Cerambus

InGreek mythology,Cerambus(Ancient Greek:Κέραμβος,Kerambos), a son ofEuseiros(himself son ofPoseidon) and thenymphEidotheaofOthreis.

Mythology

Cerambus was a survivor ofDeucalion's flood by means of wings which he received from thenymphs.These wings had raised him above the water thus escaping death.He dwelt in the land of theMelianson the spurs of MountOthrysand owned a large herd of cattle.

In another myth, Cerambus was renowned as the greatest singer of his time. He was credited with inventing theshepherd's pipes,as well as with introducinglyre-playing and composing a number of delightful rural songs. This was why thenymphsof Mount Othrys favored him, and even became visible to him as he was playing his lyre. The honors, however, made Cerambus arrogant to the point of insanity: whenPanadvised him to drive his cattle down to the plain, due to an extremely severe winter being expected, Cerambus wouldn't listen to him as though smitten by some god.

Moreover, he went so far in his insolence that he told insulting and mindless tales of the nymphs, claiming that they were descended not fromZeus,but fromSpercheiosand thenaiadDeino,and that when Poseidon fell for one of the nymphs,Diopatra,he changed her sisters into poplar trees, but restored their original shape after satisfying his desires. The nymphs were angry and transformed Cerambus into a wood-gnawing beetleCerambyx(κεράμβυξ).A short while later there came a sudden frost and the streams froze. This was the beginning of the severe winter Pan predicted. The cattle all perished from the cold, as did the trees.

maleCerambyxbeetle

"The Cerambyx beetle can be seen on trunks and has hook-teeth, ever moving his jaws together. It is black, long, and has hard wings like a great dung beetle and is called the ox that eats wood. Boys use him as a toy, cutting off his head, to wear as a pendant. The head looks like the horns of a lyre made from a tortoiseshell."

See also

• Myia
• Tithonus

References

• Antoninus Liberalis,The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalistranslated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992).Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Publius Ovidius Naso,Metamorphosestranslated by Brookes More (1859–1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Ovidius Naso,Metamorphoses.Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892.Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.