Nephele

In Greek mythology, Nephele (/ˈnɛfəˌli/; Greek: Νεφέλη, from νέφος nephos "cloud";Latinized to Nubes) was a cloud nymph who figured prominently in the story of Phrixus and Helle. Nephele was also the goddess of hospitality.

Greek myth also has it that Nephele is the cloud whom Zeus created in the image of Hera to trick Ixion to test his integrity after displaying his lust for Hera during a feast as a guest of Zeus. Ixion failed in restraining his lust for Hera, thus fathering the Centaurs.

Nephele married Athamas, but he divorced her for Ino. Phrixus and Helle, the son and daughter of Athamas and Nephele, were hated by their stepmother, Ino. Ino hatched a devious plot to get rid of the twins, roasting all the town's crop seeds so they would not grow. The local farmers, frightened of famine, asked a nearby oracle for assistance. Ino bribed the men sent to the oracle to lie and tell the others that the oracle required the sacrifice of Phrixus. Before he was killed though, Phrixus and Helle were rescued by a flying golden ram sent by Nephele, their natural mother.

Nephele (disambiguation)

Nephele may also refer to:

See also

Nephele (moth)

Nephele is an Old World genus of moths in the Sphingidae family.

Species