Poseidon god of myths. Poseidon (Neptune) - son of Kronos and Rhea, god of the sea. Dolphins and the Sea Lord

Poseidon (Neptune) - son of Rhea, god of the sea.

Poseidon was one of the three most powerful Greek gods: he ruled the vast kingdom of the sea as completely as his older brother (Hades) ruled the underworld, and his younger brother over heaven and earth. All sea deities were subject to him, he was the ruler of all sea animals, and all events in and on the sea took place according to his will. With his trident, Poseidon could “drill up the sea and raise a storm,” but he could also tame the most violent waves. Poseidon was also called the “earth shaker,” since he caused an earthquake by striking the ground with a trident. His character was furious and fickle, similar to the elements that he commanded. It is therefore not surprising that he was the most feared and accordingly revered by sailors and residents of coastal countries throughout the Greek world.

Power over the sea elements went to Poseidon by origin and by lot. Like all the children of Cronus, Poseidon was swallowed by his father immediately after birth and continued to live in his womb until he freed them all younger son, (cm.). After the victory over, he agreed with Poseidon to share power over the world by lot - and Poseidon got the sea. Therefore, in disputes, Poseidon constantly emphasized that he was equal in rights, and if he obeyed him, it was of his own free will, but not as a subject.

From his magnificent palace in Aegae (on the western coast of Euboea or on the northern coast of Achaea), Poseidon rode out on a sea chariot drawn by golden-maned horses, heading to Olympus, to inspect his vast possessions, or to any other place where he decided to visit; his horses rushed across the surface of the sea as if on dry land. Poseidon was usually accompanied by sea deities and animals, and sea monsters emerged from their lairs along his path, knowing that he might need them. Poseidon used them as instruments of his revenge (see articles '', ''Hesion'), but sometimes he took revenge with his own hands. For example, with his trident he destroyed the walls of Troy twice (although the second time he did not do it very thoroughly, since in 1871 Heinrich Schliemann found them in good condition). He personally pursued Odysseus, taking revenge on him for blinding his son Polyphemus. For ten years, Poseidon did not allow Odysseus to return to his native land until he finished his odyssey, taking advantage of Poseidon’s oversight.

In his kingdom, Poseidon was a sovereign ruler, but in disputes with other gods he did not always get his way. Thus, he unsuccessfully challenged power over Attica, Corinth, Naxos, Delphi, Hera, Argos, and Aegina. In all these disputes, the gods managed to force him to yield.

Poseidon's wife was the daughter of the sea god Nereus, and the sea god's favorite son. In general, Poseidon had many descendants, and not all of them were born in union with his legal wife, but this is not uncommon in myths. So, the nymph Foosa gave birth to him the one-eyed cyclops Polyphemus, the oceanid Livy (Libia) - the Sidonian king, the nymph Naida - the sea god, the goddess of the earth - a giant, etc. Many of the descendants of Poseidon inherited the violent character of their father (especially Aloada, the giant Sarpedon, Amik or the same Polyphemus). The son of Poseidon was also, born to Ephra, the wife of the Athenian king Aegeus.

The Greeks have revered Poseidon since ancient times. His name is already found on tablets of the Crete-Mycenaean letter “B” (14th - 13th centuries BC). He was especially revered by sailors and horsemen. Of the animals, a dolphin, a horse and a bull were dedicated to him, and of trees - a pine tree. A number of coastal cities were named after him, and every two years the Isthmian Games were held in his honor, second in importance only to the Olympic and Delphic (Pythian) Games. Magnificent temples dedicated to Poseidon were built, in particular, on Isthmus near Corinth, in Asia Minor Priene, on the island of Poros and in Attica at Cape Sunium. (However, as shown latest research, the largest and best-preserved Greek temple west of Athens - in ancient Poseidonia (present-day Paestum) - was dedicated not to Poseidon, but to the goddess Hera.) The Romans adopted Poseidon from the Greeks practically unchanged and around the 5th century. BC e. identified him with their god Neptune.

