Hippios simply meant “Of Horses,” while Hippocurius referred to one who tended to or cared for the animals. Some names were given because Poseidon was said to be either the creator of or the tamer of horses. Homer and others called him Ennosigaeus, or “Earth-Shaker,” in their poems.Īnother common epithet was Gaiêochos, or “Holder of the Earth.” While this could reference his involvement with earthquakes, it was also sometimes given to other deities such as Artemis, who were not associated with such events. Other names were based on Poseidon’s role as the god of earthquakes. He was sometimes called Prosklystios, “The Flooder,” in regions that were prone to such disasters. Some of these names referenced the sea god’s punishments more than his protection. They may have also called him Epoptes, “Watcher,” because he saw everything that happened at sea. Sailors might refer to Poseidon as Asphalius, “The One Who Secures Safe Voyage.” This name also referred to his protection of ports and harbors. On the island of Samos, he was called Epactaeus, “The God of the Coast.” A more poetic reference to the coastline was in the name Prosclystius, “One Who Dashes Against.”Įven more poetic names for the sea god included Phykios, “Full of Seaweed.” Kyanochetis, “Dark-Haired,” referenced the deep blue color of the sea’s depths. The name Pelagaeus, for example, referred to Poseidon as “Of the Sea.” Aegaeon, on the other hand, specified the Aegean Sea as his domain. At other times these were epithets, which were used as last names or titles.Īs the god of the sea, many of Poseidon’s names referenced his power over that domain. Sometimes these names replaced his more familiar one, particularly in poetic writings. Like the other gods of the ancient Greek world, Poseidon was known by many names. Like a modern ruler, the god Poseidon had many names that referred to both the domains he controlled and his role in people’s lives. While a king or queen has a given name, they can also be referred to by a number of titles that can be both functional and poetic. One can think of these names as being similar to the long list of titles given to nobility and royalty. These referenced the domains, powers, and legends of each god. Occasionally these replaced the more wide-spread names given to them, but most often they were titles and epithets. Then, the children team up to overthrow Saturn.While we know the Greek gods by their most common names, nearly all of them had many other names in the ancient Greek world. Their mother Ops saves Jupiter by giving Saturn a stone to swallow instead, and the stone makes him throw up the children. In that version, he and his siblings are all swallowed by their father Saturn because he fears his children will overthrow him. Sometimes Neptune’s origin is depicted a little closer to Poseidon’s.On the other hand, Neptune was originally based on the Etruscan god Nethuns, as discussed above.The Olympian gods and goddesses, led by Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, fought the titans to gain control of the world. Once Zeus is old enough, he returns to serve as Cronus’ cupbearer and poisons him, causing Cronus to throw up his children, who became the Olympians. In fear that his child will overthrow him, Cronus eats all of his kids, until Rhea hides Zeus. Poseidon and his siblings are the sons of Cronus, the youngest Titan, and his sister-wife Rhea. In Greek mythology, the titans originally ruled the Earth. Poseidon fought the titans, but Neptune didn’t.
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