Best known as the god of the sea and a patron of sailors, Poseidon is also god of earthquakes, as well as of horses. *

Myth

Poseidon has relatively few myths apart from his actions in the Iliad, and many of those have to do with his various mates and children. (He is said to be married to the nereid Amphitrite; fortunately for Poseidon, she does not appear to share Hera's jealous nature, and Poseidon has an easier time of it in this respect than his brother Zeus.) Another story of Poseidon has to do with the apportioning of the world between his brothers, Zeus and Hades, and himself: Zeus took the earth, Hades the underworld, including all its treasures, and Poseidon of course received the sea.

Worship

A very old god, Poseidon's good will was important to the seafaring Greeks. Poseidon was honored on the eighth day of each month.

It seems likely that a festival ** for Poseidon took place during the Greek month of Poseideon, but there is no record of it.

References

• Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1985.
• Gantz, Timothy. Early Greek Myth, Volumes 1 and 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1993.
• Kerenyi, Karl. The Gods of the Greeks. Thames and Hudson, London, 1951.
• Parke, H.W. Festivals of the Athenians. Thames and Hudson, London, 1977.