In Greek mythology, Zetes (also spelled Zethes) was one of the Boreads, the two winged "wind brothers," together with his twin Calais (Calaïs). They were the sons of Boreas, god of the north wind, and Oreithyia, daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens, and their name means "sons of the north wind." Zetes sailed with the Argonauts and, most famously, helped rescue the blind seer Phineus by driving off the Harpies that tormented him. Various accounts say the brothers later died chasing the Harpies, or were slain by Heracles in revenge for having the Argonauts leave him behind.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Boreads" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Description
Zetes and Calais were said to possess very delicate and graceful hair, which was held to give them the ability to fly. They took great pride in their curling locks, vying over who had the longest curls between the two of them, and by boasting about these locks they could be lifted upward into the air.
The brothers had dusky wings that gleamed with golden scales. According to some accounts the wings grew on their feet, in others on their backs; in Ovid's Metamorphoses they sprouted wings on their backs as they reached manhood.
II.Mythology
As sons of the north wind, the brothers possessed supernatural gifts, moving as swiftly as the wind or having the power of flight. They served as Argonauts and played a crucial role in rescuing the blind prophet Phineus from the Harpies, the creatures that snatched or fouled his food. They drove the Harpies away without killing them, at the request of the goddess Iris, who promised that Phineus would suffer no further harassment. In return, Phineus told the Argonauts how to navigate the clashing rocks of the Symplegades. Their pursuit of the Harpies ended at the Strophades, islands whose name means "Islands of Turning," referring to this event.
Several traditions describe the brothers' deaths. Some sources say Heracles killed them on the island of Tenos in revenge for their having persuaded the Argonauts to leave him behind while he searched for Hylas. Other accounts hold that they perished pursuing the Harpies, fated to die if they failed to catch their prey; in one version the exhausted Harpies fell into the sea and dragged their pursuers down with them. According to Phanocles, Calais was beloved by the legendary musician Orpheus. Calais was traditionally said to have founded the city of Cales in Campania.
III.Genealogy
Parent and Siblings: The Boreads were the twin sons of Boreas and Oreithyia, daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens. Their siblings included Chione and Cleopatra, the latter being the wife of Phineus, king of Thrace.
Consorts: According to a rare variant by Tzetzes, the blind elderly Phineus had two daughters, Eraseia and Harpyreia, whom Zetes and Calais abducted, after which the daughters vanished. In another version Zetes married Aëdon, who suspected him of infidelity with a hamadryad nymph and believed their son Aëtylus complicit; in her anger Aëdon killed the boy, and Aphrodite transformed her into a nightingale, perpetually mourning her child. Scholars note this account may conflate Zetes with Zethus, who is traditionally Aëdon's actual husband.