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Actaea

The Nereid of the "sea-shore."

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Agave

A Nereid whose name means "the illustrious."

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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.

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Autonoe

A Nereid named "with her own mind."

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Cymo

A Nereid named the "wave" or the "end of waves" wh,o with her sisters Amphitrite and Kymodoke, had the power to still the winds and calm the sea.

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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.

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Cymothoe

The Nereid of the "running waves."

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Doris

The Nereid of the sea's "bounty" or else the mixing of fresh water with the brine.

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Doto

The Nereid of "giving" safe voyage or generous catch. She had a shrine in the town of Gabala.

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Dynamene

The Nereid of the sea's "power."

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Eione

The Nereis of the "beach strand."

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Erato

A Nereid named "the lovely."

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Eucrante

The Nereid of "successful" voyages or fishing.

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Eudora

The Nereid of the "fine gifts" or the sea.

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Eulimene

The Nereid of "good harbourage."

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Eunice

The Nereid of "fine victory" in a maritime sense.

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Eupompe

The Nereid of "the fine procession," perhaps with reference to religious journeys to the island shrines.

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Evagora

The Nereid of the "good assembling" of fish or perhaps navy ships.

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Evame

One of the Nereides, "the well-lambed"

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Galatea

The Nereid of "the milky white" sea-foam. She was loved by the Kyklops Polyphemos.

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Galene

The Nereid of the "calm" seas.

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Glauce

The Nereid of the "blue-grey" waters.

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Glauconome

The Nereid of the "mastering the grey" sea.

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Halia

The Nereid of the "brine."

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Halimede

The Nereid "lady of the brine."

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Hipponoe

The Nereid "who knows about horses," that is, of the waves.

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Hippothoe

The Nereid of "the swift horses," that is, swift waves.

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Laomedea

The Nereid "leader of the folk."

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Leagore

The Nereid of "assembling" the schools of fish.

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Lysianassa

The Nereid of "royal delivery."

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Melite

The Nereid of "calm" seas.

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Menippe

The Nereid of "strong horses," that is, strong waves.

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Nemertes

The Nereis of "unerring" counsel, wisest of the sisters.

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Nesaea

The Nereid of "islands."

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Neso

The Nereid of "islands."

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Panopea

The Nereid of the sea's "panorama."

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Pasithea

A Nereid named "all-divine."

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Pherusa

The Nereid of "carrying" fish, or perhaps rescued sailors.

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Ploto

The Nereid of "sailing."

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Polynoe

A Nereid named "rich of mind."

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Pontoporea

The Nereid of "crossing the sea."

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Pronoê

The Nereid of "forethought."

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Proto

The Nereid of the "first" voyage.

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Protomedea

A Nereid named "first queen."

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Psamathe

The Nereis "goddess of sand."

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Sao

The Nereid of "safe" passage, or the rescue of sailors.

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Spio

The Nereid of the sea "caves."

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Themisto

The Nereis of the "customary law" of the sea.

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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,

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Thoe

The Nereid of "swift" voyage or moving waves.

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The
Nereids

THE NEREIDES (Nereids) were fifty sea-nymphe daughters of Nereus the old man of the sea. They were goddesses of the sea's rich bounty and protectors of sailors and fishermen, coming to the aid of those in distress. Individually they represented various facets of the sea from the salty brine, to the sea foam, sand, rocks, waves and currents, as well as the various skills possessed by seamen.

​

The Nereides dwelt with their elderly father in a silvery grotto at the bottom of the Aegean Sea. The Nereid Thetis was their unofficial leader and Amphitrite was Poseidon's queen.

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The Nereides were depicted in ancient art as beautiful, young maidens, sometimes running with small dolphins or fish in their hands, or else riding on the backs of dolphins, hippokampoi (hippocamps) and other sea creatures.

 

The name Nereides means "Daughters of Nereus" but also "the Wet Ones" from nêros the Greek word for "wet"

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