Greek mythology hides hundreds of interesting stories. Some of them are very well known, but others not so much, perhaps because their main characters are not as «glamorous» as the gods and winged horses or they do not contain important teachings such as the myth of Icarus, for example. However, they are also in many cases exciting. Come with us to know the mythological legend of Glaucus, the fisherman who became Triton. Glaucus was born mortal and became immortal; From that moment on, his mission was to come to the rescue of sailors and fishermen during storms since he had also been one of them.
The myth of Glaucus, the fisherman who became Triton
The adjective «glauco» comes from the Latin word «glaucus» which in turn derives from the ancient Greek γλαυκός (glaukós) which means «sea green» and this meaning has a lot to do with the myth of Glaucus.
Glaucous It was him mortal son of Poseidon and a naiad called Nais. She lived like simple fisherman in Anthedon, Boeotia (a region of Ancient Greece) and one day, coincidentally, rubbing a fish with some herbs, he discovered that the plant had the property of restoring life. The herb had apparently been sown by Cronus to revitalize the exhausted horses of Helios, the sun god. Glaucus, who knew nothing, decided to try it and see what effect it had on himself. He ingested it and soon saw how his body began to transform. His hair and beard turned sea green, he grew fins and His legs became the tail of a fish. had become a newt.
Not being able to hold out on land any longer, he jumped into the water very scared. He hadn’t wanted that transformation. However, at the bottom of the sea he was received by Oceanus and Thetis who purified him and made him immortal, although they did not prevent him from aging. He was accepted among the sea gods and He learned from them the art of prophecy which he would later teach Apollo.
Glaucus helped the Argonauts and it was said that he came to help sailors and fishermen who were in danger during storms, remembering that he had also been one of them.
The love adventures of Glaucuslike those of most characters in Greek mythology, are very numerous, but the best known is the one in which he starred alongside the nymph Scylla and the witch Circe. Glaucus was in love with the nymph Scylla and she reciprocated him, but after his transformation into newt she rejected him, horrified by his new appearance. Glaucus went to the witch Circe to provide him with a potion that would make him regain her lost love. Contrary to expectations, Circe did not help him because she fell in love with him. Glaucus rejected her and she vengefully poisoned the water in which Scylla was bathing and He turned her into a monstrous being with six dog heads..
The stories of the Greek gods and mythological creatures are tremendous, right? Did you know the myth of Glaucus? If you have been interested in this post, you may want to know 10 Short Greek Myths | Epic stories of the Gods of Olympus.