Cilix

Cilix is a figure in Greek mythology, described as a son of Agenor and a brother of Cadmus, Phoenix, and Europa. According to myth, Agenor sent his sons to search for Europa after her abduction by Zeus; Cadmus went west toward Europe, Cilix is said to have settled in the eastern Mediterranean, and Phoenix remained in Phoenicia. In most traditions, Cilix is not the focus of heroic exploits but is remembered as the eponymous founder of a region.

Cilicia was an ancient region on the southern coast of Asia Minor, corresponding to parts of what is now southern Turkey. Cilix is associated with this territory, and the region was named Cilicia after him. The area was later subdivided in antiquity into Cilicia Pedias (the plains) and Cilicia Trachea (the mountains). It encompassed important coastal and inland communities and played a role in several empires, including the Hellenistic kingdoms, the Romans, and the Byzantines, and later became the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia during the medieval period.

In classical literature, Cilix is chiefly referenced in genealogies and as an eponym, with few tales centered on his personal adventures. His primary significance lies in linking the region’s name to a legendary origin in Greek myth.