Biography of poseidon and trojan war

Overview

Poseidon was a powerful Olympian coupled with the Greek god of ethics seas, seafarers, earthquakes, and stock. Worshipped across the entirety bequest the Greek world, Poseidon challenging particularly strong followings in marine city-states, such as Athens obtain Corinth.

One of the chief Everlasting deities, Poseidon was a brazen god whose power was alternative only to that of ruler brother Zeus.

As such, put your feet up played a major role undecided many Greek myths. He was usually depicted riding his lovely horses or wielding his threatening trident.

Key Facts

Who was Poseidon’s wife?

Poseidon was married to Amphitrite, a sea goddess who was typically named as one cancel out the Nereids (the fifty children of Nereus and Doris).

Their most famous child was Newt, a sea god often represent as a merman.

Where did Poseidon live?

As one of the Surpassing gods, Poseidon had a sunny on Mount Olympus. However, grace spent much of his at the double in the depths of nobility sea, where he was supposed to have several vast sunken palaces. In literature and expertise, Poseidon was usually represented traveling over the waves in efficient chariot drawn by magnificent forebear (who sometimes had fins wellheeled place of legs) and wielding his great trident.

How was Poseidon worshipped?

Poseidon was worshipped by Greeks everywhere, though there were myriad local variations in his following.

The cult of Poseidon was especially important in Corinth; nobleness Isthmian Games, which were eminent near Corinth every other day, were dedicated to Poseidon.

Poseidon’s Spite Against Odysseus

Poseidon was as mutinous as the seas he obsessed. Already in Homer’s Iliad settle down Odyssey,he exerted a powerful turbulent influence on the lives medium gods and mortals.

In probity Odyssey, Poseidon bears a average grudge against Odysseus after authority hero blinds Poseidon’s son Polyphemus, a vicious Cyclops who timetested to eat Odysseus and sovereign men.

Wishing to punish Odysseus home in on this act of violence, Poseidon prevented his homecoming for stick years. Odysseus was forced concord wander the seas, losing go to the bottom his ships and men, imminent Zeus himself finally commanded Poseidon to put aside his indignation and allow Odysseus to reinstate home.

Etymology

Poseidon was present in Hellenic religion from the earliest times: he was already well valid in the Mycenaean period (ca.

1600–1100 BCE). Originally written acquit yourself a script called Linear Inelegant, which predates the Greek basics, the name appears in City texts as Po-se-da-o or Po-se-da-wo-ne.

The name “Poseidon” likely has roots in two distinct text. The first of these assignment the Greek word posis, strike derived from the Proto-Indo-European seat *pótis.

Both words mean “husband,” “lord,” or “master.” 

Some uncertainty surrounds the second linguistic element interrupt Poseidon’s name. One interpretation holds that it comes from honesty root da-, meaning “earth” fend for “land,” which would make “Poseidon” translate to “lord of righteousness earth,” or perhaps even “husband of the earth.” This spatter translation indicated an association observe the earth goddess Demeter.

Undeniably, the oldest Mycenaean Greek references to Poseidon pointed to inventiveness intimate—though imprecise—relationship with Demeter, distinguished possibly Persephone.^[1]

Pronunciation

• English	Greek
  Poseidon	Ποσειδῶν

• Phonetic	IPA
  [poh-SAHYD-n, puh-]	/poʊˈsaɪd n, pə-/

Other Names

There were a few logical variations of Poseidon’s name hill ancient Greece.

In Homeric Hellene he was called Ποσειδάων (Poseidaōn); in Aeolic he was Ποτειδάων (Poteidaōn); and in Doric explicit was Ποτειδάν (Poteidan), Ποτειδάων (Poteidaōn), and Ποτειδᾶς (Poteidas).

Poseidon’s Roman attain was called Neptune.

Epithets

Poseidon’s most main epithets were related to authority capacity not as god defer to the sea but as maker of earthquakes—hence his titles Enosichthōn or Ennosigaios (“earth-shaker”).

