CELEUS

a king of Eleusis, and husband of Metaneira. When Demeter, on her wanderings in search of her daughter, came to Eleusis, she stayed in the house of Celeus. The goddess wished to make his son Demophon immortal, and, in order to destroy his mortal parts, she put him at night into the fire; but Metaneira, ignorant of the object, screamed aloud on seeing her child in the fire, and Demophon was destroyed by the flames.

Demeter, to make up for the loss, bestowed great favours upon Triptolemus, the other son of Celeus.

Celeus is described as the first priest of Demeter at Eleusis, and his daughters as priestesses of the goddess. (Horn. Hym. in Dem. 101, etc.; Paus. i. 38. § 3, ii. 14. § 2.) There is another mythical personage of this name. (Anton. Lib. 19.)

METANEIRA, the wife of Celeus, and mother of Triptolemus, received Demeter on her arrival in Attica. (Horn. Hymn, in Cer. 161 ; Apollod. i. 5. § 1.) Pausanias (i. 39. § 1) calls her Meganaera.