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Poseidon appears in many stories like the story
of Ulysses. Angered because Ulysses blinded the Cyclopes, Poseidon
destroyed Ulysses' raft which he was escaping on. Queen Cassiopea
boasted that she was more beautiful than any goddess of the sea.
Poseidon was angered and then sent a savage monster to lay ruin
to her kingdom.
He was often described as riding his chariot of
sea horses, carrying his trident. His dominion is the sea. Many
people would pray to him before setting out to fish to ensure good
luck.
When Poseidon was born, he was supposedly swallowed
by his father, Cronus. Cronus was married to Rhea, his sister. He
was told by an oracle that his son would overthrow him. Therefore,
everytime a baby was born to Rhea, Cronus swallowed him whole. Some
versions of this story stated that Rhea replaced Poseidon with a
fowl when presented to Cronus, so he would not eat Poseidon. Rhea
then placed Poseidon under the care of Caphira, an Oceanid. She
nurtured and raised him as a child. One day, Rhea was tired of having
every baby she bore swallowed by Cronus. She gave birth to Zeus,
and replaced him with a rock when presented to Cronus as she replaced
Poseidon with a fowl. After many years, when Zeus had grown up,
he was presented to Cronus as the new drink boy. Rhea, gave Zeus
a potion to make Cronus vomit all her children out. When Cronus
requested a drink, Zeus came and gave Cronus the potion. Cronus
drank it and immediately vomited out all that he had eaten, including
his children: Hades, Hestia, Hera, Demeter, (and in some versions)
Poseidon.
Since the children were gods, they survived inside
Cronus's stomach. They emerged, full-grown, out of Cronus's mouth.
Cronus was enraged, he waged war against his children. Aided by
his siblings, Zeus went into battle. The children reigned victorious.
They split the kingdom between the three brothers: Hades, Poseidon,
and Zeus. Zeus chose the sky, Hades chose the underworld, and Poseidon
chose the sea.
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