Triton

Family: divine · Role: sea god · First appears: Book IV 12

Life events

• Triton instructs Jason to steer along the coast toward the sea and Pelops.(Book IV 13)
  • With: Jason
  • “but hold to the right, when ye have entered the swell of the sea from the lake, and steer your course hugging the land, as long as it trends to the north”
• Triton guides Argo from the lake into the sea.(Book IV 13)
  • With: Jason
  • “And he guided Argo on until he sped her into the sea on her course”
• In a dream, Euphemus learns that Triton’s daughter will prepare a home for his descendants.(Book IV 14)
  • With: Euphemus
  • “For it seemed to him that the god-given clod of earth held in his palm close to his breast was being suckled by white streams of milk, and that from it, little though it was, grew a woman like a virgin; and he, overcome by strong desire, lay with her in love’s embrace; and united with her he pitied her, as though she were a maiden whom he was feeding with his own milk; but she comforted him with gentle words: ‘Daughter of Triton am I, dear friend, and nurse of thy children, no maiden; Triton and Libya are my parents. But restore me to the daughters of Nereus to dwell in the sea near Anaphe; I shall return again to the light of the sun, to prepare a home for thy descendants.’”
• Jason interprets Euphemus’s dream as a prophecy of an island for his descendants.(Book IV 14)
  • With: Jason Euphemus
  • “And Jason pondered a prophecy of the Far-Darter and lifted up his voice and said: ‘My friend, great and glorious renown has fallen to thy lot. For of this clod when thou hast cast it into the sea, the gods will make an island, where thy children’s children shall dwell; for Triton gave this to thee as a stranger’s gift from the Libyan mainland. None other of the immortals it was than he that gave thee this when he met thee.’”

Book IV 12

• parent: Poseidon “For my sire Poseidon has made me to be well versed in this sea.”
• protégé: Euphemus “But if ye are searching for a passage through this sea, as often is the need of men passing through a strange land, I will declare it. ... Thus he spake, and readily Euphemus held out his hands towards the clod”

Book IV 13

• pupil: Jason “That is the outlet to the sea, where the deep water lies unmoved and dark; on each side roll white breakers with shining crests; and the way between for your passage out is narrow. And that sea stretches away in mist to the divine land of Pelops beyond Crete; but hold to the right, when ye have entered the swell of the sea from the lake, and steer your course hugging the land, as long as it trends to the north; but when the coast bends, falling away in the other direction, then your course is safely laid for you if ye go straight forward from the projecting cape.”
• protégé: Jason “And he guided Argo on until he sped her into the sea on her course; and quickly he plunged into the vast abyss; and the heroes shouted when they gazed with their eyes on that dread portent.”

Book IV 14

• protégé: Euphemus “My friend, great and glorious renown has fallen to thy lot. For of this clod when thou hast cast it into the sea, the gods will make an island, where thy children’s children shall dwell; for Triton gave this to thee as a stranger’s gift from the Libyan mainland. None other of the immortals it was than he that gave thee this when he met thee.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Argonautica. Made with Rho MD.