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Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Rustic Gods >> River Gods >> Simoeis

SIMOEIS

Greek Name

Σιμοεις

Transliteration

Simoeis

Latin Spelling

Simoeis

Translation

River Simoeis

SIMOEIS was a River-God of the Troad in north-western Anatolia (modern Turkey).

The Simoeis was a tributory of the river Skamandros (Scamander). Their two streams merged near the city of Troy.

FAMILY OF SIMOEIS

PARENTS

[1] OKEANOS & TETHYS (Hesiod Theogony 342, Hyginus Preface)

OFFSPRING

[1] ASTYOKHE, HIEROMNEME (Apollodorus 3.140, 3.141)
[2] THE NYMPHAI TROIADES (Quintus Smyrnaeus 11.245 & 14.17)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

SIMO′IS (Simoeis), the god of the river Simois, which flows from mount Ida, and in the plain of Troy joins the Xanthus or Scamander (Hom. Il. 774, xii. 22; Virg. Aen. v. 261). He is described as a son of Oceanus and Tethys (Hes. Theog. 342), and as the father of Astyoche and Hieromneme. (Apollod. iii. 12. § 2.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Homer, Iliad 5. 773 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :
"They came to Troy land and the two running rivers where Simoeis and Skamandros (Scamander) dash their waters together, there the goddess of the white arms, Hera, stayed her horses, slipping them from the chariot . . . and Simoeis grew as grass ambrosia for them to graze on."

Homer, Iliad 21. 305 ff :
"[The River-God Skamandros (Scamander) tried to drown Akhilleus (Achilles) during a battle of the Trojan War :] But [the River] Skamandros did not either abate his fury, but all the more raged at Peleion [i.e. Akhilleus], and high uplifting the wave of his waters gathered it to a crest, and called aloud upon Simoeis : ‘Beloved brother, let even the two of us join to hold back the strength of a man, since presently he will storm the great city of lord Priamos (Priam). The Trojans cannot stand up to him in battle. But help me beat him off with all speed, and make full your currents with water from your springs, and rouse up all your torrents and make a big wave rear up and wake the heavy confusion and sound of timbers and stones, so we can stop this savage man who is now in his strength and rages in fury like the immortals . . .’
He spoke, and rose against Akhilleus, turbulent, boiling to a crest, muttering in foam and blood and dead bodies until the purple wave of the River fed from the bright sky lifted high and caught in its waters the son of Peleus."

Hesiod, Theogony 337 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :
"Tethys bore to Okeanos (Oceanus) the swirling Potamoi (Rivers), Neilos (Nile) . . . Nessos and Rhodios, Heptaporos and Haliakmon (Haliacmon), Grenikos (Grenicus) and Aisepos (Aesepus), and Simoeis [in a long list of rivers]."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 140 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Erikhthonios (Erichthonius) inherited the rule [of the kingdom of the Troad], after marrying Simoeis' daughter Astyokhe (Astyoche) and fathering Tros."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 141 :
"Assarakos (Assaracus) [prince of Troy] and Simoeis' daughter Hieromneme were parents of Kapys (Capys)."

Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 11. 245 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) :
"All the Nymphai (Nymphs) [i.e. Naiades] were wailing, daughters born of Xanthos [Skamandros] and fair-flowing Simois." [I.e. They were wailing to see so many Trojans fall in battle.]

Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 14. 71 ff :
"Then, when he saw that burg [the city of Troy] beloved destroyed, [the River] Xanthos [Skamandros] . . . mourned with his Nymphai (Nymphs) for ruin fallen on Troy . . . Mourned Simois and long-ridged Ida : all who on Ida dwelt wailed from afar the ruin of Priamos' (Priam's) town."

Tryphiodorus, The Taking of Ilias 322 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek poet C5th A.D.) :
"[The Trojans dragged the Wooden Horse into Troy :] And as they haled, loud rose the din and the vaunting. Groaned shady Ida together with her Nymphe-haunted oaks : the eddying waters of the river Xanthos shrieked, and the mouth of Simoeis rang aloud : and in heaven the trumpet of Zeus prophesied of the war they drew."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 3. 345 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :
"He [Dardanos first king of Troy] has given the firstling crop of his hair to Phrygian Simoeis." [N.B. Upon his coming-of-age a Greek youth would cut his unshorn locks and dedicate it to the local river-god.]

SOURCES

GREEK

ROMAN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.