Naiads, nymphs of brooks,
springs, and fountains. Endowed with youth and beauty, they were gifted
in music and dancing and the social graces. They were also thought to have
healing and prophetic powers.
Narcissus , a handsome
youth, the son of the river god Cephissus. Because of his great beauty
many women fell in love with Narcissus, but he repulsed their advances.
Among the lovelorn maidens was the nymph Echo, who had incurred the displeasure
of Hera and had been condemned by the goddess never to speak again except
to repeat what was said to her. Echo was therefore unable to tell Narcissus
of her love, but one day, as Narcissus was walking in the woods, he became
separated from his companions. When he shouted, "Is anyone here?" Echo
joyfully answered, "Here, here." Unable to see her hidden among the trees,
Narcissus cried "Come!" Back came the answer, "Come, come," as Echo stepped
forth from the woods with outstretched arms. Narcissus cruelly refused
to accept Echo's love; she was so humiliated that she hid in a cave and
wasted away until nothing was left of her but her voice. To punish Narcissus,
the avenging goddess Nemesis made Narcissus fall hopelessly in love with
his own beautiful face as he saw it reflected in a pool. As he gazed in
fascination, unable to remove himself from his image, he gradually pined
away. At the place where his body had lain grew a beautiful flower, honoring
the name and memory of Narcissus.
Nemesis, personification
of divine justice and the vengeance of the gods, sometimes called the daughter
of Night. She represented the righteous anger of the gods against the proud
and haughty and against breakers of the law; she distributed good or bad
fortune to all mortals. No one could escape her power.
Neoptolemus, also
called Pyrrhus, in Greek legend and poetry, the son of the warrior Achilles
and Deidamia of Scyros. Neoptolemus was reared at Scyros and, after the
death of Achilles, was taken to Troy by the hero Odysseus in the final
year of the Trojan War, because it was prophesied that the Greeks could
not take Troy without the help of Neoptolemus. He was among the warriors
who entered Troy in the Trojan horse, and when the city was captured, he
killed Priam, king of Troy. Neoptolemus never returned to Scyros, but settled
instead in Epirus. He was later considered the ancestor of the Molossian
kings of that region. He married Hermione, daughter of Menelaus and Helen
of Troy, king and queen of Sparta. Slain at Delphia, Neoptolemus was buried
within the precincts of the temple there, and festivals were held in his
honor every eight years.
Nereids, nymphs of the
Mediterranean Sea. They were the 50 lovely daughters of Nereus, the old
man of the sea, and his wife, Doris. They lived at the bottom of the sea,
but often came to the surface to aid sailors and other travelers. They
were believed to ride dolphins and other sea animals. The most famous of
the Nereids were Thetis, the mother of the Greek hero Achilles; Amphitrite,
the wife of Poseidon, god of the sea; and Galatea, who was loved by the
Cyclops Polyphemus.
Nereus, sea god, son of
the sea god Pontus and Gaea, Mother Earth, called the old man of the sea.
He was married to Doris, a daughter of the Titan Oceanus, by whom he had
50 beautiful daughters, the nymphs of the sea, called the Nereids. Nereus
lived at the bottom of the sea.
Nestor, king of Pylos,
son of Neleus and Chloris. In his early life, Nestor was a distinguished
warrior and participant in many of the great events of the day. He took
part in the fight of the Lapiths against the centaurs, was among the Calydonian
boar hunters, and sailed with the Argonauts in quest of the Golden Fleece.
Although well advanced in years when the Trojan War began, he sailed with
the other Greek heroes against Troy. Having ruled over three generations,
he was renowned for his wisdom and justice, and he served as wise counselor
to the Greeks during the war. After the fall of Troy, Nestor returned to
Pylos and welcomed Telemachus when the youth came for information about
the fate of his father, Odysseus.
Nike, goddess of victory,
daughter of the Titan Pallas and the river Styx. Nike fought with the god
Zeus in his battle against the Titans, and in Greek art is sometimes represented
as winged and carrying a wreath or palm of victory. The Nike of Samothráki,
or Winged Victory (Louvre, Paris), is one of the finest pieces of Hellenistic
sculpture.
Niobe, daughter of Tantalus,
and the queen of Thebes. Her husband, King Amphion, was a son of the god
Zeus and a great musician. Niobe bore him six handsome sons and six beautiful
daughters. Although she was happy, Niobe exhibited the same arrogance toward
the gods that her father had shown (see Atreus,
House of). Thus, she commanded the people of Thebes to worship her
instead of the goddess Leto, who had only two children. The gods heard
her words on far-off Mount Olympus and resolved to punish her. Leto's children,
Apollo, god of prophecy and a master archer, and Artemis, goddess of the
hunt, fired their arrows with deadly aim, killing all of Niobe's children.
The grief-stricken Niobe was turned into a stone that was forever wet with
her tears.
Nymphs, in Greek and Roman
mythology, lesser divinities or spirits of nature, dwelling in groves and
fountains, forests, meadows, streams, and the sea, represented as young
and beautiful maidens, fond of music and dancing. The nymphs were distinguished
according to the part of nature they personified, and included the Oceanids,
or daughters of Oceanus, the ocean that flows around the earth; the Nereids,
or daughters of the sea god Nereus, nymphs of the Mediterranean Sea; the
Potameides, river nymphs; the Naiads, nymphs of springs and freshwater
streams; the Oreads, nymphs of mountains and grottoes; and the Dryads,
nymphs of the forests.
