Mythagora Homepage

Rivers in the Iliad

Rivers in the Iliad

Sons of Okeanos and Tethys

Previous Page
Homepage
Site Search

The Titans Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys were very prolific. They fostered thousands of daughters and uncounted Rivers.

The Rivers hold dominion over the terrain they inhabit and are honored by sensible local inhabitants and prudent travelers.

There are at least twenty-nine rivers listed in the Iliad by Homer. Some of them were active players in the Trojan War, others were only mentioned.

Aisepos Acheloios Alpheios Axios Boagrios
Grenikos Heptaporos Hermos Hyllos Karesos
Maiandros Minyeios Okeanos Parthenios Peneios
Rhesos Rhodios Sangarios Satnioeis Simoeis
Skamandros Sperkheios Styx Titaressos Xanthos (near Troy)
        Xanthos (in Lykia)

Rivers in the Iliad

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Richmond Lattimore and Murray-Wyatt (Loeb Classical Library) translations of the Iliad. Other translations, such as Robert Fitzgerald, Robert Fagles, etc., do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use.

Aisepos—Αἰσήποιο

Aisepos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Achaian—Ἀχελώϊος

Achaian

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Alpheios—Ἀλφειοῦ

Alpheios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Asopos—Ἀσωπὸν

Asopos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Axios—Ἀξιοῦ

Axios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Boagrios—Βοαγρίου

Boagrios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Grenikos—Γρήνικός

Grenikos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Heptaporos—‘Επτάπορός

Heptaporos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Hermos—Ἕρμῳ

Hermos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Hyllos—Ὓλλῳ

Hyllos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Karesos—Κάρησός

Karesos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Kephisos—Κηφισοῑο

Kephisos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Maiandros—Μαιάνδρου

Maiandros

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Minyeios—Μινυήϊος

Minyeios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Okeanos (Ocean)—Ὠκεανῷ

Okeanos encircled the earth and was the source and destination of all rivers.

The Greeks had no knowledge of the Americas and a distorted appreciation of the shape and size Asia and Africa. However, after 250 BCE they did perceive the world was spherical with Okeanos completely surrounding the continents.

Parthenios—Παρθένιον

Parthenios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Peneios—Πηνειὸν

Peneios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Rhesos—Ῥῆσός

Rhesos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Rhodios—Ῥοδίος

Rhodios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Sangarios—Σαγγαρίον

Sangarios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Satnioeis—Σατνιόεντι

Satnioeis

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Simoeis—Σιμόεις

Simoeis

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Skamandros—Σκαμάνδριον

The Skamandros River near Troy; known to the Immortals as Xanthos.

Skamandros

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Sperkheios—Σπερχεῑον

Sperkheios

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Styx—Στυγὸς

Although Styx is an Okeanid, i.e. a daughter of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys, and not a River, she is often called the Oath River and for that reason she is included here. As a denizen of the Underworld, Styx did not have an earthly domain.

Titaressos—Τιταρήσσον

Titaressos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Xanthos—Ξάνθον

The Xanthos River near Troy; known to mortals as Skamandros.

Xanthos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Xanthos—Ξάνθον

The Xanthos River in Lykia.

Xanthos

Pleiades Image Credit Link

Previous Page  Homepage  Site Search
Copyrighted Material—All Rights Reserved
Back to Top