Potamoi
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The Potamoi (Greek: Ποταμοί, "Rivers") are the gods of rivers in Greek mythology.
Contents
Mythology[edit]
The river gods were the sons of Oceanus and Tethys and the brothers of the Oceanids.[1] They were also the fathers of the Naiads.[citation needed] The river gods were depicted in one of three forms: a man-headed bull, a bull-headed man with the body of a serpent-like fish from the waist down, or as an arm resting upon an amphora jug pouring water.[citation needed]
Notable river gods include:
- Achelous, the god of the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece, who gave his daughter in marriage to Alcmaeon,[2] and was defeated by Heracles in a wrestling contest for the right to marry Deianira.[3]
- Alpheus, who fell in love with the nymph Arethusa, pursuing her to Syracuse, where she was transformed into a spring by Artemis.[4]
- Scamander, who fought on the side of the Trojans during the Trojan War, and, offended when Achilles polluted his waters with the a large number of Trojan corpses, overflowed his banks nearly drowning Achilles.[5]
List of River-gods (Potamoi)[edit]
The following are the sons of Oceanus and Tethys:[6][7][8]
- Achelous or Akheloios
- Acheron
- Acragas
- Aeas
- Aegaeus
- Aesar
- Aesepus
- Almo
- Alpheus
- Amnisos
- Amphrysos
- Anapos
- Anauros
- Anigros
- Apidanus
- Arar
- Araxes
- Ardescus
- Arnos
- Asopus
- Asterion
- Axius
- Baphyras
- Borysthenes
- Brychon
- Caanthus
- Caicinus
- Caicus
- Cayster
- Cebren
- Cephissus
- Chremetes
- Cladeus or Kladeos
- Clitumnus (Roman mythology)
- Cocytus
- Cratais
- Crinisus
- Cydnos
- Cytheros
- Elisson
- Enipeus
- Erasinus
- Eridanus
- Erymanthus
- Euphrates
- Eurotas
- Evenus
- Ganges
- Granicus
- Haliacmon
- Halys
- Hebrus
- Heptaporus
- Hermus
- Hydaspes
- Ilissos
- Imbrasos
- Inachus
- Indus
- Inopos
- Ismenus
- Istrus or Ister
- Ladon
- Lamos
- Lethe (exceptionally female)
- Lycormas
- Marsyas
- Maeander
- Meles
- Mincius
- Nestos
- Nilus
- Numicius
- Nymphaeus
- Orontes
- Pactolus
- Parthenius
- Phasis
- Phlegethon or Pyriphlegethon
- Phyllis
- Peneus
- Pleistos
- Porpax
- Rhesus
- Rhine
- Rhodius
- Rhyndacus
- Satnioeis
- Sangarius
- Scamander
- Simoeis
- Spercheus
- Strymon
- Symaethus
- Tanais
- Termessus
- Thermodon
- Tiberinus (Roman mythology)
- Tigris
- Titaressus
See also[edit]
- List of Oceanids
- Potamides (river nymphs)
Notes[edit]
- ^ Hesiod, Theogony 337–345, 366–370.
- ^ Apollodorus, 3.7.5.
- ^ Apollodorus, 1.8.1, 2.7.5.
- ^ Smith, "Alpheius".
- ^ Homer, Iliad 20.74, 21.211 ff..
- ^ Hyginus, Fabulae: "Preface"
- ^ Hesiod, Theogony, 334
- ^ Pseudo-Plutarch, On Rivers
References[edit]
- Apollodorus, Apollodorus, The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Hesiod, Theogony, in The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Homer, The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Hyginus, Gaius Julius, Astronomica, in The Myths of Hyginus, edited and translated by Mary A. Grant, Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1960.
- Smith, William; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London (1873).
External links[edit]
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