Thetis
Thetis, a sea-nymph, mother of Achilles
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
Could not find Thetidisque in Logeion dictionaries.
Thetidisque Proper-name noun: feminine genitive singular of Thetis
- = Θέτις, a sea-nymph, daughter of Nereus and Doris, wife of Peleus, and mother of Achilles, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 17 (727); Hyg. Fab. 54; 244; Ov. M. 11, 221 sq.; 11, 400; Cat. 64, 21; Hor. C. 1, 8, 14; 4, 6, 6 al.; abl. Thetide, Hor. Epod. 13, 12: Theti, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 33 (33); Lact. 1, 11, 9; cf. Prisc. p. 709.—
- II Transf., appel., the sea (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): temptare Thetin ratibus, Verg. E. 4, 32: hic summa levi stringitur Thetis vento, Mart. 10, 30, 11; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 148: lapilli Thetidis, pearls, Stat. S. 4, 6, 18; and, hyperbol., of a large bath, Mart. 10, 13, 4.
cum Peleus frater Thelemonis ~idem diligeret
ut Peleum Tetis, id est mare, a navigacione absterreret in varias figuras se mutabat
thitis, mare
an requies sit eis quos quatit uda Thetis
mare, pontus ‥ Thetys, Nereus
superisque revolvitur orbe / dimidio Phebus Thetidisque recolligit undis / surgentes radios
a portu pelagus placidum rex laudat, at inde / se levis irato protheat ore Thetis
corpus ‥ Barruci a tedide projectum in littore Barrensi repertum est(
(Θέτις), one of the daughters of Nereus and Doris, was the wife of Peleus, by whom she became the mother of Achilles. (Hom. Il. 1.538, 18.35, &c., 52, &c.; Hes. Theog. 244.) Later writers describe her as a daughter of Cheiron (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 1.558). According to others, Peleus married Philomela, the daughter of Actor, but his friend Cheiron, wishing to render Peleus celebrated, spread the report that he was married to Thetis. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 4.816.) Being a granddaughter of Poseidon, Catullus (64. 28) calls her Neptunine. As a marine divinity, she dwelt like her sisters, the Nereids, in the depth of the sea, with her father Nereus. (Hom. Il. 1.358, 18.36, 20.207.) She there received Dionysus on his flight from Lycurgus, and the god, in his gratitude, presented her with a golden urn. (Hom. Il. 6.135, Od. 24.75; comp. Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 273.) When Hephaestus was thrown down from heaven, he was likewise received by Thetis. She had been brought up by Hera (Il. 24.60), and when she reached the age of maturity, Zeus and Hera gave her, against her own will, in marriage to Peleus. Poseidon and Zeus himself are said by some to have sued for her hand (Pind. Isthm. 8.58), but when Themis declared that the son of Thetis would be more illustrious than his father, both suitors desisted. (Pind. l.c. 8.70; Ov. Met. 11.225, 15.856, 11.350, &c.; Aeschyl. Prom. 767 ; Hygin. Fab. 54 ; Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 6.42.) Others state that Thetis rejected the offers of Zeus, because she had been brought up by Hera (Hom. Il. 24.60; Apollon. 4.793); and the god, to revenge himself, decreed that she should marry a mortal. Cheiron then informed his friend Peleus how he might gain possession of her, even if she should metamorphose herself; for Thetis, like Proteus, had the power of assuming any form she pleased, and she had recourse to this means of escaping from Peleus, but the latter did not let her go, until she again assumed her proper form. (Apollod. 3.13.5; Pind. N. 3.60; Paus. 8.18. § l.) Others again relate, that a marine divinity appeared to Peleus on Mount Pelion, and testified her love to him, but without revealing herself to him. Peleus, however, who saw her playing with dolphins, recognised the goddess, and henceforth shunned her presence. But she encouraged him, reminding him of the love of Eos to Tithonus, of Aphrodite to Anchises, &c., and promised to present him with a son who should be more illustrious than any mortal. (Philostr. Her. 19. 1.) The wedding of Pelens was honoured with the presence of all the gods. (Hom. Il. 24.62.) After she had become the mother of Achilles, she bestowed upon him the tenderest care and love. (Hom. Il. 1.359, 500, &c., 8.370, 18.73, 457; comp. Achilles.) Her prayers to Zeus for him were listened to, because at one time, when Zeus was threatened by the other gods, she induced Briareus or Aegaeon to come to his assistance. (Hom. Il. 1.396, &c.) Thetis had a temple (Thetideion) between Old and New Pharsalus in Thessaly (Strab. ix. p.431), and in Sparta and Messenia she was likewise worshipped. (Paus. 3.14.4, 22.2.) [L.S]
- , Θέτις, a sea-nymph, mother of Achilles, V., H., O.—Poet., the sea: temptare Thetin ratibus, V.
