File:Phorkys_Mosaic_Bardo.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Phorcys
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In Greek mythology, Phorcys or Phorcus (; ) is a primordial sea god, generally cited (first in Hesiod) as the son of Pontus and Gaia (Earth). Classical scholar Karl Kerenyi conflated Phorcys with the similar sea gods Nereus and Proteus. His wife was Ceto, and he is most notable in myth for fathering by Ceto a host of monstrous children. In extant Hellenistic-Roman mosaics, Phorcys was depicted as a fish-tailed merman with crab-claw legs and red, spiky skin.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Greek
- Deity.name
- Phorcys
- Deity.image
- Phorkys Mosaic Bardo.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Late Roman mosaic from the Trajan Baths of Acholla showing three aquatic deities: Phorcys (middle), Ceto (right), and Triton or Thaumas (left). Bardo National Museum, Tunis
- Deity.god_of
- Sea god
- Deity.abode
- Sea
- Deity.consort
- Ceto
- Deity.parents
- Pontus and Gaia
- Deity.siblings
- Nereus, Thaumas, Ceto and Eurybia
- Deity.children
- The Hesperides, the Gorgons, the Graeae, Thoosa, Scylla, Echidna, the Sirens, and Ladon
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Phorkys Mosaic Bardo.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- name in native language
- Φόρκυς
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~5 min read
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Parents
- Offspring
- Notes
- References
- External links
In Greek mythology, Phorcys or Phorcus (; ) is a primordial sea god, generally cited (first in Hesiod) as the son of Pontus and Gaia (Earth). Classical scholar Karl Kerenyi conflated Phorcys with the similar sea gods Nereus and Proteus. His wife was Ceto, and he is most notable in myth for fathering by Ceto a host of monstrous children. In extant Hellenistic-Roman mosaics, Phorcys was depicted as a fish-tailed merman with crab-claw legs and red, spiky skin.
According to Servius, commentator on the Aeneid, who reports a very ancient version already reflected in Varro, distinct from the Greek vulgate: Phorcos was once king of Sardinia and Corsica; annihilated in a naval battle in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and then shot down by King Atlas with a large part of his army, his companions imagined him transformed into a marine deity, perhaps a monster, half man and half sea ram.