Some historians believe that the vases may show Nereus while he shifted between shapes, but some label the participants and even include Nereus as a spectator.īecause no written record of this myth survives, it is unclear what the context of the scene was. The story is sometimes told that the hero engaged in a similar contest with Nereus, one of the old sea gods. Many pieces showed a scene of Triton and Heracles in a wrestling contest. The most notable instance of Triton appearing as a character is unattested in literature but common in art, particularly black-figure vase painting. This Roman tale, however, seems to be based on earlier Greek legends of musical contests between other gods. In the Aeneid, Virgil claimed that Triton killed one of the sons of Aeolus for challenging him to play a horn as well as he did. Triton was most well-known as the herald and messenger of the sea gods, specifically both his father and Oceanus.įew myths survive that specifically feature Triton, even in his role as a herald. It also had the power to control the waves, either calling up rough waters or calming them. Triton could blow this shell like a horn, making a sound so loud and terrible that it frightened even giants. He sometimes carried a trident like his father, although this was more common in later images. While his father ruled over the whole realm of the sea, Triton was specifically associated with the depths and the unknown life there. Triton lived with his parents in their golden palaces beneath the sea. His steed was likewise blue, making them both blend in with the water around them. He also said that Triton’s entire body was a shade of blue. Ovid wrote that his shoulders were covered in barnacles and shells and his hair was a seaweed-like color green. Later writers made Triton even more inhuman in appearance. From the waste down, he was fully adapted to life under water. One of Triton’s most notable attributes was his fish-like tail. His upper body was in the shape of a man, but he otherwise resembled some of his mother’s marine children. While Poseidon was shown as fully human in appearance in classical art, Triton had far more attributes that linked him to the sea. His name was Triton and he embodied his parents’ realm. While Amphitrite was the mother of all sea life, she and Poseidon were said to have had only one son according to most sources. His wife was Amphitrite, one of the Oceanids. Poseidon was the ruler of the sea in Greek mythology. Historians believe that the sea god’s son might be best understood by how he compares to other gods on land. Some things can be inferred, however, from the little that is known about Triton. His role was poorly-defined and not a single myth survives that is cantered on him.Ĭompared to the sons of Zeus, Poseidon’s son received very little attention! His fish tail and blue skin became the standard depiction of mermen even before mermaids were thought of.ĭespite his iconic imagery and position as Poseidon’s only son with his wife, Triton was a very minor god in Greek mythology. The son of Poseidon and Amphitrite was immediately identifiable as a god of the sea. Combined with his greed, he had a series of disputes with other gods during his various attempts to take over the cities they were patrons of.The sea god Triton’s imagery is far more famous than his mythology. He was considered by Greeks to have a difficult quarrelsome personality. He was second to Zeus in power amongst the gods. His weapon was a trident, with which he could make the earth shake, causing earthquakes, and shatter any object. In some accounts, his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals in his quest thus, by the time the horse was created, his passion forDemeter had diminished. So, in an effort to impress her, Poseidon created the first horse. To deter him, Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. He married Amphitrite, one of the granddaughters of the TitanOceanus.Īt one point he desired Demeter. Brother of Zeus and Hades, after the overthrow of their father,Cronus, he drew lots with them to share the universe. Poseidon is the god of the sea and protector of all aquatic features.
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