Poseidon

Ποσειδῶν

Greek lord of the sea, the Earth-Shaker, and god of horses

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) is the Greek god of the sea, of earthquakes and of horses, and one of the twelve Olympians. He is the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and the brother of Zeus and Hades. When the three brothers divided the world by lot, he received the sea. His name is already written on Linear B tablets from Pylos.

Sailors prayed to him before setting out, and he protected many Greek cities and colonies. In landlocked Arcadia he was honoured as a god of horses and fresh waters. His great sanctuaries included Isthmia, home of the Isthmian Games, and Cape Sounion, where a marble temple of about 444-440 BCE still stands above the Aegean. Today Hellenic polytheists, including YSEE in Greece and Hellenion, honour him. Hellenion keeps the 8th of each lunar month for Poseidon and Theseus.

Shop Poseidon See the gallery

Parian Marble Statue of Poseidon, from Melos, Cyclades, 125-100 BC (27884076403), 2016-07-20 17:12. Wikimedia Commons (CC0), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China

The story behind the line on the shirts

“He got the sea.”

In the Greek myths the brothers Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divided the world by drawing lots. Zeus drew the sky, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon got the sea; earthquakes and horses were his too. In the Iliad he points out that the earth and Olympus were left to all three.

How to recognise Poseidon

TridentHis key attribute is a three-pronged spear, perhaps once a fisherman's spear, with which devotees believe he stirs the sea, splits rocks and shakes the earth.
DolphinA dolphin at his feet, leaping beside him or held in the hand marks him as lord of the sea, as on a Boeotian black-figure bowl and a bronze statuette from Livadostra.
Bearded, mature buildHe is a dignified, sturdy, dark-bearded man, never a youth. In sculpture he resembles Zeus but with stronger muscles and thicker hair.
Headband or wreathHis dark hair is bound with a headband or fillet, and some vases show a wreath, possibly of parsley or celery. Pine and wild celery were his sacred plants and crowned victors at the Isthmian Games.
Chiton and himationOn Archaic and Classical vases he wears a long, often embroidered chiton with a mantle draped over the torso and shoulders, as on a British Museum black-figure amphora of about 500 BCE.
Hippocamp chariotSometimes he crosses the sea in a chariot drawn by hippocamps, creatures with a horse's head and body and a fish's tail.
Horses and bullsAs Poseidon Hippios he is the god of horses, and the bull is also sacred to him; both appear as supporting motifs.

Names and titles

The Earth-ShakerEnosichthon or Ennosigaios, the ancient title for the god who shakes the earth, already attested in Mycenaean Pylos and Knossos
Lord of HorsesPoseidon Hippios, honoured with sanctuaries in Arcadia and elsewhere as the god of horses
Giver of SafetyAsphalios, one of his surnames, and Soter ('the preserver') who could send favouring winds to sailors
Lord of the IsthmusIsthmios, the god of the sanctuary at Isthmia, home of the Isthmian Games
The Contest for AthensHe struck the Acropolis rock with his trident and a salt spring appeared, in his rivalry with Athena for the city

Feast days

Poseidea17 December 2026

The Poseidea was an ancient festival of Poseidon, the god of sea, earthquakes and horses, which gave its name to the month Poseideon. Little is recorded about it. It is presumed to have fallen on the 8th, the day sacred to him.
How it's celebrated. Hellenic polytheists today honour Poseidon with offerings and libations, and recite the Orphic or Homeric hymn to him. Some spend time by the sea or set sea imagery around the altar. Practice varies: some keep the day on the 8th, others tie it to the winter solstice, and some honour Poseidon within solstice rites. The Hellenion calendar pairs him with Theseus on every 8th.
Sources: Hellenion's Temenos: Poseidea · Hellenion 2026 Calendar · Temple of the Greek Gods: Hellenic Calendar/Holy Days
Poseidea (Poseidon and Theseus)6 December 2027

This is the same celebration as the Poseidea listed first, the festival of Poseidon on 8 Poseideon, here for the 2027 reckoning. Little is recorded about the ancient festival. The 8th of each month was also kept for Poseidon and Theseus.
How it's celebrated. Observance is as for the Poseidea in any year. Devotees offer libations and sacrifices to Poseidon, recite hymns to him, and reflect on the winter sea and earthquakes. Some keep the day by the water. Others fold it into solstice celebrations. Hellenion publishes a working calendar each year, so its 2027 entry should be checked once released.
Sources: Hellenion's Temenos: Poseidea · Hellenion 2026 Calendar
Monthly libation to Poseidon9 October 2027 (date to be confirmed)

This is the October turn of Hellenion's monthly libations, a modern practice in which one Olympian is honoured each month. In October the god is Poseidon. It is not the ancient Poseidea.
How it's celebrated. On the second Saturday of the month, Hellenion members pour a libation to the month's god. They do so from wherever they are, with whoever joins them, in locations around the world. The aim is that, whatever else they observe, members act together on the same day. The Poseidon page includes the Homeric Hymn to Poseidon.
Sources: Hellenion: Libation to Poseidon · Hellenion: Monthly Libations