A large number of highly artistic sculptural images of Poseidon have been preserved: “Poseidon with a trident” - a Roman copy of a Greek original of the 4th century. BC e., “Poseidon of Melos” - original 2nd century. BC e., the large “Poseidon” of the beginning of the century. BC, discovered in 1946 on the agora in Smyrna (present-day Izmir), Roman copies of “Poseidon” by Lysippos. “Poseidon with Apollo and Artemis” from the eastern frieze of the Parthenon, created in the 5th century, has also reached us in good preservation. BC e. under the leadership or with the participation of Phidias and taken away to the 19th century. in London.

In modern times, Poseidon (usually under the name of Neptune) has become a favorite decorative figure in fountains. The most famous of them: ''Fountain of Neptune'' by Ammanati (1563-1575) in Florence, the fountain of the same name by Montorsoli in Messina (1557) and the work of Giambologna in Bologna (1566), ''Neptune'' by Arnoldi in Petrodvorets near St. Petersburg (1716 ) and ''The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite'' by L. S. and N. S. Adamov in the park at Versailles (1740).

There are a lot of paintings with Neptune in galleries and collections around the world; first of all, the works of Garofalo, Mabus, and Veronese should be noted. Rubens and Boucher, in the Czech Republic - the painting “Neptune with the Naiads” Poseidon (Neptune) - the son of Kronos and Rhea, the god of the sea. da Cortona (mid 17th century. Moravian Gallery in Brno) and the fresco “Poseidon, god of the sea, floating on a shell” by Bianco (1625 - 1630, Wallenstein Palace in Prague). Although my country cannot be called a seaside country, the god of the sea of ​​the ancient Greeks and Romans settled here in many Baroque palaces and parks. However, his best statues by Giambologna (1560) and A. de Vries (1626) were taken to Sweden during the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648.

One of the main Olympian gods, ruler of the seas, brother of Zeus and the god of the underworld Hades, Poseidon (in Roman Neptune), unlike other gods, lived not on Olympus, but deep underwater. He had a luxurious palace at the bottom of the sea, from which he rode out in his chariot drawn by long-maned horses. He was armed with a trident, and as soon as he moved it, the waves rose, and the stronger the movement of his hand, the more formidable and dangerous the sea became. Poseidon had a violent temper, and although he recognized the primacy of Zeus, he was always ready to compete with him for primacy on Olympus.

Poseidon had a wife, Amphitrite, the daughter of the prophetic sea elder Nereus. According to one version, Poseidon kidnapped her. He saw Amphitrite on the shore of the island of Naxos, where she and other Nereid sisters danced in circles, and was captivated by her beauty. He wanted to sneak up, grab her and take her away in a chariot, but the nimble Nereid managed to dodge his embrace and took refuge in one of the caves of the gray titan Ocean. There she was given refuge by another titan, Atlas, who held the vault of heaven on his shoulders.

Poseidon looked everywhere for Amphitrite, but could not find it. And then he sent the ubiquitous dolphin to find the fugitive. The dolphin swam through different seas and finally discovered a cave where the Nereid was hiding. Poseidon went in the indicated direction, found a cave, grabbed Amphitrite, took her to his palace and married her.

The obstinate Amphitrite could not resist such an onslaught and became his obedient and faithful wife. They had a son, Triton, a sea deity. Unlike his father, Triton did not have great powers; he did not have a chariot, but only a horn made from a shell. From his father he learned to summon storms. If Triton blew his horn, the waves rose and the sea became menacing.

Poseidon loved to show Triton and all the other sea deities his strength and power. He rode out of the underwater palace in his chariot, drove the horses, and the waves parted before him. He was always accompanied by frolicking dolphins, various fish scurried around his chariot, behind which a wide foamy trail remained. Poseidon liked to raise waves, to cause a storm. He swung his trident furiously, the waves grew higher and higher and crashed onto the shore with great force. It seemed that the sea would overflow its shores. It was bad sea ​​vessels, many could not stand the fight against the elements. But Poseidon didn’t notice anything or anyone, he was having fun, riding the waves, making noise, admiring the white foam and the play of dolphins. When he got tired of this activity, he used the same trident to calm the waves.

When the sea became quiet, beautiful Nereids, daughters of Nereus, patroness of sailors, appeared from the waves. They swam out of the depths of the sea, came ashore and started dancing in circles. Everything in nature calmed down. And Poseidon also surfaced from the depths and watched with pleasure the dances of the daughters of the elder Nereus. And he rejoiced that he had a son, the new ruler of the sea element.

