Hyades (mythology)

The Hyades ( Greek Ὑάδες , who let it rain ) are nymphs of Greek mythology , whose number and origin has changed again and again.

Homer already knew the constellation of the Hyades , also known as the rain star, which can be found as a V-shaped star cluster in the constellation Taurus.
Hesiod lists five Hyads who are similar to the Charites : Phaisyle, Koronis, Kle (e) ia, Phaio, Eudore
Pherecydes names seven who were cared for by Dionysus in his childhood and who were later placed under the stars by Zeus out of gratitude, so they are known today as the star cluster of the Hyades . The seven are: Ambrosia , Eudora , Pedile, Koronis , Polyxo , Phyto, Thyone ; her mother was Boiotia .
After Hyginus Mythographus want Oceanid Aithra or Pleione the Atlas twelve daughters and a son named Hyas have given birth. When he was killed by a snake (or a lion) while hunting , Zeus felt sorry for five sisters under the name Hyades and the other seven as Pleiades .
According to Euripides , the Hyades are three daughters of Erechtheus who give themselves to death after one of them is sacrificed by Eumolpos and his Thracians .
Two hyads appear on vase pictures, who, as rain donors, save Alcmene, who is sitting at the stake and suspected of being unfaithful by her husband Amphitryon .

literature

Richard Engelmann : Hyades . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1,2, Leipzig 1890, Col. 2756-2758 ( digitized version ).
Wilhelm Gundel : Hyades. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VIII, 2, Stuttgart 1913, Col. 2615-2624.
Wolfgang Huebner : Hyades. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 5, Metzler, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-476-01475-4 , Col. 762 f.