Tritones 3 - a medley and mix

#tritons #hippocampoi #seahorses #ichthyocentaurs

I've shown you in prior posts the oldest #GREEK depictions of #Tritons show an eel like body with fins but no forelegs

#hippocampi or #seahorses were depicted with similar eel like finned bodies.

The Romans evolved this further probably from lost hellenistic works

This work has tritones has with snaky eeel like tails and small forelegs 

however in this work the Triton has forefins !

though the Romans don't seemed to have been able to decide on a definite form 

Horses' forelegs and fins !

Why the wavering between forms ?

Note the sea horse above 

I think someone decided to combine seahorses with tritons leading to ichthyocentaurs !

Triton, Hippocampoi, and other Marine Chimeras - One

Someone on #Classicstwitter was asking about #Ichthyocentaurs. This Roman example while labelled a Triton is very similar to an Ichthyocentaur 

Here's another example !

So how as a visual art theme did the snake or eel bodied Tritons we see on Greek ceramics become these chimeras of three creatures?

Starting with Early depictions I will show over the next couple of posts how I think it happened.

Note this image features tritons and hippocampoi - merhorses! 

I think someone decided to fuse both which I'll discuss in greater detail next time !