Oceanids

Relieve votive dedicated to the god Cefiso, represented in the middle of a divine assembly in which there are also the Oneoo and an anthropomorphic bull (National Archaeological Museum of Athens).

In Greek mythology, the Oceanids (in Greek Ποταμοί Potamoí, 'rivers'; in Latin Fluminae) were river gods, personifications from the rivers to those who were supposed to be governed by them. Hesiod makes them sons of Oceanus and Thetis and enumerates them, one for each river known at the time. In this way, they would be brothers of the Oceanides.

They were represented as old men with long beards and the fauna and flora attributes of the river from which they took their name. They wore garlands or crowns made with the vegetation of the place or two horns, if the river divided into several branches or tributaries. They used to be invoked before crossing them, with the enormous respect they deserved. In numerous sculptures, the river gods lean on pitchers from which the river water flows, more or less inclined depending on the speed with which they circulated.

Hesiod already narrated to us, among three thousand brothers, the oldest among them:

Tetis with Ocean stopped the voraginous Rivers: the Nile, the Alpheus, the Erídano of deep tugs, the Strimon, the Meandro, the Istro of beautiful currents, the Fasis, the Reso, the Sooo of silver tomolinos, the Neso, the Rodio, the Haliacmon, the Heptáporomun, the Gránico, the That

Hesiod: "Theogony" 334-345

Higino, a later author, also cites the currents of the world:

From the same seed (Ocean and Tetis, rivers are born: Strimon, Nile, Euphrates, Tanais, Indo, Cefiso, Ismeno, Axeno, Esaoo, Simunte, Inaco, Alfeo, Termodonte, Escamandro, Tigris, Meandro, Orontes.

Higino: Preface 6 of the "Fables"

List of oceanids

Map of some of the rivers of Ancient Greece. The Oceans were divinities that personified the various rivers known by the Greeks.

Oceanid River Gods

These are all the male descendants of Oceanus and Tethys:

• Alpheus (Arcadia), father of Fegeus and Ortylocus.
• Thatoo (Etolia) prince of the rivers, and father of the Mermaids, Pirene and Castalia.
• Ardesco (Tracia)
• Asopo (Besocia and Argos), others believe him the son of Zeus or Poseidon, the father of Egina and Tebe.
• Axeno or Axio (Peonia, Macedonia)
• Caanto (Beocia)
• Ceco (Teutrania, Misia), father of Ocírroe
• Cefiso (Beocia, Orcomeno), father of Eteoclo and Narcissus.
• Erídano (Atica) or Erídano (Hiperbórea), northern limit of the world
• Escamandro (Tróade), father of Teucro; called by the gods as Janto, fought against Hefesto
• That (Tróade)
• Strimon (Edonia, Tracia)
• Euphrates (Asiria), one of the two rivers of Mesopotamia
• Eveno or Licormas (Etolia), or a son of Ares who threw himself into the river.
• Fasis (Cólquide), Eastern World Limit
• Gránico (Tróade)
• Haliacmon (Macedony)
• Heptáporo or Heptáforo (Tróade)
• Hermo (Lidia)
• Inaco (Argos), father of Foroneo, Micene and Io.
• Indo, Pakistan
• Ismeno (Beocia), father of Dirce
• Istro (Escitia)
• Ladon (Arcadia), father of Dafne
• Meandro (Caria), father of Samia
• Neso or Nesto (Bistonia, Tracia)
• Nile (Egypt), father of Menfis, and southern boundary of the world
• Orontes (Syria)
• Partenio (Paflagonia)
• Peneo (Tesalia) father of Andreo and Hipseo; ancestor of lapitas
• Reso (Tróade, Bitinia)
• Rodio (Tróade, Misia)
• Sangario or Sagario (Frigia), father of Hecuba
• Simois or Simunte (Tróade)
• Tanais (Escitia)
• Termodonte, homeland of the amazons (Ponto and Assyria)
• Tigris (Asiria), one of the two rivers of Mesopotamia

Non-Oceanid River Gods

The following are river gods, but they are not descended from Oceanus. Some were mortals with common affiliation, others transformed into rivers, or that after their death became eponymous:

• Acis (Sicilia), son of Pan, was converted into a river; he fought against Polifemo for the affection of Galatea.
• Arar (Galia)
• Araxes (Armenia), son of Pilo
• Eurotas (Laconia), son of Lélege, gave his name to the river
• Hidaspes (Pakistan), son of Taumante and Electra
• Marsias (Frigia), a satire, son of Hiagnis, Olympus or Eagro

Rivers of the Underworld

A tenth of the waters of the Ocean River flow through Tartarus

• Aqueror (also Tesprotia), the river of the underworld and father of Ascalaph. It's the Cocito and the Piriflegetonte.
• Cocito, affluent of the Aqueror and river of the laments.
• Stygia, the limit of the living with the dead, whose waters are worth swearing or cursing.
• Flegetonte or Piriflegetonte, son of Cocito and fiery river.
• Lete, personification and fluvial god of the waters of the «bad»

Potamos

Finally, these rivers are not children of Oceanus or Tethys, nor are their ancestors or descendants known. They can appear as river gods or ordinary rivers.

• Acragas (Sicilia), Amniso (Creta), Anapo (Sicilia), Anauro (Tesalia), Anfriso (Tesalia), Anigro (Elide), Apidano (Tesalia), Ascanio (Bitinia, Misia), Asterion (Argos).
• Bafiras (Pieria), Borístenes (Escitia), Bricón (Tracia, Quersoneso).
• Caístro (Lidia), Cebrén (Tróade), Cidno (Cilicia), Citerón (Elide), Cladeo (Elide), Cremetes (Libya), Crimiso (Sicilia).
• Eas or Aeas (Epiro), Ageo (Córcira or Esqueria), Elison or Elisonte (Acaya), Enipeo (Tesalia), Erasino (Argos), Erimanto (Atica), Esperqueo (Ftiótide).
• Philis or Fílide (Tinia, Anatolia).
• Ganges (India).
• Halis or Hálide (Paflagonia, Ponto), Hebro (Ciconia, Tracia).
• Iliso (Atica), Imbraso (Samos), Inopo (Delos).
• Lamos (Cilicia).
• Meles (Lidia), Mincio (Galia).
• Ninfeo (Bitinia, Paflagonia).
• Compact (Lidia), Pleist (Fócide).
• Pórpax (Sicilia).
• Rin or Rino (Iberia), Ríndaco (Frigia and Bitinia).
• Sangario or Sagario (Frigia), Satnieo (Tróade), Selemno (Acaya), Simeto (Sicilia).
• Thermal (Beocia), Titareso (Tesalia).

Purely Roman rivers

• Almo (Lacio), Arno (Etruria), Cecino (Bruttium), Clitumno (Umbría), Cratis (Lacio), Ésar (Tirrenia or Etruria), Numicio (Lacio), Tiberino (Lacio), Tiberto (Roma) and Volturno (Rome).