Halcyone

King of Thessaly; shipwrecked, and changed with his wife Halcyone into birds, 211, 212.

But, alas! the gods had decreed they should never meet again on earth; and, even while Halcyone prayed, a tempest arose which wrecked Ceyx’s vessel, and caused him and all his crew to perish in the seething waves.

After assuming the face and form of Ceyx, the Dream glided away through the gate of horn, hastened to Halcyone’s bedside, and whispered that her husband was dead, and that his body was even now being cast up on the smooth, sandy beach by the salt sea waves.

To endure life without him seemed too great a task for poor Halcyone, who immediately cast herself into the sea, to perish beside him.

Dreams were also frequently sent through the gates of horn to prepare mortals for misfortunes, as in the case of Halcyone.