Poseidon
 |
Neptune reigns in the city center, Bristol, formerly the largest port in England outside London. |
In
Greek mythology,
Poseidon (
Greek:
) was the god of the
sea, as well as
horses and, as "Earth-Shaker", of
earthquakes. He figured as
Rodon in
Illyrian,
Nethuns in
Etruscan, and
Neptune in
Roman mythology.
In
Mycenean culture, Poseidon's importance was greater than that of
Zeus. At
Pylos he is the chief god, if surviving
Linear B clay tablets can be trusted; the name PO-SE-DA-WO-NE (Poseidon) occurs with greater frequency than does DI-U-JA (Zeus). A feminine variant, PO-SE-DE-IA, is also found, indicating the existence of a now-forgotten consort goddess. Tablets from Pylos record sacrificial goods destined for "the Two Queens and Poseidon" and to "the Two Queens and the King". The most obvious identification for the "Two Queens" is with
Demeter and
Persephone, or their precursors, goddesses who were not associated with Poseidon in later periods. Poseidon is already identified as "Earth-Shaker"— E-NE-SI-DA-O-NE— in Mycenaean
Knossos [
1], a powerful attribute where earthquakes had accompanied the collapse of the
Minoan palace-culture. In the heavily sea-dependent Mycenean culture, no connection between Poseidon and the sea has yet surfaced; among the Olympians it was determined by lot that he should rule over the sea (Hesiod,
Theogony 456): the god preceded his realm.
Demeter and Poseidon's names are linked in one Pylos tablet, where they appear as PO-SE-DA-WO-NE and DA-MA-TE, in the context of sacralized lot-casting. In one etymology , the 'DA' element in each of their names would be connected to a
Proto-Indo-European root relating to distribution of land and honors (compare Latin
dare "to give"), thus 'Poseidon' would mean something like "distribution-lord" or "husband of the distributor", to match 'Damater' "distribution-mother".
Walter Burkert finds that "the second element
da- remains hopelessly ambiguous" and finds a "husband of Earth" reading "quite impossible to prove" (Burkert 1985 III.2.3).
Given Poseidon's connection with horses as well as the sea, and the landlocked situation of the likely Indo-European homeland, some scholars have proposed that Poseidon was originally an aristocratic horse-god who was then assimilated to Near Eastern aquatic deities when the basis of the Greek livelihood shifted from the land to the sea.
In any case, the early all-importance of Poseidon can still be glimpsed in
Homer's
Odyssey, where Poseidon rather than
Zeus is the major mover of events.
|
Neptune's horses, by Walter Crane |
In the historical period, Poseidon was often referred to by the epithets
Enosichthon,
Seischthon and
Ennosigaios, all meaning "earth-shaker" and referring to his role in causing earthquakes. Poseidon was a major civic god of several cities: in
Athens, he was second only to
Athena in importance; while in
Corinth and many cities of
Magna Graecia he was the chief god of the
polis.
According to
Pausanias, Poseidon was one of the caretakers of the
Oracle at
Delphi before Olympian
Apollo took it over. Apollo and Poseidon worked closely in many realms: in colonization, for example, Apollo provided the authorization to go out and settle from
Delphi, while Poseidon watched over the colonists on their way, and provided the lustral water for the foundation-sacrifice.
Xenophon's
Anabasis describes a groups of
Spartan soldiers singing to Poseidon a
paean - a kind of hymn normally sung for Apollo.
Like
Dionysus and the
Maenads, Poseidon also caused certain forms of mental disturbance. One
Hippocratic text says that he was blamed for certain types of epilepsy.
Homeric Hymn to Poseidon
The hymn to Poseidon included among the
Homeric Hymns is a brief invocation, a seven-line introduction that addresses the god as both "mover of the earth and barren sea, god of the deep who is also lord of
Helicon and wide
Aegae[The ancient palace-city that was replaced by Vergina], and specificies his two-fold nature as an Olympian: "a tamer of horses and a saviour of ships."
