Statue of Neptune in Florence, Italy.
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Image courtesy of Corel Corporation.
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Neptune was the name that ancient Romans gave to the Greek god of the sea and
earthquakes, Poseidon. He was the brother of Jupiter (Zeus) and of Pluto (Hades). After the defeat
of their father Saturn (Cronos), the three brothers divided the world in three parts
to be ruled by one of the three brothers. Jupiter took the sky, Neptune the sea and
Pluto the underworld. Neptune had the reputation for having a violent temper.
Tempests and earthquakes were a reflection of his furious rage. He was depicted as a
bearded men holding a trident and seated in a seashell drawn by sea-horses. One day
Neptune saw the water nymph Amphitrite dancing in the island of Naxos and fell in love
with her. He promptly asked her to marry him but unfortunately she refused. However,
not discouraged by Amphitrite refusal, Neptune sent one of his servant, a dolphin to
look for her. The dolphin found her, and pleaded Neptune's cause so persuasively that
she changed her mind. As a reward for finding and returning Amphitrite to him,
Neptune immortalized the dolphin by placing it in the heavens as the constellation
Dolphinus. Neptune and Amphitrite had several children. Among them was Triton whose
name was given in 1846 by William Lassell to the principal moon of the planet Neptune.
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Other images of the god Neptune
