Perse
An Oceanid nymph who married the sun god Helios and bore him Circe, Pasiphae, and Aeetes — a family of legendary sorcerers.
The Myth of Perse
Perse (also called Perseis) was one of the Oceanids, a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. She married Helios, the Titan who drove the sun across the sky each day. Their children were remarkable — not for heroism or beauty, but for magic. Circe became the greatest sorceress in Greek myth, turning Odysseus's men to pigs. Pasiphae married King Minos and, cursed by Poseidon, bore the Minotaur. Aeetes ruled Colchis and guarded the Golden Fleece.
This made Perse the matriarch of sorcery. Whatever magical capacity her children and grandchildren (including Medea, daughter of Aeetes) possessed, it flowed through her bloodline. The Greeks associated the children of the Sun with uncanny knowledge — they could see what others could not, manipulate nature's boundaries, and transform living things.
Perse herself performed no recorded magic and starred in no adventures. She was a vessel and a source: the quiet Oceanid who, by marrying the Sun, produced a dynasty that would challenge heroes, curse kings, and reshape the mythological landscape of Greece through sheer magical power.
Parents
Oceanus and Tethys
Symbols
Explore Further
Perseis
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Oceanid nymph and mother of the sorceress Circe and King Aeetes of Colchis
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