Poseidon
The earliest written record of the name Poseidon appears on Linear B clay tablets from Mycenaean Greece, inscribed as Po-se-da-o or Po-se-da-wo-ne. This form corresponds to the later Homeric Greek Posidaōn and indicates a Pre-Greek origin rather than an Indo-European one. Scholars debate whether the first element means husband or lord while the second refers to earth, creating a title like Lord of the Earth. Other theories suggest the root relates to water or running fluid, linking him to rivers like the Danube. Plato offered two traditional etymologies in his dialogue Cratylus: either the sea restrained him when walking as a foot-bond, or he knew many things. The intervocalic aspiration in the original form suggests a Pelasgian god who was worshipped before the arrival of the Greeks.
Linear B tablets from Pylos reveal that Poseidon was the chief deity at this site during the Bronze Age. He held the title wanax, meaning king or protector, which also appeared for other gods but was best suited to him. A feminine variant po-se-de-ia exists in the records, indicating a lost consort goddess who became the precursor to Amphitrite. Tablets record sacrifices to the Two ladies and the Lord, suggesting a dual divinity similar to Demeter and Persephone. In Knossos, he carried the epithet E-ne-si-da-o-ne, translating to Earth-shaker. This chthonic nature linked him to the underworld rather than the sea initially. At Pylos, he was closely associated with Potnia, the Mycenean goddess of nature and birth. The earth shaker received offerings in the cave of the goddess of childbirth Eileithyia at Amnisos in Crete.
In inland regions like Arcadia and Boeotia, Poseidon appeared as a horse god named Hippios. Myths describe him mating with Demeter in the form of a stallion to produce the swift horse Arion. Ancient Greeks believed horses could create springs, linking the animal to water spirits. Thessalian legends claim he created the first horse Skyphios by hitting a rock with his trident. As Achaeans migrated from the interior to coastal Ionia, they began viewing him as master of the sea. The Ionians were sea-dependent people who needed protection for their voyages. Natural philosophers like Thales and Anaximenes explained earthquakes as erosion by waters disappearing into the earth. This folk belief transformed the inland god of waters into the earth-shaker and eventually the ruler of the ocean. His role shifted from tamer of horses to protector of sailors and fishermen.
The Panhellenic Isthmian Games were celebrated annually in Corinth in honor of Poseidon. These events included athletic competitions, music contests, and horseracing established over the dead prince Palaimon. In Onchestos of Boeotia, a festival featured charioteers jumping down to pray if their chariot would fall in the sacred grove. The month Poseidaon marked winter storms when Poseidon was worshipped as master of the sea across Ionic territories. At Tainaron, participants called Tainarioi held a festival in a cave sanctuary used for necromancy. The temple at Helike served as the meeting place of the Achaean League until the city was destroyed by a tsunami in 370 BC. Women were excluded from certain festivals on Mykonos where he was honored as god of fishing. Alexander the Great paused at the Syrian seashore before the battle of Issus to invoke Poseidon for a safe voyage.
A building constructed around 690-650 BC at Isthmia near Corinth is considered a pioneering structure featuring Doric architecture. It measured 12.13 by 38.23 meters with five columns on the front facade and fifteen along the sides. The second temple of Hera at Paestum traditionally named after Poseidon measures 24.5 by 54.3 meters with nine columns on the porch. The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion was built in 425 BC following an earlier version destroyed by Persians in 490 BC. This hexastyle structure had six columns across the front and fourteen along the flanks. An Ionic frieze ran around the interior of each end of the pteron. Early temples showed freedom in treating the peripteral colonnade unknown to later architects. The interval between remaining columns at Taranto indicates maximum dimensions of 22.32 by 47.46 meters. A Doric temple at Kalaureia measured 14.50 by 27.00 meters with twelve columns along the side.
In the standard version, Poseidon was born to Titans Cronus and Rhea as the fifth child out of six. His father devoured each infant immediately after birth until Rhea deceived him into eating a rock wrapped in a blanket instead of Zeus. Once grown, Zeus gave his father an emetic that made him vomit up the swallowed children. Armed with a trident forged by Cyclopes, Poseidon defeated the Titans alongside his siblings. He divided the world by lot with Zeus and Hades, receiving the sea while Zeus got the sky. In Athens, he competed against Athena for patronage by striking the ground to create a salty spring. The Athenians chose Athena's olive tree gift over his salt water offering. Enraged, Poseidon sent a monstrous flood to punish them. He also fathered Theseus with princess Aethra and created the Minotaur when Minos sacrificed an ordinary bull instead of the divine white one given by Poseidon.
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Common questions
What is the earliest written record of Poseidon?
The earliest written record of the name Poseidon appears on Linear B clay tablets from Mycenaean Greece, inscribed as Po-se-da-o or Po-se-da-wo-ne. This form corresponds to the later Homeric Greek Posidaōn and indicates a Pre-Greek origin rather than an Indo-European one.
How did the role of Poseidon change over time?
Poseidon shifted from tamer of horses to protector of sailors and fishermen as Achaeans migrated from the interior to coastal Ionia. Natural philosophers like Thales and Anaximenes explained earthquakes as erosion by waters disappearing into the earth, transforming the inland god of waters into the ruler of the ocean.
When was the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion built?
The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion was built in 425 BC following an earlier version destroyed by Persians in 490 BC. This hexastyle structure had six columns across the front and fourteen along the flanks with an Ionic frieze running around the interior of each end of the pteron.
Who were the parents of Poseidon according to standard mythology?
In the standard version, Poseidon was born to Titans Cronus and Rhea as the fifth child out of six. His father devoured each infant immediately after birth until Rhea deceived him into eating a rock wrapped in a blanket instead of Zeus.
Where did Poseidon compete against Athena for patronage of Athens?
In Athens, he competed against Athena for patronage by striking the ground to create a salty spring. The Athenians chose Athena's olive tree gift over his salt water offering, causing Poseidon to send a monstrous flood to punish them.