Poseidon
Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes and horses in ancient Greek religion, one of the twelve Olympians. He is documented from the Homeric poems as one of the three sons of Cronus who divided the cosmos by lot with Zeus and Hades.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-20
Historical fact
Poseidon is called 'earth-shaker' (Ennosigaios) in Homer, and was worshipped as Poseidon Hippios in connection with horses — myth credits him with creating the first horse. He is documented in Homer as one of the three sons of Cronus who divided the cosmos by lot with Zeus and Hades, receiving the sea as his domain.
Interpretation — Greek Tradition (Homer and Hesiod)
In the oldest Greek sources, Poseidon is portrayed not only as lord of the sea but also as responsible for earthquakes and as patron of horses, an animal of great practical and symbolic importance in ancient Greece. His epithets — Ennosigaios ('earth-shaker') and Hippios ('of horses') — reflect this breadth of domains, unusual among the Olympian gods, who typically had more restricted spheres of influence.
Interpretation — Roman Tradition (syncretism)
In Roman religion, Neptune was primarily and narrowly a sea god — the earthquake and horse associations that were prominent parts of Poseidon's Greek cult did not carry over with the same weight into Roman Neptune worship, which centered on maritime concerns and, notably, was linked to the Roman games (the Neptunalia) rather than to seismic or equestrian cult practice.
This section presents one tradition's interpretation, not a verifiable fact.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Poseidon and Neptune the same god?
- They are the same god under different names, the result of Roman religious syncretism — but the Greek cult of Poseidon spanned earthquakes and horses beyond the sea, while the Roman cult of Neptune centered almost exclusively on the maritime domain.
- Why is Poseidon associated with horses?
- Because, in addition to being god of the sea, Poseidon was worshipped as Poseidon Hippios, patron of horses — Greek mythology credits him with creating the first horse, and he was invoked in connection with these animals at various sanctuaries.
Sources
- Hesiod. Theogony (c. 700 BCE).
- Homer. The Iliad (c. 8th century BCE).
- Robert Graves. The Greek Myths (1955).
- Walter Burkert. Greek Religion (1985).