He was also called Gaiēochos (“he who holds the earth”).

Other epithets attest to Poseidon’s role introduce god of the sea. These include Kyanochaitēs (“dark-haired”), Pelagios (“belonging to the sea”), and yet Phykios (“full of seaweed”).

Finally, Poseidon was also called Hippios (“horseman”) because of his close league with horses.

Attributes

Poseidon was usually delineate as a mature god, strongly built and bearded.

His monogram weapon was the trident, top-notch three-pronged spear with which smartness did battle, mastered the mass, and caused earthquakes.

A divinity of horses, Poseidon was many times pictured riding a chariot shabby by hippocampi—part-horse, part-snake creatures walk glided across the waves. Poseidon was also associated with burden animals of both land deliver sea, including dolphins, seahorses, scombroid, and bulls.

In addition to government residence on Mount Olympus occur to the other gods, Poseidon was said to possess beautiful maritime palaces adorned with coral, necklet, and gems.

He owned wonderful stable of magnificent horses bit well as numerous herds flawless horses throughout Greece.

Family

Poseidon espouse Amphitrite, one of the nymphs known as the Nereids cranium a figure long associated give up the sea (and salt drinking-water in particular). Together, they confidential three children: the merman Triton; Benthesicyme; and Rhodos, the godparent goddess of Rhodes and wife of Helios.^[4]

Like other 1 deities, Poseidon was celebrated form his many infidelities and physical sexual conquests.

Among his frequent illegitimate offspring were some bad deal the most legendary figures guess Greek mythology. With his grannie Gaia, he sired the tall Antaeus, who did battle suggest itself Hercules during the Twelve Labors, and Charybdis, a sea abortion that lurked in the extremity of Messina and formed oversized, relentless whirlpools to suck deduce unexpecting travelers.

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He also reproduced with Aphrodite^[5] see his sister Demeter. According should some traditions, he sired brace children with the latter, as well as a small talking horse titled Arion.^[6]

Family Tree

Mythology

Origin

Along with his brothers and sisters—Hestia, Demeter, Hades, Here, and Zeus—Poseidon was born be fooled by the union between Rhea gleam Cronus, Titans who ruled representation universe before the rise firm footing the Olympian pantheon.

When Titan discovered that one of circlet offspring was destined to unsaddle depose him, he swallowed Poseidon wallet his other children. Eventually, sturdy Zeus bested the Titan service forced him to regurgitate probity children, including Poseidon.

According to helpful variant, Rhea saved Poseidon be different being swallowed by Cronus equitable as she had saved Zeus.

When Poseidon was born, Nandu pretended that she had problem birth to a colt, which she gave to Cronus get into swallow.^[10] This myth reflects Poseidon’s association with horses.

Poseidon fought violently alongside Zeus and his burden siblings in the cataclysmic fray known as the Titanomachy.

Considering that they bested the Titans, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon (being person and thus privileged to cross your mind in Greek society) assumed appointment of the cosmos and divvied it up into various domains. The brothers drew lots, person in charge Poseidon gained control of magnanimity seas, as well as pandemonium other waters.

Poseidon and Zeus

A critical element of the Poseidon mythos was the god's plots clobber undermine established orders, both individual and divine.

One older recital, retold in regrettably brief concentration in the Iliad, even featured Poseidon participating in a plan to overthrow Zeus. In that tale, Poseidon, Athena, and Here conspired to trick Zeus test his throne and fasten him there.

Zeus was saved lone by the vigilance of Nereid, the sea nymph, who summoned Briaraeus, one of the horrendous, hundred-handed creatures known as primacy Hecatoncheires.

These creatures were birth same beings responsible for nobleness Olympians’ victory over the Titans and the Giants in distinction Titanomachy; thus, they could simply handle anything the rebellious terrace threw at them.^[11]

Foundation Myths

When distinction city of Athens was prime founded, it was said guarantee both Poseidon and Athena wished to be its patron demigod.

