Unleashing the Waves: Top 11 Fun and Fascinating Facts About Poseidon You Never Knew

1. Poseidon's Equestrian Sea-crets

Not your average neigh-borhood sea king: Poseidon was not only the god of the sea, but also boasted an impressive equestrian résumé. Often depicted carrying a trident with a shell of a talent for creating horses out of seashells, he was also blamed for earthquakes caused by that powerful, three-pronged cutlery.
Source => infoplease.com

2. Salty Sea-Daddy's Family Business

Poseidon, the original salty sea-daddy with quite the roster in the dating scene, had quite the knack for being a devoted but slippery father figure, spawning a slew of myths and legends that still ripple through our collective consciousness: His portfolio of children included the legendary hero Theseus, aquatic virtuoso Triton, and the larger-than-life Polyphemus, but keep the reins tight because horses and their creation aren't mentioned on his maritime résumé—his primary gig was commanding the sea, storms, earthquakes, and giving sailors a safe voyage.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know Athena, goddess of wisdom, was born from Zeus's splitting headache after he swallowed her mother, Metis? She may not have been a warrior princess from birth, but her nymph-guided childhood turned her into the fierce goddess we know today! Dive into more fascinating facts about Athena's birth and upbringing.

=> Fun Facts about Athena

3. Walling on the Wild Side

Poseidon: always walling on the wild side! This sea-faring deity was known to get a bit salty when mortals failed to fulfill their end of nautical deals: Take King Laomedon of Troy, who stiffed the god on payment for some DIY city walls, only to find that the Sea Vengeance Collection agency sent a rather monstrous creature to unleash watery chaos until Heracles appeased Poseidon with a fancy-schmancy horse-sized offering.
Source => theoi.com

4. Mane Event at Mythical Parties

When Poseidon isn't horsing around with his go-to dad joke about being the "mane" event at parties, he's busy making history in the equestrian world: In ancient Greek mythology, Poseidon, the god of the sea, was also the protector of horses and created the first-ever horse as a gift to the city of Athens in his bid to win its patronage, but lost to Athena and, being a sore loser, cursed the land with drought until a festival and temple appeased his wrath.
Source => theoi.com

5. Poseidon's Trident Neigh Trick

Horsing around with seawater: Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, had a surprising equine obsession and was often seen galloping and neighing around the ocean. No wonder he took the title of the god of horses and created the first of their kind by simply flinging his trident at a rock and yelling "Neigh!"
Source => newworldencyclopedia.org

6. Poseidon's Swanky Chariot Cruises

Hold your seahorses, folks! Our dear Poseidon sure knows how to make an entrance: The god of the sea is often portrayed cruising atop a chariot drawn by four hippocamps, which are nothing less than horse-fish hybrids. Believe it or not, you can witness him ruling the waves in style and flanked by his marine entourage - featuring Aphros the marine-centaur and Triton, the god dude from Lake Tritonis - in an ancient mosaic preserved in the Bardo National Museum in Tunis.
Source => theoi.com

7. Rock, Paper, Scissors: Divine Edition

In a divine game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors," where tridents and olive trees were the weapons of choice, Posey and Athena battled it out to see who'd reign supreme over Athens: Turns out, the original hometown hero, Athena, swayed the judges with her versatile olive tree, which provided wood, oil, and food for the city, while Poseidon's saltwater spring just didn't make waves strong enough to clinch the coveted title of patron deity.
Source => surfrider.org

8. Poseidon's Crush & Aquatic Matchmaking

When Poseidon wasn't busy "horsing around" at the beach and flipping his fins with dolphins like he was part of Ariel's crew, he was actually just trying to impress his crush: Poseidon created the first horse from sea foam to win over a lovely lady, and his dolphin pal Delphin played matchmaker, convincing sea nymph Amphitrite to put a ring on it.
Source => thecollector.com

9. Isthmian Games Party God

Our favorite trident-wielding party god, Poseidon, sure knew how to make a splash in ancient Greece: not only was he the deity of sea, earthquakes, and horses, but he was also honored at the Isthmian Games, a festive event held at his sanctuary on the Isthmus of Corinth, featuring athletic and musical contests open to all Greeks, with winners taking home pine wreaths and sometimes even statues.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Seahorse Godfather

Who said seahorses don't have a Greek godfather? Poseidon was not horsing around when he expanded his stable to include equine duties: Apart from ruling over ships and sailors, Poseidon was also the patron of horses and horse breeding, and is even credited with creating the first horse as well as fathering the legendary winged horse, Pegasus.
Source => worldhistory.org

11. Poseidon's Mixed Bag of Offspring

It's not easy being the god of the sea, especially when your dating life spawns a bizarre family reunion: Poseidon's offspring included everything from river gods and wind deities to mythical kings and divine horses. No joke: Poseidon's diverse family tree boasts divine kids like Asopos, Aeolus, Despoena, and Triton, while his mortal progeny include Autochthon, Erginus, and Ankaios. But wait, there's more! His loins also gifted the world with giant kings such as Antaeus and Chrysaor, and immortal horses like Arion. Talk about making a splash in the gene pool!
Source => theoi.com