Coronis

Classical

Coronis was the daughter of Phlegyas (Φλεγύας), the king of Thessaly. The god Apollo was in love with her.

While she was still pregnant with Apollo’s child, she took a mortal lover named Ischys (Ἴσχυς). News of her unfaithfulness reached his ears from a white bird called a crow. The crow was the god’s messenger. As Apollo listened to the crow, he was overcome with rage and jealousy. Apollo first punished the tattler by turning the crow’s white feathers to pitch black. The god later placed the crow in the sky as the constellation Corvus, as a warning that the gods don’t like tattlers.

Apollo then sought out the lovers, and killed Ischys. Apollo or his sister Artemis killed the pregnant Coronis. Apollo began to regret killing Coronis as the fire burned on her funeral pyre. Apollo saved the unborn child, a son whom he named Asclepius.

Apollo sent his infant son to Cheiron, where Asclepius was brought up. Asclepius like his father became a great healer. See Asclepius.

Related Information

Name

Coronis, Koronis, Κορωνίς.

Sources

Library was written by Apollodorus.

Metamorphoses was written by Ovid.

Poetica Astronomica was written by Hyginus.

Pythian III was written by Pindar.