Phorcys

Phorcys

In Greek mythology, Phorcys or Phorcus is a primordial sea god. He is the son of Pontus and Gaia, the Earth. Phorcys had many unusual children with his wife, Ceto.

In old artworks, Phorcys looked like a fish-tailed merman with crab-claw legs and red, spiky skin.

There is also an older story from Sardinia and Corsica. It tells of a king named Phorcos who lost a big sea battle in the Tyrrhenian Sea. After this, people imagined him changing into a sea god who looked like a half man and half sea ram.

Parents

According to Hesiod's Theogony, Phorcys is the son of Pontus and Gaia. He is the brother of Nereus, Thaumus, Ceto, and Eurybia. In a story from Plato's dialogue Timaeus, Phorcys, Cronus and Rhea are the oldest children of Oceanus and Tethys.

Offspring

In old stories, Phorcys and his wife Ceto had many famous children. They are known as the parents of the Graeae, which included Pemphredo and Enyo, and the Gorgons, such as Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa.

Some tales say that Scylla, a creature with many heads, was his daughter. Other stories tell of the Sirens, who sang beautiful songs, as possible children of Phorcys. There are also stories that Phorcys had other daughters, like Thoosa, who was the mother of Polyphemus.