Gods and goddesses were used in most civilizations. The Greeks and Romans had the same gods and goddesses, but with different names. The Romans used planet names for most. Poseidon is the Greek name and Neptune is the Roman name. Zeus is Greek and Jupiter is Roman. Hades is Greek and Pluto is Roman. Selene and Helios are Greek and Luan and Sol are Roman. The main reason for myths is to explain things that the people couldn’t. They were depicted in mythology as providing transportation, companions to the gods and goddesses, and to defeat monsters. Like most gods and goddesses, horses were used to pull chariots and others owned them
Poseidon, the god of the oceans, horses, and earthquakes is usually depicted as holding a trident with a fish tail or with legs riding in a chariot drawn by horses with tails or legs. His symbols are horses, dolphins, and a trident, a three-pronged spear. Poseidon, the god of many names, was most famous as the god of the sea. He lived in a palace made out of coral and gems on the ocean floor. He is associated with horses because he had a chariot pulled by horses. Some myths say that he created the horse out of a breaking wave and he loved to race the waves with his snow-white horses. Poseidon is used every day. There is a Poseidon Seafood Restaurant and a Neptune Fishing Company. There are many places that have the same myth about him. Edith Hamilton, Bulfinch Mythology, Dictionary of gods and goddesses, Book of Myths (all books), and Encyclopedia Mythica (website) all say that he is the god of the sea and horses and his brothers are Zeus and Hades.
Poseidon with Medusa the Gorgon fathered Pegasus, the winged horse. When the Greek hero, Perseus, cut off Medusa’s head, Pegasus spran...
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...t off the horn and left the body for the hunters and dogs.
Works Cited
Epona. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
Poseidon. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
Pegasus. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
Unicorn. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
Selene. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
Bulfinch, Thomas, & Martin, Charles. (2006). Bulfinch. Barnes & Noble Classics.
...so associated with clouds, rivers, and oceans. Known to be omnipotent and omniscient, there was great respect for Varuna as believers thought the god kept watch over the entire universe. Because this god controlled the environment and flow of waters, it is believed that Varuna was responsible for upholding world order. Varuna is depicted on a chariot led by seven swans with an umbrella placed overhead. He has four arms in which he holds a lotus, a noose, a conch, and a vessel of gems. Ruler of waters in Greek mythology, is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea and rivers. He became ruler of the sea after he and his brothers defeated the elder gods in a divine war. Poseidon is usually seen as an older man with long curly hair and a long beard. In his hand he holds a trident and in most cases is depicted wearing a crown while standing is amidst water or water creatures.
There is no doubt in mythology that the king of gods, Zeus, is the most supreme and powerful, ruling the sky. He controls the thunderbolt, a symbol of power feared by both gods and mortals. The Greeks and Romans honored Zeus above all other gods. He is without mistake, the god of all gods. Their stories of Zeus are plenty; his designs have molded mythology from his birth. Zeus' victory in outwitting his intelligent wife, Metis, by swallowing her pregnant, was the gateway used by the Greeks and Romans to show Zeus as the greatest god to come since his father and grandfather. However, as the stories of the gods and goddesses unfold, the Greeks and Roman's interpretation of Zeus' characteristics are different. Zeus is always upheld as the king of gods, but his other personal attributes to his godly rein are conflicting. Zeus' characteristics of fearfulness of female deities, cunningness and use of trickery, and lust in Ovid's Metamorphoses compared to the Theogony are opposed due to Hesiod's true respect of Zeus versus Ovid's lack of respect of Jupiter in Roman mythology.
Poseidon had ask Medusa for marriage and proposed, and Medusa said yes to his proposal. When they had proposed they went to Athena’s temple, once the’ve arrived they caught by Athena, and at this moment Athena had turned Medusa into a gorgon with snakes in her hair. Never look into her eye’s or will
He is also the god of earthquakes and horses. His weapon was a trident. His wife was Amphitrite, granddaughter of the Titan Ocean. He gave the first horse to man and was commonly called the "Earth shaker." Being the father of horses, it is said that Poseidon fathered Pegasus. Poseidon is worshipped at Colonus and Attica, despite losing control of Attica to Athena. He is known to have mood swings. He was commonly shown with the trident, a dolphin or a tuna.
Poseidon, the god of the sea, is angered by the death of his son, the Cyclops. When Odysseus and his crew stopped off at the Cyclopes island on their way home from war, the cyclops, Polyphemus, begins terrorizing Odysseus’ men. Odysseus blinded him and boasted about the event. He sends storms against Odysseus and tries to wreak his ship in Book 5. While shipwrecked at sea, on a raft – which was aided by Athena – Poseidon sends another storm, washing Odysseus up on shore. Eventually, Odysseus is on another ship gifted to him by the Phaeacians, Poseidon turns the ship to stone and sinks while pulling into the harbor at Scheria. The idea that “a bad storm” can affect a well-trained
Poseidon is one of the strongest gods in Greek mythology. Poseidon was the god of water, horses, and earthquakes. He was thought to be the reason for boat wrecks, and drowning’s.
