what is poseidon the god of

Down Poseidon dove and yoked his bronze-hoofed horses Poseidon was known to be a very jealous man and one day decided that he would like to be appreciated by the people of land, too. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. With his mother, Gaia, he sired the giant Antaeus, who did battle with Hercules during the Twelve Labors, and Charybdis, a sea monster that lurked in the straits of Messina and formed massive, relentless whirlpools to suck in unexpecting travelers. If you'd like to make offerings to Poseidon, consider some of the following: Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our, The Twelve Olympian Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology, Visit the Temples of the Greek Gods and Goddesses, 10 Fast Facts on Athena and Her Parthenon, What You Need to Know About the Greek God Zeus, Fast Facts on Helios - Greek God of the Sun, Hephaestus, the Greek God of Fire and Volcanoes, The Greek Mythology of Clash of the Titans, Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece, The Story of Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory. The mighty Earthshaker, Poseidon ruled the waves that the ancient seafaring Greeks depended upon. Poseidon is often depicted as a mature, muscular and bearded man — in fact, he looks remarkably like his brother Zeus in appearance. Poseidon was the second son of Cronus and Rhea (after Hades) and their penultimate child (before Zeus). While the act allowed Odysseus and the others to escape from the Cyclops’ clutches, it also earned them the wrath of Poseidon, a god more than capable of waylaying Odysseus on his voyage home. . Poseidon was the husband of Amphitrite, a Nereid. Seized his whip that coils lithe and gold Poseidon's symbol or attribute: The three-pronged trident.He is associated with horses, seen in the crashing of waves on the shore. Indeed, the oldest Mycenaean Greek references to Poseidon pointed to an intimate—though imprecise—relationship with Demeter, and possibly Persephone. One of the chief Olympian deities, Poseidon was a defiant god whose power was second only to that of Zeus. The first of these was the Greek word posis, itself derived from the Proto Indo-European root pótis. ↩, There is a nice discussion of Poseidon’s revolt in Robin Hard’s Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology, chapter 3. A central element of the Poseidon mythos was the god's involvement in plots to undermine the established orders both human or divine. . The remains of this ancient temple are surrounded on three sides by water and supposedly the site where Aegeus, the King of Athens, jumped off the ledge to his death. . Aen. . And the sea heaved with joy, cleaving a path for him Use sea salt, sand, or ocean water to consecrate and bless your sacred space in Poseidon's name. Their relations produced a horse, Arion. New York: Viking, 1990. . He is associated with horses, seen in the crashing of waves on the shore. Poseidon was worshipped as a fertility god. . The chief festival in Poseidon’s honour was the Isthmia, the scene of famous athletic contests (including horse races), celebrated in alternate years near the Isthmus of Corinth. He also rallied the spirits of the great warriors, Little Ajax and Ajax the Great, who mounted the defense that repelled Hector’s assault. The goddess of wisdom made a more compelling case to the Athenians, giving them the gift of the olive tree while Poseidon created the horse. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He is also believed to be the force behind earthquakes, an odd expansion of the power of a sea god, but possibly due to the association between earthquakes and tsunamis in Greece. (Hence the name of the body of water.). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon. As an ever-growing archive, our mission is to catalog the world’s mythology on the web for all to enjoy. However, his domain includes some aspects of the land as well, and in fact he is known as “earth-shaker” in many stories, because of his penchant for causing earthquakes. This earned him the nickname “Earth-shaker.”. Other names:  Poseidon is similar to the Roman god Neptune. Finally, Poseidon figures prominently in the story of the Minotaur. Poseidon was moody by nature: his temperament was unstable at best, and his emotional fluctuations often resulted in violence. Fisherman and sea captains swore fealty to him and avoided his wrath; the sea god's persecution of the hero Odysseus was well known, and few wished to wander so far and so long before finding their home port. The brother of Zeus and Greek god of the sea figures in many myths. In addition to his influence over the seas, Poseidon was responsible for … . To sway the people in his favor, Poseidon made it spring at the Acropolis. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Stories of Poseidon projected the illusion of control onto the one domain that the Greeks could never fully master—the sea. He may be mentioned directly or by allusion to his myths or appearance. Poseidon was god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses and is considered one of the most bad-tempered, moody and greedy Olympian gods. The Greek god Poseidon was a well-muscled giant with flowing blue hair. . His grudge against Odysseus is one theme in the Odyssey. Fisherman and sea captains swore fealty to him and avoided his wrath; the sea god's persecution of the hero Odysseus was well known, and few wished to wander so far and so long before finding their home port. . One well-known modern poem is C. P. Cavafy's "Ithaca," which mentions Poseidon. Major temple sites to visit: The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion still draws huge crowds of visitors to the cliffside site overlooking the sea. And the team flew on in a blurring burst of speed.4. Even with Odysseus, who had ruined his son Polyphemus' life, Poseidon behaved in a less fearsome manner than might be expected of an enraged Sturm und Drang kind of god. Even the mighty Agamemnon was shaken; he proposed a retreat so that the Achaeans might regain their strength. He is distinguished from Pontus, the personification of the sea and the oldest Greek divinity of the waters. POSEIDON (Poseidôn), the god of the Mediterranean sea. His character as a sea god eventually became his most prominent in art, and he was represented with the attributes of the trident, the dolphin, and the tuna. Poseidon was the god of the sea, earthquakes and horses. In addition to goddesses, Poseidon courted nymphs such as Thoosa, who gave birth to the fearsome Cyclops known as Polyphemus. When he discovered that one of his children was destined to overthrow him, Cronus swallowed Poseidon and his other children. Common misspellings are Poseidon, Posiden, Poseidon. Poseidon is the god of the sea, horses, and earthquakes. . Poseidon stormed with giant, lightning strides The Romans, ignoring his other aspects, identified him with Neptune as sea god. Parents: Kronos, god of time, and Rhea, goddess of the earth. Like his brother Hades, he grew up inside the bowels of Cronos, until the day when Zeus tricked the titan into vomiting up his siblings. . Notable among these was a contest for sovereignty over Attica, which he lost to the goddess Athena. When the Titans made the thunderbolt for Zeus, they made the trident for Poseidon. According to ancient Greek religion, he was one of the twelve Olympians that domiciled at Mount Olympus. Oddly for the god of the sea, Poseidon is deeply associated with horses. Poseidon, the god of the sea, was generally associated with images relating to the water. Children: Many, second only to Zeus in the number of illicit liaisons. Though Odysseus had fought on the side of the Achaeans, he and his crew happened to land on an island inhabited by Polyphemus, a Cyclops and son of Poseidon. Poseidon's strengths: He is a creative god, designing all the creatures of the sea. . Write a song, poem, or prayer calling upon him and extolling his virtues, in particular his power as a god who can move both the earth and the sea. Learn more. Poseidon also raped the Gorgon Medusa in the temple of Athena. Ruins of a temple of Poseidon, Attica, Greece. Zeus became ruler of the sky, Hades got dominion of the Underworld and Poseidon was given all water, both fresh and salt. Poseidon came into conflict with a variety of figures in land disputes. And boarded his chariot launching up and out,