The Story of Phorcys
Phorcys was an ancient sea god who stood for the hidden dangers of the deep. He was a son of Pontus, the sea, and Gaia, the earth. His brothers and sisters included Nereus, Thaumas, Ceto and Eurybia.
Phorcys married his sister Ceto, and together they fathered a brood of fearsome creatures. Their children included the Graeae, three gray sisters who shared a single eye and a single tooth, the Gorgons, among them Medusa, and Ladon, the serpent who guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides. Homer also names his daughter Thoosa as the mother of the Cyclops Polyphemus.
Homer calls Phorcys the old man of the sea, and a harbor on Ithaca bore his name. It was there that the Phaeacians gently set the sleeping Odysseus ashore at the end of his long journey. The Greeks saw him as one of the oldest powers of the sea, older than Poseidon, and a source of the monsters that heroes later had to face.
Phorcys's Family Tree
Parents of Phorcys
Wife of Phorcys
Children of Phorcys
Frequently Asked Questions About Phorcys
Who is Phorcys in Greek mythology?
Phorcys is an ancient sea god who stood for the hidden dangers of the deep.
Who are Phorcys's parents?
Phorcys is the son of Pontus, the sea, and Gaia, the earth.
Who are Phorcys's children?
With his sister Ceto, Phorcys fathered many monsters, including the Gorgons, the Graeae and the serpent Ladon.
Explore More Minor Greek Gods
