View source for Nephele (mythology)

{{short description|Greek goddess of hospitality}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Greek
| name = Nephele
| member_of = the Athamantian Royal House
| image = Pompeii - Casa dei Vettii - Ixion.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = ''Punishment of [[Ixion]]''<br>Nephele sitting at [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury's]] feet. Roman fresco in the [[House of the Vettii]] [[Pompeii]]
| other_names = 
| cult_center = 
| abode = [[Ancient Thessaly|Thessaly]], then [[Boeotia]]
| planet = 
| consort = (i) [[Ixion]]<br>(ii) [[Athamas]]
| parents = (a) Formed of a cloud by [[Zeus]]<br>(b) [[Oceanus]] and/or [[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]]{{cn|date=January 2024}}<br>(c) [[Aether (mythology)|Aether]]
| siblings = 
| offspring = (i) [[Centaurus (Greek mythology)|Centaurus]] (ii) [[Phrixus]] and [[Helle (mythology)|Helle]]
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| Roman_equivalent = 
| Etruscan_equivalent = 
}}

In [[Greek mythology|Greek]] and [[Roman mythology]], '''Nephele''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|ɛ|f|ə|l|iː}}; {{langx|grc|Νεφέλη|Nephélē|cloud, mass of clouds}};<ref>[[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 1012.</ref> corresponding to [[Latin]] ''nebula'') is the name of two figures associated with clouds, sometimes confused with each other, who figure respectively in the stories of [[Ixion]] and in the story of [[Phrixus]] and [[Helle (mythology)|Helle]].<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#14#1 1], [https://topostext.org/work/206#14#2 2]</ref>

== Mythology ==
=== The transformed cloud ===
Nephele was the name of the cloud created by [[Zeus]] in the image of [[Hera]] in order to decieve Ixion after the latter had attempted to force himself on Hera.<ref name="NeuePauly"> ''Der Neue Pauly'' s.v. ''Nephele''. ([https://archive.org/details/derneuepaulyenzy0008unse/page/n433/mode/2up p.838].)</ref> Hera told Zeus of Ixion's attempt and, in order to test him, Zeus made a cloud in the image of [[Hera]], which Ixion later assaulted, an act for which he was punished by Zeus.<ref name="Apollodorus">Apollodorus, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg002.perseus-grc1:e.1.20 Epitome 1.20].</ref> Nephele then gave birth to the [[Centaurus (Greek mythology)|Centauros]]<ref>Apollodorus, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg002.perseus-grc1:e.1.20 Epitome 1.20]. Pindar, ''Pythian'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg002.perseus-eng1:2] 2.43–44].</ref>

=== The Oceanid ===
Nephele is also the name of the [[Oceanids|Oceanid]] who married [[Athamas]], and by him was the mothers of twins: a son, [[Phrixus]], and a daughter, [[Helle (mythology)|Helle]].<ref name="NeuePauly"/> Athamas then divorced her for [[Ino (Greek mythology)|Ino]], who hatched a devious plot to get rid of the twins, roasting all the town's crop seeds so they would not grow. The local farmers, frightened of famine, asked a nearby [[oracle]] for assistance. Ino bribed the men sent to the oracle to lie and tell the others that the oracle required the sacrifice of Phrixus. Before he was killed though, Phrixus and Helle were rescued by a [[Chrysomallos|flying golden ram]] sent by their natural mother Nephele.

Phrixus and Helle were instructed to not look down to Earth for the duration of their flight.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} Helle, though, did look down, and fell off the ram into the [[Hellespont]] (which was named after her, meaning ''Sea of Helle'') and drowned. Phrixus survived all the way to [[Colchis]], where King [[Aeëtes]] took him in and treated him kindly, giving Phrixus his daughter, [[Chalciope_(daughter_of_Aeetes)|Chalciope]], in marriage. In gratitude, Phrixus gave the king the [[Golden Fleece]] of the Golden Ram, which Aeëtes hung in a tree in his kingdom. The Golden Fleece would later be taken by [[Jason]] and his [[Argonauts]].

==See also==
* [[Aries (constellation)]]
* [[Ganesha]]
* [[Nephilim]]
* [[Sylph]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==

* Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider (Eds) (2000) ''Der Neue Pauly'' Vol. 8. J. B. Metzler. 
* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Astronomica from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/207 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[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.]
* [[John Tzetzes]], ''Book of Histories,'' Book IX-X translated by Jonathan Alexander from the original Greek of T. Kiessling's edition of 1826.  [http://www.theoi.com/Text/TzetzesChiliades1.html Online version at theio.com]
* [[Bibliotheca (Apollodorus)|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. {{ISBN|0-674-99135-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].

== Further reading ==
* Waldner, Katharina, "Nephele", in ''[[Brill's New Pauly]]: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Antiquity, Volume 9'', Mini &ndash; Obe, edited by Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider, Brill, 2006. {{ISBN|9004122729}}.

{{Greek mythology (deities)}}
{{Metamorphoses in Greco-Roman mythology}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Family of Athamas]]
[[Category:Childhood goddesses]]
[[Category:Boeotian mythology]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses into humanoids in Greek mythology]]