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Biton

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

In Greek legend, Biton was a son of Cydippe whose act of piety—drawing his mother’s cart to a festival—led to divine reward and eternal honor.

Detailed Definition
Biton and his brother Cleobis pulled their mother’s cart to a festival when oxen failed; they died peacefully afterward, honored by Hera as models of virtue. Herodotus recounts their tale. Poets reference Biton to celebrate devotion, humble heroism, and the ideal of a blessed death.
Example
Example in poetry:
Herodotus’s Histories recounts Biton and Cleobis, who died after honoring their mother; In Pausanias, their statues at Delphi commemorate filial piety; Later moralizing poetry cites them as exemplars of virtuous death; In Roman exempla literature, they represent ideal brotherly devotion; Their story appears in Renaissance humanist texts as a lesson in honor.
Additional Notes
Biton and Cleobis are Argive brothers who die after pulling their mother’s cart to a festival—rewarded by the gods for filial piety (Herodotus). Students should use their story to discuss Greek ideals of eusebeia (piety) and kalos thanatos (beautiful death). Their statues at Delphi made them exemplars in moral philosophy. Related: Solon, Herodotus’s ethical tales, sibling devotion.
Also Known As
Biton the Devoted Son Brother of Cleobis Paragon of Piety Honored by Hera Cleobis
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