Myths, Legends, and Folklore - Poseidon
Family of Poseidon
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Stories about Poseidon
Poseidon competed with other gods for cities and honor.
Most famously, he competed with Athena for Athens.
- Poseidon struck the ground and created a salt spring (or horse).
- Athena gave the olive tree.
The citizens chose Athena.
Poseidon never forgot the insult.
This myth reflects political tension between maritime power and agricultural civilization.
Poseidon’s most famous personal vendetta is against Odysseus.
When Odysseus blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus (Poseidon’s son), Poseidon cursed him to wander for years.
The storms in The Odyssey are not random — they are divine punishment.
This shows Poseidon’s:
- Fierce paternal loyalty
- Long memory
- Relentless wrath
Beyond the sea, Poseidon caused earthquakes.
Ancient Greeks living in seismically active regions feared him deeply.
In some older Mycenaean records (Linear B tablets), Poseidon appears even more prominent than Zeus — possibly once a chief deity.
This hints that his cult may be older than classical Olympus.
In Roman mythology, he becomes Neptune.
In philosophical interpretations, he represents:
- The subconscious
- Chaos
- Emotional depths
- Unstable natural forces
Unlike Zeus, Poseidon never becomes purely moral authority.
He remains elemental.
Atlantis is the one place where Poseidon is not just a sea god — he is founder, father, and dynastic architect.
The Atlantis story comes from Plato, primarily in the dialogues Timaeus and Critias.
According to Plato:
- Atlantis was a large island beyond the Pillars of Heracles (Gibraltar).
- Poseidon fell in love with a mortal woman named Cleito.
- He enclosed her dwelling with three circular rings of water and land, creating a fortified island capital.
This is the famous concentric-ring city design.
He literally shapes the geography.
This is unique — Zeus rules Olympus, but Poseidon physically engineers Atlantis.
According to Plato:
- Atlantis was a large island beyond the Pillars of Heracles (Gibraltar).
- Poseidon fell in love with a mortal woman named Cleito.
- He enclosed her dwelling with three circular rings of water and land, creating a fortified island capital.
This is the famous concentric-ring city design.
He literally shapes the geography.
This is unique — Zeus rules Olympus, but Poseidon physically engineers Atlantis.
Plato says:
Over time, the Atlanteans’ divine blood thinned.
They became greedy, imperial, morally corrupt.
This is where Zeus enters.
Zeus gathers the gods to punish Atlantis.
The dialogue breaks off before full detail, but Atlantis ultimately sinks in “a single day and night of misfortune.”
Notice something critical:
Poseidon does not destroy Atlantis.
Zeus does.
The sea consumes it — but under Zeus’ judgment.
Here’s the interesting tension for your framework:
Poseidon builds Atlantis.
Zeus destroys it.
This may symbolize:
- Maritime power vs centralized sky authority
- Sea-based empire vs continental order
- Old oceanic civilization replaced by newer Indo-European structures
If you’re tracing myth cycles:
Poseidon = older sea lineage
Zeus = later consolidation of authority
Atlantis becomes a hinge myth.
Children of Poseidon
Poseidon fathered many children — both divine and monstrous.
Among them:
- Triton (sea messenger)
- Polyphemus (Cyclops)
- Theseus (in some traditions)
Many of his offspring are wild, hybrid, or monstrous — reflecting untamed ocean forces.
End of Poseidon
Poseidon’s life story follows:
- Swallowed child of prophecy
- Warrior in cosmic war
- Lord of sea and earthquakes
- Rival to Athena
- Enemy of Odysseus
- Father of wild offspring
- Eternal, untamed force
He does not die.
He does not soften.
He remains as unpredictable as the ocean.
Equivalents of Poseidon
Roman — Neptune
Norse — Njord
Vedic — Varuna