A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1216 NYMPHAE. NYMPHAE.J
army the territory of Sicyon: but he was de- man in the contemplation of nature, such as awc,
feated; and being severely wounded, he was car- terror, joy, delight, were ascribed to the agency of
ried back to Thebes, where, previous to his death, the various divinities of nature. The second class
he appointed his brother Lycus guardian of Lab- of nymphs are personifications of tribes, races, and
dacus, and at the same time demanded of him as a states, such as Cyrene, and many others.
duty to take vengeance on Epopeus. But the The nymphs of the first class must again be sublatter died before Lycus could fulfil his promise. divided into various species, according to the diffe(Paus. ii. 6. ~ 2; HIygin. Fab. 7, 8.) When rent parts of nature of which they are the repreLabdacus had grown up, Lycus surrendered the sentatives. 1. NArynlps of tie watery element. Here
government to him; but as Labdacus died soon we first mention the nymphs of the ocean,'icearvZafter, Lycus again became the guardian of his son, vat or''KceavilEs, vvupqlat a'XaL,who are regarded
Laius, but was expelled by his own great-nephews, as the daughters of Oceanus (Hes. Thseog. 346, &c.,
Amphion and Zethus. (Paus. ix. 5. ~ 2; Eurip. 364; Aeschyl. Prom.; Calliml. Hymn. in Diacn.
Here. Fur. 27.) A very different account is found 13; Apollon. Rhod. iv. 1414; Soph. Pliloct.
in Apollodorus (iii.' 5. ~ 5), for according to it, 1470); and next the nymphs of the Mediterranean;Nycteus and Lycus were the sons of Chthonius, or inner sea, who are regarded as the daughters of
and were obliged to quit their country on account Nereus, whence they are called Nereides (NnpsE' bes;
of the murder of Phlegyas. They then settled at Hes. Theog. 240, &c.). The rivers were repreHyria; but Lycus was chosen commander by the sented by the Potameides (rloaiuii'3Es), who, as
Thebans, and usurped the government which be- local divinities, were named after their rivers, as
longed to Laius, and in which he maintained him- Acheloides, Anigrides, Ismenides, Amnisiades,
self for twenty years, until he was slain by Am- Pactolides. (Apollon. Rhod. iii. 1219; Virg. Aen.
phion and Zethus. Nycteus made away with viii. 70; Paus. v. 5. ~ 6, i. 31. ~ 2; Callim.
himself in despair, because his daughter, who was Hymn. in Dian. 15; Ov. Alet. vi. 16; Steph. Byz.
with child by Zeus, fled to Epopeus at Sicyon; s. v.'Avlo's.) But the nymphs of fresh water,
but before he died, he commissioned Lycus to take whether of rivers, lakes, brooks, or wells, are also
vengeance on Epopeus. Lycus promised, and designated by the general name Naiades, N7'13es,
kept his word, for he slew Epopeus, and kept though they have in addition their specific names,
Antiope as his prisoner. According to Hyginus as Kpnvaatn, IlTyasat,'EAesovo'los, Aqltva'riBes, or
(Fab. 157), Nycteus and Lycus were the sons qf Azuvdaess. (Hom. Od. xvii. 240; Apollon. Rhod.
Poseidon and Celaeno. (Vilcker, jIyt/ol. des iii. 1219; Theocrit. v. 17; Orph. Hymn. 50. 6,
Japet. Geschlechts, p. 116.) [L. S.] Atgyon. 644.) Even the rivers of the lower regions
NYCTI'MENE, a daughter of Epopeus, king of are described as having their nymphs; hence,
Lesbos, or, according to others, of Nycteus. Pur- Nymnphae infernae paludis and Avernales. (Ov.
sued and dishonoured by her amorous father, she Met. v. 540, Fast. ii. 610.) Many of these preconcealed herself in the shade of forests, where sided over waters or springs which were believed
she was metamorphosed by Athena into an owl. to inspire those that drank of them, and hence the
(Hygin. Fab. 204; Ov. Met. ii. 590; Lutat. nymphs themselves were thought to be endowed
ad Stat. Tlteb. iii. 507; Serv. ad Viry. Geory. i. with prophetic or oracular power, and to inspire
403.) [L. S.] men with the same, and to confer upon them the
NYMPHAE (Nvucpan), the name of a numerous gift of poetry. (Paus. iv. 27. ~ 2, ix. 3. ~ 5, 34. ~
class of inferior female divinities, though they are 3; Plut. Aristid. 11; Theocrit. vii. 92; comp.
designated by the title of Olympian, are called to MUSAE.) Inspired soothsayers or priests are therethe meetings of the gods in Olympus, and de- fore sometimes called vt,/1Ap67rrot. (Plat. Phaedr.
scribed as the daughters of Zeus. But they were p. 421, e.) Their powers, however, vary with
believed to dwell on earth in groves, on the summits those of the springs over which they preside; some
of mountains, in rivers, streams, glens, and grottoes. were thus regarded as having the power of restor(Hom. Od. vi. 123, &c., xii. 318, 11. xx. 8, xxiv. ing sick persons to health (Pind. 01. xii. 26; Paus.
615.) Homer further describes them as presiding v. 5. ~ 6, vi. 22. ~ 4); and as water is necessary
over game, accompanying Artemis, dancing with to feed all vegetation as well as all living beings,
her, weaving in their grottoes purple garments, and the water nymphs (ipsa'dres) were also worshipped
kindly watching over the fate of mortals. (Od. vi. along with Dionysus and Demeter as giving life
105, ix. 154, xiii. 107, 356, xvii. 243, II. vi. 420, and blessings to all created beings, and this attrixxiv. 616.) Men offer up sacrifices either to them bute is expressed by a variety of epithets, such as
alone, or in conjunction with other gods, such as tcap7rorpo'(poi, arohca, aodroA sa, Kovpr7pOaa, &c.
Hermes. (Od. xiii. 350, xvii. 211, 240, xiv. 435.) As their influence was thus exercised in all departFrom the places which they inhabit, they are ments of nature, they frequently appear in conneccalled diypovo'1o0 (Od. vi. 105), 3peoarsses (I. vi. tion with higher divinities, as, for example, with
420), and 1sVi'dAes (Od. xiii. 104). Apollo, the prophetic god and the protector of
All nymphs, whose number is almost infinite, may herds and flocks (Apollon. Rhod. iv. 1218); with
be divided into two great classes. The first class Artemis, the huntress and the protectress of game,
embraces those who must be regarded as a kind of for she herself was originally an Arcadian nymph
inferior divinities, recognised in the worship'of (Apollon. Rhod. i. 1225, iii. 881; Paus. iii. 10.
nature. The early Greeks saw in all the pheno- ~ 8); with Hermes, the fructifying god of flocks
mena of ordinary nature some manifestation of the (Homrn. Hymn. in Aphrod. 262); with Dionysus
deity; springs, rivers, grottoes, trees, and moun- (Orph. Hymn. 52; Hora;t. Carln. m. i. 31.1, ii. 19.
tains, all seemed to them fraught with life; and all 3); with Pan, the Seileni and Satyrs, whom they
were only the visible embodiments of so many join in their Bacchic revels and dances.
divine agents. The salutary and beneficent powers 2. Nymphs of mountains and grottoes, are called
of nature were thus personified, and regarded as so'Oposeuvrda'es and'Operd'ss, but sometimes also
many divinities; and the sensations produced on by names' derived from the particular mountains