Role in society
Sailors prayed to Poseidon for a safe voyage, sometimes drowning horses as a sacrifice. In his benign aspect, Poseidon created new
islands and offered calm
seas. When offended or ignored, he struck the ground with his
trident and caused
chaotic springs,
earthquakes, drownings and
shipwrecks.
Poseidon's
chariot was pulled by a
hippocampus or
horses that could ride on the sea. He was associated with
dolphins and three-pronged
fish spears (
tridents).
He lived in a palace on the
ocean floor, made of
coral and
gems.
Neptune was worshiped by the
Romans primarily as a
horse god,
Neptune Equester, patron of horse-racing. He had a temple near the race tracks in Rome (built in
25 BC), the
Circus Flaminius, as well as one in the
Campus Martius, where on
July 23, the
Neptunalia was observed.
Birth and childhood
Poseidon was a son of
Cronus and
Rhea. Like his brothers and sisters, Poseidon was swallowed by his father. He was
regurgitated only after Zeus forced Cronus to vomit up the infants he had eaten. Zeus and his brothers and sisters, along with the
Hecatonchires,
Gigantes and
Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other
Titans. According to other variants, Poseidon was raised by the
Telchines on
Rhodes, just as
Zeus was raised by the
Korybantes on
Crete.
When the world was divided in three,
Zeus received the
earth and sky,
Hades the
underworld and Poseidon the sea.
Lovers
His wife was
Amphitrite, a nymph and ancient sea-goddess, daughter of
Nereus and
Doris.
Poseidon fell in love with
Pelops, a beautiful youth, son of
Tantalus. He took Pelops up to Olympus and made him his lover, even before Zeus did the same with Ganymede. To thank Pelops for his love, Poseidon later gave him a winged chariot, to use in the race against
Oenomaus for the hand of Hippodamia.
In an archaic myth, Poseidon once pursued
Demeter. She spurned his advances, turning herself into a
mare so that she could hide in a flock of horses; he saw through the deception and became a
stallion and
captured her. Their child was a
horse,
Arion, which was capable of human speech.
Poseidon had an affair with
Alope, his granddaughter through
Cercyon, begetting
Hippothoon. Cercyon had his daughter buried alive but Poseidon turned her into the spring, Alope, near
Eleusis.
Poseidon rescued
Amymone from a lecherous
satyr and then fathered a child,
Nauplius, by her.
A mortal woman named
Tyro was married to
Cretheus (with whom she had one son,
Aeson) but loved
Enipeus, a
river god. She pursued Enipeus, who refused her advances. One day, Poseidon, filled with lust for Tyro, disguised himself as Enipeus and from their union was born
Pelias and
Neleus, twin boys.
With
Medusa, Poseidon had
sexual intercourse on the floor of a temple to
Athena. Medusa was changed into a
monster. When she was later beheaded by the hero
Perseus,
Chrysaor and
Pegasus emerged from her neck.
After having sex with
Caeneus, Poseidon fulfilled her request and changed her into a man.
Other stories
|
The Greek and Roman view of the world's hydrologic cycle made Poseidon/Neptune a god of fresh waters as well; thus he was an appropriate fountain figure, as here in Berlin. |
Athena became the patron goddess of the city of
Athens after a competition with Poseidon.They agreed that each would give the Athenians one gift and the Athenians would choose whichever gift they preferred. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a spring sprung up; the water was salty and not very useful, whereas Athena offered them an olive tree. The Athenians (or their king,
Cecrops) accepted the olive tree and along with it Athena as their patron, for the olive tree brought
wood,
oil and food. This is thought to remember a clash between the inhabitants during Mycenaean times and newer immigrants. It is interesting to note that Athens at its height was a significant sea power, at one point defeating the
Persian fleet at
Salamis Island in a sea battle. Another version of the myth says that Poseidon gave horses to Athens
Poseidon and
Apollo, having offended
Zeus, were sent to serve King
Laomedon. 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 (it was later killed by
Heracles).
In the
Iliad Poseidon favors the Greeks, and on several occasion takes an active part in the battle against the Trojan forces. However, in Book XX he rescues
Aeneas after the Trojan prince is laid low by
Achilles.
