Editing Astraeus

{{Short description|Son of Crius and Eurybia in Greek mythology}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox deity
| type         = Greek
| name         = Astraeus
| deity_of     = 
| member_of    = 
| image        =
| abode        = 
| consort      = [[Eos]]
| parents      = [[Crius]] and [[Eurybia (mythology)|Eurybia]]
| siblings     = [[Perses (Titan)|Perses]], [[Pallas (Titan)|Pallas]]
| offspring    = [[Boreas (god)|Boreas]], [[Notus (mythology)|Notus]], [[Zephyrus]], [[Eosphorus]], [[Astraea]]
}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Astraeus''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|s|t|r|iː|ə|s}}) or '''Astraios''' ({{langx|grc|Ἀστραῖος|Astraîos|starry}}<ref>Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA48 p. 48].</ref>) is the son of [[Crius]] and [[Eurybia (mythology)|Eurybia]], and the consort of [[Eos]]. He is said to be the father of the three [[Anemoi|winds]]: [[Boreas]], [[Zephyrus]], and [[Notus]].

== Etymology ==
His name "Astraeus" ([[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|Ἀστραῖος}}, translit. ''Astraîos'') is derived from the Greek word {{lang|grc|ἀστήρ}} (''astḗr'') "star". {{lang|grc|Ἀστήρ}} itself is inherited from the [[Proto-Indo-European]] root ''*h₂ster-'' "star", from ''*h₂eh₁s-'' "to burn".<ref>Beekes, pp. 156–157.</ref>

==Mythology==
According to [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'' and the ''[[Bibliotheca (Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'', Astraeus is one of the children of [[Crius]] and [[Eurybia (mythology)|Eurybia]].<ref name="The Theogony of Hesiod-p13">{{cite book|last=Hesiod|title=The Theogony of Hesiod|publisher=Forgotten Books|page=13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jN6KasrDA04C&dq=Astraeus&pg=PA13| isbn=978-1-60506-325-6}}</ref> However, [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]] wrote that he was descended directly from [[Tartarus]] and [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]] and referred to him as one of the [[Giants (Greek mythology)|Gigantes]]. [[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]], perhaps conflating him with the Giant like Hyginus did, wrote that he took arms and fought against the gods.<ref>[[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]], ''On Virgil's Aeneid'' [https://topostext.org/work/548#1.132 1.132]</ref>

Astraeus married [[Eos]], the goddess of the [[dawn]]. Together as nightfall and daybreak, they produced many [[children]] associated with what occurs in the sky during [[twilight]].

In [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'', Astraeus and Eos produce the winds&mdash;namely [[Zephyrus]], [[Boreas (god)|Boreas]], and [[Notus]]&mdash;as well as [[Eosphorus]] and the stars.<ref>Smith, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:entry=astraeus-bio-1&highlight=astraeus s.v. Astraeus]; [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg001.perseus-eng1:371-403 378&ndash;82].</ref> A few sources mention another daughter, [[Astraea (mythology)|Astraea]], the goddess of innocence and, occasionally, justice.<ref name="Anthon">{{cite book|last=Anthon|first=Charles|title=A Classical Dictionary|publisher=Harper & Brothers|year=1855|page=219|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-LAMAAAAYAAJ&dq=Astraeus+Hyginus&pg=PA219}}</ref>

He is also sometimes associated with [[Aeolus (son of Hippotes)|Aeolus]], the Keeper of the Winds, since winds often increase around dusk.

In [[Nonnus]]'s epic poem ''[[Dionysiaca]]'', Astraeus is presented as an oracular god whom the goddess [[Demeter]] visits, concerned about her daughter [[Persephone]]'s future as she had started to attract a significant number of admirers on [[Mount Olympus|Olympus]] and worried that she might end up marrying [[Hephaestus]]. Astraeus then warned her that soon enough, Persephone would be ravished by a [[Zeus|serpent]] and bear [[Zagreus|fruit]] from that union, which greatly upset Demeter.<ref>[[Nonnus]], ''[[Dionysiaca]]'' [https://archive.org/details/dionysiaca01nonnuoft/page/214/mode/2up?view=theater 6.1]–[https://archive.org/details/dionysiaca01nonnuoft/page/220/mode/2up?view=theater 6.105]</ref>

== Family tree ==
{{Eurybia and Crius}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* [[Robert S. P. Beekes|Beekes, Robert S. P.]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Leiden, Brill, 2009. {{ISBN|978-90-04-17418-4}}. [https://archive.org/details/etymological-dictionary-of-greek_202306/page/n1/mode/2up Internet Archive].
* Hard, Robin, ''The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology: Based on H.J. Rose's "Handbook of Greek Mythology"'', Psychology Press, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-415-18636-0}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC Google Books].
* [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'', in ''The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White'', Cambridge, Massachusetts, [[Harvard University Press]]; London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1914. [http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg001.perseus-eng1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus, Gaius Julius]], ''[[De astronomia]]'', in ''The Myths of Hyginus'', edited and translated by Mary A. Grant, Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1960. [https://topostext.org/work/207 Online version at ToposText].
* [[Nonnus]], ''[[Dionysiaca]]''; translated by [[W. H. D. Rouse|Rouse, W H D]], I Books I-XV. [[Loeb Classical Library]] No. 344, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1940. [https://archive.org/stream/dionysiaca01nonnuoft#page/n7/mode/2up Internet Archive].
* [[William Smith (lexicographer)|Smith, William]], ''[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]'', London (1873). [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.04.0104 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].

{{Greek religion}}
{{Greek mythology (deities)}}

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[[Category:Titans (mythology)]]
[[Category:Greek gods]]
[[Category:Stellar gods]]
[[Category:Light gods]]
[[Category:Oracular gods]]
[[Category:Classical oracles]]
[[Category:Consorts of Eos]]
[[Category:Night gods]]