Contribute to Diffen Edit or create new comparisons in your area of expertise. Log in ». Terms of use Privacy policy. In Greek mythology, Poseidon [Pro. His symbols are the trident, swordfish, dolphin, horse, bull, and pearl shell. He is the god of sky and thu. Poseidon was a son of Cronus and Rhea. In most accounts he is swallowed by Cronus at birth but later saved, with his other brothers and sisters, by Zeus.
The two gods agreed to perform this manual labor either because they wanted to test him or because Zeus had decreed, as punishment for a rebellion of which they had both been a part, that they work for Laomedon for a year. In any case, at the end of the year, Laomedon would not pay them and even threatened to sell them as slaves. Apollo responded by sending a plague and Poseidon sent a sea monster to terrorize them. Apollo, apparently, did not hold a grudge, since he always favored the Trojans, but Poseidon sided with the Greeks in the Trojan War.
Despite favoring the Greeks, however, Poseidon, like Athena, was quickly angered by the less-than-perfect behavior of the victorious Greeks. Poseidon helped Athena punish the Lesser Ajax for his rape of Cassandra during the sack of Troy [see Athena ] and he kept Odysseus from his home for ten years to punish the hero for blinding his son Polyphemus. To read about this myth, see the Minotaur.
Since the Mycenaeans migrated into Greece from central Europe, they had no sea gods and thus had to adapt some of their gods to new functions. The cape at Sounion. This could be due to the conventions of portraying gods, but other Olympians have far more varied personalities.
These similarities, along with a few key details in mythology, show that Zeus and Poseidon were probably not originally thought of as brothers. In Greek mythology, Zeus and Poseidon were two of the ruling brothers of the pantheon along with the third brother, Hades. According to the myths, Zeus was the king and the three divided power between the realms. Zeus had the sky, Poseidon had the sea, and Hades had the underworld. Gaia could not be given to any single god and be ruled over, so the brothers divided the earth between them.
Hades, however, rarely came to the surface so Zeus and Poseidon were most active on land. While the brothers ruled over their individual realms, Zeus was the ultimate authority in the affairs of the gods. This happened often as the two brothers often butted heads. Both were known for their tempers and ability to hold a grudge. The ruler of the sea only relented when ordered to do so by Zeus. Both Zeus and Poseidon were gods who commanded respect and even fear more than love.
They showed exceptional favor to few but their anger could be quick and relentless. Another thing both gods had in common was that the few people they showed favor to were most often their many mistresses and children. Greek gods and goddesses were often portrayed in idealized and somewhat standardized forms. With a few exceptions, they were most identifiable by their symbols and attributes.
Their bodies were generally more broad and heavily muscled than those of the gods who were presented as younger. But Athena later planted the first olive tree beside this well and claimed the city as her own. Poseidon challenged her to combat, but Zeus intervened and put the matter before a divine tribunal.
Wishing to remain neutral and above the fray, Zeus did not vote. That left four other gods, all of whom voted for Poseidon. Hades, as was his custom, did not attend the Olympian hearing. The five goddesses, however, all sided with Athena, giving her the right to the land by virtue of her greater gift to the city.
In a fury, Poseidon flooded the Attic plain. The Athenians adopted several measures to appease Poseidon's wrath. The city denied the women of Athens the right to vote. It ended the practice of men carrying on their mothers' names. And all Athenians continued to honor both Poseidon and Athena on the Acropolis. Yet Amphitrite scorned the god's advances and fled to the Atlas Mountains. Poseidon refused to give up, sending messengers after her to plead his case.
One of these, Delphinus, argued so persuasively for his master that he broke down Amphitrite's resistance. She agreed to marry Poseidon. The god later showed his gratitude by placing his messenger's image in the sky as a constellation: the Dolphin. Like his brother Zeus, Poseidon was not exactly the poster boy for fidelity. He, too, had numerous affairs with goddesses, nymphs, and mortals. Like most sea gods, Poseidon had the power to transform his shape, and often did so in order to complete a seduction:.
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