Cephalus

Cephalus suspected that his wife, Procris, was unfaithful. He took the likeness of Pteleon and approached her in disguise. He offered her a golden crown and tempted her to sleep with him. Procris accepted the offer. Cephalus then revealed himself, and the couple were reconciled. He later lay with Eos, whom Procris already disliked. Eos bore him a son named Phaéthon. Aphrodite stole the child and made him the night watchman of her sacred shrines. The Cretans called him Adymnus, meaning the Morning and Evening Star.

Procris could not remain in Athens because people were discussing her desertion. She went to Crete, where Minos tried to seduce her. He offered her a hound that always caught its quarry and a dart that never missed. Artemis had given him both. Procris, who was a keen huntress, accepted them, but first gave Minos a drink made from magical roots. The drink protected her from the harmful creatures that Minos released into the bodies of women who slept with him. She then returned to Athens and was reconciled with Cephalus. The couple lived together again, and Cephalus used the hound, Laelaps, and the unfailing dart in the hunt.

Artemis was angered that her gifts had passed between Minos, Procris, and Cephalus. She caused Procris to suspect that Cephalus still visited Eos. Cephalus often rose two hours after midnight to hunt. One night, Procris followed him in a dark tunic. When he heard movement in a thicket, Laelaps growled and stiffened. Cephalus threw the dart towards the sound, and it pierced Procris. The Areiopagus sentenced him to perpetual banishment for killing her.

Cephalus went to Thebes, where he later helped Amphitryon against the Teleboans. His share of their conquered territory was the island of Cephallenia, which bore his name. He blamed Minos for seducing Procris and giving her the fatal dart, but also admitted his own guilt for having slept with Eos. Though purified, he remained haunted by Procris’s ghost. Fearing that he would bring misfortune to his companions, he went to Cape Leucas, where he had built a temple to Apollo of the White Rock, and threw himself from the cliff. As he fell, he called out the name of Pterelas, the name under which Procris had been dearest to him.

Cephalus first deceived Procris by taking the likeness of Pteleon and offering her a golden crown. After she was seduced, he slept with Eos, whom Procris bitterly resented. Eos bore him a son, Phaéthon, whom Aphrodite stole while he was still a child and appointed as the night-watchman of her most sacred shrines. The Cretans called him Adymnus, meaning the Morning and Evening Star.

Procris left Athens because her desertion had become a subject of gossip. She went to Crete, where Minos seduced her and gave her a hound that never failed to catch its quarry, together with a dart that never missed its mark. Artemis had given him both objects. Procris, an ardent huntress, accepted them and later returned to Cephalus as his wife. They were eventually reconciled, and Cephalus hunted with the hound, Laelaps, and the dart. Artemis then caused Procris to suspect that Cephalus still visited Eos when he went hunting after midnight.

One night, Procris followed him in a dark tunic and hid in a thicket. Cephalus heard a rustle behind him. Laelaps growled and stiffened, so Cephalus threw the unfailing dart and killed Procris. The Areopagus sentenced him to perpetual banishment for the murder. He later helped Amphitryon conquer the Teleboans, and received Cephallenia as his share of their dominions. Although purified of his guilt, he remained haunted by Procris’s ghost and blamed himself for having first broken faith by sleeping with Eos.

Cephalus feared that his presence would bring misfortune upon his companions. He went to Cape Leucas, where he had built a temple to Apollo of the White Rock, and threw himself from the cliff into the sea. As he fell, he called aloud on the name of Pterelas, the name under which Procris had been most dear to him. Another account says that Kephalos, son of Deioneus, was the first to leap from Leukas, driven by love for Pterelas.

After Procris returned to Athens, she and Cephalus were reconciled. The hound Laelaps could always catch its quarry, and the spear could never miss its mark. Procris gave these gifts to Cephalus, who used them for hunting and enjoyed great sport with both.

Artemis resented the way her gifts had passed between Minos, Procris, and Cephalus. She caused Procris to suspect that Cephalus still visited Eos. Cephalus rose two hours after midnight to hunt, and Procris followed him in a dark tunic. She hid in a thicket while he hunted. Laelaps heard her movement, growled, and stiffened. Cephalus threw the unerring spear towards the sound and struck Procris.

Cephalus had killed his wife. The Areiopagus sentenced him to perpetual banishment, and he went to Thebes. King Amphitryon later borrowed Laelaps to hunt the Teumessian vixen, which was ravaging Cadmeia. The vixen was fated never to be caught, while Laelaps was fated to catch every quarry. Their opposing destinies brought the hunt to an end, though the passage does not state its final outcome.

Before these events, Procris had fled to Crete after Cephalus discovered her with Pteleon. Minos pursued her, and she agreed to lie with him after receiving a drink made from Circaean roots, which protected her from the harmful creatures caused by Minos's curse. She then returned to Athens. Another account says that Minos himself gave her the hound and javelin, both gifts of Artemis, before she went back to Cephalus.