Poseidon (Greek god)
Poseidon (Greek god) is the god of the sea, earthquakes and horses in ancient Greek religion and mythology. In The OdysseyThe OdysseyThe Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic traditionally attributed to Homer (epic poet). Across 24 books it follows Odysseus’s return to Ithaca after the Trojan War and reunion with Penelope (Greek mythology) and Telemachus, interweaving sea adventures, recognition, household order and human choices.Open the full entry, anger at OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus is the legendary hero of Ithaca, protagonist of The Odyssey and a Greek leader in The Iliad. His long return from the Trojan War to Penelope (Greek mythology) and Telemachus centers on cunning, disguise, endurance and recognition.Open the full entry for blinding his son PolyphemusPolyphemusPolyphemus is the Cyclops who imprisons Odysseus and eats members of his crew in Odyssey Book 9. After being blinded, he appeals to his father Poseidon (Greek god) for revenge, linking the encounter to the later troubles of homecoming.Open the full entry makes him a major obstacle to the hero’s return.
Contents5 sections
Key facts
The Sea and the Earth-Shaker
Poseidon (Greek god)’s divine functions encompass the sea, earthquakes and horses. The Odyssey also calls him Earth-Shaker and depicts him stirring the sea with a trident. His position differs from that of Zeus (Greek god)Zeus (Greek god)Zeus (Greek god) is king of the gods and a deity of the sky, thunder and order in ancient Greek religion and mythology. In The Odyssey he presides over divine decisions, enforces prohibitions and helps Athena (Greek goddess) bring the final conflict to an end.Open the full entry and Athena (Greek goddess)Athena (Greek goddess)Athena (Greek goddess) is a goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare and crafts in ancient Greek religion and mythology. In The Odyssey she supports Odysseus and Telemachus and helps bring about homecoming, recognition and a final settlement.Open the full entry, making him a powerful obstacle to Odysseus’s return.[1][2]
Polyphemus’s Prayer
After Odysseus identifies himself, Polyphemus asks his father Poseidon (Greek god) to prevent his return or, if return is fated, to make it late, bereft of companions and troubled at home. The prayer provides an explicit divine cause for the later difficulties.[3]
The Storm Against the Raft
After Odysseus leaves Calypso (Greek mythology)Calypso (Greek mythology)Calypso (Greek mythology) is the goddess on Ogygia in The Odyssey who shelters and detains Odysseus and offers him immortality. After Hermes conveys Zeus (Greek god)’s order, she releases him and helps equip his raft and voyage.Open the full entry, Poseidon (Greek god) sees him at sea and raises a storm with his trident. The raft is shattered and the hero nearly drowns. Divine permission to return does not remove the resistance of a hostile god.[2]
The Prophecy of a Later Offering
In Book 11, Tiresias tells Odysseus to travel inland with an oar after dealing with the suitors, until he meets people unfamiliar with the sea, and there make offerings to Poseidon (Greek god). Homecoming therefore does not exhaust the hero’s obligations toward the god.[4]