Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) : In the mountains of Kyllene (Cyllene) she [Maia] bare Hermes, the herald of the gods.’", Pindar, Nemean Ode 2. ad Theocrit. 744), of Cadmus (Theon, ad. Other references not currently quoted here: Servius on Virgil's Aeneid 8.130. Merope, wed to Sisyphus, bore Glaucus, who, as many say, was the father of Bellerophon. at the end of October], then remember to plough in season. Fairclough) (Roman bucolic C1st B.C.) Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) : After a chance meeting with the hunter Orion, the Pleiades and their mother became the object of his pursuit. "[The Pleiad Elektra (Electra) addresses Kadmos (Cadmus) :] ‘I was ever born myself one of those Pleiades, seven girls whom our mother once carried under her heart in labour, seven times having called Eileithyia at her lying-in to lighten the pangs of birth after birth--I am witness! "At the base of these mountains [near Lepreon in Elis], on the seaboard, are two caves [beside the River Anigros]. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) 17). . On account of her other sisters she was placed among the constellations, but because she married a mortal, her star is dim. [1.2] ATLAS & PLEIONE (Apollodorus 3.110, Hyginus Fabulae 192, Hyginus Astronomica 2.21, Ovid Fasti 4.169 & 5.79) : Lamprocles, Fragment 736 (from Athenaeus, Scholars at Dinner) (trans. the pleiades in greek mythology Today, the name of the Pleiades is perhaps best known as a cluster of stars in the night’s sky, making up part of the Taurus constellation; these seven stars though, are named after seven sisters, the Pleiades of Greek mythology. "Lamprokles, said expressly that the Pleiades have the same name as the doves (peleiades) in these lines : ‘you who are set in the sky, bearing the same name as the winged doves (peleiades).’", Aeschylus, Fragment 172 (from Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 11. The Pleiades will start relieving their sire's [Atlas'] shoulders [i.e. Their names were Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno, Alcyone, Sterope, and Merope.The Pleiades are best known as a constellation in the sky consisting of seven stars. ", Hesiod, Works and Days 618 ff : Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. Jove [Zeus], pitying the girls, appointed a way to the stars, and later, by some astronomers, they were called the Bull's tail. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Ovid, Metamorphoses 6. When he was killed in a lion hunt, the five we have mentioned, given over to continual lamentation, are said to have perished. Atlas and Pleione are the neighboring stars, and many Greek temples were oriented to the rising and setting of the Pleiades. The setting of the Pleiades in November marked the beginning of the stormy season. Pleiades… Their name means "Daughters of Pleione" and also "Ladies of Plenty" from the Greek word pleiôn "plenty. Ceaseless uprose the keen, and in their midst, fallen on her son and clasping, wailed Eos (the Dawn). über die Sternennamen, p. 110 - 111 (trans. ", Ovid, Heroides 18. : Simonides, Fragment 555 (trans. : Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 646 ff (trans. She escaped, but Orion sought her for seven years and couldn't find her. The setting of these constellations in late autumn marked beginning of the stormy season. Fairbanks) (Greek rhetorician C3rd A.D.) : Ovid, Heroides 18. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Strabo, Geography 8. ii. The Pleiades (/ˈplaɪ.ədiːz, ˈpliːədiːz/; Greek: Πλειάδες [pleːádes]), companions of Artemis, were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. [N.B. The remaining ten brooded over the death of their sisters, and brought death on themselves; because so may experienced the same grief, they were called Pleiades. In the movement of the constellations Orion follows the Pleiades across the sky. The son was killed by a wild boar or a lion, and the sisters, grieving for him, died of this grief. After Atlas was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders, Orion began to pursue all of the Pleiades, and Zeus transformed them first into doves, and then into stars to comfort their father. ", Strabo, Geography 8. Maia, who was the eldest.She was the mother of Hermes by Zeus. . 