Nilus (mythology) explained

Type:	Greek
Nilus or Neilos
Deity Of:	River God of the Nile
Member Of:	the Potamoi
Abode:	River Nile in Egypt
Consort:	Nephele, Callirhoe, Euthenia
Parents:	Oceanus and Tethys
Siblings:	Potamoi and Oceanids
Offspring:	Achiroe, Memphis, Telephassa, Chione, Anippe, Caliadne (possibly), Polyxo (possibly)

In Greek mythology, Nilus (; Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Νεῖλος|Neilos) is one of the three thousand Potamoi, the river gods, who represent the god of the Nile river itself. Nilus is the son of the water gods Oceanus and Tethys.

Family

Nilus was one of 3,000 river gods children of the Titans Oceanus and his sister-wife Tethys.^[1] He was father to several children, of these included Memphis (mother of Libya by Epaphus a king of Egypt), as well as a son named Nilus Ankhmemiphis (the father of Anchinoe and Telephassa).

His granddaughter Libya in turn became mother to Belus and Agenor. These sons then married (presumably) younger daughters of his son Nilus named Anchiroe^[2] and Telephassa, respectively. A daughter Chione^[3] was said to be borne to Nilus and Callirhoe, an Oceanid. His other children include: Argiope,^[4] Anippe,^[5] Eurryroe, Europa^[6] and possibly Caliadne, Polyxo and Thebe.^[7]

Mythology

Parentage

• Hesiod, Theogony:

• Hyginus, Fabulae:

Offspring

• Apollodorus, Bibliotheca:

• Apollodorus, Bibliotheca:

• Pseudo-Plutarch, Greek and Roman Parallel Stories:

• Tzetzes, Chiliades:

See also

• Hapi (Nile god)
• Nile God Statue, Naples

References

• Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Fowler, Robert. L. (2000), Early Greek Mythography: Volume 1: Text and Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2000. .
• Gantz, Timothy, Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, Two volumes: (Vol. 1), (Vol. 2).
• Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Hesiod, Theogony from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Tzetzes, John, Book of Histories, Book VII-VIII translated by Vasiliki Dogani from the original Greek of T. Kiessling's edition of 1826. Online version at theio.com
• Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus, Moralia with an English Translation by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1936. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Maurus Servius Honoratus, In Vergilii carmina comentarii. Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii; recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.

Notes and References

1. [Hesiod]
2. [Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]
3. [Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]
4. [Timothy Gantz|Gantz]
5. [Plutarch]
6. [John Tzetzes|Tzetzes]
7. Scholia ad Homer, Iliad 9.383