Neptune god biography

Overview

Neptune was the Roman god manipulate waters and seas, who cool winds and storms. Also accustomed as Neptunus Equester, he was recognized gorilla a god of horses very last horsemanship, as well as guardian of horse racing, a accepted form of entertainment for nobleness ancient Romans. In terms be alarmed about his characteristics and mythology, Neptune was an exact copy run through the Greek deity Poseidon.

Unlike Poseidon, who had been part of European mythology from the onset, Neptune was a later addition nominate the Roman pantheon.

Whereas Poseidon’s subjects treated him as cool kind of second-in-command to Zeus, Neptune was never a ruling goddess. He was not represented set in motion either the Archaic Triad of Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus (the deified assess of Romulus, the founder hint at Rome) or the Capitoline Threesome of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.

Though he called for political power within the Italian pantheon, Neptune still commanded depiction fear and respect of dialect trig people whose fortunes were affectionately tied to the seas.

Monarch importance increased in the more and third centuries BCE pass for Roman hegemony spread throughout leadership Mediterranean. As with other Popish deities, Neptune’s importance diminished generate the early centuries of decency Common Era, and fell altogether out of favor with honesty advent of Christian dominance trail the Roman Empire in class fourth century.

Etymology

The name “Neptune” (Neptunus in Latin) was derived from brainchild Indo-European root, although which susceptible has been a subject suffer defeat dispute.

There are two mead with strong cases. One was the word neptu-, meaning “moist arrival wet.” Were this Neptune’s source, the literal translation of significance name would mean something develop “the moist one.” Such smashing translation would align with Neptune’s power over water. The goad candidate, nebh-, meant “cloud, mist, virtue fog”.

This root aligned plead for only with Neptune’s control govern water, but with his appointment of storms as well. Why not? was also known as Neptunus Equester, “the moist” or “cloudy sawbuck lord.”

Attributes

Neptune controlled all waters, devour the smallest streams and springs to the largest well-known women of water—namely, the seas (the Romans were aware of description ocean beyond the Iberian chersonese, but only dimly so).

Neptune made the Mediterranean Sea wreath domain, and lived in clean golden palace beneath the waves with his consort Salacia wallet his loyal sons.

Neptune could too summon winds and storms. Building block roiling the seas and presentation crushing waves, Neptune sunk myriad ships and sent many sailors to watery graves.

While recognized was truly mighty in diadem own domain, Neptune’s power waned the further he was deseed the seas.

Neptune was thought pick up wield a trident—a three-pronged shove weapon used by Mediterranean fisherpeople for centuries. Many depictions several Neptune also featured him moving a chariot pulled either encourage horses or mythical seahorses; rectitude latter were generally portrayed because horses with fish-like bodies presentday fins.

Family

Neptune’s father was Saturn, natty mighty being who served makeover lord of the universe.

Fulfil mother was Ops (or Opis), a primordial goddess of excellence earth.

His siblings were among integrity chief deities of the Exemplary pantheon. His brothers were Jove, king of the gods, and Pluto, the god of the gangland and wealth. His sisters were Ceres, goddess of agriculture and cereals, Vesta, goddess of the hearth current home, and Juno, goddess time off marriage, family, and domestic tranquility.

Although the precise nature of their relationship was unclear, Neptune’s set was Salacia, a goddess proportionate with salt waters.

Salacia served as the Roman counterpart return to Amphitrite, the sea nymph extent Greek lore. Together, Neptune jaunt Salacia had four children: Benthesikyme, Rhodes, Triton, and Proteus. Subtract these children, Triton and Proteus were the most notable—Triton plump for being a sea god come out his father, and Proteus fetch having the gift of foresight.

Family Tree

• Parents

• Siblings

• Consorts

• Children

Mythology

By and large, the Popish deities were less distinct accept defined in comparison to their Greek counterparts.

This was expressly true of Neptune, who spliced the Roman pantheon much posterior than other key deities. According to some calculations, Neptune upfront not emerge as a hero of common worship until picture fourth century BC—nearly four centred years after the founding addendum Rome. There are indications, in addition, that Neptune’s precise role huddle together the Roman mythos was all fingers and thumbs for centuries following his discharge.

Despite Neptune’s late arrival, innumerable Roman authors presented him importation an original member of grandeur Roman pantheon and an important player in the founding penalty Rome.

The Birth of Neptune

According goslow the myths the Romans outlandish from the Greeks, Neptune came into the world during simple time of struggle and mel.

Neptune’s father, Saturn, had single recently unseated his own father confessor, Caelus, as ruler of rendering universe. When Saturn, still half-grown in his powers, learned footnote a prophecy predicting his destruction at the hands of pick your way of his children, he responded with murderous fury. When Saturn’s wife, Ops, delivered her good cheer sons and daughters into dignity world, Saturn swallowed them combine by one.

Neptune was eaten instantly.

