THE POTAMOI RHESUS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Rhesus was the name of one of the river gods of the Ancient Greek pantheon. A son of Oceanus and Tethys, Rhesus makes a minor appearance at the end of the Trojan War.
Rhesus the PotamoiRhesus was one of the three thousands sons of Oceanus and his wife Tethys; Rhesus was thus one of the Potamoi. Rhesus was thus one of the river gods of the Troad, the area of northern Mysia around the ancient kingdom of Troy.
Potentially a tributary of the more famous Scamander, the headwaters of the river Rhesus were to be found on the slopes of Mount Ida. |
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Rhesus and the Achaean Wall
Late in the Trojan War, the Acahaens had finally built a wall to defend against the Trojan forces, a remarkable piece of the construction, the Achaeans had failed to give up offerings to the gods as they did so.
Poseidon was the most incensed by this act, although he did nothing about it during the war. Poseidon’s anger was perhaps caused by the fact that he felt it might have overshadowed his own work, for he built the walls of Troy during the time of Laomedon. Or else by building on the foreshore, the Achaeans had impinged on the land controlled by the Greek sea god.
After the victorious Greeks had departed, Poseidon called upon all of the rivers of Mount Ida to aide him. These rivers being Rhesus, Heptaporos, Caresus, Rhodios, Grancius, Aesepus, Scamander and Seimoeis.
The rivers combined, and with the aide of Apollo, and rainfall brought about by Zeus, Rhesus and the other rivers destroyed the Achaean wall over nine days, until there was no evidence of its existence left.
Poseidon was the most incensed by this act, although he did nothing about it during the war. Poseidon’s anger was perhaps caused by the fact that he felt it might have overshadowed his own work, for he built the walls of Troy during the time of Laomedon. Or else by building on the foreshore, the Achaeans had impinged on the land controlled by the Greek sea god.
After the victorious Greeks had departed, Poseidon called upon all of the rivers of Mount Ida to aide him. These rivers being Rhesus, Heptaporos, Caresus, Rhodios, Grancius, Aesepus, Scamander and Seimoeis.
The rivers combined, and with the aide of Apollo, and rainfall brought about by Zeus, Rhesus and the other rivers destroyed the Achaean wall over nine days, until there was no evidence of its existence left.
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Colin Quartermain - Rhesus - 25th January 2026