Within the Greek hierarchy of the Ancient Gods of Mount Olympus, Zeus is ultimately seen as the King of the Gods, and master of all that exists within the earthly domain. But Zeus only acquired his kingdom through sheer luck, for when the Titans were defeated, Zeus and his two brothers, Hades and Poseidon all decided to draw straws in order to determine who would be entitled to rule what part of the world.

As the ruler of the sea, Poseidon was responsible for a great deal of problems and legends, acting as a benevolent protector for fishermen and sailors, or a heartless tyrant all too eager to provide a watery grave for those who displeased him in others, and given that the sea played a significant role in the prosperity of Greece both in terms of food and trade, it is little wonder then that he had such a pivotal role. In addition to his divine duties as master of the oceans, Poseidon was also responsible for overseeing earthquakes and was the patron god of horses as well, and it is for this reason that many sailors would hedge their bets by drowning prize stallions prior to sailing.

A less well known aspect of Poseidon is that whilst the god of wine and hedonism, Dionysus was typically attributed as being responsible for causing a myriad of different mental disorders, Poseidon was also regarded as playing some sort of role within the presence of epilepsy.

Poseidon played a major role within the events of the Trojan War, when along with Apollo, he was sent by Zeus to aid the Trojan king with the bolstering of the city’s defenses. Poseidon and Apollo aided in the vast walls of the city, but Poseidon was especially angered when the king refused to worship and reward the gods as he had promised. In retaliation then, Poseidon sent a vicious sea monster known as the Kraken in order to punish the wayward king.

Whilst it is his brother Zeus who is renowned for his Lothario ways, Poseidon had more than his fair share of sexual encounters and many of the Greek Heros who were born (invariably as a result of the sexual congress between a God and a female mortal) were directly attributed to Poseidon including the likes of Theseus. Theseus it should be noted, seemed to have inherited his father’s womanizing ways when he attempted to sexually assault Hades (his uncle) wife, Persephone, and as punishment Theseus was sentenced to be chained to a chair for eternity.

Poseidon was also responsible for raping a warrior, who subsequently begged the God to turn her into a man, a request he complied with.