Greek Saltwater and Stallions: Poseidon's Surprising Equine Empire
What do you think of when Poseidon is mentioned? A formidable, bearded Greek deity rising from the churning ocean? His weapon of choice, the powerful trident? His entourage of dolphins and other aquatic fauna? All these are expected of the Olympian god of the sea.
It may be surprising and counterintuitive that a central part of Poseidon’s identity was his profound connection to an animal linked to the land mass: the horse.
To understand the ancient Greeks' perception of Poseidon is to reconcile his power over the unpredictable waves with his role as the divine master, creator, and tamer of the equine world.
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God of the Sea. And Earthquakes?
Poseidon was one of the twelve Olympian gods, the son of Cronus and Rhea. Following the defeat of the Titans, he and his brothers, Zeus and Hades, divided the cosmos, with Poseidon drawing the lot that granted him dominion over the sea and all its waters. Within the Greek pantheon, he stood as second only to Zeus in authority. To a seafaring civilization like the ancient Greeks, he was a crucial deity, holding the power to grant safe passage or unleash devastating storms, a duality that made him both respected and deeply feared.
In his home domain of mermaid, mermen, and other aquatic lifeforms, seahorses like seen in Underwater Journey may seem to be the only connection Poseidon has to the horse species. However, that is far from the truth.
However, his influence extended beyond the coastline. As the 'Earth-Shaker' (Ennosigaios), he was also believed to be responsible for earthquakes, connecting him intimately to the very foundation of the land. His dual nature as a lord of both the sea and the earth's stability made him a vital figure whose reach touched nearly every aspect of Greek life. Here are five stories that shows his connection to the horse kingdom.
Story I. The Gruesome Birth of the First Winged Horse
According to Hesiod’s Theogony, Poseidon and the Gorgon Medusa, who was then a beautiful maiden, consorted in a soft meadow among spring flowers. When the hero Perseus later beheaded the cursed Medusa, the winged stallion Pegasus famously leaped from her neck alongside the giant Chrysaor. Even the name Pegasus points back to his father’s watery domain; it likely comes from the Greek word pēgē, meaning 'spring', because he was born at the edge of the Great Ocean.
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Ancient artists loved capturing this dramatic, slightly gruesome birth of a stallion. A famous example is an Attic lekythos (oil jar) (image below) by the Diosphos Painter from 500 BCE. It vividly depicts Pegasus emerging from the fallen Medusa, serving as a visual bridge between Poseidon’s raw, monstrous power and his connection to the equine world.
Attic lekythos, attributed to Diosphos Painter (Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Story II. The Pursuit of Demeter and the Birth of Arion
Further highlighting the god's unexpected connection to the horse are myths that persisted in the region of Arcadia. The writings of the ancient traveller and geographer Pausanias relates that Poseidon pursued his sister Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, who was at the time wandering the earth in grief, searching for her abducted daughter, Persephone. To escape his unwanted advances, Demeter used her divine powers to transform herself into a mare and hid among a herd of horses belonging to a local king. However, Poseidon, the master of horses, was not so easily deceived. He realized her true identity, and in response, he transformed himself into a magnificent stallion and mated with the transformed Demeter.
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From this forced union, she gave birth to a remarkable being: Arion, a divine black-maned horse that was not only incredibly swift but also possessed the rare gift of human speech. Arion was gifted to Heracles who rode it into battle in his expedition to Elis and in a horse race against Ares' son Cycnus. This myth of transformation and bestial union highlights Poseidon’s untamed nature and firmly establishes him as the progenitor of unique, magical, and highly intelligent divine horses.
Story III. Collaboration of the Gods of the Sea and Song
While Poseidon ruled the land-dwelling horses, his most striking servants were the mythical Hippocamps (Greek for sea-horses). These mythical creatures had the majestic head and front legs of a horse but ended in the shimmering, coiled tail of a giant fish. If the stallion Arion represented Poseidon’s power on land, the Hippocamp was his power transformed for the deep. In ancient art, such as the famous mosaic in the Baths of Neptune (image below), these creatures are shown pulling Poseidon’s chariot and form a majority of his entourage.
