Poseidon was the god of the sea and was known for his wild temper and many children. He was one of the Mount Olympus gods and Zeus's brother, which made him one of the primary Greek gods. He is viewed as a hot-blooded deity who had notable disputes with gods and humans.
In modern times, Poseidon is synonymous with "god of the sea," but in ancient Greece, he was viewed with a much broader lens. Many saw him as the god of the earth, while Zeus was the god of the heavens and Hades was the god of the underworld. At some points, he is shown with the powers of fertility and may have been viewed as the supreme god of the sky.
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Poseidon Greek God: Family and Dysfunction
Poseidon was the second son of Cronus and the brother of Zeus. He was in the first generation of Olympian gods that ruled the world. He aided his brother Zeus and his siblings in defeating the Titans. After the defeat, he, Zeus, and Hades cast lots to decide which dominion they would rule over. Zeus became the God of the heavens, Poseidon the god of the earth, and Hades the god of the underworld.
Poseidon was hot-blooded and seemed to always have some sort of conflict. Here is a list of his more notable ones:
- Zeus: At one point, the sea god challenged Zeus because he was tired of his arrogance. Poseidon was able to persuade Athena and Hera to join his cause, but his attempt to dethrone Zeus failed.
- Laomedon and The Trojans: Poseidon and Apollo, having offended Zeus by their rebellion in Hera's scheme, were temporarily stripped of their divine authority and sent to serve King Laomedon of Troy. He had them build huge walls around the city and promised to reward them well, a promise he then refused to fulfill. In vengeance, before the Trojan War, Poseidon sent a sea monster to attack Troy. The monster was later killed by Heracles.
- Odysseus: The ever-brewing Poseidon blinded the son of Odysseus. This fueled a 10-year feud between the god and the mortal.
- Athena: Fascinated with the city of Greece, Poseidon challenged the Athenian rule of Athena, believing that he would be able to prosper the city even more than she had. He struck his trident on a rock, creating a stream, while Athena planted an olive tree. Cecrops, the ruler of Athens, viewed both gifts and believed that Athena's was the most useful since it bore fruit. Since then, an olive branch has always symbolized peace.
Poseidon Greek God: Woman
Poseidon was promiscuous like his brother Zeus. He had so many women and children that it would be difficult to discuss them here, but here are the primary ones:
- Medusa: Gave birth to Chrysaor and Pegasus
- Amphitrite: His wife was loyal to him throughout. Gave birth to Triton, a merman. Also gave birth to Benthesikyme and Rhodos.
- Aphrodite: After rescuing her and Ares, he fell for her charm. The two are believed to be the parents of Herophile.
- Demeter: One of the more unique stories of Poseidon. To reject his advances, Demeter turned into a mare. Once Poseidon figured out what she was doing, he turned himself into a stallion and captured her. Their child was Arion, a talking horse, and the nymph Despoena.
- Gaea - Gave birth to Antaeus and Charybdis.