- Aega (mythology)
Aega (Greek: polytonic|Αίγη) was, according to Hyginus, a daughter of
Olenus , who was a descendant ofHephaestus . [Hyginus, "Poet. Astr." ii. 13] Aega and her sisterHelice nursed the infantZeus inCrete , and the former was afterwards changed by the god into the constellation called Capella.According to other traditions mentioned by Hyginus, Aega was a daughter of Melisseus, king of
Crete , and was chosen to suckle the infantZeus ; but as she was found unable to do it, the service was performed by the goat Amalthea.According to others authors, Aega was a daughter of
Helios and of such dazzling brightness that the Titans in their attack uponOlympus became frightened and requested their mother Gaia conceal her in the earth. She was accordingly confined in a cave in Crete, where she became the nurse of Zeus. In theTitanomachy , Zeus was commanded by anoracle to cover himself with her skin ("aegis"). He obeyed the command and raised Aega among the stars.Similar, though somewhat different accounts, were given by Euemerus and others. [
Eratosthenes , "Catasterismi " 13] [Antoninus Liberalis , 36] [Lactantius , "Instit." i. 22. § 19] It is clear that in some of these stories Aega is regarded as anymph , and in others as agoat , though the two ideas are not kept clearly distinct from each other. Her name is either connected with polytonic|αίξ, which signifies a goat, or with polytonic|άιξ, a gale of wind; and this circumstance has led some critics to consider the myth about her as made up of two distinct ones, one being of an astronomical nature and derived from the constellation Capella, the rise of which brings storms and tempests, [Arat., "Phaen." 150] and the other referring to the goat which was believed to have suckled the infant Zeus in Crete. [Citation
last = Schmitz
first = Leonhard
author-link =
contribution = Aega
editor-last = Smith
editor-first = William
title =Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
volume = 1
pages = 24
publisher =
place = Boston
year = 1867
contribution-url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0033.html ]References
ources
*SmithDGRBM
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