Editing Coeus

{{Short description|Ancient Greek Titan}}
{{Infobox deity 
| type         = Greek
| name         = Coeus
| member_of    = [[Titan (mythology)|Titans]]
| abode        = [[Tartarus]]
| battles      = [[Titanomachy]]
| consort      = [[Phoebe (Titaness)|Phoebe]]
| parents      = [[Uranus (mythology)|Uranus]] and [[Gaia]]
| script_name  = Ancient Greek
| offspring    = [[Leto]], [[Asteria]]
}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Coeus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|iː|ə|s}};<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gardner|first1=Dorsey|title=Webster's Condensed Dictionary|date=1887|publisher=George Routledge and Sons|page=714|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aU0yAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA714|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref> {{langx|grc|[[wikt:Κοῖος|Κοῖος]]|translit=Koîos}}, "query, questioning" or "intelligence"<ref>[[Robert Graves]]. ''[[The Greek Myths]], section 14 s.v. Births of Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus''</ref>), also called '''Polus''',<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#0.2 Preface] and [https://topostext.org/work/206#140 140]</ref> was one of the [[Titans]], one of the three groups of children born to [[Uranus (mythology)|Uranus]] (Sky) and [[Gaia]] (Earth).

== 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>

== Genealogy ==
{{chart top|Coeus's family tree <ref>[[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+132 132&ndash;138], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+337 337&ndash;411], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+453 453&ndash;520], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+901 901&ndash;906, 915&ndash;920]; Caldwell, pp. 8&ndash;11, tables 11&ndash;14.</ref>|collapsed=no}}
{{chart/start}}
{{chart|}}
{{chart| | | | | | | | | | | |URA |y|GAI |~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|y|PON|URA=[[Uranus (mythology)|Uranus]]|GAI=[[Gaia]]|PON=[[Pontus (mythology)|Pontus]]}}
{{chart|,|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| | | |!}}
{{chart|!|OCE |y|TET | | | |HYP |y|THE | | | | |CRI |y|EUR|OCE=[[Oceanus]]|TET=[[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]]|HYP=[[Hyperion (Titan)|Hyperion]]|THE=[[Theia]]|CRI=[[Crius]]|EUR=[[Eurybia (mythology)|Eurybia]]}}
{{chart|!| |,|-|^|-|.| | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | |,|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|.}}
{{chart|!|RIV | |OCE | |HEL | |SEL | |EOS | |AST | |PAL |F|PER | RIV=<small>The&nbsp;[[River gods (Greek mythology)|Rivers]]</small>|OCE=<small>The&nbsp;[[Oceanids]]</small>|HEL=[[Helios]]|SEL=[[Selene]]&nbsp;<ref>Although usually the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, as in [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+371 371&ndash;374], in the ''[[Homeric Hymns|Homeric Hymn]] to Hermes'' (4), [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=HH+4+99&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0138 99&ndash;100], Selene is instead made the daughter of Pallas the son of Megamedes.</ref>|EOS=[[Eos]]|AST=[[Astraeus]]|PAL=[[Pallas (Titan)|Pallas]]|PER=[[Perses (Titan)|Perses]]}}
{{chart|!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |:|}}
{{chart|)|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | |:}}
{{chart|!| | | | |CRO |y|RHE | | | | | | | |COE |y|PHO | | |:|COE='''COEUS'''|PHO=[[Phoebe (Titaness)|Phoebe]]|CRO=[[Cronus]]|RHE=[[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]]}}
{{chart|!| |,|-|v|-|v|-|+|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | |:}}
{{chart|!|HES |!|HER |!|POS | |ZEU |~|y|~|LET | |AST |~|y|J|HES=[[Hestia]]|HER=[[Hera]]|POS=[[Poseidon]]|ZEU=[[Zeus]]|LET=[[Leto]]|AST=[[Asteria]]}}
{{chart|!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | | | |!}}
{{chart|!| | |DEM | |HAD | | | | |APO | |ART | | | | | |HEC|DEM=[[Demeter]]|HAD=[[Hades]]|APO=[[Apollo]]|ART=[[Artemis]]|HEC=[[Hecate]]}}
{{chart|!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{chart|`|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.}}
{{chart| | | | |IAP |y|CLY | | | | | |THE |~|y|~|ZEU |~|y|~|MNE |IAP=[[Iapetus (mythology)|Iapetus]]|CLY=[[Clymene (wife of Iapetus)|Clymene]]&nbsp;(or&nbsp;[[Asia (Oceanid)|Asia]])&nbsp;<ref>According to [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+507 507&ndash;511], Clymene, one of the [[Oceanid]]s, the daughters of [[Oceanus]] and [[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]], at [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+351 351], was the mother by Iapetus of Atlas, Menoetius, Prometheus, and Epimetheus, while according to [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022%3Atext%3DLibrary%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D2%3Asection%3D3 1.2.3], another Oceanid, Asia was their mother by Iapetus.</ref>|THE=[[Themis]]|ZEU=(Zeus)|MNE=[[Mnemosyne]]}}
{{chart| |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | | | |!| | | | | |!}}
{{chart|ATL | |MEN | |PRO | |EPI | | | | |HOR | | | |MUS |ATL=[[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]]&nbsp;<ref>According to [[Plato]], ''[[Critias (dialogue)|Critias]]'', [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0059.tlg032.perseus-eng1:113d 113d&ndash;114a], Atlas was the son of [[Poseidon]] and the mortal [[Cleito]].</ref>|MEN=[[Menoetius (Greek mythology)|Menoetius]]|PRO=[[Prometheus]]&nbsp;<ref>In [[Aeschylus]], ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'' 18, 211, 873 (Sommerstein, pp. [http://www.loebclassics.com/view/aeschylus-prometheus_bound/2009/pb_LCL145.445.xml 444&ndash;445 n. 2], [http://www.loebclassics.com/view/aeschylus-prometheus_bound/2009/pb_LCL145.467.xml 446&ndash;447 n. 24], [http://www.loebclassics.com/view/aeschylus-prometheus_bound/2009/pb_LCL145.539.xml 538&ndash;539 n. 113]) Prometheus is made to be the son of [[Themis]].</ref>|EPI=[[Epimetheus (mythology)|Epimetheus]]|HOR=<small>The&nbsp;[[Horae]]</small>|MUS=<small>The&nbsp;[[Muses]]</small>}}
{{chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|2}}

