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The mighty waters of the oceans have always drawn awe, respect and sometimes worship. It is only fitting, then, that the seas have their own God. Poseiden, the God of the Seas, is also known as the God of Earthquakes and the God of Horses. His symbols are dolphins and tridents (a three-pronged spear)

Poseidon was one of the earliest of the Greek gods. His father, Cronos, swallowed him, Hades and Hera to try to avoid a prophecy that one of his children would usurp his throne. Rhea, their mother, hid her next pregnancy and subsequent son, Zeus. He would later return, rescue his siblings and, true to prophecy, take his father's throne. Zeus, Hades and Poseidon then drew lots to split up the world. Zeus drew the Upper World, Hades the Underworld and Poseidon the seas.

Poseidon built a palace of coral and gems on the ocean floor. He married a Nereid (the wet ones, also sea nymphs) named Amphitrite. One story says she took a vow of celibacy, but three children are attributed to Amphitrite and Poseidon; Triton, Rhode and Benthesicyme. These were not Poseidon's only children, however. Like his brother, Zeus, he had a roving eye and romped with many goddesses, nymphs and mortals. He sired 56 children, including the Cyclops! Amphitrite was a jealous wife and, like her sister-in-law Hera, often tormented her husband's lovers and their children. In one such case, she turned his mistress Scylla into a monster with 12 feet and six heads.

Poseidon was always up to a challenge when it came to his women. A princess named Theophane turned herself into a ewe in order to avoid his advances. He turned himself into a ram and raped her anyway. Their progeny was the Golden Fleece that many, including Jason and the Argonauts, sought. He also chased his sister Demeter, who turned herself into a horse to escape him. Wrong choice! Poseidon loved horses and was said to have created them. He turned himself into a stallion and got her too. They had a horse named Arion. He and Demeter were known as the god and goddess of fertility. In another story of an affair, he mated Medusa in one of Athena's shrines. Athena was so enraged she gave the beautiful Medusa snakes for hair and a face ugly enough to turn men to stone. Their son was Pegasus, the flying horse. Poseidon even competed with or maybe shared the nymph Thetis with his brother, Zeus. For a god of the sea, he got around pretty well on land.

In addition to being lusty, he was also greedy. He especially desired some of the kingdoms of

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