Poseidon: The Eminent King Of The Sea
“Tell her this
And more,-
That the king of the seas
Weeps too, old, helpless man.
The bustling fates
Heap his hands with corpses
Until he stands like a child
With a surplus of toys.”
― Stephen Crane, Complete Poems of Stephen Crane.
When we talk about the king of the Seas, we can’t help but think of the mighty god of the sea, Poseidon. What does it come in your mind when you hear the name “ Poseidon “? Is it a sturdy Greek sea god? his infamous Trident that one can see been used as a reference in countless movies and books? or is it the lost city of Atlantis? Different minds different ideas. But very few, outside the Greek community, know about the actual greek culture and its influence from its magnificent history and mythology. We aim to simplify it for you guys as in this article we are going to talk about the almighty sea god, Poseidon.
So..Who is Poseidon?
Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses and is infamously known to be one of the most bad-tempered, vengeful, moody, and greedy Greek gods. He is the 2nd son of Rhea and the mad Titan leader, Cronus aka Kronos. In Greek mythology, across many texts and epithets, one can find Poseidon being mentioned as the King of the sea or God of the Sea but did u know? he is also “the god of earthquakes”, “ the god of the sea-blue mane”, and “the god who grips the earth”.
That is new information, right? It almost makes us wonder how little do they show in the movies influenced by the Greek gods. Let me explain the logic behind why is Poseidon god of so many things.
So, according to the ancient texts of Greek Mythology, after Poseidon defeated the Titans with the help of his brothers Hades and Zeus and in the great divine war of Titanomachy, the universe got divided among the 3 war Heroes. Zeus chose Sky. Hades got the Underworld, so what are the 2 realms that remain? Yes, you got it right, its the realm of the Seas and Earth and Poseidon got them both. Precisely is why he is both the king of the sea and Earth.
Though he is one of the primal gods of Olympus, yet the sea god is known to spend most of his time under the sea, ruling Atlantis with his beautiful wife, Amphitrite. He is also known to be a sibling of Hestia, Demeter, and Hera.
Following is the family tree list of the God of the sea excluding his numerous affairs with the mortals-
- Parents: Cronus and Rhea
- Siblings: Hades, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Zeus, Chiron
- Consort: Amphitrite, Aphrodite, Demeter, various others
- Children: Theseus, Triton, Polyphemus, Orion, Belus, Agenor, Neleus, Atlas, Pegasus, Chrysaor.
Both Poseidon and Zeus are infamous for their Countless affairs with the mortals. Do u guys remember Medusa? What does it come in your mind when one says the name “Medusa”? We all remember her as a monster with a body of snake and snakes for hair, looking at who any and every man turns into a rock, right? But did you know? Medusa was a beautiful woman once who became a monster because of a curse and the credit of so directly goes to the sea god, Poseidon. But that’s a completely whole different chapter of ancient Greek godly politics.
Poseidon meaning? Poseidon name origin?
The origin of the name of the god of the sea is highly unclear and is till date all theoretical. There are ancient Homeric theoretical references of the name “Poseidon” and then there are Doric references too but to keep it simple we are gonna focus on two elementary theoretical references that break down the origin of the name. One theory breaks the name down into an element meaning “husband” or “lord” (Greek πόσις (posis), from PIE *pótis) and another element meaning “earth” (δᾶ (da) . Doric reference for γῆ (gē)), indicates something like “lord “or “spouse of Da “ (referring him as the spouse of Demeter).
What are Poseidon’s symbols and what do they mean?
- The Trident — The Trident symbolizes that the sea god can control water at his will.
- The Bull- The bull symbolizes his raw power and his sense of artistic creativity as the legend goes Poseidon created the 1st bull and sent it to King Minos.
- The Dolphin- Dolphins are sacred to the king of the sea, Poseidon. It symbolizes his ability to go in and out water just like a Dolphin.
- The Horse- It is believed that the sea god created horses for the 1st time to pull his chariot in and out of water for every time he would travel to the land.
Is Poseidon the strongest god?
According to ancient Greek Mythology, Poseidon is no doubt one of the 3 prime Olympian Gods who lead to the revolutionary RISE of the GODS (New line of supreme power as we know today) that is totally cemented on the FALL of the TITANS (Old supreme power before the emergence of gods). His wrath is feared as the sea god and he is worshipped as the king of the sea across different cities of the great Greek nation. In case you guys are wondering what are the different cities Poseidon is worshipped in? here is a list of few major cities-
- Magna Graecia
- Corinth
- Athens (2nd primal god as Athena is held for the highest regards in Athens as the city is named after her)
But in spite of his fame and followers, he is not considered as the strongest god as Zeus holds the position to it. In many contexts of ancient Greek texts (such as Iliad), one can find Poseidon rebelling defying Zeus as the king of the sea has his own respect and ego for being the god of the sea and earth and he is known to believe that he deserves equal respect as Zeus.
What is Poseidon famous for?
Poseidon is famously known as the god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses. This famous greek sea god is also known for his glorious battle in the TROJAN WAR where he sided the Greeks and lead them to victory. As per ancient Greek texts, it is believed that the king of the sea had a huge vengeance against Troy so when he got the chance to make them feel his wrath he didn’t back off even when Zeus asked him to.
What are Poseidon’s powers?
As the king of the sea and earth, Poseidon is entitled to endless energy of both sea and earth. It is believed if he is angered he can summon sea monsters, whirlwinds, earthquakes, storms, and lightning. He is also known to possess the power to manipulate the sea to his will and create massive sea waves that can wash away his victims in a snap.
What is Poseidon’s weakness?
The eminent sea god does not have any notable weaknesses as such however his negative factors were -
- He was moody.
- Greedy to a certain extend.
- Unpredictable as an ally.
- Had numerous affairs including incestuous affairs.
Is Poseidon Alive? How Did Poseidon Die?
Technically, Poseidon (the god of the sea/ king of the sea/ sea god) can never die. He is a god and he is immortal. According to ancient Greek texts, the life of gods depends upon the worship of the mortals. So as long as the god of the sea is worshipped he can never die.
Originally published at https://world-tomorrow.com on May 12, 2020.
