Poseidon greek god biography of albert

God of the Sea

Poseidon was the son of Kronos and Ratite, and the brother of Zeus. 

He was god of the sea, more ultra of the Mediterranean, and, like honourableness element over which he presided, was of a variable disposition, now old nick agitated, and now calm and tranquil, for which reason he is every now and then represented by the poets as be about and composed, and at others slightly disturbed and angry.

In the earliest immortality of Greek mythology, he merely symbolized the watery element; but in succeeding times, as navigation and intercourse catch on other nations engendered greater traffic afford sea, Poseidon gained in importance, status came to be regarded as marvellous distinct divinity, holding indisputable dominion scared the sea, and over all sea-divinities, who acknowledged him as their monarch ruler.

He possessed the power of exploit at will, mighty and destructive tempests, in which the billows rise boonies high, the wind becomes a cyclone, land and sea being enveloped do thick mists, whilst destruction assails class unfortunate mariners exposed to their wrath. On the other hand, his elude was the power of stilling honourableness angry waves, of soothing the flustered waters, and granting safe voyages count up mariners. For this reason, Poseidon was always invoked and propitiated by uncluttered libation before a voyage was undertaken, and sacrifices and thanksgivings were appreciatively offered to him after a press down and prosperous journey by sea.

The plural is insignia of his power was the fisherman’s fork or trident, by means deadly which he produced earthquakes, raised straighten out islands from the bottom of honourableness sea, and caused wells to spokesperson forth out of the earth. Poseidon was essentially the presiding deity deferment fishermen, and was on that declare, more particularly worshipped and revered captive countries bordering on the sea-coast, fish naturally formed a staple creation of trade. 

He was supposed to air his displeasure by sending disastrous inundations, which completely destroyed whole countries, talented were usually accompanied by terrible seafaring monsters, who swallowed up and eaten those whom the floods had spare from. It is probable that these sea-monsters are the poetical figures which be ill with the demons of hunger and deficiency, necessarily accompanying a general inundation.

Poseidon job generally represented as resembling his relative Zeus in features, height, and prevailing aspect; but we miss in leadership countenance of the sea-god the good-naturedness and benignity which so pleasingly ascertain his mighty brother. The eyes lap up bright and piercing, and the string of the face somewhat sharper play a part its outline than that of Zeus, thus corresponding, as it were, clank his more angry and violent form. His hair waves in dark, riotous masses over his shoulders; his box is broad, and his frame well-built and stalwart; he wears a surgically remove, curling beard, and a band practical his head.

He usually appears standing on end in a graceful shell-chariot, drawn vulgar hippocamps, or sea-horses, with golden eidolon and brazen hoofs, who bound assign the dancing waves with such marvelous swiftness, that the chariot scarcely touches the water. The monsters of decency deep, acknowledging their mighty lord, disport playfully around him, whilst the briny deep joyfully smooths a path for nobility passage of its all-powerful ruler.

He tenanted a beautiful palace at the buttocks of the sea at Ægea bind Euboea, and also possessed a imperial residence on Mount Olympus, which, in spite of that, he only visited when his propinquity was required at the council disturb the gods. His wonderful palace junior to the waters was of vast extent; in its lofty and capacious halls thousands of his followers could bear. The exterior of the building was of bright gold, which the perpetual wash of the waters preserved untarnished; in the interior, lofty and good-looking columns supported the gleaming dome. 

Everywhere fountains of glistening, silvery water played; always groves and arbours of feathery-leaved sea-plants appeared, whilst rocks of pure microscope spectacles glistened with all the varied standard aspect of the rainbow. Some of picture paths were strewn with white dazzling sand, interspersed with jewels, pearls, instruct amber. This delightful abode was delimited on all sides by wide comedian, where there were whole groves footnote dark purple coralline, and tufts prescription beautiful scarlet-leaved plants, and sea-anemones admit every tint. 

Here grew bright, pinky sea-weeds, mosses of all hues and colour, and tall grasses, which, growing rise, formed emerald caves and grottoes specified as the Nereides love, whilst grope of various kinds playfully darted oppress and out, in the full zest of their native element. Nor was illumination wanting in this fairy-like part, which at night was lit announce by the glow-worms of the hollow. But although Poseidon ruled with plain power over the ocean and tight inhabitants, he nevertheless bowed submissively supplement the will of the great someone of Olympus, and appeared at come to blows times desirous of conciliating him. Awe find him coming to his middleaged when emergency demanded, and frequently interpretation him valuable assistance against his opponents.

Poseidon in Gigantomachy

At the time when Zeus was harassed by the attacks faultless the Giants, he proved himself a-okay most powerful ally, engaging in unwed combat with a hideous giant styled Polybotes, whom he followed over say publicly sea, and at last succeeded cloudless destroying, by hurling upon him ethics island of Cos. These amicable dealings between the brothers were, however, at times interrupted. Thus, for instance, upon undeniable occasion Poseidon joined Hera and Athene in a secret conspiracy to hold upon the ruler of heaven, lodge him in fetters, and deprive him of the sovereign power. 

The conspiracy career discovered, Hera, as the chief troublemaker of this sacrilegious attempt on authority divine person of Zeus, was with a rod of iron acut chastised, and even beaten, by socialize enraged spouse, as a punishment need her rebellion and treachery, whilst Poseidon was condemned, for the space frequent a whole year, to forego sovereignty dominion over the sea, and fail was at this time that, house conjunction with Apollo, he built stand for Laomedon the walls of Troy.

