GORGO AIX

AIX (Aex) was an ancient Gorgon slain by Zeus at the start of the Titan war. He crafted his famed aigis shield--a goat-hide arm-guard fringed with serpents--from its skin and set her fearsome visage upon it. Aix was also memorialised amongst the stars as the constellation Capra (Greek Aix) on the arm of Auriga. Capra's rising in late autumn heralded the onset of seasonal storms.

Aix was a daughter of the sun-god Helios. Like the aigis-shield itself, she symbolised the storm-cloud. Her name means both "Terrible Goat" and "Fierce Storm" for the Greek word aigis contains the double-meaning of "stormy" and "goatish".

An elder Gorgon was also sometimes described as the father of the Gorgon Medousa. This figure may be the same as Aix, for the primal Gorgon was a creature of indeterminable gender--a bearded woman or a man with womanly attributes.

The Gorgo Aix, was also described as the nurse of Zeus, and in this case she was a monstrous counterpart of the goat Amaltheia.

FAMILY OF GORGO AEX

PARENTS

[1.1] HELIOS (Hyginus Astronomica 2.13)
[2.1] TYPHOEUS & EKHIDNA (Hyginus Fabulae 151)

OFFSPRING

[1.1] THE GORGONES (by Keto) (Hyginus Pref)
[1.2] MEDOUSA (Hyginus Fabulae 151)

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"From Phorcus and Ceto [were born] : Phorcides, Pemphredo, Enyo, Persis (for the last others say Dino). From Gorgon and Ceto, Sthenno, Euryale, Medusa."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 151 :
"From Typhon the giant and Echidna were born Gorgon . . . Medusa, [was] daughter of Gorgon."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 13 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"On his [the constellation Auriga's] left shoulder (the goat) Capra stands . . . Some have called Aex the daughter of Sol (the Sun) [Helios], who surpassed many in beauty of body, but in contrast to this beauty, had a most horrible face. Terrified by it, the Titans begged Terra (Earth) [Gaia] to hide her body, and Terra is said to have hidden her in a cave in the island of Crete. Later she became nurse of Jove [Zeus], as we have said before. But when Jupiter [Zeus], confident in his youth, was preparing for war against the Titans, oracular reply was given to him that if he wished to win, he should carry on the war protected with the skin of a goat, aigos, and the head of the Gorgon. The Greeks call this the aegis. When this was done, as we have shown above, Jupiter [Zeus], overcoming the Titans, gained possession of the kingdom. Covering the remaining bones of the goat with a skin, he gave life to them and memorialised them, picturing them with stars. Afterwards he gave to Minerva [Athena] the aegis with which he had been protected when he won."

SOURCES

ROMAN

• Hyginus, Fabulae - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.
• Hyginus, Astronomica - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.