Poseidon was the god of the Sea, earthquakes, and horses. Although he was one of the three supreme gods, he spent most of his time in his underwater palace. His power were those related to the sea including storms, earthquakes, lightning, water manipulation, etc.
The god of the Sea was the son of Cronus and Rhea, brother to Hades, Zeus, Chiron, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. He was also the father of the famous hero Theseus and the husband of Amphitrite, the goddess of the Sea.
At birth, he was swallowed by his father Cronus, along with his other siblings, but was later freed by his brother Zeus(as an adult) to join the war against their father and the other titans.
Poseidon is always seen holding his trident in every depictions. He’s often portrayed both in painting and films(ex. Percy Jackson) as an older white-haired man with sea-green eyes(inherited from his mother Rhea). Horses are also the symbol of Poseidon because he is well known for creating them.
He was also the protector of those travel across the sea. Sailors prayed to the god of the Sea for a safe voyage, “sometimes drowning horses as a sacrifice,” according to Encyclopedia.
Poseidon was also known for his wrath and cruelty. When angered, he was said to have used his trident to create earthquakes and storms that shook the entire Earth. As an example, after returning from a decade-long Trojan War, Odysseus blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus who was Poseidon’s son. In retaliation, the god of the Sea caused a ten-year delay in his journey back to Ithaca and sent storms that caused the loss of most of his men and ships.
To conclude, Poseidon was a really powerful god that sailors and those who were affiliated with the sea prayed to. Although sometimes he can be nice, he’s often depicted as a short-tempered god who can be really cruel when being crossed as seen in Odyssey. Just like other Greek gods, Poseidon is more of a powerful immortal human rather than an infallible god.
Works Cited
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Poseidon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Feb. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Poseidon.
“Poseidon.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon.
“Poseidon • Facts and Information on Greek God Poseidon.” Greek Gods & Goddesses, greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/poseidon/.