Palaemon

Παλαιμον





PALAIMON (or Palaemon) was a young sea-god who, with his mother Leukothea, came to the aid of sailors in distress. He was originally a mortal child named Melikertes (Melicertes) whose parents incurred the wrath of Hera when they fostered the young god Dionysos. His father was driven into a murderous rage by Hera. Ino fled with Melikertes in her arms, after he had killed their other child, and fleeing leapt off the cliffs into the sea. There the pair were transformed into sea-gods and received the names Palaimon and Leukothea. Palaimon was depicted in Greco-Roman mosaic as either a dolphin-riding boy, or a fish-tailed Triton-child.

The name Melikertes was derived from that of the Phoenician god Melkart or Melqart. However the Greeks re-interpreted this name to mean "the honey-eater." The Romans identified Palaimon with Portunus, god "of the harbour."



It is implied that Palaemon is the god of Sharks, as he has a "legion of sharks", as Delphin was supposed to send Palaemon and his legion of sharks to attack Oceanus' monsters at the western front. The people of Greece also thought of him as the god of harbors but he may also be the god of Sharks and Harbours.