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NEREIDS
Νηρηίδες

The NEREIDS are Sea-NYMPHS, assumed to be fifty in number. Few among them have myths of their own.

It is told that Queen Cassiopea 2 boasted of being better than them all, and the NEREIDS were angered. So Poseidon, sharing their wrath, sent a flood and a monster against Ethiopia. As a result of the calamity that followed, Andromeda was exposed as a prey to calm the monster, being later delivered by Perseus 1.

The NEREIDS are also remembered for having helped the ARGONAUTS to steer their ship when they encountered Charybdis and Scylla 1, and the Wandering Rocks.

Family 

Parentage

Nereus & Doris 1

Nereus, who dwells in the Aegean Sea, was a god who could turn himself into all kinds of shapes. Nereus is son of Pontus (Sea) and Gaia (Earth).
Doris 1 is one of the OCEANIDS.
(See also Table Theogony.)

The nereid Galatea 1. 0614: Galatea. Painting by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Guercino, 1591-1666. Künsthistorische Museum, Wien.


Some remarkable NEREIDS

Amphitrite, who sometimes is counted among the OCEANIDS, became, through her marriage with Poseidon, the Queen of the Sea. Their children are Triton, Rhode 2, and Benthesicyme.

 

Arethusa 1 was mother of Abas 1, the king of Euboea, by Poseidon.

Cydippe 1 was in the company of Cyrene.

Galatea 1 was loved by the Cyclops Polyphemus 2, but she, loving Acis, refused him. For this reason Acis was buried by a rock hurled at him by the jealous Polyphemus 2, and was turned into a river.

 

Psamathe 1 turned herself into a seal to avoid Aeacus, but nevertheless she had a son Phocus 3 by him. Phocus 3 was a great athlete and because of this his half-brothers Peleus and Telamon plotted against him, and Telamon killed him in a match by throwing a quoit at his head. Some affirm Peleus and not Telamon who killed Phocus 3. But because of this murder, which some think was committed to please their mother Endeis (whereas others think it was an accident and not a murder), both Peleus and Telamon were banished from Aegina by Aeacus. Some generations later, Pylades plotted together with Orestes 2 against Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis. Pylades himself was son of Strophius 1, son of Crisus, son of Phocus 3. It is said that because of the crime committed against her son Phocus 3, Psamathe 1 sent a terrible wolf to destroy the cattle of Peleus, who could not do anything except pray to the Nereid that she put away her wrath. At first she remained unmoved by these prayers, but Thetis obtained, for her husband's sake, the forgiveness of Psamathe 1. After Aeacus, Psamathe 1 married King Proteus 3 of Egypt and had by him a daughter Eido (Theonoe 2), who was a priestess in Egypt, and a son Theoclymenus 2, who succeeded his father as king of Egypt and wished to marry Helen.

Thetis. Some interventions of the enchanting silver-footed Thetis may be read at: Achilles, Aphrodite, Charybdis, Dionysus 2, Poseidon, Priam 1, Prometheus 1, Themis, Trojan War, and Zeus. Zeus and Poseidon were once rivals for the hand of Thetis, but when Themis or the MOERAE or Proteus 2 prophesied that the son born of Thetis would be mightier than his father, they withdrew. Zeus then, bade his grandson, mortal Peleus, to marry her. But because Thetis could easily evade anyone using her power to change into different forms, Proteus 2 (who also knew that art) gave Peleus the necessary instructions in order to conquer her. It was at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis that Eris (Discord) threw the fatal Apple, which led to the Judgement of Paris, which led to the abduction of Helen, which led to the Trojan War, in which her beloved son Achilles should perish. A protective mother, Thetis tried to make her child Achilles immortal but, as some say, she was prevented by Peleus. She then left her husband's home for ever, returning to the sea. Later, foreseeing that it was fated Achilles should perish in the war, she disguised him as a girl and entrusted him to King Lycomedes 1 of Scyros. In the last year of the Trojan War, Agamemnon outraged Achilles by taking away his prize (fair-cheeked Briseis), thus causing Achilles' remembered wrath, which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans, as the goddess sings. Then Thetis visited Zeus, and, putting her left arm round his knees while her right hand touched his chin, prayed to him:

"Father Zeus, if ever amid the immortals I gave you aid by word or deed, grant me this prayer: do honour to my son, who is already singled out for early death; yet now Agamemnon has dishonoured him, for he has taken and keeps his prize by his own arrogant act. Avenge my son, Olympian Zeus, lord of counsel; and give might to the Trojans, until the Achaeans pay him due respect, and magnify him with recompense." (Thetis to Zeus. Homer, Iliad 1.500).

