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POSEIDON

POSEIDON & HIS SON TRITON

POSEIDON
(Roman - Neptune)

Poseidon is the ruler of the sea, often called the "Earth-shaker." After Zeus, with his brothers and sisters, defeated the Titans and dethroned Cronus, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades drew lots for one of the three realms to rule. Zeus got the heavens and thus became the supreme ruler, Hades got the underworld and Poseidon got the sea.

Poseidon is very powerful, second only to Zeus himself. Poseidon had a magnificent palace beneath the sea, but spent much of his time participating in the festivities in Olympus with the other gods.

Poseidon’s wife is Amphitrite, granddaughter of the titan Oceanus.

Poseidon was never satisfied with his share of the world and once even conspired to dethrone Zeus. But his plot was discovered and in punishment Zeus exiled him to earth. There he was to build the walls of Troy for king Laomedon. He was helped by Apollo, who was also banished from Olympus at that time. Apollo was able to move the heaviest of stones with just the sound of his lyre. After the task was completed Laomedon refused to reward them as promised and that was the chief reason why Poseidon was on the Greek side during the Trojan War.

Although Poseidon is adored for giving men the first horse, his primary importance was as Lord of the Sea. At his command winds rose and the most violent of storms began, but when he drove in his golden chariot over the water, the storms subsided and tranquil peace followed his wheels. Ancient sailors and warriors would pray and offer tributes to the great Poseidon prior to undertaking a sea journey.

Both the bull and the horse are associated with Poseidon, but the bull is associated with many other gods as well, so the horse can be considered his animal. He was always depicted carrying, or using, his distinguishing weapon, the trident, a three-pronged spear which he used to shatter and shake anything he pleased, much like his brother Zeus used his thunderbolts. He was always accompanied by his son, Triton, who was half man, half fish. Triton would blow on his seashell to announce Poseidon's arrival.

ASSORTED TIDBITS
By Carlos Parada, Author of
Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology

Poseidon, the earth-shaker, was given the dominion of the sea (just as Zeus got the sky and Hades the Underworld). He was the first to concern himself with seafaring and the first to tame horses. The CYCLOPES who gave Zeus the thunderbolt and Hades the helmet of invisibility, gave Poseidon the trident.

Birth.
The Arcadians say that when Poseidon was born his mother declared to Cronos that she had given birth to a horse, and gave him a foal to swallow instead of the child, just as later she gave him in place of Zeus a wrapped stone. The reason for this is that Cronos used to swallow his offspring, and some say that Poseidon was swallowed by his father as were Hestia, Hera, Hades and Demeter, and that only Zeus escaped that fate.

First childhood.
Some say that the TELCHINES, together with Caphira (one of the OCEANIDS), nurtured Poseidon, whom Rhea committed as a babe to their care. The TELCHINES discovered certain arts, and they were the first to fashion statues of gods and were also wizards. It is said that of the nine TELCHINES who lived in Rhodes, those who accompanied Rhea to Crete and reared Zeus in his youth were named CURETES.

Fixes the prison for the TITANS.
When the TITANS were defeated in their war against the OLYMPIANS they were cast into Tartarus, a place that is as far beneath the earth as heaven is above earth. Round Tartarus runs a fence of bronze with gates of bronze, which Poseidon fixed, and there the TITANS were confined.

Plots against Zeus.
Once there was a conspiracy against the rule of Zeus among the other OLYMPIANS and Poseidon, along with Hera and Athena, was part of it. They wished to put Zeus in bonds but Thetis, the Oceanid, freed him and called the mighty Hecatoncheire Briareus, who came to defend Zeus.

Dispute with Helius.
According to the Corinthians this same Briareus acted as adjudicator arbitrating between Helius and Poseidon who had a dispute concerning the lands about Corinth. Briareus assigned to Poseidon the Isthmus of Corinth and the neighbouring lands, and gave to Helius the height above the city (Acrocorinthus).

Dispute with Hera.
A similar dispute, this time for the patronage of Argos, involved Poseidon and Hera. A tribunal of three RIVER GODS: Inachus, Cephisus and Asterion, decided that Argolis would belong to Hera and not to Poseidon. Because of this judgement Poseidon made their waters disappear and they never provide any water except after rain. In summer their streams, they say, are dry except those at Lerna; this may be because Poseidon revealed to Amymone the springs at Lerna when she agreed to yield to him on condition she might have water. Poseidon also inundated many districts in Argolis because the RIVER GODS had decided that the land belonged to Hera and not to him.

Dispute with Athena (Troezen).
Another disagreement concerning the patronage of lands and cities arised between Poseidon and Athena in relation to Troezen. But Zeus commanded them to hold this city in common and so they did. This dispute took place during the reign of Althepus, king of Troezen, himself son of Poseidon and Leis, the daughter of Orus, who was king before Althepus.

Another dispute with Athena (Athens).
Poseidon was the first who came to Attica. With a blow of his trident on the Acropolis, he produced a sea or, as some say, just a well of sea-water that could be seen in the Erechtheum on the Acropolis not far from the outline of the trident on the rock. These were the evidences in support of Poseidon's claim to the land. But Athena, coming after him, planted an olive tree. They fought for the possession of the country but Zeus parted them and appointed the OLYMPIANS as arbiters, and they adjudged the city to Athena, because King Cecrops witnessed that she had been the first to plant the olive tree. Athena called the city Athens after herself but Poseidon, angry at the verdict flooded Attica. However some say that it was Zeus who ajudged Athens to Athena and that Poseidon never flooded the country because Hermes forbade him to do so. In any case in the shrine of Erechtheus there remained preserved a long time an olive tree and a pool of salt water which had been set there by Poseidon and Athena as tokens when they contended for the city.

Thetis.
Zeus and Poseidon had been rivals for the hand of Thetis, but when Themis prophesied that the son born of Thetis would be mightier than his father, both of them withdrew. Later Thetis married Peleus and Achilles was born.

Marriage.
When Poseidon wished to marry the Oceanid Amphitrite she escaped and fled to Atlas. Poseidon then send many to look for her and among them a certain Delphin who, after long wanderings, found her and persuaded her to marry Poseidon organizing himself the whole wedding. For this reason Poseidon put the dolphin among the constellations.

The Walls of Troy.
Once, Apollo and Poseidon, desiring to put King Laomedon of Troy to the test, assumed the likeness of men and undertook to fortify Troy for wages. But when they had fortified it, he would not pay their wages. Therefore Apollo sent a pestilence, and Poseidon sent a Sea-monster, which snatched away the people of the plain. As oracles foretold deliverance from these calamities if Laomedon would expose Hesione to be devoured by the Sea-monster, he exposed her by fastening her to the rocks near the sea, but Heracles delivered her and she married Telamon

More monsters.
On another occasion Poseidon sent another Sea-monster against the Teucrians because Hierax, otherwise a righteous man, was devoted to Demeter and would not honour Poseidon. When Queen Cassiopea boasted of being better than the NEREIDS, these became angry, and Poseidon, sharing their wrath, sent a flood and yet another Sea-monster to invade the land. Andromeda was exposed as a prey to this monster. Poseidon also sent a bull from the sea, and the horses of Hippolytus were frightened and he, entangled in the reins, was dragged to death.

Atlantis.
In the legend of Atlantis which is not connected to other myths except for the names of Atlas and Poseidon, the first ten kings of Atlantis (five pairs of twins) were all sons of Poseidon and Cleito. The first born was Atlas, who was appointed to be king over the rest. The island was called after him.