| Chione or Khionê | |
|---|---|
Transformed into a snow cloud | |
| Abode | River Nile in Egypt |
| Parents | Callirhoe and Nilus |
In Greek mythology, Chione or Khionê (Ancient Greek: Χιονη from χιών – chiōn, "snow") was the daughter of the Oceanid Callirrhoe and Nilus. She was raped by a local peasant and transformed into a snow cloud by Hermes at the order of Zeus. From the clouds she cast snow (khiôn) upon the desert. The Greek word for snow (χιών chiōn) was thought to have come from her name.[1][2]
Notes
- ^ Maurus Servius Honoratus. Commentary on the Aeneid of Virgil, 4.250. Edited by Georgius Thilo.
- ^ Anderson, Graham (2000). Fairytale in the Ancient World. London: Routledge.
References
- Maurus Servius Honoratus, In Vergilii carmina comentarii. Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii; recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.