In Greek mythology, the Epimeliads, Epimelides, Meliades, or Maliades (Ancient Greek: Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἐπιμηλιάδες, Ἐπιμηλίδες, Μηλιάδες, Μαλιάδες) are dryad nymphs that care for apple trees as well as sheep and goats. The homonymic names for an epimelias (Ἐπιμηλιάς) relates them to both fruit trees and flock animals giving them their dual role. Their hair is white, much like apple blossoms or undyed wool. Like other dryads, they can shape-shift from trees to humans. They are also known to be the guardians of the tree that the Golden Fleece was kept on. Notably, these nymphs are not a clearly defined category since various other types of nymphs were counted among them.[1]
One etymology for the ancient Greek word Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: μῆλον refers to a goat or a sheep. In Boeotian, the word was Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: μεῖλον. However, another etymology for the ancient Greek word Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: μῆλον can refer to an apple or any other fruit, while Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἐπιμηλίς is specifically the name for medlar. The Doric and Aeolic variation is Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: μᾶλον, hence once of their names Maliades.