As sister to the Aloadae, Elate was probably the daughter of
Iphimedeia by either
Aloeus or
Poseidon, the god of the sea.[2]
Mythology
Elate was big in size, as big as her enormous brothers. When they died after trying to wage war against the heavens, she mourned them so much she was changed into a
fir tree.[3][2] She kept however her great size in her new life, hence the ancient Greek expression "a silver-fir tree big as heaven."[4][5][6] Her sister,
Platanus, had a similar fate.[4]
^Bloch, René (Berne),
“Elate”, in: Brill’s New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and , Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry. Consulted online on 09 January 2023.