Tiberinus (god)

{{Short description|Roman water deity}} {{about|the Roman deity|the legendary king of [[Alba Longa]]|Tiberinus Silvius}} [[Image:Roman sculpture.jpg|thumb|300px|Tiberinus (statue from the [[Capitoline Museum|Campidoglio, Rome]]).]] '''Tiberinus''' is a figure in [[Roman mythology]]. He was the god of the [[Tiber|Tiber River]]. He was added to the 3,000 rivers (sons of [[Oceanus]] and [[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]]), as the [[genius (mythology)|genius]] of the Tiber.

==Mythology== According to Book VIII of [[Virgil]]'s epic ''[[Aeneid]]'', Tiberinus helped [[Aeneas]] after his arrival in Italy from [[Troy]], suggesting to him that he seek an alliance with [[Evander of Pallene]] in the war against [[Turnus]] and his allies (see [[founding of Rome]]). Tiberinus appeared to Aeneas in a dream, telling him he had arrived at his true home. Tiberinus also calmed the water so that Aeneas's boat was able to reach the city safely.<ref>Morford, Mark and Lenardon, Robert ''Classical Mythology''</ref> With [[Manto (mythology)|Manto]], Tiberinus was the father of [[Ocnus]].<ref>Virgil, ''Aeneid,'' X, 198ff</ref>

According to [[Livy]], author of [[Ab Urbe Condita (book)|Ab Urbe Condita]], the first name of the river Tiber was Albula, and Tiberinus was one of the [[Kings of Alba Longa|kings]] of [[Alba Longa]], who drowned in crossing this river, and gave the river his name.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Livy |title=Ab Urbe Condita |volume=i |pages=3}}</ref>

Tiberinus is also known as the river god who found the twins [[Romulus and Remus]] and gave them to the she-wolf [[Capitoline Wolf|Lupa]] (who had just lost her own cubs) to suckle. He later rescued and married [[Rhea Silvia]], the mother of the twins and a [[Vestal Virgin]] who had been sentenced to death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Romulus_and_Remus/|title = Romulus and Remus}}</ref>

==Worship== Tiberinus was considered to be one of the most important river-gods and people made sure to put offerings in the Tiber River every May. Tiberinus was honored with twenty-seven straw dummies which were called ''[[Argei]]''.<ref>Morford, Mark and Lenardon, Robert ''Classical Mythology''</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery> File:B. PINELLI, Enea e il Tevere.jpg|''[[Aeneas]] and Tiberinus'' by [[Bartolomeo Pinelli]] Image:Altar Mars Venus Massimo.jpg|Altar, showing Tiberinus (bottom right) revealing the twins </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiberinus (God)}} [[Category:Roman gods]] [[Category:River gods in Greek mythology]] [[Category:Deities in the Aeneid]] [[Category:Personifications of rivers]] [[Category:Sea and river gods]]