Poseidon The immortal Poseidon shines in Greek mythology as an influential figure. His many human qualities were often seen as flaws. Poseidon, along with his brothers Zeus and Hades, controlled the three realms of the earth; Poseidon the water god, Zeus the sky god, and Hades the lord of the underworld. Other domains under Poseidon’s control were earthquakes and horses. He also had a strong need to show his powers, and it often came out through mortal flaws. He exerted his power to show off his masculinity and manhood. He had many love affairs that produced offspring (Johanson). Poseidon was a true Casanova that exerted bitterness, ruthlessness, and unpredictability in his actions throughout his life. Adulterous behavior was common for Poseidon. One such love affair involved his sister Demeter. He thought she was absolutely stunning and desired her deeply. To avoid his constant sexual prodding, Demeter turned herself into a mare, an act that only fueled Poseidon’s desire. He transformed himself into a stallion and had his way with her. This affair created a horse named Arion. Another well-known affair of Poseidon’s was with Medusa. The two were sexually attracted to one another. Medusa was a true beauty when Poseidon first fell for her. They made love in Athena’s temple. Athena was so offended by this behavior she turned Medusa into a gorgon, a terrifying female creature, which she is known for in Greek mythology. One of Medusa’s most famous traits was her head of snakes that she possessed as hair. Athena and Peruses plotted to kill Medusa by beheading her. Upon cutting her head off, two offspring appeared. One of these children was the well-known flying horse Pegasus (Rymer). Mythology states that Poseidon did marry for love although once again, this union showed manipulation by Poseidon. Amphitrite was a water nymph. One day Poseidon spotted her dancing on the island of Nexos, and he immediately fell in love with her. She refused his marriage proposal at first but was soon coaxed by a dolphin, sent by Poseidon, to plead his case. The dolphin was successful. Due to his success, the dolphin was awarded a constellation in the heavens known as Dolphinus (Reese). As often seen in Greek myths, Poseidon used his power over sea creatures and horses to successfully seduce women. Poseidon’s mortal flaw of holding grudges was told in two famously written accounts. In the epic poem The Odyssey, Poseidon holds a grudge against Odysseus. Odysseus blinds an eye of one of Poseidon’s most famous and beloved offspring, the Cyclops named Plyphemus. By blinding Polyphemus, Odysseus met the true bitterness and ruthlessness of Poseidon. In the Odyssey, Odysseus tries to return to his homeland after fighting war. Poseidon constantly causes havoc and destruction for Odysseus with his power over the sea. Odysseus continues to stand strong with the help of Athena and eventually softens Poseidon through an animal sacrifice. After the sacrifice, Odysseus is free of Poseidon’s wrath (Reese). The other account of Poseidon’s infamous behavior is seen in the Iliad. In the Iliad, Poseidon was the original builder of the walls around the city of Troy to keep out the rival Greek Army. He built these walls with resentment. Zeus brought down this assignment after Poseidon tried to dethrone him. Although it was intended as a punishment, the King of Troy promised substantial reward to Poseidon for his hard work. Though Poseidon was given this task against his will, he took selfish pride in his work. The promised rewards were a trick. No gifts were ever intended. Poseidon once again showed bitterness and ruthlessness toward the city that was the nexus of the Trojan War. He created a sea monster that plagued the Trojans. He then turned his unpredictable loyalty to the Greeks. His jealousy once again got in the way. The Greeks, in an attempt to provide protection for themselves, created a wall around their most prized possessions of the sea, their men and their ships. Poseidon did not like the fact that the wall he built might not be as strong as the wall the Greeks built. He couldn’t decide what to do. The selfish jealousy that he suffered from took a toll, and his unpredictable behavior showed through (Reese). As seen in these two Greek myths, Poseidon acted with frequent unpredictability. His actions were ambiguous as he constantly showed his inability to stay constant in loyalty. His personality fit the same characteristics of the domains he ruled. The sea constantly shows the same unpredictability as Poseidon. One minute Poseidon shows loyalty and his desire to help and aid others, and the next minute he shows ruthless actions toward others that cause destruction and death. The sea portrays the same characteristics. One minute it provides for safe journey across the its vastness and the next minute it creates a most powerful storm causing mass destruction for many in its path. Unpredictability is also seen with earthquakes where the earth constantly shifts and settles with an occasional massive shift felt on the earth’s surface. They are seen as the most unpredictable due to the inability to predict them. Poseidon was certainly not predictable (Waller). Poseidon’s domain of horses also fit his unpredictability. Horses are thought to be very gentle animals. Although they can be affectionate and loyal their behavior is unpredictable. The stallion’s behavior can be reasonable one minute and then the horse can be provoked or scared the next minute, becoming dangerous and even deadly. It is said that if a stallion’s dominance is challenged they can instantly turn. Poseidon’s behavior fits that same trait (Williams). Poseidon was influential in his immortal godly world. He showed passion through his love of women and animals yet could turn angry instantly to cause complete turmoil just as the sea, earthquakes, and horses.

Bibliography
Johanson, Cynthia. "Characteristics of Poseidon, God of Sea." eHow.com. N.p., May 5, 2011. Web. 02 Oct 2011. .
Reese, Robert. "A History of Poseidon." casawomo.com. Ink Plant Network, January 14, 2010. Web. 02 Oct 2011. .
Rymer, Eric. "Poseidon." historylink102.com. N.p., January 14, 2010. Web. 02 Oct 2011. .
Waller, Ben. "Poseidon, Greek God and Lord of the Sea." men-myths-minds.com. The Goddess Path, May 2006. Web. 02 Oct 2011. .
Williams, Jane. “Stallion Behavior.” Parellinaturalhorsetraining.com. Parelli Natural Horsemanship, January 2011. Web. 02 Oct 2011.
.