Editing Coeus (section)

== Mythology ==
Coeus was an obscure figure,<ref>[[Ovid]] in ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' (VI.185) alludes to Coeus' obscure nature: "[[Leto|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 [[Delphi|Delphic divination]]", and he suspects that Phoebe, Koios and [[Themis]] were Delphic additions to the list of ''Titanes'', drawn from various archaic sources.</ref> and like most of the Titans he played no active part in Greek mythology—he appears only in lists of Titans<ref>Such as [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D104 133]; [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022%3Atext%3DLibrary%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D3 1.1.3]; [[Diodorus Siculus]], ''[[Bibliotheca historica]]'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/5D*.html#66.3 5.66.3]; [[Clement of Alexandria]], ''Recognitions'' [http://www.theoi.com/Text/ClementRecognitions.html#31 31].</ref>—but was primarily important for his descendants.<ref>Hesiod included among his descendants [[Hekate]], daughter of Asteriē, as [[Apostolos Athanassakis|Apostolos N. Athanassakis]], noted, correcting the ''[[Oxford Classical Dictionary|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).</ref> With his sister, "shining" [[Phoebe (Titaness)|Phoebe]], Coeus fathered two daughters, [[Leto]]<ref>[[Homeric Hymn|Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo]], [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0138%3Ahymn%3D3%3Acard%3D47 61]; in the [[Orphism (religion)|Orphic Hymn]] to Leto she is ''Leto Koiantis'', "Leto, daughter of Koios".</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hymn 3 to Apollo, line 47 |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0138:hymn=3:card=47 |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> and [[Asteria]].<ref>[[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+404&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130 404 ff]; Pseudo-Apollodorus, ''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022%3Atext%3DLibrary%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D2%3Asection%3D2 1.2.2]</ref> Leto copulated with [[Zeus]] (the son of fellow Titans [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]]) and bore [[Artemis]] and [[Apollo]]. Asteria became the mother of [[Hecate]] by [[Perses (Titan)|Perses]] (son of fellow Titan [[Crius]] and half-sister [[Eurybia (mythology)|Eurybia]]).

Along with the other Titans, Coeus was overthrown by Zeus and the other [[Twelve Olympians|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]].<ref>[[Valerius Flaccus (poet)|Valerius Flaccus]], "Argonautica" 3.224 ff</ref>

[[Tacitus]] wrote that Coeus was the first inhabitant of the island of [[Kos]], which claimed to be the birthplace of his daughter Leto.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cornelius Tacitus, The Annals, BOOK XII, chapter 61 |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0078:book=12:chapter=61 |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> Coeus's name was modified from {{lang|grc|Κοῖος}} (''Koîos'') to {{lang|grc|Κῶιος}} (''Kōios''), leading to his association with the island.{{sfn|Herodas|2009| page = [https://books.google.com/books?id=4lbwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]}}

Eventually Zeus freed the Titans, presumably including Coeus.<ref>[[Pindar]], ''Pythian Odes'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg002.perseus-eng1:4 4.289-291]; additionally, [[Aeschylus]]' lost play ''[[Prometheus Unbound (Aeschylus)|Prometheus Unbound]]'' features a chorus of freed Titans.</ref>