Triton

Trītōn, ōnis or ōnŏs, m., = Tritôn.

I.

Lit., a son of Neptune and the nymph Salacia, a sea-god, who, at the bidding of Neptune, blows through a shell to calm or rouse the sea, Ov. M. 2, 8; 1, 333 sq.; 13, 919; Cic. N. D. 1, 28, 78; 2, 35, 89; Luc. 9, 348; Hyg. Astr. 2, 23 fin. — Plur.:

Tritones, sea-gods that serve the other gods,

Verg. A. 5, 824; Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 26.—

B.

Transf.

1.

A humorous designation of a lover of fish-ponds: piscinarum Tritones, qs. fish-pond gods, Cic. Att. 2, 9, 1.—

2.

A sea-fish of the genus pelamides, Plin. 32, 11, 53, § 144.—

3.

The name of a ship, Verg. A. 10, 209.—

II.

A river and lake in Africa, near the Lesser Syrtis, where, according to Egypto-Grecian fables, Minerva was born, Mel. 1, 7, 4; Luc. 9, 347; Stat. Th. 2, 722; Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 36; Sid. Carm. 15, 5.—Hence,

1.

Trītōnĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Lake Triton, Tritonian:

Pallas,

Verg. A. 5, 704; also,

virgo,

id. ib. 11, 483; more freq., absol.: Trītō-nĭa, ae, f., Minerva, Verg. A. 2, 171; Ov. M. 2, 783; 5, 250; 5, 270; 6, 1; id. F. 6, 655 et saep.—Also, Trītōnĭda, ae, Mart. Cap. 9, § 893.—

2.

Trītōnĭăcus, a, um, adj., Tritonian: palus, a miry sea near Pallene, in Macedonia, Ov. M. 15, 358: harundo, i. e. the tibia invented by Pallas, id. ib. 6, 384.—

3.

Trītōnis, ĭdis or ĭdos, f. adj., of or belonging to Lake Triton; or, transf., to Pallas, Palladian:

palus,

Lake Triton, Sil. 3, 322:

Pallas,

Lucr. 6, 750: arx, the citadel of Pallas, i. e. Athens, Ov. M. 2, 794:

urbs,

id. ib. 5, 645:

pinus,

i. e. the ship Argo, built at the suggestion of Pallas, id. H. 6, 47.—As subst.: Trītōnis, ĭdis or ĭdos, f.

1.

Lake Triton, Sil. 9, 297; Stat. Th. 7, 185.—

2.

Pallas, Verg. A. 2, 226; Ov. M. 3, 127; 8, 547:

Tritonide fertiles Athenae,

i. e. the olive-tree planted by Pallas, Stat. S. 2, 7, 28.