Athamas

First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.7

🌐 Also appears in: The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Athamas)

Athamas was one of the seven sons of Aeolus. Ruling over Boeotia, he had Phrixus and Helle by Nephele, then married Ino, with whom he had Learchus and Melicertes. He later married Themisto and had Leucon, Erythrius, Schoeneus, and Ptous.

Athamas and Ino were entrusted with raising Dionysus as a girl, but Hera drove them mad. Afterwards, Athamas hunted Learchus as a deer and killed him, while Ino threw Melicertes into a boiling cauldron and sprang with him into the sea. In another account, Athamas “shot Learchus with an arrow,” while Ino cast herself and Melicertes into the sea.

Relationship record

Life events

• Athamas kills Learchus, while Ino casts herself and Melicertes into the sea.(Apollodorus, Library 1.9 · 📍 Boeotia)
  • With: Learchus Ino Melicertes
  • “But afterwards Athamas was bereft also of the children of Ino through the wrath of Hera; for he went mad and shot Learchus with an arrow, and Ino cast herself and Melicertes into the sea.”
• Hera drove Athamas and Ino mad, causing the deaths of Learchus and Melicertes.(Apollodorus, Library 3.4)
  • With: Hera Learchus Ino Melicertes
  • “But Hera indignantly drove them mad, and Athamas hunted his elder son Learchus as a deer and killed him, and Ino threw Melicertes into a boiling cauldron, then carrying it with the dead child she sprang into the deep.”

Apollodorus, Library 1.7

• parent: Aeolus “and begat seven sons, Cretheus, Sisyphus, Athamas, Salmoneus, Deion, Magnes, Perieres”

Apollodorus, Library 1.9

• child: Phrixus “Athamas ruled over Boeotia and begat a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle by Nephele.”
• child: Helle “Athamas ruled over Boeotia and begat a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle by Nephele.”
• married with Ino “And he married a second wife, Ino”
• child: Learchus “by whom he had Learchus and Melicertes.”
• child: Melicertes “by whom he had Learchus and Melicertes.”
• married with Themisto “and he married Themisto, daughter of Hypseus, and begat Leucon, Erythrius, Schoeneus, and Ptous.”

Apollodorus, Library 3.4

• ward: Dionysus “And he conveyed him to Ino and Athamas, and persuaded them to rear him as a girl.”
• enemies with Hera “But Hera indignantly drove them mad,”
• with Hera (Hera drove Athamas mad.) “But Hera indignantly drove them mad”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.