Benthesikyme is a minor sea goddess, considered to be the Goddess of Waves, who presided over the sea of Ethiopia; in Greek Mythology. She is best known for raising Eumolpus, the illegitimate son of Poseidon and the snow goddess, Chione.
Genealogy and Family[]
Benthesikyme is one of the three daughters of Poseidon and Amphitrite, her two sisters are Rhodos and Kymopoleia, her brother is Triton. Benthesikyme's grandparents are Cronus and Rhea on her father's side and Nereus and Doris on her mother's side, her uncles are Hades, Zeus and Nerites, whilst her aunts are Hestia, Hera, Demeter and the other 49 Nereids beside Amphitrite.
Benthesikyme's husband is Enalus, with whom she is the mother of two daughters. Eumolpus is her adoptive son and younger paternal half-brother.
Mythology[]
When Chione gave birth, she was so frightened of her father's reaction that she threw the baby into the ocean. As Pseudo-Apollodorus relates:
- But Poseidon picked him up and conveyed him to Ethiopia, and gave him to Benthesikyme (a daughter of his own by Amphitrite) to bring up. When she was full grown, Benthesicyme's husband gave him one of his two daughters. But he tried to force his wife's sister...
Some Greeks claim that Benthesikyme had a son named Aprhonysis, but such claims can't be verified.[citation needed]
Accordingly, Eumolpus was sent into exile.
Trivia[]
Her Greek name is Βενθεσικυμη it means 'deep-swells'.