Amphitrite

Painting (c.1610) of Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) entitled "The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite." Click on image for full size (114K JPEG) Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art: The George W. Elkins Collection.

Poseidon sent a dolphin to persuade Amphitrite to marry him. She finally changed her mind and married the sea god.

Among their children was a son, Triton, whose name was given to a moon of Neptune. They also had a daughter named Rhodes.

Painting (c.1610) of Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) entitled "The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite." Click on image for full size (114K JPEG) Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art: The George W. Elkins Collection.

Amphitrite was one of the sea-nymphs called the Nereids. One day the sea god Poseidon saw her dancing and fell desperately in love with her. He promptly asked her to marry him but unfortunately she refused.

Not discouraged by Amphitrite's refusal, Poseidon (Neptune) sent one of his servants, a dolphin to convince her. The dolphin pleaded Neptune's cause so well that she changed her mind. Neptune and Amphitrite married and as a reward for his help, Neptune placed the image of the dolphin among the stars as the constellation Dolphinus, the Dolphin.

Among their children was a son, Triton, whose name was given to the principal moon of the planet Neptune. They also had a daughter, Rhodes after whom is named the island of Rhodes.

The next largest moon of the planet Neptune was discovered by Gerard P. Kuiper in 1949 and named Nereid to celebrate Amphitrite.

Painting (c.1610) of Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) entitled "The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite." Click on image for full size (114K JPEG) Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art: The George W. Elkins Collection.

For gratitude, Poseidon placed the image of the Dolphin among the stars to form the constellation Dolphinus, the Dolphin. Amphitrite and Poseidon had three children: Triton, Rhodes, and Benthesicyme.

The principal moon of the planet Neptunewas named in 1846 by William Lassell after Triton. The island of Rhodes was named after the daughter of Poseidon ad Amphitrite. The next largest moon of the planet Neptune was discovered by Gerard P. Kuiper in 1949 and named Nereid after the attendants of the sea god, the Nereids.

Notwithstanding his persistence in marrying Amphitrite, Poseidon had many love affairs with goddesses, nymphs and mortal women making Amphitrite unhappy. She especially loathed his infatuation with a Scylla. By throwing magical herbs into Scylla's bathing pool, Amphitrite changed her rival into a barking monster with six heads and twelve feet.