Neptune's Troy in the Aeneid

Latin Latin Poetry
1

Hello,

I’ve been re-reading the Aeneid and noticed a detail which confused me a bit. In Book 1, around ll.142 or so, Neptune is shown to calm the storm which Juno had set against the Trojans. However, in Book 2 ll.610, Neptune is described to be one of the gods tearing down Troy.
It just didn’t make sense to me why Neptune would be portrayed to contribute to the destruction of a city whose walls he built (Neptunia Troia 2.625), and also help the Trojans in their mission. Is he for or against Aeneas? Or does he just not have a clear overall agenda? If someone could please offer their thoughts on this, it’d be much appreciated.

Thank you!

2

The backstory is that Neptune and Apollo were forced to build the walls of Troy but were promised payment by then-king Laomedon, father of Priam. But when the walls were finished, Laomedon tried to get out of paying them. After that, Neptune harborded a grudge against Troy and the Trojan royal family, and sided with the Greeks during the war. Aeneas and his father Anchises were cousins of Laomedon and Priam, but not direct descendants of either. So dNeptune was not as hostile to Aeneas as he was towards Priam.

In Aeneid 1, Neptune is resentful that Juno bypassed him and went straight to Aeolus to stir up a storm