Poseidon he was one of the most important gods present in the religiosity of the ancient Greeks. The Greeks considered him the god of the seas and rivers and responsible for earthquakes, floods and storms. He was the patron of sailors and horses and the creator of these animals in mythology.
Historians claim that, during the Pre-Homeric period, the cult of Poseidon was already consolidated in several parts of Greece. In mythology, Poseidon was the son of Cronos and Rhea and brother of Zeus. He became the lord of the waters after the Greek gods defeated the titans and giants in two wars.
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Poseidon Summary
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Poseidon was the Greek god of the seas and rivers.
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he was considered the patron saint of sailors and horses.
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The Greeks attributed floods, earthquakes, and storms to this god.
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He was the brother of Zeus and was rescued by him from the womb of their father, Cronos.
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he disputed with Athena the right to be the patron of Athens, but the Athenians preferred the goddess.
Who Was Poseidon
Poseidon was a deity of the ancient Greeks, being considered the god of the seas and rivers and responsible for storms, floods and earthquakes s. Thus, in Greek mythology, this god had a strong association with events of great destructiveness.
His association with the sea and destruction has made him the patron of sailors . The Greeks feared him greatly and tried in every possible way not to displease him. That's why sailors swore allegiance to him; knew and feared his destructiveness.
The fear of the Greeks of Poseidon was justified by the narrated myths that showed him as a god ruthless against those who did not respect him . An example of this is mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey , epic poem that chronicles the return of Odysseus, a Greek soldier, to his home (on the island of Ithaca) after the Trojan War.
In this episode, Poseidon began a pursuit of Odysseus after he blinded one of the god's sons, a Cyclops named Polyphemus. The god of the seas then decided to intervene in Odysseus' voyage and created so many obstacles that the Greek hero took 10 years to complete it. Still, the return was only possible because he had the help of Zeus.
Also, Poseidon was the patron of horses . The Greeks believed that he created horses, as well as introducing chivalry and chariot racing to mankind. He also had children who were shaped like horses, like Pegasus , the winged horse son of him and Medusa. The Romans knew Poseidon as Neptune.
Poseidon's Story
The cult of Poseidon in Greece dates back to the Pre-Homeric period , and, between the 15th century BC. and XII BC, some cult to this deity was already carried out, according to documents. There are inscriptions in Linear B, a script used in this period, which record the cult of Poseidon in several regions of Greece.
Poseidon is believed to have been an important deity for the Mycenaeans, and one hypothesis suggests that he was the result of the fusion of a deity worshiped by pre-Greek peoples with another of Indian origin. -European. The permanence of his cult would have made him one of the main gods of the ancient Greeks.
In mythology, Poseidon was son of Kronos , a titan that controlled the Universe, and R and ia , a titan. Kronos was known to devour his own children because he had received the prophecy that one of them would turn against him and dethrone him. Everything was going well for Kronos, until the moment when Rhea intervened and prevented Zeus from being devoured.
Zeus grew up and returned to rescue his brothers, who had been devoured. He made Kronos vomit his own children, and from there a war began with Zeus and his brothers against the Titans. In addition to Poseidon, Zeus rescued Hestia, Demeter, Hera, and Hades. The war of the gods against the titans became known as Titanomachy .
After defeating the titans, Poseidon and his brothers fought the giants at G igantomachy and they also won that war. The victories allowed the gods to divide the domains among themselves, and Poseidon took command of the waters and all the beings that inhabit them. He thus took up residence at the bottom of the ocean, in a great palace.
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Poseidon in Greek Mythology
There are other mentions of Poseidon in Greek mythology. One of them refers to the dispute between him and Athena, a competition over which god would be the patron of the city of Athens. In this dispute, Poseidon offered Athena a spring of salt water and a horse, and the goddess Athena offered an olive tree. The Athenians chose the olive tree and made Athena their patron goddess. In any case, Poseidon was still worshiped by the Athenians and a festival was held in his honor.
The Greeks believed that Poseidon was married to a Nereid (also known as a nymph) called Amphitrite. The wedding took place after she was convinced by a dolphin. From marriage were born Triton , part man, part fish, and Cymopoleia , a nymph. Some Greek sources also claim that Rhode was a daughter of the couple.
Poseidon had other romantic entanglements, such as romance with the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. There are even myths that mention that he would have raped Medusa inside a temple of Athena. There are still other reports of rape committed by him, such as the one against Demeter.
This goddess ran away from Poseidon and turned into a mare to throw him off, but he turned into a stallion and managed to rape her. From other relationships were born Polyphemus, Bellerophon and Theseus , for example.
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Worship of Poseidon
The Greeks had great respect for Poseidon. The city of Pilos was one of the first to worship this god. In addition to her, he was honored Athens, Rhodes and Poseidonia , which was named in honor of the god of the seas.
Festivals were also held in honor of Poseidon, and some rituals were performed during the winter solstice in Greece. There were also the Isthmian Games , held in the Isthmus of Corinth region and which brought together athletes from all over Greece. The purpose of the games was to honor Poseidon. In addition, there were temples and shrines to Poseidon scattered throughout different parts of Greece.