Psamathe, which translates loosely into 'sand goddess,' is a figure of Greek Mythology appearing mostly in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Hesiod's Theogony. Daughter of the sea god, Nereus, and the Oceanid, Doris, this Nereid had three children: Phocus, Theoclymenus and Theonoe.

Phocus is named after the Greek word for seal, 'phoke,' for an interesting reason. When his mom and dad, Aeacus, first met, she turned into a seal to try to avoid having sex with him. However, he knocked her up anyway, prompting the name of their son and a kind of creepy bestiality site on the internet.

Unfortunately, Phocus was later killed by his half brothers Peleus and Telamon. In response, Psamathe sent a huge wolf after them, but this was turned to stone when her sister, Thetis, stepped in and saved Peleus. (it still managed to take out a herd of cattle)

Some time later, Psamathe married Proteus, the king of Egypt. This union produced Theoclymenus and Theonoe.

Psamathe also had a part to play when Poseidon and the sea gods fought with Dionysus, offering up the plea to Zeus that ended the battle.

March, Jennifer. Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology. New York, NY: Sterling, 1998

http://www.theoi.com/Pontos/Psamathe.html

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