And Zeus, listening to her prayer, allowed the Achaeans to suffer countless losses.

8513: Nereid. Painting at Frederiksborg, Denmark. (Artist n/a.)

List of NEREIDS 

Apollodorus, Library 1.2.7ff.

Hesiod, Theogony 240ff.

Homer, Iliad 18.38ff.

Hyginus, Fabulae, Preface

Actaea 2.

Actaea 2.

Actaea 2.

Actaea 2.

Agave 1.

Agave 1.

Agave 1.

Agave 1.

   

Amathia.

Amathia.

   

Amphinome 1.

Amphinome 1.

   

Amphithoe.

Amphithoe.

Amphitrite.

Amphitrite.

   
   

Apseudes.

Apseudes.

     

Arethusa 1.

     

Asia 1.

Autonoe 3.

Autonoe 3.

   
     

Beroe 1.

   

Callianassa.

Callianassa.

   

Callianira.

 

Calypso 1.

     

Ceto 2.

     
     

Clio 2.

   

Clymene 4.

Clymene 4.

Cranto.

     
     

Creneis.

     

Cydippe 1.

 

Cymatolege.

   

Cymo.

Cymo.

   
 

Cymodoce 1.

Cymodoce 1.

Cymodoce 1.

Cymothoe.

Cymothoe.

Cymothoe.

Cymothoe.

     

Deiopea 1.

Dero.

     
   

Dexamene.

Dexamene.

Dione 2.

     
 

Doris 2.

Doris 2.

Doris 2.

Doto.

Doto.

Doto.

Doto.

     

Drymo.

Dynamene.

Dynamene.

Dynamene.

Dynamene.

Eione.

Eione.

   
     

Ephyra 2.

Erato 4.

Erato 4.

   

Eucrante.

Eucrante.

   

Eudore 2.

Eudore 2.

   

Eulimene 1.

Eulimene 1.

   

Eumolpe.

     

Eunice.

Eunice.

   
     

Eurydice 4.

 

Eupompe.

   

Evagore.

Evagore.

   
 

Evarne.

   

Galatea 1.

Galatea 1.

Galatea 1.

Galatea 1.

 

Galene.

   
 

Glauce 3.

Glauce 3.

Glauce 3.

Glauconome.

Glauconome.

   

Halie 1.

 

Halie 1.

 

Halimede.

Halimede.

   

Hipponoe.

Hipponoe.

   

Hippothoe 1.

Hippothoe 1.

   
   

Iaera 1.

Iaera 1.

   

Ianassa.

Ianassa.

Ianira 2.

 

Ianira 2.

Ianira 2.

Ione 1.

     
 

Laomedia.

   
 

Leiagore.

   
     

Leucothoe 1.

     

Ligea.

Limnoria.

Limnoria.

 

Limnoria.

     

Lycorias.

Lysianassa 1.

Lysianassa 1.

   
   

Maera 1.

Maera 1.

Melite 1.

Melite 1.

Melite 1.

Melite 1.

 

Menippe 1.

   

Nausithoe.

     
 

Nemertes.

Nemertes.

Nemertes.

Neomeris.

     

Nesaea.

Nesaea.

Nesaea.

Nesaea.

 

Neso.

   
     

Opis 1.

   

Orithyia 1.

Orithyia 1.

     

Panopaea.

Panope 1.

Panope 1.

Panope 1.

Panope 1.

 

Pasithea 1.

   

Pherusa 1.

Pherusa 1.

Pherusa 1.

Pherusa 1.

     

Phyllodoce.

Plexaure 2.

     

Polynome.

     
 

Ploto.

   

Pontomedusa.

     
 

Pontoporia.

   
 

Poulunoe.

   
 

Pronoe 1

   

Proto.

Proto.

Proto.

Proto.

 

Protomedia.

   

Psamathe 1.

Psamathe 1.

   

Sao.

Sao.

   

Spio.

Spio.

Spio.

Spio.

   

Thalia 3.

Thalia 3.

 

Themisto 1.

   

Thetis.

Thetis.

Thetis.

 
 

Thoe 2.

Thoe 2.

Thoe 2.

     

Xantho.


Related sections  
Sources
Abbreviations

See above.