Scamander

Scamander (or Scamandrus) was a Trojan river and its god, this river being the Maeander (today the Menderes) whose god Maeander we have already considered (see this name). Scamander was the son of Oceanus and Tethys, and the father of Teucer by the nymph Idaea, as well as of Callirrhoë and Strymo.

The name seems to derive from scazo, 'to limp' or perhaps scaios, 'left', 'awkward' and aner, andros, 'man', thus being a 'limping man' or a 'clumsy man' This would refer to the many bends and winds ('meanders') of the river, which does not run straight and true but 'limps' its way along. Scamander was also known as Xanthus.

Glaucia

Glaucia was the daughter of the river Scamander (called Xanthus, 'yellow', by the gods) who conceived a child by Deïmachus but bore it after he had been killed in the Trojan War. She then fled to Heracles for refuge who entrusted her to Cleon, the father of Deïmachus.

Meanwhile she had named her baby son Scamander (after her father), and he grew up to be a king of Boeotia and to name two streams in Boeotia respectively Scamander and Glaucia! Thus do names travel and propagate. Glaucia's name means 'grey-green' {glaucos), which cannot be anything other than the colour of the river. Scamander (father, grandson and stream) has a name that may well be interpreted in a 'rivery' way, too.

Teucer

Teucer was the first mythical king of Troy, the son of the river god Scamander and the nymph Idaea. Another Teucer was the son of Telamon by Hesione. We can look for a sense 'craftsman' in the name, from teucho, 'to.make', 'construct', or else propose a 'watery' name to match derivations suggested for Hesione ('shore') and Telamon ('marsh'). Such an origin might be in deuso, Ί will wet', Ί will soak', from deuo, 'to wet', 'soak'. Compare Deucalion.

Strymo

Strymo was the daughter of the river Scamander and the wife of Laomedon. Her name may derive from stryphnos and mean 'harsh', 'austere'.

Idaea

Idaea was a daughter of Dardanus, king of Scythia. She married Phineus, and bore him Thynius and Mariandynus. Another Idaea was a nymph from Mount Ida who bore Teucer to Scamander. Doubtless her name reveals the meaning of Idaea - 'from Mount Ida'. (Although ida also meant 'wood', 'copse', and she might thus have been a wood nymph.)