In Greek mythology, the Nereids (/ˈnɪəriɪdz/ neer-ee-idz; Greek: Νηρηΐδες, sg. Νηρηΐς) are sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris, sister to Nerites.
This list is correlated from four sources: Homer’s Iliad, Hesiod’s Theogony, the Bibliotheca, and Hyginus. Because of this the total number of names goes beyond fifty. [ wikipedia entry ]
| Actaea (Ἀκταίη) Agaue (Ἀγαυὴ) Amatheia (Ἀμάθεια) Amphinome (Ἀμφινόμη) Amphithoe (Ἀμφιθόη) Amphitrite (Ἀμφιτρίτη); the youngest Nereid and wife of Poseidon Apseudes (Ἀψευδὴς) Arethusa Asia Autonoe (Αὐτονόη) Beroe Callianassa (Καλλιάνασσα) Callianeira (Καλλιάνειρα) Ceto Clio Clymene (Κλυμένη) Cranto Creneis Cydippe Cymo (Κυμώ) Cymatolege (Κυματολήγη) Cymodoce (Κυμοδόκη) Cymothoe (Κυμοθόη) Deiopea Dero |
Dexamene (Δεξαμένη) Dione Doris (Δωρίς) Doto (Δωτώ) Drymo Dynamene (Δυναμένη) Eione (Ἠιόνη) Ephyra Erato (Ἐρατώ) Euagore (Εὐαγόρη) Euarne (Εὐάρνη) Eucrante (Εὐκράντη) Eudore (Εὐδώρη) Eulimene (Εὐλιμένη) Eumolpe Eunice (Εὐνίκη) Eupompe (Εὐπόμπη) Eurydice Galene (Γαλήνη) Galatea (Γαλάτεια) Glauce (Γλαύκη) Glauconome (Γλαυκονόμη) Halie (Ἁλίη) Halimede (Ἁλιμήδη) Hipponoe (Ἱππονόη) |
Hippothoe (Ἱπποθόη) Iaera (Ἴαιρα) Ianassa (Ἰάνασσα) Ianeira (Ἰάνειρά) Ione Iphianassa Laomedeia (Λαομέδεια) Leiagore (Ληαγόρη) Leucothoe Ligea Limnoreia (Λιμνώρεια) Lycorias Lysianassa (Λυσιάνασσα) Maera (Μαῖρα) Melite (Μελίτη) Menippe (Μενίππη) Nausithoe Nemertes (Νημερτής) Neomeris Nerea (Νηρεας) Nesaea (Νησαίη) Neso (Νησώ) Opis Oreithyia (Ὠρείθυια) Panopea (Πανόπεια) |
Panope (Πανόπη) Pasithea (Πασιθέη) Pherusa (Φέρουσά) Phyllodoce Plexaure Ploto (Πλωτώ) Polynome Pontomedusa Pontoporeia (Ποντοπόρεια) Poulynoe (Πουλυνόη) Pronoe (Προνόη) Proto (Πρωτώ) Protomedeia (Πρωτομέδεια) Psamathe (Ψαμάθη) Sao (Σαώ) Speio (Σπειώ) Thaleia (Θάλειά) Themisto (Θεμιστώ) Thetis (Θέτις); Leader of the Nereids Thoe (Θόη) Xantho |
Hesiod, Theogony 240 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :
“To Nereus and to Doris . . . there were born in the barren sea daughters greatly beautiful even among goddesses : Ploto and Eukrante and Amphitrite and Sao, Eudora and Thetis, and Galene and Glauke, Kymothoe and Speio, and Thoe and lovely Halia, Pasithea and Erato, Eunike of the rose arms, and graceful Melite and Eulimene and Agaue, Doto and Proto, Dynamene and Pherousa, Nesaie and Aktaie and Protomedeia, Doris and Panopeia, and Galateia the beautiful, Hippothoe the lovely and Hipponoe of the rose arms, Kymodoke who, with Kymatolege and Amphitrite, light of foot, on the misty face of the open water easily stills the waves and hushes the winds in their blowing. Kymo and Eione, Halimede of the bright garland, Glaukonome, the lover of laughter, and Pontoporeia, Leagore and Euagore and Laomedeia, Poulynoe and Autonoe and Lysianassa, Euarne of the lovely figure and face of perfection, Psamathe of the graceful form and shining Menippe, Neso and Eupompe, and Themisto and Pronoe, and Nemertes, whose mind is like that of her immortal father. These were the daughters born to irreproachable Nereus, fifty in all, and the actions they know are beyond reproach, also.”