Haliartus was the brother of Coronus and the son of Thersander. The story goes that he had been adopted by Athamas, son of Aeolus, when Athamas had been guided by the oracle to find food after a flock of sheep had all been devoured by wolves. Haliartus has a name that thus means 'bread of the sea', from hals, 'sea' and artos, 'bread', and so was a kind of 'manna in the wilderness' for Athamas.