Sky-Father Papaios

Sky-father; the masculine pole of the sky/earth pair Papaios-Api. Herodotos' own remark on the aptness of 'Father' is preserved at 4.59. Aniconic: no cult image attested.

Children

• First Man Targitaos

Domains

• sky
• fatherhood of the people
• fatherhood

Powers

• begot the first man upon the river's daughter

Epithets

• Παπαῖος
• Ζεύς

Relations

• spouse: Earth-and-Water Mother Api
• lover: River-Daughter of the Borysthenes
• interpretatio: Zeus

Sources

• Herodotos, Histories 4.59 (Godley)
• Herodotos, Histories 4.5
• V.I. Abaev (1949); R. Schmitt et al., Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'Scythians'