Hyginus · Fabulae Fabulae

Hyginus, Fabulae 192–206: Hyas, Harpalyce, Arion, Orion and tales of transformation

The Hyades and Pleiades, Harpalyce and Arion are followed by Orion, Pan, Aphrodite's egg and the two Scyllas. Chione, Autolycus, Coronis, Daphne, Nyctimene, Arge and Harpalyce and Clymenus close the group.

Sections 192–206 · 1782 words · click a number to copy its link

CXCII Hyas

Atlas ex Pleione sive ** Oceanitide duodecim filias habuit et filium Hyantem. quem ab apro vel leone occisum dum lugent sorores ab eo luctu consumptae sunt. [Ex his quinque primae inter sidera relatae locum habent inter cornua tauri, Phaesyla Ambrosia Coronis Eudora Polyxo: quae a fratris nomine appellantur Hyades; easdem latine Suculas vocant. quidam aiunt in modum Y literae positas inde Hyadas dici; nonnulli quod cum oriantur pluvias efficiant (est autem graece ὕειν pluere); sunt qui existiment ideo has in sideribus esse, quod fuerint nutrices Liberi patris, quas Lycurgus ex insula Naxo †ediderat. C[a]eterae sorores postea luctu consumptae sidera facta⟨e⟩ sunt, et quia plures erant Pleiades dictae. nonnulli existimant ita nominatas, quia inter se coniunctae (quod est πλησίον) adeo autem confertae sunt, ut vix numerentur, nec unquam ullius oculis certum est sex an septem existimentur. earum nomina haec sunt: Electra Alcyone Celaeno Merope Sterope Taygeta et Maia. Ex quibus Electram negant apparere propter Dardanum amissum Troiamque sibi ereptam. [alii existimant Meropen conspici erubescere, quia mortalem virum acceperit, cum c[a]eterae deos haberent:] ob eamque rem de choro sororum expulsa moerens crinem solutum gerit. quae cometes appellatur; sive longodes, quia in longitudinem producitur; sive xiphias, quia gladii mucronis effigiem producit: ea autem stella luctum portendit. [* *]]

192. Hyas and the Hyades and Pleiades

Atlas had twelve daughters by Pleione or ** the Oceanid, and a son Hyas. When he was killed by a boar or a lion, his sisters, mourning, were consumed by grief for him. [Of these the first five, placed among the stars, have their place between the horns of the Bull: Phaesyle, Ambrosia, Coronis, Eudora, Polyxo: from their brother's name they are called Hyades; in Latin the same stars are called Suculae (Little Pigs). Some say they are called Hyades because they are placed in the shape of the letter Y; some because when they rise they bring rain (in Greek ὕειν is 'to rain'); there are those who think that they are among the stars because they had been nurses of Father Liber, whom Lycurgus had †ediderat from the island of Naxos. The other sisters afterwards, consumed by grief, were made stars, and because they were more numerous were called the Pleiades. Some think they were so named because they are joined together (which is πλησίον, 'near') and are so crowded that they can hardly be counted, and no one's eyes are ever sure whether six or seven are counted. Their names are these: Electra, Alcyone, Celaeno, Merope, Sterope, Taygete and Maia. Of these they say Electra does not appear because of the loss of Dardanus and the capture of Troy. [Others think that Merope is seen blushing because she took a mortal husband while the others had gods:] and for this reason, driven from the chorus of her sisters, in mourning she wears her hair loose, which is called the comet; or longodes, because it is drawn out in length; or xiphias, because it makes the figure of a sword's point: this star portends mourning. [* *]]

CXCIII Harpalycus

Harpalycus rex Amymnorum Thrax cum haberet filiam Harpalycen, amissa matre eius vaccarum equarumque eam uberibus nutrivit et crescentem armis exercuit, habiturus successorem regni sui. postmodum nec spes paternas puella decepit; nam ⟨in⟩ tantum bellatrix evasit ut etiam saluti fuerit parenti. nam revertens a Troia Neoptolemus cum expugnaret Harpalycum gravique eum vulnere affecisset, illa periturum patrem impetu facto conservavit fugavitque hostem. sed postea Harpalycus per seditionem civium interfectus est. Harpalyce graviter tum ferens patris mortem contulit se in silvas ibique vastando iumentorum stabula tandem pastorum concursu interiit.