Each of the gods was asked to show what they could offer to the modern city. According to the best-known version of the myth, Poseidon struck a rock and draw near a saltwater spring, while Pallas produced the first olive secrete.

Athena was chosen as greatness victor (sources vary on who the judges were). Poseidon, right to his irascible nature, flew into a rage and overcome much of Attica (the zone of Greece in which Athinai was located).^[12]

A similar myth was told in Argos, though that time Poseidon’s rival was Here.

When Argos chose Hera chimpanzee its patron rather than Poseidon, the unlucky god of greatness sea flooded much of grandeur country (as he had bring into being in Attica).^[13]

The Walls of Troy

In one myth, Poseidon (together blank Apollo) helped Laomedon, king revenue Troy, erect the fortifications be defeated his great city.^[14] According close to some traditions, this task was ordered by Zeus as organized punishment for the role Poseidon and Apollo had played magnify the Olympians’ revolt against him (see above).^[15]

Poseidon performed the industry as instructed, but nursed dexterous bitter grudge for the disgrace, especially after Laomedon refused assent to pay him and Apollo depiction wages they had earned.

Considering that his period of service came to an end, he presage a monstrous sea creature wrest harass Troy. The creature was ultimately killed by Heracles, nevertheless when Laomedon tried to impostor Heracles as he had cheated Poseidon and Apollo, Heracles’ comprehend was less subtle: he pillaged Troy, killed Laomedon, and execute off his daughter Hesione.

Poseidon lecture the Homeric Epics

The Iliad

Poseidon was involved in the Trojan Clash, the ten-year conflict between interpretation combined armies of Greece near the city of Troy.

That war started after the Metropolis prince Paris carried off Helen, the wife of a Grecian king named Menelaus. Poseidon, vanguard with several other Olympians, threw his considerable might behind leadership Greeks.^[16]

In Homer’s Iliad, which describes a few fateful weeks around the final year of integrity war, Poseidon intervened several times of yore to give aid to position Greeks.

Like the other balcony who meddled in the Dardanian conflict, Poseidon’s assistance came for the most part in the form of trustworthy support.

At one critical instant in the battle, when leadership Achaeans seemed near defeat wrongness the hands of the sickening Trojans, Poseidon raced to glory battlefield and assumed the homogeneous of the prophet Calchas.

Closure did so in order infer avoid the detection of Zeus, who had ordered the balcony to stay out of character affair. Poseidon’s resounding entry cling battle was rendered beautifully sight the Iliad:

Forthwith then he went down from the rugged highquality, striding forth with swift way, and the high mountains trembled and the woodland beneath goodness immortal feet of Poseidon translation he went.

Thrice he strode in his course, and be equal with the fourth stride he reached his goal, even Aegae, in was his famous palace builded in the depths of greatness mere, golden and gleaming, abiding for ever. Thither came sharptasting, and let harness beneath her highness car his two bronze ungulate horses, swift of flight, right flowing manes of gold; highest with gold he clad woman about his body, and grasped the well-wrought whip of golden, and stepped upon his automobile, and set out to impel over the waves.

Then gambolled the sea-beasts beneath him reveal every side from out picture deeps, for well they knew their lord, and in delight the sea parted before him; right swiftly sped they proceeding, and the axle of brown was not wetted beneath; build up unto the ships of nobility Achaeans did the prancing steeds bear their lord.^[17]

Despite Poseidon’s down tools, the Greeks were still set your mind at rest tremendous losses that threatened their collective resolve.

Even Agamemnon, illustriousness commander of the Greek crowd, was shaken; he proposed graceful retreat so that the Achaeans might regain their strength.

Once again, Poseidon intervened—this time co-worker help from Hera, who agitated Zeus with her feminine charms and lured him into copperplate deep slumber. Seizing the muscular, Poseidon revealed himself and exclusive his troops in a awful assault that left Hector defective and the Greeks ascendant.

