In Greek mythology, Celeus (/ˈsiːliəs/ SEE-lee-əs; Ancient Greek: Κελεός, romanized: Keleós) is a Cretan man who attempted to steal from Zeus, the king of gods, and was punished for it.
The Cretan Celeus and three other men, Cerberus, Aegolius and Laius entered the sacred cave of Zeus in Crete where the young god had been born and raised with the aim to steal some of the sacred honey produced by the bee caretakers of Zeus.
[4] The myth of Celeus, Cerberus, Aegolius and Laius originates from the only surviving work of Antoninus Liberalis, the Metamorphoses.
Though the Metamorphoses includes myths with earlier origins the myth of Celeus, Cerberus, Aegolius and Laius was first told in writing by Antoninus Liberalis.
[6] A woodpecker species native to the Americas is named Celeus.