Cilix (;

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

: Κίλιξ ''Kílix'') was, according to

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, a

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

n prince as the son of King

Agenor Agenor (; ) was in Greek mythology and history a Phoenician monarch, king of Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre or Sidon. The Greeks, Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484–425 BC), born in the city of Halicarnassus under the Achaemenid Empire, estimated that Agen ...

and

Telephassa Telephassa (; , ''Tēléphassa'', "far-shining"), also spelled Telephaassa (; ) and Telephe (; ), is a lunar epithet in Greek mythology that is sometimes substituted for Argiope the wife of Agenor, according to his name a "leader of men" in Phoen ...

or Argiope.

Etymology

In her book ''Who's Who in Classical Mythology'', author

Adrian Room Adrian Richard West Room (27 September 1933, Melksham – 6 November 2010, Stamford, Lincolnshire, Stamford, Lincolnshire)''Contemporary Authors Online'', Gale, 2002; accessed 20 May 2013. was a British toponymist and onomastician, a Fellow of the ...

describes the name's etymology: "we can perhaps see in his name a blend of ceras, 'horn' and helix, 'twisted', or even a link with cyllos, 'crooked'". This is referring to the horns of Zeus in the form of a white bull, who carried off Cilix's sister Europa to the coast of Crete. Cilicia's etymology is broken up into two parts according to the two parts of its terrain. Cilicia Trachea is "rugged Cilicia", in Greek Κιλικία Τραχεῖα; it is also the Assyrian '' Hilakku'', classical "Cilicia". Cilicia Pedias is "flat Cilicia", in Ancient Greek: Κιλικία Πεδιάς, and in Assyrian '' Quwê''.

Family

Cilix was the brother of

Cadmus In Greek mythology, Cadmus (; ) was the legendary Phoenician founder of Boeotian Thebes, Greece, Thebes. He was, alongside Perseus and Bellerophon, the greatest hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. Commonly stated to be a ...

, Phoenix and Europa. He was the father of Thebe, wife of Corybas, the son of

Iasion In Greek mythology, Iasion () or Iasus (), also called Eetion (), was the founder of the mystic rites on the island of Samothrace. Family According to the mythographer Apollodorus, Iasion is the son of the Pleiad Electra and Zeus, and the ...

and

Cybele Cybele ( ; Phrygian: ''Matar Kubileya, Kubeleya'' "Kubeleya Mother", perhaps "Mountain Mother"; Lydian: ''Kuvava''; ''Kybélē'', ''Kybēbē'', ''Kybelis'') is an Anatolian mother goddess; she may have a possible forerunner in the earliest ...

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...

5.49.3
/ref> While some sources claim that Thasus is related to Cilix, as a brother or nephew, Thasus' genealogy is not fully agreed upon. Hawthorne's tale specifically calls Thasus a "playfellow", and mentions no blood relation to Agenor. There is little information about this, and the only widely agreed on information is that Thasus founded the town of Thasos.

Mythology

When Europa was carried off by Zeus, Agenor sent his three sons out to find her, telling them not to return until they find her. The search was unsuccessful. Cilix eventually settled down in

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

. The land was called

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

after him.Pseudo-Apollodorus, ''Bibliotheca'', 3.1.1

Hyginus Hyginus may refer to: People *Hyginus, the author of the '' Fabulae'', an important ancient Latin source for Greek mythology. *Hyginus, the author of the ''Astronomia'', a popular ancient Latin guide on astronomy, probably the same as the author ...

, ''Fabulae'
6

178
/ref> Cilix's son, Thasus (who might have also been a son of

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

), who accompanied his uncle Cadmus in his journey. Thasus was said to become king of island

Thasos Thasos or Thassos (, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area. The island has an area of 380 km2 and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate regiona ...

''Tanglewood Tales''

Author Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel ''

Tanglewood Tales ''Tanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls'' is an 1853 book by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, a sequel to '' A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys''. It is a re-writing of well-known Greek myths in a volume for children. Overview The book includes ...

'' features Cilix in the story "Dragon's Teeth". The story is a re-telling of Europa's disappearance and her family's search for her, aimed towards a younger audience. After the party leaves Phoenix, Cilix seemed to be more tormented by it than the rest of them. He tells the party that "methinks we are like people in a dream"; he states that they had been looking for the missing Europa for so long that not only can he not remember what she looks or sounds like, but questions whether or not she existed in the first place. Cilix states that he has "resolved to take up my abode here", and entreats Thasus, Cadmus, and Telephassa to join him. They refuse, but help him build a habitation. Other settlers joined him and built their own living spaces, and this land turned into Cilicia. Cilix's small abode turned into a marble palace; after the inhabitants found out he was a king's son, they decided to make him king of the land. He appeared on the balcony every noontide, "in a long purple robe, and with a jeweled crown upon his head". One of his first acts of his new government was to send out an exhibition to visit the principal kingdoms of the earth to look for Europa. In Hawthorne's last substantial mention of Cilix in the story, he remarks on Cilix's remorse, stating "It is, therefore, plain to my mind, that Cilix secretly blamed himself for giving up the search for Europa, as long as he was able to put one foot before the other".

