but, as it had been foretold that a son
of hers would gain supremacy over his father, they relinquished their
intentions, and she became the wife of Peleus, son of AEacus. Like Proteus,
Thetis possessed the power of transforming herself into a variety of
different shapes, and when wooed by Peleus she exerted this power in order
to elude him. But, knowing that persistence would eventually succeed, he
held her fast until she assumed her true form. Their nuptials were
celebrated with the utmost pomp and magnificence, and were honoured by the
presence of all the gods and goddesses, with the exception of Eris. How the
goddess of discord resented her exclusion from the marriage festivities has
already been shown.

Thetis ever retained great influence over the mighty lord of heaven, which,
as we shall see hereafter, she used in favour of her renowned son,
Achilles, in the Trojan War.

When Halcyone plunged into the sea in despair after the shipwreck and death
of her husband King Ceyx, Thetis transformed both husband and wife into the
birds called kingfishers (halcyones), which, with the tender affection
which characterized the unfortunate couple, always fly in pairs. The idea
of the ancients was that these birds brought forth their young in nests,
which float on the surface of the sea in calm weather, before and after the
shortest day, when Thetis was said to keep the waters smooth and tranquil
for their especial benefit; hence the term "halcyon-days," which signifies
a period of rest and untroubled felicity.

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THAUMAS, PHORCYS, and CETO.

The early Greeks, with their extraordinary power of personifying all and
every attribute of Nature, gave a distinct personality to those mighty
wonders of the deep, which, in all ages, have afforded matter of
speculation to educated and uneducated alike. Among these personifications
we find Thaumas, Phorcys, and their sister Ceto, who were the offspring of
Pontus.

Thaumas (whose name signifies Wonder) typifies that peculiar, translucent
condition of the surface of the sea when it reflects, mirror-like, various
images, and appears to hold in its transparent embrace the flaming stars
and illuminated cities, which are so frequently reflected on its glassy
bosom.

Thaumas married the lovely Electra (whose name signifies the sparkling
light produced by electricity), daughter of Oceanus. Her amber-coloured
hair was of such rare beauty that none of her fair-haired sisters could
com