Palaemon (mythology)

Palaimon (Greek Παλαίμων, Latinized Palaemon ) was in Greek mythology who transformed into a sea deity Melikertes, son of Ino, the nurse of Dionysus, which spreads as a protective harbor in the Mediterranean worship God found.

Ino and Melikertes were persecuted by her maddened father. In desperation, Ino rushed with her son in the sea. However, they were rescued and transformed into sea gods. From Ino was Leukothea and from Melikertes Palaimon.

According to Pausanias, the body of Melikertes was born on the Isthmus of Corinth, found there by Sisyphus at a spruce, buried and built him a Heroon with an altar on which was also a spruce. The hero honor the Isthmian Games were held in which a spruce wreath was the price.

Palaemon was represented as a beautiful boy who is supported by a dolphin or on the arms of his mother Leukothea the sea god Poseidon, he opposed smiles sweetly.

Among the Romans, the god of the ports had the name Portunus.

After Lykophron the Palaimon were sacrificed infants in Tenedos, which is why he was called Brephoktonos ( " murdering children " βρεφοκτόνος ). This strange for a charitable se deity worship is brought von Weizsäcker with the Phoenician cult of Melkarth in conjunction. The Tyrian Melkarth was identified by the Greeks with Heracles, but Palaimon was also an epithet of Heracles (see Hercules Palaimon ). Furthermore, in the Lykophron site as a nickname Palaimons also Peukeus ( πεύκη = spruce) called, so there is a connection is established between the child -eating Phoenician Moloch on Melkarth to Heracles Melkarth, and because of Ringer Heracles to Ringer Palaimon in the games, the rings the main competition was.