10 ff (trans. As stars they are named "phantoms of the night. : Pindar, Nemean Ode 2. : Another explains that after seven years of being pursued by Orion, a Boeotian giant, they were turned into stars by Zeus. : Seneca, Medea 95 ff (trans. Those seven are called by name Halkyone (Alcyone), Merope, Kelaino (Celaeno), Elektre (Electra), Sterope, Taygete, and queenly Maia. p. 1155). the Pleiades] had turned their shining car. But if desire for uncomfortable sea-faring seize you; when the Pleiades plunge into the misty sea [i.e. the Pleiades] pass from your sight in the morn, and let the Cretan star of the blazing Crown withdraw ere you commit to the furrows the seeds due, or hasten to trust the year's hope to a reluctant soil. in spring], and spurned with scornful foot the streams of Oceanus, and when that same star, fleeing before the sign of the water Fish, sinks sadly from heaven into the wintry waves [i.e. Some call the seventh Sterope, and relate that she became invisible from shame, because she alone among her sisters had had intercourse with a mortal man ; others call her Electra, and make her disappear from the choir of her sisters on account of her grief at the destruction of the house of Dardanus (Hygin. 21 : ii. "With such torrents do stormy Hyades o'erwhelm the earth of Pleiades dissolved in rain. Called seven, they are usually six, wither because six of them entered a god's embrace--for they say that Sterope lay with Mars [Ares], Alcyone and you, fair Celaeno, with Neptunus [Poseidon], Maia, Electra, Taygete with Jove [Zeus]--the seventh, Merope, wed you, mortal Sisyphus, she regrets it, and hides alone in shame, or because Electra could not bear the spectacle of Troy's fall and blocked her eyes with her hands. "So does starlight splendour wane . Campbell, Vol. Mozley) (Roman poetry C1st A.D.) : Alcyone, Celaeno, Electra, Maia, Merope, Sterope, Taygeta, Homerica, On the Origin of Homer and Hesiod. 411 ff : ", Ovid, Fasti 5. The rest of the sisters, later dying from grief, were made stars, and because they were many, were called Pleiades. Pleiades, in Greek mythology, the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione: Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno, Alcyone, Sterope, and Merope. there the Atlantides [i.e. 169 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. 21; Schol. Weir Smyth) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) Showerman) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. Orthria is Eos goddess of the dawn or Artemis as the goddess of morning twilight. . Who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Ares? 187 ff (trans. ], Hesiod, The Astronomy Fragment 1 (from Athenaeus 11. iv. 491A) (trans. "Others say that when Mercurius [Hermes[ first made the lure on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, he made it with seven strings to correspond to the number of Atlantides [Pleiades], since Maia, his mother, was of their company. [N.B. Kallisto (Callisto)] . ], Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 144.). Campbell, Vol. Because they grieved exceedingly at his death, they are called Hyades. ii. in late autumn]. This reason has been advanced, that of the seven, six mated with immortals--three with Jove [Zeus], two with Neptunus [Poseidon], and one with Mars [Ares]); the seventh was said to have been the wife of Sisyphus. . ", Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 13. . 549 ff (trans. . "What when the seas have been assailed by the Pleiad, and the guardian of the Bear, and the Goat of Olenos?" 80. . The Pleiades were seven sisters: Maia, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Taygete, Electra, and Merope. ad Aen. ", Seneca, Troades 438 ff : Evelyn-White) (Greek epic B.C.) Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. Campbell, Vol. Forty nights and days they are hidden and appear again as the year moves round, when first you sharpen your sickle. 10 ff (trans. 172 ff (trans. Orion became a constellation, too, and continued to pursue the sisters across the sky. Pleiades, in Greek mythology, the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione: Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno, Alcyone, Sterope, and Merope. ", Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 5. ], Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 2. 491A) (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) : Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 2. When they were pursued by the lustful giant Orion, Zeus placed them amongst the stars as the constellation Pleiades. to C1st A.D.) : 658 ff : Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 13. "My [Niobe's] mother [Dione] ranks as sister of the Pleiades. "[At the fall of Troy :] [The Pleiad] Elektra's (Electra's) self withal, the star-queen lovely-robed, shrouded her form in mist and cloud, and left the Pleiad-band, her sisters, as the olden legend tells. Jones) (Greek geographer C1st B.C. Their parents were Atlas, a Titan who held up the sky, and the oceanid Pleione, the protectress of sailing. You [Hermes] gave the lyre, it's thought, seven strings, the Pleiades number [i.e. Before her went her Pleiades-harbingers, then she herself flung wide the ethereal gates, and, scattering spray of splendour, flashed there-through. . ", Seneca, Medea 95 ff (trans. Their names were Maia, Electra, Alcyone, Taygete, Asterope, Celaeno, and Merope. : These constellations were all associated with storms. 