Indeed, the oldest Mycenaean Greek references to Poseidon pointed to an intimate-though imprecise-relationship with Demeter, and possibly Persephone. One interpretation holds that it comes from the root da-, meaning “earth” or “land,” which would make “Poseidon” translate to “lord of the earth,” or perhaps even “husband of the earth.” This latter translation indicated an association with the earth goddess Demeter. Some uncertainty surrounds the second linguistic element of Poseidon’s name. Both words mean “husband,” “lord,” or “master.” The first of these is the Greek word posis, itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European root * pótis. The name “Poseidon” likely has roots in two distinct words. Originally written in a script called Linear B, which predates the Greek alphabet, the name appears in Mycenaean texts as Po-se-da-o or Po-se-da-wo-ne. Poseidon was present in Greek religion from the earliest times: he was already well attested in the Mycenaean period (ca. Odysseus was forced to wander the seas, losing all his ships and men, until Zeus himself finally commanded Poseidon to put aside his anger and allow Odysseus to return home.Īrgive krater showing Odysseus blinding the Cyclops Polyphemus (7th century BCE) Archaeological Museum of Argos / Zde CC BY-SA 4.0 Wishing to punish Odysseus for this act of violence, Poseidon prevented his homecoming for ten years. In the Odyssey, Poseidon bears a special grudge against Odysseus after the hero blinds Poseidon’s son Polyphemus, a vicious Cyclops who tried to eat Odysseus and his men.
Already in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, he exerted a powerful disruptive influence on the lives of gods and mortals. Poseidon was as unruly as the seas he controlled. Jason, Wearing Only One Sandal, Attending Pelias' Sacrifice to Poseidon by Leonard Thiry (16th century) Leiden University Library CC BY 4.0 Poseidon’s Grudge Against Odysseus The cult of Poseidon was especially important in Corinth the Isthmian Games, which were celebrated near Corinth every other year, were dedicated to Poseidon. Poseidon was worshipped by Greeks everywhere, though there were many local variations in his cult. Neptune Seated on a Marine Monster and Blowing a Conch Shell by Severo Calzetta da Ravenna (late 15th century) The Metropolitan Museum of Art Public Domain How was Poseidon worshipped? In literature and art, Poseidon was usually represented riding over the waves in a chariot drawn by magnificent horses (who sometimes had fins in place of legs) and wielding his great trident. However, he spent much of his time in the depths of the sea, where he was said to have several vast underwater palaces. 1610) Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne Public Domain Where did Poseidon live?Īs one of the Olympian gods, Poseidon had a home on Mount Olympus. Neptune and Amphitrite by Jacob de Gheyn II (ca. Their most famous child was Triton, a sea god often represented as a merman. Poseidon was married to Amphitrite, a sea goddess who was typically named as one of the Nereids (the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris). He was usually depicted riding his beautiful horses or wielding his menacing trident.
As such, he played a major role in many Greek myths. One of the chief Olympian deities, Poseidon was a defiant god whose power was second only to that of his brother Zeus. Worshipped across the entirety of the Greek world, Poseidon had particularly strong followings in seafaring city-states, such as Athens and Corinth. Poseidon was a powerful Olympian and the Greek god of the seas, seafarers, earthquakes, and horses.
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