Amphitrite

A beautiful goddess, she was the daughter of Nereus, a minor sea god, and Doris, a sea nymph. And ancient Greek poet wrote that Poseidon saw her dancing and fell in love with her. Being a king, he assumed that he could just carry her off, but she escaped his clutches and ran away, swimming far across the seas to the very end of the water, where there was a place called Atlas.

Amphitrite hid there for some time, but Poseidon was not to be denied. He hunted for her under every barnacle and bit of seaweed, searching among the fishes and sea creatures for his lost love. Frustrated at not being able to find her, he sent his precious pet dolphin out to look for her, thinking that a dolphin would have better luck and get the job done faster.

He was right. The dolphin went all the way to Atlas, and talked to Amphitrite in a soothing and comforting voice, persuading her that Poseidon really did love her and would not harm her. Finally, she agreed to return with the dolphin and become Poseidon’s wife.

The two were married in a great celebration. As a reward to the dolphin, it is said that Poseidon gave it a place in the heavens, where it is now the constellation Delphinus.

The Roman’s called her Salacia and she was the Goddess of Salt Water.

Greeks later viewed her as a personification of the sea and called her Thalassa.