The Story of Poseidon
(Roman - Neptune)
Poseidon was the ruler of the sea, and a powerful god in Greek mythology who was often called the "Earth-shaker." His father was the Titan Cronus, who at the time was ruler of the Universe, and his mother was Rhea. Cronus was a paranoid ruler, because it had been prophesized that one of his own sons would dethrone him, just as Cronus had done to his father, Uranus.
Thus, Cronus would swallow the children whom Rhea bore him. He figured that it was the safest way to ensure that none of his offspring overthrew him.
One by one, the children were swallowed by Cronus: first Hestia, then Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. (Some mythographers claim that Rhea tricked Cronus by presenting a foal instead of the baby Poseidon for consumption, but most agree that Poseidon had been swallowed like the rest of his siblings.)
Needless to say, this constant swallowing of her children enraged Rhea. She bore her third son, Zeus, in the middle of the night and gave him for safekeeping to Gaea (Mother Earth). She fooled Cronus into believing he had swallowed his new son by substituting a rock wrapped in baby blankets.
When Zeus grew up, and with the help of Gaea and his mother Rhea, he slipped Cronus a potion that made the Titan disgorge the swallowed children. Being gods, they were unharmed, albeit a tad dazed and confused. With Zeus serving as their leader, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera waged war against the Titans for supremacy of the Universe.
Assisted by the Cyclops (they gave Zeus his thunderbolts, Poseidon his trident and Hades his helmet of invisibility) and the Hecatoncheires (the Hundred-handed-ones), the siblings fought a terrible war that lasted ten years. In the end they were victorious, banishing their vanquished foes to the deepest depths of the Underworld, called Tartarus. This dark and woeful place is as far beneath the earth as heaven is above the earth. Around Tartarus runs a fence of bronze with gates of bronze, which Poseidon fixed in such as way as to offer no escape, and there the Titans were forever confined.
After Zeus, with his brothers and sisters, defeated the Titans and dethroned Cronus, the three brothers drew lots out of a helmet to determine which one of the three realms each would rule. Zeus won the heavens and thus became the supreme ruler, Hades got the Underworld and Poseid...
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...rms began, but when he drove in his golden chariot over the water, the storms subsided and tranquil peace followed his wheels.
Neptune and his Horses
By E. K. Birce, 1880
Ancient sailors and warriors would pray and offer tributes to the great Poseidon prior to undertaking a sea journey. In turn, Poseidon could be cruel and hostile to those who displeased him, such as the hero of the Trojan War, Odysseus, who suffered great tribulations at the hands of Poseidon while embarked on his Odyssey back home.
Both the bull and the horse are associated with Poseidon, but the bull is associated with many other gods as well, so the horse can be considered his animal.
He was always depicted carrying, or using, his distinguishing weapon, the trident, a three-pronged spear which he used to shatter and shake anything he pleased, much like his brother Zeus used his thunderbolts. That's why he was commonly referred to as the "Earth Shaker". The trident, his symbol, was the gift of the Cyclopes, who had fought with the Olympians versus the Titans.
He was always accompanied by his son, Triton, who was half man, half fish. Triton would blow on his seashell to announce Poseidon's arrival.
Another well-known affair of Poseidon’s was with Medusa. They were both attracted to one another. Medusa was very pretty when Poseidon first fell for her. In Athena’s temple they made love. Athena was so mad that she made medusa a Gorgon, a scary female creature, which she is known for in Greek mythology. One of Medusa’s well known characteristics was her hair, which was bunch of snakes. Athena and Peruses planned to kill Medusa by cutting her head off. Before cutting her head off, two children appeared. One of these children was the well-known flying horse Pegasus
He is also the god of earthquakes and horses. His weapon was a trident. His wife was Amphitrite, granddaughter of the Titan Ocean. He gave the first horse to man and was commonly called the "Earth shaker." Being the father of horses, it is said that Poseidon fathered Pegasus. Poseidon is worshipped at Colonus and Attica, despite losing control of Attica to Athena. He is known to have mood swings. He was commonly shown with the trident, a dolphin or a tuna.
