Phaethusa

This article is about the Greek goddess. For the bird genus, seeLarge-billed tern.

InGreek mythology,PhaethusaorPhaëthusa/ˌfeɪəˈθjuːzə/(Ancient Greek:ΦαέθουσαPhaéthousa,"radiance" ) was a daughter ofHeliosandNeaera,the personification of the brilliant, blinding rays of thesun.With her twin sister,Lampetia,she guarded the cattle ofThrinacia.She carried a copper staff with which she tended to her father's herd of sheep. She is sometimes listed as among theHeliades,daughters of Helios andClymenewho mourned for their brotherPhaethonand were transformed into poplar trees. In theArgonauticahowever, set explicitly after Phaethon's death, she and her sister are still tending to their father's flock.

Namesake

• 296 Phaëtusa