Oceanid of Greek mythology

Melibea

Melibea is an Oceanid of Greek mythology, one of the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, deities associated with waters and rivers. She is mainly known for her offspring and for a variant of the story that links her to a river god.

The myth

According to tradition, Melibea bore Lycaon to Pelasgus, king of Arcadia, and so appears as the mother of an Arcadian line. Genealogies of Greek gods varied from one author to another, so this parentage is not the only one that was passed down.

In another version, Melibea is the lover of the river god Orontes. For love of her, Orontes stopped the flow of his waters, and the land was flooded. The story shows how divine passion could disrupt the order of the world.