Cilicia

515x515px, Aegean Cilicia or Mysian Cilicia, South of Mt. İda 300px, Cilicia, North

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Levantine Cilicia

, mythically, quickly grew from Cilix's home to a full province. Historically, Cilicia was a part of the ancient Roman Empire on the southeast portion of Asia Minor. It was settled from the Neolithic period onwards. The terrain, mostly rugged, is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the south and mountains on to the north and east. Cilicia was a neighbor of Lycia. The Cilicians and Lycians did not have good character according to the Greeks, and they fought each other as well as Greeks passing on the coast of the Mediterranean often. The land has biblical influences as well. Its capital, Tarsus, is the famous birthplace of Paul the Apostle. When news of Christianity reached Cilicia, Paul came and founded churches on the land. There are numerous mention of Cilicia in the Bible, particularly in Acts 6-23. Acts 15:41 describes Paul the Apostle coming back to Cilicia, saying "And he went through Syria and Cilicia, blessing the churches". Paul also passed by Cilicia on his sea voyage to Rome as a prisoner. In Martin P. Nilsson's book ''The Mycenean Origin of Greek Mythology'', Nilsson mentions Cilicia and Lycia from an archaeological standpoint. The lands are known now more from a mythical rather than a physical way. Not many artifacts have been found there, but Nilsson refers to a

Einar Gjerstad Einar Nilson Gjerstad (30 October 1897 – 8 January 1988) was a Swedish archaeologist. He was most noted for his research of the ancient Mediterranean, particularly known for his work on Cyprus, as well as his studies of early Rome. Biography ...

who had been to the land. He writes "Unhappily this country is almost unknown archaeologically. But Dr. Gjerstad who visited Cilicia recently informs me that there is evidence of Mycenean colonization in this district". But as ''The Mycenean Origin of Greek Mythology'' was published in 1932, more artifacts may have been found.

Aegean Cilicia

The area is coastal plain in the East of Adramytteion Gulf, between Troas and

Aeolis Aeolis (; ), or Aeolia (; ), was an area that comprised the west and northwestern region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), mostly along the coast, and also several offshore islands (particularly Lesbos), where the Aeolian Greek city-states w ...

, Aegean cost of

Mysia Mysia (UK , US or ; ; ; ) was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor (Anatolia, Asian part of modern Turkey). It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lyd ...

. Similar with Cilix's brother Cadmus who built a city name Thebes in Beotia; there is a city called Thebe in this region. The region is much more close to Greek island

. Pseudo-Apollodoros stated that Cilix settled near

around the Pyramus, meaning in Levantine Cilicia.

Argive genealogy

Notes

References

Apollodorus Apollodorus ( Greek: Ἀπολλόδωρος ''Apollodoros'') was a popular name in ancient Greece. It is the masculine gender of a noun compounded from Apollo, the deity, and doron, "gift"; that is, "Gift of Apollo." It may refer to: :''Note: A ...

, ''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. ISBN 0-674-99135-4
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website
*

, '' The Library of History'' translated by

Charles Henry Oldfather Charles Henry Oldfather (13 June 1887 – 20 August 1954) was an American professor of Greek and Ancient History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was born in Tabriz, Qajar dynasty, Persia. Parentage Oldfather's parents, Jeremiah and Feli ...

. Twelve volumes.

Loeb Classical Library The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a monographic series of books originally published by Heinemann and since 1934 by Harvard University Press. It has bilingual editions of ancient Greek and Latin literature, ...

. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8
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
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
*

Gaius Julius Hyginus Gaius Julius Hyginus (; 64 BC – AD 17) was a Latin author, a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Augustus, and reputed author of the '' Fabulae'' and the '' De astronomia'', although this is disputed. Life and works ...

, ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
*

Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...

, '' The Histories'' with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1920. {{ISBN, 0-674-99133-8
Online version at the Topos Text Project.Greek text available at Perseus Digital Library
Princes in Greek mythology Kings in Greek mythology Agenorides Phoenician characters in Greek mythology Greek mythology of Anatolia Progenitors in Greek mythology