Tithonus
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
- son of Laomedon, consort of Aurora, and father of Memnon; endowed with immortality, and changed at last, after reaching a decrepit old age, into a cicada, Cic. Sen. 1, 3; Verg. A. 4, 585; Ov. F. 6, 473; Hor. C. 2, 16, 30; 1, 28, 8: Tithoni conjux, Ov. H. 17 (18), 111.—Hence,
- A Tīthōnĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Tithonus, Tithonian: conjux, i.e. Aurora, Ov. F. 3, 403.—Called also, absol.: Tīthōnia, Ov. F. 4, 943; Val. Fl. 1, 311; 3, 1; Stat. Th. 12, 3: senectus, id. S. 4, 3, 151. —
- B Tīthōnaeus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Tithonus: Memnon, Avien. Perieg. 368. —
- C Tīthōnis, ĭdis, f., the wife of Tithonus, i.e. Aurora, Stat. S. 5, 1, 34.
(Τιθωνός), a son of Laomedon, and brother of Priam (Hom. Il. 20.237), or according to others (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 1.447, 3.48), a brother of Laomedon. Others, again, call him a son of Cephalus and Eos. (Apollod. 3.14.3.) By the prayers of Eos who loved him he obtained from the immortal gods immortality, but not eternal youth, in consequence of which he completely shrunk together in his old age, whence an old decrepit man was proverbially called Tithonus. (Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 219 ; Hes. Theog. 984 ; Apollod. 3.12.4 ; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 18 ; Hor. Carm. 1.28. 8; Ov. Fast. 1.461.) [L.S]
(Τιθωνός). The son of Laomedon and Strymo, and brother of Priam. By the prayers of Eos, who loved him, he obtained from the gods immortality, but not eternal youth, in consequence of which he completely shrank together in his old age; whence a decrepit old man was proverbially called Tithonus. Eos changed him into a cicada, or katydid (Hes. Theog. 984; Apollod. iii.12.4; Ovid, Fast. i. 461). The story suggested Lord Tennyson's fine poem Tithonus. See Eos.
- Apollod. 2.5.11
- son of Laomedon: Apollod. 3.12.3
- loved by Dawn and carried by her to Ethiopia: Apollod. 1.5.3
- father of Emathion and Memnon by her: Apollod. 1.5.3
- Apollod. 3.14.2