Nereids

A 19th painting of three Nereids by Hans Zatka.

The Nereids (or Sea Nymphs) are a group of marine goddesses, consisting of the 50 daughters of the sea gods, Nereus and Doris, as well as some of their descendants. Each Nereid represents something that is good about the sea, from rocks to currents to waves and sandy beaches, each one having a field of speciality. The Nereids were also known as the protectors and guardians of sailors and fishermen, notably assisting Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. The Goddesses were also part of Poseidon's entourage, carrying his trident. On top of their many other skills, Nereids are imbued with various superhuman abilities, such as prophecy and shapeshifting, as shown by Thetis. The original 50 Nereids were described as inhabitants of the Aegean Sea, living with their father.

List of Nereids

The identities of the Nereids, based on the accounts of Greek Mythology:

AGAUE (Agave)- A Nereid whose name means "the illustrious." (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

AKTAIA (Actaea)- The Nereid of the "sea-shore." (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

AMATHEIA (Amathea)-One of the Nereides, the one who "rears or nurses" the fish. (Homer, Hyginus)

AMPHINOME- A Nereid of the sea's bounty, literally "she of the surrounding pasture." (Homer, Hyginus)

AMPHITHOE-A Nereid of the sea currents, named "she who moves swiftly around." (Homer, Hyginus)

AMPHITRITE- The Nereid Queen of the sea, the "surrounding third," wife of the god Poseidon. Together with her sisters Kymatolege and Kymodoke she possessed the power to still the winds and calm the sea. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

APSEUDES- One of the Nereides. (Homer, Hyginus)

AUTONOE-A Nereid named "with her own mind." (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

ASIA- A Nereid mentioned in the Myths of Hyginus.

ARETHEUSA- A Nereid mentioned in the Myths of Hyginus.

BEROE- A Nereid mentioned in the Myths of Hyginus.

CLIO- A Nereid according to Hyginus.

DERO One of the Nereides. (Apollodorus)

DEXAMENE One of the Nereides, "of the strength of the right hand." (Homer, Hyginus)

DIONE One of the Nereides, "the divine." (Apollodorus)

DORIS The Nereid of the sea's "bounty" or else the mixing of fresh water with the brine. (Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus)

DOTO The Nereid of "giving" safe voyage or generous catch. She had a shrine in the town of Gabala. (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Pausanias, Hyginus)

DYNAMENE The Nereid of the sea's "power."(Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

EIONE The Nereis of the "beach strand." (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

ERATO A Nereid named "the lovely.". (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

EUAGORE (Evagora) The Nereid of the "good assembling" of fish or perhaps navy ships. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

EUARNE (Evarne) One of the Nereides, "the well-lambed?" (Hesiod)

EUDORA The Nereid of the "fine gifts" or the sea. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

EUKRANTE (Eucrante) The Nereid of "successful" voyages or fishing. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

EULIMENE The Nereid of "good harbourage." (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

EUMOLPE A Nereid, perhaps of fisherman's songs, named "the fine singer." (Apollodorus)

EUNIKE (Eunice) The Nereid of "fine victory" in a martime sense. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

EUPOMPE The Nereid of "the fine procession," perhaps with reference to religious journeys to thei sland shrines. (Hesiod)

GALATEIA (Galatea) The Nereid of "the milky white" sea-foam. She was loved by the Kyklops Polyphemos. (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

GALENE The Nereid of the "calm" seas. (Hesiod, Pausanias)

GLAUKE (Glauce) The Nereid of the "blue-grey" waters. (Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus)

GLAUKONOME (Glauconome) The Nereid of the "mastering the grey" sea. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

HALIA The Nereid of the "brine." (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus)

HALIMEDE The Nereid "lady of the brine." (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

HIPPONOE The Nereid "who knows about horses," that is, of the waves. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

HIPPOTHOE The Nereid of "the swift horses," that is, swift waves. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

IAIRA (Iaera) One of the Nereides. (Homer, Hyginus)

IANASSA One of the Nereides. (Homer, Hyginus)

IANEIRA One of the Nereides. (Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

IONE One of the Nereides. (Apollodorus)

KALLIANASSA (Callianassa) One of the Nereides, "the lovely queen." (Homer, Hyginus)

