Triton. Triton is a Greek god of the sea, the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, god and goddess of the sea respectively. In art, Triton is typically depicted as a merman with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a fish. His most distinguishing feature is the conch shell trumpet, which he is often shown blowing to calm or stir the seas. Triton is usually portrayed with muscular arms and a flowing beard, emphasizing his strength and connection to the ocean. Artists throughout history have represented Triton in various forms, from ancient Greek pottery to Renaissance sculptures and Baroque paintings. In classical art, he is often depicted as a single figure, but sometimes Triton appears as part of a group of sea deities or in scenes with his father, Poseidon. During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Triton was frequently included in fountains and sculptures, such as Gian Lorenzo Bernini's famous Triton Fountain in Rome, where he is shown kneeling and blowing his conch, surrounded by seashells and water. These representations emphasize his role as a powerful, dynamic force of nature, embodying both the beauty and the danger of the sea. Triton lived with his parents, in a golden palace on the bottom of the sea. Later he was often depicted as having a conch shell which he would blow like a trumpet. Triton is usually represented as a merman, with the upper body of a human and the tailed lower body of a fish. At some time during the Greek and Roman era, Triton became a generic term for a merman in art and literature. In English literature, Triton is portrayed as the messenger or herald for the god Poseidon. Triton of Lake Tritonis of Ancient Libya is a namesake mythical figure that appeared and aided the Argonauts. Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite according to Hesiod's Theogony. He was the ruler of the depths of the sea, who is either dreadful or mighty according to the epithet given him by Hesiod. Triton dwelt with his parents in underwater golden palaces. It has been pointed out Poseidon's golden palace was located at Aegae on Euboea in one passage of Homer's Iliad 12.21. Unlike his father Poseidon who is always fully anthropomorphic in ancient art, Triton's lower half is that of a fish, while the top half is presented in a human figure. Triton in later times became associated with possessing a conch shell, which he blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves. He was trumpeter and bugler to Oceanos and Poseidon. Its sound was so cacophonous that when loudly blown, it put the giants to flight, who imagined it to be the roar of a dark wild beast.
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