Boreas

In Greek mythological genealogy Boreas is a child of Astraeus and Eos (dawn) and thus one of the Anemoi, the directional wind gods. He is brother to other winds (for example Zephyrus and Notus) and in myths fathers notable offspring — sons Zethes and Calais (the Boreads) and daughters such as Chione and Cleopatra — through unions with mortal women (notably the abduction of Oreithyia). Classical writers and later Roman authors equate him with northern Roman wind-deities such as Aquilo or Septentrio.

Classical and artistic descriptions portray Boreas typically as a strong, often bearded man sometimes shown winged or with winged feet; iconography includes a billowing cloak, conch shell, and shaggy hair often frosted or spiked by cold. Literary variants are recorded (e.g., Pausanias reports a version in which he has snakes instead of feet), so depictions range from winged older man to a young shaggy-bearded figure and occasionally include serpentine features.

Boreas controls the cold north winds, storms, and winter weather; he is credited in myth with producing violent gales and storms that can wreck ships (classical tradition attributes a destructive wind that sank parts of the Persian fleet to him), with causing cold and winter conditions, and with sexual/violent abduction in narrative (notably carrying off Oreithyia by wrapping her in a cloud). He can assume animal forms in myths (e.g., a stallion to sire extraordinary horses) and sires legendary offspring (the Boreads and daughters who figure in other myths). He is temperamental and may be propitiated or honored in civic cult.