Mosaic of Neptune at the Baths of Neptune, Ostia Antica, Rome (Source: Photographed by
The connection to Apollo emerges through the legend of a different Arion. In this myth, Arion was not a horse, but a world-famous musician and servant of Apollo. While traveling by sea, Arion was tossed overboard by a greedy crew. Because he was a master of the lyre (Apollo’s instrument), his music attracted a pod of dolphins which carried him safely to shore. This story highlights a rare moment of harmony between the two gods. Artists and sculptors from that era often depict Arion riding a seahorse or a hippocamp instead of a dolphin, possibly due a more memorable imagery.
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This partnership between the two gods wasn't just limited to music and rescues. They famously worked together to build the massive walls of Troy. While Poseidon provided the earth-shaking strength to move the stones, Apollo provided the mathematical harmony to ensure the walls were impenetrable. They shared several intersecting domains, and maintained their alliance and friendship even through the Trojan War where they were on opposing sides.
Story IV. Contest for Athens and the Creation of the First Horse
Perhaps the most famous story that highlights the importance of Poseidon's connection to horses is the myth of the contest between Poseidon and the goddess Athena for the patronage of the city that would become Athens. In one version of the myth, Poseidon struck the earth to create the very first horse, a magnificent animal that the people called Skyphios. This was a gift of immense power, speed, and military potential. In response, Athena calmly produced the olive tree. While the people ultimately chose Athena's gift of the sustainable, edible olive tree as more practical and therefore led to the origin of Athens, Poseidon's creation of the first horse was a stunning display of his raw, creative power over the land.
Captured in the act of breaking free from the clay, Unbreakable Spirit best exemplifies the creation of Skyphios, the first horse.
This myth is immortalized in ancient artwork, most notably on the west pediment of the Parthenon. Though largely fragmented today, this masterpiece of Greek sculpture vividly depicted the central moment of the contest between Athena and Poseidon, with the olive tree in the middle and both deities flanked by 4 horses (image below).
West Pediment of the Parthenon (Reconstruction) (photographed by Tilemahos Efthimiadis).
Story V. Poseidon as a Graceful Ex-lover? Pelops and the Winged Chariot
The final unexpected myth that adds a romantic and benevolent layer to Poseidon lore is the story of his relationship with the young hero Pelops. Poseidon, captivated by the great beauty of Pelops, the son of Tantalus, fell deeply in love with the young mortal and took him up to Mount Olympus to serve as his cupbearer. Pelops spent many years in the realm of the gods serving Poseidon and training to be a chariot-rider before eventually returning to the mortal world.
When he did, Pelops sought to marry Princess Hippodamia. To win her hand, Pelops had to defeat her father, King Oenomaus, in a chariot race. The stakes were life or death: the King used invincible horses gifted by Ares, the god of war, and had already executed thirteen previous suitors who lost. Knowing he couldn't win on human strength alone, Pelops went to the shoreline and called upon his prior divine lover, reminding him of their love and connection through horse-riding.
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In a rare act of divine favour, Poseidon rose from the deep and presented him with a golden chariot pulled by a team of winged horses. With these supernatural steeds, Pelops easily outpaced the King’s war-horses, winning the race and his bride. While Pegasus was born from blood and trauma, these winged horses were a gift of pure grace. The story was so central to Greek identity that it was famously carved into the East Pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.
Harnessing Change as the Only Constant
Ultimately, Poseidon’s lore reveals that he was far more than a moody ruler of the oceans. His connection to horses teaches us that true power lies in the ability to tame the untameable. Whether he was creating the first stallion from a rock or gifting a winged chariot to a hero in need, Poseidon embodied continuous transformation. His myths remind us that even the most turbulent forces of nature, represented by the crashing waves and the thundering hooves, can be harnessed into something purposeful.
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FAQs about Poseidon
Origin and Identity
1. Who is Poseidon?
Poseidon is the ancient Greek god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses. He is one of the twelve Olympian deities and is considered one of the most powerful and moody gods in the pantheon.
2. What is the difference between Poseidon and Neptune?
Poseidon is the original Greek deity, characterized by a volatile personality and deep mythology. Neptune is his Roman counterpart, who was eventually merged with Poseidon’s myths but was originally a more minor Italian god of freshwater.
3. Who are Poseidon’s parents?
He is the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Like most of his siblings, he was swallowed by his father at birth and later rescued by his youngest brother, Zeus.
Atlas was punished by Zeus after the Titans lost to the Olympians to hold up the cosmos for eternity.
