MYTHOLOGY of NEPTUNE
Ancient Romans knew Neptune as Neptunis being the
chief ruling god of water; including streams, rivers, ponds and
waterfalls. Only later, he had his realm been greatly extended to
preside over the open seas and oceans of the world. No doubt this
picture was changed as the people of ancient times found the world
more larger than ever imagined. This broader picture is now unclear
in modern times, where Neptune is solely constrained to the open
sea. Latin name for Neptune derives from the word nare,
meaning ‘to swim’, and was only after about 399 B.C. when he
was identified with the Greek god Poseidon. In older Roman
and Greek mythologies, he became was one of valiant triumvirate of
three brothers; being Neptune (Poseidon), Jupiter
(Zeus) and Pluto (Hades). Together, in legend, who one time
combined forces to dethroned their capricious and tyrannical father
Saturn (Cronus). After they had succeeded in their patricidal
(or regicidal) plot, they soon divided their own worldly realms into
the sky, sea and the underworld (Gods of
air, water and the hereafter). According to the
ancient Greek writer and poet, Hesiod (c.700 BC), Neptune
lives in his golden palace under the sea, along with his immediate
family. Neptune has a son named Triton, being the grandson of
Saturn, who was born by the pretty Nereid nymph named Amphitrite. [A
much fuller discussion of these mythologies see Saturn Part 2.]
Like the two main gods of Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune was highly
venerated by ancient cults. He was mainly revered in a dedicated
temple in the important Greek settled city of Poseidonia,
first founded during the 7th Century BC. This city later became the
Ancient Roman city of Paestum after being conquered in 273
BC, located on the southwestern Italian coastline near Campania. The
main ‘Temple of Neptune’ was made in the Doric-style, though it
seems that later the Greek goddess, Hera equivalent of the
Roman, Juno, was venerated there. His mid-summer Roman
festival, the Neptunalia usually held over two days around
23rd July, with various sports, games and civic duties.
According to Roman writer Gaius Julius Hyginus
(c.64BC-17AD) in his book ‘Astronomica’, earlier astronomers like Eratosthenes
related Neptune to the constellation Delphinus, the dolphin.
To the Ancient Greeks, Neptune was also known as the Olympia god,
Poseidon, who was far more ruthless and more temperamental
than his Roman equivalent. Not only could he toss thunderbolts like
Zeus, he could cause violent earthquakes that still frequently occur
in Greece. His wife was instead the sea goddess, Amphitrite
(Greek name is Salacis, meaning seawater), both physically
representing the sea and its variable or fickle personality. It was
only later, that Poseidon was adopted as the main Greek god to
represent the expansive sea. Much of this mythology is only related
to Greece, and possibly Phoenicia, but is especially important among
the Athenians, who were once a vibrant seafaring nation. Having some
real need for such gods was probably more to do with the sometimes
inherent dangers when crossing to the many Greek islands by ship or
boat, or then navigating the sometimes unpredictable nature of the
Mediterranean Sea. Some saw it as very important ritual to worship
and praise him so as to have safe sea passage.
Today, Neptune continues to be happily celebrated by sea
passengers when crossing the equator. Again this odd tradition was
often seen as necessary appeasement towards Neptune who would then
allow safe passage across the oceans. Various Neptune statues are
quite common in ports throughout the world. Perhaps the most famous
of these is placed in the town centre of the English seaport of
Bristol.
Neptune is often importantly portrayed in both the arts and
literature. He’s often shown as a
slightly portly old man, whose head is covered with long wild-hair
and matted beard, holding his fisherman’s staff tipped with the three-pointed
trident, and that is sometimes displayed as the special astronomical
character symbolising the planet (right). To others, he is also
draped with fishnets and is seen riding his grand shell-shaped
chariot across or under the waves. 
(Though I’ve
never really worked out why this shell is some kind of grandiose
boat!) Best of the traditional artistic examples is the beautiful
representation of Neptune in the wonderful marble sculpture created
by Gian Bernini’s. Named “Neptune and
Triton”, this masterwork is
placed in the Victorian and Albert Museum in London, and depicts him
in the Roman classic story of Aeneas by Publius Vergillus
Maro Virgil (70 B.C.-1 B.C.). Here Neptune is seen calming
the sea through the call of his shell-horn of Triton, as to ensure
his safe voyage across the sea. Neptune is today still celebrated
through various fountains in Europe, such as the famous Trevi
Fountain in Rome, Govanni’s
Fountain in Bologna, or Piazza della Signoria in
Florence. Another is the Neptunbrunnen or Neptune
Fountain in Berlin.
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Last Update : 08th August 2015
Southern Astronomical Delights ©
(2015)
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