Neptūnus, i, m. [Zend, nāpita, wet; Sanscr. nepa, water; Gr. root, νιπ-, νιβ-, νίφω, χέρνιψ; cf. nimbus, rain-cloud],
- I. Neptune, the god of the sea and of other waters, brother of Jupiter and husband of Amphitrite: Neptuno gratis habeo et tempestatibus, Plaut. Stich. 3, 1, 2: allocutus summi deum regis fratrem Neptunum, regnatorem Marum, Naev. 3, 2; 2, 21: omnipotens Neptune, Turp. ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 34, 72 (Com. Rel. v. 118 Rib.): Neptunus salsipotens et multipotens, Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 1: ut Portumnus a portu, sic Neptunus a nando, paulum primis litteris immutatis, Cic. N. D. 2, 26, 66; 3, 24, 62: Neptunum deum numeras, id. ib. 3, 17, 43; 3, 20, 52: caeruleos oculos esse Neptuni, id. ib. 1, 30, 83; Verg. A. 3, 74: uterque, who presides over the salt and fresh waters, Cat. 31, 3: Neptunus pater, Gell. 5, 12, 5: haec ad Neptuni pecudes condimenta sunt, food for fishes, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 44.
- II. Transf.
- A. The sea (poet.): credere se Neptuno, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 2; 2, 3, 42: Neptuni corpus acerbum, Lucr. 2, 472; Verg. G. 4, 29: hibernus, Hor. Epod. 17, 55.
- * B. A fish, Naev. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 58 Müll. (Com. Rel. v. 121 Rib.).