Amphitrite
Amphitrite co-ruled the oceans with Poseidon.
The Myth of Amphitrite
Amphitrite was queen of the sea and wife of Poseidon, daughter of the sea god Nereus and the Oceanid Doris. When Poseidon first courted her, she fled to Atlas at the edge of the world. A dolphin found her and persuaded her to return, earning its place among the constellations. Amphitrite ruled the depths alongside Poseidon from their golden palace beneath the Aegean, commanding sea creatures and calming storms. She bore Triton, the merman herald, and the sea nymph Rhode. When Poseidon pursued Scylla, Amphitrite poisoned the waters where Scylla bathed, transforming her into a monster. She was worshipped at Corinth, Athens, and throughout the island sanctuaries of the Greeks.
Parents
Nereus and Doris
Children
Triton, Rhode
Symbols
Fun Fact
She was worshipped independently of Poseidon — a sea power in her own right.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Amphitrite
🌿 nymphQueen of the sea
Amphitrite was the Nereid who became queen of the sea as Poseidon's wife.
Doris
goddesssea, bounty of the sea, safe passage
Sea goddess and mother of the fifty Nereids, personifying the richness and abundance of the ocean.
Poseidon
⚡ godGod of the sea, earthquakes, horses
Lord of the seas and brother of Zeus. Poseidon's moods shaped the oceans — calm seas for those who pleased him, devastating storms for those who did not.
Leucothea
⚡ godsea, rescue
Sea goddess who rescued drowning sailors, formerly the mortal princess Ino.
Cassiopeia
🗡 heroNone recorded
Vain queen of Aethiopia whose boast brought a sea monster upon her kingdom
Poseidon
⚡ godGod of the sea, earthquakes, and horses
Poseidon was the god of the sea and earthquakes whose moods determined whether sailors lived or died — and whose grudge against Odysseus drove the Odyssey.
Nereus
⚡ godThe Old Man of the Sea
Nereus was the ancient, benevolent sea god known as the Old Man of the Sea — truthful, wise, gentle, and father of the fifty Nereids.
Ceto
🐉 creatureSea, monsters
Primordial sea goddess known as the Mother of Monsters who bore many of the most fearsome creatures in Greek myth
Glaucus
⚡ godsea, prophecy
A mortal fisherman who became an immortal sea god after eating a magical herb.
Nereids
🌿 nymphFifty sea nymphs
The fifty Nereids were daughters of Nereus — benevolent spirits of the calm sea who aided sailors and rode dolphins.
Aphrodite
⚡ godGoddess of love, desire, and beauty
The goddess born from sea-foam whose power over desire could override the will of gods and mortals alike.
Periboea
🌿 nymphthe sea, giants
A Naiad or sea nymph who bore the giant Nausithous to Poseidon, becoming the ancestress of the Phaeacians.