Poseidon is the god of the seas in ancient Greek mythology, the ruler of all earthly waters. Poseidon was the son of Kronos and Rhea, the brother of the Olympian thunder god Zeus (Jupiter). The ancient Romans called Poseidon Neptune, so the god of the seas in ancient Rome was Neptune.

The patron of the oceans and seas was presented as a formidable deity with an unbridled, stormy temper, whose anger could cause an earthquake. The Lord of the sea waters, the god of the seas, is irritable, strict and even cruel. Flowing hair, sudden movements and a wild appearance distinguished Poseidon (Neptune) from Zeus. The ground opened up with one blow from his trident. To appease Poseidon, the ancient Greeks and Romans made sacrifices.

The God of the seas was revered by all fishermen, sailors and merchants. It is no coincidence that the main attribute of Poseidon (Neptune) was a trident - a harpoon, with which sharks and whales were killed. With a light wave he could calm the raging waves and hurricane. Altars were erected in the name of God, merchants turned to Poseidon (Neptune) with a prayer for a successful voyage and profitable deals.

Ancient Greek sea monsters

According to ancient ideas, on bas-reliefs the god of the seas, Poseidon (Neptune), was always depicted surrounded by a whole retinue of sea monsters. These mythological creatures obeyed the formidable god and appeared on the surface of the waters at his command. In modern times, the image of Poseidon (Neptune) was often used to decorate fountains.

Death of Hippolytus

Hippolytus is the son of the hero Theseus and the mistress of the Amazons Antiope. From birth, Ippolit was a gloomy, silent child. Hunting became his favorite pastime. Hippolytus did not recognize the power of Aphrodite and made all sacrifices only to Artemis. The goddess of love was very angry with Hippolytus for such a dismissive attitude and decided to take cruel revenge.

Aphrodite inspired Phaedra, Hippolytus's stepmother, with an insane passion for her adopted son. Hippolytus rejected Phaedra's love with disgust, for which she slandered him before Theseus. The father decided to punish his treacherous son and asked Poseidon (Neptune) to punish Hippolytus. When he approached the sea in his chariot, the god of the sea commanded a sea monster to appear on the surface of the waters. The horses bolted in fright and overturned the chariot, and Hippolytus crashed against the rocks.

Magic horses of Poseidon

In the Aegean Sea there is the palace of Poseidon (Neptune): it was there that the god of the sea spent most of his time. When he wants to rise to the surface, he harnesses four of his sea horses to the quadriga. Their appearance is very unusual: they are covered with scales and have fish tails.

Poseidon was the patron of horse breeding. The god of the seas, glorified in the summer, was also called by the nickname Hippias, which means “horse.” In his honor, the ancient Greeks organized the Isthmian Games, and white horses were selected for sacrifices to the formidable god. Other sacred animals of Poseidon (Neptune) are the dolphin and the bull.

Dolphins and the Sea Lord

The dolphin is an animal dedicated to the god of the seas. He rendered a great service to Poseidon (Neptune), for which he received a special role in ancient mythology. Poseidon once became interested in one of the Nereids - the lovely Amphitrite - and wanted to catch her, but did not have time. Amphitrite took refuge in the palace of Oceanus. It was Dolphin who showed Poseidon (Neptune) the place where the palace was located. The Olympian god was able to kidnap his beloved: Amphitrite became the mistress sea ​​waters and wife of Poseidon (Neptune). Many monuments of ancient and modern art are decorated with images of dolphins. These animals are indispensable companions in the retinue of Aphrodite and Amphitrite.

Patron of the deep sea and giants

Poseidon (Neptune) helped his brother Zeus defeat the giants by dropping huge rocks on them. According to one ancient Greek myth, so the sea god also killed his son, the giant Ephialtes. This plot is depicted on an antique vase.

