Myth of POSEIDON, god of the sea

Water has been a relevant element for most cultures, being to a greater or lesser degree a key element for the functioning of any civilization, and being important in all cultures to have a god related to the sea, ocean or any type of source of Water. To talk about him most important god of the sea, in this lesson from a TEACHER we offer you a short summary of the myth of Poseidon.

Poseidon on the Greek mythology he was the supreme god of the sea, oceans, all streams of water and also from earthquakes. The importance of him in the ancient world was so enormous that he was used by later cultures such as the Etruscans or the Romans, being called for it as Nethuns and Neptune, respectively.

The importance that Poseidon came to have in Greek mythology is demonstrated by the relevance that he had in many cities, being the big cities pattern like Corinth and coastal cities, but also being the second most important god of key polis like Athens.

Poseidon is known both for his Good actions as for being one of the deities with

worst actions. On the good side of him, we can see events like the creation of islands or keeping the sea calm, but on the evil side of him we can see the destruction that of him came to provoke with his actions destroying islands with their earthquakes and floods or causing some of the greatest curses in history Greek.

The great importance of him in Greek mythology, as one of the three great rulers of the world, makes it very common to see him in Greek myths, being possibly the Greek deity with the greatest number of stories in which he participates. It is because of this, and because of the relationship of the Greek polis with the sea, that the importance of it in Greek culture was so enormous.

To continue with this summary of the myth of Poseidon, we must talk about the different myths that make up the history of Poseidon, in order to understand the entire history of this deity and the clear relevance of him in the ancient world.

Origin of Poseidon

Although most sources speak of the origin of Poseidon similar to that of the rest of his brothers, being swallowed by his father Crono and more later saved by his brother Zeus, in other classical sources it is said that Poseidon was together with Zeus the one who escaped being eaten by his his father. On the other hand, the origin of Poseidon is interesting since when he and his brothers divided, the world was left with the seas, managing all the water of Classical Greece.

Athens Foundation

Another of the myths that are part of the history of Poseidon is the one that narrates the founding of Athens. When all Greek polis were founded, they had to choose a god to be their protector, and in some cases the choice could lead to a confrontation between gods. Both Athena and Poseidon offered gifts to Athens to be appointed as her protector, but the olive tree offered by the goddess of wisdom was best viewed by the Athenians and they named her their protective. It is said that Poseidon's anger was so great that it flooded the city and several gods had to protect Athens so that it was not destroyed.

Trojan walls

Many before the trojan war, there is a story about this civilization in which the god of the seas will participate. It is said that many ago the city of Troy was threatened by foreign tribes, and Zeus He asked Poseidon and Apollo to build walls to defend the Trojan city from the invaders. After building the city and protecting it Poseidon wanted to receive a gift from the King of Troy, but he did not rewarded him by thinking that he had received orders from Zeus and they had not done so on his own initiative. As revenge for this Poseidon sent a great sea monster to destroy the city, being saved by Heracles but suffering great damage.

The island of Delos

We continue to know the myth of Poseidon to speak, now, of the well-known island of Delos. It is said that the island of Delos was born thanks to the trident of Poseidon, being the god of the sea who with his power made it arise from the depths. It is said that it was a request from Zeus, who wanted a safe island for his lovers, and therefore being the island where the gods Apollo and Artemis grew to become the great gods who ended up being.

Universal flood

As in other Greek mythologies there is also a great universal flood, which is said to have been performed by Poseidon at the request of Zeus, asking that only those people who deserve it for the sins committed by men will survive and for ceasing to worship the gods. It is said that only two people managed to survive the flood, being Deucalión and Pirra, and it was they who started a new cycle of human life.

The minotaur

The creation of the minotaur It is a subject that has changed a lot depending on the myths that we consult, there are many different stories about its origin and how the events of his life were. The story of the minotaur that involves Poseidon is one in which it is said that once the god of the sea gave a king a great white bull, asking to be sacrificed in his honor, but the king was totally in love with the animal and decided keep it. Poseidon went into a rage and made the queen have a son with the bull, the minotaur being born from this union.