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Melicertes
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Melicertes

Greek mythology
Also known as: Palaemon
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Melicertes, in Greek mythology, was a sea deity. He was the son of the mortal Athamas and the sea nymph Ino. Ino, as Leucothea, cared for the infant Dionysus, angering the goddess Hera. Hera drove Ino and Athamas mad, causing them to leap into the sea with Melicertes. Both were transformed into marine deities: Ino became Leucothea, and Melicertes became Palaemon.1

Melicertes' body was carried by a dolphin to the Isthmus of Corinth and placed under a pine tree. His uncle, Sisyphus, found the body, brought it to Corinth, and established the Isthmian games and sacrifices in Melicertes' honor. Melicertes may be linked to the Phoenician god Melqart.1

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. Leucothea
  2. Melicerta
  3. Meleager

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