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Greek Mythology Notes

Asopus

godἈσωπός
river, justice

River god of the Asopus in Boeotia, father of many nymphs.‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍

The Myth of Asopus

Asopus was a river god of Boeotia, father to many beautiful nymph daughters who attracted the attention of the Olympians.‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍ When Zeus himself abducted his daughter Aegina and carried her to the island that now bears her name, Asopus pursued the king of the gods — one of the few beings in Greek mythology to challenge Zeus directly. Zeus struck him down with thunderbolts, driving him back to his riverbed. Sisyphus of Corinth had revealed Zeus's crime to Asopus, earning eternal punishment in Tartarus. Asopus's other daughters were taken by Apollo, Hermes, and Poseidon. His grandson Aeacus, born to Aegina, became one of the three judges of the dead in Hades's realm.

Parents

Oceanus, Tethys

Children

Aegina, Salamis, Thebe, Sinope

Symbols

riverbedcharred stones

Fun Fact

The island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf is named after his daughter, and remains a popular day trip from Athens.

Explore Further

Peneus

god

river, Thessaly

River god of the Peneus in Thessaly, father of Daphne.

Cephissus

god

river, purification

River god of the Cephissus, the principal river of Attica and Boeotia.

Metope

🌿 nymph

rivers, motherhood

A river nymph, daughter of the river Ladon, who married the river god Asopus and bore him twenty daughters — many of whom were abducted by gods.

metope (architectural term for panels between triglyphs)

Achelous

god

Greatest river god, father of the Sirens

Achelous was the god of the mightiest river in Greece and father of the Sirens — he wrestled Heracles for the right to marry Deianira.

Achelousaurus

Inachus

god

river, Argos

River god of the Inachus and legendary first king of Argos.

Alpheus

god

river, pursuit

River god of the Alpheus, the largest river in the Peloponnese.

Aegina

🌿 nymph

rivers, islands

A river nymph abducted by Zeus and brought to the island that bears her name.

aegina (island in Greece)

Scamander

god

river, Troy

River god of the Scamander, the great river of the Trojan plain.

Creusa

🌿 nymph

springs, motherhood

A Naiad nymph of Thessaly who bore Hypseus and Stilbe to the river god Peneus.

Asopus River

🏛 place

geography

A Boeotian river personified as a god whose daughters were repeatedly abducted by Olympian gods.

Styx

🌿 nymph

Oceanid goddess of the oath-river

Styx was both a river and an Oceanid goddess — the first divine ally of Zeus in the Titanomachy, rewarded by having her waters become the gods' unbreakable oath.

Stygian

Stilbe

🌿 nymph

rivers, light

A nymph of Thessaly, daughter of the river Peneus, who bore Centaurus and Lapithes to Apollo — thus originating both the Centaurs and the Lapiths.