Poseidon
Although Athena taught humans how to tame the horse, it was Poseidon who gave them the horse
to tame. And, although Zeus could strike with his lightning bolt and frighten with his thunder,
it was Poseidon who shook the earth and roused the fury of the sea. When Odysseus blinded Polyphemus,
Poseidon and Thoosa's son, the God of the Sea made waves, and subsequently, it took that Greek hero
ten years to return home. Right: The temple of Poseidon at Calauria. Below: The temple of Poseidon at Paestum.
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Poseidon was, along with Hades, Zeus's brother. When, after the defeat of the
Titans, this triumvirate devided among themselves the rule of the universe, the kingdom
of the sea went to Poseidon. For a sea-faring people, such as the Greeks, no god was more
eminent than Poseidon, except Zeus himself. His symbol is the trident,
the spear of deep-sea fishermen.
