Philyra (mythology)

Philyra (Greek Φιλύρα "linden-tree") is the name of three distinct characters in Greek mythology.

Oceanid

Philyra was an Oceanid, a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, the second oldest Oceanid according to Callimachus.^[1] Chiron was her son by Cronus,^[2][3] who chased her and consorted with her in the shape of a stallion, hence the half-human, half-equine shape of their offspring;^[4][5] this was said to have taken place on Mount Pelion.^[6] When she gave birth to her son, she was so disgusted by how he looked that she abandoned him at birth, and implored the gods to transform her into anything other than anthrpomorphic as she could not bear the shame of having had such a monstrous child; the gods changed her into a linden tree.^[7][8] Yet in some versions Philyra and Chariclo, the wife of Chiron, nursed the young Achilles;^[9][10] Chiron's dwelling on Pelion where his disciples were reared was known as "Philyra's cave".^[11][12][13] Chiron was often referred to by the matronymic Philyrides or the like.^{[14][15][16][17][18]}

Two other sons of Cronos and Philyra may have been Dolops^[19] and Aphrus, the ancestor and eponym of the Aphroi, i. e. the native Africans.^[20]

Wife of Nauplius

Another Philyra was married to Nauplius and had with him three sons, Palamedes, Oeax and Nausimedon. She was also known as Clymene or Hesione.^[21][22]

Daughter of Asopus

Philyra or Phillyra was a daughter of the river Asopus, and the mother of Hypseus by Peneius.^[23] The same source points out that elsewhere Creusa is given instead of her.

References