Poseidon

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Poseidon

• And the Other Oceanic Powers

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Poseidon (Neptune)
trident
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God of oceans Also god of earthquakes Some
stories associate him with flowing water as
well. He competed with Athena to be patron deity
of Athens. Athena provided an olive tree,
Poseidon a spring. Athena won. Poseidon is not
often a citys chief patron god, but has many
temples, especially at ocean towns. Sounion is
one of these.
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Sounion
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One myth tells of Poseidons union with Demeter.
When she was mourning for her kidnapped daughter
Persephone, Poseidon pursued her. She turned
into a mare to escape him, but he caught up with
her. From this union was born the horse
Arion. Or, in other versions, Persephone.
Perhaps this shows us Poseidon, the freshwater
god, consort of the earth . . .
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But usually Poseidon is god of the deep, shown in
connection with winds (as here), representing the
power of the ocean, its merciless nature, its
barren and forbidding aspect. Poseidon is only
one aspect of ocean. There are many, since the
ocean has many aspects.
Also representing the fearsome deep is Pontus,
the consort of Gaia, father of many monsters and
grandfather of many more. Among them
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Terracotta sphinx head temple of Artemis
Laphria in Calydon c. 630 BC
Female monsters
The Sphinx is a dangerous, mankilling monster,
part animal, part woman.
Roman copy of a Greek sphinx with victim
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And the Gorgons (Medusa is the most famous), a
vagina dentata with an apotropaic function . . .
Sirens with their deadly singing
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Among Pontus offspring is Nereus, the old man
of the sea, who has 50 daughters, the
Nereids. The Nereids were more important in cult
than their father, since they represented the
lighter aspect of the sea, a beautiful, gentle
presence, and a hope for mercy in times of storm
or disaster.
Sailors made small sacrifices to them often. Some
Nereids have an individual role in myth Thetis,
mother of Achilles, and Poseidons wife
Amphytrite.
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Proteus
Proteus, another Old Man of the Sea, changes
form if you try to grab hold of him. But if you
dont let go, he is obliged to answer whatever
question you ask him. Many heroes wrestle him in
myth.
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finis
The ocean is powerful, frightening, useful,
dangerous, full of strange creatures and
possibilities. Its gods reflect its nature.