In
Greek mythology,
Phaethusa or
Phaëthusa (
Phaéthousa, "radiance") was a
nymph or
goddess and a daughter of the
Solar deity,
Helios. She and her sister
Lampetia watched over their father's sacred herds of cattle and sheep on the island of
Thrinacia (
Sicily or
Malta). Phaethusa wielded a
silver crook and herded the sheep.
[Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 4.922]
Family
Phaethusa is most commonly described as a daughter of Helios and Neaera, a minor goddess or nymph.
As a daughter of Neaera, she would have had one older biological sister, Lampetia, and many
half-siblings through her father.
[Homer, Odyssey, 12.111]
Alternately, Phaethusa has been named as one of the Heliades.[Ovid, Metamorphoses, 2.301] As one of the Heliades, she would have had up to seven biological sisters: Merope, Helie, Aegle, Phoebe, Aetherie, Lampetia, and Dioxippe.[Hyginus, Fabulae 154][Scholia ad Homer, Odyssey 17.208] However, authors have named different combinations and numbers of Heliades.[John Tzetzes, Chiliades, 4.19; For example, Tzetzes names Aegle, Lampetia, Phaethusa, Hemithea, and Dioxippe as Heliades] She would have also had a brother, Phaethon, who was killed by Zeus after attempting and failing to drive Helios' chariot.[Diodorus Siculus, Library, 5.23.1-5.23.3] Phaethusa and Lampetia still attended to their father's flocks in these versions.
Mythology
As young children, Phaethusa and her sister Lampetia were sent to Thrinacia (identified as Sicily or Malta) by Neaera to guard their father's prized herds of cattle and sheep.
[Homer, Odyssey, 12.111] The animals were beautiful, with white coats and golden horns, and did not age or breed.
[Homer, Odyssey, 12.3][Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 4.922] In
Homer's
Odyssey,
Odysseus and his men land on Thrinacia. A storm created by Zeus 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; Phaethusa and Lampetia 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.
[Homer, Odyssey, 12.8]
In versions of the story where Phaethusa is one of the Heliades and a sister of Phaethon, she and Lampetia were transformed into Populus[Polybius, Histories, 2.16][John Tzetzes, Chiliades, 4.19; For example, Tzetzes names Aegle, Lampetia, Phaethusa, Hemithea, and Dioxippe as Heliades] or alder[Strabo, Geographica, 5.1] trees while mourning their brother's death. As trees, their tears continued to flow, and crystalized into amber.[Ovid, Metamorphoses, 2.301] However, in the Argonautica, which takes place after Phaethon's death,[Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 4.592] Phaethusa and her sister are still alive and caring for their father's herds.
Namesake