He was responsible for violent storms and earthquakes. The following story showed of Poseidon’s adventure. The god, Poseidon, was known to have an ill temper. At one point, he released tempests and earthquakes out of loneliness and anger. To combat his loneliness, he went out to find a wife and eventually set his sights of a Nymph named Amphitrite. She was the daughter of the Titan Oceanus who wanting to keep her virginity. Titan ended up rejecting Poseidon saying he was too violent, so he fled to the Atlas Mountains. The love struck Poseidon sent the dolphin king and messenger Delphinus to find his love. When Delphinus found her, he promised her that if she married Poseidon he would calm the seas. Thus, they were wed eventually having two children: Rhode Benthesicyme,
Poseidon is the god of the sea, he was involved in the Trojan war, and he is one of the big three. First Poseidon was eaten by his father, his brother Zeus rescued him by defeating Cronus and giving Poseidon control of the sea, earthquakes, hurricanes, and horses. Second Poseidon was involved in the Trojan war because of Odysseus, Odysseus made a horse statue resembling the god Poseidon which was brought into the walls of Troy. Third Poseidon is one of the big three because he controls the sea, his other two brothers Zeus and Hades are also the big three Zeus controls the sky and Hades controls the underworld.
Daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, Demeter was one of Cronus and Rhea’s six children, and sister of Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus (Pontikis). He feared that they would overthrow him and take his throne, as he had done to his own father, Uranus (34). Consequently, Cronus adopted the habit of swallowing his children as they were born, so they would never have a chance of overthrowing him (34). Distraught at the loss of her children, Rhea sought her mother Gaia, the earth mother, and asked for advice (Webster). Gaia advised that she give Cronus a stone to swallow in the place of her next child. After the birth of her last child, Zeus, Rhea followed this advice: she hid Zeu...
Poseidon, the great Greek ruler of the sea , horses and the earthquakes. His ancestry comes from the family of the Olympians that roamed the world in 2200 B.C . With the father of Cronus and mother of Rhea and having the famous brother of Zeus. Who fortunately saved him from being ate by his notable father ,Cronus. He was saved when Rhea,” the mother of all gods”, had deceived Cronus into eating a rock instead of eating another one of his offspring (“Rhea”) .Similar to what Cronus he did to Hestia , Pluto , Hera and Demeter. Which at that time would have been the newborn, Zeus. When he ate the stone he resulted by throwing up all the children.
Poseidon was so furious with King Laomedon when he was denied payment for building the walls of Troy that the vengeful god that he sent a sea-monster to destroy the countryside as punishment. In addition to his reputation as a fighter, however, Poseidon was also a legendary lover. From his love affair with Medusa and Amphitrite to his escapades with the goddess Demeter, Poseidon proved that he could at times rival his notoriously promiscuous brother Zeus. He may not have been as powerful as his brother but definitely could have almost any lady he wanted. He was also best known for his sudden earthquakes he created and destroyed many cities with it. One thing is for sure, the people who lived back when the gods ruled were very afraid of the all mighty god of water, Poseidon.
Poseidon was relied upon by sailors for a safe voyage on the sea. Many men drowned horses in sacrifice of his honor. He lived on the ocean floor in a palace made of coral and gems, and drove a chariot pulled by horses. However, Poseidon was a very moody divinity, and his temperament could sometimes result in violence. When he was in a good mood, Poseidon created new lands in the water and a calm sea. In contrast, when he was in a bad mood, Poseidon would strike the ground with a trident and cause unruly springs and earthquakes, ship wrecks, and drownings.
