Melia
Sweet-Water Spring, Theban Spring Ismene
Domains:
Oceanid
Category:
5E Alignment:
5E Domains:
5E Symbol:
Greek Name | Transliteration | Latin Spelling | Translation |
Μελια Μελιη | Melia, Meliê | Melia | Sweet, Honey (meli) |
Ωκεανις Ωκεανιδες | Ôkeanis, Ôkeanides | Oceanid, Oceanids | Daughters of Oceanus |
MELIA ARGEIA was the Okeanid-nymph ancestress of the royal houses of Argos, Sikyon (Sicyon) and Thebes. She was the wife of the river-god Inakhos (Inachus) and the mother of Phoroneus, first king of Argos, Aigieleus (Aegialeus), first king of Sikyon, and the nymph Io. Their descendants, through Io, resettled Greece after the Great Deluge--with Danaus founding the city of Argos in the Peloponnese and Kadmos (Cadmus) the city of Thebes in Boiotia.
Melia was perhaps identified with Melia, the nymph of the Ismenian spring of Thebes loved by Apollon, and Ismene, the eponymous nymph of the Ismenian spring.
MELIA was the Okeanid-nymph of the Ismenian spring of Thebes in Boiotia (central Greece). She was loved by the god Apollon who slew her brother Kaanthos (Caanthus) in the contest for her love. She bore the god two sons, Ismenos and Teneros--prophetic priests of the oracular Ismenion shrine.
Melia as the Naiad-nymph of the Ismenian spring occurs in two alternate traditions as Melia and Ismene, ancestresses of Kadmos (Cadmus), the hero-founder of Thebes.
THE OKEANIDES (Oceanids) were three thousand goddess-nymphs who presided over the sources of earth's fresh-water--from rain-clouds to subterranean springs and fountains. Their numbers included the Nephelai (Cloud-Nymphs), Aurai (Breeze-Nymphs), Naiades (Spring and Fountain Nymphs), Leimonides (Pasture Nymphs), and Anthousai (Flower Nymphs). They were all daughters of the great, earth-encircling, fresh-water stream Okeanos (Oceanus) and his wife Tethys.
The eldest among them were numbered among the Titanides (female Titans)--Styx, Dione, Neda, Metis, Klymene, Eurynome, Doris, Elektra, and Pleione. These were most likely heavenly goddesses of the clouds.
Some of the Okeanides personified divine blessings such as Metis (Wisdom), Klymene (Fame), Plouto (Wealth), Tykhe (Good Fortune), Telesto (Success), and Peitho (Persuasion). The goddess Nemesis was sometimes also included in their number as one who provided balance by punishing undeserved good fortune as might arise from her sister's gifts. These Good Spirits (Daimones Agathoi) were ephemeral in nature much like the dark children of Nyx (Night), the Spirits of Harm (Daimones Kakoi).
Another group of Okeanides were handmaidens of the Olympian goddesses, the most prominent of these were the sixty Okeanis companions of Artemis, Peitho the handmaiden of Aphrodite, and Klymene the handmaiden of Hera.
The Naias-Okeanides (Naiads) were primarily nymphs of springs, wells and fountains. They were often portrayed as the wives of the Potamoi (River-Gods) and mothers of younger Naiades.
The Okeanides were occasionally described as sea-nymphs. In the late classical era the mythical, earth-encircling, fresh-water river Okeanos was increasingly equated with the briny Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and his nymph-daughters reimagined as marine deities.