In Greek mythology, Nereus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia, with Pontus himself being a son of Gaia. Nereus and Doris became the parents of 50 daughters and a son (Nerites), with whom Nereus lived in the Aegean Sea.

In Greek mythology, Pontus was an ancient, pre-Olympian sea-god, one of the Greek primordial deities. Pontus was Gaia's son and has no father; according to the Greek poet Hesiod, he was born without coupling, though according to Hyginus, Pontus is the son of Aether and Gaia.