Neptune God: Curious Roman Mythology Facts Simplified For Kids!

Martha Martins
Oct 23, 2023 By Martha Martins
Originally Published on Nov 05, 2021
Statue of Roman God Neptune
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.8 Min

The practice of naming planets after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses was continued with the discovery of new planets.

Except for Earth, all of the planets were named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. Thousands of years ago, the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Mercury were given names.

The discovery of the other planets came considerably later when telescopes were created. Mercury was a Roman deity of travel. Venus was called the Roman goddess of love and beauty, while Mars was the Roman god of war, who the Romans worshiped.

Saturn was the Roman deity of agriculture, while Jupiter was the monarch of the Roman godheads. Uranus was named after a god-king from ancient Greece.

Neptune was the deity of the sea in Roman mythology. Pluto was the Roman deity of the underworld and is today classed as a minor planet. Earth is a compound word made from English and German components that means "ground."

The word "Neptune" (Neptunus in Latin) was derived from an Indo-European origin, the identity of which has been debated. Two candidates have compelling points to make. One was the prefix neptu, which means "wet or damp."

The direct translation of this name, if it were Neptune's origin, would be "the damp one." Neptune's dominance over water would be reflected in such a translation.

"Cloud, mist, or fog" was the meaning of the other contender, nebh. This root corresponded not only to Neptune's dominance over water but also to his influence over storms. Neptune Equester, "the wet" or "cloudy horse ruler," was another name for him.

Salacia's consort was Neptune. Varro implies that Salacia was Neptune's wife, and Seneca, Augustine, and Servius state it explicitly.

She is associated with the Greek goddess Amphitrite, Poseidon's consort. The Neptunalia was a two-day ancient Roman festival celebrating Neptune, the god of the seas, in Rome amid the summer heat and drought, most likely on July 23.

Neptunalia was one of the 'dies comitiales,' meaning one of the days when Roman residents could vote on civil and criminal concerns through citizen committees.

If you like this article, you may find it interesting to read these fun facts articles: Why is Venus hotter than Mercury and facts about Michelangelo.

What is Neptune the god of?

Neptune was a god(Latin: Neptunus [nptuns]) of freshwater and the sea in Roman religion. He is the Greek deity Poseidon's polar opposite. Neptune is one of the gods associated with Salacia, the goddess of saltwater, and became associated with gods of military triumph, ports, and other things.

Neptune is Jupiter's and Pluto's brother in Greek mythology, Heaven, the terrestrial world, and the underworld is all ruled by the brothers. Pluto, unlike his procreative brothers Jupiter and Poseidon, is a monogamous god who seldom has offspring.

Salacia, his wife, was possibly a goddess of leaping springwater who was later linked with the Greek Amphitrite. Neptune, Latin Neptunus, was initially a god of fresh water in Roman religion, but by 399 BCE, he had been linked with the Poseidon's of Greek and therefore became a sea god.

Neptune was a carbon replica of the Greek god Poseidon in terms of appearance and legend.

He was also known as Neptune Equester. Roman people used to worship Neptune as a deity of horses and horse training and a patron of horse racing, which was a popular form of entertainment in ancient Rome.

Neptune was eventually introduced to the Roman pantheon, unlike Poseidon, who had always been a part of Greek mythology. The Archaic Triad of Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus (the revered figure of Romulus, Rome's founder) and the Capitoline Triad of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva did not include him.

Neptune commanded the dread and reverence of a people whose fortunes were inextricably linked to the waters, notwithstanding his lack of political influence within the Roman pantheon.

As Roman control stretched over the Mediterranean in the second and third century BCE, his influence grew.

Neptune's significance waned in the early Common era, as it did for another Roman godhead. He fell out of favor with the arrival of Christian authority over the Roman Empire in the fourth century.

In Roman mythology, Neptune is the equivalent to which Greek god?

