Melicertes

Melicertes is a figure in Greek mythology, traditionally described as the son of Athamas and Ino. In some versions he is the elder child of Ino and Athamas. According to the myth, Ino and Melicertes flee by sea after Hera drives Ino into madness. In the course of their attempted refuge at the coast, the pair are transformed into sea deities: Ino becomes Leucothea, “the white goddess” of the sea, while Melicertes is transformed into Palæmon (Palaemon), a sea god associated with sailors and maritime safety. In other tellings, Melicertes dies and is later worshiped specifically as Palæmon.

The transformation serves as an etiological explanation for two related cults. Leucothea is worshiped as a benevolent sea deity across the Greek world, particularly among sailors seeking protection. Palæmon, associated with seafaring and harbor safety, was especially venerated at coastal sanctuaries and near Corinth, and his cult continued into Roman times under the name Palemon or Palæmon. The two figures are sometimes treated as distinct divine forms arising from the same mythic episode—the mother’s elevation to a sea goddess and the son’s elevation to a sea deity.

In art and literature, Melicertes and Palæmon are typically depicted in maritime contexts, sometimes alongside Leucothea. The story of Melicertes is one of several Greek myths that link mortal figures to enduring sea deities, reflecting the ancient Greeks’ emphasis on seamanship and divine protection at sea.