| Lampetia | |
|---|---|
Shepherdess of theOxen of the Sun | |
 Odysseus' men slay and eat the sacred cattle while one of Helios' daughters, Lampetia or Phaethusa, inform their father | |
| Abode | Thrinacia (Sicily) |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Siblings | Phaethusa,Merope, Helie,Aegle, Phoebe, Aetherie, andDioxippe |
| Children | Machaon,Podaleirius,Iaso,Panacea, andAegle |
InGreek mythology,Lampetia/ˌlæmˈpiːʃə/ (Ancient Greek:Λαμπετίη,romanized: Lampetíē orΛαμπετία,Lampetía, 'shining') also spelledLampetie, was anymph orgoddess and a daughter of thesun god,Helios. She and her sisterPhaethusa watched over their father's prized herds ofcattle and sheep on the island ofThrinacia (Sicily). Lampetia wielded anorichalcum staff and herded the cattle.[1]
Lampetia is most commonly described as a daughter of Helios andNeaera, a minor goddess or nymph.[2][3] In this telling, she had one younger sister: Phaethusa, but had manyhalf-siblings through her father.[4][1]
Lampetia has alternately been named as one of theHeliades, which would have made her the daughter of Helios andClymene, anOceanid.[5] As one of the Heliades, she would have had up to seven biological sisters:Merope, Helie,Aegle,Phoebe, Aetherie, Phaethusa, andDioxippe.[6][7] However, different authors have named different combinations and numbers of Heliades.[8] She would have also had a brother:Phaethon.[9] Lampetia and Phaethusa still attended to their father's flocks in these versions.
InHermippus'Trimeters, he writes that Lampetia bore five children byAsclepius, the god of medicine:Machaon,Podaleirius,Iaso,Panacea, and Aegle.[10][11]
As children, Lampetia and Phaethusa were sent to Thrinacia (identified as Sicily) by Neaera to guard their father's prized herd of cattle and sheep.[4] The animals were beautiful, with white coats and golden horns, and did not age or breed.[12][1] InHomer'sOdyssey,Odysseus and his men land on Thrinacia. A storm created byZeus prevented the crew from leaving the island, and the men eventually ran out of supplies. While Odysseus was away praying, his men decided to kill and eat some of the sacred cattle; Lampetia and Phaethusa ran to inform their father, and Helios demanded that Zeus punish the offenders. When the storm finally cleared and the men set sail again, Zeus struck the ship with a bolt of lightning, and all the men except Odysseus died.[13]
In versions of the story where Lampetia is one of the Heliades and a sister ofPhaethon, Lampetia and Phaethusa were transformed intopoplar[14][8] oralder[15] trees while mourning their brother's death. As trees, their tears continued to flow, and crystalized intoamber.[5] However, in theArgonautica, which takes place after Phaethon's death,[16] Lampetia and Phaethusa are still alive and caring for their father's herds.
.jpg)
.jpg)