In the
Odyssey, Poseidon is notable for his hatred of
Odysseus due to the latter's having blinded the god's son
Polyphemus. The enmity of Poseidon prevents Odysseus's return home to
Ithaca for many years. Odysseus is even told, notwithstanding his ultimate safe return, that to placate the wrath of Poseidon will require one more voyage on his part.
In the
Aeneid, Neptune is still resentful of the wandering Trojans, but is not as vindictive as
Juno, and in Book I he rescues the Trojan fleet from the goddess's attempts to wreck it, although his primary motivation for doing this is his annoyance at Juno's having intruded into his domain.
Consorts/children
# With
Aethra##
Theseus# With
Alope##
Hippothoon# With
Amphitrite##
Rhode##
Triton# With
Amymone##
Nauplius# With
Astypalaea##
Ancaeus##
Eurypylos# With
Canace##
Aloeus# With
Celaeno##
Lycus# With
Chione##
Eumolpus# With
Chloris##
Poriclymenus# With
Clieto##
Atlas##
Eymelus##
Ampheres##
Evaemon##
Mneseus##
Autochthon##
Elasippus##
Mestor##
Azaes##
Diaprepes# With
Demeter##
Arion##
Despina# With
Europa##
Euphemus# With
Euryale##
Orion# With
Eurynome##
Adrastus# With
Gaia##
Antaeus##
Charybdis# With
Halia##
Rhode# With
Hiona##
Hios# With
Hippothoe##
Taphius# With
Libya##
Belus##
Agenor##
Lelex# With
Lybie##
Lamia# With
Melia##
Amycus# With
Medusa##
Pegasus##
Chrysaor# With
Periboea##
Nausithous# With
Thoosa##
Polyphemus# With
Tyro##
Neleus##
Pelias# Unknown mother##
Aon##
Briareus##
Byzas##
Cercyon##
Cycnus##
Evadne##
Lotis##
Rhodus##
Sinis##
Taras| Poseidon myths as told by story tellers |
|---|
| 1. Poseidon and Pelops, part I, (integral to Tantalus myth), read by Timothy Carter |
| Bibliography of reconstruction: Homer, Odyssey, 11.567 (7th c. BC); Pindar, Olympian Odes, 1 (476 BC); Euripides, Orestes, 12-16 (408 BC); Apollodorus, Epitomes 2: 1-9 (140 BC); Ovid, Metamorphoses, VI: 213, 458 (AD 8); Hyginus, Fables, 82: Tantalus; 83: Pelops (1st c. AD); Pausanias, Description of Greece, 2.22.3 (AD 160 - 176) |
| 2. Poseidon and Pelops, part II (Integral to the myth of Pelops and Hippodameia), read by Timothy Carter |
| Bibliography of reconstruction: Pindar, Olympian Ode, I (476 BC); Sophocles, (1) Electra, 504 (430 - 415 BC) & (2) Oenomaus, Fr. 433 (408 BC); Euripides, Orestes, 1024-1062 (408 BC); Apollodorus, Epitomes 2, 1-9 (140 BC); Diodorus Siculus, Histories, 4.73 (1st c. BC); Hyginus, Fables, 84: Oinomaus; Poetic Astronomy, ii (1st c. AD); Pausanias, Description of Greece, 5.1.3 - 7; 5.13.1; 6.21.9; 8.14.10 - 11 (c. AD 160 - 176); Philostratus the Elder Imagines, I.30: Pelops (AD 170 - 245); Philostratus the Younger, Imagines, 9: Pelops (c. AD 200 - 245); First Vatican Mythographer, 22: Myrtilus; Atreus et Thyestes; Second Vatican Mythographer, 146: Oenomaus |
|
*Walter Burkert,
Greek Religion (1977) 1985.
*
Greek Mythology resource*
Theoi.com: Poseidon*
The story of Poseidon and Pelops*
Gods found in Mycenaean Greece; a table drawn up from Michael Ventris and John Chadwick,
Documents in Mycenaean Greek second edition (Cambridge 1973)
*http://www.mythinglinks.org/euro~west~greece~Poseidon.html