KALLIANEIRA (Callianeira) One of the Nereides. (Homer)

KALYPSO (Calypso) One of the Nereides, "the concealed one." (Apollodorus)

KETO (Ceto) The Nereid of "sea-monsters."(Apollodorus)

KLAIA (Claea) One of the Nereides. (Pausanias)

KLYMENE (Clymene) A Nereid of "fame." (Homer, Hyginus)

KRANTO (Crato) One of the Nereides. (Apollodorus)

KYMO, KYMATOLEGE (Cymo, Cymatolege) A Nereid named the "wave" or the "end of waves" who with her sisters Amphitrite and Kymodoke, had the power to still the winds and calm the sea. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

KYMODOKE (Cymodoce) The Nereid of "steadying the waves" who, with her sisters Amphitrite and Kymatolege, possessed the power to still the winds and calm the sea. (Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus, Virgil)

KYMOTHOE (Cymothoe) The Nereis of the "running waves." (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

LAOMEDEIA The Nereid "leader of the folk." (Hesiod)

LEAGORE The Nereid of "assembling" the schools of fish. (Hesiod)

LIMNOREIA The Nereid of the "salt-marsh." (Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

LYSIANASSA The Nereid of "royal delivery." (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

MAIRA (Maera) One of the Nereides. (Homer, Hyginus)

MELITE The Nereid of "calm" seas. (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus, Virgil)

MENIPPE The Nereid of "strong horses," that is, strong waves. (Hesiod)

NAUSITHOE The Nereis of "swift ships." (Apollodorus)

NEMERTES The Nereis of "unerring" counsel, wisest of the sisters. (Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus)

NEOMERIS One of the Nereides. (Apollodorus)

NESAIE The Nereid of "islands." (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus, Virgil)

NESO The Nereid of "islands." (Hesiod)

OREITHYIA (Orithyia) The Nereid of the "raging" sea. (Homer, Hyginus)

PANOPEIA The Nereid of the sea's "panorama." (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus, Virgil)

PASITHEA A Nereid named "all-divine." (Hesiod)

PHEROUSA (Pherusa) The Nereid of "carrying" fish, or perhaps rescued sailors. (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

PLEXAURE The Nereid of the "twisting breeze." (Apollodorus)

PLOTO The Nereid of "sailing." (Hesiod)

POLYNOME One of the Nereides, "the many pastured." (Apollodorus)

PONTOMEDOUSA (Pondomedusa) A Nereid named the "sea-queen." (Apollodorus)

PONTOPOREIA The Nereid of "crossing the sea." (Hesiod)

POULYNOE (Polynoe) A Nereid named "rich of mind." (Hesiod)

PRONOE The Nereid of "forethought." (Hesiod)

PROTO The Nereis of the "first" voyage. (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus)

PROTOMEDEIA A Nereid named "first queen." (Hesiod)

PSAMATHE The Nereis "goddess of sand." (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

SAO The Nereid of "safe" passage, or the rescue of sailors. (Hesiod, Apollodorus)

SPEIO (Spio) The Nereid of the sea "caves." (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus, Virgil)

THALEIA (Thalia) The Nereid of the "blooming" sea. (Homer, Hyginus, Virgil)

THEMISTO The Nereis of the "customary law" of the sea. (Hesiod)

THETIS The Nereis of the "generation" or spawning of fish, and their leader. She was the mother of the Greek hero Akhilleus, born of her marriage to the mortal Peleus. (Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus, Virgil)

THOE The Nereis of "swift" voyage or moving waves. (Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus)

Some of the descendants of the original 50 Nereids are also described as Nereids/Sea Nymphs such as Kymopoleia and Benthesikyme, daughters of Amphitrite and Kymopoleia's daughter Oiolyka.

Genealogy and Family

The original Nereids (sea Nymphs) consist of the 50 daughters of the gods, Doris and Nereus. They have one brother, Nerites, also a minor sea deity.

Stories

Thetis is one of the most documented of the Nereids, being mentioned in several myths:

Thetis (right) kneeling to Zeus.

In the story of Hepheastus, Thetis and the Oceanid Eurynome rescued Hephaestus when he was thrown out of Mount Olympus by his mother, Hera, catching him before he landed in water. The two women raised the baby as their foster son and trained him to become a Blacksmith, until he went back to Mount Olympus to claim his rightful place.

