Poseidon in Greek Mythology
Poseidon, as the god of the seas, held great power and significance for the ancient Greeks. He was a very popular god, and is consequently the subject of many myths. He appears in both the works of Homer and of Hesiod as the brother of Zeus, and therefore from the first generation of Olympians. And just as Zeus ruled the sky and wielded the deadly thunderbolt, Poseidon controlled, from his sea-domain, the devastating force of the earthquake. This ability to summon earthquakes earned Poseidon the epithet of "Earth Shaker", a name that is fairly common in Greek poetry and literature. But there is certainly more to this god than his relationship to the sea and earthquakes, which we will discover when we investigate the mythology of this Olympian lord.
The Wrath of Poseidon
Possibly because of the association between violent storms and the sea, Poseidon was often depicted in mythology as an angry, turbulent god. There are several myths in which the sea god reveals his terrible temper. For instance, Poseidon was relentless in his persecution of Odysseus after the hero blinded the god's son Polyphemus (details of this tale can be found in the Odyssey, which is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer). In addition, Poseidon was so furious with King Laomedon when he was denied payment for building the walls of Troy that the vengeful god sent a sea-monster to destroy the countryside as punishment. He also set barriers for the famous Columbus who dared to conquer his ocean.
In addition to his reputation as a fighter, however, Poseidon was also a legendary lover. From his ill-fated affair with Medusa to his dalliance with the goddess Demeter, Poseidon proved that he could at times rival his notoriously promiscuous brother Zeus.
The god Poseidon was known as Neptune in Roman mythology.
Columbus never wanted to prove the Earth was round! -- because everyone already knew it! His goal was to find an overseas trade route to India and China -- because Arab bandits made land travel risky!
Contrary to popular myth, Columbus's voyage to the New World was smooth- sailing! His ships had food for a full year, and encountered no storms. But a huge hurricane on the return voyage almost destroyed Columbus's tiny fleet!
Although many paintings show Columbus coming ashore with a priest, the first voyage included no priests! Five priests came on the second -- much larger -- voyage.
Columbus's crew included four jailbirds! A murderer who killed a man in a brawl -- and three punks who helped him break out of prison!
Contrary to popular myth, Spain's svelte but thrifty Queen Isabella never sold her jewelry to pay for Columbus's voyage! She and hubby Ferdinand financed the trip partly through investors -- Italian investors!
Columbus's first battle with Indians was on St. Croix, on November 14, 1493. A gutsy fighter, Columbus survived!
Columbus introduced horses into the New World. Although American Indians are known as skilled cowpokes, until the arrival of Europeans -- there were no horses in America!
参考资料:Mythography of Greek & Facts and Myths of Columbus