Nereid

"Sea nymph" and "Sea nymphs" redirect here. For other uses, see Sea nymph (disambiguation).

For other uses, see Nereid (disambiguation).

Nereid riding a sea-bull (latter 2nd century BC)

In Greek mythology, the Nereids ( /ˈnɪəriɪdz/ neer-ee-idz; Ancient Greek: Νηρηΐδες) are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father in the depths within a silvery cave. The most notable of them are Thetis, wife of Peleus and mother of Achilles; Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon; and Galatea, love of the Cyclops Polyphemus.

In Iliad XVIII, when Thetis cries out in sympathy for the grief of Achilles for the slain Patroclus,

“

There gathered round her every goddess, every Nereid that was in the deep salt sea. Glauce was there and Thaleia and Cymodoce; Nesaea, Speio, Thoe and ox-eyed Halie; Cymothoe, Actaee and Limnoreia; Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe and Agaue; Doto, Proto, Pherusa and Dynamene; Dexamene, Amphinome and Callianeira; Doris, Panope and far-sung Galatea; Nemertes, Apseudes and Callianassa. Clymene came too, with Ianeira, Ianassa, Maera, Oreithuia, Amatheia of the lovely locks, and other Nereids of the salt sea depths. The silvery cave was full of nymphs.

”

(E.V. Rieu, translator)

The Nereids are the namesake of one of the moons of the planet Neptune.

The nymph Opis is mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid. She is called on by the goddess Diana to avenge the death of the Amazon-like female warrior Camilla. Diana gives Opis magical weapons with which to take revenge on Camilla's killer, the Etruscan Arruns. Opis sees and laments Camilla's death and shoots Arruns in revenge as directed by Diana. This information is from 'Virgil, his life and times' by Peter Levi, Duckworth, 1998.

Names of the Nereids

Greek deities series
Primordial deities
Titans and Olympians
Chthonic deities
Personified concepts
Other deities
Aquatic deities
Poseidon Oceanus Ceto Nereus Glaucus Thetis Amphitrite Tethys	Triton Proteus Phorcys Pontus Oceanids Potamoi Nereids Naiads
Nymphs
Dryads Naiads Meliae Oreads Napaeae Nereids	Hamadryads Oceanids Limnades Crinaeae Hesperides Pegaeae

This list is correlated from four sources: Apollodorus, Hesiod, Homer, and Hyginus. Because of this the total number of names goes beyond fifty.^[1]

1. Actaea
2. Agave
3. Amathia
4. Amphinome
5. Amphithoe
6. Amphitrite
7. Apseudes
8. Arethusa
9. Asia
10. Autonoe
11. Beroe
12. Callianassa
13. Callianira
14. Calypso
15. Ceto
16. Clio
17. Clymene
18. Cranto
19. Creneis
20. Cydippe
21. Cymo
22. Cymatolege
23. Cymodoce
24. Cymothoe
25. Deiopea
26. Dero
27. Dexamene
28. Dione
29. Doris
30. Doto
31. Drymo
32. Dynamene
33. Eione
34. Ephyra
35. Erato
36. Eucrante
37. Eudore
38. Eulimene
39. Eumolpe
40. Eunice
41. Eupompe
42. Eurydice
43. Evagore
44. Evarne
45. Galene
46. Galatea
47. Glauce
48. Glauconome
49. Halie
50. Halimede
51. Hipponoe
52. Hippothoe
53. Iaera
54. Ianassa
55. Ianeira
56. Ione
57. Iphianassa
58. Laomedeia
59. Leiagore
60. Leucothoe
61. Ligea
62. Limnoria
63. Lycorias
64. Lysianassa
65. Maera
66. Melite
67. Menippe
68. Nausithoe
69. Neaera
70. Nemertes
71. Neomeris
72. Nesaea
73. Neso
74. Opis
75. Orithyia
76. Panopea (Panope)
77. Pasithea
78. Pherusa
79. Phyllodoce
80. Plexaure
81. Ploto
82. Polynome
83. Pontomedusa
84. Pontoporeia
85. Poulunoe
86. Pronoe
87. Proto
88. Protomedeia
89. Psamathe
90. Sao
91. Speio
92. Thaleia
93. Themisto
94. Thetis
95. Thoe
96. Xantho

French Empire mantel clock (1822) depicting the nereid Galatea velificans

In modern Greek folklore, the term "nereid" (νεράϊδα, neráïda) has come to be used of all nymphs, or fairies, not merely nymphs of the sea.

References

1. ^ NEREIDS, Greek Mythology Link – www.maicar.com

External links

• Nereids in classical literature and art
• Nereid and Triton Mosaic from Ephesus Terrace Home -2
• 3D stereoview of Nereid and Triton relief from Apollon Temple in Didim