okeanós

Okeanós (Greek Ωκεανός), often Latinized as Oceanus, is a figure from ancient Greek mythology who personifies the great river-ocean that encircles the world. The name Okeanós also forms the basis for the English word ocean. In Greek myth, the term denotes both a primal, cosmic sea and the specific river that flows around the flat-earth cosmos.

In Hesiod’s Theogony, Okeanós is a Titan, husband of the sea-nymph Tethys. Together they are the progenitors of a vast brood: the Potamoi, the river gods, and the Oceanids, the countless sea-nymph daughters. This genealogical role makes Okeanós a foundational figure in the divine geography of the ancient Greeks, anchoring the watery realm that both encircles the earth and feeds its rivers.

Okeanós’ domain is often described as the endless, freshwater source that supplies the rivers and seas of the world. He is typically portrayed as a powerful, bearded figure associated with water, but he is not the focus of widespread individual cults; rather, his significance lies in his cosmic and genealogical function within Greek myth.

Legacy and interpretation: The concept of Okeanós survived into Roman mythology as Oceanus, and the term Oceanus came to be used for the large sea itself in classical geography. The name influenced the modern English word ocean and remains a reference point for the ancient Greek understanding of the world’s waters.