Poseidon is the earth-shaker, storm-bringer, and god of the sea. He is only referenced in Hesiod’s Theogony a small number of times. Cronus, his father, ate him and his siblings until Zeus got them out. Hesiod also mentioned that Poseidon set large bronze gates to keep the Titans locked up (Hesiod 63). Some other ancient texts that offer information on Poseidon, besides the Theogony, are the Homeric Hymns and Athenaeus: The Deipnosophists Brother of Zeus and Hades, he is considered one of the most powerful, second to Zeus, of the twelve Olympians. Hesiod describes Poseidon as the earth-holding, earth-shaking god of the sea. He is the protector of aquatics and aquatic life. Poseidon is known for his temper, and as a result tsunamis and earthquakes are his area of expertise. He is also a tamer of horses, as mentioned in Homeric Hymn 22. To Poseidon. Before going out on a sea voyage, ancient Grecians would pray to Poseidon for good sails and to assist them while at sea. He possesses Aegae, where his temple is built and a festival for him is held (Homer 205). The Isthmian Games, considered one of the great Athletic competitions of Ancient Greece, were held at Korinthos in honor of Poseidon.
I’ve always considered myself to be a water baby. It doesn’t matter if it’s the ocean, the lake, or the pool. If it’s a body of water that is swimmable you better believe I will dive head first into it and stay there all day long. I just love the water and so does Poseidon so that’s great! The beach is literally my safe haven and since Poseidon is the god of the seas this makes sense, to me at least, why I think we’d get along. Poseidon has always been a particular interest of mine. Though right now I am a Pre-Med major, I have always had a particular interest in Marine Biology. Studying the ocean marine life and finding ways to help preserve it is interesting and important. Poseidon is the protector of aquatic life and so finding ways to avoid toxic oil spills in oceans and marine life getting hurt by trash, like six pack plastic rings, is something he would approve of. Everything about the ocean fascinates me. Even sharks fascinate me though, if I am in the water with them without a steal cage around me that is a completely different story. Hopefully Poseidon would help me out if that ever happened!
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While I did not choose Poseidon as my patron deity, Poseidon has always been one of my favorite Greek gods solely due to the fact that he is the master of the seas. As a fan of the Percy Jackson series, Poseidon always struck me as powerful and I loved the fact that the main protagonist was a demi-god born of Poseidon. It’s truly a great series that I would recommend as it deals with Greek mythology. Back to the blog post, I found it very well-written and I can tell you did a lot of research into writing this post. I’m very glad you included the fact that Poseidon is the tamer of horses because many people overlook that fact and designate Poseidon as merely a sea god. Seeing how you are a pre-med major, I thought that maybe you would choose Apollo as your patron god since he is the god of medicine. Although I can’t complain with choosing Poseidon. Very good job and keep up the great work.
-Damian Pazuchanics
As a lover of the ocean and as someone that participated in four years of crew (rowing), I often find myself surrounded by water on all sides.
It is amazing to me that water is an element that I both admire for its gift of life, yet fear for its destructive nature. So often the sea is attributed characteristics deeming it dangerous, but Poseidon reverses this effect in some way. As you have written, he is the god to whom people pray to for “good sails” and comfort while at sea. When thinking about the sea, we should remember Poseidon because although his nature can be destructive (as he could, with one swift motion, help recreate the scene of the flood in Ovid’s Metamorphoses), Poseidon, being so full of power and beauty as the ocean surely is, is worthy of admiration. Our fearful responses pay tribute to his wrathful power. Our admiration, however, is all the more powerful because it pays tribute to the blessing that is the ocean.
If you love the water, and think studying marine life might be a part of your future, Poseidon truly is the right patron god for you. Your post is very well written, and you obviously have done your research on the sea god. And who would doubt that Poseidon would be considered one of the most powerful of the gods, second only to Zeus, when his dominion takes up about three fourths of the world? I also liked your inclusion that he is a tamer of horses, as Poseidon actually created horses to impress the goddess Demeter. Poseidon is definitely the right patron deity if you want to go into the field of marine biology, and I agree that Poseidon would definitely approve of finding ways to prevent pollution of the ocean in any way.
I also hope that you never find yourself in that particular situation with sharks!
The only thing I knew about Poseidon before reading you blog post was that he was the god of the sea and another one of Cronus’ sons. I had no idea that he was also known for his temper that would often lead to earthquakes or tsunamis and that his animal representation was typically known as a horse. I would have thought that his animal would be an aquatic animal of the sea since that is his realm of control, whereas a horse is primarily a mammal that resides on land. It also surprised me that he is often considered the most powerful after Zeus, because I don’t consider him to be spoken about more or regarded any higher than the other gods (other than Zeus of course) in Hesiod’s Theogony. I also consider myself a “water baby” and hardly ever leave the water when I near the beach, lake, or a pool. I find it completely fitting that you would choose Poseidon as your patron deity out of the twelve Olympians because of this similar quality we both share, but it is also extremely fitting because you are interested in marine biology. If anyone were to be a good modern day representation of Poseidon and his qualities, I think you would be a great one!
–Hailey Kaunert