Poseidon

Nationality/Culture

Greek

Pronunciation

poh-SYE-dun

Alternate Names

Neptune (Roman)

Appears In

Homer's Iliad, Hesiod's Theogony

Lineage

Son of Cronus and Rhea

Character Overview

One of the major deities (gods) in Greek mythology, Poseidon was the supreme ruler of the seas. The Romans called him Neptune (pronounced NEP-toon). An awesome, unruly, and powerful god, Poseidon was associated with storms, earthquakes, and some other violent forces of nature. When angry, he could stir the sea to a fury, but he could also calm the raging waters with just a glance. One of his titles, translated as “Earth-shaker,” reflected his ability to cause earthquakes by striking the earth and mountains with his three-pronged spear known as a trident. Another name for Poseidon was Hippios (pronounced HIP-ee-ohs), meaning lord of horses, a reference to the fact that he was believed to be the creator of the first horse.

Poseidon rode the waves in a swift chariot drawn by golden sea horses. He used his mighty trident not only to create earthquakes and stir ocean waves, but also to raise new land from beneath the sea or cause existing land to sink below the waters. Although often helpful to humans—protecting sailors at sea, guiding ships to safety, and filling nets with fish—Neptune could be a terrifying figure as well. Quick to anger, he directed his fury at anyone who acted against him or failed to show proper respect.

Major Myths

The son of the Titans Cronus (pronounced KROH-nuhs) and Rhea (pronounced REE-uh), Poseidon was swallowed at birth by his father. He was saved by his brother Zeus (pronounced ZOOS), who tricked Cronus into taking a potion that caused him to vomit up Poseidon and the other siblings—Hades (pronounced HAY-deez), Demeter (pronounced di-MEE-ter), Hera (pronounced HAIR-uh), and Hestia (pronounced HESS-tee-uh). Poseidon later joined Zeus and Hades in overthrowing Cronus, and the three brothers then divided the universe among themselves. Zeus received the sky, Hades ruled the underworld or land of the dead, and Poseidon became god of the seas.

Although Zeus was king of the gods, Poseidon often asserted his independence. Once he even plotted with the goddesses Hera and Athena (pronounced uh-THEE-nuh) to overthrow Zeus. Together they managed to put Zeus in chains. However, the sea goddess Thetis (pronounced THEE-tis) saved Zeus by bringing a giant from Tartarus (pronounced TAR-tur-uhs)—a realm beneath the underworld—to release the king of the gods from his chains. As punishment for this rebellion, Zeus made Poseidon serve as a slave to King Laomedon (pronounced lay-OM-uh-don) of Troy for a year. During this time, Poseidon helped build great walls around the city. When the king refused to pay for this work, Poseidon took revenge by siding with the Greeks against Troy in the Trojan War.

Love, Life, and Children Poseidon had a turbulent love life and fathered many children, including a number of monsters and sea creatures. With his wife, the sea nymph Amphitrite (pronounced am-fi-TRY-tee), he had three offspring. One of the children, Triton (pronounced TRY-tun), was a sea god and a merman (male version of a mermaid) who resembled a human above the waist and a fish from the waist down.

Poseidon had children with other partners as well. After seducing his sister Demeter while disguised as a horse, he had two children: the divine horse Arion (pronounced uh-RYE-uhn) and a daughter Despina (pronounced des-PEE-nuh). Medusa (pronounced meh-DOO-suh) is also sometimes mentioned as a lover of Poseidon. According to myth, Medusa was once a beautiful woman, and Poseidon seduced her inside one of the goddess Athena's temples. Athena, angered by this sign of disrespect, transformed Medusa into a hideous Gorgon. The two children of Poseidon and Medusa were born from the blood spilled when the hero Perseus (pronounced PUR-see-uhs) cut off Medusa's head. These two children were the winged horse Pegasus (pronounced PEG-uh-suhs), and a son named Chrysaor (pronounced kree-SAY-ohr). Through his son Chrysaor, Poseidon became ancestor to some of the most fearsome monsters in Greek mythology, including the three-headed hound Cerberus (pronounced SUR-ber-uhs), the Hydra (pronounced HYE-druh), the Nemean (pronounced ni-MEE-uhn) Lion, and the Sphinx.

Gaia (pronounced GAY-uh), the earth, bore Poseidon two children: Antaeus (pronounced an-TEE-uhs), a giant, and Charybdis (pronounced kuh-RIB-dis), a sea monster that almost destroyed Odysseus (pronounced oh-DIS-ee-uhs) during his journey home after the Trojan War. Another giant offspring of Poseidon—the one-eyed Cyclops Polyphemus (pronounced pol-uh-FEE-muhs)—also threatened Odysseus on his voyage home. When Odysseus blinded the giant, he became a target of Poseidon's hatred.

