1. Gods and Goddesses Presentation:
Poseidon
Floor mosaic

2. Poseidon was the god of…
Sea
Horses
Earthquakes
Mosaic of Poseidon, Oceanos, and Tethys

3. Poseidon’s Family Tree/ Position in Divine Hierarchy
Son of Cronus and Rhea
Brother of Zeus, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera
Consort was Amphitrite
Father to many with different women. Perseus, Triton, etc.
Position in divine hierarchy:
Overruled by Zeus

4. Poseidon was god to the city/cities of…
Corinth
Magna Graecia

5. What is was prone to doing? What was his motivation?
He was prone to:
Create new islands and calms seas
Cause unruly springs, earthquakes, drownings and shipwrecks
Cause mental disturbances like epilepsy
What he was motivated by:
He did harmful things as revenge when he was ignored or offended

6. Recognizing Poseidon In imagery:
Poseidon holds a trident, a three-pronged spear that he uses to stir up the sea or cause earth quakes.
He often rides a chariot that is drawn by horses (Iliad, 13.25)
In works of art, Poseidon may be easily recognized by his connection to his trident, horses, dolphins, chariot.
Mosaic of Poseidon on his chariot

7. Drawing of a vase of Poseidon on a horse
Image of vase of Poseidon sitting

8. Recognizing Poseidon In literature:
In many scenes, he was depicted as an angry, violent God who causes disaster at sea. In The Odyssey, he sent a gigantic wave to shatter Odysseus’ raft (5.366). He despised Odysseus for blinding his one-eyed son Cyclops.
Bulls are normally sacrificed for him. For example, in The Odyssey, the Phaeacians wanted Poseidon to stop threatening them by sacrificing twelve bulls ( ).
Sailors refer to him frequently and fear him, but Poseidon can also protect them so they want to stay on his good side.
Referred to as the Earth Shaker, Rain-God, Cloud-Gatherer, and Neptune in Roman mythology
Statue of Poseidon, Florence, Italy

9. Bizarre Facts He had many lovers and loved seducing and raping women.
Poseidon also tried to seduce Medusa and made love in the temple of Athena. The virgin goddess Athena, who was furious, turned Medusa into a hideous monster with snakes as hair.
Most infamous Poseidon rape was with his sister, Demeter. She tried to escape Poseidon’s love by turning herself into a mare to hide inside a herd of horses. Poseidon transformed himself into a stallion and mounted her.
He had a male lover named Pelops, who was a prince of Lydia and later Kind of Pisa in Elis.
Statue of Neptune, Virginia Beach