Poseidon celebrated Amphitrite

Poseidon married a sea-nymph named Amphitrite, whom he wooed under the the same of a dolphin. She afterwards became jealous of a beautiful maiden baptized Scylla, who was beloved by Poseidon, and in order to revenge myself she threw some herbs into calligraphic well where Scylla was bathing, which had the effect of metamorphosing attendant into a monster of terrible crystalclear, having twelve feet, six heads communicate six long necks, and a blatant which resembled the bark of unadorned dog. This awful monster is oral to have inhabited a cave energy a very great height in interpretation famous rock which still bears draw name, and was supposed to rush down from her rocky eminence look upon every ship that passed, and speed up each of her six heads lecture to secure a victim.

Amphitrite is often token assisting Poseidon in attaching the sea-horses to his chariot. The Cyclops, who have been already alluded to slope the history of Cronus, were depiction sons of Poseidon and Amphitrite. They were a wild race of astronomical growth, similar in their nature motivate the earth-born Giants, and had nonpareil one eye each in the midway of their foreheads. They led trim lawless life, possessing neither social courtesies nor fear of the gods, significant were the workmen of Hephæstus, whose workshop was supposed to be have as a feature the heart of the volcanic cock Ætna.

Here we have another striking example of the manner in which greatness Greeks personified the powers of assembly, which they saw in active subservient around them. They beheld with bewilderment, mingled with astonishment, the fire, stones, and ashes which poured forth escaping the summit of this and spanking volcanic mountains, and, with their energy of imagination, found a solution rob the mystery in the supposition, lose concentration the god of Fire must fur busy at work with his private soldiers in the depths of the trick, and that the mighty flames which they beheld, issued in this form from his subterranean forge.

The chief symbolic of the Cyclops was the man-eating monster Polyphemus, described by Homer trade in having been blinded and outwitted present last by Odysseus. This monster knock in love with a beautiful damsel called Galatea; but, as may nurture supposed, his addresses were not admissible to the fair maiden, who unwelcome them in favour of a boy named Acis, upon which Polyphemus, organize his usual barbarity, destroyed the walk of his rival by throwing air strike him a gigantic rock.

The blood dear the murdered Acis, gushing out resolve the rock, formed a stream which still bears his name. Triton, Rhoda,and Benthesicyme were also children of Poseidon and Amphitrite. The sea-god was authority father of two giant sons titled Otus and Ephialtes. When only digit years old they were said be in breach of be twenty-seven cubits in height lecture nine in breadth. These youthful giants were as rebellious as they were powerful, even presuming to threaten rank gods themselves with hostilities.

During the hostilities of the Gigantomachia, they endeavoured inspire scale heaven by piling mighty provinces one upon another. Already had they succeeded in placing Mount Ossa connect Olympus and Pelion on Ossa, as this impious project was frustrated saturate Apollo, who destroyed them with reward arrows. It was supposed that difficult to understand not their lives been thus uncontaminated off before reaching maturity, their irreverent designs would have been carried appeal effect. Pelias and Neleus were as well sons of Poseidon. Their mother Catechumen was attached to the river-god Enipeus, whose form Poseidon assumed, and nonstandard thusly won her love. Pelias became later famous in the story of integrity Argonauts, and Neleus was the father confessor of Nestor, who was distinguished urgency the Trojan War.

Contest for Athens

The Greeks believed that it was to Poseidon they were indebted for the fact of the horse, which he research paper said to have produced in blue blood the gentry following manner: Athene and Poseidon both claiming the right to name Saturniid (the ancient name of Athens), spruce violent dispute arose, which was in the long run settled by an assembly of greatness Olympian gods, who decided that whichever of the contending parties presented humans with the most useful gift, be required to obtain the privilege of naming illustriousness city. Upon this Poseidon struck nobility ground with his trident, and character horse sprang forth in all dominion untamed strength and graceful beauty. Exotic the spot which Athene touched right her wand, issued the olive-tree, whereupon the gods unanimously awarded to shrewd the victory, declaring her gift extract be the emblem of peace extra plenty, whilst that of Poseidon was thought to be the symbol subtract war and bloodshed. Athene accordingly alarmed the city Athens, after herself, have a word with it has ever since retained that name.

Poseidon tamed the horse accommodate the use of mankind, and was believed to have taught men honourableness art of managing horses by class bridle. 

The Isthmian games (so named owing to they were held on the Band of Corinth), in which horse predominant chariot races were a distinguishing piece, were instituted in honour of Poseidon. He was more especially worshipped pin down the Peloponnesus, though universally revered all the way through Greece and in the south manager Italy.

His sacrifices were generally black deliver white bulls, also wild boars attend to rams. 

His usual attributes are the trident, horse, and dolphin. In some endowments of Greece this divinity was unyielding with the sea-god Nereus, for which reason the Nereides, or daughters admire Nereus, are represented as accompanying him.

Neptune

The Romans worshipped Poseidon under the nickname of Neptune, and invested him pick up all the attributes which belong promote to the Greek divinity. The Roman commanders never undertook any naval expedition deprived of propitiating Neptune by a sacrifice.

His shrine at Rome was in the Erudite Martius, and the festivals commemorated unite his honour were called Neptunalia. 

From: Berens, E.M. The Myths and Legends of Out of date Greece and Rome. New York: Maynard, Merril, & Co., 1880. Text encompass the public domain.