Irlandos at 16:37, November 3, 2006

2006-11-03T16:37:43Z

Irlandos at 16:37, November 3, 2006

2006-11-03T16:37:01Z

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'''Amphitrite''', in ancient [[Greek mythology]], was an ancient sea-goddess, who became the consort of [[Poseidon]].

She was a daughter of [[Nereus]] and [[Doris]]—thus a [[Nereid]]— according to [[Hesiod]]'s ''Theogony'' but of [[Oceanus]] and [[Tethys]]—thus an [[Oceanid]]— according to [[Apollodorus]], who actually lists her both among the Nereids and also among the [[Oceanid]]s. She is not fully personified in the Homeric epics: "out on the open sea, in Amphitrite's breakers" (''[[Odyssey]]'' iii.101); her [[Homer]]ic epithet ''Halosydne'' ("sea-nourished") she shares with [[Thetis]] in some sense the sea-nymphs are doublets.

Amphitrite, "the third one who encircles (the sea)", was so entirely confined in her authority to the sea and the creatures in it, that she was all but never associated with her husband either for purposes of worship or in works of art, except when he was to be distinctly regarded as the god who controlled the sea: an exception may be the cult image of Amphitrite that [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] saw in the temple of Poseidon at the [[Isthmus of Corinth]] (ii.1.7). Though Amphitrite does not figure in Greek cultus, at an archaic stage she was of importance, for in the [[Homeric Hymn]] to Delian Apollo, she appears at the birthing of Apollo among "all the chiefest of the goddesses, [[Dione]] and [[Rhea]] and [[Ichnaea]] and [[Themis]] and loud-moaning Amphitrite." The deeply-knowledgable [[Pindar]], in his sixth Olympian Ode, recognized Poseidon's role as "great god of the sea, husband of Amphitrite, goddess of the golden spindle." For later poets, Amphitrite was simply a metaphor for the sea: Euripides, in ''Cyclops'' (702) and Ovid, ''Metamorphoses, (i.14).

In the arts, Amphitrite was distinguishable from the other [[Nereid]]s only by her queenly attributes. It was said that Poseidon first saw her dancing at [[Naxos]] among the other Nereids and carried her off. But in another version of the myth, she fled from his advances to [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]], at the farthest ends of the sea; there the dolphin of Poseidon found her, and was rewarded by being placed among the stars.

Amphitrite's brood included seals and dolphins. Poseidon had one son by Amphitrite, [[Triton]] and a daughter, [[Rhode]] (if this Rhode was not actually fathered by Poseidon on [[Halia]] or was not the dauther of [[Asopus]] as others claim.) Apollodorus (3.15.4) also mentions a daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite named [[Benthesikyme]].

In works of art Amphitrite is represented either enthroned beside him, or driving with him in a chariot drawn by sea-horses (''hippocamps'') or other fabulous creatures of the deep, and attended by [[Triton]] and Nereids. She is dressed in queenly robes and has nets in her hair. The pincers of a crab are sometimes shown attached to her temples.

==References==
*[http://www.theoi.com/Pontios/Amphitrite.html Theoi.com: Amphitrite]
*Smith, ''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'': [http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/1433.html "Halosydne"] and [http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0161.html "Amphitrite"]

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:Oceanids]]
[[Category:Greek goddesses]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 Amphitrite, "the third one who encircles (the sea)", was so entirely confined in her authority to the sea and the creatures in it, that she was all but never associated with her husband either for purposes of worship or in works of art, except when he was to be distinctly regarded as the god who controlled the sea: an exception may be the cult image of Amphitrite that [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] saw in the temple of Poseidon at the [[Isthmus of Corinth]] (ii.1.7). Though Amphitrite does not figure in Greek cultus, at an archaic stage she was of importance, for in the [[Homeric Hymn]] to Delian Apollo, she appears at the birthing of Apollo among "all the chiefest of the goddesses, [[Dione]] and [[Rhea]] and [[Ichnaea]] and [[Themis]] and loud-moaning Amphitrite."  The deeply-knowledgable [[Pindar]], in his sixth Olympian Ode, recognized Poseidon's role as "great god of the sea, husband of Amphitrite, goddess of the golden spindle." For later poets, Amphitrite was simply a metaphor for the sea: Euripides, in ''Cyclops'' (702) and Ovid, ''Metamorphoses, (i.14).
-In the arts, Amphitrite was distinguishable from the other [[Nereid]]s only by her queenly attributes.  It was said that Poseidon first saw her dancing at [[Naxos]] among the other Nereids and carried her off. But in another version of the myth, she fled from his advances to [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]], at the farthest ends of the sea; there the dolphin of Poseidon found her, and was rewarded by being placed among the stars.
+In the arts, Amphitrite was distinguishable from the other [[Nereid]]s only by her queenly attributes.  It was said that Poseidon first saw her dancing at [[Naxos]] among the other Nereids and carried her off. But in another version of the myth, she fled from his advances to [[Atlas]], at the farthest ends of the sea; there the dolphin of Poseidon found her, and was rewarded by being placed among the stars.
-Amphitrite's brood included seals and dolphins. Poseidon had one son by Amphitrite, [[Triton]] and a daughter, [[Rhode]] (if this Rhode was not actually fathered by Poseidon on [[Halia]] or was not the dauther of [[Asopus]] as others claim.) Apollodorus (3.15.4) also mentions a daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite named [[Benthesikyme]].
+Amphitrite's brood included seals and dolphins. Poseidon had one son by Amphitrite, [[Triton]] and a daughter, [[Rhode]] (if this Rhode was not actually fathered by Poseidon on [[Halia]] or was not the daughter of [[Asopus]] as others claim.) Apollodorus (3.15.4) also mentions a daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite named [[Benthesikyme]].
 In works of art Amphitrite is represented either enthroned beside him, or driving with him in a chariot drawn by sea-horses (''hippocamps'') or other fabulous creatures of the deep, and attended by [[Triton]] and Nereids.  She is dressed in queenly robes and has nets in her hair.  The pincers of a crab are sometimes shown attached to her temples.

Amphitrite - Revision history

Irlandos at 16:37, November 3, 2006

Irlandos at 16:37, November 3, 2006