Boreas was the god of the North Wind in Greek mythology. He was the son of Eos and Astraeus, and brother of Zephyrus (West Wind), Eurus (East Wind), and Notus (South Wind). In literature, Boreas is often considered not to be as gentle as his brothers.
According to one myth, Boreas developed a passion for Oreithyia, the beautiful daughter of King Erechtheus. Oreithyia did however not have similar feelings for Boreas, which resulted in Boreas abducting her, hiding her in a cloud, and making her his bride. They later had two winged sons called Calais and Zetes.
Another myth tells that when the Persian navy of Xerxes threatened the city of Athens, the Athenians begged Boreas for assistance. He then blew his anger at the Persians and 400 Persian ships sank immediately.