POSEIDON: who he is, history, characteristics and more

In Greek mythology, the gods of Olympus were in charge of governing and governing different elements and actions, each with their own particular powers and qualities; Among these famous deities we find Poseidon.

Mainly in charge of the seas and oceans, he was the lord and master of the Island of Atlantes and a very important figure in the Olympic pantheon. He knows everything about this Greek god by reading this article.

Who is it?

Poseidon, also called Poseidon, is one of the gods of Olympus. In Greek mythology, the most accepted and popularized version says that he is the God of the seas and the one who shakes the earth, which is why he is associated with earthquakes.

However, there are other accounts where in some cities of Ancient Greece, he was known as the owner and shaker of the earth, the protector of the Oracle of Delphi before the God Apollo and a horse God.

In any case, currently the role of Poseidon is that of the God and Lord of the Seas and Oceans, being one of the most powerful characters in the Olympic pantheon. (See article: God Ares)

History

Poseidon was the son of Cronus the Titan and Rhea the Titaness, who were rulers of the world during the golden age, both children of Uranus and Gaia.

Cronos was malicious and mastered the art of deception very well, he considered himself the owner and lord of what there was and could be.

He managed to reign by betraying and dethroning his father, and proclaiming himself king over his other titan brothers.

That is why when he took Rhea as his wife and she gave birth to a son, he devoured him to avoid the danger of losing his power, as a prophecy predicted.

Rhea gave birth to Hades, Hera, Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon and Zeus. As the legend tells it, Zeus was the only one who was saved from the jaws of Cronus, sending him to Crete to be raised and protected by the Corybantes.

Later Zeus would save his brothers and in a fierce fight they would dethrone Cronus, so that Zeus would become the God of the Gods and in a lottery he would give Poseidon the seas and Hades the underworld.

But not all legends and myths coincide, there is a story where it is said that Rhea not only saved Zeus, but she was also able to do the same for her son Poseidon.

Upon giving birth to Poseidon, Rhea managed to send him to the Telchines or fish-children who lived on the Island of Rhodes, being them and Cafira daughter of Oceanus, the ones who raised the child. (See article: Goddess Venus)

This race known as the Telchines, sons of Pontus and Thalassa, was half aquatic, half terrestrial, with a head similar to that of a dog and the tail of a fish or snake.

It is said that they were the first inhabitants of this island and are associated with several different stories, it is said that they were ministers of the gods, demons, magicians and sorcerers and other stories say that they cultivated the land.

In addition, it was said that they were the first to make sculptures of the gods and were experts in metallurgy, making pieces of great importance such as the trident of Poseidon and the sickle of Cronus and other useful arts.

The story goes that the young Poseidon fell in love with the sister of the Telchines, a nymph named Halia, from this union seven children were born, six boys and one female who they called Rodos, the name later given to an island.

However, it is one of many legends that surround this deity from Greek mythology.

The truth is that this God was key in the battles between the titans, the giants and the Olympians to gain control of the Universe, due to his warlike nature.

He was venerated in many places in Greece and his cult was of great relevance, the head being the divinities of the polis or city-states. But in Athens he was second in importance and power.

In Ancient Greece it was believed that he was master and lord of Atlantis or the island of Atlas. This mythical island described in countless stories is supposedly located beyond the Pillars of Hercules and was a military power in its time.

Poseidon is also considered the guardian of the sailors and the one in charge of deciding who was the winner in naval contests and confrontations.

Characteristics

There are certainly many stories and myths where the Greek gods are described as capricious, explosive and irascible, with complicated temperaments and who embodied many of the defects of human beings.

It is believed that the God Poseidon surpasses the twelve Olympians and other deities in this sense. God of waters, navigation and earthquakes, he stood out for his vengeful, violent and conflictive character.

He controlled the oceans and seas, he could unleash storms, shake the rocks on the coasts with his trident and make springs gush out of the ground, being responsible for many natural catastrophes and many dark forces.

Among its main features we can mention:

Poseidon is only behind the God Zeus in importance, having similar strength but with a more problematic and conflictive disposition. He caused and controlled tempests, storms and natural disasters. He is lord of all water sources: oceans, rivers, lakes, springs, among others. He was ambitious, tough, cruel and a lover of constant competition. He was very fickle and fickle in his decisions. He loved animals. He had a great passion for both goddesses and mortals; he was known to have a large number of lovers and, without a doubt, a higher number of children. It is said that he traveled in a carriage carried by sea horses or dolphins. He had relationships not only with goddesses and humans, but with monstrous beings. He always carried a trident, said to have been made by the Telquians.

Undoubtedly the God of all waters and the one responsible for all the storms, floods, earthquakes and destruction of the ancient world, he was the most disturbing and conflictive deity of the Greek gods.

Poseidon not only affected human beings and other species, but Olympus itself.

