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TRITON

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Originally appearing in Volume V27, Page 296 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TRITON , in See also:

Greek See also:mythology, son of See also:Poseidon and See also:Amphitrite, the personification of the roaring See also:waters. According to See also:Hesiod (Theog. 930), he dwelt with his parents in a See also:golden See also:palace in the depths of the See also:sea. The See also:story of the See also:Argonauts places his See also:home on the See also:coast of See also:Libya. When the Argo was driven ashore on the Lesser Syrtes the See also:crew carried the See also:vessel to See also:Lake Tritonis, whence Triton, the See also:local deity, guided them across to the Mediterranean (See also:Apollonius Rhodius iv. 1552). He was represented as human down to the See also:waist, with the tail of a See also:fish. His See also:special attribute was a See also:twisted seashell, on which he blew to See also:calm or raise the waves. Its See also:sound was so terrible, when loudly blown, that it put the giants to See also:flight, who imagined it to be the roar of a mighty See also:wild beast (See also:Hyginus, Poet. astronom. ii. 23). When Misenus, the See also:trumpeter of See also:Aeneas, challenged him to a contest of blowing, Triton in his See also:jealousy flung him into the sea. In course of See also:time Triton became the name for individuals of a class, like See also:Pan and See also:Silenus, and Tritons (male and See also:female) are mentioned in the plural, usually as forming the escort of marine divinities.

The beings called Centauro-Tritons or Ichthyocentaurs were of a triple nature, with the forefeet of a See also:

horse in addition to the human See also:body and fish tail. See also:Pausanias (ix. 21) gives a detailed description of the See also:ordinary Triton. It is probable that the See also:idea of Triton owes its origin to the Phoenician fish-deities. See See also:Preller, Griechische Mythologie (4th ed., 1894) ; F. R. Dressler, Triton and See also:die Tritonen (See also:Wurzen, 1892).

End of Article: TRITON

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