Poseidon
Poseidon (Greek: Ποσειδῶν) is the god of the sea, earthquakes, storms and horses in ancient Greek religion and myth. He was one of the Twelve Olympians. His parents were Kronos and Rhea. He was the older brother of Zeus yet not by much.
| Poseidon | |
|---|---|
God of seas, oceans, water, rain, flood, drought, lakes, rivers, earthquakes, soil, storms, and horses | |
 Poseidon from Milos, 2nd century BC (National Archaeological Museum of Athens) | |
| Abode | Mount Olympus, or the Sea |
| Symbol | Trident, fish, dolphin, horse and bull |
| Personal information | |
| Consort | Amphitrite, Aphrodite, Demeter, and various others |
| Children | Theseus Triton Polyphemus Orion Belus Agenor Neleus Atlas (the first king of Atlantis) |
| Parents | Cronus and Rhea |
| Siblings | Hades, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Zeus, Chiron |
| Roman equivalent | Neptune |
Poseidon was generally regarded as an ill-tempered being. His mood was a reflection of the state of his realm. He was thought to conjure up violent storms at sea when angered. While he was married to the goddess Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, like his brother Zeus, Poseidon had a number of affairs with other goddesses and mortal woman, siring such heroes as Theseus and Bellerophon. Lord of the waters, Poseidon was both patron and protector of both sailors and seafarers, who would pray to him for safe passage across the sea. Poseidon was often regarded as the “Father of Horses,” as they were thought to be his creations. He was additionally the chief deity and patron of the city of Corinth, whereupon the Isthmian Games were held every other four years in his honor. Otherwise known as the Earf-Shaker (Greek: Εννοσιγαιος), Poseidon was thought to be the cause of such disasters, striking the Earth with his trident (a three-pronged spear) whenever he was particularly enraged. The god's symbol was his trident and the bull, horse and dolphin were his sacred animals. The god Neptune is his Roman equivalent. Neptune was a more war-like figure. He is named after the ship which sank by a tsunami.
Related pages
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- Neptune (god) – Roman version of Poseidon
- Percy Jackson – Fictional Child of Poseidon
- Proteus - sea god in Greek mythology
