ASTRAEUS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Astraeus is most commonly named as a second generation Titan, a son of the Titan Crius and Eurybia; hence Astraeus was brother to Pallas and Perses.
Astraeus, the Starry One
The Titans, under Cronus, ruled the cosmos in the period preceding Zeus and the Olympian gods, and it was during this period that Astraeus was named as Greek god of the dusk. The name Astraeus is normally translated as meaning “Starry-one”.
Astraeus would also be the Greek god of stars, planets and astrology, and also connected with the winds, for the winds would often appear at dusk, and the stars and planets began to emerge at dusk.
Astraeus would also be the Greek god of stars, planets and astrology, and also connected with the winds, for the winds would often appear at dusk, and the stars and planets began to emerge at dusk.
Astraeus as a Father
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Astraeus would be partnered with another second-generation Titan, Eos, goddess of the dawn, and daughter of Hyperion.
Astraeus would thus become father to a number of children, for Eos gave birth to the five Astra Planeta, the gods of the wandering stars, and the four Anemoi, the main gods of the winds. Thus the sons of Astraeus were Stilbon, Eospheros, Pyroeis, Phaethon and Phainon, the Astra Planeta, and Boreas, Notus, Eurus and Zephyrus, the Anemoi. It was also said in some ancient sources that Astraeus also had a daughter named Astraea, a goddess linked to virtue, innocence and justice; Astraea would become the constellation Virgo. The Greek God AstraeusAstraeus is not a prominent figure in any surviving tales of Greek mythology, and was perhaps more useful as a figure to explain the presence of other more prominent gods, his sons.
It is assumed that Astraeus sided with the Titans, his kin, during the Titanomachy, but there is no complete work from antiquity that gives details of the Titanomachy. If he fought against Zeus though, it would be assumed that after the ten year war he would be punished with incarceration in Tartarus. |
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Astraeus though, along with several other Titans, are named amongst the Gigantes who fought against Zeus and the Olympian gods during the Gigantomachy. In the work attributed to Hyginus, Astraeus is named a son of Tartarus and Gaia, so whether there is confusion between two distinct figures from Greek mythology is not clear.
Astraeus and Aeolus
Astraeus is sometimes conflated with Aeolus, the keeper of the winds; it was quite possible that Aeolus was but a mortal king favoured by the gods and only keeper of the storm winds, with nothing to do with the Anemoi.
Astraeus Family Tree
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