Neptune
Roman god of the sea and freshwater, identified with the Greek Poseidon but originally a deity of springs and rivers
The Myth of Neptune
Neptune was worshipped in Rome long before he was merged with Poseidon, and his earliest role was as a god of fresh water and irrigation — vital concerns for an agricultural society. His festival, the Neptunalia, fell on 23 July during the hottest part of summer, when Romans built shelters of branches and feasted near water sources to avert drought. Once equated with Poseidon, Neptune gained dominion over the sea, earthquakes, and horses. Roman sailors prayed to him before voyages, and his trident became an emblem of naval power. The planet Neptune, discovered in 1846, was named for him because of its deep blue colour.
Parents
Saturn and Ops
Children
Triton
Symbols
Fun Fact
The original Roman Neptune had nothing to do with the sea — he was a god of fresh water and springs
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Poseidon
⚡ godGod of the sea, earthquakes, and horses
Poseidon was the god of the sea and earthquakes whose moods determined whether sailors lived or died — and whose grudge against Odysseus drove the Odyssey.
Poseidon
⚡ godGod of the sea, earthquakes, horses
Lord of the seas and brother of Zeus. Poseidon's moods shaped the oceans — calm seas for those who pleased him, devastating storms for those who did not.
Poseidon Hippios
⚡ godhorses, sea
An epithet of Poseidon as lord of horses, reflecting his role as creator of the first horse and patron of equestrian arts.
Neptune
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The eighth and outermost planet of the solar system, named after Neptune, the Roman god of the sea identified with the Greek Poseidon, because of its blue colour
Glaucus the Sea God
⚡ godsea
Mortal fisherman who ate a magical herb, became immortal, and transformed into a blue-green sea deity.
Nereus
⚡ godThe Old Man of the Sea
Nereus was the ancient, benevolent sea god known as the Old Man of the Sea — truthful, wise, gentle, and father of the fifty Nereids.
Scamander
⚡ godriver, Troy
River god of the Scamander, the great river of the Trojan plain.
Jupiter
⚡ godKing of gods, sky, thunder
Supreme deity of the Roman pantheon, equivalent to the Greek Zeus, ruling over gods and mortals from the heavens
Glaucus
⚡ godsea, prophecy
A mortal fisherman who became an immortal sea god after eating a magical herb.
Alpheus
⚡ godriver, pursuit
River god of the Alpheus, the largest river in the Peloponnese.
God of the Sea
💭 conceptSea, storms, earthquakes, horses
Poseidon, brother of Zeus, commands the oceans and all waters beneath the sky.
Cephissus
⚡ godriver, purification
River god of the Cephissus, the principal river of Attica and Boeotia.