Neptunus
Roman · deity · pre urban · Recorded classification
Roman water-god, originally Italic freshwater-spring deity (etymology PIE *nebh- "wet/cloud", whence "nebula"). The Neptunalia (July 23, riverbank shelter-rite) preserves the Italic origin. Sea-domain came with the Poseidon equation in the middle Republic. Per Wissowa 1912; Dumézil 1970.
Parentage
- father: SaturnHyginus, Fabulae, Preface: children of Saturn and Ops (primary)
- mother: OpsHyginus, Fabulae, Preface: children of Saturn and Ops (primary)
Domains
- freshwater springs
- sea post equation
- horses
Powers
- Shake the earth
- Still and raise the sea
Epithets
- Neptunus Equester 'Neptune of horsemen' — equated with Poseidon Hippios; patron of the Circus and the ConsualiaLivy 1.9.6 (Consualia) (primary); Servius on Aeneid 8.636 (secondary)
Relations
- equated with: PoseidonNeptunus is the Roman state-cult equivalent of Greek Poseidon; shared sea-and-horse iconography. Pre-equation Italic Neptune-cult was freshwater/spring (the Neptunalia festival); Hellenic interpretatio added the marine domain.Standard interpretatio Graeca/Romana scholarship; Beard, North & Price, Religions of Rome (1998); Wissowa, Religion und Kultus der Römer (1912) (secondary)
- interpretatio: PoseidonNeptune ↔ Poseidon per ancient interpretatio. The Italic origin as freshwater-spring deity (Neptunalia's riverbank shelter-rite, the etymology from PIE *nebh- "wet/cloud") shows Roman Neptune predates the Greek sea-domain equation.Cic. Nat. D. 2.66; Verg. Aen. 1.124-156 (primary)
- father: SaturnHyginus, Fabulae, Preface: children of Saturn and Ops (primary)
- mother: OpsHyginus, Fabulae, Preface: children of Saturn and Ops (primary)
Sources
- existence: Varro LL 5.72, 6.19; Cic. Nat. D. 2.66; Verg. Aen. 1.124-156; Hor. Od. 3.28 (primary)
- italic-freshwater-origin: Wissowa 1912; Dumézil 1970 (secondary)