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Nereids

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In Greek mythology, the Nereids (neer'-ee-eds) are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. They often accompany Poseidon and are always friendly and helpful towards 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)

In classical art they are frequently depicted riding an assortment of sea creatures — dolphins, sea monsters, and hippocampi.

Names of the Nereids

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

  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. Ianira
  56. Ione
  57. Laomedia
  58. Leiagore
  59. Leucothoe
  60. Ligea
  61. Limnoria
  62. Lycorias
  63. Lysianassa
  64. Maera
  65. Melite
  66. Menippe
  67. Nausithoe
  68. Nemertes
  69. Neomeris
  70. Nesaea
  71. Neso
  72. Opis
  73. Orithyia
  74. Panopaea
  75. Panope
  76. Pasithea
  77. Pherusa
  78. Phyllodoce
  79. Plexaure
  80. Ploto
  81. Pontomedusa
  82. Pontoporia
  83. Poulunoe
  84. Pronoe
  85. Proto
  86. Protomedia
  87. Psamathe
  88. Sao
  89. Spio
  90. Thaleia
  91. Themisto
  92. Thetis
  93. Thoe
  94. Thoosa

In modern Greek folklore, the term "nereid" has come to be used of all nymphs, not merely nymphs of the sea.

In popular culture

References

External links



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