Potamides (mythology)

Potamides /ˌpoʊˈtæmᵻˌdiːz/, (Greek: Ποταμίδες), were a type of water nymphs of Greco-Roman mythology. They were assigned as a class of nymphs of fresh water known as naiads, and as such belonged to a category that presided over rivers and streams.

Potamides were identified by the names associated with the rivers of their origin such as the Anigrides, Ismenides, Amnisiades, the Pactolides from the Pactolus river, and the Acheloides from the Achelous river. However they had their individual names and also sometimes could be distinguished by the name of the country in which they inhabited.

The rivers were the domains of potamides as well as of the nymphs Fluviales. Every creek had its potamide, who as local divinities, and like all the naiads, were daughters of the gods of rivers, also called Potamoi deities. Even the rivers of the marshy regions are described as having their nymphs; hence no exception was made to the waters of Greek underworld ruled by god Hades, as was quoted in Latin: "Nymphae infernae paludis and Avernales", which means "swampy Avernales, the infernal nymphs". And many of these hellish potamides, the Avernales, were believed to be owners of prophetic ability, and to express that gift to their chosen men.

Like any nymph, potamides were considered subject to mortality but with a long life. For the Greek historian Plutarch their term of life reached about 9720 years, and according to Greek poet Hesiod there were about three thousand nymphs wandering on the world, and their lives lasted several thousand years.

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