Alcyone and Ceyx

Narrator:

In the ancient times of Greek, there portrays one particular story, it is the story of
Alcyone and Ceyx. Alcyone was the daughter of Aelous, the god and keeper of the wind. And
she was the faithful wife of Ceyx, the king of Trachis. There the king ruled his kingdom with
fairness and tranquility. And the two loved each other very much so, that even the gods have
known and admired their faithfulness towards each other. But there was a god who didn’t like
how the couple referred to one another.

Alcyone:

My, my lovely Zeus, today is quite a beautiful morning, with the sun shining so brightly,
and the winds my father cast upon the lands to make it ever so lovely like you, my Zeus!

Ceyx:

‘Tis the truth my beloved Hera. But to me, you are the most beautiful woman and as
lovely as a rose that is ever so pretty. I love you, my dear Hera!

Narrator:

The young couple was so happy with their marriage that they’d often refer to themselves
as Hera and Zeus. But the gods among gods became enraged after learning of the couple’s
calling toward each other. And Zeus had planned to punish the arrogant couple.

Zeus:

Alcyone and Ceyx, how dare they compare themselves to us great gods! I shall punish
they who are arrogant with themselves! But I must wait for the right time to fulfill my wrath.

Narrator:

One day, Ceyx had to go to Ionia to consult with the oracle of Apollo, because he was
having trouble over some ominous signs that had been observed. But his wife, Alcyone, refuses
to make her husband travel through the dangerous seas to seek the oracle.

Alcyone:

My love! Please I ask of you to not sail through the sea! The winds there are violent, even
my father had trouble controlling it!

Ceyx:

It is fine, my dear wife. And I can assure you that I will return safely as per the gods are
on my side!

Alcyone:

If you absolutely must go, then take me along with you to travel through the seas!

Ceyx:

Alcyone, my beloved, please I can’t bear to put you in danger, so you cannot come with
me. This is something I have to do and I will not let you be in trouble, so please let me go.

Narrator:
 Alcyone had a bad feeling but she had no choice but to hopelessly watch as the ship
carrying her husband was slowly getting away from the harbor. And Zeus saw this as an
opportunity to punish the couple for what they have done. And so he struck a thunderbolt that
created a violent storm that made Ceyx’s ship to sink.

Ceyx:

This is the end for me. Gods! Before I drown in the waters of the sea, I pray to you to let
my body be washed ashore so that my beloved wife could perform a funeral for me!

Narrator:

Alcyone, oblivious to what happened to her husband, prayed to Hera, the goddess among
goddesses, to ensure the safety of her husband.

Alcyone:

I pray to you Hera, the queen of gods, to let my husband have a safe trip on his journey
towards Ionia. Please I pray to you.

Narrator:

Hera, knowing fully well what happened to Ceyx, felt sorrow about the tragedy. And so
she instructed Morpheus, the god of dreams, to gently inform the poor wife about the news of her
dead husband. While Alcyone was asleep, Morpheus created a dream that reveals the tragic fate
of Ceyx and made it appear in Alcyone’s dream.

And when Alcyone woke up, she now knew about the tragedy that fell upon her husband.
In grief, she quickly ran to the seashore and there she found her husband’s lifeless body.

Alcyone:

No! My beloved husband! My beloved Ceyx! Please…you cannot be dead. You

promised me that you’ll return safely! Why? Why did this happen to us? I couldn’t live without
you, my beloved Ceyx! And so I’ll drown myself so that I can be with you to the land of the
dead!

Narrator:

With profound grief and sorrow, Alcyone couldn’t bear to live in the world of living
without her husband and so she drowned herself into the sea so that she could be in the other side
with Ceyx. This tragic fate of Alcyone and Ceyx was deeply affected by the gods on Olympus,
and also amazed the gods for their love and faithfulness towards each other that not even death
would stop them from being together. In order for Zeus to repent for his impulsive behavior that
was responsible for this tragedy, he transformed the couple into Halcyon birds.