REIMAGINING MYTHOLOGY

POSEIDON

The mighty Earthshaker, Poseidon ruled the waves that the ancient seafaring Greeks depended upon. Fisherman and sea captains swore fealty to him and avoided his wrath; the sea god's persecution of the hero Odysseus was well known, and few wished to wander so far and so long before finding their home port. In addition to his influence over the seas, Poseidon was responsible for earthquakes, striking the ground with his trident, a three-pronged spear, to awesomely devastating effect.

Oddly for the god of the sea, Poseidon is deeply associated with horses. He created the first horse, introduced riding and chariot racing to mankind, and rides above the waves in a chariot drawn by horses with golden hooves. In addition, some of his many children are horses: the immortal Areion and the winged horse Pegasus, which was the son of Poseidon and the gorgon Medusa.

Poseidon figures prominently in the story of the Minotaur. Poseidon gave to King Minos of Crete a fantastic bull, intended for sacrifice. The king couldn't part with the beast, and in anger, Poseidon caused the princess Pasiphae to fall in love with the bull, and to birth the legendary half-bull, half-man called the Minotaur.