Poseidon and the Sea

Contributions by Robert I. Curtis, Nancy T. de Grummond, Angeliki Kokkinou, Jeffrey Maish, William M. Murray, Seth D. Pevnick, and Erika Simon

The realms of Poseidon encompassed virtually every aspect of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, from mythology and cult to daily activities. Poseidon and the Sea: Myth, Cult, and Daily Life explores each of these three domains. Inspired by a nearly life-sized marble statue of the god in the outstanding antiquities collection of the Tampa Museum of Art, this volume brings together 125 works of ancient art, including sculpture, pottery, glass, metalwork, and coins. Beyond their clear appeal to students and scholars of the classical world, these works, held by leading institutions and collectors in the United States and Europe, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta and the Museo Nazionale Archeologico, Florence, offer all readers an intimate look at the continuing resonance of Poseidon and the timeless beauty and wonder of marine life.

Contributions by top specialists examine the myth, iconography, and religious cult of Poseidon, who ruled over not just the sea, but also horses and natural phenomena from floods to earthquakes. Neptune and Nethuns, his Roman and Etruscan analogues, are also discussed, as well as the significance of the sea in everyday life. There are fascinating insights on ancient shipbuilding, maritime trade, and naval warfare, as well as seafood and the many ancient activities related to it, from fishing and fish breeding to the processing of fish and its byproducts.

Author biographies

Seth D. Pevnick is curator of Greek and Roman art at the Cleveland Museum of Art.and was chief curator and Richard E. Perry Curator of Greek and Roman Art at the Tampa Museum of Art; Robert I. Curtis is professor emeritus of Classics at the University of Georgia; Nancy T. de Grummond is M. Lynette Thompson Professor of Classics and Distinguished Research Professor at Florida State University; Angeliki Kokkinou is head of the Archaeologists/Hosts of the Department of Learning at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece; Jeffrey Maish is associate conservator in the Department of Antiquities of the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA; William M. Murray is Mary and Gus Stathis Professor of Greek History at the University of South Florida; Erika Simon, who died in February 2019, was professor emerita of Classical Archaeology at the University of Würzburg, Germany.

Table of Contents

1. Director’s Foreword
2. Curator’s Preface and Acknowledgments
3. Map of the Ancient Mediterranean World
4. Poseidon and the Sea: Myth, Cult, and Daily Life by Seth D. Pevnick
5. Poseidon in Ancient Greek Religion, Myth, and Art by Erika Simon
6. Of Horses, Earthquakes, and the Sea: Poseidon and His Worshippers in Ancient Greece by Angeliki Kokkinou
7. Nethuns and Neptune: Water Gods of Ancient Italy by Nancy T. de Grummond
8. Ancient Greek and Roman Seafaring by William M. Murray
9. From Fish to Fish Sauce: Seafood in the Ancient Roman World by Robert I. Curtis
10. Case Study: A Colossal Trident in the Getty Museum by Jeffrey Maish
11. Exhibition Checklist
    Myth and Iconography
    Cult
    Daily Life by the Sea
    Coins
12. Notes
13. Illustrated chronology
14. Glossary
15. Abbreviations and Bibliography
16. About the authors
17. Index
18. Lenders to the Exhibition