Representation

In ancient Greece he is represented very similar to Zeus, as a being with a strong and powerful physique, with a beard and long hair, tall and majestic.

However, with wilder and somewhat rougher features, to better represent his temperament. (See article: Goddess Aphrodite)

Symbols and attributes

The symbols and attributes of the owner and lord of the seas are:

The trident, known as the fishing harpoon and the anchor. The float or chariot, pulled by dolphins or sea horses and accompanied by marine beings, among which are the Nereids, beautiful and friendly nymphs of the Mediterranean Sea. The animals with which it is associated are the horse, the sea horse, the dolphin and the tuna. It is related to all marine symbols and plants.

Poseidon’s trident

Its name comes from the Latin term Tridentis, which translates as: tri or three and dentis or teeth.

This spear that culminates in three points is the symbol of Poseidon, with it he shook the rocks, causing earthquakes, tsunamis and shipwrecks.

It is also said that by hitting the ground with him, he created many of the water sources in Greece and also the horse, an animal for which he had a special passion.

The origin of this divine attribute is represented in many stories and myths, among which are:

-In the stories of the Greek poet Hesiod dating from 700 BC, the trident of the god was forged by the three cyclops Brontes, Steropes and Arges, sons of Uranus and Gaia, who were the blacksmiths and craftsmen in the times of the titans .

It was given to Poseidon in the battle against Cronus and he has kept it ever since.

-Forged by the Telquins, nine brothers, sons of Pontus and Thalassa, they were half sailors and half terrestrials, who skillfully used brass and iron.

They are also credited with making the sickle with which Cronus castrated his father Uranus.

But they were later separated and distinguished from each other, when both gods took their respective kingdoms: Poseidon as god of the sea and Zeus of the sky and thunder, bearer of lightning.

-It was a harpoon typical of the Greek towns located on the coasts, widely used by Mediterranean fishermen for eel fishing, and adopted by Poseidon as his symbol.

-Poseidon’s trident comes from the lotus-tipped scepter that Zeus holds on his throne on Olympus.

Family tree

Poseidon is the Grandson of Uranus and Gaia. He is the fifth son of the Titan Kronos and his sister and wife, the Titaness Rhea, being the second male, behind Hades and first than Zeus.

His brothers and sisters, also Olympian gods, were:

Hera deity of family, motherhood, marriage and women. Very powerful and also feared for her outbursts of anger. Hestia is a peaceful goddess who gives life and warmth to the home, domestic life and family. She also governs cuisine and architecture. Demeter, goddess of grain, the harvest, the fertility of the land and agriculture. She associated with Mother Earth. Hades god of the underworld, guardian of hell and king of the dead. Zeus, god and father of gods and men, governs the deities of Olympus, controls the universe and is the god of sky and thunder.

Family and children

The wife of Poseidon, god of water, was one of the sea nymphs called the Nereids, known as Amphitrite, with her he had a son they called Triton who was half man, half fish.

In addition to Triton, two daughters Bentesicime and Cymopoleia, the goddess of storms.

But as is well known, his list of lovers and occasional relationships is very extensive, because capricious and cruel, what he did not get by the easy way, he took by the hard way.

As expected, he also left many descendants around the world. Among the lovers and children that can be mentioned are:

Demeter goddess of agriculture and harvest: Despenawhose name was known only to those initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries and a horse with the gift of speech, with black fur known as Arion. Another daughter of Pitheus, king of Trezen: Theseus who was King of Athens. Medusa when she was a beautiful maiden priestess of Athena whom she raped in the temple and left pregnant with Pegasus, the mythical winged horse and the giant Chrysaor ​the warrior with the golden sword. The sea nymph Toosa, sister of the gorgons, conceived Polyphemus the Cyclops.

Halia, a sea nymph, daughter of Pontus and Thalassa and sister of the Telchines, had Rodo and six other male children.

Chalice or Chalice, a beautiful nymph who is supposed to be the daughter of Enarete and Aeolus. She bore a son whom they named Cycno, who grew up to be a powerful warrior and invulnerable to iron. Euryale the daughter of Minos, the King of Crete was born Orion, a giant who could walk on water and was a great hunter. Libya the daughter of Epaphus, king of Egypt, had three sons, Agénor, Belo and Lamia.

Mytilene, daughter of Macareus of Lesbos, was the god’s lover and gave him a son named Mythylus. Ceróesa, daughter of Zeus and Io, gave birth to Bizas king of the city of Byzantium.

Iphimedea daughter of King Triopas of Thessaly: mother of the Aloadas The twin giants, their names were Oto and Ephialtes, are known for their strength and aggressiveness. The heroine Melanto, daughter of Deucalion: mother of Delphi, founder of the city of the same name. Nais a freshwater nymph who was known as Naiades: she gave birth to Glaucus…