KELAINO
Greek Name
Κελαινω
Transliteration
Kelainô
Latin Spelling
Celaeno
Translation
Black (kelainos)
KELAINO (Celaeno) was a Pleiad star-nymph of the island of Euboia or Mount Kithairon (Cithaeron) in Boiotia loved by the god Poseidon.
Kelaino was probably identified with the nymph Klonie (Clonia).
PARENTS
[1.1] ATLAS (Hesiod Astronomy Frag 1)
[1.2] ATLAS & PLEIONE (Apollodorus 3.110, Hyginus Fabulae 192, Hyginus Astronomica 2.21, Ovid Fasti 4.169 & 5.79)
OFFSPRING
[1.1] LYKOS (by Poseidon) (Apollodorus 3.110)
[1.2] LYKOS, NYKTEUS (by Poseidon) (Hyginus Astronomica 2.21)
[1.3] EUPHEMOS, LYKOS, NYKTEUS (by Poseidon) (Hyginus Fabulae 157)
ENCYCLOPEDIA
CELAENO (Kelainô), a Pleiad, daughter of Atlas and Pleione, and by Poseidon the mother of Lycus and Eurypylus, or, according to others, of Lycus and Chimaereus by Prometheus. (Apollod. iii. 10. § 1; Ov. Her. xix. 135; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. iv. 1561; Tzetz. ad Lycoph 132.)
Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Hesiod, Astronomy Fragment 1 (from Scholiast on Pindar's Nemean Odea 2.16) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :
"The Pleiades whose stars are these :--‘Lovely Teygata (Taygeta), and dark-faced Elektra (Electra), and Alkyone (Alcyone), and bright Asterope, and Kelaino (Celaeno), and Maia, and Merope, whom glorious Atlas begot.’"
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 110 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"To Atlas and Okeanos' (Oceanus') daughter Pleione were born on Arkadian Kyllene (Cyllene) seven daughters called the Pleiades, whose names are Alkyone, Merope, Kelaino (Celaeno) . . . Poseidon slept with two of them: first with Kelaino, fathering Lykos (Lycus), whom Poseidon settled in the Islands of the Blest."
Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 157 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Sons of Neptunus [Poseidon] . . . Euphemus, Lycus and Nycteus by Celaeno daughter of Ergeus."
Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 21 :
"The Pleiades are called seven in number, but only six can be seen. This reason has been advanced, that of the seven, six mated with immortals (three with Jove [Zeus], two with Neptunus [Poseidon], and one with Mars [Ares]) . . . from Celaeno and Neptunus, [were born] Lycus and Nycteus."
Ovid, Fasti 4. 169 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"The Pleiades will start relieving their sire's [Atlas'] shoulders. Called seven, they are usually six, wither because six of them entered a god's embrace . . . Alcyone and you, fair Celaeno, [lay] with Neptunus [Poseidon]."
Ovid, Heroides 19. 129 ff (trans. Showerman) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"Neptunus [Poseidon], wert thou mindful of thine own heart's flames, thou oughtst let no love be hindered by the winds--if neither Amymone, nor Tyro much bepraised for beauty, are stories idly charged to thee, nor shining Alcyone, and Calyce, child of Hecataeon, nor Medusa . . . nor golden-haired Laodice and Celaeno taken to the skies, nor those whose names I mind me of having read. These, surely, Neptune, and many more, the poets say in their songs have mingled their soft embraces with thine own."
SOURCES
GREEK
- Hesiod, Astronomy Fragments - Greek Epic C8th - 7th B.C.
- Apollodorus, The Library - Greek Mythography C2nd A.D.
ROMAN
- Hyginus, Fabulae - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.
- Hyginus, Astronomica - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.
- Ovid, Fasti - Latin Poetry C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.
- Ovid, Heroides - Latin Poetry C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.