Neptune was the Roman god of freshwater and the sea as well as being the Roman reincarnation of Poseidon.
Description[]
He is most identifiable as a tall, white-bearded figure carrying a trident, a three pronged fisherman's spear. Fittingly, he is often pictured with fish, as well as with horses, another animal with which he is closely linked since he was also thought to oversee the sport of horse-racing. These horses drew the chariot in which he was said to travel over the sea.
Neptune was commonly characterized in myth as a violent, ill-tempered character. In this way, he represents the tempestuous nature of the ocean waters, and, like the sea, often displays a destructive nature. His imperious character even lead to designs upon Jupiter's position as king of the gods; at one point he attempted to overthrow Jupiter with the help of Juno and Minerva, although he ending up failing in his task.
Overview[]
Neptune was a son of Ops, the earth mother, and Saturn, the prevailing sky god who ruled over the rest of the Roman pantheon. Fearing that his children would one day usurp him, Neptune was swallowed by his father immediately after his birth, as were the rest of his brothers and sisters. He was eventually saved by his mother, who tricked Saturn by offering him a large stone wrapped in swaddling clothes in place of her sixth child, Jupiter.
Saturn was forced to vomit up Neptune and the rest of his siblings in the process of ridding the stone from his digestive system. In alternative versions, Neptune was thrown into the sea by his father as soon as he was born. Either way, Neptune went on to play a key role in assisting Jupiter in usurping Saturn and the rest of the Titans. After Saturn's defeat, the three brothers Jupiter, Pluto and Neptune divided up the universe among themselves, assuming jurisdiction over the sky, the underworld and the sea, respectively.
Much like Poseidon in the Greek tradition, Neptune was also viewed by the Romans as a particularly lascivious character, entertaining innumerable conquests of goddesses, nymphs and mortal women. Even when his attempts were not successful, Neptune was not hesitant to take the female he was pursuing by force.
