Poseidon

Family: Olympian gods · Role: god · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.1

🌐 Also appears in: The Iliad (as Neptune) · The Odyssey (as Neptune) · The Aeneid (as Neptune) · The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Neptune) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Poseidon)

At birth, Cronus swallowed Poseidon among his offspring: “His firstborn Hestia he swallowed, then Demeter and Hera, and after them Pluto and Poseidon.” Poseidon later wedded Amphitrite, daughter of Ocean, and fathered Triton, Rhode, and Benthesicyme. He was also named the father of Orion, to whom he granted the power to stride across the sea.

Poseidon fathered many others, including Hopleus, Nireus, Epopeus, Aloeus, Triops, Otus, Ephialtes, Pelias, Neleus, Amycus, Euphemus, Agenor, Belus, Nauplius, Pegasus, and Chrysaor. He was also named the father of Taphius, Sarpedon, Poltys, Ialebion, Dercynus, Eryx, Antaeus, Busiris, Eurypylus, Periclymenus, Arion, Lycus, Aethusa, Cychreus, Halirrhothius, and Polyphemus. His other unions included those with Tyro, Amymone, Hippothoe, Chione, and Aethra, while he carried Hippothoe to the Echinadian Islands and made Pterelaus immortal.

Poseidon aided Minos by sending up the bull that secured him the kingdom of Crete, but became angry when Minos failed to sacrifice it. He and Apollo fortified Pergamum for Laomedon, who refused their wages, and Poseidon was later among the rivals of Zeus for Thetis and of Athena for the land. He destroyed Erechtheus and his house, while at Tartarus he fixed bronze gates and a surrounding wall; he also gave Pelops a winged chariot after Pelops was restored to life.

Poseidon pursued his enmities with force: he chased Polybotes through the sea and threw part of Cos over him, and he split the rock beneath Ajax son of Oileus, drowning him. After Theseus prayed for Hippolytus to perish, Poseidon sent a bull from the surf that caused Hippolytus’ death. When Odysseus blinded Polyphemus, Poseidon became wroth with him; later, after Alcinous sent Odysseus home, Poseidon turned the ship to stone and buried the Phaeacian city beneath a mountain.