Caeneus
heroBorn as the woman Caenis, raped by Poseidon, who granted her wish to become an invulnerable man.
The Myth
She was raped by a god and asked to become a man so it could never happen again — and Poseidon made her invulnerable as well. Caenis was a Lapith woman assaulted by Poseidon. When the god offered any gift, she chose to become male and impervious to weapons. As Caeneus, he became one of the greatest Lapith warriors. At the famous battle between Lapiths and Centaurs at Pirithous's wedding, the centaurs could not wound Caeneus with any weapon. They finally buried him alive under a mountain of pine trees. He either died under the weight or was transformed into a bird. Ovid tells the story as a meditation on identity, violence, and the limits of divine compensation for trauma.
Parents
Elatus
Symbols
Fun Fact
Caeneus is one of the earliest gender-transformation narratives in Western literature.
Explore Further
Pirithous
heroKing of the Lapiths and best friend of Theseus who attempted to kidnap Persephone from the...
Centaur (Nessus)
creatureNessus was the centaur whose poisoned blood, given as a false love charm, ultimately destroyed the...
Centaur (Pholus)
creaturePholus was a civilised centaur who hosted Heracles on his way to capture the Erymanthian Boar —...
Centaurs
creatureA race of beings with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. Most were wild and...
Centaurs (Tribe)
creatureThe Centaurs embodied civilisation vs savage nature.
Poseidon
godLord of the seas and brother of Zeus. Poseidon's moods shaped the oceans — calm seas for those who...
Poseidon (Earth-Shaker)
godPoseidon was the god of the sea and earthquakes whose moods determined whether sailors lived or...
Poseidon Hippios
godAn epithet of Poseidon as lord of horses, reflecting his role as creator of the first horse and...
Centauromachy (Event)
conceptThe battle between Lapiths and Centaurs at the wedding of Pirithous when drunken centaurs tried to...
Absyrtus
heroSon of King Aeetes of Colchis, murdered and dismembered by his sister Medea to slow their father's...
Acastus
heroKing of Iolcus and Argonaut who later tried to murder Peleus by stranding him unarmed on Mount...
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...