The figure pictured here, according to Greek mythology, is Zephyrus was the god of the west wind. Zephyrus was the gentlest of the winds and considered a harbinger of springtime. He was pictured with flowers that indicated a mild light breeze. The Greeks honored eight wind gods. The others are: Lips, or Livos, the god of the southwest wind. Usually he was shown holding a ship's sternpost because when the wind blew form the southwest into Athens' port harbor of Piraeus, ships could not sail. Eurus, or Euros, was the god of the east wind. The folds of his clothes suggested heavy clouds. Apeliotes was the southeast wind, which was associated with good rain. Thus in art he was shown carrying fruit and draped in a cloth that concealed flowers or grain. The other four were Boreas (cold north wind), Kaikias (northeast wind), Notos (south wind), and Skiron (northwest wind).