Alcyone and Ceyx | Greek Mythology, Halcyon days

In Greek Mythology Ceyx was the King of Trachis and Alcyone was his wife, who displeased the God Zeus so much that he decided on retribution.

Alcyone and Ceyx annoy Zeus
- The beautiful couple were very much in love with one another and used to refer to each other as ‘Zeus’ and ‘Thera’.
- This annoyed Zeus who decided to punish them.
Punishment by Zeus
- Ceyx decided to set off in a ship to consult the Oracle of Apollo at Carlos in Ionia.
- Zeus seized the opportunity to sink the vessel with a thunderbolt.
- As he drowned, Ceyx prayed that his body would be washed onto the shore for Alcyone to find.
Intervention by Thera
- Thera took pity on Alcyone and arranged for her to go down to the beach where she found the body of Ceyx.
- She performed the last rites over the body, then threw herself into the sea and drowned.
- The Gods on Mount Olympus were impressed at the great love shown for each other by the couple.
Atonement by Zeus
- Zeus decided to atone for his harshness by changing the couple into a pair of Halcyon birds (Kingfishers).
- For two weeks in January, Alcyone’s Father, Aeolus, calms the winds and waves so that Alcyone as the Kingfisher bird can make her nest on the beach and lay her eggs.

The expression “Halcyon days”, meaning days of peace and calm, comes from this Legend.