Cilix (; Ancient Greek: Κίλιξ Kílix) was, according to Greek mythology, a Phoenician prince as the son of King Agenor and Telephassa or Argiope.
Etymology
In her book Who's Who in Classical Mythology, author Adrian Room describes the name's etymology: "we can perhaps see in his name a blend of ceras, 'horn' and helix, 'twisted', or even a link with cyllos, 'crooked'". This is referring to the horns of Zeus in the form of a white bull, who carried off Cilix's sister Europa to the coast of Crete. Cilicia's etymology is broken up into two parts according to the two parts of its terrain. Cilicia Trachea is "rugged Cilicia", in Greek Κιλικία Τραχεῖα; it is also the Assyrian Hilakku, classical "Cilicia". Cilicia Pedias is "flat Cilicia", in Ancient Greek: Κιλικία Πεδιάς, and in Assyrian Quwê.
Family
Cilix was the brother of Cadmus, Phoenix and Europa.
While some sources claim that Thasus is related to Cilix, as a brother or nephew, Thasus' genealogy is not fully agreed upon. Hawthorne's tale specifically calls Thasus a "playfellow", and mentions no blood relation to Agenor. There is little information about this, and the only widely agreed on information is that Thasus founded the town of Thasos.
Mythology
When Europa was carried off by Zeus, Agenor sent his three sons out to find her, telling them not to return until they find her. The search was unsuccessful. Cilix eventually settled down in Asia Minor. The land was called Cilicia after him. Cilix's son, Thasus (who might have also been a son of Poseidon), who accompanied his uncle Cadmus in his journey. He writes "Unhappily this country is almost unknown archaeologically. But Dr. Gjerstad who visited Cilicia recently informs me that there is evidence of Mycenean colonization in this district". But as The Mycenean Origin of Greek Mythology was published in 1932, more artifacts may have been found.
Aegean Cilicia
The area is coastal plain in the East of Adramytteion Gulf, between Troas and Aeolis, Aegean cost of Mysia. Similar with Cilix's brother Cadmus who built a city name Thebes in Beotia; there is a city called Thebe in this region. The region is much more close to Greek island Thasos. Pseudo-Apollodoros stated that Cilix settled near Phoenicia around the Pyramus, meaning in Levantine Cilicia.