Editing Scamander

{{short description|Water deity in Greek mythology}}
{{Other uses|Scamander (disambiguation)}}
{{about|a river god|the ruler of Boeotia|Scamander of Boeotia|the river in Turkey|Karamenderes River}}
[[File:Achilles Xanthos Simoeis Couder decoration Louvre INV3379.jpg|thumb|300px|''Water, or the Fight of Achilles against Scamander and Simoeis'' by [[Auguste Couder]], 1819.]]
{{Ancient Greek religion}}
'''Scamander''' ({{IPAc-en|s|k|ə|ˈ|m|æ|n|d|ər}}), also '''Skamandros''' ({{langx|grc|Σκάμανδρος}}) or '''Xanthos''' ({{lang|grc|Ξάνθος}}), was a river god in [[Greek mythology]].

== Etymology ==
The meaning of this name is uncertain. The second element looks as though it is derived from Greek {{lang|grc|ἀνδρός}} ({{Transliteration|grc|andrós}}), meaning "of a man", but there are sources who doubt this. The first element is more difficult to pinpoint; it could be derived from {{lang|grc|σκάζω}} ({{Transliteration|grc|skázō}}), "to limp, to stumble (over an obstacle)", or from {{lang|grc|σκαιός}} ({{Transliteration|grc|skaiós}}), meaning "left(-handed), awkward". The meaning of the name might then perhaps be "limping man" or "awkward man".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindthename.com/name/skamandros/submitted|title=Skamandros|website=Behind the Name}}</ref> This would refer to the many bends and winds (meanders) of the river, which does not run straight, but "limps" its way along.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mythologynames.blogspot.com/search?q=scamander|title=Scamander|website=Mythology Names}}</ref>

==Geography==
The [[Karamenderes River|Scamander River]] was named after the river god Scamander. The Scamander River was the river that surrounded Troy. The god Scamander took the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War.

== Family ==
According to [[Hesiod]], Scamander is the son of the [[Titans]] [[Oceanus]] and [[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]].<ref>[[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+337&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Scamander 345] & [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+337 366–370]</ref> He is alternately described as a son of [[Zeus]].<ref>[[Philostratus of Lemnos|Philostratus the Elder]]'', [[Imagines (work by Philostratus)|Imagines]]'' 2.8; [[Ptolemaeus Chennus|Ptolemy Hephaestion]], ''New History Book 4'' (summary from [[Photios I of Constantinople|Photius]], [[Bibliotheca (Photius)|''Myriobiblon'']] 190)</ref>

Scamander was the father of [[King Teucer]] whose mother was the [[Naiad|water nymph]] [[Idaea (mother of King Teucer)|Idaea]]. He was also mentioned as the father of [[Glaucia]], lover of [[Deimachus (mythology)|Deimachus]]. Additionally, Xanthus was credited to be the father of [[Eurythemista]] who bore [[Pelops]] and [[Niobe]] to [[Tantalus]].<ref>[[Scholia]] ad [[Euripides]], ''[[Orestes (play)|Orestes]]'' [https://archive.org/details/scholiaineuripi00schwgoog/page/97/mode/1up?view=theater 11]</ref> [[Strymo (mythology)|Strymo]] or [[Rhoeo (mythology)|Rhoeo]], wife of [[Laomedon]], king of [[Troy]] was also called his daughter.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+3.12.3&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Scamander 3.12.3]</ref> Lastly, he also became the father of the priest [[Melus (mythology)|Melus]] by an unknown woman or nymph.<ref>[[Ptolemaeus Chennus]] 6.17, as epitomized by [[Photios I of Constantinople|Photios I]] ''[[Bibliotheca (Photius)|Myriobiblon]]'' 190</ref>

== Mythology ==
[[File:Max Slevogt Achill.jpg|thumb|right|Achilles and Scamander]]
Scamander fought on the side of the [[Troy|Trojans]] during the [[Trojan War]] (''[[Iliad]]'' XX, 73/74; XXI), after the [[Greek mythology|Greek]] hero [[Achilles]] insulted him. Scamander was also said to have attempted to kill Achilles three times, and the hero was only saved due to the intervention of [[Hera]], [[Athena]] and [[Hephaestus]]. In this context, he is the personification of the [[Scamander River]] that flowed from [[Mount Ida]] across the plain beneath the city of Troy, joining the [[Hellespont]] north of the city. The [[Achaeans (Homer)|Achaeans]], according to [[Homer]], had set up their camp near its mouth, and their battles with the Trojans were fought on the plain of Scamander. In ''Iliad'' XXII (149ff), Homer states that the river had two springs: one produced warm water; the other yielded cold water, regardless of the season.

According to Homer, he was called [[Xanthos]] by gods and Scamander by men, which might indicate that the former name refers to the god and the latter one to the river itself.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.perseus-eng1:20.54-20.85 20.74], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.perseus-eng1:21.136-21.160 21.146].</ref>

In a story by [[Pseudo-Plutarch]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pseudo-Plutarch |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0400%3Achapter%3D13 |title=De fluviis |translator-last=Goodwin |chapter=XIII. Scamander}}</ref> Scamander went mad during the mysteries of [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]] and flung himself into the river Xanthus, which was then renamed to Scamander.

== Trojan descendants ==
{{Trojan race}}

==See also==
{{commons category|Scamander (mythology)}}
* [[Karamenderes River]]
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'', in ''The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White'', Cambridge, Massachusetts., [[Harvard University Press]]; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Homer]], ''The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes''. Cambridge, Massachusetts., [[Harvard University Press]]; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0134%3Abook%3D1%3Acard%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* Tsotakou-Karveli. ''Lexicon of Greek Mythology''. Athens: Sokoli, 1990.

{{Greek religion}}
{{Greek mythology (deities)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:River gods in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Deities in the Iliad]]
[[Category:Anatolia]]
[[Category:Children of Zeus]]