In Greek mythology the Nereids were fifty sea-nymph daughters of Nereus, the old man of the sea. At that point, there were two different perceptions as to what happened. In retrospect, the marriage of Thetis and Peleus became a very sad historical landmark. Just like Thetis, Eurynome was a sea goddess ... also, like Thetis's mother Doris, Eurynome was an Okeanid. To celebrate the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (parents of Achilles), Zeus held a feast, to which Eris, goddess of discord was not invited, furious at being snubbed, Eris went to the feast anyway, taking with her a golden apple, which turned out to be the apple of discord, from the Gardens of Hesperides, as a prize for the fairest one at the party. Thetis was the mother of Akhilleus, the great Greek warrior. She devised a plan where Ieson and Medeia might be absolved of their blood-guilt by Medeia's aunt, the Dread-Goddess Kirke (Circe). Hephaistos was born to Hera soon after Athene was born to Metis and Zeus. PD Courtesy of Marie-Lan Nguyen/Wikimedia Commons . Thetis is a very old goddess and for that reason, putting an exact date to her birth is impossible. Before the birth of Akhilleus, Thetis and Peleus had several children that did not survive. Peleus was temporarily bewildered at the sight of Thetis but quickly regained senses ... he called to the Argonauts and convinced them that his divine encounter was genuine and their survival depended upon their immediate departure. Hephaistos was born with deformed legs ... the fall from Olympos injured him severely but did not make him "lame.". White Island has been identified as a small island in the Black Sea near the mouth of the Danube River. She was portrayed by the legendary British actress, Maggie Smith who also portrayed Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series. Zeus was intent on punishing Ieson and Medeia but Hera was equally intent on saving them. Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite all assumed the prize was for them because they were all very beautiful and, meaning no disrespect, they were all very vain. Thetis married a mortal king, Peleus, at the command of Zeus. Without hesitation Hephaistos went to his forge and crafted the most magnificent armor the world had ever seen. Upon reaching the age of maturity, Thetis got married to Peleus, a mortal king. Peleus tried to be a good husband and father but he was ignorant of the ways of the Immortals ... knowing the fate of his other children, Peleus refused to allow Thetis put Akhilleus in a water-filled caldron ... Thetis decided to try a different tactic ... she put the infant Akhilleus in the fireplace. Zeus sent Iris to bring Thetis to Mount Olympos. Thetis is one of the many daughters of Nereus and Doris. A generation before the Trojan War, Hera enlisted the assistance of Thetis to protect Ieson (Jason) and the Argonauts during their Quest for the Golden Fleece. Thetis was the nymph and water goddess who was the mother to the Trojan War hero Achilles. Lykurgos raged down the slopes of Nysos with an ox-goad and scourged the Nymphs who cared for young Dionysos, a son of Zeus. Thetis and her sisters can live comfortably under the sea but they can also walk on the land and fly through the air with speed and agility ... while in the sea, they often ride astride sea creatures such as hippocamps. To protect Hephaistos and themselves, Thetis and Eurynome kept Hephaistos hidden in a cave where he diligently toiled to prefect his metal working skills. Kharis called to Hephaistos and when he saw Thetis, he said he was honored to have the goddess in his home. As Prometheus prophesied in Aeschylus's play, "Prometheus Bound," the god…. As the ship was raised aloft by the waves, the Nereids caught it and toss it to and fro like young girls throwing a ball for sport. Hera and Athene knew Aphrodite had bewitched Alexandros but they still harbored an intense personal resentment for him and by extension, all Trojans ... they made it their mission to make sure the walls of Troy were toppled and the Trojan people were either killed or enslaved. After being thrown from Olympos, Hephaistos fell for three days before he reached the earth ... he landed, seriously injured, on the island of Lemnos in the northern Aigean Sea. Nereus was the son of Gaia, the earth, and Pontos, the ocean, and Doris was the daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, also watery deities. The marriage between Peleus and Thetis was arranged by Zeus. Athene and Hera comforted Thetis as she sat beside Zeus and awaited his command. It's never clearly stated but perhaps one of the reasons Thetis was willing to help Ieson was that Peleus was one of the Argonauts. Eris, the goddess of discord and strife, was in attendance but she did not come to celebrate ... she came to do what she does best ... cause trouble. He was summoned to Troy to participate in the final battles for the city. Zeus instructed a mortal king, Peleus, to grab onto Thetis on the beach and to not let go of her no matter what form or shape she took. Other inhabitants of White Island include Patroklos, Aias (son of Telamon), Aias (son of Oileus), Helen, Antilokhos (son of Nestor), and perhaps Princess Medeia (daughter of Aietes). Thetis avoided Zeus for two reasons: 1) her respect for Hera; and 2) her fear of Hera. Even before Iris arrived, Thetis knew Akhilleus's fate and was mourning the impending death of her only child. Nereus was the son of Gaia, the earth, and Pontos, the ocean, and Doris was the daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, also watery deities. When Hera saw the ship being bounced and swamped by the waves, she was seized by fear and threw her arms around Athene for comfort.