February 1, 2026

The Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s most famous landmarks, visited by nearly every traveler to the city.

The name Trevi is said to derive from the Latin word meaning “three-way junction,” referring to the three roads that converge in front of the fountain.

The legend that “throwing a coin over your shoulder into the fountain will ensure your return to Rome” is well known around the world.

The fountain’s completion, however, was anything but straightforward.

In the days of Imperial Rome, it was customary to build an elaborate fountain at the terminal point of an aqueduct that carried water from distant mountains.

The powerful streams of water cascading from magnificent fountains symbolized the honor and pride of the wealthy patrons who financed them, as well as of those involved in their construction.

The origins of the Trevi Fountain can be traced back to 19 BCE, to an aqueduct commissioned by Agrippa, the son-in-law and adopted son of Emperor Augustus.

This aqueduct carried water over a distance of 20 kilometers and was known as Aqua Virgo (“the Virgin Water”).

The earliest Trevi Fountain was a simple structure in which water flowed from a spout into three basins.

Like many fountains throughout Rome, it was destroyed during invasions by barbarian tribes.

From the 15th century onward, over a span of nearly 300 years, thirteen popes were involved in efforts to rebuild the fountain.

In the 18th century, under the orders of Pope Clement XII, the architect Nicola Salvi spent thirty years creating the fountain in its present form.

The result is a masterpiece of Baroque art, in which architecture, sculpture, and water are seamlessly unified.

Set against the backdrop of the Palazzo Poli stand three imposing statues.

At the center is Poseidon, the god of the sea and earthquakes in Greek mythology (known as Neptune in Roman mythology).

One of the Twelve Olympian gods, he is second only to Zeus in strength.

He rules all the seas and supports even the continents themselves.

When enraged, he unleashes powerful earthquakes that violently shake the world.

As the guardian deity of springs, it is fitting that he stands at the center of the Trevi Fountain.

   To Poseidon’s left stands Demeter, the Greek goddess of the earth, grain, and fertility (Ceres in Roman mythology).

Demeter is also known by the name Chloe, which originally meant “green.”

This is why Chloe came to be associated with the goddess of grain.

English words such as chlorophyll are derived from the same root.

From the Roman name Ceres, the English word cereal—meaning grain—was born.

To Poseidon’s right stands Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health.

She is the daughter of Asclepius, the god of medicine, and is the caretaker of the sacred serpent, a symbol of medicine.

The “Cup of Hygieia” that she holds in her right hand is the universal symbol of pharmacy.

I have discussed Hygieia in detail in the October 1 issues of 2022 and 2024 (both in the Florence parts), and interested readers are encouraged to refer to those editions.

To be continued

December 1, 2025

The Mouth of Truth

The famous “Mouth of Truth,” known for the legend that “a liar who puts a hand inside will have it bitten off,” is located at the Greek Orthodox church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.

This church was built in the 6th century for the many Greeks who lived in the area.

When it was renovated in the 8th century, Greek residents decorated the building — hence the name Cosmedin.

In English we see the same root in words such as cosmetic, cosmetic surgery, and cosmetician.

The iconic scene from Roman Holiday, where Gregory Peck pretends his hand has been bitten off to surprise Princess Ann, played by Audrey Hepburn, is known around the world.

The stone featuring the Mouth of Truth originally served as a manhole cover for an ancient Roman sewer.

 Although the face looks like that of an old man with a thick beard, it is not human at all, but Pan, the rustic god from Greek mythology and the guardian deity of forests, fields, and livestock.

Pan was the child of Hermes, the messenger of the gods.

From birth he had a full beard, goat’s horns on his forehead, and goat’s hooves for legs.

His startled mother fled in fear, but Hermes carried the infant to Mount Olympus to show him to the other gods.

Amused and delighted by the baby’s odd appearance, they welcomed him joyfully.

Because he pleased all the gods, he was named Pan, the Greek word for “all.”

The prefix pan- appears in many words: panorama (a full view), pandemic (a widespread infectious outbreak), panperitonitis (generalized peritonitis), and pancytopenia (a reduction in all blood cell types).

As he grew into a rustic deity, Pan lived in caves, roamed the forests, and often hid in the bushes to ambush nymphs.

When he failed, he would retreat alone to indulge himself — earning a reputation as a thoroughly lascivious god.

Pan persistently pursued the nymph Echo, but when she rejected him, he robbed her of her ability to speak anything except repeated words.

This myth is the origin of the word echo, meaning “reverberation.”
The medical “echo” device we use today is likewise based on reflected sound.

Pan also bothered the nymph Syrinx, who fled and transformed herself into a reed along a riverbank.

Heartbroken, Pan cut several reeds to make a flute, which he named the syrinx, and played a mournful tune.

In the illustration, Pan is shown playing this reed pipe.

From this story came the word syrinx for “tube,” which later gave rise to syringe, the English word for an injection needle.

Pan often napped in the shade of the forest.

When disturbed, he would roar with tremendous noise.

Startled cattle and sheep would scatter in confusion, and people too would panic and flee.

This is the origin of panic, the word for sudden fear or terror. 

　Today, the number of patients suffering from panic disorder — a type of anxiety disorder — continues to rise.