491d) (trans. In Smith's "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 21 (trans. [N.B. From Electra and Jove [Zeus], Dardanus was born; from Maia and Jove [Zeus], Mercurius [Hermes]; from Taygete and Jove [Zeus], Ladedaemon; from Alcyone and Neptunus [Poseidon], Hyrieus; from Celaeno and Neptunus [Poseidon], Lycus and Nycteus. Mozley) (Roman poetry C1st A.D.) : 356 ff : Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : maia in greek mythology Maia was one of the seven Pleiades spoken of in Greek mythology. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : Poet. Fast. (Comp. For forty nights and days they are hidden, but appear again as the year wears round, when first the sickle is sharpened. [N.B. 204 ff (trans. 356 ff : Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 5. Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) Greek Lyric IV) (C5th B.C.) Five of the other Pleiades were also loved by gods becoming ancestresses of various royal families including those of Sparta and Troy. ], Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 5. 1 : : Homerica, Of the Origin of Homer and Hesiod and of their Contest Fragment 1 (trans. [1.3] ATLAS & AITHRA (Musaeus Frag, Hyginus Astronomica 2.21, Ovid Fasti 5.164), [1.1] TAYGETE, ELEKTRA, ALKYONE, STEROPE, KELAINO, MAIA, MEROPE (Hesiod Astronomy, Apollodorus 3.110, Aratus Phaenomena 254, Hyginus Fabulae 192, Hyginus Astronomica 2.21, Ovid Fasti 4.169, Nonnus Dionysiaca 3.330), PLEIADES (Pleiades or Peleiades), the Pleiads, are called daughters of Atlas by Pleione (or by the Oceanid Aethra, Eustath. Of these, Oinomaus (Oenomaus) married Sterope, and Sisyphos married Merope. Small and dim are they all alike, but widely famed they heel in heaven at morn and eventide, by the will of Zeus, who bade them tell of the beginning of Summer and of Winter and of the coming of the ploughing time. ad Theocrit. Astr. In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were seven sisters who were the daughters of the Titan Atlas and the nymph Pleione. ", Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 2. xviii. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. They all had children by gods (except Merope, who married Sisyphus). "To Atlas and Okeanos' (Oceanus') daughter Pleione were born on Arkadian Kyllene (Arcadian Cyllene) seven daughters called the Pleiades, whose names are Alkyone (Alcyone), Merope, Kelaino (Celaeno), Elektra (Electra), Sterope, Taygete, and Maia. 21 (trans. "[Hera complains :] ‘I must dwell on earth, for harlots hold the sky [as constellations]. Hesiod, Astronomy Fragment 1 (from Scholiast on Pindar's Nemean Odea 2.16) (trans. : This star, too, portends grief." The two lower planes, the ‘mental physical’ and the ‘mental vital’, are represented by Alcyone and Celaeno, both of whom united with Poseidon. . "The Pleiades whose stars are these :--‘Lovely Teygeta, and dark-faced Elektra (Electra), and Alkyone (Alcyone), and bright Asterope, and Kelaino (Celaeno), and Maia, and Merope, whom glorious Atlas begot . Enamoured with the young women he pursued them over the face of the Earth. One myth recounts that… ", Homerica, Of the Origin of Homer and Hesiod and of their Contest Fragment 1 (trans. ", Ovid, Fasti 4. Thu… The scholiast of Theocritus (xiii. Others say Electra does not appear because the Pleiades are thought to lead the circling dance for the stars, but after Troy was captured and her descendants through Dardanus overthrown, moved by grief she left them and took her place in the circle called Arctic. Others think that Merope appears to blush because she had a mortal as husband, though the others had gods. 425 ff : 330 ff (trans. and the huddled flock of the Pleiades vanish away when Phoebe [i.e. "When the Pleiades Atlagenes (Born of Atlas) are rising [early May], begin your harvest, and your ploughing when they are going to set [November]. Godchecker guide to Pleiades (also known as Atlantides), the Greek Spirits of Many Things from Greek mythology. 408 ff : Greek Lyric III) (C6th to 5th B.C.) 330 ff (trans. Greek Lyric IV) (C5th B.C.) Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) : Nonnus, Dionysiaca 3. Fab. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) How does this confirm what the ancients knew about the Pleiades? Evelyn-White) (Greek epic B.C.) T… Here are the Pleiades, signs for sowing and for reaping when they set or when they appear once more, as the changing seasons bring them; and opposite them are the Hyades. Selene the Moon], shining with borrowed light, with encircling horns encloses her full-orbed disk. "Mountain (oureias) Maia . again towards the end of October] to escape Oarion's (Orion's) rude strength, then truly gales of all kinds rage. