Poseidon is also associated with the white bull elsewhere in Cretan stories. In other abduction stories Zeus took his lovers as an eagle or other bird, more in keeping with his role as the god of the sky. The fact that Zeus took the princess across the sea, instead of through the sky, strikes many as an unusual aspect of the story. Poseidon is thought to be of a non-Greek origin.Įuropa was abducted from Phoenicia by Zeus in the form of a white bull and taken across the sea to Crete to be his mistress. It is thought that Zeus was one of the handful of deities who were brought in with the early Greek-speaking people. There they met local populations such as the Minoans who they either conquered or intermingled with.īoth groups of people had already been influenced by other cultures before they met, and the new Greek lands continued to be influenced by the religions of their neighbors throughout their history.Īs a result, the gods and stories of Greek mythology were a mix of early Greek culture, pre-Greek Mediterannean beliefs, and influence from other nearby regions. The first Greek people migrated to the Peloponnesian during the Bronze Age. Many historians believe that the two gods once held the same position. The similarities in Zeus and Poseidon’s depictions, personalities, and stories are due to more than just artistic convention or even their relationship as brothers. In fact, the physical features assigned to the two gods were so similar that without recognizable symbols, such as Poseidon’s trident or Zeus’s eagle, they were indistinguishable. They had the long white beards that denoted age and wisdom in Greek iconography. Their bodies were generally more broad and heavily muscled than those of the gods who were presented as younger. Both were shown as venerable and powerful older men. With a few exceptions, they were most identifiable by their symbols and attributes. Greek gods and goddesses were often portrayed in idealized and somewhat standardized forms. The similarities between Poseidon and Zeus extended to the ways in which they were depicted. While Zeus’s affairs were more numerous and famous, Poseidon too was the father of many legendary rulers, heroes, and minor gods. They showed exceptional favor to few but their anger could be quick and relentless.Īnother thing both gods had in common was that the few people they showed favor to were most often their many mistresses and children. The ruler of the sea only relented when ordered to do so by Zeus.īoth Zeus and Poseidon were gods who commanded respect and even fear more than love. When angered by Odysseus, for example, Poseidon’s fury resulted in the sailor spending ten years on his journey home. Both were known for their tempers and ability to hold a grudge. This happened often as the two brothers often butted heads.

While Poseidon ruled the seas, he still had to defer to his brother’s authority. While the brothers ruled over their individual realms, Zeus was the ultimate authority in the affairs of the gods. Hades, however, rarely came to the surface so Zeus and Poseidon were most active on land. Gaia could not be given to any single god and be ruled over, so the brothers divided the earth between them. Zeus had the sky, Poseidon had the sea, and Hades had the underworld.

In Greek mythology, Zeus and Poseidon were two of the ruling brothers of the pantheon along with the third brother, Hades.Īccording to the myths, Zeus was the king and the three divided power between the realms. How did two kings of the gods come to split power? Keep reading to find out! Zeus and Poseidon as Brothers They didn’t even initially belong to the same culture. These similarities, along with a few key details in mythology, show that Zeus and Poseidon were probably not originally thought of as brothers. This could be due to the conventions of portraying gods, but other Olympians have far more varied personalities.

In both legends and art the brothers were very similar. In fact, some myths seem to even show Poseidon as a more king-like figure. In some myths Zeus uses his authority as king to command his brother, but in others they seem to be of similar importance. Zeus became their king and took the sky, while his brother Poseidon was given dominion over the sea. When the Titans were defeated the gods of Olympus split power between themselves.

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