193. Harpalyce

Harpalycus, king of the Amymni, a Thracian, having a daughter Harpalyce, her mother having died, fed her with the udders of cows and mares and exercised her as she grew in arms, intending to have her as successor to his kingdom. Afterwards the girl did not disappoint her father's hopes; for she became such a warrior that she even saved her parent. For when Neoptolemus, returning from Troy, attacked Harpalycus and had inflicted a severe wound on him, she, making an onrush, saved her father who was about to perish and put the enemy to flight. But later Harpalycus was killed in a rising of his citizens. Harpalyce, bearing her father's death hard, then betook herself to the woods and there, laying waste the stables of the herds, at last perished by a rush of shepherds.

CXCIIII Arion

Arion Methymnaeus cum esset arte citharae potens, rex Periandrus Corinthius eum dilexit. qui cum a rege petiisset * per civitatem artem suam illustrare et magnum patrimonium acquisisset, consenserunt famuli cum nautis ut eum interficerent. cui Apollo in quietem venit, eique dixit ut ornatu suo et corona decantaret et eis se traderet, qui ei praesidio venissent. quem cum famuli et nautae vellent interficere, petit ab eis ut ante decantaret. cum autem citharae sonus et vox eius audiretur, delphini circa navem venerunt, quibus ille visis se praecipitavit. * qui eum sublatum [attulerunt Corinthum ad regem Periandrum. qui] cum ad terram †exisset, cupidus viae delphinum in mare non propulit: qui ibi exanimatus est. qui cum casus suos Periandro narrasset, iussit Periandrus delphinum sepeliri et ei monimentum fieri. Post paucum tempus nunciatur Periandro navem Corinthum delatam tempestate, in qua Arion vectatus fuerat. quos cum perduci ad se imperasset et de Arione inquireret, dixerunt eum obisse et eum sepulturae tradidisse. quibus rex respondit: ‘crastino die ad delphini monimentum iurabitis’. ob id factum eos custodiri imperavit atque Arionem iussit ita ornatum quomodo se praecipitaverat in monimento delphini mane delitescere. cum autem rex eos adduxisset iussissetque eos per delphini manes iurare Arionem obisse, Arion de monimento prodit. quod illi stupentes qua divinitate servatus esset, obmutuerunt. quos rex iussit ad delphini monimentum crucifigi. Apollo autem propter artem citharae Arionem et delphinum in astris posuit.

194. Arion

Arion of Methymna, being masterly in the art of the cithara, was loved by King Periander of Corinth. When he had asked the king * to make his art famous throughout the cities and had acquired a large fortune, the servants and sailors agreed to kill him. Apollo came to him in a dream and told him to sing in his own costume and crown and to give himself up to those who had come to his aid. When the servants and sailors wanted to kill him, he asked them to let him sing first. When the sound of the cithara and his voice were heard, dolphins came around the ship, and at the sight of them he threw himself in. * They, taking him up [brought him to Corinth to King Periander. He], when he came †to land, being eager for the journey, did not push the dolphin back into the sea: it died there. When he had told Periander his adventures, Periander ordered the dolphin to be buried and a monument made for it. A little later it was reported to Periander that the ship in which Arion had been carried had been driven to Corinth by a storm. When he ordered them to be brought to him and enquired about Arion, they said he had died and that they had buried him. The king replied to them: ‘Tomorrow you shall swear at the dolphin's monument.’ For this he had them guarded and ordered Arion, dressed in the same costume in which he had thrown himself, to hide in the dolphin's monument in the morning. When the king had brought them and told them to swear by the dolphin's shade that Arion had died, Arion came forth from the monument. They, amazed by what divinity he had been saved, were struck dumb. The king ordered them to be crucified at the dolphin's monument. Apollo, for the art of the cithara, set Arion and the dolphin among the stars.

