Poseidon / Neptune
Lord of the sea and also god of earthquakes and of horses. A son of the titans, Cronus and Rhea, he was known as the Roman god of the sea, Neptune.
After aiding his brother Zeus, when they overthrew Cronus, and sent the other Titans to Tartarus, he received the sea as his domain. When he was not residing in Olympus, he lived with his Oceanid wife and queen, Amphitrite, in his underwater palace at Aegae. Poseidon was the father of the sea god Triton, and two daughters – Rhodes and Benthesicyme.
Poseidon was always depicted as a powerfully muscular, bearded-man, carrying the mighty trident. One blow from trident could split a rock open. He drove a two-horse chariot over the waves.
His best known epithet was Enosichthon ("Earth-shaker"). His other epithet was Gaieochus ("earth-guarder").
Poseidon was also a father of another famous horse, Pegasus. When Poseidon seduced Medusa at Athena's shrine, the goddess transformed the unfortunate girl into a monster known as the Gorgon. Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor sprung out of the sea from the blood that fell from Medusa's severed head.
Like his brother Zeus, he had numerous affairs with nymphs and mortals. He also had many children by them. Some of his sons were gigantic in stature, like Antaeus, Otus and Ephialtes, the Cyclops Polyphemus, and possibly the great hunter Orion.
Poseidon had two important sons who sailed with Jason. One of them was the Miletian pilot, Ancaeus, whose mother was Astypalea. Erginus was also his son, and brother of Ancaeus, but Erginus played no important role. The other important Argonaut was Euphemus, whose mother was Europa, the daughter of Tityus. Euphemus was a great runner, who could run on top of the waves, without getting his feet wet. Euphemus played an important role in the Clashing Rocks episode and later on when their ship was stranded in Libya.
His most famous son was the Athenian hero Theseus, by Aethra.
There was enmity between Poseidon and the Trojans which dated back to the time of Laomedon, father of Priam. Zeus had punished Poseidon and Apollo by making the two gods work as builders of the walls of Troy. Laomedon had promised to pay the gods with vines of gold. When the walls were completed, Laomedon refused to pay, breaking their contract. At first, Poseidon sent a sea monster to punish Troy, but the hero Heracles killed the monster. So during the Trojan War, Poseidon sided with the Greeks, though he saved a Trojan hero, Aeneas, son of the goddess Aphrodite and Anchises. He spirited Aeneas away from Achilles because Aeneas must survive to rule the Trojans one day.
His favorite animals were the horse and bull, and the dolphin, while pine was his sacred tree. His places of worship were Corinth, Argos, Troezen and Athens, where he vied for recognition against the other deities.
In Athens, Poseidon vied against Athena. Poseidon demonstrated his power by striking a rock with his trident, causing sea water to gush from the spring in the Acropolis. Athena caused an olive tree to grow beside the spring. It was decided that the entire citizenship would vote. All the men had voted for the sea god, while all the women voted for the goddess. Since there was one more woman, Athena won the contest by one vote. The angry sea-god flooded the region of Attica. The Athenians, however, wisely continued to worship Poseidon, and Athena decreed that women were not allowed to vote in future elections, thereby appeasing the angry sea god.
Poseidon also contested against Helius, god of the sun, for the city of Corinth. The Corinthians, afraid to offend either god, decided to award the Isthmus to Poseidon, while Helius received the heights of the Acrocorinth (the citadel of Corinth). The Isthmian Games were held in his honor.
After aiding his brother Zeus, when they overthrew Cronus, and sent the other Titans to Tartarus, he received the sea as his domain. When he was not residing in Olympus, he lived with his Oceanid wife and queen, Amphitrite, in his underwater palace at Aegae. Poseidon was the father of the sea god Triton, and two daughters – Rhodes and Benthesicyme.
Poseidon was always depicted as a powerfully muscular, bearded-man, carrying the mighty trident. One blow from trident could split a rock open. He drove a two-horse chariot over the waves.
His best known epithet was Enosichthon ("Earth-shaker"). His other epithet was Gaieochus ("earth-guarder").
Poseidon was also a father of another famous horse, Pegasus. When Poseidon seduced Medusa at Athena's shrine, the goddess transformed the unfortunate girl into a monster known as the Gorgon. Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor sprung out of the sea from the blood that fell from Medusa's severed head.
Like his brother Zeus, he had numerous affairs with nymphs and mortals. He also had many children by them. Some of his sons were gigantic in stature, like Antaeus, Otus and Ephialtes, the Cyclops Polyphemus, and possibly the great hunter Orion.
Poseidon had two important sons who sailed with Jason. One of them was the Miletian pilot, Ancaeus, whose mother was Astypalea. Erginus was also his son, and brother of Ancaeus, but Erginus played no important role. The other important Argonaut was Euphemus, whose mother was Europa, the daughter of Tityus. Euphemus was a great runner, who could run on top of the waves, without getting his feet wet. Euphemus played an important role in the Clashing Rocks episode and later on when their ship was stranded in Libya.
His most famous son was the Athenian hero Theseus, by Aethra.
There was enmity between Poseidon and the Trojans which dated back to the time of Laomedon, father of Priam. Zeus had punished Poseidon and Apollo by making the two gods work as builders of the walls of Troy. Laomedon had promised to pay the gods with vines of gold. When the walls were completed, Laomedon refused to pay, breaking their contract. At first, Poseidon sent a sea monster to punish Troy, but the hero Heracles killed the monster. So during the Trojan War, Poseidon sided with the Greeks, though he saved a Trojan hero, Aeneas, son of the goddess Aphrodite and Anchises. He spirited Aeneas away from Achilles because Aeneas must survive to rule the Trojans one day.
His favorite animals were the horse and bull, and the dolphin, while pine was his sacred tree. His places of worship were Corinth, Argos, Troezen and Athens, where he vied for recognition against the other deities.
In Athens, Poseidon vied against Athena. Poseidon demonstrated his power by striking a rock with his trident, causing sea water to gush from the spring in the Acropolis. Athena caused an olive tree to grow beside the spring. It was decided that the entire citizenship would vote. All the men had voted for the sea god, while all the women voted for the goddess. Since there was one more woman, Athena won the contest by one vote. The angry sea-god flooded the region of Attica. The Athenians, however, wisely continued to worship Poseidon, and Athena decreed that women were not allowed to vote in future elections, thereby appeasing the angry sea god.
Poseidon also contested against Helius, god of the sun, for the city of Corinth. The Corinthians, afraid to offend either god, decided to award the Isthmus to Poseidon, while Helius received the heights of the Acrocorinth (the citadel of Corinth). The Isthmian Games were held in his honor.
