Ae'olus
1. A son of Hellen and the nymph Orseis, and a brother of Dorus and Xuthus.
He is described as the ruler of Thessaly, and regarded as the founder of the Aeolic branch of the Greek nation.
He married Enarete, the daughter of Deimachus, by whom he had seven sons and five daughters, and according to some writers still more. (
Apollod. 1.7.3; Schol.
ad Pind. Pyth. 4.190.)
According to Müller's supposition, the most ancient and genuine story knew only of four sons of Aeolus, viz. Sisyphus, Athamas, Cretheus, and Salmoneus, as the representatives of the four main branches of the Aeolic race.
The great extent of country which this race occupied, and the desire of each part of it to trace its origin to some descendant of Aeolus, probably gave rise to the varying accounts about the number of his children.
According to Hyginus (
Hyg. Fab. 238,
242) Aeolus had one son of the name of Macarcus, who, after having committed incest with his sister Canace, put an end to his own life.
According to Ovid (
Ov. Ep. 11) Aeolus threw the fruit of this love to the dogs, and sent his daughter a sword by which she was to kill herself (Comp. Plut.
Parallel. p. 312.)
