PRINCE GLAUCUS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Glaucus was a common name in Greek mythology, for it was the name given to a sea-god, the father of Bellerophon, and a defender of Troy; Glaucus was also the name of one of the sons of King Minos of Crete.
Glaucus Son of Minos
Having been cured of his affliction by Procris, King Minos of Crete would father a number of children with his wife Pasiphae, with one such son being Glaucus.
Whilst still young, Glaucus would disappear, for the son of Minos had chased a mouse (or a ball) into a storage room, and had fallen into a jar of honey, and had drowned in it.
Whilst still young, Glaucus would disappear, for the son of Minos had chased a mouse (or a ball) into a storage room, and had fallen into a jar of honey, and had drowned in it.
The Seer Polyidus and GlaucusUnable to find his son Glaucus, Minos was advised, possibly by the god Apollo, that only the individual who could make an appropriate comparison between a cow in Minos’ herd and another object would be able to find Glaucus.
At the time there was a calf in Minos’ herd who changed its colour between white, red and black, but the seers of Crete were stumped to make an appropriate comparison but then a stranger solved the riddle by stating that the cow was like a mulberry, a fruit that started off white, went red, and then ended up being black. This stranger was Polyidus, the son of Coeranus and descendant of Melampus; and so it was left to Polyidus to locate Glaucus. Many feared that Glaucus had fallen into the sea from one of Crete’s cliffs, but Polyidus looked closer to Minos’ palace, and there observed an owl attempting to keep bees away from a storage room. Looking into the storage room, Polyidus found the jar of honey, and Glaucus dead within it. |
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The Resurrection of Glaucus
Minos now demanded that Polyidus restore Glaucus to life, but Polyidus was a seer not a healer, and thus did not have the skill to do so. Minos though believed that Polyidus was unwilling, rather than unable to resurrect Glaucus, and so the body of Glaucus and Polyidus were locked in the storage room together.
Not knowing what to do Polyidus waited, and then a snake slithered past approaching the body of Glaucus, Polyidus took his sword and killed the snake before it could touch Glaucus. Minutes later a second snake emerged, and observing the first snake dead, went away, only to return with a herb in its mouth. The second snake covered the body of the first in the herb, and the dead snake was reanimated.
Polyidus now knew how to bring Glaucus back to life, and the seer covered the body of Glaucus in the same herb used by the snake, and so Glaucus was alive once more.
Some tell of Polyidus being richly rewarded by King Minos for bringing Glaucus back to life.
Not knowing what to do Polyidus waited, and then a snake slithered past approaching the body of Glaucus, Polyidus took his sword and killed the snake before it could touch Glaucus. Minutes later a second snake emerged, and observing the first snake dead, went away, only to return with a herb in its mouth. The second snake covered the body of the first in the herb, and the dead snake was reanimated.
Polyidus now knew how to bring Glaucus back to life, and the seer covered the body of Glaucus in the same herb used by the snake, and so Glaucus was alive once more.
Some tell of Polyidus being richly rewarded by King Minos for bringing Glaucus back to life.
The Tutoring of Glaucus
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In keeping with the more tyrannical version of King Minos though, Polyidus was not richly rewarded for his service, but instead was tasked with tutoring Glaucus in the art of divination.
With no way of leaving Crete without the permission of King Minos, Polyidus set about his task and soon Glaucus knew all that Polyidus knew. Now free to leave, Polyidus embarked upon his ship, but before he left, he commanded Glaucus to spit into his mouth; as Glaucus did this, so all he knew was forgotten. |
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The Later Life of Glaucus
Only vague mentions of Glaucus, son of Minos, occur subsequently, although it is suggested that the Cumaean Sibyl, named Deiphobe, who was encountered by Aeneas, was the daughter of Glaucus. It was also suggested that the sea-god Glaucus was the father of Deiphobe, which would link into the prophetic ability of the sibyl and the sea-god.
It was also said that Glaucus had led an army into Italy at a later date.
It was also said that Glaucus had led an army into Italy at a later date.
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