His problem was his father, Cronus. Cronus overpowered his own father, Uranus. Uranus told Cronus that he will be overpowered one day. Cronus was worried that someone will overpower him one day, so he ate all of his children as they were born. When the last child was born, Rhea was furious and didn’t want the last child to be eaten. Rhea dresses a rock to look like a child, and Cronus eats it. Zeus, who was the last child, escaped Cronus. When Zeus gets older, him and Cronus fight. Cronus loses to Zeus, and all of his children were free. The young gods climbed to the top of Mount Olympus, and Zeus became their new
Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus. Cronus was the king/ruler of the Titians. Zeus made a deal his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is known to be the lord of the sky and the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt. Zeus throws the thunderbolts at those who displease him. He is also known to punish those that lie or break
...re Aerion-he was immortal and could speak, born of Poseidon and Demeter. Chrysaor and pegasus (a winged horse) Born of Medusa and Poseidon. Triton son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. Orion son of Poseidon and Euryale, on of our constellations bear his name. Poseidon was father of the hero Theseus,, although the mortal Aegeus also claimed to be his father. Theseus didn't mind the thought of having two fathers he was happy, enjoying the lineage of each when it suited him. He became the king of Athens by virtue of being Aegeus's son, but availed himself of Poseidon's parentage in facing a challenge handed him by King Minos of Crete. This monarch threw his signet ring into the depths of the sea and dared Theseus to retrieve it. So Theseus dove beneath the waves and he not only found the ring but was given a crown by Poseidon's wife, Amphitrite.
Cronus and Rhea are the parents of Poseidon in Greek mythology. Poseidon is one of the 3 sons; the others are Hades and Zeus. And there three sisters were Demeter, Hestia, Hera, and while Cronus was the horrible father who feared his own children so he ate them at birth. He continued to eat the newborns until his wife tricked him by giving him stones instead to save Zeus. But sadly Poseidon (and Hades) was eaten by Cronus to save them Zeus (who was being raised by nymphs) became Cronus’ cupbearer. He poisoned Cronus and he threw up Poseidon. They started a war against Cronus it lasted for ten years until the brothers released the Cyclopes and in return they gave the each a weapon. Poseidon received a trident, Zeus a lightning bolt, and Hades the helmet of darkness.
Gaia, one of the first Greek beings, gave birth to Ouranos by herself to “cover her all over, and to be an always safe home for the blessed gods.” (Theog. 127-8). She later married her son, Ouranos, and gave birth to Kronos. Ouranos hated all of his children from birth and banished them inside of Gaia so that they would never see the light (Theog. 157-8). Gaia, not happy with the way she and her children were being treated, used her cunning intelligence to create a plan that would destroy Ouranos. With the help of “crooked-minded Kronos” (Theog. 168), she was able to carry out her plan and have Ouranos castrated. By defeating his father, Kronos was able to rise to power. Later on in the Theogony, Kronos marries and has children with his sister, Rhea. Gaia and Ouranos strike fear in Kronos when they tell him that one of his children will succeed him (Theog. 460-5). Terrified that the prophecy will come true, Kronos turns away from the idea of family and swallows each of his children as they are born. The pattern continues over the course of five births, but Zeus, their sixth child, slips by. Rhea turns to her mother, Gaia, for advice when she is pregnant with Zeus. Gaia’s cunning plan is revealed when Hesiod writes, “Rhea wrapped a huge stone in a baby’s robe, and fed it to Sky’s wide-ruling son, lord of the earlier gods;” (Theog. 485-6). Rhea is able to trick Kronos and
... children, Zeus, survived and it ultimately led to Cronus’s downfall. In order to uphold his preeminence, Cronus needed to limit the competition, which were his children. Also, in the myth of Medea, Medea assassinated both her children and her younger brother, without any sympathy. To be certain that her younger brother did not rebel against her in the future, she took the necessary steps to eliminate him. Medea as well murders her own children in which she bore to Jason, only to make him suffer. The vicious ways in which parents used to control their children’s lives just sparked a more hostile relationship.
Being the god of the sea, Poseidon was another strong supporter of the ocean-faring Greeks. Whenever Zeus turned his back, Poseidon tried to help the Greeks in the fight. Poseidon felt that he was somewhat Zeus's equal, as his brother, but recognizing Zeus's authority and experience, he looked to Zeus as an elder.