POSEIDON

Mosaïque ; Mosaïque De Neptune Et Amphitrite. Musée Du Louvre, Paris, 26 May 2021, https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010303132. Accessed 24 January 2022.

Mosaic dimensions with accessory: 321 cm * 201 cm * 27 cm

Jun Wang

The mosaic illustrates Poseidon, the Greek god of sea, earthquakes, and horses. The woman standing beside Poseidon is possibly Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon. Though they are usually presented together, their relationships are relatively unstable. The art piece also contains common attributes related to Poseidon, as well as winged figures that are most likely Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology), the god of love.

Although the name of the mosaic suggests that the male character is Neptune, the freshwater divinity in Roman mythology, the god can also be interpreted as Poseidon. According to Morford et al., Neptune was eventually syncretized with Poseidon as he “acquired [his] attributes as sea-gods from Greek mythology” (679). Therefore, since the two gods share multiple attributes, I’m choosing to identify the god in the mosaic as the Greek Poseidon.

Although the etymology of the name Poseidon remains vague, the ‘posei’ part likely means ‘lord’ (“Creatures From the Deep” 13). Being one of the first Greek gods, Poseidon is powerful and considers himself no less inferior than Zeus, the chief Greek deity. In the Illiad, when Zeus commands him to leave the Trojan War, Poseidon refutes the order by stating that they are “equal in rank” and tells Zeus to be satisfied with his control over the sky and leave him alone (“Creatures From the Deep” 16). By asserting that he is Zeus’s equal, Poseidon demonstrates his supreme power among the gods. Also, this story shows that gods are aware of their respective domains that are assigned randomly by drawing a lot. Because Zeus got the sky, Poseidon received the sea, and Hades obtained the underworld, Mt. Olympus and the earth remain as the common ground where no particular god has control over.

This mosaic illustrates the main attributes related to Poseidon. One of the most prominent attributes in art and literature includes his trident, a staff with three teeth. It is a powerful tool that controls water and earthquakes. Unfortunately, because of his ferocious nature, Poseidon frequently strokes it to cause “the rending of the land and the surge of the sea” (Morford et al. 168). According to the Greek poet Hesiod, the weapon, along with Zeus’s thunderbolt and Hades’s helmet, was forged by the three Cyclopes after Zeus freed them during the Titanomachy (the battle of the Titans). It is also shortly after this battle that the three major Olympians (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) decided their shares of the universe (Britannica). Poseidon’s identity as the god of horses is also evident in the mosaic as the sea chariot is drawn by four Hippocamps (fish-tailed horses) (Britannica). Although Poseidon sired many horses (such as Hippocrene and Pegasus), Hippocamps are usually present when he is traveling across the sea. Furthermore, various kinds of fishes appear in the artwork, reinforcing Poseidon’s central role over the ocean. Lastly, though without bows and arrows, Cupid, Latin for Eros, flies beside the God and Goddess “as miniature winged figures or small children” (“Immortal Beloved” 3). Their presence likely indicates the loving relationship between Poseidon and Amphitrite. However, it is difficult to state that Poseidon and Amphitrite had always been in a loving relationship.

Poseidon is attracted to many women and had multiple love affairs. However, while people today may interpret Poseidon as having a weakness for women, ancient Greeks may perceive the actions as the display of exceptional power. Like Zeus, Poseidon’s power is expressed through fertility (“Creatures From the Deep” 16). For instance, he fell in love with a mortal woman Tyro, the daughter of Salmeneus, and bornt Neleus and Pelias, legendary twins with “significant progeny” (Morford et al. 167). Amphitrite’s attitude toward her husband’s philandering varies from authors and their intentions. There is a general trend that older art/literature (for example, the poem by Bacchylides that is written shortly after 500 BC) described her as being more tolerant. As presented in the poem, when the mortal hero Theseus jumped into the ocean to prove that he is Poseidon’s offspring, Amphitrite received him and gave him “a cloak and crown as tokens of his divine paternity” (“Creatures From the Deep” 12). This is a very kind deed by Amphitrite, especially after acknowledging his husband’s love for many other women. In contrast, in the writings from the Hellenistic period, Amphitrite is generally more “angry and vengeful”, making her relationship with Poseidon similar to that between Zeus and Hera - the philandering husband with his jealous, angry wife (Morford et al. 167). Despite different portrayals of Amphitrite’s response to her husband’s actions, in this mosaic, Amphitrite seems pleasant to be at Poseidon’s side, and the presence of Cupids is also justified.

Shuo Qin

Here is a mosaic that depicts Neptune and Amphitrite, the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon, the god of all waters, sea creatures, horses, and earthquakes. The Roman people “inherited” the whole mythology system, thus I and my groupmate decided to view this piece of Neptune as Poseidon.

This mosaic has clearly depicted the attributes of Poseidon. He was often portrayed as a strong male with a trident and so does this mosaic. (La Fond) One of the primary symbols of Poseidon is the trident. On the mosaic, the trident is held by Poseidon’s left arm. It was forged by the Cyclopes and given to Poseidon as a gift after the Titanomachy(La Fond), which then became his personal weapon. The trident held the power of the seas, giving him the power to control the seas to be whether furious or peaceful with a stroke of the trident. The sea creatures on the mosaic further show his identity that he’s the ruler of all water. The chariot that he and Amphitrite ride also expresses that he is often regarded as the tamer or father of horses. In some myths, he created the first horse either by spilling his seed upon a rock or by mating with a creature (Britannica).

On the left side of the mosaic, Amphitrite is holding Poseidon. Similar to Zeus, Poseidon also expresses his powers through fertility, and he has various descendants that are heroes and divinities. (La Fond) Thus, similar to Hera, Amphitrite is often described as a jealous and vengeful wife in later literature. The relationship between Amphitrite and Poseidon could be described by this mosaic—seems close by their motion but the emotion told the truth. Their eyes are looking in different ways. There’s no emotion but a poker face probably is the best expression of the philandering husband with his jealous, angry wife. (Morford)

         Since the Ancient Greek culture’s economy mostly relies on the sea, Poseidon is very important to the Greeks’ life. This is expressed on the mosaic. The masculinity, physique of Poseidon, and the beauty of Amphitrite were the best expressions of that era’s aesthetics. This concretization of divinities is a way to express worship as well as the importance to life. For example, you could tell a Chinese mythology figure is good or bad only by checking those pictures people drew. I believe this also applies to Greek mythology. The concretized figure and the tales of Poseidon both reveal the importance of his power to Greeks’ life and lifestyle.

Works Cited

La Fond, Marie. “Creatures From the Deep: Poseidon and Sea Divinities.” Greek and Roman Myth. University of Washington, January 2022, https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1514816/pages/lesson-3-video-lectures?module_item_id=14661581. Accessed 24 January 2022.

La Fond, Marie. “Immortal Beloved: Aphrodite” Greek and Roman Myth. University of Washington, January 2022, https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1514816/pages/lesson-4-video-lectures?module_item_id=14661588. Accessed 26 January 2022.

Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology. Oxford University Press, 2019. Accessed 27 January 2022.

“Poseidon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Poseidon. Accessed 26 January 2022.