Alcyonides

TheAlcyonides(Ancient Greek:Ἀλκυονίδες,Alkyonides) were, inGreek mythology,the seven daughters of thegiantAlcyoneus.

Names

These sisters were identified individually as,Alkippe,Anthe,Asteria,Drimo,Methone,PalleneandPhthonia(PhosthoniaorChthonia).

Mythology

When their father Alcyoneus was slain byHeracles,the Alcyonides threw themselves into the sea from Kanastraion, which is the peak ofPellene.They were transformed intohalcyons(kingfishers) byAmphitrite.

Legacy

Islands

The Alkyonides are also small rocky islands in theCorinthian Gulfvery close to the coast ofAttica,Peloponneseand CentralGreece,taking their name from the mythological figures. They reported a 2001 census population of nine inhabitants and are administratively part of themunicipalityofLoutraki-PerachorainCorinthia.

Climate

The termAlkyonidesalso refers to a meteorological phenomenon of the centralGreekclimate.Nearly every year in the period afterChristmasuntil the middle of January there is a non-interrupted period of days with clear blue skies and warm temperatures, which at least in theAthensregion can reach more than 20 °C over the day.

Astronomy

Methone(Saturn XXXII)

TheSaturnianmoonsMethone,AntheandPalleneare named after three of the Alkyonides.

References

• Suida,Suda Encyclopediatranslated by Ross Scaife, David Whitehead, William Hutton, Catharine Roth, Jennifer Benedict, Gregory Hays, Malcolm Heath Sean M. Redmond, Nicholas Fincher, Patrick Rourke, Elizabeth Vandiver, Raphael Finkel, Frederick Williams, Carl Widstrand, Robert Dyer, Joseph L. Rife, Oliver Phillips and many others.Online version at the Topos Text Project.