The Anemoi were four Greek gods with a . They were the offspring of Aeolus and Eos. Aeolus was the god of the Winds. Eos, also known as the Dawn Bringer, was a goddess daughter of either a Titan, Pallas Athena, or Nyx. Hesoid, the Greek poet, gives their parentage as Astraea and Eos.
The Anemoi are characterized in different ways throughout the stories of the ancient Greeks. Sometimes they are represented as the wind in general, other times they are men with wings. In The Odyessy, the Aemoi are horses kept in the stable of the god Aeolus. All of them were associated with farming, harvesting, horses, and storms.
The four Anemoi are: Boreas, Eurus, Notus, and Zephyrus.
To the Greeks, Boreas was the god or spirit of the north wind. He was responsible for winter and cold temperatures. He was believed to be an old man who called the north wind with a conch shell. He is often depicted as having a thick white beard and smiling eyes. The Romans called Boreas Aquilo, or the north-east winter wind. To the Romans, the true north wind was Septentrio.
Eurus was the Greek god of the east or the south-east wind. He was responsible for rain and warmer days. Sometimes he is referred to as the god of the unlucky east wind. The great Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, referred to the east wind as Vulturnus.
Notus was the Greek god of the hot south wind. He was held responsible for crops dying in the late summer sun and thunderstorms. The Romans called the god of the south winds Auster. Auster brought cloudy days and strong rains. It is thought that the name Australia comes from Auster.
Zephyrus was the Greek god of the life-bringing spring winds from the west. There are many stories surrounding Zephyrus, not least of all that he was married to the messenger goddess Iris. He was also involved in a competition with the god Apollo over a Spartan named Hyacinth. Zephyrus was also the god of plants and flowers.
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