Psamathe
Nereid sea nymph whose name means "sand goddess," personifying the sandy shores and seabed
The Myth of Psamathe
Psamathe was one of the more mythologically active Nereids. In addition to appearing in Hesiod's catalogue, she had her own story: she was the mother of Phocus by the mortal king Aeacus. To escape Aeacus's pursuit, she transformed herself into a seal, but he captured her nonetheless. When their son Phocus was later murdered by his half-brothers Peleus and Telamon, Psamathe sent a monstrous wolf to ravage Peleus's flocks in revenge, until Thetis persuaded her to relent and she turned the wolf to stone. Her name derives from psamathos (sand), and she personified the sandy aspects of the sea — beaches, dunes, and the soft seabed.
Parents
Nereus and Doris
Children
Phocus
Symbols
Fun Fact
Psamathe could shapeshift into a seal — a detail that may reflect ancient Greek observations of seals resting on sandy beaches
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Neso
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