POSEIDON, THE GREAT EARTH-SHAKER
– by Bruce Viggars

Note: The opera, Idomeneo, was adapted from Latin and French sources, hence the sea god in the opera is Neptune (Nettuno), rather than the original Greek Poseidon.


When the Greek-speaking Aryan tribes began to move into the peninsula that was to become Greece, they brought with them wheeled vehicles, the art of wheel-made pottery, the horse, and their chief god, Poseidon. The Greek Poseidon was a member of the Mount Olympus dynasty, the son of Cronus and the brother of Zeus and Hades. In importance, Poseidon was considered second only to Zeus. The three brothers usurped their father’s kingdom and then gambled for equal portions. Zeus won the sky, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon the sea.

Poseidon’s name means “to be master”. At times he was depicted as a horse and the producer of thunder. He boasted of having created the horse and was honored as much for this as for being Lord of the Sea. As the divine horse, thundering across the plains, he became the god who creates earthquakes. (Homer gave him the title of Earth-Shaker.) The Greeks held great horse races in his honor and said he had created the horse with the blow of his trident. These were believed to have been the first horse races held by man.

Poseidon is usually pictured with his trident. This pitchfork-like object has a three-pronged head. It was first thought of as a thunder weapon, bolts of lightning. Yet, as lord of the sea, the trident seemed also to resemble a fisherman’s spear, much like those still used in the Mediterranean. This trident became a symbol of the dominion of the seas in both the Greek and Roman Empires and, until the change of coinage with decimalization of their money, could be seen held by the figure on the reverse side of the British penny. It was believed that, with his great trident, Poseidon split mountains, rolled them into the sea, and thus created the first islands

Legends tell of Poseidon’s many loves. One was his sister Demeter. It was believed that she changed herself into a mare to escape him, but he took the form of a stallion, and from this union was born Arion, part man, part horse. Poseidon also seduced Medusa in the temple of Athene. Angered, the goddess Athene turned Medusa’s hair into snakes. When Medusa was later beheaded, her wound gave birth to Pegasus, the winged horse. Poseidon’s wife was Amphitrite, the daughter of Oceanus. She shared his kingdom and patiently put up with his many mistresses. They gave birth to a son, Triton and two daughters, Rhode, who gave her name to the island of Rhodes, and Benthesicyme, who settled in Ethiopia.

Poseidon was viewed as a violent god who could summon up monsters, such as the one in Idomeneo, Rč di Creta, and he was often in conflict with the other gods. He challenged Athene for possession of the Acropolis in Athens, lost, and then flooded the area. He contested Hera for Mycenae, lost, and then dried up the rivers that nourished it. While he lost other conflicts, no one ever disputed his rule over the sea. We picture him in a divine chariot drawn by tritons blowing conch-shells, and with the great insignia of his sovereignty, the trident, in his hand. To this day, many believe that devoted equestrians feel very much a part of the magnificent steeds they sit astride, almost as if horse and man were one. As these riders thunder across the earth, many may still raise their voices in thanks to Poseidon, Earth-Shaker and god of the sea.

Lord Poseidon, from you this pride is ours. The strong horses, the young horses, and also the rule of the deep. — Source Unknown