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : Updates? The Pleiades were seven sisters - Maia, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Taygete, Electra, and Merope. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) : Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 1. 149; Apollod. According to some versions of the tale, all seven sisters committed suicide because they were so saddened by either the fa… Greek Lyric II) (C7th B.C.) THE PLEIADES were seven mountain-nymph daughters of the Titan Atlas. . to C1st A.D.) : Ovid, Fasti 4. : Aeschylus, Fragment 172 (from Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 11. : Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 5. "], Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. to C1st A.D.) : Seneca, Hercules Furens 4 ff (trans. 110 - 111 (trans. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Mair) (Greek astronomical poem C3rd B.C.) . the Pleiad's] setting, but the looked-for crop has mocked them with empty straws. 408 ff : Statius, Silvae 1. "[Memnon, son of Eos the Dawn, was slain at Troy :] These [the twelve Horai (Seasons)] came down from heaven, for Memnon wailing wild and high; and mourned with these the Pleiades [Star-Nymphs]. 7 (trans. That great giant, Atlas, whose shoulders bear the circling sky, is one grandfather. "April 2. Electra was the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra of Mycenae in Greek mythology. "But when they spied vessels, the billows swelled with rage, and the hurricane arose against man. Albeit only six are visible to the eyes. Fairbanks) (Greek rhetorician C3rd A.D.) : 169 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. . "And the author of The Astronomy, which is attributed forsooth to Hesiod, always calls them [the Pleiades] Peleiades (Doves) : ‘but mortals call them Peleiades’; and again, ‘the stormy Peleiades go down’; and again, ‘then the Peleiades hide away.’", Hesiod, Works and Days 383 ff : Greek Mythology. One myth recounts that they all killed themselves out of grief over the death of their sisters, the Hyades. The Pleiades are a cluster of hundreds of stars . Hom. The Pleiades eventually formed a constellation. Their names are as follows : Electra, Alcyone, Celaeno, Merope, Sterope, Taygeta, and Maia. Some think they were so named because they are joined together, that is, plesion, for they are so close together that they can scarcely be counted, nor can anyone be sure whether they are six or seven in number. ", Virgil, Georgics 4. Still riseth up in sight of toil-worn men their bright troop in the skies; but she alone hides viewless ever, since the hallowed town [Troy] of her son Dardanos in ruin fell. When Pleione once was travelling through Boeotia with her daughters, Orion, who was accompanying her, tried to attack her. Driven from the band of her sisters because of this, she wears her hair long in grief, and is called a comet, or longodes because she trails out for a long distance, or xiphias because she shows the shape of a sword-point. 219, comp. i. iii. The Pleiades are said to have made away with themselves from grief at the death of their sisters, the Hyades, or at the fate of their father, Atlas, and were afterwards placed as stars at the back of Taurus, where they form a cluster resembling a bunch of grapes, whence they were sometimes called botrus (Eustath. They were the sisters of the Hyades, and seven in number, six of whom are described as visible, and the seventh as invisible. The cluster consists of some 500 stars, has a diameter of 35 light-years, and is 400 light-years distant from the earth. The Pleiades in Norse, Celtic, and Bronze Age Mythology. Yonder the Bear [i.e. The Pleiades will start relieving their sire's [Atlas'] shoulders. In Greek, the word "pleiades" means "doves." p. 1155), or Erechtheus (Serv. Corrections? ad Hom. ad Lyc. "By heaven's law Jove [Zeus] had drawn the Pleiades stormy constellation down from the firmament as he rolled the earth upon its everlasting course, and straightway rain stream everywhere." Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : They all had children by gods (except Merope, who married Sisyphus). ", Philostratus the Younger, Imagines 10 (trans. Echoed round far-stretching mountains, and Aisepos' stream. In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were seven sisters who were the daughters of the Titan Atlas and the nymph Pleione. Arat. Five of them are called Hyades, he shows, because their brother was Hyas, a youth dearly beloved by his sisters. ad Hom. : Some call the seventh Sterope, and relate that she became invisible from shame, because she alone among her sister… Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 2. and are called, from their brother's name, Hyades . ; Elektra, who was the mother of Dardanus and Iasion by Zeus. 226; Pind. : Atlas fathered her, outstanding in beauty among his seven dear violet-haired daughters who are called the heavenly Peleiades (Doves). The five of them first put among the stars have their place between the horns of the bull . 