In some versions of the story, Poseidon took Amphitrite by force and married her against her will. Delphin went to Poseidon to report Amphitrite’s hiding place.

Her hiding place was eventually found, however, by the god of dolphins. She fled as far as the water she was bound to allowed and hid near Atlas in the furthest reaches of Oceanus, the great world-encircling river. Overcome with love for her, he wished to make the beautiful sea nymph his wife.Īmphitrite had no desire to be married though, especially as Poseidon had a reputation for having many mistresses and a terrible temper. Poseidon first saw Amphitrite while she was dancing with her sisters on the island of Naxos. As Poseidon’s wife, however, her position was greatly elevated.ĭespite this, however, she was not initially receptive to the idea of marrying the sea god. While his brothers married great goddesses of the pantheon, who happened to also be close relatives, Poseidon’s wife had a much less vaulted position before their marriage.Īmphitrite was a Nereid, one of fifty daughters of Nereus, a more ancient sea god who became one of Poseidon’s subjects after the Olympians rose to power.Īs one of fifty sea nymphs, Amphitrite would ordinarily belong to a category of minor goddesses with little importance or distinctive character. Before people prayed to Poseidon, they may have seen his unassuming wife as the embodiment of the sea and all the life within it. His nearly-anonymous wife may have once, however, been a much more powerful figure.

As a nymph she was eternally young and beautiful, but had few defining characteristics, legends, or attributes. Poseidon was married to Amphitrite, the oldest of the fifty Nereids. Unlike Hera, she was not an exceptionally powerful or imposing figure. If you read Greek legends or look at ancient art, it’s also easy to miss the existence of Poseidon’s wife. Among his many lovers and consorts, it’s easy to forget that he even had a wife. Poseidon was almost as infamous for his affairs with goddesses and human women as his brother, Zeus.

Poseidon rose