Greek God Poseidon And His Role In Archaic Society

The Greek god Poseidon has always been overshadowed by Zeus, his younger brother, but an in-depth examination of his history and mythology reveals a fascinating legend in the classical world. Poseidon has always been influential to the lives of many people both in the ancient and present times. Known as Neptune in Roman mythology, Poseidon was also worshipped as a god of the sea, earthquakes and even horses. He has been an inspiration to many through time. This paper explores the significance and influence Poseidon, as a powerful deity, had on the Archaic Greek society.

Poseidon, as we are well informed by Greek mythology, was born of the great Titans Rhea and Cronus whose name is also spelt Cronos or Kronos. It is important to state at this point that a previous prophecy had stated that Cronus’ rule would be brought to an end by one of his offspring, just like Cronus himself had usurped the throne from his father. To avert this prophecy, Cronus swallowed Poseidon immediately after birth along with his sisters but luckily their brother Zeus later freed them from Cronus’ belly with the help of a magic potion.

Poseidon is known to have banded together with his brother in the Titanomachy that saw the defeat of Cronus. It was after this victory that Poseidon drew lots with Zeus and Hades over the division of the Earth kingdom where he got the sea kingdom. Poseidon was usually depicted carrying a three prong trident in a chariot drawn by horses or sea-horses.

He had a beautiful wife, Amphitrite, who was a granddaughter of the god Oceanus but this did not stop him from chasing other goddess or women. He even had the courage to woo the dreaded goddess medusa and fell in love with his sister Demeter. He had many human and non-human children with many goddesses (Burkert 136).

To the archaic Greek people, Poseidon was an important civic god for a number of cities. In Athens, he only second in relevance to Athena but he was the main polis god in other cities like Corinth and many more Magna Graecia cities. His worshippers recognized his benign as well as his temperamental sides. As a kind god he would not only create islands but calm rough seas as well but when offended or ignored he would the cause for natural disasters and much misery by simply striking down his trident.

Sailors in ancient Greece had to appease Poseidon through prayers and drowning horses for sacrifice before embarking on a sea voyage. This was done for fear of invoking Poseidon’s anger which might bring about rough seas or leave them shipwrecked. Notably, Alexander the Great is said to have stopped at the Syrian shore just before the battle of Issus and prayed “invoking Poseidon the sea-god, for whom he ordered a four-horse chariot to be cast into the waves” (Burkert 138). Poseidon, just like Dionysus who brought about the maenads illness, was also revered by the archaic Greeks for being responsible for some mental disturbances like epilepsy.

Homer’s Iliad in which Poseidon plays a central role describes the god as a sea dweller. Strangely when he travels across the sea aboard his chariot, the wheel axle does not get wet. And all the sea monsters bow and frisk when their master passes by. On the earth he is the patron of horses, a reason why some call him the “black-maned” and is asserted in some circles as “the earth shaker” or the god of earthquakes. His power, nevertheless, is not wielded in the sea as much as it does n land where he has been known to cause tremendous earthquakes that leave Hades shrieking in terror. His anger is feared by both mortals and immortals alike.

Poseidon is not just depicted as a vengeful god. Homer is realistic enough to depict another side of Poseidon which shows him as a peaceful and calming deity. There were times when he was in a good mood and create islands like the creation of Atlantis which he made for Clito his lover. Another example is in the Phaeacian episode where he is a“dignified, effective peacemaker who conciliates conflicting positions through negotiation and the quasi-legal procedures of pledges and guarantees” (Segal 499). In this example Homer shows us the dual nature of Greek perception of the universe.

Poseidon was worshipped in virtually every part of Greece. He was an important god to the entire archaic community. Robertson states that ceremonies in honor of Poseidon were usually held at the start of winter although there were others held all round the year (1). In line with the deep-seated agrarian background of most of the communities in the Mediterranean region, sportive activities were a prominent feature during all celebrations in honor of Poseidon.

Among his numerous legends, the most significant one is the great contest over patronage Athens between him and his niece Athena. It is said that the importance of Athens in the Greek world eventually sparked a debate among the gods over who was best suited to be the city’s patron. In the final analysis, it was found that both Athena and Poseidon had the best claim to the city; Poseidon because of the city’s proximity to the sea which is his domain and Athena because of the flourishing arts in the civilized life of Athens. Since none of the two deities was willing to give way to the other, Zeus decreed that the decision would be determined by a contest in which Poseidon and Athena were challenged to produce a beautiful and practical invention for humanity.

Poseidon raised his trident and struck the ground and a black horse appeared. It was beautiful and practical. When Athena stepped forward she grew an olive tree from the ground. She stated that the tree would give both food and oil that would be used during sacrifices to the gods. Her tree represented peace while Poseidon’s horse represented war (Jenks). Athena won and became the patron god of Athens but this did not in any way reduce the importance or significance of Poseidon to the archaic Greek people.

In conclusion, Poseidon was revered and widely worshipped by the archaic Greeks despite having been overshadowed by his younger brother Zeus. He is one of the most important gods in the classical world and continues to be portrayed in his might by artists of all genres. He was an inspiration to the archaic society and still continues to be today and in the future.

Works Cited

Robertson, Noel. Poseidon’s Festival at the Winter Solstice, Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress, 1984. Print.

Segal, Charles. Divine Justice in the Odyssey: Poseidon, Cyclops and Helios. New York: TheJohn Hopkins University Press, 1992. Print.

Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1985. Print

Jenks, Kathleen (April 2003). Mythic themes clustered around Poseidon/Neptune. April 2003.Web. 30 March, 2011.< HYPERLINK “http://www.mythinglinks.org/euro%7Ewest%7Egreece%7EPoseidon.html” http://www.mythinglinks.org/euro~west~greece~Poseidon.html>.