Leucothea

Athamas, ruler in Boeotia and son of Aiolos, married Ino, daughter of Cadmos and Harmonia, after having children by Nephele. Ino bore him two sons, Learchos and Melicertes. She then plotted against Nephele’s children, Phrixos and Helle. She persuaded the women to parch the wheat grain in secret. When the sown grain failed to grow, Athamas sent envoys to Delphi. Ino bribed them to report that the barrenness would end only if Phrixos were sacrificed to Zeus. Athamas was forced by the people to bring Phrixos to the altar, but Nephele rescued him and Helle with a golden-fleeced ram given to her by Hermes.

Athamas had also allowed Ino to shelter the infant Dionysus, the son of Zeus and her sister Semele. Dionysus lived in the palace disguised as a girl. Later, Athamas seized his bow and cried that he had seen a white stag. He shot Learchus, mistaking him for the animal, and tore the boy’s body into pieces.

Ino seized Melicertes and fled. Athamas pursued her, but Dionysus temporarily blinded him. Athamas then mistook a she-goat for Ino and began to beat it. Ino reached the Molurian Rock and leaped into the sea, carrying Melicertes. Both were drowned. Zeus remembered Ino’s kindness to Dionysus and made her the goddess Leucothea instead of sending her ghost to Tartarus. He made Melicertes the god Palaemon. Athamas later married Themisto and raised another family. He and his Corinthian grandnephews founded Alos, and the surrounding country became known as Athamania.

Another account omits Athamas’s marriage to Nephele. In it, Ino disappeared while hunting after a Bacchic frenzy seized her, and Athamas believed that wild beasts had killed her. He later married Themisto, learnt that Ino was still alive, and brought her back to the palace as a nurse. A further variant makes Phrixos and Helle children of Nephele and Ixion.

Hermes brought the infant Dionysus to Ino and Athamas after Zeus rescued him from the fire that killed Semele. Zeus had taken the unborn child from Semele and sewn him into his thigh until the time of his birth. Hermes persuaded Ino and Athamas to raise him as a girl. In another account, Persephone brought Dionysus to them after Rhea had restored him to life. Hera had ordered the Titans to seize him, tear him apart, and boil the pieces, but Rhea rescued and reconstituted him.

Ino sheltered Dionysus in the palace women’s quarters. He was Zeus’s child by Semele, Ino’s sister, and Hera was angered that the royal couple had taken in the infant. Hera therefore drove Athamas and Ino mad. Athamas seized his bow and mistook their son Learchus for a white stag. He shot him, then tore his body into pieces.

Ino snatched up her younger son Melicertes and fled. Athamas pursued her, but Dionysus temporarily blinded him. Athamas then mistook a she-goat for Ino and began to beat it. Ino reached the Molurian Rock and leaped into the sea, where she was drowned. The rock later became associated with the savage Sciron, who threw strangers from it.

Zeus remembered Ino’s kindness to Dionysus. He therefore spared her ghost from Tartarus and made her the goddess Leucothea. Melicertes became the god Palaemon. In another account, Hermes changed Dionysus into a kid or a ram and took him to the nymphs Macris, Nysa, Erato, Bromie, and Bacche on Mount Nysa. They raised him in a cave and fed him on honey.

Athamas seized his bow and cried out that he had seen a white stag. He shot Learchus, then tore apart the boy’s still-quivering body. Ino seized her younger son, Melicertes, and fled. Athamas pursued her in a frenzy. The infant Dionysus, whom Ino had sheltered in the palace while disguised as a girl, temporarily blinded him. Athamas then mistook a she-goat for Ino and began to beat it.

Ino ran to the Molurian Rock with Melicertes in her arms. She threw herself and the child into the sea, and both were drowned. The rock later became notorious because the savage Sciron hurled strangers from it. Zeus remembered Ino’s kindness towards Dionysus. He therefore refused to send her ghost to Tartarus and transformed her into Leucothea, the White Goddess. He also transformed Melicertes into the sea god Palaemon.

Another account describes Ino’s leap as part of a plea made by Aphrodite to Poseidon. Aphrodite asks Poseidon to show mercy to her distressed friends and admit them among the gods. Poseidon grants the request, removes what was mortal from them, and gives them divine form, colour, shape, and names. In this version, the sea god rather than Zeus carries out the transformation. The accounts also differ over Learchus’s death. One says that Athamas shot him as a stag and tore his body apart. Another says that Athamas seized him from Ino, threw him repeatedly, and dashed his head against a stone.