CXCV Orion

Iovis Neptunus Mercurius in Thraciam ad Hyrieum regem in hospitium venerunt. qui ab eo cum liberaliter essent excepti, optionem ei dederunt si quid peteret. Ille liberos optavit. Mercurius de tauro, quem Hyrieus ipse eis immolarat, corium protulit. illi in eum urinam fecerunt et in terram obruerunt; unde natus est Orion. Qui cum Dianam vellet violare, ab ea est interfectus. postea ab Iove in stellarum numerum est relatus. quam stellam Orionem vocant.

195. Orion

Zeus, Poseidon and Hermes came as guests to King Hyrieus in Thrace. Having been generously received by him, they gave him a choice, if he wanted anything. He chose children. Hermes brought out the hide of the bull which Hyrieus himself had sacrificed for them. They urinated on it and buried it in the earth; from this Orion was born. When he wanted to violate Artemis, he was killed by her. Afterwards he was put by Zeus among the number of the stars. This star is called Orion.

CXCVI Pan

Dii in Aegypto cum Typhonis immanitatem metuerent, Pan iussit eos, ut in feras bestias se converterent, quo facilius eum deciperent. quem Iovis postea fulmine interfecit: Pan deorum voluntate, quod eius monitu vim Typhonis evitarant, in astrorum numerum relatus, et quod se in capram eo tempore converterat, inde aegocerus est dictus, quem nos capricornum dicimus.

196. Pan

When the gods in Egypt feared Typhon's monstrous power, Pan told them to change themselves into wild beasts, so as to deceive him more easily. Zeus afterwards killed him with a thunderbolt: Pan, by the will of the gods, because on his advice they had escaped Typhon's violence, was placed among the number of the stars, and because he had turned himself into a goat at that time, he was thence called aegocerus (goat-horned), whom we call Capricorn.

CXCVII Venus

In Euphratem flumen de coelo ovum mira magnitudine cecidisse dicitur †quem pisces ad ripam evolverunt. super quod columbae consederunt et excalfactum exclusisse Venerem; quae postea dea Syria est appellata. et iustitia et probitate cum c[a]eteros exuperasset et ab Iove optione data * pisces in astrorum numerum relati sunt. et ob id Syri pisces non edunt et columbas ex deorum numero habent.

197. Aphrodite

It is said that an egg of marvellous size fell from heaven into the river Euphrates, †which the fish rolled to the bank. Doves settled on it and, warming it, hatched Aphrodite, who was afterwards called the Syrian goddess. And since in justice and probity she had surpassed the others, and an option was given by Zeus *, the fish were placed among the number of the stars. For this reason the Syrians do not eat fish and hold doves among the number of the gods.

CXCVIII Nisus

Nisus Martis filius sive ut alii dicunt Deionis filius rex Megarensium in capite crinem purpureum habuisse dicitur. cui respo⟨n⟩sum fuit tam diu eum regnaturum quamdiu eum crinem custodisset. quem Minos Iovis filius oppugnatum cum venisset, a Scylla Nisi filia Veneris impulsu est amatus, quem ut victorem faceret patri dormienti fatalem crinem praecidit. itaque Nisus victus a Minoe est. cum autem Minos Cretam rediret, eum ex fide data rogavit, ut secum aveheret. Ille negavit Creten sanctissimam tantum scelus receptur⟨a⟩m. illa se in mare praecipitavit, †ne persequeretur. Nisus autem dum filiam persequitur, in avem hali⟨a⟩eton id est aquilam marinam conversus est, Scylla filia in piscem, cirim quem vocant. hodieque si quando ea avis eum piscem natantem conspexerit, mittit se in aquam raptumque unguibus dilaniat.

