Lord of the seas, shaker of the earth and tamer of horses – Poseidon ruled the restless waters of the Greek world. Discover his myths, his symbols and the stories behind his statues.
Who is Poseidon?
Poseidon is the Greek god of the sea, earthquakes, storms and horses, one of the twelve Olympians and brother of Zeus and Hades. The Romans called him Neptune. For a seafaring people like the Greeks, whose lives depended on calm waters and safe voyages, he was one of the most important and most feared gods. Sailors prayed to him before every journey, and great temples stood in his honour on headlands such as Cape Sounion near Athens.
In art Poseidon is a powerful, bearded figure, often shown with his trident – the three-pronged spear forged for him by the Cyclopes – and accompanied by dolphins, horses or the hippocampi, sea-horses with the front of a horse and the tail of a fish. When he struck the ground with his trident, the earth shook and springs burst from the rocks.
Birth and the division of the world
Like his brothers and sisters, Poseidon was swallowed at birth by his father Kronos and freed by Zeus. After the Olympians defeated the Titans, the three brothers drew lots to share the world: Zeus took the sky, Hades the underworld and Poseidon the seas. He built a shining golden palace in the depths of the ocean and drove across the waves in a chariot pulled by golden-maned horses, the sea growing calm before him.
The contest for Athens
One of Poseidon's most famous myths is his contest with Athena for the patronage of Athens. Each god offered the city a gift. Poseidon struck the rock of the Acropolis with his trident and a spring of salt water gushed forth – a sign of sea power. Athena planted the first olive tree, offering food, oil and wealth. The citizens chose Athena's gift, and the city took her name. Poseidon, angered, flooded the plain of Attica, but in time he too was honoured on the Acropolis, where the Erechtheion still shows the marks of his trident.
Poseidon and the horse
Poseidon was also Hippios, the god of horses. Legend says he created the first horse from the sea foam, and horse races were held in his honour at the Isthmian Games near Corinth. The white-crested waves breaking on the shore were imagined as his horses galloping to land.
Odysseus and the wrath of the sea
In Homer's Odyssey, Poseidon is the great obstacle on Odysseus' long voyage home. After the hero blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus – Poseidon's son – the sea god sent storms and shipwrecks to keep him wandering for ten years. The story shows Poseidon's double nature: generous to those who honour him, terrifying to those who offend him.
Family
Poseidon's wife was the sea nymph Amphitrite, and their son Triton – half man, half fish – calmed or raised the waves by blowing on a conch shell. Among his many other children were the hero Theseus, the winged horse Pegasus and the Cyclops Polyphemus.
Poseidon in art and in your home
From the famous bronze god of Artemision, arm raised to throw his weapon, to the baroque fountains of Rome, Poseidon and Neptune have inspired artists for centuries. A Poseidon statue suits homes by the sea, sailing enthusiasts and anyone who loves strength and movement in sculpture. Look for dynamic poses – the god riding a hippocampus, rising from the waves or brandishing his trident – and display the piece where light can play over the musculature and the sculpted water.
Related gods
Read the stories of his brothers Zeus and Hades, and of Athena, his rival for Athens. Browse all of them in our Greek Mythology collection.
