Poseidon was the Greek god of the sea and rivers, the creator of storms and floods, and the bringer of earthquakes and destruction. He was perhaps the most disruptive of all the ancient gods, but he wasn’t always a negative force. He was a protector of sailors. To the Romans, he was known as Neptune.

Poseidon cults date back to the Late Bronze Age and the Mycenaean civilization (at its peak from the 15th to the 12th centuries BC), as attested by Linear B inscriptions found at Pylos in the Peloponnese and Knossos in Crete.

In Greek mythology, Poseidon was the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Along with his siblings Zeus and Hades, he defeated his father and divided the universe, ruling the oceans with his trident, which he also used to cause storms and earthquakes. He was a god feared for his violent temper, but also revered by sailors, as he protected them.