Creusa (Naiad)

In Greek mythology, Creusa was a Naiad, a type of nymph associated with bodies of fresh water, particularly rivers and springs. While several figures bear the name Creusa in Greek myth, this specific Creusa is typically identified as the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. As such, she is one of the Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of these primordial sea deities.

Her most significant role is as the wife of Peneus, a river god and one of the earliest Thessalian kings. With Peneus, Creusa mothered several children, including Hypseus, Stilbe, and occasionally other figures depending on the source. Hypseus was king of the Lapiths, and Stilbe was loved by Apollo and bore him Centaurus and Lapithes.

Because she is a water nymph, Creusa would have been revered in connection to her specific water source, playing a role in local religious practices and beliefs associated with water and fertility. Depictions of Creusa are scarce and her personality undeveloped in extant literature, reflecting the common nature of Naiads as figures primarily defined by their lineage and connection to the natural world. Her importance resides chiefly in her role as a genealogical ancestor and a representative of the divine power residing in water.