~the ancient sea~

Greek Name: Poseidon
Roman Name: Neptune
POSEIDON
          Poseidon was the son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Hades. He was the lord of the sea and navigation. Like his brothers and sisters, which included Zeus, he was swallowed by his father and when disgorged he plotted with his brothers to dethrone their father. The Cyclopes provided them with weapons, giving the trident to Poseidon. Cronus was defeated and the brothers drew lots from a helmet to divide up the universe. Poseidon drew the sea as his realm; earth and Olympus were shared by all. Poseidon was ever seeking to increase his realm, trying as he could to enroach on the land and add it to his sea kingdom. He contended with Athena for control of Athens. He struck the rock of the Acropolis with his trident and caused a fountain of sea water to gush forth. Athena planted an olive tree as her gift to the city. Athena's gift was deemed the better, and she won the city. Poseidon fell in love with one of the daughters, called Amymone, of Danaus. She bore him a son, Nauplius. Poseidon also fell in love with and courted Amphitrite a Nereid (sea nymph). She fled, and he sent Delphinus as an ambassador to pleasd his cause. Delphinus was succesful and Amphitrite married Poseidon. As a reward, Poseidon set the image of Delphinus among the stars as the constellation of the Dolphin. Amphitrite bore Triton, Rhode, and Benthesicyme to Poseidon. He was an inconstant husband and had as many love affairs as Zeus. When Ampphitrite learned of his affair with the sea-nymph Scylla, she transformed her into a monster with six hideous dog's heads, and 12 long arms. Poseidon also wooed Medusa, once a beautiful maiden, but because she made love to him in on of Athena's temples the goddess transformed her into a hideous snaky-haired Gorgon. When Perseus cut off Medusa's head, the monster Chrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus sprang from her spilled blood; these were her children by Poseidon. He won Aphrodite's gratitude by offering to pay off her marriage gifts to Hephaestus when she had been discovered with Ares. She bore him Rhodus and Herophilus. He pursued Demter, who in an attempt to escape, transformed herself into a mare. Poseidon changed himself into a stallion and ravished her. She bore him the marvelous horse and the nymph, Despoena. Some say that Poseidon was the father of Athena, and a blue eyed statue of the goddess in Athens was taken as evidence of his paternity.
          In the Trojan War Poseidon aided the Greeks whenever possible. He aided the Greeks because he never forgot that Laomedon cheated him when he built the walls of Troy. Though he favored the Greeks in the war, he once aided Aeneas when he was wounded, out of pity for the Trojan hero. After the war he joined Athena and harassed the Greeks on their way home. He was most angered at Odysseus who blinded his son Polyphemus, the Cyclops. To avenge this Poseidon prevented Odysseus from returning home for ten years.
          In the earliest times Poseidon was a god of the depths of the earth. He was thought to cause earthquakes. Poseidon came increasingly to be worshiped solely as a god of the sea. He raised storms and caused shipwrecks or calmed the waters at his pleasure; he also gave victory at sea. Away from sea, Poseidon was worshiped as the donor of life-giving waters of springs and fountains. He was also worshiped as the god of horses.           The horse, dolphin, and pine tree were sacred to Poseidon. Bulls, especially black ones, were sacrificed to him, and sometimes flung alive into rivers to propitiate him. In art Poseidon is represented as a majestic figure; his most common attribute are the trident, the dolphin, and the horse.
NEPTUNE
          Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology. He was originally a water god and rain giver, and thus associated with the growth of vegetation; but he came to be identified by the Romans with the Greek Poseidon. Neptune in the Aenied, calmed the storm aroused by Aeolus at Juno's request, lifted up the sunken ships, dispersed the clouds and restored the sun for Aeneas and his fleet. He promised Venus he would give Aeneas calm seas until he arrived at the harbor of Cumae, but in return for the lives he saved he demanded the life of one. The one he took was Palinurus, the steerman. In art Neptune is usually represented as a bearded man of stately presence, with the trident as his chief attribute, and the horse and dolphin as symbols.

Info from ©2002 "Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Rome" from sophmore Latin class.