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In Greek mythology, Amphitrite was the goddess of the sea and wife of Poseidon. She was the eldest of the 50 Nereids, the sea nymph daughters of the ancient sea god Nereus. In Roman mythology, the consort of Neptune, a comparatively minor figure, was Salacia, the goddess of saltwater.
In Greek mythology, Thetis was a goddess of water, and one of the 50 Nereids. She is perhaps best known, however, for being the mother of Achilles.
Oceanus was the Titan god of the great, Earth-encircling river Okeanos. Greek mythology also names him as the father of the 3,000 Oceanids, or sea nymphs.
Proteus, in Greek mythology, is the prophetic, shape-shifting old man of the sea and shepherd of Poseidon's seals.
The Sirens of Greek mythology were humanlike beings with enticing voices. Their irresistible songs lured sailors to their deaths.
The Titan goddess of the primal font of fresh water that nourishes the Earth, Tethys was also mother of rivers, springs, streams, fountains, and clouds.
In Classical antiquity, Thalassa was the general word for sea. It's also the name for its divine personification in Greek mythology: Thalassa. She was the primeval goddess of the sea, and the mother of the fish.
Brothers Bythos (Sea-Depths) and Aphros (Sea-Foam) were ichthyocentaurs: fish-tailed centaurs with the forelegs of a horse. It was Aphros who brought the goddess Aphrodite to shore following her sea-birth.
Briareus was the Greek god of violent sea storms, one of three 100-armed, 50-headed Hecatoncheires, the sons of the deities Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). He was a son-in-law of Poseidon, and made his home on the floor of the Aegean Sea.
Helle was the goddess nymph of Hellespont (the modern-day Dardanelles). She was rescued by Poseidon after falling off the back of a ram into the sea, and was subsequently transformed into a sea goddess.
As a mortal prince, Melicertes died along with his mother Ino after she threw herself and Melicertes into the sea from a high rock while being pursued by her mad husband. His body was found by a dolphin. Transformed into a child sea god called Palaemon, he is viewed in Greco-Roman iconography as a dolphin riding boy, or a child with a triton tail.
The Nereids were the 50 sea-nymph daughters of Nereus, the old man of the sea, and Doris. They became protectors of mariners across the northeastern Mediterranean.
Nereus, known in Greek mythology as the "old man of the sea" and the god of the sea's rich bounty of fish, was the husband of Doris. Together they became the parents of 50 daughters (the Nereids) and a son (Nerites).
A primordial sea god who in Greek mythology was god of the hidden dangers of the deep, Phorcys was depicted as a fish-tailed merman with crab-claw forelegs and red, spiky skin.
One of the 50 Nereids, Galene was the goddess of calm seas. The alternative name Galatea refers to the same being.
Achelous was the god of the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece, who gave his daughter in marriage to Alcmaeon.
The ancient, pre-Olympian sea god known as Pontus was the father of fish and other creatures.
Though worshipped as the god of the wonders of the sea, Thaumas is remembered for fathering the Harpies—the half-human, half-bird personification of storm winds.
A Nereid, Psamathe was the goddess of sandy beaches, and was worshipped accordingly.
Doris, one of the 3,000 Oceanids, or daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, was the goddess of rich fishing grounds. She also represented the fertility of the oceans.
Aeolus, son of Hippotes, was the king of the winds, keeping storm-winds, squalls, and tempests locked away in the hollows of the floating island of Aiolia, to be released at the command of the gods.
Sources:(Greek Mythology) (World History Encyclopedia) (Britannica)
Though Aphrodite was a heavenly deity (the goddess of sexual love and beauty), she retained a close kinship with the sea. Her attributes include a scallop shell (pictured).
Poseidon's Roman equivalent is Neptune. The god of freshwater and the sea, Neptune was also worshipped as a god of horses. In the Greek tradition, he is a brother of Jupiter and Pluto.
Triton, the Greek god of the sea, was the fish-tailed son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He is often depicted as clutching a conch shell, which he'd blow like a trumpet.
One of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, Poseidon was the god of sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses. He had a quick temper, and was known for being generally moody and at times quite vengeful.
Once a mortal princess, the Greek sea goddess Leucothea was a protector of sailors and fishermen in and around the Ionian Sea.
Glaucus was a Greek prophetic-god of fishermen. He was known for coming to the aid of mariners caught in storms.
Greek and Roman mythology is awash with ancient sea gods and goddesses, ocean deities depicted either as benign saviors of sailors and fishermen, or dangerous, ill-tempered supernatural beings with malice on their minds. Some of these worshipped guardians of the deep were also associated with rivers, springs, and fountains, and were also seen to influence the weather. And there was even a goddess of sandy beaches! So, who were the most revered—and feared—sea gods and goddesses?
Click back to antiquity and find out.
Who were the most revered—and feared—sea gods and goddesses?
Discover the ancient guardians of the deep
LIFESTYLE Mythology
Greek and Roman mythology is awash with ancient sea gods and goddesses, ocean deities depicted either as benign saviors of sailors and fishermen, or dangerous, ill-tempered supernatural beings with malice on their minds. Some of these worshipped guardians of the deep were also associated with rivers, springs, and fountains, and were also seen to influence the weather. And there was even a goddess of sandy beaches! So, who were the most revered—and feared—sea gods and goddesses?
Click back to antiquity and find out.