She also appeared in the story where the 12 Olympians (except Zeus) tried to overthrow Zeus in Mount Olympus. Where they executed the plan to lock up a deep sleeping Zeus and tie his bound body on a bed with tight chains.. Whilst he slept trapped, the 11 other Olympians Gods each aspired and fought to take Zeus' throne, except for the peaceful Hestia. Thetis, overlooking the situation, called upon the Hecatonchiere, Briareus, to break Zeus from the chains put on him, saving his rulership in Mount Olympus from his scheming family members.

Thetis went on to become an extramarital lover of the God Zeus. Until Zeus was told a prophecy by the Goddess Themis, that if Zeus bore a male child with Thetis, he would grow up to overpower Zeus and threaten his position as the King of the Gods. To avoid this fate Zeus married Thetis to one of his mortal grandsons, Peleus, the King of Phthia, Thetis was angered by this arrangement, seeing a mortal unfit to be her husband. Peleus however was determined to marry the Goddess, and asked Proteus an early sea-god, for help on capturing her, and he advised Peleus to find the sea nymph when she was asleep and bind her tightly to keep her from escaping by changing forms. She did shapeshift, becoming flame, water, a raging lioness, and a serpent. Peleus held fast until Thetis took on a human form and agreed to become his wife. Thetis then married Peleus, in a grand ceremony on Mount Olympus and was made the Queen of Phthia. In some accounts she and Peleus had seven sons, six of whom died from Thetis who tried to make them Immortal by burning their mortal side and feeding them ambrosia. When Thetis attempted this same ritual on her seventh son, Achilles, Peleus caught her in the action, and completely shocked tried to stop Thetis from harming their son, which caused an angry Thetis to drop Achilles and run back to her home in the Aegean Sea, never to return to Phthia again. Another version of the Myth, describes Thetis, having a vision of her son dying in battle in the future and taking her son, Achilles to the River Styx to stop this fate, Thetis held the baby Achilles by his feet and dipped him into the River Styx, which waters could make any living person immortal. During the Trojan War, Achilles was one of Menelaus' top soldiers, but he eventually succumbed to death from an arrow shot by Paris of Troy to his foot, as his feet where never dipped into the River Styx by Thetis, thus not safe from death. Upon her son's death Thetis mourned her son with the other Nereids, and came on land, where she collected his ashes into an urn and commemorated his life with a memorial.

Amphitrite

Another well known Nereid is Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon. Poseidon chose her of all the Nereids to be his wife, but Amphitrite swam away from him, to avoid Poseidon. This made Poseidon send out some dolphins to track down Amphitrite, and persuade her to visit him and reconsider her choice, the Dolphins came to Amphitrite, spoke to her put on a beautiful performance for her and Amphitrite agreed to go back with them and spend time with Poseidon. Poseidon eventually won Amphitrite's hand in marriage and the two happily wed, and one of the dolphins that encouraged Amphitrite to return to Poseidon, was eventually turned into a constellation in the sky, Delphinus. Through her marriage, Amphitrite became the Queen and Goddess of the Sea and had four children with Poseidon, the fish tailed god, Triton and three goddesses, Rhodos, Kymopoleia and Benthesikyme.

Galatea with her mortal lover, Acis.

The myth: Acis and Galatea, tells the story of a Nereid named Galatea, who was loved by the Cyclops, Polyphemus, whose feelings she did not reciprocate, instead loving Acis, a Sicilian youth, which caused a jealous Polyphemus to kill Acis whom Galatea turned into an immortal river spirit.

In the story of Perseus, the Nereids were mentioned by Queen Cassiopeia of Ethiopia, who boasted her daughter, Andromeda as more beautiful than all of the Nereids, which angered Poseidon who punished the woman, by commanding Andromeda to be tied to the rocks on the coastline, to be sacrificed to the sea monster called the Ethiopian Cetus, in order for him to stop the floods from taking over the country.

Appearances

They were described as beautiful young women, who melodiously sang as they danced around their father, whom they also lived with in a silver grotto at the depths of the Aegean Sea. In art, they were often depicted barefooted in white dresses, crowned with red coral, sometimes alongside marine animals like fishes and dolphins.

Gallery

Nereids/Gallery