Themisto (mythology)

Themisto is the name of multiple figures in Greek mythology.

• Themisto, wife of Athamas: This Themisto was the third wife of Athamas, king of Orchomenus. Athamas had previously been married to Nephele, with whom he had two children, Phrixus and Helle. After banishing Nephele, he married Ino, who bore him two more children, Learchus and Melicertes. When Ino plotted against Phrixus and Helle, Athamas divorced Ino and married Themisto. Themisto, desiring to secure the succession for her own children, plotted to kill Ino's children. However, Ino outsmarted her. Themisto, thinking she was killing Ino's children, unknowingly killed her own. After discovering the deception, Athamas, in some accounts, killed Themisto.

• Themisto, daughter of Ipsas: This Themisto was the daughter of Ipsas and the third wife of the Arcadian king Cypselus.

These two figures are distinct and should not be confused. The story of Themisto, the wife of Athamas, is the more prominent of the two and is often referenced in tragedies and literary works exploring themes of jealousy, revenge, and family betrayal.