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Seahorses in Mythology

As its name very well reveals, Seahorse or in ancient Greek Hippocampus (Ἱππόκαμπος < ἵππος/hippos meaning horse + κάμπος/kampos meaning sea monster ) originates from the mythical era, when god Poseidon held dominion over the seas.

Poseidon apart from being god of seas was god of horses too, Poseidon Hippios (Poseidon the creator of Horses) so ancient Greeks believed that not only did he create them but also domesticated them. Therefore they honored him with horse races inasmuch by offering him horses and bulls.

Homer describes that his chariot was drawn by "brazen-hoofed" horses over the sea's surface; and sometimes it is referred that these were not simple horses but mythic creatures that were horses over the waist and fishes to the tail and sometimes winged.

Later Hippocamps passed in the roman mythologyand become a famous art theme. Hence Pausanias (ii.1.7-.8) preserves that in the lavish decoration of bronze and ivory of the temple of Poseidon in Corinth, which was made by a Roman client, may not be just horses but Hippocamps:

"Within the sanctuary of the god stand on the one side portrait statues of athletes who have won victories at the Isthmian games, on the other side pine trees growing in a row, the greater number of them rising up straight. On the temple, which is not very large, stand bronze Tritons. In the fore-temple are images, two of Poseidon, a third of Amphitrite, and a Sea, which also is of bronze. The offerings inside were dedicated in our time by Herodes Atticus, four horses, gilded except for the hoofs, which are of ivory, and two gold Tritons beside the horses, with the parts below the waist of ivory. On the car stand Amphitrite and Poseidon, and there is the boy Palaemon upright upon a dolphin. These too are made of ivory and gold. On the middle of the base on which the car is has been wrought a Sea holding up the young Aphrodite, and on either side are the nymphs called Nereids."

At last seahorses passed also in the Etruscan mythology and till nowadays are found in tales and in many kinds of art.

In art generally, as already noted, seahorses were and are a popular theme and thereby we find representations of theme from antiquity in sculptures in temples, in mosaics in baths or even in coins.

A.A.