Ino and Melicertes
The tragedy of Ino and her son Melicertes ends with their transformation into the sea divinities Leucothea and Palaemon.
The Story
Ino was a daughter of Cadmus and belonged to the troubled royal family of Thebes.
She married Athamas.
Their household became entangled in several tragic traditions, including the story of Phrixus and Helle and the upbringing of the young Dionysus.
Madness eventually struck the family.
Athamas killed their son Learchus.
Ino fled carrying her other son, Melicertes.
She reached the sea and leapt into the water with the child.
But their story did not end simply with death.
In later tradition Ino was transformed into the sea goddess Leucothea.
Melicertes became the sea god Palaemon.
Their transformation carried the tragedy of the Cadmean family into another part of Greek mythology.
Leucothea would later appear in the Odyssey, helping Odysseus survive at sea.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The story links the House of Cadmus with Greek sea-divinity traditions and provides the mythological origin of Leucothea and Palaemon.
Traditions & Variations
Ancient sources offer substantially different explanations for the madness of Athamas and Ino and for the events preceding their fall into the sea.