Eunice
A Nereid whose name means "good victory," one of the fifty sea-nymph daughters of Nereus and Doris.
The Myth of Eunice
Eunice — "she of good victory" — was one of the fifty Nereids, the sea nymphs who attended Poseidon and could calm or trouble the waters at will. Hesiod names her in his catalogue of Nereids in the Theogony, and she appears in other lists compiled by Apollodorus and Hyginus, though she never stars in her own myth. She belongs to that large company of named but undramatised figures who populated the Greek sea.
The Nereids as a group were more important than any individual member. Sailors prayed to them collectively before voyages. Their sanctuaries dotted the coastline of the Greek world. They were imagined riding dolphins and sea horses through the waves, their hair streaming with salt water, often carrying gifts to mortal sailors who showed proper reverence.
Eunice's name — eu (good) plus nike (victory) — was a blessing in itself. Greek parents sometimes named daughters Eunice hoping the name would bring fortune. The name has survived unbroken to the present day, borne by women across the Western world who may not know they carry a Nereid's identity.
Parents
Nereus and Doris
Symbols
Fun Fact
The name Eunice — meaning 'good victory' — has passed directly from this obscure Nereid into modern use across Europe and the Americas without ever falling out of fashion.
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
Agaue
🌿 nymphSplendour, nobility of the sea
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "the illustrious one," representing the noble majesty of the ocean
Cymothoe
🌿 nymphWaves, sea currents
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "swift as the waves," one of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris
Dynamene
🌿 nymphSea power, strength of waves
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "she who has power," personifying the mighty force of ocean waves
Callianeira
🌿 nymphBeautiful men, excellence among mortals
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "beauty of men" or "she who ennobles men," associated with human excellence inspired by the sea
Thalia
🌿 nymphthe sea, blooming
A Nereid whose name means "the blooming one," distinct from the Muse Thalia and the Grace Thalia.
Panope
🌿 nymphthe sea, visibility
A Nereid whose name means "all-seeing," invoked by sailors for clear views across open water.
Nereids
🌿 nymphFifty sea nymphs
The fifty Nereids were daughters of Nereus — benevolent spirits of the calm sea who aided sailors and rode dolphins.
Menippe
🌿 nymphSteadfast courage, enduring strength
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "steadfast horse" or "enduring strength," personifying the sea's patient power
Rhode
🌿 nymphthe sea, islands
A sea nymph, daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite (or Aphrodite), who gave her name to the island of Rhodes.
Cymatolege
🌿 nymphCalming waves, stilling storms
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "wave stiller," personifying the blessed calming of stormy seas
Doto
🌿 nymphGenerosity of the sea, bounty
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "the giver," representing the sea's generous bounty of fish and resources
Callianassa
🌿 nymphBeautiful queenship, noble grace
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "beautiful queen," embodying the regal splendour of the sea