198. Nisus and Scylla

Nisus, son of Ares or, as others say, of Deion, king of the Megarians, is said to have had a purple lock of hair on his head. An oracle had been given to him that he would reign as long as he kept that lock. When Minos, son of Zeus, came to attack him, he was loved by Scylla, Nisus' daughter, through Aphrodite's prompting; to make him victor she cut off the fateful lock from her sleeping father. So Nisus was defeated by Minos. When Minos was returning to Crete, she asked him, in virtue of the pledge given, to take her with him. He said that most sacred Crete would not receive so great a crime. She threw herself into the sea, †ne persequeretur. Nisus, while pursuing his daughter, was changed into a bird, haliaeetos, that is the sea-eagle, and his daughter Scylla into a fish, which they call ciris. And to this day, whenever that bird sees that fish swimming, it throws itself into the water and tears it to pieces, seizing it with its talons.

CXCVIIII Scylla altera

Scylla Crataeidis fluminis filia virgo formosissima dicitur fuisse: hanc Glaucus amavit, Glaucum autem Circe Solis filia. Scylla autem cum assueta esset in mari lavari, Circe Solis filia propter zelum medicamentis aquam inquinavit: quo Scylla cum descendisset, ab inguinibus eius canes sunt nati atque ferox facta. quae iniurias suas executa est; nam Ulyssem praenavigantem sociis spoliavit.

199. The other Scylla

Scylla, daughter of the river Crataeis, is said to have been a most beautiful maiden: Glaucus loved her, and Circe, daughter of the Sun, loved Glaucus. When Scylla was accustomed to bathe in the sea, Circe, daughter of the Sun, out of jealousy poisoned the water with drugs; when Scylla went down into it, dogs were born from her groin and she became savage. She took vengeance for her wrongs; for she robbed Odysseus, sailing past, of his comrades.

CC Chione

Cum Chione, sive ut alii poetae dicunt Philonide, Daedalionis filia, Apollo et Mercurius una nocte concubuisse dicitur. ea peperit ex Apolline Philammonem ex Mercurio Autolycum. quae postea in venatione in Dianam est locuta superbius. Itaque ab ea sagittis est interfecta. at pater Daedalion unicam filiam flendo ab Apolline est conversus in [avem daedalionem id est] accipitrem.

200. Chione

Apollo and Hermes are said to have slept with Chione, or, as other poets say, Philonis, daughter of Daedalion, in one night. She bore Philammon by Apollo and Autolycus by Hermes. Afterwards, while hunting, she spoke too arrogantly against Artemis. So she was killed by her with arrows. Her father Daedalion, weeping for his only daughter, was changed by Apollo into [the bird daedalion, that is] a hawk.

CCI Autolycus

Mercurius Autolyco, ex Chione quem procreaverat, muneri dedit ut furacissimus esset nec deprehenderetur in furto; ut quicquid surripuisset in quamcunque effigiem vellet transmutaretur, ex albo in nigrum vel ex nigro in album, in cornutum ex mutilo in mutilum ex cornuto. is cum Sisyphi pecus assidue involaret nec ab eo posset deprehendi, sensit eum furtum sibi facere, quod illius numerus augebatur et suus minuebatur. qui ut eum deprehenderet in pecorum ungulis notam imposuit. qui cum solito more involasset et Sisyphus ad eum venisset et pecora sua ex ungulis deprehendit, quae ille involavit, et abduxit. qui cum ibi moraretur, Sisyphus Anticliam Autolyci filiam compressit. quae postea Laertae data est in coniugium, ex qua natus est Ulysses. ideo nonnulli au⟨c⟩tores dicunt †ypsipylon. ob hoc Ulysses versutus fuit.

