Pasiphaë

Pasiphaë (ancient Greek Πασιφάη Pasipháē, "who shines for all") was the daughter of the sun god Helios and the okeanide Perse(is), at the same time sister of Kirke, Perses, Aietes and Aloeus. She was the wife of King Minos of Crete, with whom she had eight children: Akakallis, Androgeos, Ariadne, Deukalion, Glaukos, Katreus, Phaidra and Xenodike.

As punishment for the fact that her husband Minos had not sacrificed a bull created by Poseidon because of its exceptionally magnificent shape, but had used it to ennoble his herd, Poseidon made Pasiphaë fall in love with that Cretan bull. In order to unite herself with him, she had Daidalos, who was then living in exile in Crete, make a hollow wooden cow into which she could crawl. From this act of love with the bull came Minotaur.

Pasiphaë, like her niece Medea, knew how to make potions from magic herbs. To make sure that Minos remained faithful to her, she cast a spell on him that made Minos ejaculate snakes, scorpions, and centipedes every time he attended another. In this way, Minos killed several of his concubines. The only one who could consort with Minos with impunity was Procris, the daughter of Erechtheus; she had previously armed herself against the poison of the animals with the essence of a medicinal plant. In another version, Procris cured the Cretan king of his ailment, and in return received as a gift an infallible spear and a swift, immortal dog.

Jupiter's moon Pasiphae is named after her.