Poseiden

God Of The Sea

He is the son of Kronos and Rheia, brother of Zeus, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera. Poseidon is one of the six original Olympians. When Kronos had been defeated by his three sons they divided the universe amongst themselves. Zeus kept the heavens, Hades kept the underworld, and Poseidon took the seas, and they left the Earth and Mt. Olympus as common ground (March 331).

Poseidon is an awsome and powerful god, associated with many of the elemental forces of nature (Willis 137). He is also called the earth shaker and the earth encircler, pounds and shakes the earth and sea with his wrath and only answers to Zeus (Poseidon). He is the master of the sea, and he has filled it with many creatures that he created. It is also worth noting that even though Poseidon is master of the sea, his most famous creation was the horse.

Poseidon in The Odyssey

Poseidon was Odysseus' greatest obstacle to returning home. It all started when Odysseus blinds Poseidon's son, Polyphemos. Of course, if Odysseus had not insulted Polyphemos after he blinded him, Poseidon may have just let it go. After Odysseus blinds and insults Polyphemos, Poseidon takes out his anger on Odysseus and his family.

Poseidon does not kill Odysseus, but he keeps diverting him away from home, and therfore keeps him away from his happiness. In fact it takes 10 years for Odysseus to overcome the obstacles that Poseidon puts in his way and make his way home. Poseidon is stubborn in holding a grudge, but not entirely unreasonable. When he decides to bury the island of Scheria under a mountain in retaliation for the assistance the Phaeacians gave to Odysseus and his men in getting home, he gives way to Zeus’s persuasion and satisfies himself with turning their ship into stone as it sails back into the Phaeacian harbor.

Work Cited

Unknown Author "Poseidon" 22 Feb 2005 http://www.messagenet.com/myths/bios/poseidon.html

Willis, Roy. World Mythology The Illustrated Guide. London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 1993

March, Jenny. Dictonary of Classical Mythology. London: Cassell, 1998

Ceram, C.W. Gods, Graves and Scholars. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1967