== References ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* 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. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0138%3Ahymn%3D2 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0137 Greek text available from the same website].
* [[Pindar]], ''Odes'', Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DO.%3Apoem%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Clement of Alexandria]], ''Recognitions'' from [[Ante-Nicene Period|Ante-Nicene]] Library Volume 8'','' translated by Smith, Rev. Thomas. T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh. 1867. [http://www.theoi.com/Text/ClementRecognitions.html 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&ndash;8. [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html 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. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540 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. [http://www.theoi.com/Text/ValeriusFlaccus1.html Online version at theoi.com.]
* [[Gaius Valerius Flaccus]], ''Argonauticon.'' Otto Kramer. Leipzig. Teubner. 1913. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2007.01.0058 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* {{cite book | title = Mimiambs | date = 2009 | isbn = 978-0-85668-883-6 | publisher = [[Oxbow Books]] | author = [[Herodas]] | translator = Graham Zanker}}
* [[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. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0129 Greek text available from the same website].
* [http://dante.udallas.edu/hutchison/Mythology/Titans/coeus.htm Historiae Romanorum: Coeus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720082319/http://dante.udallas.edu/hutchison/Mythology/Titans/coeus.htm |date=2011-07-20 }}
* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|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.]
* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|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. [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].
* [[Ovid|Publius Ovidius Naso]], ''Metamorphoses'' translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0028 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* [[Ovid|Publius Ovidius Naso]], ''Metamorphoses.'' Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [http://messagenetcommresearch.com/myths/ppt/Coeus_1.html 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. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0078%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D1 Online text available at Perseus.tufts].
* ''The Hymns of Orpheus''. Translated by Taylor, Thomas (1792). University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. [http://www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns1.html Online version at theoi.com]
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanKoios.html COEUS from The Theoi Project]
* [https://mythopedia.com/topics/coeus COEUS from Mythopedia]

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{{Greek mythology (deities)}}

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[[Category:Greek gods]]
[[Category:Children of Gaia]]
[[Category:Titans (mythology)]]
[[Category:Condemned souls in Tartarus]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses characters]]
[[Category:Kos]]
[[Category:Leto]]