(Θέτις). A daughter of Nereus and Doris. She was the wife of Peleus, by whom she became the mother of Achilles (Il. i. 538, xviii. 35; Hes. Theog. 244). As a goddess of the sea she dwelt, like her sisters the Nereids, below the waves with her father, Nereus. She there received Dionysus on his flight from Lycurgus, and the god, in his gratitude, presented her with a golden urn (Il. vi. 135; Od. xxiv. 75). When Hephaestus was thrown down from heaven, he was likewise received by Thetis. She had been brought up by Heré, and when she reached the age of maturity, Zeus and Heré gave her, against her will, in marriage to Peleus. Such was the Homeric story (Il. xviii. 85, 432); but later accounts add that Poseidon and Zeus himself first sued for her hand; but when Themis declared that the son of Thetis would be stronger than his father, both gods desisted from their suit, and desired her marriage with a mortal (Pind. Isthm. viii. 58). Chiron informed his friend Peleus how he might gain possession of her, even if she should metamorphose herself: for Thetis, like Proteus, had the power of assuming any form she pleased; and she had recourse to this means of escaping from Peleus, who, instructed by Chiron, held the goddess fast till she again assumed her proper form, and promised to marry him (Pind. Nem. iii. 60). This story, which appears first in Pindar, was a favourite subject in vasepainting of an early date. The wedding of Peleus was honoured with the presence of all the gods, with the exception of Eris or Discord, who was not invited, and who avenged herself by throwing among the assembled gods the apple which was the source of so much misery. (See Paris.) For the action of Thetis in the story of her son, see Achilles.
- Apollod. 1.2.6
- dwells in sea: Paus. 8.41.6
- saves Hephaestus when he was cast down from heaven: Apollod. 1.3.5
- with the Nereids steers the Argo through the Wandering Rocks: Apollod. 1.9.24
- daughter of Nereus, Dionysus takes refuge with her in the sea: Apollod. 3.5.1
- Zeus and Poseidon rivals for her hand: Apollod. 3.13.4
- seized by Peleus, darts a snake at him: Paus. 5.18.5
- married by Peleus: Apollod. 3.13.4
- her transformations to avoid him: Apollod. 3.13.4
- mother of Achilles: Apollod. 3.14.3
- tries to make Achilles immortal: Apollod. 1.8.2, Apollod. 1.8.3
- departs to the Nereids: Apollod. 1.8.3
- entrusts Achilles in female garb to Lycomedes: Apollod. 1.8.5
- warns Achilles not to kill Tenes: Apollod. 2.5.4
- and not to be the first to land at Troy: Apollod. 2.5.6
- supplicates Zeus for her son Achilles: Paus. 5.22.2
- receives arms from Hephaestus: Paus. 5.19.8, Paus. 8.41.5
- persuades Neoptolemus to wait at Troy: Apollod. 2.6.4
- buries Ajax in Myconos: Apollod. 2.6.4
- advises Neoptolemus to stay in Tenedos: Apollod. 2.7.2
- Magian sacrifice to her to abate a storm: Hdt. 7.191
- her sister: Paus. 2.29.9
- sanctuary of Thetis: Paus. 3.14.4
- images: Paus. 3.14.4, Paus. 3.22.2, Paus. 5.22.2
- represented on chest of Cypselus: Paus. 5.18.5, Paus. 5.19.8