Melicertes

Melicertes (later called Palaemon),Greek mythology,son ofBoeotian prince AthamasIno, daughterCadmus.

Ino, pursued by her husband, who had been driven mad by Hera because Ino had brought upinfant Dionysus, threw herselfMelicertes intosea fromhigh rock between MegaraCorinth, Both were changed into marine deities: Ino as Leucothea, Melicertes as Palaemon. The body oflatter was carried bydolphin toIsthmusCorinthdeposited underpine tree.

Herewas found by his uncle Sisyphus, who hadremovedCorinth,by command ofNereids institutedIsthmian gamessacrificeshis honour. There seems little doubt thatcultMelicertes wasforeign, probably Phoenician, origin,introduced by Phoenician navigators oncoastsislands ofAegeanMediterranean. He isnativeBoeotia, where Phoenician influences were strong; at Tenedos he was propitiated bysacrificechildren which seemspointhis identityMelkart. The premature death ofchild inGreek form oflegendprobably an allusionthis.

The Romans identified PalaemonPortunus (the harbour god). No satisfactory origin ofname Palaemon has been given. It has been suggested thatmeans"wrestler" or "struggler"is an epithetHeracles, whooften identifiedMelkart, but there does not appearbe any traditional connection between HeraclesPalaemon. Melicertes being Phoenician, Palaemon also has been explained as?burning lord? (Baal-haman), but there seems littlecommon betweengod ofsea andgodfire.

This was originally based on content from1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. Update as needed.