Poseidon and Amphitrite

Amphitrite is the daughter of Nereus, the wife of Poseidon (Neptune), the wise mistress of the depths of the sea. Amphitrite was often revered on a par with the god of the seas: temples were built in her honor and statues were created. Her image often adorned antique bas-reliefs. Usually Amphitrite was imagined surrounded by Nereids sitting on sea monsters in the form of bulls, tigers and rams. The bull on which Amphitrite sits has a fish tail. Sometimes in images Amphitrite is accompanied by light-winged cupids. Such scenes often became the subject of painting. Such great artists as Titian, Rubens, Lemoine, Natoire addressed this topic.

Nereids

The Nereids are the daughters of a wise old man, the patron saint of the quiet depths of the sea - Nereus and Doris. Reminders by appearance mermaids, Nereids live at the bottom of a large sea grotto. Their names symbolize the qualities of the sea element. The Nereids have the gift of prediction and perform an important duty: they deliver the souls of dead people to the Isles of Grace. Images of Nereids decorated sarcophagi and tombstones.

Tritons

Tritons and tritonids are the sons and daughters of Poseidon (Neptune) and Amphitrite. They have a human body and a fish-like forked tail. Newts are depicted sitting on blue horses with claws instead of hooves. Modern works of art often depict newts blowing large sea shells.

Tritonid is sometimes confused with sirens - other mythological creatures that personified the deceptiveness of the sea water surface. Sirens and tritonids have a female body, but in the former it ends in a bird’s tail, and in the latter in a fish’s tail.

Compared

If we compare the mythology of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece with the legends and myths about the pantheon of Egyptian gods, then the common thing will be that they played a colossal role in the emergence and development of ancient Egyptian society and had a significant influence on the development of architecture and art. It is impossible to determine with striking categoricality which of them was more powerful - the gods Ancient Greece or the gods of Egypt. God of the sea Ancient Egypt- Nun Chaos (Ancient Egyptian “water”, “aquatic”) is the primordial ocean, according to legend, it was the progenitor of the powerful Ra and one of the main gods in the ancient Egyptian pantheon.

In ancient Greek mythology, the god of the seas, the son of the Titan Kronos and the Titanide Rhea, brother of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. The main feature that distinguishes Poseidon in myths is authority, indestructible and stormy power, which manifests itself inseparably from his royal greatness. The wrath of this god is fierce, as is his element; with inexorable anger he persecutes those who insult him. Translated from ancient Greek, his name means “Earth Shaker.” In the depictions of ancient works of art, his face mostly bore an expression of excitement and anger, in contrast to the Olympian calm of Zeus.

When the Olympian gods defeated Kronos, the three brothers - Zeus, Hades and Poseidon - divided the world among themselves. They drew lots to make sure everything was fair. Poseidon received the kingdom of the sea, and Zeus received the earth and sky and became the supreme god. Poseidon did not like this situation very much. He was the elder brother and believed that supremacy in the world of gods should belong to him. He publicly called Zeus an invader and did not want to obey him at all. Together with Hera and Athena, they plotted against Zeus, and tied him so tightly that the supreme god could not move. And if it weren’t for the help of Zeus’s beloved, the sea goddess Thetis, who brought the hundred-armed hecantocheir Briareus from Tartarus to help her beloved, it is still unknown who would have been the supreme god.
Zeus ordered the gates of Olympus to be closed in front of Poseidon and threatened with lightning if he dared to appear on the threshold of heaven. To earn forgiveness, Poseidon was forced to go into exile among the people and work for ten years as a simple mason for the king of Troy, Laomedont, building fortress walls. Laomedont promised payment for the work, but when everything was finished, he did not want to pay. Then Poseidon sent a sea monster to the city, devouring people.
After finishing the work, Poseidon's punishment ended. Zeus allowed himself to be persuaded and allowed Poseidon to return to the palace of the gods.
Now Poseidon could get married, and he wanted it so much, because the god of the seas was in love.
Who was his chosen one?
And he met her on the island of Naxos at a reception hosted by the old god of water Ocean. His daughters danced after the feast, and among them the most beautiful was the bright-eyed Amphitrite. Poseidon asked her father for her hand in marriage and received consent, but the daughter did not agree, because Poseidon disgusted her. The God of the Seas was not ugly, but could not be considered the ideal of beauty, despite his powerful physique. He had wild, tousled hair, dark skin, an always damp beard, full of silt, and ominously burning eyes under bushy eyebrows evoked fear in the girl’s timid heart.
Poseidon returned saddened to his deserted palace in the depths of the sea. Then a dolphin swam up to him - the wisest creation of all that inhabited sea ​​spaces, and promised to sort everything out. He appeared to Amphitrite the next day and spoke about the vast possessions of the omnipotent owner of the water element, which seem to have no boundaries, about his boundless riches, about the amazing inhabitants of the sea who would lie at her feet and give her honor as their queen:
“He lives in a blue palace with a roof made of shells. At low tide they open up, and then the pearls contained in them are visible. Fresh flowers grow on the walls, and fish peer into the amber windows. In the garden, sapphire and red trees bear golden fruit. The algae extends over the surface of the waves so that the light passing through them sparkles with all the colors of the rainbow. Among the coral branches, lost starfish scatter a faint flickering light. Spiders rush quickly on their long-legged legs, sea lilies grow from the bottom of the sea like small palm trees with many leaves. Glassy sponges look like small dwarfs with large gray beards, and when a line of luminous cephalopods swims by, blue, red and white balls rain down from above in an amazing play of colors, falling like a rain of multi-colored stars. When the sea is calm, the sun can be seen from the depths, like the open bowl of a large purple flower.”
Amphitrite thought... Then she asked more about this and that, and a few days later she sat down as the queen of the sea on the emerald throne next to Poseidon.

