| The god of the sea among the Romans. He was not a very powerful god,
and little is known of his origin. When he was first introduced in Rome,
he already had all the characteristics of the Greek Poseidon. Despite the
fact that his cult grew after his equation with Poseidon, Neptune was far
less popular among sailors than Poseidon was among the Greek mariners.
Neptune was held in much higher regard as Neptune Equester, the god
and patron of horse-racing and horses. One of temples was located near
the Circus Flaminius, one of the larger trace-tracks. Another sanctuary
was in the Campus Martius (25 BC) were the Neptunalia was celebrated
on July 23. The trident is Neptune's attribute.
Neptune is the outer most of the "Gas Giants. Its orbit is 165 Earth years. Methane gases give Neptune its blue/green color. It has a Great Dark Spot, much like Jupiter. Storms on the Neptune can generate winds with speeds up to 1,200 miles per hour. |