that Titaness whom Coeus sired, whoever he may be." (nescio quoque audete satam Titanida Coeo): M. L. West, in "Hesiod's Titans" (The Journal of Hellenic Studies 105 [1985:174–175]) remarks that Phoibe's "consort Koios is an even more obscure quantity. Perhaps he too had originally to with Delphic divination", and he suspects that Phoebe, Koios and Themis were Delphic additions to the list of Titanes, drawn from various archaic sources.
  5. ^ Such as Hesiod, Theogony 133; Apollodorus, 1.1.3; Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 5.66.3; Clement of Alexandria, Recognitions 31.
  6. ^ Hesiod included among his descendants Hekate, daughter of Asteriē, as Apostolos N. Athanassakis, noted, correcting the OCD, noted (Athanassakis, "Hekate Is Not the Daughter of Koios and Phoibe" The Classical World 71.2 [October 1977:127]); R. Renehan expanded the note in "Hekate, H. J. Rose, and C. M. Bowra", The Classical World, 73.5 (February 1980:302–304).
  7. ^ Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo, 61; in the Orphic Hymn to Leto she is Leto Koiantis, "Leto, daughter of Koios".
  8. ^ "Hymn 3 to Apollo, line 47". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  9. ^ Hesiod, Theogony 404 ff; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.2.2
  10. ^ Valerius Flaccus, "Argonautica" 3.224 ff
  11. ^ "Cornelius Tacitus, The Annals, BOOK XII, chapter 61". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  12. ^ Herodas 2009, p. 65.
  13. ^ Pindar, Pythian Odes 4.289-291; additionally, Aeschylus' lost play Prometheus Unbound features a chorus of freed Titans.
  14. ^ Hesiod, Theogony 132–138, 337–411, 453–520, 901–906, 915–920; Caldwell, pp. 8–11, tables 11–14.
  15. ^ Although usually the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, as in Hesiod, Theogony 371–374, in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes (4), 99–100, Selene is instead made the daughter of Pallas the son of Megamedes.
  16. ^ According to Hesiod, Theogony 507–511, Clymene, one of the Oceanids, the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, at Hesiod, Theogony 351, was the mother by Iapetus of Atlas, Menoetius, Prometheus, and Epimetheus, while according to Apollodorus, 1.2.3, another Oceanid, Asia was their mother by Iapetus.
  17. ^ According to Plato, Critias, 113d–114a, Atlas was the son of Poseidon and the mortal Cleito.
  18. ^ In Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 18, 211, 873 (Sommerstein, pp. 444–445 n. 2, 446–447 n. 24, 538–539 n. 113) Prometheus is made to be the son of Themis.

References

  • Anonymous, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Homeric Hymns. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
  • Pindar, Odes, Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Clement of Alexandria, Recognitions from Ante-Nicene Library Volume 8, translated by Smith, Rev. Thomas. T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh. 1867. Online version at theoi.com.
  • Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
  • Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Gaius Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica translated by Mozley, J H. Loeb Classical Library Volume 286. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928. Online version at theoi.com.
  • Gaius Valerius Flaccus, Argonauticon. Otto Kramer. Leipzig. Teubner. 1913. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Herodas (2009). Mimiambs. Translated by Graham Zanker. Oxbow Books. ISBN 978-0-85668-883-6.
  • Hesiod, Theogony from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
  • Historiae Romanorum: Coeus Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  • Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
  • Pseudo-Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
  • Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Stewart, Michael. "People, Places & Things: Coeus", Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant.
  • Tacitus, Complete Works of Tacitus. Tacitus. Alfred John Church. William Jackson Brodribb. Sara Bryant. edited for Perseus. New York. : Random House, Inc. Random House, Inc. reprinted 1942. Online text available at Perseus.tufts.
  • The Hymns of Orpheus. Translated by Taylor, Thomas (1792). University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. Online version at theoi.com

External links

  • COEUS from The Theoi Project
  • COEUS from Mythopedia
  • v
  • t
  • e
Religion and religious practice
Main beliefs
Texts / odes /
epic poems
Epic Cycle
Theban Cycle
Others
Religions
Antecedents
Expressions
Hellenistic religions
Mystery religions
and sacred mysteries
New religious movements
Religious practice
Worship
/ rituals
Religious
offices
Religious
objects
Magic
Events
Festivals
/ feasts
Games
Panhellenic Games
Sacred places
Temples /
sanctuaries
Oracles
Mountains
Caves
Islands
Springs
Others
Myths and mythology
Deities
(Family tree)
Primordial deities
Titans
First generation
Second generation
Third generation
Twelve Olympians
Water deities
Love deities
Erotes
War deities
Chthonic deities
Psychopomps
Health deities
Sleep deities
Messenger deities
Trickster deities
Magic deities
Other major deities
Heroes /
heroines
Individuals
Groups
Oracles
/ seers
Other
mortals
Underworld
Entrances to
the underworld
Rivers
Lakes/swamps
Caves
Charoniums
Ploutonion
Necromanteion (necromancy temple)
Places
Judges
Guards
Residents
Visitors
Symbols/objects
Animals, daemons,
and spirits
Mythical
Beings
Lists
Minor spirits
Beasts /
creatures
Captured
/ slain by
heroes
Tribes
Places
/ Realms
Events
Wars
Objects
Symbols
Modern
treatments
  • v
  • t
  • e
Ancient Greek deities
Primordial
deities
Titans
Titans (male)
Titanides (female)
Children of Hyperion
Children of Coeus
Children of Crius
Children of Iapetus
Olympian
deities
Twelve Olympians
Olympian Gods
Muses
Charites (Graces)
Horae (Hours)
Children of Styx
Water
deities
Sea deities
Oceanids
  • Acaste
  • Admete
  • Amalthea
  • Asia
  • Callirhoe
  • Ceto
  • Clymene (consort of Helios)
  • Clymene (wife of Iapetus)
  • Clytie
  • Dione
  • Dodone
  • Doris
  • Electra
  • Eurynome
  • Idyia
  • Melia (consort of Apollo)
  • Melia (consort of Inachus)
  • Metis
  • Perse
  • Philyra
  • Pleione
  • Plouto
  • Styx
  • Telesto
  • Theia
  • Zeuxo
Nereids
Potamoi
Naiads
Chthonic
deities
Theoi Chthonioi
Erinyes (Furies)
Earthborn
Apotheothenai
Personifications
Children of Eris
Children of Nyx
Children of Phorcys
Children of Thaumas
Children of
other gods
Others
Other deities
Sky
Agriculture
Health
Rustic
deities
Others