Aristaeus

Greek An ancient rural deity, native to Thessaly. Son of Apollo and the Nymph Cyrene. Aristaeus was brought up by the nymphs of the god Hermes (half brother of Apollo), who taught him beekeeping, cheese-making, and the cultivation of olives. Later, the Muses taught him healing, hunting, and the care of herds and flocks. Aristaeus tried to force his attentions on the Dryad Eurydice. The gods punished him by destroying his bees. Aristaeus sought the advice of Proteus, who advised him to sacrifice cattle to the gods. Aristaeus followed the counsel of Proteus and was rewarded 18 Argos when swarms of bees emerged from the rotting corpses of the slain cattle. Aristaeus was honored as a god in ancient Greece because of the great knowledge of his crafts that he passed on to humans.