Neptune is the Roman god of freshwater, whereas Poseidon is the Greek god of the sea. These two gods are not interchangeable. A common legend is that the Romans adopted Poseidon, the mighty god of the Sea, and renamed him, Neptune. Unlike Poseidon, Neptune was never a governing god recognized as a second-in-command to Zeus by his subjects.

Neptune and Salacia, his female counterpart, were maybe originally a goddess of leaping springwater, subsequently connected with Amphitrite in Greek myth.

Neptune was in charge of all waterways, from the tiniest streams and springs to the greatest bodies of water in the world, the seas (the Romans were aware of the sea beyond the Iberian peninsula, but only dimly so).

Neptune made the Mediterranean Sea his dominion, and he and his wife Salacia and his devoted son(Triton) resided in a golden palace under the waters.

In Greek mythology, Triton was Poseidon's son, whereas Triton was Neptune's son in Rome. Neptune's son Triton blows a sea conch.

Neptune might also summon winds and storms. Neptune sank numerous ships and condemned countless sailors to watery deaths by churning the waters and unleashing crushing waves. Neptune's might faded the further he got from the seas, even if he was extremely formidable in his own territory.

Ancient stone statue of mighty god of the sea and oceans Neptune

Why did they name Neptune after the Roman god of the sea?

Because of its bluish-sea-like tint, Neptune was given the name of the Roman deity of the sea. Neptune was thought to be the second-farthest planet from the Sun until the orbit of Pluto was established, and its status was downgraded from planet to dwarf planetoid.

The Romans gave the five planets nearest to the Sun names after their most prominent gods. They could only see these planets since they were the only ones that were bright enough. Other planets were identified later, thanks to the use of telescopes.

Astronomers opted to keep naming planets after Roman deities. The blueish planetoid Neptune was named after Neptune, the Roman deity of the sea. Shortly after its discovery, Neptune was only known as 'the planetoid outside of Uranus' or 'Le Verrier's planets.' Johann Galle gave the name Janus as the initial choice for a title.

Oceanus was another option. Urbain Le Verrier, the planet's discoverer, claimed ownership of the name Neptune. Neptune quickly became a household name throughout the world.

Neptune was the deity of the sea in Roman mythology. The need for a mythical name appeared to be in line with the vocabulary of the other planets, which were named after Greek and Roman myths, save for Earth. This is now referred to as 'Neptune' in almost all languages.

What is the god Neptune's symbol?

Neptune's symbols include the horse, trident, and dolphin. Neptune was frequently shown riding a chariot drawn by horses or legendary seahorses, the latter of which were usually depicted as horses with fish-like bodies and fins.

Neptune was said to hold a trident, a three-pronged thrusting weapon used for millennia by Mediterranean fishermen. From the 'Division of the Universe,' Neptune in his chariot pulled by seahorses.

The cyclopes are claimed to have crafted this divine tool trident. According to Roman tradition, Neptune struck the ground with his trident, resulting in the birth of the first warhorse.

The Temple of Neptune (Latin: Aedes Neptuni) is an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Neptune located near the Circus Flaminius on the Campus Martius in Rome. UNESCO recognizes the Temple of Neptune as a World Heritage Site.

The closeness of the two Consualia to the Opiconsivia (the latter four days later, the winter festival in December) suggests a connection between the two agricultural deities. In the theologies of Neptune and Consus, the horse has a very special symbolic importance, according to Dumézil.

According to Roman myth, Consus was the deity who instructed Romulus on the abduction of the Sabines, according to Tertullian.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Neptune god: Curious Roman Mythology Facts Simplified For Kids! then why not take a look at What Grows On Palm Trees? Fascinating Palm Facts For Revealed For Kids, or What Height Is Considered

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Written by Martha Martins

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

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Martha MartinsBachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

Martha is a full-time creative writer, content strategist, and aspiring screenwriter who communicates complex thoughts and ideas effectively. She has completed her Bachelor's in Linguistics from Nasarawa State University. As an enthusiast of public relations and communication, Martha is well-prepared to substantially impact your organization as your next content writer and strategist. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to delivering high-quality work enables her to create compelling content that resonates with audiences.

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