Bident Jupiter (also known as Jove, Etruscan Tinia), the trident or bident thus represents a forked lightning bolt. In ancient Italy, thunder and lightning were read as signs of divine will, wielded by the sky god Jupiter in three forms or degrees of severity (see "manubia"). The Romans drew on Etruscan traditions for the interpretation of these signs. A tile found at Urbs Salvia in Picenum depicts an unusual composite Jove, "fairly bristling with weapons": a lightning bolt, a bident, and a trident, uniting the realms of sky, earth, and sea, and representing the three degrees of ominous lightning (see also
Victor Milan Victor Milan Victor Woodward Milán (August 3, 1954 in Tulsa, Oklahoma – February 13, 2018 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) was an American writer known for libertarian science fiction and an interest in cybernetics. In 1986 he won the Prometheus Award for "Cybernetic Samurai". He has also written several shared universe works for the Forgotten Realms, "Star Trek", "BattleTech" and "Wild Cards" series. He has also written books under the pseudonyms Richard Austin (Jove Books "The Guardians" series), Robert Baron (Jove Books "Stormrider" series), and S. L. Hunter ("Steele" series with Simon Hawke, who used the pen name J. D. Masters).