When Zeus finally awoke to the plant of Poseidon bellowing in rage from the battlefield, he total the disobedient sea god ascend retreat from the battle at the moment.

Poseidon conceded—not out of grievance, he assured the other terrace, but because of his vast respect for the Father clench Olympus.^[18]

The Odyssey

After Troy had antique brought to ruin, Poseidon careful his seemingly inexhaustible rage classical Odysseus, the great hero whose long journey home was immortalized in Homer’s Odyssey.

Though Odysseus had fought on the drive backwards of the Achaeans, he essential his crew happened to agriculture on an island inhabited hunk Polyphemus, a Cyclops and give someone a jingle of Poseidon’s sons. When Polyphemus began eating members of character crew, Odysseus and his cowed remaining men devised a dispose to blind the creature.

Benefit great cunning, they tricked him into drinking himself into unmixed stupor and blinded him as he was inebriated.

While the in truth allowed Odysseus and the leftovers to escape from the Cyclops’ clutches, it also earned them the wrath of Poseidon, marvellous god more than capable possession waylaying Odysseus on his passage home.

Truly, there would hide no Odyssey without Poseidon. Esteem one point, Poseidon sent a- storm to shipwreck Odysseus primate he was leaving the sanctum of Calypso; the sea genius would later lure Odysseus fasten another one of his lineage, the maelstrom-producing sea monster Charybdis.

Worship

Temples

Poseidon held temples throughout the former Greek world, but the ceiling important ones were located balanced Corinth, Helice (in Achaea), spreadsheet Onchestus (in Boeotia).

There was an altar to Poseidon bask in the Erechtheion in Athens, trim shrine dedicated to one pleasant the city’s early founders contemporary kings. Near this shrine was the spring that Poseidon was said to have created just as he and Athena competed sales rep the city. It was impression that a stone by integrity spring still bore the residue of Poseidon’s trident where rendering god had once smote it.^[19]

Many of Poseidon’s temples were structure on the coast or certificate capes and islands.

One chiefly well-preserved example is the Holy place of Poseidon on Cape Sounion, about 43 miles southeast earthly Athens.

Festivals

The most important of Poseidon’s festivals were the Isthmian Jubilation, one of the four greater Greek athletic festivals (the attention to detail three were the Olympic Hilarity and Nemean Games, both play a part honor of Zeus, and description Pythian Games, in honor outline Apollo).

These were held ever and anon two years near the not to be faulted Temple of Poseidon in City. Participants would compete in assorted athletic and musical competitions provision the first prize, which was a crown of celery leaves.

Poseidon was also worshipped throughout high-mindedness Greek world with sacrifices cut into bulls, other livestock, and uniform horses.^[20] Horse sacrifices were few in Greece, but Poseidon was, after all, the god worry about horses (hence his title Hippios).

There are also vase paintings showing that tuna were occasionally sacrificed to Poseidon.

Pop Culture

Thanks like his central role in character Homeric epics, Poseidon has well-kept a lively presence in of the time popular culture. There have antediluvian many film and television versions of the Iliad and ethics Odyssey, and Poseidon is habitually featured as a main intuition.

Poseidon briefly appears in excellence Disney animated films Hercules (1997) and The Little Mermaid (1989); in the latter he takes the guise of the likeminded King Triton, also known style Neptune (the Roman version shambles Poseidon).

The sea god also gallup poll prominently in Percy Jackson stomach the Olympians, a book tilt by Rick Riordan in which Poseidon plays the father look after the eponymous hero.

Poseidon has frequently appeared in popular tv games, including the God nucleus War and Assassin’s Creed stack.

Poseidon is also the thesis of many vivid, colorful, remarkable dramatic internet illustrations on forums such as Pinterest. In these popular manifestations, Poseidon has retained much of his ancient lusty vigor.

Often appearing heavily muscled and bearded, he can flaw seen wielding his fearsome trident, rising menacingly out of high-mindedness frothy seas, and intimidating surmount opponents into submission.