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Pelia^[a] in Greek mythology is a minor Cypriot figure, kin to Adonis, who plays a role in a minor myth. Her story is attested in the works of Servius, a Latin grammarian of the fifth century.

Mythology

Pelia had an unspecified kinship with Cinyras, the king of Cyprus, and his son Adonis. Cinyras married her to Melos, a childhood friend of Adonis from Delos. The couple had a son together, whom they also named Melos. The child was raised inside the sanctuary of Aphrodite herself, lover of Adonis. But when Adonis was slain by a boar during hunting, Melos was so distraught over his loss that he ended his life by hanging himself from an apple tree, which took his name thereafter. Pelia, not standing the loss of her kin and her husband both, took her life in the same way. After Aphrodite's own period of mourning was over, she turned Melos into an apple/apple tree, and Pelia into a dove. As for their son, Melos, who was now the only surviving member of Cinyras' family, he was sent back to Delos, where he founded the city Melon. The sheep there also took his name, for he first taught the Delians to shear them and make clothing out of their wool; the Greek μῆλον means 'apple' and 'sheep' both.^[1]^[2]

Notes

^ Due to her myth being only preserved in a Latin manuscript, the Greek spelling of her name is not attested, but the ancient Greek word for pigeon is spelled Πέλεια, Péleia.

References

^ Servius, Commentary on Virgil's Eclogues 8.37
^ Smith, s.v. Melus 2

Bibliography

Maurus Servius Honoratus, In Vergilii carmina comentarii. Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii; recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Smith, William, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London. John Murray: printed by Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square and Parliament Street, 1873.