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InGreek mythology,Leucothea (/ljuːˈkoʊθiə/;Ancient Greek:Λευκοθέα,romanized: Leukothéa,lit. 'white goddess',Ancient Greek pronunciation:[leu̯.koˈthe.a]), sometimes also calledLeucothoe (Ancient Greek:Λευκοθόη,romanized: Leukothóê,Ancient Greek pronunciation:[leu̯.koˈtho.εː]), was asea goddess. Myths surrounding Leucothea typically concern her original identity, either asIno orHalia, and her transformation into a goddess.
In more common versions of the story, theBoetian queenIno, daughter ofCadmus andHarmonia, was transformed into Leucothea.[1][2][3] Ino's sister,Semele, was the mother ofDionysus byZeus. After Semele's death, Ino and her husbandAthamas helped raise the young Dionysus.[4] This action invoked Hera's wrath and jealousy, and she struck Ino withinsanity, causing her to boil her sonMelicertes alive. When she finally came to her senses, she was horrified and leapt into the sea with the body of her dead son. Zeus took pity, and transformed Melicertes intoPalaemon, the patron of theIsthmian Games, and Ino into Leucothea.[4]
In another version of the myth, Ino's husbandAthamas was instead the one Hera struck with insanity. Athamas began to hunt his family, first killing their sonLearchus, before setting out to find and kill Ino and Melicertes. To escape Athamas, Ino and Melicertes leapt into the sea, and were transformed.
As a goddess, Leucothea had a temple andoracle inColchis, which was said to be founded byPhrixus.[5] She was also celebrated at the Roman festival ofMatralia, as she was often conflated with the Roman goddessMater Matuta.[6] During the festival, parents would nurse, care for, and pray for their nieces and nephews instead of their own children, emulating how Ino cared for her nephew, Dionysus.[7][8][9]
In theOdyssey,Homer makes Leucothea the transfiguration ofIno.[10] WhenOdysseus is stranded at sea on a broken ship, Leucothea suddenly appears and tells Odysseus to discard the garments thatCalypso had given him, wind her veil[a] around himself, discard his raft, and begin to swim instead, claiming that it will bring him to land. While Odysseus doesn't believe the goddess at first,[11] he eventually does so, and after three days, washes up upon the shores ofScheria.[12]
In the version of the myth fromRhodes, anymph or minor goddess namedHalia[b] was the one who became Leucothea. Before her transformation, Halia was the daughter ofThalassa and sister to theTelchines.Poseidon became enamored with Halia and together they had seven children: a daughter,Rhodos,[13] and six sons. One day, whenAphrodite was sailing past Rhodes and attempted to stop at the island, their sons prevented the goddess from doing so. In anger, Aphrodite caused them to go mad, and theyraped their mother. In anguish, Halia threw herself into the sea and became Leucothea. When Poseidon learned of what had happened, the sons were imprisoned beneath the island.[14] The people of Rhodes traced their mythic descent from Rhodos and thesun godHelios.[15]
Once Leucothea transformed herself into a swan, and was caught bySmicrus and his foster brother(s). The boys put the swan in a dress and then fought greatly over which would get to present the swan to their father. Leucothea then revealed herself and, amused by their strife over her, she instructed them to spread her honour among theMilesians in the form of boys' athletic contests, and to tell their father to cherish Smicrus above all.[16][17]
It is possible that Leucothea is the "Leucothoe" thatHyginus makes the mother ofThersanon by Helios, although he could be referring toanother woman by the same name.[18]
Meanwhile,
To re-salute the world with sacred light,
Leucothea waked;…[19]
As the sea-gull Κάδμου θυγάτηρ said to Odysseus
KADMOU THUGATER
"get rid of parap[h]ernalia"
