THE GODS OF

THE WATERS

By: Mary Ann Rone

Poseidon

- was the Lord

and the ruler of the

sea (the

Mediterranean) and

the Friendly Sea

(the Euxine, now the

Black Sea).

Oceanus

- was the chief god

of all waters.-was represented

as an aged man sittingon the sea andpouring out water.

Pontus

- primeval god of the sea. -He was one of the first-born gods and was the father of the most of the ancient sea gods by Gaea.

Triton

-was the trumpeter of the sea.-his trumpet was a great shell.-he was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.

Proteus

-was sometimes said to be Poseidon’s son, sometimes his attendant.-he had the power both of foretelling the future and of changing his shape at will.

The Naiads

-were also water nymphs.-they dwelt in brooks and springs and fountains.

Circe

-Was a daughter of the Sun.- She was supposed to be clever enough to make the stars come down from heaven. Travelers could hardly escape from her charms.

Arethusa

-Was a woodland

nymph who loved

the chase.

-She implored Diana

to help her escape

and the goddess

changed the nymph

into fountain.

Ladon

-was a Greek river

famous for the encounter on

its banks of Syrinx and Pan.

The nymph, fearing the love of

Pan, was changed into reeds,

which have continued to grow

along the rivers ever since.

The Nereids

-beautiful girl dolphins,-their hair were adorned with pearl. -were the nymphs of the Mediterranean.

Amphitrite-Wife of Neptune,

mother of Triton, is pictured driving a shell on the sea with the Nereids as her attendants.

The Gorgons-Three famous sisters

called Stheno, Euryale and Medusa, lived a long way over the ocean, at the end of the earth. Medusa, their queen, who offended Athena, had her hair changed into snakes, and her eyes were given the fatal powers of turning into stone every human they looked upon.

- are represented with enormous heads interwoven with snakes

Thethys Daughter of Uranus

and Terra she married her

brother Oceanus, andgave birth to threethousand nymphs, the

Oceanides is generally seen

driving a seashell. herchariot, followed by atrain of dolphins,tritons and Oceanides

Glaucus A sea god,

gifted with a special power of prophecy

He was Neptune's soothsayer, or foreteller of events.

Charybdis

A daughter of Jupiter, was stricken down by

Jupiter and changed into dangerous whirlpool in the Strait of Sicily for stealing a part of the flock of Hercules

Scylla

A beautiful nymph, had been changed into monster by jealous Circe.

Terrified by her ugliness, she threw herself into the sea and became a rough rock which has since been called after her, between Italy and Sicily.

The Sirens-The three sea

nymphs to whom the oracles had predicted life as long as they could detain navigators on their way.

The Harpies-Were monsters with

the faces of old women and the bodies of vultures

-They caused famine, wherever they passed, and emitted a fearful odor.

Nereus Was called the old

man of the sea Trusty god and

gentle He was the eldest

son of Pontus and Gaea,

born in titans generation.

He was the father of Nereids by Doris.