View source for Cycnus

{{Hatnote|The butterfly genus ''Cycnus'' is now synonymized with ''[[Panthiades]]''.}}
In [[Greek mythology]], several characters were known as '''Cycnus''' ([[Ancient Greek]]: Κύκνος) or '''Cygnus'''. The literal meaning of the name is "swan", and accordingly most of them ended up being transformed into [[swan]]s.
* [[Cycnus (son of Ares)|Cycnus]], son of [[Ares]].<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.27.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Cycnus 1.27.6]</ref>
*[[Cycnus of Kolonai|Cycnus]], king of [[Kolonai]].<ref>[[Strabo]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Strab.+13.1.19&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Cycnus 13.1.19]</ref> Son of [[Poseidon]].
*[[Cycnus of Liguria|Cycnus]], lover of [[Phaethon]].<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Ov.+Met.+2.367&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0028:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Cycnus 2.367 sqq.]</ref>
*[[Cycnus (son of Apollo)|Cycnus]], son of [[Apollo]].<ref>[[Antoninus Liberalis]], [https://topostext.org/work/216#12 12]</ref>
*Cycnus, son of King Ederion ([[Ancient Greek]]: Ἐδερίων) or [[Eredion]] of [[Achaea]], who, in the 6th century CE account of [[John Malalas]], seduced [[Leda (mythology)|Leda]] and made her mother of triplets: the [[Dioscuri]] and [[Helen of Troy|Helen]].<ref>[[John Malalas|Malalas]], [https://topostext.org/work/793#4.82 82.17]; [[Tzetzes]] ad [[Lycophron]], [https://topostext.org/work/860#88 88]–[https://topostext.org/work/860#89 89]</ref>{{AI-generated source|date=November 2024}} In all other sources, she had these children by Zeus who approached her in the shape of a swan (''kyknos''). For more information, see [[Leda and the Swan]].
*Cycnus, one of the [[Suitors of Penelope|Suitors]] of [[Penelope]] who came from [[Dulichium]] along with other 56 wooers.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+Epit.+e.7.26&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=suitors E.7.26]–[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+Epit.+e.7.27&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Cycnus 27]</ref> He, with the other suitors, was shot dead by [[Odysseus]] with the assistance of [[Eumaeus]], [[Philoetius (Odyssey)|Philoetius]], and [[Telemachus]].<ref>Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+Epit.+E.7.33&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=suitors E.7.33]</ref>
*''Cycnus'', a blunder for ''[[Guneus]]'' in the manuscript of [[Hyginus]]<ref>''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#97 97]</ref> (list of the Achaean leaders against Troy).
According to Pseudo-[[Eratosthenes]] and Hyginus' ''Poetical Astronomy'', the [[Cygnus (constellation)|constellation Cygnus]] was the stellar image of the swan Zeus had transformed into in order to seduce Leda<ref>[[Catasterismi|Pseudo-Eratosthenes]], ''Catasterismi'' 25</ref> or [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]].<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], [[De astronomia|''De'' a''stronomia'']] [https://topostext.org/work/207#2.8.1 2.8.1]</ref> [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] and [[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]] state that Apollo turned Cycnus of Liguria into a swan after the death of his lover Phaeton, then later placed him among the stars as the constellation Cygnus.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] |title=[[Description of Greece]] |at=[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Paus.+1.30.3&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 1.30.3]}}</ref><ref name="msh">{{cite book |author=[[Maurus Servius Honoratus]] |title=On [[Aeneid]] |at=[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0053%3Abook%3D10%3Acommline%3D189 10.189]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Grimal |first1=Pierre |url=https://archive.org/details/concisedictionar00grim/page/114/mode/2up?view=theater |title=A concise dictionary of classical mythology |last2=Kershaw |first2=Stephen |date=1990 |publisher=Oxford, England ; Cambridge, Mass., USA : Blackwell |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-631-16696-2 |edition=Reprint. 1994 |pages=114 |access-date=2024-11-02}}</ref>
==Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== References ==
* [[Antoninus Liberalis]], ''The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis'' translated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992). [https://topostext.org/work/216 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''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}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
*[[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Astronomica from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/207 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Ovid|Publius Ovidius Naso]], ''Metamorphoses'' translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0028 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Publius Ovidius Naso, ''Metamorphoses.'' Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Strabo]], ''The Geography of Strabo.'' Edition by H.L. Jones. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198%3Abook%3D6%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Strabo, ''Geographica'' edited by A. Meineke. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0197 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.]
== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Greek mythology index}}
[[Category:Suitors of Penelope]]
[[Category:Leda (mythology)]]