As many different nations have their own beliefs, Greek civilization also revealed the divine figures in their mythology. The narratives and legends about these divine figures started from the small kingdoms of Greek civilization and reached the present day.
Greek mythology has a lot of divine figures and a lot of legends. In this article, we are talking about Poseidon, one of the 12 most famous Olympian gods and 3 great gods of Greek mythology. We have explained the answer to the question of who is Poseidon in our article with a few items. (Olympus: the place where gods and goddesses live. Also known as the mountain)
Information about Poseidon:
Poseidon is one of the most powerful gods of Olympus:
As it is known, there are 12 great gods of Olympus in Greek mythology. Among these 12 gods are Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, who are known as the ‘3 elders’ and are probably the most famous gods of Greek mythology. Poseidon, along with his brothers, is of great importance in mythology. The fact that he is one of the main gods in most of the historical cities of Greece proves this importance. The ancient Greeks regarded and worshiped Poseidon as the creator of new islands and ruler of calm seas. But if offended, it was also believed to cause earthquakes, floods, shipwrecks, and drowning.
One of the prominent features of being angry very quickly:
Poseidon was a god known for his grumpy nature and fearsome disposition, as well as being depicted as a tall, bearded, and learned man. At times, his extreme loneliness caused tantrums and storms around the world. Although Poseidon is known for such anger problems, there are also cases that state and explain that he did not allow his emotions to control himself for centuries. Therefore, it is a little difficult to say which side outweighs the legend. However, the fact that he has a supportive attitude towards his children, albeit in different ways, supports the ‘wise person’ part a little more.
Trident, a symbol representing Poseidon:
The trident is a weapon used by Poseidon, and the trident’s head has been used in many places to characterize Poseidon’s presence. In Greek myths, it is mentioned that the Trident was prepared for Poseidon by the 3 great Cyclops (cyclops). Since the Trident of Poseidon is likened to the fishing spear used by the coastal Greeks, people in coastal countries often worshiped Poseidon for the sake of their business.
The Trident of Poseidon is known as a universal symbol at sea:
According to Vatican researchers, Poseidon’s trident is known for representing the three properties of water. Drinkability, fertility and fluidity of water. In addition to these features, it is also among the legends that the three ends of the triden represent the existence of the third part of the world. Another legend says that it represents three different regions of water such as river, stream and sea.
He is the father of many gods, demigods and mythological creatures:
Many gods in Greek mythology have more than one child. Poseidon also became the father of many children as a result of his numerous escapades. While there are known mythological figures among these children, there are illegitimate children from unknown mortal women. Among the best known are mythological figures such as Triton, his son by Amphitrite, the messenger of the sea, or Aiolos, his son, by Arne, the god of the winds.
He was swallowed by his father at the time of his birth:
Poseidon was the second son of Kronos and Rhea. His father, Kronos, was a titan and decided to overthrow Uranus and rule the world with his wife, Rhea. But Kronos thought his sons could overthrow him just as he had overthrown Uranus. That’s why she swallows many of her children, including Hades and Poseidon, at birth. But Rhea manages to save her 6th child, Zeus, and when Zeus comes of age, she makes Kronos vomit his other siblings. The surviving brothers join the war against the titans with Zeus and overthrow their father Kronos.
His domination of the seas began after the defeat of Kronos:
The gods defeat the titans in a relentless outcome between the titans and the gods. After the war, Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades each begin to rule over a different part of the world. Hades ruled the underworld and the underworld. Poseidon became lord of the seas. Zeus, on the other hand, ruled the skies and became the king of the Greek gods. These events also led to the establishment of Olympos, and Olympos became the home of 12 great gods and goddesses.
Poseidon was worshiped as the ‘god of navigation’:
Many people who preferred seafaring as a profession also saw Poseidon as a god of navigation. They prayed to Poseidon and trusted his guidance when they sailed at sea or when they were in open waters in a difficult time. But although Poseidon is known as the god of the seas and oceans, we cannot say that he has much to do with navigation specifically.
Its exact origins are unknown:
It is not known where many Greek gods got their names from. While there are theories for certain deities, many are not guaranteed. Poseidon’s name is said to come from ancient Greek, and it means ‘the big and the world’. This meaning of the name has given Poseidon the nicknames ‘Earth-shaker’ and ‘Husband of the earth (husband of the world)’.
In an ancient text, it is written that the cause of epilepsy is Poseidon:
Although this situation seems a bit like a conspiracy theory, in some Hippocratic texts, Poseidon is held responsible for the emergence of certain mental illnesses. Although this issue is not very clear, as we mentioned, it remains a bit of a conspiracy theory role. However, in many legends, it is known that certain diseases are referred to as “sacred disease”. Epilepsy is among these diseases.