Oceanides

Oceanides, also called Oceanids, are sea-nymphs in Greek mythology. They are the female offspring of Oceanus and his wife Tethys, primordial river and sea deities who personify the world’s waters. In classical literature, the Oceanids are described as countless in number—often said to be three thousand—each representing a specific body of water, from vast oceans to springs and rivers. They are typically depicted as graceful maidens who inhabit watery realms and can serve as attendants to the gods or guardians of particular waters or places.

Most Oceanids are anonymous, existing as a genealogical class rather than as individual mythic personalities. A subset, however, is named in ancient sources. Notable examples include Amphitrite, a sea goddess who becomes Poseidon’s wife; Pleione, who with Atlas is the mother of the Pleiades; and in some traditions Dione is listed as an Oceanid and, under certain myths, as the mother of Aphrodite.

In Hesiod’s Theogony and other ancient texts, the Oceanids function as a broad family of water deities who help explain and personify Greece’s diverse hydrological features. They appear in poetry and art as companions of gods, patrons of springs and streams, or as atmospheric symbols of the nourishing and dangerous powers of water.