Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Rustic Gods >> Silens >> Nysus (Nysos)

NYSOS

Greek Name

Νυσος

Transliteration

Nysos

Latin Spelling

Nysus

Translation

Of Mount Nysa

NYSOS (Nysus) was an old Seilen demi-god of Mount Nysa. He was entrusted by Zeus with the care of the infant god Dionysos who he raised with the help of his Nysiad-nymph daughters.

Mythical Mount Nysa was sometimes identified with Mount Kithairon (Cithaeron) in Boiotia. Its southern vales, known as the Nysaian fields, were the site of the abduction of Persephone in the Homeric Hymns. The mountain was also located on the island of Naxos, in Thrake (Thrace), and in distant Phoinikia (Phoenicia).

The demi-god Nysos was probably the same as Seilenos, the usual nurse of Dionysos. He was perhaps also identified with the mountain-god Kithairon.

PARENTS

See Seilenos

OFFSPRING

Presumably THE NYSIADES, though nowhere stated

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 179 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Jove [Zeus], coming with lightning and thunder, burned Semele to death. From her womb Liber [Dionysos] was born. Mercurius [Hermes] snatched him from the fire and gave him to Nysus to be reared. In Greek he is called Dionysus."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 131 :
"When Liber [Dionysos] was leading his army into India, he gave the authority over his Theban kingdom to his nurse Nysus until he should come back. But after Liber returned from there, Nysus was unwilling to yield the kingdom. Since Liber [Dionysos] didn't want to quarrel with his nurse he permitted him to keep the kingdom until an opportunity should come to recover it. And so, three years later, he made up the quarrel with him, and pretended he wanted to celebrate in the state the sacred rites termed Trieteric, because he performed them after the third year. He introduced soldiers as Bacchanals in women's dress, captured Nysus, and recovered his kingdom."