Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Nereus
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Nereus struggling with Heracles, detail from a Greek water jar found at Vulci, c. 490 bc; in the British Museum
Quizzes
Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens, Greece.
From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology
Related Questions
Read Next
Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
12 Greek Gods and Goddesses
Discover
Jackson (Wyoming, United States). Jackson Lake (also called Jackson Hole), southern end of the Teton Range (the Grand Tetons), Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
7 Wonders of America
Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd
Causes of the Great Depression
United States Electoral College votes by state
How Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have?
Election - Button that says Vote. Badge pin stars and stripes politics campaign
Why Are U.S. Elections Held on Tuesdays?
Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
12 Greek Gods and Goddesses
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins)
New Seven Wonders of the World
Andrew Jackson delivering a speech while on his way to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration in 1829. From Harper's Weekly, 1881.
5 Remarkably Close U.S. Presidential Elections
Nereus struggling with Heracles, detail from a Greek water jar found at Vulci, c. 490 bc; in the British Museum
Nereus struggling with Heracles, detail from a Greek water jar found at Vulci, c. 490 bc; in the British Museum

Nereus

Greek god
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nereus-Greek-god
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nereus-Greek-god
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

Nereus, in Greek religion, sea god called by Homer “Old Man of the Sea,” noted for his wisdom, gift of prophecy, and ability to change his shape. He was the son of Pontus, a personification of the sea, and Gaea, the Earth goddess. The Nereids (water nymphs) were his daughters by the Oceanid Doris, and he lived with them in the depths of the sea, particularly the Aegean. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was his pupil. The Greek hero Heracles, in his quest for the golden apples of the Hesperides, obtained directions from Nereus by wrestling with him in his many forms. Nereus frequently appears in vase paintings as a dignified spectator.