In
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...
, Elate ( grc, Ἐλάτη, Elátē, fir) is a minor figure, the sister of the two
Aloadae
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In Greek mythology, the Aloadae () or Aloads (Ancient Greek: Ἀλωάδαι ''Aloadai'') were Otus or Otos (Ὦτος means "insatiate") and Ephialtes (Ἐφιάλτης "nightmare"), Thessalian sons of Princess Iphimedia, wife of Aloe ...
giants.
Family
As sister to the Aloadae, Elate was probably the daughter of
Iphimedeia
In Greek mythology, Iphimedeia (; Ancient Greek: Ἰφιμέδεια) or Iphimede (Ἰφιμέδη) was a Thessalian princess. She was attested in Homer's ''Odyssey'' in the Catalogue of women as being a mortal.
Family
Iphimedia was the daught ...
by either
Aloeus
Aloeus (; Ancient Greek: Ἀλωεύς probably derived from ἀλοάω ''aloaō'' "to thresh, to tread" as well as "to crush, to smash") can indicate one of the two characters in Greek mythology:
*Aloeus or Haloeus, a Thessalian prince as the ...
or
Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ...
, the god of the sea.
Mythology
Elate was big in size, as big as her enormous brothers. When they died after trying to wage war against the heavens, she mourned them so much she was changed into a
fir tree. She kept however her great size in her new life, hence the ancient Greek expression "a silver-fir tree big as heaven."
[Bloch, René (Berne)]
“Elate”
in: Brill’s New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and , Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry. Consulted online on 09 January 2023. Her sister,
Platanus
''Platanus'' is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae.
All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. All except ...
, had a similar fate.
See also
*
Heliades
*
Pelia
*
Niobe
In Greek mythology, Niobe (; grc-gre, Νιόβη ) was a daughter of Tantalus and of either Dione, the most frequently cited, or of Eurythemista or Euryanassa, the wife of Amphion and the sister of Pelops and Broteas.
Her father was the r ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
Women in Greek mythology
Metamorphoses into trees in Greek mythology
Greek giants
Thessalian characters in Greek mythology
Greek legendary creatures
Family of Canace
{{Greek-myth-stub