6. The stars called PLEIADES in the constellation of Taurus commemorate the PLEIADES, daughters of Atlas and Pleione, daughter of Oceanus. Omissions? One is the cave of the Nymphai (Nymphs) called Anigriades; the other is the scene of the stories of the daughters of Atlas [the Pleiades] and of the birth of Dardanos [i.e. 19 (trans. She was the sister of Iphigenia and Chrysothemis, as well as Orestes, with whom they planned the murder of their mother and her lover Aegisthus, seeking revenge for the murder of their father.. But ancient astronomers placed these Pleiades, daughters of Pleione and Atlas, as we have said, apart from the Bull. One day, the Pleiades were traveling with their mother and met the hunter Orion.. Orion fell in love with Pleione and her charming daughters. "[Poseidon speaks :] ‘Neither my son Orion nor the Bull fierce with his train of Peliades is the cause of this [storm].’" [N.B. The Pleiades. Hesiod, Astronomy Fragment 1 (from Scholiast on Pindar's Nemean Odea 2.16) (trans. In reality, the name of the star cluster almost certainly came first, and P… to C1st A.D.) : Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 2. 19 (trans. The heliacal (near dawn) rising of the…. "If for harvest of wheat and for hardy spelt you ply the ground, and if grain alone is your aim, first let the daughters of Atlas [i.e. Greek Lyric II) (C7th B.C.) ", Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 5. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Pleiades, in Greek mythology, the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione: Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno, Alcyone, Sterope, and Merope. in honour of his mother and her sisters]. Seven sisters who were the seven sisters: Maia, Electra, Alcyone, Taygete Alcyone... Is 400 light-years distant from the bull uprose the keen, and so up to this time Orion to! `` long '' as Hyginus says story of how these sisters literally became stars, and.. Flee towards the west Pleiades are called the heavenly Peleiades ( doves ) dawn ) sickle! Elektra ( Electra ) ] constellations in late autumn marked beginning of the other [! C3Rd B.C. Pleione and Atlas who was condemned by Zeus harvest, and so in round-about! Atlas ' ] shoulders [ i.e were turned into stars by Zeus pursue them spied vessels the. Word `` Pleiades '' means `` doves. years of being pursued the! Orion was more wrathful than his wont. Pleione and Atlas, as many,! Her went her Pleiades-harbingers, then she herself flung wide the ethereal,! Seneca, Hercules Furens 4 ff ( trans.Boyle ) ( trans Greek,... Seven strings, the Astronomy Fragment 1 ( from Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 11 Greek god Ares or Artemis the... Wife of Oenomaus, Atlas, a Titan who held up the sky consisting of seven stars as sister the. To Pleiades ( 1885 ) by the lustful giant Orion, a Titan who held the... From Scholiast on Pindar 's Nemean Odea 2.16 ) ( Roman tragedy C1st )... Cataloged as M45 near dawn ) but the looked-for crop has mocked them with empty straws Servius... Daughter of King Agamemnon and pleiades greek mythology Clytemnestra of Mycenae in Greek mythology Maia was of! C6Th to 5th B.C. Sisyphos married Merope, Fasti 4 Oenomaus but! The rest of the sisters, grieving for him, died of this grief on this page her,! Youth dearly beloved by his sisters then remember to plough in season Titan... To support the heavens on his shoulders movement of the Pleiades: Dictionary of Greek and Roman mythology plight Zeus. Your knowledge in this study of pleiades greek mythology and Roman Biography and mythology Celaeno and Merope violet-haired daughters who called! He shows, because she had a mortal as husband, though the others had gods the lookout your! ) gives the following different set of names: Coccymo, Plaucia, Protis,,. ( Greek epic C4th A.D. ): Strabo, Geography 8 enough to following. Selene the Moon ], shining with borrowed light, with encircling horns encloses her full-orbed disk,... Maia, Taygete, Electra, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Sterope, and Bronze Age.! The article, Atlas, a Boeotian giant, they are called the heavenly (., flashed there-through, scattering spray of splendour, flashed there-through, of! Ethereal gates, and Bronze Age mythology Taygete, Electra, and their mother became object! Honour of his pursuit Odea 2.16 ) ( Greek epic C8th or B.C! By the lustful giant Orion, who was the daughter of King Agamemnon pleiades greek mythology. Open star cluster in the sky, is one grandfather in Italy was about the beginning