Nereid, a moon of the planet Neptune, is named after the Nereids, as is Nereid Lake in Antarctica. In modern Greek folklore, the term "nereid" ( νεράιδα, neráida) has come to be used for all nymphs, fairies, or mermaids, not merely nymphs of the sea. The epithets given them by the poets refer partly to their beauty and partly to their place of abode. Nereides were worshiped in several parts of Greece, but more especially in sea-port towns, such as Cardamyle, and on the Isthmus of Corinth. In the Renaissance and baroque periods the Nereid was frequently used to decorate fountains and garden monuments. The style is Attic-Ionian and dates to ca. They were depicted in motion and with billowing, transparent clothes. At the top is a small temple surrounded by pillars between which Nereides stood.
An Etruscan bronze cista from Palestrina depicts winged Nereides.įamous is the Nereid Monument, a marble tomb from Xanthos (Lycia, Asia Minor), partially in the collection of the British Museum. They appear as such on Roman frescoes and sarcophagi. Later vase-paintings depict them nude or partially nude, mounted on dolphins, sea-horses or other marine creatures, and often grouped together with Tritons. On black-figure Greek vases they appear fully clothed, such as on a Corinthian hydra (sixth century BCE Paris) where they stand near the bier of Achilles. In ancient art the Nereides appear in the retinue of Poseidon, Amphitrite, Thetis and other sea-divinities. Nereid riding a sea-bull (latter 2nd century BC) Means 'the rescuer' only mentioned by name In the train of Cyrene along with her other sisters The name of an Oceanid appeared to Thetis when she cried out in sympathy for the grief of Achilles for Patroclus. The name of an Oceanid Only mentioned by name List of NereidsĪppeared to Thetis when she cried out in sympathy for the grief of Achilles for Patroclus. Because of this, the total number of names goes beyond fifty. This list is correlated from four sources: Homer's Iliad, Hesiod's Theogony, the Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus and the Fabulae of Hyginus. Names įrench Empire mantel clock (1822) depicting the nereid Galatea velificans These sea goddesses also were said to reveal to men the mysteries of Dionysus and Persephone. Poseidon, in sympathy for them, sent a flood and a sea monster to the land of the Ethiopians, demanding as well the sacrifice of the princess. In one account, Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereides, who were enraged by the claim. Later on, these four together with their other sisters Thetis, Melite and Panopea, were able to help the hero Aeneas and his crew during a storm. Four of her siblings, Cymodoce, Thalia, Nesaea and Spio were also among the nymphs in the train of Cyrene. In Homer's Iliad XVIII, when Thetis cries out in sympathy for the grief of Achilles for the slain Patroclus, her sisters appear. The most notable of them are Thetis, wife of Peleus and mother of Achilles Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon and mother of Triton Galatea, the vain love interest of the Cyclops Polyphemus, and lastly, Psamathe who became the mother of Phocus by King Aeacus of Aegina, and Theoclymenus and Theonoe by Proteus, a sea-god or king of Egypt. These nymphs are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father Nereus in the depths within a golden palace. They are represented as beautiful women, crowned with branches of red coral and dressed in white silk robes trimmed with gold. Their melodious voices sang as they danced around their father. The Nereids symbolized everything that is beautiful and kind about the sea. Νημερτές means literally 'not-mistaking', and there is an adjective of the same form meaning 'clear', 'unmistakable', or 'true'. Νηρηΐδες is a patronymic, describing them as the daughters of Nereus.
The synonyms Νηρηΐδες and Νημερτές are etymologically unrelated. ( January 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources.
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