Poseidon
Also known as: Earth-shaker / Sea-king / Shaker of Earth / sea-god / the Sea-king / the Shaker of Earth · Family: Gods · Role: god of the sea · First appears: Book III · Part 5
In Book III, Poseidon promised Thetis that Achilles would become a god on a holy island in the Euxine Sea, and later brought the promise to pass. In Book IX, he stopped Apollo from attacking Neoptolemus, warning that Zeus would grieve at his death; Apollo returned to heaven, while Poseidon returned to the sea.
In Book XIV, Poseidon raised a storm at Achilles’ behest and stilled the waves after Polyxeina was sacrificed. At Caphereus, he hurled the rock clung to by Ajax son of Oileus into a chasm, crushing him to death. He answered Nauplius’ prayer by sweeping the ships toward his land, and later joined Zeus and Apollo in destroying the Achaean walls with floods and a chasm.
Relationship record
Life events
- Poseidon promised Thetis that Achilles would become a god on a holy island.(Book III · Part 5 · 📍 the Euxine Sea)
- With: Thetis
- “To the light of Zeus Soon shall he rise; and I will give to him A holy island for my gift: it lies Within the Euxine Sea: there evermore A God thy son shall be.”
- Poseidon brought his promise concerning Achilles to pass.(Book III · Part 5)
- With: Thetis
- “and the God Brought this to pass thereafter.”
- Poseidon stopped Apollo from attacking Neoptolemus, warning him that Zeus would grieve at the son's death.(Book IX · Part 2)
- With: Apollo Neoptolemus
- “Then, to stay Phoebus' hand, he cried to him: “Refrain thy wrath: Achilles' giant son Slay not! Olympus' Lord himself shall be Wroth for his death”
- Apollo returned to heaven and Poseidon returned to the sea.(Book IX · Part 2)
- With: Apollo
- “To heaven went back Apollo, to the sea Poseidon.”
- Poseidon raised a storm at Achilles' behest, then stilled the waves after Polyxeina was sacrificed.(Book XIV · Part 2 · 📍 the sea)
- With: Achilles
- “Then were the waves stilled, and the blast was hushed To sleep, and all the sea-flood lulled to calm.”
- Poseidon hurled the rock Aias clung to into the chasm, crushing him to death.(Book XIV · Part 4 · 📍 Caphereus)
- With: Ajax son of Oileus
- “Cleaving the earth, hurled down the chasm the rock, As in the old time Pallas heaved on high Sicily, and on huge Enceladus Dashed down the isle, which burns with the burning yet Of that immortal giant, as he breathes Fire underground; so did the mountain-crag, Hurled from on high, bury the Locrian king, Pinning the strong man down, a wretch crushed flat. And so on him death's black destruction came”
- Poseidon answered Nauplius' prayer and swept the ships toward his land.(Book XIV · Part 5)
- “Poseidon heard his prayer, And on the dark surge swept them nigh his land.”
- Poseidon, Zeus, and Far-darter destroyed the Achaean walls with floods and a chasm.(Book XIV · Part 5 · 📍 Troy)
Book III · Part 5
- with Achilles (interaction) “And I will give to him A holy island for my gift: it lies Within the Euxine Sea:”
Book IX · Part 2
- siblings with Zeus “Then, overawed by the brother of his sire, And fearing for Troy's fate and for her folk, To heaven went back Apollo, to the sea Poseidon.”
- with Apollo (Poseidon intervenes to stop Apollo from striking Neoptolemus.) “Then, to stay Phoebus' hand, he cried to him: ‘Refrain thy wrath: Achilles' giant son Slay not!’”
Book XIV · Part 2
- with Achilles (Poseidon stirs the sea as a favor to Achilles.) “Tossed the great deep, smit by Poseidon's hands For a grace to strong Achilles.”
Book XIV · Part 4
- siblings with Zeus “Still Poseidon heaved and swung The merciless sea, to work the heart's desire Of his brother's glorious child; and she on high Stormed with her lightnings, ruthless in her rage.”
- with Ajax son of Oileus (interaction) “Yet had he 'scaped perchance his evil doom, Had not Poseidon, wroth with his hardihood, Cleaving the earth, hurled down the chasm the rock, As in the old time Pallas heaved on high Sicily, and on huge Enceladus Dashed down the isle, which burns with the burning yet Of that immortal giant, as he breathes Fire underground; so did the mountain-crag, Hurled from on high, bury the Locrian king, Pinning the strong man down, a wretch crushed flat.”
Book XIV · Part 5
- child: Nauplius “To his sea-god sire He prayed that all might perish, ships and men”
- with Odysseus (Poseidon's wrath brings Odysseus many woes.) “For his weird Was through Poseidon's wrath to suffer woes Full many.”
- with Zeus (Their actions jointly contribute to the destruction of the Achaean wall.) “The sea Dashed o'er it, and the roaring torrents still Rushed on it, swollen by the rains of Zeus;”
- with Apollo (They each contribute to the destruction of the Achaean wall.) “But Earth-shaker's jealousy now Burned against those long walls and towers uppiled By the strong Argives for a fence against The Trojans' battle-onset. Swiftly then He swelled to overbrimming all the sea That rolls from Euxine down to Hellespont, And hurled it on the shore of Troy: and Zeus, For a grace unto the glorious Shaker of Earth, Poured rain from heaven: withal Far-darter bare In that great work his part;”
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Extracted from the original text of The Fall of Troy. Made with Rho MD.