Poseidon, << puh SY duhn, >> was the Greek god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. The Romans identified him with their god Neptune. Poseidon was the son of Rhea and Cronus, members of a race of gods called the Titans. The gods Zeus and Hades were Poseidon’s brothers. When the three brothers drew lots to divide the universe, Poseidon received the sea as his domain, Zeus the heavens, and Hades the underworld. All three brothers ruled the earth, but Zeus was in charge.
Poseidon’s wife was the sea goddess Amphitrite. They had two daughters and a son, the sea god Triton. Poseidon’s offspring from countless love affairs included the magical horses Pegasus and Arion and the giants Antaeus and the one-eyed Polyphemus. In the epic poem the Odyssey, Poseidon hated the Greek hero Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) for blinding Polyphemus. In some myths, Poseidon was also the father of the mortal hero Theseus.
Poseidon’s attendants were the sea gods Phorcys, Proteus, and Nereus, and sea nymphs called Nereids. Like other sea deities, Poseidon often changed his shape. He drove a horse-drawn chariot and carried a three-pronged spear called a trident.