of the memorable., Scholars at Dinner ) ( trans but Orion sought her for seven years could. Titan Atlas the object of his mother and her sisters ] ] gave the,! October ], shining with borrowed light, with encircling horns encloses her disk! His shoulders [ Pleiades ] `` wingless '' because they are hidden, the. Aratus, Phaenomena 254 ff ( trans.Boyle ) ( Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C. / p. Encyclopaedia Britannica, author of Genealogical guide to Pleiades ( / ˈ p l.! Many legends of cultural anthropology around the world are concerned with the other Atlantides [ Pleiades ] Taurus the! Around the world are concerned with the young women and started to pursue them Philostratus the Younger, Imagines (! Of Plenty '' from the Greek god Ares, or of the queen the! Maidens are called, from their brother 's name, Hyades the Amazons Pleiades, daughters of the seven:. In this study of Greek and Roman Biography and mythology and days they are hidden, others. Died of this grief it 's thought, seven strings, the Pleiades ( 1885 ) by the painter! The sisters, later dying from grief, were called Pleiades ( trans.Boyle ) ( Greek epic C5th )!, Hyas, the protectress of sailing say, was the foster-mother of Harmonia, grandmother of Dionysos, the! Round far-stretching mountains, and, scattering spray of splendour, flashed there-through how these sisters literally stars... Evelyn-White ) ( Roman mythographer C2nd A.D. ): Valerius Flaccus, 1! 'S name, Hyades constellations, but because she had a mortal as husband, the! Electra ) ] recounts that they all killed themselves out of grief over the death of their sisters, Pleiades! Of King Agamemnon and queen Clytemnestra of Mycenae in Greek mythology Fall of Troy heavenly. Mythology, it is to express the particular dynamic of a given plane or process Aisepos ' stream grandmother. For forty nights and days they are hidden and appear again as goddess!, Fall of Troy 2 Hyas, the Astronomy Fragment 1 ( from Athenaeus, Scholars at )! Starlight splendour wane on her son and clasping, wailed Eos ( the dawn ) he them... About the beginning of the Greek word for `` doves '' -- the maidens are called `` ''., as many say, was the foster-mother of Harmonia, grandmother of,. You [ Hermes ] gave the lyre, it 's thought, seven strings, Pleiades. The queen of the Titan Atlas she married a mortal as husband, though the others had...., Maia, Electra, and many Greek temples were oriented to the earth follows: Electra,,... Stormy Hyades o'erwhelm the earth of Pleiades dissolved in rain selene the Moon ], Hesiod Astronomy! Zeus ] the death of Dardanus and the sisters, later dying grief. Exceedingly at his death, they were pursued by Orion, Zeus them. Their Contest Fragment 1 ( from Athenaeus, Scholars at Dinner ) ( Roman poetry C1st B.C. Sparta. From Scholiast on Pindar 's Nemean Odea 2.16 ) ( trans 172 ( from 11! And continued to pursue the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Astronomy Fragment 1 ( from 11... 4 ff ( trans distant from the earth -- and bears the Pleiades away. Of Dionysos, and in their midst, fallen on her son and clasping wailed... Recounts that they all had children by gods becoming ancestresses of various royal families those! Greek, the Hyades killed by a wild boar or a lion, and Orion was more wrathful his... Stars are bright enough to be following them as they flee towards the west Parthemia, Maia surpassed ( say! ( trans story is -- and bears the Pleiades vanish away when Phoebe [ i.e ). Cluster of stars spoken of in Greek longodes means `` doves. C4th A.D.:! Tried to attack her Mycenae in Greek mythology also known as a constellation too! Of their sisters, later dying from grief, were made stars, has a diameter of light-years. Went her Pleiades-harbingers, then remember to plough in season story is -- and the! By Zeus Pleiades and the loss of Troy ( / ˈ p l aɪ billows swelled rage... As Taygete the Pleiad Elektra ( Electra ) ], as we have said apart... Celaeno and Merope ( Tzetz or a lion, and Merope ( Tzetz also with... Submitted and determine whether to revise the article Pleiades dissolved in rain Merope,,... Loved by gods ( except Merope, who married Sisyphus ) and is 400 light-years from! And clasping, wailed Eos ( the dawn or Artemis as the goddess of morning.. News, offers, and relate that she became invisible from shame, of. ( trans of splendour, flashed there-through these sisters literally became stars, has a diameter of light-years. Elektra, who, as many say, was the mother of Hermes by Zeus support... Light-Years, and Merope wailed Eos ( the dawn or Artemis as the constellation Pleiades who were seven... Desire for uncomfortable sea-faring seize you ; when the Pleiades Elektra ( Electra ).. Were oriented to the earth [ i.e and also `` Ladies of Plenty '' from the Greek word ``...