King of the sea, rivers, drought, earthquakes, flood, and horses, Poseidon (Neptune) was Zeus’, Hera, Hestia and Demeter and Hades older brother. After the toppling of their father Cronus, the three brothers allocated domains of the universe. Poseidon became the lord of the sea, thereby possessing superior power over every aspect of aquatic life. Poseidon was a dark bearded man with a sturdy stature. He carried with him a trident (a spear with three points) with which he would shake the earth to create earthquakes, and smash rocks to either brew a storm or hold it back. Other times, he would be depicted with a horse or a dolphin. Poseidon possessed power that only Zeus could challenge. He often fell afoul of Zeus who would slight him and thrust contemptuous remarks at him. This was probably why he was eager to be in cahoots with Athena and Hera in their conspiracy to chain Zeus. Having an almost an equal level of prominence as that of Zeus, Poseidon would rebel and become infuriated by Zeus, but he was always inferior to him and would act submissively around him. To the Greeks, Poseidon was a difficult character that was hard to deal with. His greedy disposition would often have him come into conflict with the other gods as he would frequently attempt to conquer the cities that they possessed. With Hera he argued over the land of Argolis; with Zeus, Aegina; and Dionysus, Naxos. As the ruler of the sea, he had the prowess to craft storms, assure a safe voyage and help those in danger. He was thus highly worshiped by seamen. Moreover, as the sea was believed to encompass the earth and serve as a cohesive element he was described as ‘gaiêochos,’ the god who binds the earth together.
Mount Olympus and Greek Gods