Each having a function in the life of the everyday Roman, that would require some sort of worshipping. The Roman gods were taken from the beliefs of the Greek gods. They are directly descended from their neighboring religion. The Roman mythology consisted of the high god Jupiter, his wife and sister Juno, son Vulcan, son Mercury, daughter Diana, daughter Venus, son Mars, daughter Minerva, son Apollo, sister Vesta, brother Pluto, brother Neptune, and Janus.(Classical Mythology)
Greek Mythology originated around 775 B.C.E. It all started with Homer’s Iliad and continued on with Hesiod’s Theogany. These were the first two myths to be recorded in Greek Mythology. Both of these myths reveal to us about their understanding of the universe, and about their culture. Not only do they talk about their various gods, and heroes, but they also talk about how they viewed the universe in general (Rosenberg 79). Greek Mythology evolved from two early civilizations, the Mycenaean’s and the Minoans. It was the combining of these different Greek cities and Kingdoms during 10th century B.C. that created Greek Mythology. Its Geographic isolation gave it a place for mythologies to evolve (Gale Virtual Reference Library: Greek Mythology 454-456). Roman mythology, on the other hand grew around the same time as Greek Mythology. It all began around 800 B.C. when the Roman Empire was at its peak. However the unique about the Romans is that their origin traces back to Latin and Italian cultures. They also share the same gods and heroes with Greek but with different names. Moreover Rome was the first nation to have a set government that is similar to ours today. They were the first empire to have elected officials who ruled their nation. (Gale Virtual Reference Library: Roman Mythology 896). Both of these mythologies portray how life was different back then during the B.C times. The reveal us their culture, their religion, and how they viewed universe as a whole. However what caused a collapse between these two civilizations is the relationship between man, gods, and their children.
The gods and goddesses were thought to control different parts of the universe. For example, Zeus is the king of the gods, controlled weather. Or like Athena who was the goddess of wisdom. You learn about different gods and goddesses in myths. A myth is a story about a god or goddess. Homer, a blind poet, is famous for telling myths. He told myths because no one could read or write.
Poseidon was so furious with King Laomedon when he was denied payment for building the walls of Troy that the vengeful god that he sent a sea-monster to destroy the countryside as punishment. In addition to his reputation as a fighter, however, Poseidon was also a legendary lover. From his love affair with Medusa and Amphitrite to his escapades with the goddess Demeter, Poseidon proved that he could at times rival his notoriously promiscuous brother Zeus. He may not have been as powerful as his brother but definitely could have almost any lady he wanted. He was also best known for his sudden earthquakes he created and destroyed many cities with it. One thing is for sure, the people who lived back when the gods ruled were very afraid of the all mighty god of water, Poseidon.
Myths were written to introduce morals and illustrate history in a way that individuals can interpret and apply to life. Many myths have been known to show a parallel between the immortal world and the mortal world. Although many myths portray gods as celestial beings many of these stories identify gods with humanlike qualities such as lust, jealousy and even fear. These characteristics allow people to identify with these stories because they can relate to these qualities as being that of human nature.
When we look at Greek Mythology we often run into the gods of that era. Sometimes they are merely backdrops to the human element of the story but in stories such as The Odyssey the gods play a prominent if not vital role to the central themes of the story.
Roman gods and goddesses are an important part of history. “Roman mythology is the conflation of ancient Roman gods, and Roman religion together...” (Milani). The belief in the Roman gods and goddesses known as mythology influenced the daily lives of the people both past and present. It has become part of our life through books and movies, architecture, religion, and art.
Mythology is defined as a collection of interrelated stories of a given culture. Myths are intended to explain and describe the mysteries of nature and give understanding about the world that surrounds us. Each culture has their own mythology that reflects their values and beliefs. Myths were also generated to tell the story of the first people to inhabit the earth. The Egyptian mythology elevated these people to the level of Gods and Goddesses by giving them supernatural and special powers. These myths of creation were passed from one generation to the next, either orally or by hieroglyphs painted in sacred temples, pyramids, and sanctuaries.
... Neptune and his Horses By E. K. Birce, 1880. Ancient sailors and warriors would pray and offer tributes to the great Poseidon prior to undertaking a sea journey. In turn, Poseidon could be cruel and hostile to those who displeased him, such as the hero of the Trojan War, Odysseus, who suffered great tribulations at the hands of Poseidon while embarked on his Odyssey back home. Both the bull and the horse are associated with Poseidon, but the bull is associated with many other gods as well, so the horse can be considered his animal.