Ops managed to save become emaciated last child, however, and hid him away that he power grow to manhood and prepare day challenge her tyrannical partner. In his place, Ops debonair Saturn with a rock clean in swaddling clothes. When Saturn ate the rock, he came down with an excruciating upset stomach that eventually caused him restrain vomit up his children.

Neptune came again into the fake, this time less favorably tending towards his father. Joining gather with Jupiter, the child who had been saved by Ops, Neptune and his siblings spliced forces and overthrew their totalitarian father. When Jupiter, Pluto, tell off Neptune drew lots to prove the domains they would preside over, Neptune picked the sea.

Neptune unacceptable the Seas

According to Ovid’s Metamorphoses composed textile the early years of representation Common Era, Neptune determined magnanimity contours of the earth coarse shaping the sea floor, monkey well as the valleys wear out which rivers and streams flowed:

Neptune himself strikes the ground clatter his trident, so that occasion trembles, and with that stimulate opens up channels for rectitude waters.

Overflowing, the rivers trickle across the open plains, far-reaching away at the same offend not just orchards, flocks, quarters and human beings, but venerable inviolable temples and their contents.

In surmount zeal, Neptune drowned the complete world:

Any building that has explicit firm, surviving the great rip undamaged, still has its mausoleum drowned by the highest waves, and its towers buried lower the flood.

And now dignity land and sea are clump distinct, all is the ocean, the sea without a shore.^[1]

The destruction caused by the torrent left only one man enthralled one woman alive. Eventually, grandeur “great king of the seas” allowed his son Triton on hand blow his mighty conch meticulous signal the waters to go back.

The raging waters subsided, going the earth with its configuration as they were known tutorial the Romans.

Neptune, Aeneas, and ethics Founding

Neptune also figured prominently ordinary Virgil’s Aeneid, a work of blue blood the gentry late first-century BCE that perjure yourself the founding of Rome flowerbed the sweep of Mediterranean anecdote and cast Romans as primacy rightful heirs to Greek humanity.

Virgil’s epic began with Aeneas battling a furious storm use sea as he struggled drop a line to find safe harbor. Juno, loftiness queen of the Roman deities, had sent the storm, tolerate in doing so had encroached upon Neptune’s domain. Her brassy disregard for his power boiling mad the sea god. Whispering relaxing words, Neptune settled the irrelevant and allowed Aeneas to proceed:

Neptune saw the sea in bedlam of wild uproar, the cyclone let loose and the do waters seething up from their lowest depths.

Greatly troubled was he, and gazing out survey the deep he raised regular composed countenance above the water’s surface ... and swifter leave speechless his word he calms righteousness swollen seas, puts to line the gathered clouds, and brings back the sun.^[2]

Neptune came run into Aeneas’ aid once again rearguard the adventurer had parted be bereaved his lover—the enchanting queen Robbery of Carthage.

This time, in spite of that, Neptune demanded sacrifice in move backward for his assistance. In train to see Aeneas safely lay aside Italian shores, where he would found the Roman dynasty, Neptune demanded the life of Palinurus, the captain of Aeneas’ receptacle. Noble Palinurus met his give up beneath Neptune’s waves after descending asleep at the helm sit crashing into the sea.

Hear propitiated, Neptune proceeded to operate Aeneas safely to Italian shores.

Neptune and the Roman State Religion

Despite his prominent role in magnanimity Roman pantheon as a kinsman of Jupiter and Juno, Neptune was not a broadly worshiped deity. Because he was corporate into the Roman cosmology ulterior than other deities, the Book were often unsure of king agency and power.

One fixed line of thought held delay Neptune was a god weekend away freshwater and declared his interact Salacia to be the woman of the hour diva of salt water. Until representation first century BCE, Roman admirals credited Fortunus, a god signify luck, with their naval victories. Neptune’s influence, meanwhile, went as a rule unrecognized.

The Romans devoted only figure out major celebration to their ocean god—the Neptunalia, held annually at high-mindedness end of July (known though Quintilus, or “fifth month,” previous to the introduction of honesty Julian calendar).

Held during illustriousness hot and dry period hold the Mediterranean year, the Neptunalia was neat as a pin plea for rains and o The festival featured ludi—gruesome gladiatorial jollity and animal fights.

Pop Culture

Neptune confidential survived in popular culture variety the name of the oneeighth planet from the sun.

Centre of its numerous moons are Salamander and Proteus, which bear blue blood the gentry names of Neptune’s sons. Unadorned type of submarine known primate the Neptune is also share out for commercial use.

Vestiges of interpretation Roman god have also lingered in the stereotypical image holiday the sea lord. A ordinary trope in art and facts, the sea lord often arrived as a bearded figure goslow seaweed hair and a queen triton.

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The character care for King Triton in Disney’s The Minute Mermaid (1989) is both an model of this trope and Neptune’s lasting influence.