In Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

, Celtine was the daughter of Bretannus, king of the Celts. She is known for having been one of the consorts of Heracles

Heracles

Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...

. Her story, recorded by Parthenius of Nicaea

Parthenius of Nicaea

Parthenius of Nicaea or Myrlea in Bithynia was a Greek grammarian and poet. According to the Suda, he was the son of Heraclides and Eudora, or according to Hermippus of Berytus, his mother's name was Tetha. He was taken prisoner by Cinna in the Mithridatic Wars and carried to Rome in 72 BC. He...

, is as follows.

When Heracles was driving the cattle of Geryones to Greece, he stopped at Bretannus' house. Celtine fell in love with her father's guest and tricked him into consorting with her: she hid away the kine and told Heracles that in order to get the herd back, he had to content her. Heracles, both anxious to bring the cattle safe to Eurystheus

Eurystheus

In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was king of Tiryns, one of three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid, although other authors including Homer and Euripides cast him as ruler of Argos: Sthenelus was his father and the "victorious horsewoman" Nicippe his mother, and he was a grandson of the hero...

 and overcome by Celtine's beauty, consented. From their union was born a son Celtus, eponym

Eponym

An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...

 of the Celts.

Sources

• Parthenius, Love Romances. Transl. by S. Gaselee (1916) at Classical E-text