201. Autolycus

Hermes gave Autolycus, whom he had begotten by Chione, as a gift that he should be the most thievish of men and never be caught in a theft; that whatever he stole would be changed into whatever shape he wished, from white to black or from black to white, from horned to hornless and from hornless to horned. When he was constantly stealing Sisyphus' flock and could not be caught by him, Sisyphus perceived that he was being robbed, since the number of the other's flock grew and his own diminished. To catch him he set a mark on the hooves of the cattle. When Autolycus, as usual, had stolen them and Sisyphus came to him, he identified his cattle by their hooves, which Autolycus had stolen, and led them away. While he was staying there, Sisyphus seduced Anticlea, daughter of Autolycus. She was afterwards given in marriage to Laertes, and from her Odysseus was born. For this reason some authors say †ypsipylon. For this reason Odysseus was crafty.

CCII Coronis

Apollo cum Coronida Phlegyae filiam gravidam fecisset, corvum custodem ei dedit, ne quis eam violaret. cum ea Ischys Elati filius concubuit. ob id ab Iove fulmine est interfectus: Apollo Coronidem gravidam percussit et interfecit. cuius ex utero exsectum Asclepium educavit. at corvum qui custodiam praebuerat ex albo in nigrum commutavit.

202. Coronis

When Apollo had made Coronis, daughter of Phlegyas, pregnant, he gave her a raven as guardian, so that no one should violate her. Ischys, son of Elatus, lay with her. For this he was killed by Zeus with a thunderbolt: Apollo struck Coronis, pregnant, and killed her. He brought up Asclepius, cut from her womb. And he changed the raven, which had given the guard, from white to black.

CCIII Daphne

Apollo Daphnen Pen[a]ei fluminis filiam cum virginem persequeretur, illa a Terra praesidium petit. quae eam recepit in se et in arborem laurum commutavit. Apollo inde ramum fregit et in caput imposuit.

203. Daphne

When Apollo was pursuing Daphne, a maiden, daughter of the river Peneus, she asked Earth for protection. Earth took her into herself and changed her into a tree, the laurel. Apollo broke a branch from it and put it on his head.

CCIV Nyctimene

Nyctimene Epopei regis Lesbiorum filia virgo formosissima dicitur fuisse. hanc Epopeus pater amore incensus compressit: quae pudore tacta silvis occultabatur. quam Minerva miserata in noctuam transformavit, quae pudoris causa in lucem non prodit sed noctu paret.

204. Nyctimene

Nyctimene, daughter of Epopeus, king of the Lesbians, is said to have been a most beautiful maiden. Her father Epopeus, inflamed with love, violated her; she, struck with shame, hid in the woods. Athena took pity on her and changed her into an owl, which for shame does not come out into the light but appears at night.

CCV Arge

Arge venatrix cum cervum sequeretur, cervo dixisse fertur: ‘tu licet Solis cursum sequaris, tamen te consequar’. Sol iratus in cervam eam convertit.

205. Arge

Arge, a huntress, as she was pursuing a stag, is said to have said to the stag: ‘Even if you follow the course of the Sun, I shall still overtake you.’ The Sun, angry, turned her into a hind.

CCVI Harpalyce

Clymenus Schoenei filius rex Arcadiae amore captus cum Harpalyce filia sua concubuit. ea cum peperisset, in epulis filium apposuit patri: Clymenus pater re cognita Harpalycen interfecit.

206. Harpalyce and Clymenus

Clymenus, son of Schoeneus, king of Arcadia, seized with love, lay with his daughter Harpalyce. When she had given birth, she served the son to her father at a banquet; her father Clymenus, learning of it, killed Harpalyce.

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English translation by GreekMythology.com (2026). Original text: Moritz Schmidt (ed.), Hygini Fabulae, Jena: Hermann Dufft, 1872.

Text layer: Latin text: public domain (Schmidt, 1872; our OCR correction of the Internet Archive scan bub_gb_g5QlAAAAMAAJ). English translation © GreekMythology.com.. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.