Amphitrite's life truly became luxurious. The wonderful palace of Poseidon stood deep in the depths of the sea. Sea waves roar high above the palace. Amphitrite, who settled in the palace, was surrounded by such a magnificent courtyard, which even the queen of heaven, Hera, did not have. All her sisters, the Oceanids, the daughters of the Ocean, have now gathered here. And there were three thousand of them. When the Oceanids swam near the queen’s chariot, the waves were covered with white foam, as if all the silver clouds had fallen from the sky to the ground. She was served by Nereids, and there were fifty of them. These deities entertained the hostess with singing and invited her to dance. But it was not fitting for the queen to dance, and she only sat on some rock, surrounded by Nereids, and they, lying at her feet, combed their green hair.
Then their father Nereus came out of the crystal palace and told amazing stories about the times when the gods were not yet in the world. Meanwhile, newts with fish tails, naughty sea pranksters, frightened the nymphs with creaking music on hollowed out shells, interfering with Nereus’ story. In the evening, Poseidon arrived and took his wife to Olympus, where they, in the circle of the highest gods, sat down at the banquet table.

Poseidon rules over the sea. Sitting in his palace in the depths of the sea, he knows everything that happens on the moving surface. When he rushes across the sea in his chariot drawn by wondrous horses, then the ever-noisy waves part and make way for the ruler of the seas. When the winds unwisely whip up the waves, Poseidon appears, and with one glance dark eyes calms them down, and drives the unruly storm away. When Poseidon waves his formidable trident, then sea waves, covered with white crests of foam, rise like mountains, and a fierce storm rages on the sea. Then the sea waves crash noisily against the coastal rocks and shake the earth. With his trident, he raises ships that have run aground or stuck between rocks, and sends fast currents to the shipwrecked, which carry them to safe places.

The sea, the earth and man, thrown onto the expanses of water in a fragile shell, tremble before his anger, and he even remembers a tiny bird - a kingfisher. Warm, gentle days come after the November slush, precisely when the female kingfisher incubates eggs in a floating nest. Poseidon, for the sake of her peace, smooths the waves and pacifies the winds. And then the ships, delayed at foreign piers by bad weather, return home.
Poseidon repaired, in addition to the sea, coasts, islands and piers. He dug the earth deeply with his terrible trident, creating inlets and channels. Earthquakes were manifestations of his anger. More than once Poseidon tried to subjugate territories and cities on land to his power.

The dispute between Poseidon and Pallas Athena over Attica is especially famous. Both wanted to patronize this land and its main city. It was agreed that whoever presented the city with best gift, will receive this honor. Poseidon uses a trident to knock out a source of salt water from a rock, but not fresh water, which is so necessary in an arid country. Athena grew an olive tree on the rocks of the Acropolis, the nurse of the people of Attica. The decision in favor of Athena was made by the Athenian kings Kekrops and Kranai (according to another version, they themselves

Poseidon is the power-hungry god of the sea and rivers, the creator of storms, floods and earthquakes.

