When Zeus defeated his father Cronus he divided up the world amongst himself and his brothers Hades and Poseidon. Mount Olympus and Earth were free to all, Zeus received the sky, Hades became ruler of the underworld, and Poseidon became lord of the seas. Poseidon’s role in Greek society was very dependent upon his mood. When content this deity would produce islands and calm the seas. When angered he would create vicious sea storms, earthquakes, and chaotic springs by striking the ground or the sea with his mighty trident. Poseidon’s anger is very vivid in Homer’s Odyssey, “So speaking, he rounded up the clouds and savaged the sea brandishing his trident. And he raised up all the storm winds of every kind, and he darkened the earth and the sea with clouds, and night came from the sky.” This storm proved disastrous for Odysseus, who was not allowed to return home for a decade because he blinded Poseidon’s son the Cyclops Polyphemus.
The lord of the sea had many other children besides Polyphemus, and they were produced with numerous women. This wide array of offspring usual performed various duties of nature, and/or played important roles in the events of other Greek myth characters. Poseidon is also credited with being a god of animal fertility because many of his love affairs took place in the form of an animal. His official wife was Amphitrite—a Nereid or sea nymph—who gave birth to Triton. This child—half man and half fish—was a minor deity that blew his conch shell to calm the seas apparently helping his father with his more favorable duties. Poseidon’s lustful eye once caught a mortal woman named Tyro who loved the local river god Enipeus. Poseidon disguised himself as the lesser deity to have intercourse with Tyro who gave birth to the twins Pelias and Neleus. The lord of the deep had a relationship with Medusa also, and this union—made in the form of birds—produced Pegasus and Chrysaor after Perseus beheaded Medusa. Poseidon’s most famous affair involved the pursuit of his sister Demeter across the plains of Arcadia in the form of a stallion. Demeter had hoped to hide amongst a heard of horses, but being master of this particular animal, Poseidon had no trouble seeing through her disguise. This rape bore the child Arion, a talking horse that would eventually save Adrastus during the attack on Thebes.
Two of Poseidon’s symbols represent very important aspects of Greek life. The horse and the sea represented the two main forms of transportation in this ancient society. Some scholars theorize that before the Greeks became heavily involved with the sea, Poseidon represented the horse to the land locked Indo-Europeans. Poseidon ability to morph into a stallion and the description of his chariot further illustrates his connection to the horse: “He harnessed his pair of brazen-hoofed wind-swift horses golden of mane, to his car.” The Greeks used the horse for a variety of reasons including chariot races, warfare, travel, and labor, which made the lord of this animal a very important deity. Poseidon later evolved into the lord of the sea—in addition to horses—when Greek life became more dependent on the Mediterranean. It is not surprising to find sailors worshiping Poseidon who decided rather or not the voyage would be successful. Seamen would sacrifice horses in hopes that drowning this revered animal would ensure a safe return. If Poseidon hated a particular vessel, crew, or man, than he would unleash his anger with a mighty sea storm. None knew this better then Odysseus in Homer’s play Odyssey.
In addition to sea storms, Poseidon represents his anger and/or frustration through earthquakes. This ancient trait has been associated with this deity in Mycenaean tales; where Poseidon is credited for the destruction of the Minoan palace. The ability to cause earthquakes is also shown in Homer’s Iliad, “Down from the mountain’s rugged crags he thundered with flying steps. High hills and trees shook at the tread of his immortal feet as the lord Poseidon advanced.” Some experts suggest that Poseidon creates earthquakes via horses, but it seems more plausible that he used the same mystical device he used for sea storms—his trident.
Poseidon’s trident was also used to create springs of water when it struck the ground. This was seen in the competition between Athena and Poseidon for the city of Athens. Whichever god produced the most desirable gift for Athens would receive the city. Poseidon threw his trident to the ground producing the saltwater spring at the Acropolis, and Athena grew an olive tree by the newly created body of water. Athens chose the olive tree—giver of oil, wood, and food—over the unusable salt water. The rejection made Poseidon very bitter, and he decided to take revenge by flooding the Attic Plain. The sea god’s foul temper is also felt by Troy. After offending Zeus, Poseidon and Apollo were both sent to King Laomedon as servants. The two deities built the great walls of Troy, and were promised a reward that was never fulfilled. Poseidon sent a sea monster to attack Troy, but Laomedon hired Heracles to slay the beast.
Despite the variety of stories that depict Poseidon as an emotionally fickle and vengeful god there are a few examples of him working to benefit ancient Greece. Prior to Apollo, Poseidon was the protector of the Oracle at Delphi. When Apollo took over he approved the expedition to settle outside of Delphi, and Poseidon promised to watch over the colonists on their voyage. Still steamed at King Laomedon, the lord of the sea supported the Greeks during the Trojan War. It would have been very difficult to sail all those ships to Troy with an angry Poseidon against you. He is also seen cooperating with his fellow Olympian Athena. The horse of Poseidon draws the chariot of Athena, and a similar relationship can be drawn between the sea and ships. In addition Athena aided the Greeks, alongside Poseidon, by building the famous Trojan Horse. Finally, Poseidon aided his male lover Pelops by giving him a winged chariot as thanks for his love. Pelops was able to use this chariot against Oenomaus in a race for the hand of Hippodamia.
As illustrated above, the key to Poseidon was staying on his good side. This was not always easy, and when he didn’t get his way the entire earth felt his wrath via earthquakes and sea storms. His relationship to the sea and the horse made him a vital deity to Greek culture, and his position on Mount Olympus depicts his importance to Greek myth. His love affairs and offspring helped spread his influence even deeper into this mythological world, which would be difficult to imagine without Poseidon: Lord of the Sea.
No comments:
Post a Comment