Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Rustic Gods >> River Gods >> Nile (Neilos)


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River Nile

River-God Nile | Greco-Roman marble statue | Pio-Clementino Museum, Vatican Museums
River-God Nile, Greco-Roman marble statue, Pio-Clementino Museum, Vatican Museums

NEILOS (Nile) was the River-God of Aigyptos (Egypt) in North Africa.

Neilos was the Greek name for the River Nile. The only other north African river known to have been personified by the Greeks was the Khrementes (Chremetes) of western Libya.





[1] MEMPHIS, ANKHINOE (Apollodorus 2.10, 2.11)



Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.



Io, the river-god Nile and Isis | Greco-Roman fresco from Pompeii C1st B.C. | Naples National Archaeological Museum
Io, the river-god Nile and Isis, Greco-Roman fresco from Pompeii C1st B.C., Naples National Archaeological Museum

"Tethys bore to Okeanos (Oceanus) the swirling Potamoi (Rivers), Neilos (Nile), Alpheios (Alpheus), and deep-eddying Eridanos [in a long list of rivers]."



"When Epaphos was ruler of the Aigyptians (Egyptians), he married Neilos' (Nile's) daughter Memphis, and in her honour founded the polis of Memphis, and fathered a daughter Libya." [N.B. Libya was the ancient Greek name for the continent of Africa.]

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 11 :
"Belos (Belus) [grandson of Epaphos] remained to become king of Aigyptos (Egypt), and married Neilos' (Nile's) daughter Ankhinoe (Anchinoe), who gave him twin sons, Aigyptos (Aegyptus) and Danaus."

"Bousiris (Busiris), the son of Poseidon and Anippe, daughter of Neilos (Nile) . . . So says Agathon of Samos."

"[In the court of Kepheus (Cepheus), king of Aithiopia (Ethiopia), was a man named: ] Nileus who falsely claimed descent from sevenfold Nilus (Nile) and bore a shield embossed in gold and silver with those seven streams."


"Knowing full well, I can laud the race of the Aithiopian (Ethiopian) land, where seven-channelled Neilos (the Nile) rolleth his refreshing tide, fed by abundant, wind-born rain, and therein the fire-eyed sun beaming forth upon the earth, melteth the snow amid the rocks; and all luxuriant Aigyptos (Egypt), filled with the sacred flood, maketh to spring up Demeter's life-giving grain."

"[On the source of the River Nile :] The second opinion is less grounded on knowledge than the previous, though it is more marvellous to the ear : according to it, the river [i.e. the Nile] effects what it does because it flows from Okeanos (Oceanus), which flows around the whole world."

"Except for the Aigyptian Neilos (Egyptian Nile) the rivers all have white stone statues, but people believe you should make statues of the Neilos in dark stone, because he flows down to the sea through Aithiopia (Ethiopia)."

[N.B. The infants are the Karpoi (Carpi), godlings of the fruits of the earth.]

Philostratus the Elder, Imagines 1. 7 :

"Caesar calmed the storm of war [i.e. in the battle against Antony and Cleopatra at Actium] . . . and came rejoicing to the land of Neilos (the Nile), heavy-laden with the cargo of law and order, and prosperity's abundant riches, like Zeus Eleutherios (God of Freedom); and Neilos welcomed his lord with arms of bounty, and his wife [i.e. Egypt], whom with golden arms the river laves, received the shower, apart from stress or strife, that came from her Zeus Eleutherios."

"[When Phaethon, driving the chariot of the sun, set the earth ablaze :] Nilus (the Nile) in terror to the world's end fled and his head, still hidden; this seven mouths gaped dusty, seven vales without a stream."

"Nilus (Nile), let flow to the sea through seven mouths, strips from the maddened heifer [Io] the features loved of Jove [Zeus]."
[N.B. Io was transformed into a heifer by Zeus to hide her from the wrath of Hera. But she was driven mad by a gadfly sent to torment her by the goddess and wandered to Egypt where her form was finally restored.]


"When ebbing Nilus (Nile) buries itself in mighty caverns and gathers into its mouth the life-giving streams of Eastern winters, the flood-deserted valleys steam, Aegyptos (Egypt) gapes wide and waits the expectant roar of her sire's waves, till by dint of many prayers he give sustenance to the Pharian fields and bring on a great year of harvest."

Statius, Thebaid 8. 359 ff :
"When Nilus (the Nile) in his secret region has drunk with mighty mouth the nurture of a distant sky and the cold snows of the East, he breaks up all his wealth of waters and carries his tempests to the sea in seven wide channels o'er the fields; the routed Nereides take refuge in the depths, and fear to meet the saltless main."



Thumbnail River-God Nile, Io, Isis

F41.1 River-God Nile, Io, Isis

Greco-Roman Pompeii Wall Fresco C1st B.C.

Thumbnail River-God Nile & Carpi

S36.1 River-God Nile & Carpi

Greco-Roman Marble Statue A.D.





A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.