Boreas was the Greek god of the North Wind who lived in a fertile region of Greece called Thrace. He is at home beside the river Strymon, but also inhabits a cave on Mount Haemus, a favorite haunt of the monster Typhon.
Sometimes said to have serpent-tails for feet, Boreas blew from the north, whistling through his conch. He often is depicted as being amber-winged, extremely strong, sporting a beard, and normally clad in a short pleated tunic.
Boreas is the son of Eos (Dawn) and the Titan Astraeus (some say that Aeolus is his father), and the brother of Zephyrus, Eurus and Notus (some mythographers also make him brother to Hesperus). Unlike the gentle Zephyrus, however, the violent and stormy North Wind was capable of terrific destruction. Gods often appealed to him to torment mortals, such as the time Hera asked him to shipwreck the hero Heracles (Hercules) on the island of Cos. Still, he often helped sailors by providing them with a friendly breeze.
Boreas once disguised himself as a dark-maned stallion and mingled with twelve of the 3,000 mares grazing beside the river Scamander. These famous horses belonged to Erichthonius, and from the union were born twelve fillies. They were so fleet that they could race over ripe ears of field corn without bending them, or over the crests of waves.
Boreas is notorious for kidnapping Oreithyia, who was the daughter of Erechtheus and Praxithea, king and queen of Athens. The wind god had long loved the young girl and had repeatedly asked her parents for her hand in marriage. However, they kept putting him off, telling him to wait, and using delaying tactics on Boreas.
The North Wind began to lose patience and decided to abandon his modest wooing: One day, Boreas saw Oreithyia playing beside the river Ilissus. Taking advantage, he swooped down unseen by anyone, tucked her beneath his amber wings, and carried her off to a rock near the river Ergines. Wrapped in a mantle of dark clouds, he then proceeded to ravish the helpless maiden.
Oreithyia became his wife and they settled down at the city of Thracian Cicones. They had twin sons, called Calais and Zetes (the Boreades), who were born normal but grew golden wings on their shoulders upon reaching adulthood. These swift men took part in the famous Quest for the Golden Fleece, accompanying Jason as part of the Argonauts, but were later killed by the great hero Heracles (Hercules). Boreas and Oreithyia also had two daughters, named Cleopatra and Chione.
Because of his union with Oreithyia, the Athenians regard Boreas as their brother-in-law or son-in-law, and once beseeched him to destroy the fleet of King Xerxes of Persia, which threatened the city of Athens. That was during the battle of Artemisium, fought in 480 BC.
The North Wind devastated the enemy fleet by invoking a violent storm, sinking 400 ships, and sending countless men and incredible treasure to a watery grave. The grateful citizens built Boreas a splendid temple sanctuary on the banks of the river Ilissus and a great festival, called the Boreasmi, was held annually in his honor to commemorate the Persian defeat.
The Romans identified Boreas as Aquilo. His name means "North Wind" or "Devouring".
