Origin of the Catoblepas

When a herder boasted that his cattle were the finest in Theros because Heliod and Nylea had created them, the gods grew angry at this falsehood. Heliod persuaded Mogis to curse the cattle, transforming them into the first catoblepases. As a result, many animal breeders prove excessively modest to this day, with humble-boasts being common and well understood among both buyers and sellers. Livestock that are “as Heliod intended” or “praiseless beasts” might be considered second to none.