Poseidon was perhaps one of the most destructive gods among all those who lived on Olympus. Moreover, this property of his extended not only to mortals, but also to the gods themselves.

Poseidon's parents were Kronos and Rhea, and his brothers were Zeus and Hades. Poseidon was a key figure in the battles for control of the universe between the Titans, Giants and Olympians.

After the victory, the brothers decided who among them would lead this or that region.

Zeus received the sky at his disposal, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon the sea element.

Myths say that Poseidon lived in a palace made of pure gold at the very bottom of the sea, the walls of his abode were decorated with corals and sea flowers of all colors of the rainbow.

It is known that the god of the sea was dissatisfied with the fact that he received protection over the sea, and more than once tried to overthrow his brother Zeus and claim his throne.

According to legend, Poseidon also built walls around Troy.

Nereid became Poseidon's wife. God had a son, Triton, half-man, half-fish. However, like other gods, Poseidon had many relationships with other women - goddesses and mortals.

From them he had several children. The most famous are Polyphemus (), Orion (winged horse) and Charybdis (a sea monster that creates terrible whirlpools).

Many sons of Poseidon became rulers in various parts.

Poseidon also controlled the Minotaur.

Myths tell that King Minos was unable to sacrifice a bull to the sea god, and as punishment, Poseidon punished Minos’ wife, Pasipha, and doomed her to passionate love for a monster, half-man, half-bull, living in the labyrinth of Knossos.

It was believed that Poseidon controlled Corinth, since an important sea route was built here. God was also especially revered in Sounion, where his temple was built and Isthmian games were held in honor of the god.

Poseidon also claimed patronage over Athens, giving the inhabitants horses and extremely fertile lands.

However, the gift brought by Athena was more significant: from the olive branch given by the goddess, agriculture appeared in the city. Until now, Athens is considered the world leader in the import of olive products and olive oil.

Poseidon also disputed with Athena the right to patronage over Troy, with Helios - over Corinth, with Dionysus - over Aegina.

Each time he intervened in these disputes and resolved them, but Poseidon remained offended and every now and then sent floods, storms or earthquakes to certain places.

As the ruler of the sea, Poseidon is described as gathering clouds and causing storms, but at the same time, according to myths, he can save those who are shipwrecked in the seas.

Because the sea surrounds the earth, Poseidon is often described as a god who holds the plane of the earth in his mighty hands. It is also believed that the god of the sea taught people the art of driving horses.

Poseidon is one of the central characters in. He supports the Achaeans and often, transforming into some people, gives them instructions on how to conduct military operations.

And sometimes, according to Homer’s Iliad, he leads the Achaean army into battle. The image of Poseidon is also found in Homer's Odyssey. In revenge for the blinding of his son Polyphemus, God condemns the main character, Odysseus, to wander the seas for 10 years.

Poseidon in art

In art, Poseidon most often appears in the form of a powerful man with a beard and a trident, with the blows of which, according to legend, he caused earthquakes and storms.

Sometimes the trident was inlaid with sea creatures - crayfish, octopus or fish.

The sea god is also often depicted riding a golden chariot drawn by hippocampi, half-horse, half-fish creatures.

Perhaps the most famous image of Poseidon is the 2 m high bronze statue created around 460 BC. e. Nude images of the god are more common, but sometimes Poseidon is dressed in a chiton or cloak, and his head is crowned with a diadem.

There are also compositions in Greek art where Poseidon is represented surrounded by Amphitrite, Tritons, Nereids, Dioscurus, Palaenoa, Pegasus, Bellerophon, Thalassus, Ino and Galen.

As a rule, the god is depicted as majestic and calm (in this they are similar to his brother, Zeus).

The sacred animals associated with Poseidon were the bull, horse and dolphin, as well as any inhabitants of the sea. Among the plants, pine and wild celery became symbols of Poseidon.

The Romans borrowed the characteristics of Poseidon to create their own mythological system.

The god of the sea received the name Neptune and retained all his characteristic symbols.