What does it mean word for word?
The exact origin of the name is debated among scholars, though it is often linked to roots connected to 'lord' or 'husband' combined with a word tied to earth or water.
Which one should you use?
Poseidon carries several epithets depending on his role, such as Ποσειδῶν Ἵππιος, 'Poseidon of Horses', or Ποσειδῶν Ἐνοσίχθων, 'Earth Shaker'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The name is used identically in casual mythological storytelling, religious ritual and formal poetry.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Poseidon was especially important in coastal cities and in Corinth, where the Isthmian Games were held in his honor, as well as at his temple at Sounion overlooking the sea.
How does it change in a sentence?
Ποσειδῶν declines as a third declension noun, genitive Ποσειδῶνος, dative Ποσειδῶνι.
How do you pronounce it?
Ποσειδῶν stresses the final syllable, with a long omega, close to 'po-sei-DON'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Assuming Poseidon was worshipped only as a sea god overlooks his equally important roles connected to earthquakes and to horses, reflected in his different epithets.
When do people say it?
The surviving temple of Poseidon at Sounion, perched on a cliff above the sea near Athens, remains one of the most visited ancient Greek religious sites today.
Did you know?
- The ancient temple of Poseidon at Sounion, built on a cliff above the Aegean, still stands today and remains one of the most visited sites from ancient Attica.
- Poseidon was worshipped as a god of horses as well as the sea, reflected in the epithet Ἵππιος, and he was credited in myth with creating the first horse.
Examples in context
- ὁ Ποσειδῶν τῆς θαλάττης ἄρχει.ho Poseidon tes thalattes archei.Poseidon rules the sea.
- εὔχομαι τῷ Ποσειδῶνι ὑπὲρ τοῦ πλοῦ.euchomai to Poseidoni hyper tou plou.I pray to Poseidon for the voyage.
- ὁ Ποσειδῶν τὴν γῆν σείει.ho Poseidon ten gen seiei.Poseidon shakes the earth.
Example conversation
Two fishermen, Glaukos and Nereus, pray before setting out to sea.
- Glaukosεὐξώμεθα τῷ Ποσειδῶνι.euxometha to Poseidoni.Let us pray to Poseidon.
- Nereusὦ Ποσειδῶν, φύλαττε ἡμᾶς.o Poseidon, phylatte hemas.O Poseidon, protect us.
- Glaukosἡ θάλαττα γαληνή ἐστι σήμερον.he thalatta galene esti semeron.The sea is calm today.
- Nereusχάρις τῷ θεῷ.charis to theo.Thanks to the god.
