Poseidon

**Poseidon** is the Greek God of the Sea.

## **Background**

Poseidon was the second son of the Kronos and Rhea. In most accounts he is swallowed by Kronos at birth and is later saved, along with his other brothers and sisters, by Zeus.

Poseidon was protector of seafarers, and of many Hellenic cities and colonies. In Homer's *Iliad*, Poseidon supports the Greeks against the Trojans during the Trojan War and in the *Odyssey*, during the sea-voyage from Troy back home to Ithaca, the Greek hero Odysseus provokes Poseidon's fury by blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, resulting in Poseidon punishing him with storms, the complete loss of his ship and companions, and a ten-year delay.

Poseidon was the father of many heroes. He is thought to have fathered the famed Theseus.

A mortal woman named Tyro was married to Cretheus, but loved Enipeus, a river god. She pursued Enipeus, who refused her advances. One day, Poseidon, filled with lust for Tyro, disguised himself as Enipeus, and from their union were born the heroes Pelias and Neleus, twin boys. Poseidon also had an affair with Alope, his granddaughter through Cercyon, his son and King of Eleusis, begetting the Attic hero Hippothoon. Cercyon had his daughter buried alive but Poseidon turned her into the spring, Alope, near Eleusis.

Sea thiasos depicting the wedding of Poseidon and Amphitrite, from the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus in the Field of Mars, bas-relief, Roman Republic, 2nd century BC

Poseidon rescued Amymone from a lecherous satyr and then fathered a child, Nauplius, by her.

After having raped Caeneus, Poseidon fulfilled her request and changed her into a male warrior.

A mortal woman named Cleito once lived on an isolated island; Poseidon fell in love with the human mortal and created a dwelling sanctuary at the top of a hill near the middle of the island and surrounded the dwelling with rings of water and land to protect her. She gave birth to five sets of twin boys.

Not all of Poseidon's children were humanoid. In an archaic myth, Poseidon once pursued Demeter. She spurned his advances, turning herself into a mare so that she could hide in a herd of horses; he saw through the deception and became a stallion and captured her. Their child was a horse, Arion, which was capable of human speech.

## **Personality**

By all accounts Poseidon was not specifically evil but rather just casually cruel. He frequently fought with his brother. As the God of the Sea, Poseidon would have had complete autonomy like Hades, however as he accepted a position as one of the Olympians, gaining worship on earth but at the cost of being subject to Zeus's wishes, there is a dichotomy to Poseidon, wishing to rule with complete authority but being subject to his youngest, brother's whims. Poseidon would often test the limits of his service to Zeus by claiming he was not acting as one of the Olympians but in his private position as the God of the Sea when doing things like causing hurricanes or sinking Zeus's followers. As a result of Poseidon's rivalry with Zeus many people died over minor family spats.

## **Appearance**

Poseidon appears as a large, tall, muscular middle-aged man with a beard and short curly hair. He wears traditional Greek toga, and carries a trident with him at all times.

## **Known Powers and Abilities**

Poseidon was one of the most powerful gods of his generation, often rivaled by his brothers, Zeus and Hades.

* **Super Strength**- Poseidon was incredibly strong, he was stronger than the lesser gods and some of his siblings. Poseidon was so strong, he ripped out the Island of Kos and hurled it at the Gigante, Polybotes, crushing him to death. His strength was rivaled only by a handful of gods such as Zeus, Ares, Hera, Hestia, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hades.
* **Super Stamina**- His endurance is endless and only through mystical and/supernatural means will he ever tire. Though he still consumes nectar and ambrosia to maintain himself.
* **Super Speed**- Poseidon can move at extremely fast speeds, but he is able to move at his fastest speeds while he is in water.
* **Immortality**- Since Poseidon is a god, his very essence is pure energy and he is immortal and cannot die from aging or disease.
* **Nigh Invulnerability** - Poseidon is immune to all forms of physical harm and death.
* **Nigh Indestructibility** - Poseidon cannot be truly destroyed, but he can be severely damaged beyond reason.
* **Regeneration**- He can regenerate from any wound in a short amount of time.
* **Hydrokinesis**- Being a sea god, Poseidon has omnipotent control over water. Poseidon’s control of water is so absolute that he can control it in any form, liquid, ice, or even steam.
* **Weather Manipulation**- Poseidon was said to have great control over the marine weather and could create all types of storms, which were more long lasting and destructive. This is why it took 10 years for Odysseus to return home.
* **Terrakinesis**- During the Titan War, Poseidon always manipulated the battleground, so that the Olympians would have the upper hand. When Poseidon fought in the Trojan War, he created such a huge earthquake that it nearly destroyed the Underworld, Hades' realm.
* **Shapeshifting**- Poseidon had the power to transform and frequently used it like Zeus did to have affairs with mortals.
* **Biokinesis**- Poseidon changed Caeneus into a male warrior.
* **Teleportation**- He could freely teleport anywhere he wished, though he frequently teleported between Mount Olympus and his underwater palace.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Other Deities** - Zeus could overpower him.
* **Divine Weaponry** - Weapons like his trident, Apollo's bow, or Zeus' Master Bolt could harm him.