Caeneus- Greek HeroHero"The Invulnerable"
Also known as: Caenis, Kaineus, Καινεύς, and Καινίς
Description
Born the maiden Caenis, transformed by Poseidon into an invulnerable man after he assaulted her on the seashore. In the battle at Pirithous's wedding, centaurs buried Caeneus alive under pine trees. A golden-winged bird flew from the wreckage.
Mythology & Lore
From Maiden to Warrior
Caeneus was born Caenis, daughter of the Lapith chieftain Elatus. Poseidon assaulted her on the Thessalian coast. As recompense, the god offered her any wish. She chose to become a man. Poseidon transformed Caenis into Caeneus and added a second gift: no weapon of bronze or iron could pierce his skin.
In the Iliad, Nestor names Caeneus among the warriors he fought beside, alongside Theseus and Pirithous. Apollodorus adds that Caeneus planted his spear in the marketplace and ordered the people to sacrifice to it.
Buried Alive
At the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia, the centaurs attacked the Lapiths and Caeneus proved devastating. Swords and spears bounced off his body, and he cut down centaur after centaur. They could not wound him, so they tore up pine trees and hurled boulders, piling them on top of him until the sheer weight drove him into the earth.
When the heap was cleared, no body lay beneath. In Ovid's telling, a golden-winged bird flew from the rubble into the sky. The seer Mopsus identified it as Caeneus. In Virgil's Aeneid, the shade appears in the underworld as Caenis once more, a maiden again.