Proteus (deity)
Proteus is a minor yet intriguing figure in Greek mythology, often associated with the sea and possessing prophetic abilities. He is described either as a son of Poseidon, the god of the sea, or as a subject responsible for caring for Poseidon's flocks, particularly seals. Proteus is known for his shape-shifting skill, which he uses to evade capture; he would transform into various forms, including a lion and a serpent, to escape those who sought his knowledge. However, he could only be caught during his midday nap, at which point he would reveal truths about the past, present, and future when compelled. His dwelling places vary across traditions, with common locations including the island of Pharos near the Nile and Carpathos in the Aegean Sea.
In notable myths, figures like Menelaus and Aristaeus manage to capture Proteus and gain insights into their respective predicaments. Proteus is not widely honored in cults or temples, and references to him are sparse in ancient texts, although some suggest connections to other ancient deities. His legacy continues today through the term "protean," describing adaptability and versatility, as well as in popular culture through various references, including video games and scientific nomenclature.
Subject Terms
Proteus (deity)
Symbols: unknown
Culture: Greco-Roman
Mother: unknown
Father: Poseidon
Siblings: None
Children: Eidothea, Eido-Theonoe, Kabeiro, Polygonos, Telegonos, Theoklymenos
Proteus was a minor figure in Greek mythology. With the gift of prophecy, he was either a son of or a subject of Poseidon, the god of the sea. According to one tradition, Proteus was an old man of the sea who was charged with caring for Poseidon’s flocks, meaning he was a herdsman of seals. He also cared for the waters, including the rivers and seas of the world. In another tradition, Proteus was a son of Poseidon and a king of Egypt.
In either case he was able to see through the depths of the sea and knew all things—the past, the present, and the future. He would not willingly share prophecies of the future and would do so only when captured and held. In order to avoid capture, he would change his shape at will. He could be caught only during his midday nap, and even then he was very difficult to hold. But if he concluded that he could not escape from his captor, he would answer whatever question he was asked.
He was said to live in several different locations, depending on the source of the story. One dwelling was on the island of Pharos near the mouth of the Nile River, and another was placed on the island of Carpathos between Crete and Rhodes, but he is also associated with the island of Lemnos and the adjacent Thracian peninsula Pallene.
In Mythology
Homer and Virgil both refer to Proteus but give him some different attributes and place him in different locations. In the Odyssey Proteus lived on the island of Pharos, and in the Georgics Virgil has him living on Carpathos. At noon each day Proteus rose from the waves to sleep on the coast. This was the only moment in which he could be captured. Because he could assume any shape, he was nearly impossible to hold, but when he realized his captor would not release him, Proteus resumed his ordinary form and answered all questions truthfully.
In Book IV of the Odyssey, Menelaus captured Proteus when the Greek king of Sparta faced hostile winds on his way home from the Trojan War. The Greek warrior was told by a sea nymph, a daughter of Proteus named Eidothea, that her father could provide an answer to the wanderer’s question. When Menelaus grabbed him, Proteus took the forms of a lion, a snake, a boar, a leopard, water, and a tree, but Menelaus held fast, hoping to learn which gods he had offended so he could make an offering and resume his homeward trip. Finally Proteus gave up. He answered the king’s question and went on to tell him that his brother Agamemnon had been murdered by Aegisthus when he returned to Greece, that Ajax the Lesser had died in a shipwreck, and that Odysseus was trapped by Calypso.
Virgil, in Book IV of Georgics, tells the story of Aristaeus, a son of Apollo, who captured Proteus in order to find out why all of his bees had died. After engaging in the same sort of struggle that Menelaus had experienced, Aristaeus learned that he was being punished for causing Eurydice’s death. Proteus told him how to make amends.
In another mythological tradition, Proteus was not only Poseidon’s son but also a king of Egypt who had two sons named Telegonos and Polygonos. These young men challenged Heracles to a wrestling match, and the hero killed them both. Proteus may have been called Ceres by the Egyptians, and other sources say he sheltered Dionysus, that Hermes brought Menelaus’s wayward wife Helen to Proteus for safekeeping during the Trojan War, or that Proteus himself took Helen from Paris after Zeus replaced her with a phantom. Proteus returned Helen to Menelaus after the war.
Origins and Cults
Proteus is an elusive mythological figure because he is mentioned only sparingly. There are no temples to him in any of the places associated with him, and there seem to have been no rituals revolving around him or the myths in which he appears. Some believe that he may have been a version of the Phoenician sea-god Melkart. There was a Phoenician colony on Pharos, which was his home in the Odyssey.
In Posidippus, Epigrams there is an entry that celebrates the building of the great Alexandria lighthouse on the island of Pharos. The epigram indicates that the lighthouse was dedicated to Proteus during the reign of Ptolemy I, around 282 or 281 BCE. In it Proteus is referred to as the "savior of Hellenes," and the lighthouse is the instrument of his protection for mariners in that part of the Mediterranean Sea.
In Popular Culture
Relatively few people have ever heard of Proteus, the mythological figure, but they may still use an adjective that derives from his name, protean. The word may be used to describe something that is able to change easily or frequently, or it may describe something or someone who is versatile and able to do many different things. For instance, an actor with a wide range might be called protean. In either case, the modern adjective comes from Proteus’s ability to change shape quickly.
Proteus is also the name of a computer game that is described as "a minimalist game of pure exploration and sublime discovery in a musical wilderness environment. There are no challenges and no goals other than those set by the player" ("Proteus").
Finally, Proteus is also the name of a class of bacteria that may infect people. Some Proteus species live naturally in human intestines. Others cause disease. The species Proteus mirabilis was first discovered in 1885 and is responsible for approximately nine of ten Proteus infections. This particular species is able to change its physical form from a small cell to an elongated shape, which is how it got its genus name.
Bibliography
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Ferry, Luc. The Wisdom of the Myths: How Greek Mythology Can Change Your Life. New York: Harper Perennial, 2014. Print.
Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths: The Complete and Definitive Edition. London: Penguin UK, 2011. Print.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Grand Central, 2011. Print.
Kerenyi, Karl. The Gods of the Greek. 1980. London: Thames & Hudson, 2011. Print.
"Proteus." GameFAQS. Gamespot.com, n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2015.
"Proteus." Theoi Greek Mythology. Grainger Online Catalog, 2000. Web. 8 Aug. 2015.
Sears, Kathleen. Mythology 101: From Gods and Goddesses to Monsters and Mortals, Your Guide to Ancient Mythology. Avon: Adams Media, 2014. Print.