4. Who are Poseidon’s siblings?
His siblings are Zeus (King of the Gods), Hades (God of the Underworld), Hera, Hestia, and Demeter. Together, they overthrew the Titans to rule the cosmos.
Powers and Symbols
5. What are Poseidon’s main powers?
Poseidon has total command over all waters, from the deep oceans to coastal rivers. He can also cause devastating earthquakes, earning him the title Earth-Shaker, and conjure massive storms or calm the seas at will.
6. Why is his symbol a trident?
The trident, a three-pronged spear, was forged for him by the Cyclopes during the war against the Titans. He uses it to shatter rocks, create springs of water, and stir up the sea or seismic tremors.
Whilst the Hindu Lord Shiva's favoured weapon is also the trident, it symbolises something completely different. For Poseidon the trident represents power over the sea and the elements, whereas for Lord Shiva it symbolises triads of consciousness and the fundamental forces of nature (gunas)
7. Why is Poseidon associated with horses?
According to myth, Poseidon created the first horse, either as a gift to humanity or during a contest against Athena. He is often depicted riding a chariot pulled by hippocampi, creatures that are half-horse and half-fish.
8. What are his other sacred animals and symbols?
Beyond the horse and the trident, his sacred animals include the bull and the dolphin. The pine tree is also considered sacred to him.
Relationships and Family
9. Who is Poseidon’s wife?
His queen is Amphitrite, a sea nymph and Nereid. Though he was often unfaithful, she remained the primary goddess of the sea and mother to his most famous son, Triton.
10. Who is Triton?
Triton is a merman, half human and half fish, who serves as Poseidon’s messenger. He is famous for blowing a conch shell to calm or stir the waves.
11. Did Poseidon have many children?
Yes, he had numerous children with various goddesses and mortals. These include heroes like Theseus, the winged horse Pegasus, the giant hunter Orion, and the cyclops Polyphemus.
12. What is Poseidon’s relationship with Medusa?
In late Roman versions of the myth (notably Ovid's), Poseidon seduced or assaulted Medusa in Athena's temple. This act led Athena to transform Medusa into a gorgon with snakes for hair as punishment for the desecration of her sanctuary.
Goddess Athena is Poseidon's niece, and has various interactions together connected to the city of Athens and the Medusa.
Major Myths and Conflicts
13. Why did Poseidon lose the city of Athens to Athena?
Both gods competed to be the patron of the city. Poseidon offered a salt spring or a horse depending on the source, while Athena offered the olive tree. The citizens chose Athena's gift because it was more practical for food and oil, sparking a long-standing grudge from Poseidon.
14. What was Poseidon’s role in the Trojan War?
Poseidon generally supported the Greeks because the King of Troy, Laomedon, had once refused to pay him for building the city's walls. However, he occasionally rescued Trojan heroes to maintain the balance of fate.
15. Why did Poseidon hate Odysseus?
Poseidon tormented Odysseus for ten years because the hero blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. He used his power over the sea to keep Odysseus lost and ship-wrecked, preventing his return home to Ithaca.
16. Did Poseidon help build the walls of Troy?
Yes, he and Apollo were sentenced to serve King Laomedon as punishment for a rebellion against Zeus. Poseidon built the mighty walls of the city, but when the King cheated him of his wages, Poseidon sent a sea monster to plague the land.
Worship and Legacy
17. Where was Poseidon most widely worshipped?
As a maritime nation, ancient Greece had many temples dedicated to him, most notably at Cape Sounion near Athens and at Corinth. Sailors would offer sacrifices and prayers for safe passage across the treacherous Mediterranean.
Whilst not their primary patron god, Poseidon is worshipped by Spartans because they believed he caused earthquakes and seek to appease him from doing so in their region.
18. What kind of personality does Poseidon have?
He is famously mercurial; his mood shifting as quickly as the ocean. He is depicted as vengeful, stubborn, and easily offended, but also capable of being a protector to those he favours.
19. How is Poseidon depicted in art?
He is usually shown as a mature, muscular man with a thick beard and wild, wind-blown hair. He is almost always carrying his trident and is often surrounded by sea creatures or crashing waves.
20. Why is Poseidon still popular in modern culture today?
His archetype represents the untameable power of nature and the human struggle against the elements. Referenced in Percy Jackson and Aquaman, he remains a symbol of the mystery and dual nature of the world's vast oceans.
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