Hierax (mythology) explained

In Greek mythology, Hierax (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἰέραξ|Hierax|hawk) is the name of the following figures:

• Hierax, a just and honest man from the land of Mariandyni who honoured Demeter greatly and received plentiful harvest from her. When a tribe neglected Poseidon, he destroyed Demeter's crops, so Hierax sent them barley, wheat and other food. For this Poseidon changed him into a hawk, as hated by mankind as Hierax had been loved.^[1]
• Hierax, a mortal man who told on Hermes as he tried to sneak in and steal the metamorphosed Argive princess Io from Argus (Io's guardman), forcing Hermes to kill him instead.^[2]

References

• Antoninus Liberalis, The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis translated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992). Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Apollodorus, Apollodorus, The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.

Notes and References

1. [Antoninus Liberalis]
2. [Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]