March 1, 2026

The Trevi Fountain (continued)

   In front of the three deities—Poseidon, Demeter, and Hygieia—stand two sea horses, one on each side, each guided by Triton.

The hippocampus, or sea horse of myth, is a fantastical creature: winged, with the upper body of a horse and the lower body of a fish.

Triton, the son of Poseidon, is depicted with the upper body of a man and the tail of a fish.

As heir to his father, he dwells in the palace beneath the sea, riding upon a hippocampus and sounding a conch shell to calm the waves.

On the right, youthful Triton blows his shell trumpet, leading a calm and obedient sea horse.

On the left, mature Triton struggles to restrain a rearing, unruly beast.

Together, the two sea horses vividly express the shifting moods of the sea—tranquil on one side, turbulent on the other.

The conch shell is known in English as “Triton’s trumpet.”

In Greek, however, it is called porphura.

The root porph- originally means “purple.”

Because a reddish-purple dye was extracted from internal organs, the conch came to bear this name.

The chemical compound porphyrin derives its name from the same root, as its crystals display a deep reddish-purple hue.

In porphyria, a condition in which porphyrins accumulate in tissues, urine may take on a striking red-purple coloration.

The English words purple and purpura likewise trace their origins to porph-.

Purpura refers to purplish spots on the skin caused by bleeding into the dermis or subcutaneous tissue.

Senile purpura and congestive purpura are conditions frequently encountered in daily clinical practice.

Even the scientific name of edible seaweed—Porphyra—reflects this lineage, inspired by its purplish tone.

Thus, beneath the grand theatricality of the fountain’s sculpture lies a subtle thread connecting mythology, language, color, and medicine—an elegant reminder that art and science often spring from the same ancient roots.