![]() ![]() However, what he couldn’t acquire with romance and gentleness, he did with violence and craftiness. And, much like him, he was not exactly loved back by them. ![]() Just like Zeus, Poseidon had a weak spot for women. Athena kept Athens, and ever since then, the olive branch is a universal symbol of peace. Cecrops, the first king of Athens, decided that Athena’s gift was more useful since it gave fruit, wood, and oil. To prove this, he struck his trident into a rock, creating a seawater stream which welled up in the Temple of Erechtheion on the north side of the Acropolis. ![]() Once, he even wanted to obtain Athens from Athena, claiming that the city would have much more benefit from him than her. The god of the sea was also greedy – especially when it came to earthly kingdoms. And, mad at him for blinding his son Polyphemus, he had a decade-long feud with one of the greatest Greek heroes, Odysseus. Poseidon, the Greeks, and OdysseusĮven so, the narcissist that he was, Poseidon destroyed the fortifications built by the Greeks, firmly believing that his walls are the only buildings of the type worthy to remain. As a result, Poseidon – even against the advice of Zeus – fought on the Greek side during the Trojan war, sending a sea monster named Cetus to torment the Trojans. However, when the time came, Laomedon refused to pay them. Poseidon, Laomedon, and the TrojansĪs punishment, he sent Poseidon and Apollo to serve the Trojan king Laomedon, for whom they built the vast, beautiful walls surrounding Troy. However, with the help of Thetis and Briareus, Zeus overpowered his challengers. So, he teamed up with Hera and Athena to teach him a lesson. Poseidon had a very violent character, Impulsive and hot-blooded, he couldn’t put up with Zeus’ arrogant behavior as a ruler. To some, he was the “Savior of Sailors,” to others the “Averter of Earthquakes.” Yet a third group venerated him as “The Creator and Tamer of Horses” and to a fourth one he was “The Leader of Nymphs.”ĭisputes with Other Gods and Men Poseidon Challenges Zeus Since Poseidon had multiple powers, the Ancient Greeks invented various epithets to describe his manifestations and pray to him. This piece became today’s island Nisyros. During the Gigantomachy, the god used the trident to break off a piece of the island Kos, under which he subsequently entombed the Giant Polybotes. It is said that Poseidon struck a rock with his trident to create the very first horse, Skyphios. The trident is his most recognizable emblem, though his son, Triton, carries one as well. Oftentimes, he is depicted riding a four-horse chariot and wielding a trident over the waves. Homer says that his shriek was as loud as one of ten thousand men combined. In fact, in portrayals, he looks very much like Zeus, a distinguished, bearded man with a dense curly hair and piercing eyes. Poseidon is nowadays known exclusively as a sea god, but in ancient times, he may have been the god of the earth and fertility or even the supreme god of the sky. Various authors have tried to translate it as either “husband of the earth” or “lord of the waters.” Plato says that it means “knower of many things,” but this is much less likely. Poseidon’s name is very old, and its meaning is lost to us. ![]()
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