Aeolus
Aeolus kept winds in a leather bag on his floating island.
The Myth of Aeolus
Aeolus was keeper of the winds, appointed by Zeus and dwelling on the floating island of Aeolia with his twelve children. When Odysseus arrived during his long voyage home to Ithaca, Aeolus hosted him for a month, then gave him an oxhide bag containing all the adverse winds — a gift that should have guaranteed safe passage. Within sight of Ithaca, Odysseus's crew opened the bag, believing it held treasure. The winds burst free and blew them back across the sea to Aeolia. When Odysseus begged for help again, Aeolus refused, declaring him cursed by the gods. Jason and the Argonauts also encountered Aeolus during their voyage to Colchis for the Golden Fleece.
Parents
Hippotes
Children
Six sons and six daughters
Symbols
Fun Fact
An Aeolian harp is played by wind alone.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Aeolus
⚡ godwind
Keeper of the winds, appointed by Zeus to control the Anemoi from his floating island of Aeolia.
Notus
⚡ godwind
God of the south wind, bringer of late summer storms and the hot, damp winds feared by sailors and farmers.
Eurus
⚡ godwind
God of the east wind, the only one of the four Anemoi not given a specific seasonal role by Hesiod.
Boreas
⚡ godGod of the north wind
Boreas was the god of the cold north wind, bringer of winter.
Venti
🐉 creaturepersonifications
The four wind gods — Boreas, Notus, Eurus, and Zephyrus — each ruling a cardinal direction
Poseidon
⚡ godGod of the sea, earthquakes, horses
Lord of the seas and brother of Zeus. Poseidon's moods shaped the oceans — calm seas for those who pleased him, devastating storms for those who did not.
Lips
⚡ godWind, southwest
God of the southwest wind associated with warm weather and favourable sailing conditions from Libya
Zephyrus
⚡ godGod of the west wind
Zephyrus was the god of the gentle west wind, bringer of spring.
Poseidon
⚡ godGod of the sea, earthquakes, and horses
Poseidon was the god of the sea and earthquakes whose moods determined whether sailors lived or died — and whose grudge against Odysseus drove the Odyssey.
Harpies
🐉 creaturestorm winds, punishment
Winged spirits who snatched away the living and defiled food with their filth, serving as agents of divine punishment.
Nereus
⚡ godThe Old Man of the Sea
Nereus was the ancient, benevolent sea god known as the Old Man of the Sea — truthful, wise, gentle, and father of the fifty Nereids.
Scheria
🏛 placeLand of the Phaeacians
Scheria was the island of the Phaeacians, a seafaring people beloved by the gods, where the shipwrecked Odysseus was welcomed by King Alcinous and Princess Nausicaa.