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In Greek mythology, Proteus is a lesser sea-god,
the son of Poseidon or Oceanus and a
Naiad, and the herdsman of Poseidon's seals. He
can foretell the future, but will change his shape to avoid having to; he will only answer to someone who is capable of capturing
him. From this Proteus comes the adjective protean, with the
general meaning of "versatile", "mutable", "capable of assuming many forms", etc..
Proteus was also the name of a mythical Greek ruler, featured in the story of Bellerophon; see King Proteus. In time, the god's
name has been given to a few other things:
- in astronomy, to a natural satellite of Neptune: see
Proteus (moon).
- in biology, to an amphibian (see Proteus (animal)) and to a genus of Protobacteria (see Proteus
(genus)).
- in alchemy, to the "first matter" (prima materia), usually the metal
mercury: see Proteus (alchemy).
The myth of Proteus
According to Homer (Odyssey 4:412), the
lighthouse island of Pharos situated at Alexandria on the Nile Delta was the home of Proteus, the
oracular Old Man of the Sea and herdsman of Poseidon's sea-beasts.
In the Odyssey, Menelaus relates to Telemachus that he had been becalmed here on his journey home from the Trojan War. He learned from Proteus' daughter that if he could capture her father he could force him to reveal
which of the gods he had offended, and hos he could propitiate them and return home. Menelaus did so successfully. Proteus
further informed him that his brother Agamemnon had been murdered on his return
home, that Ajax the Lesser had been shipwrecked and killed, and that
Odysseus was stranded on Calypso's
Isle.
Another story tells that at one time the bees of Aristaeus [?], son of
Apollo, all died of a disease. Aristaeus went to his mother, Cyrene, for
help; she told him that Proteus could tell him how to prevent another such disaster, but would do so only if compelled. Aristeus
had to seize Proteus and hold him, no matter what he would change into. Aristeus did so, and Proteus eventually gave up and told
him to sacrifice 12 animals to the gods, leave the corpses in the place of sacrifice, and return three days later. When Aristaeus
returned after the three days he found in one of the carcasses a swarm of bees, which he took to his apiary. The bees were never
again troubled by disease.
The children of Proteus include Eido and
Theoklymenos with Psamathe,
Polygonos and Telegonos (both killed by Hercules), and Eidothea.
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