Doris (Oceanid)

For other uses, see Doris (Greek myth).

Doris (/ˈdoʊrɪs/; Ancient Greek: Δωρίς/Δωρίδος means 'bounty'^[1]), in Greek mythology, was a sea goddess. She was one of the 3,000 Oceanids, daughters of the Titans Oceanus^[2] and Tethys.^[3]

Doris riding a hippocampus and carrying two torches to light the wedding cortege of Poseidon and Amphitrite, base of a sculpted group, end 2nd century BC, Munich Glyptothek museum (Inv. 239).

Detail of Floor Mosaic from a Roman Villa named the House of Aion, ca. mid 4th Century CE at Paphos Archaeological Park, Paphos, Cyprus, depicting Doris, Thetis, and Galatea

Etymology

The name Doris is derived from the noun for a gift, δῶρον, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₃rom of the same meaning.^{[citation needed]}

Function

When not associated with a god, Doris represented the fertility of the ocean, goddess of the rich fishing-grounds found at the mouths of rivers where fresh water mingled with the brine.^{[citation needed]}

Family

Being an Oceanid meant she was a sister of the river gods. By her husband Nereus, Doris was the mother of Nerites^[2] and mother to the fifty Nereids,^[4] including Thetis, Amphitrite and Galatea.^[5]

Namesake

Doris Cove in Antarctica is named after the goddess.^[6]

See also

• 48 Doris