Nereid n : (Greek mythology) any of the 50 sea nymphs who were daughters of the sea god Nereus

English

Noun

1. One of 50 sea nymphs who were attendants upon Neptune, and were represented as riding on sea horses, sometimes in human form and sometimes with the tail of a fish.

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,

(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

• "Nereid" is featured in the Game Boy Advance game Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

• "Nereid" is the name given to the god of destruction in the PlayStation and PSP game Tales of Eternia

• "All Nereids Beware" is the first song on the album All's Well That Ends Well by the band Chiodos.

• "Nereids" are one of the playable humanoid races in the Playstation 2 game Soul Nomad & the World Eaters.

References

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