When Poseidon tried to seduce the beautiful sea nymph Scylla (pronounced SIL-uh), his wife Amphitrite became jealous and transformed her into a horrible sea monster with six dog-heads. Like Charybdis, Scylla terrorized sailors, and she devoured several of Odysseus's companions.

Among Poseidon's other children were the evil Cercyon (pronounced SUR-see-on) and Sciron (pronounced SKEE-ron), normal-sized offspring who threatened and killed travelers in Greece, and the giant Amycus (pronounced AM-i-kuhs), who forced people to fight with him and then killed them. Various ordinary mortals also claimed Poseidon as their father, including the famous Greek hero Theseus (pronounced THEE-see-uhs).

Poseidon's Quarrels Poseidon had numerous quarrels with other gods. One of his most famous disputes involved the goddess Athena. Both Poseidon and Athena claimed the region of Attica (pronounced AT-i-kuh) and its capital city as their own. A contest was held to see which god could give Athens the best gift; whoever won would have the capital city named after them. Athena created an olive tree; Poseidon produced a saltwater spring (or, in some versions, the first horse). When the citizens judged Athena's gift to be superior, the angry Poseidon flooded the surrounding plain.

Poseidon also quarreled with the sun god Helios (pronounced HEE-lee-ohs) over control of the Greek city of Corinth. The giant Briareus (pronounced bry-AHR-ee-uhs) settled the argument by giving the hill overlooking the city to Helios and the surrounding land to Poseidon. Satisfied with this decision, Poseidon caused no problems for the people of Corinth.

Another of Poseidon's famous quarrels was with Minos (pronounced MYE-nuhs), the king of Crete (pronounced KREET). Minos asked Poseidon to send him a bull that he could sacrifice to the god. Poseidon sent such a magnificent bull that the king decided to keep it for himself instead of sacrificing it. Furious, Poseidon caused Minos's wife, Pasiphae (pronounced pa-SIF-ah-ee), to fall in love with the bull and to give birth to the Minotaur (pronounced MIN-uh-tawr), a monstrous beast that had the body of a man and the head of a bull.

Poseidon in Context

As the god of the sea, Poseidon reflects the way ancient Greeks and Romans viewed the seas and oceans upon which they relied for trade and commerce. Poseidon is depicted as a god prone to violent outbursts that occur almost without warning. This is similar to how a calm sea can quickly give way to stormy, dangerous swells. In addition, his frequent outbursts at not receiving proper respect may have been viewed as cautionary tales: looking at the available historical evidence, some experts believe that Poseidon was among the most worshipped of all the Greek and Roman deities. This may also reflect the importance these people placed upon the sea as both a provider and a pathway to trade. But though the Greeks worshipped and respected Poseidon, it is important to note that places of worship to Poseidon were always located outside city walls, indicating that he was too violent and unpredictable for civilized, orderly city life.

Key Themes and Symbols

Poseidon represents the untamed and wild power of nature. While he ruled the sea and could cause the waters to become violent, he also had a strong connection to the earth, as shown in his association with earthquakes that the Greeks believed he started with his mighty trident. The trident—itself an important symbol of Poseidon—indicates his stronger association with fishermen than sailors, since the trident is an important tool in the fishing trade.

Poseidon also had a strong connection to horses, particularly the wild and powerful aspects of horses. The Greeks would pray to him before and after a horse race, although they prayed to his sister Athena during the race, as she was responsible for the actual technique of horse-racing. Another animal associated with Poseidon is the dolphin; a sighting of a dolphin by Greek sailors was considered a good sign of a smooth trip.

Poseidon in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

In ancient art, Poseidon was often portrayed riding in a chariot pulled by horses or hippocamps—creatures with front halves similar to horses and back halves like fish. He was usually seen holding his trident. In modern times, he is perhaps best known by his Roman name, Neptune. Sculptures of Neptune are popular in city fountains and can be found in cities such as Copenhagen, Florence, Mexico City, and Virginia Beach. Neptune also makes an appearance in the animated film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), with actor Jeffrey Tambor providing the voice of King Neptune. Poseidon plays a key part in the 2005 novel The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, which follows the adventures of a demigod (half god, half human) named Percy Jackson.

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

Poseidon made his home at the bottom of the sea, in a palace made of coral. Over two-thirds of our planet's surface is covered by water. As the human population continues to grow, the amount of land available for people to live on will become ever smaller. Do you think that humans will someday live in communities on or under the oceans of the world? What unique problems would humans face living in the realm of Poseidon?

SEE ALSO Athena; Cerberus; Cyclopes; Demeter; Gaia; Hades; Hera; Medusa; Odysseus; Pegasus; Sphinx; Theseus; Zeus