Greek Mythology >> Nymphs >> Naiads >> Rhyndacides (Rhyndakides)

RHYNDAKIDES

Greek Name

Νυμφαι Ρυνδακιδες
Ναιαδες Ρυνδακιδες

Transliteration

Nymphai Rhyndakides
Naiades Rhyndakides

Latin Spelling

Nymphae Rhyndacides
Naïdes Rhyndacides

Translation

Nymphs of Rhyndacus
Naiads of Rhyndacus

THE RHYNDAKIDES (Rhyndacides) were the Naiad-nymphs of the springs of the river Rhyndakos on Mount Didymos in eastern Mysia (north-western Anatolia) Dionysos turned their water into wine to seduce the nymph Nikaia (Nicaea).

PARENTS

Presumably daughters of the River RHYNDAKOS

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 15. 370 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :
"[The nymph Nikaia (Nicaea) slew the shepherd who loved her :]The Nymphe of the mountain [Didymos] was sore offended at manslaying Nikaia, and lamented over the body of Hymnos; in her watery hall the girl [Naias] of [the river] Rhyndakos groaned, carried along barefoot by the water; the Naiades wept . . . in the heights of Didymos, gathering near the woods, the Astakides [nymphs of Astakos] upbraided the Nymphe [Nikaia] of Kybele (Cybele) with her ways, singing the dirge."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 16. 345 ff :
"[Nikaia was violated by the god Dionysos in her sleep and upon awakening :] She heard still the remnants of the Naiades' nuptial song."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 16. 356 ff :
"[Nikaia laments after being violated by Dionysos in a drunken sleep :] ‘Alas for maidenhead, stolen by that vagabond Bakkhos (Bacchus)! A curse on that deceitful water of the Hydriades [i.e. the Naiades whose water Dionysos had turned to wine] . . .’
She thought to destroy the nuptial fountain of which she had drunk, but already the stream had got rid of its Bakkhic juice, and bubbled out clear water, no longer the liquid of Lyaios (Lyaeus). Then she besought Kronides (Cronides) [Zeus] and Artemis to fill the Naiades' grottoes with dust and thirsty soil."