| Asteria | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Delos | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Asteria.jpg) Asteria seated on a rock with a lyre and laurel wreath at her side | |
| Abode | Delos |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Coeus and Phoebe |
| Siblings | Leto |
| Consort | Perses |
| Children | Hecate |
In Greek mythology, Asteria or Asterie (/əˈstɪəriə/; Ancient Greek: Ἀστερία or Ἀστερίη, romanized: Astería, Asteríē, lit. 'of the stars, starry one') is a daughter of the Titans Coeus (Polus) and Phoebe and the sister of Leto.[1] According to Hesiod, by the Titan Perses she had a single child, a daughter named Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft.[2] Other authors made Asteria the mother of the fourth Heracles[3] and Hecate[4] by Zeus.
Asteria is notable for her pursuit by the amorous god Zeus, who desired her. In order to escape him and his advances, she transformed herself into a bird and then a wandering island. When her sister Leto, impregnated by Zeus, went into labour, Asteria was the only place on earth willing to receive her, defying Hera's orders that forbade Leto any shelter. After Apollo and Artemis were born on her, the island received the name of Delos, and Apollo fixed it in place, making it his sacred land.