Notus: Greek God of the South Wind

The Story of Notus

Notus was the god of the south wind, a son of the Titan Astraeus and Eos, the goddess of the dawn. His brothers were Boreas of the north, Zephyrus of the west and Eurus of the east. He was said to blow up from the hot lands far to the south.

The Greeks feared Notus for his heat and moisture. He brought the storms of late summer and early autumn, which could damage crops and bring sickness. In Ovid's story of the great flood, Zeus released Notus to destroy the wicked human race, and he flew out on dripping wings with a face of black clouds, pouring down the rain that drowned the world.

Notus had little worship of his own, though sailors and farmers watched his moods closely. On the Tower of the Winds in Athens, he is shown emptying a jar of water, a sign of the rain he brought. The Romans called him Auster, and from that name comes Australia, the southern land.