Poseidon: High Priest of Atlantis and God of the Seas

Names

• Poseidaon / Poseidon – Older or dialectal spellings (e.g., in Linear B tablets from Mycenaean Greece, he appears as po-se-da-o). Poteidan – An early form of the name. In some local cults:
• Poseidon Erechtheus (merged with the Athenian hero-king Erechtheus).
• Nethuns – The Etruscan equivalent, later syncretized with Poseidon/Neptune.
• The high priest of the ocean (Stewart Pearce)
• High Priest of Atlantis and God of the Seas (Diana Cooper)
• Talyn or Stalin (Matias de Stefano)
• Neptune (or Neptunus) – The direct Roman counterpart to Poseidon

Where, you see, Poseidon was the high priest of the ocean, who was proclaimed as the seal keeper—the seal keeper who named Atlantis, a word that is a sonic glyph for the action of the land that rose from the water. Indeed, this has been written about by Plato, who, as you know, was an incarnation of Thoth, who referred to Atlas as the sovereign of Atlantis, appointed by his father Poseidon.

Stewart Pearce

Characteristics

• Poseidon is depicted holding a trident, a three-pronged symbol that Plato uses to signify the three continents that were part of Atlantis’s empire. The trident also represents Poseidon’s dominion over the sea and earthquakes.
• Poseidon is the founder and divine ruler of Atlantis. He marries a mortal woman named Cleito and fathers ten sons who become the kings of Atlantis.
• Poseidon creates the island’s unique geography, including concentric rings of water and land to protect the central island.
• He establishes laws and governance systems for his descendants to ensure a prosperous and orderly civilization.

Common Greek Epithets (Descriptive Titles)

These were widely used in ancient literature, hymns, and inscriptions

Epithet (Greek)	English Translation	Meaning / Association
Enosichthon / Ennosigaios	Earth-shaker / Earth-mover	His power to cause earthquakes
Gaieochos	Earth-holder / Lord of the Earth	Ruler of the land and sea floor
Asphaleios	Steadfast / Securer	Protector from earthquakes
Hippios	Of the Horses / Horse Lord	Patron of horses and horsemanship
Pelagios	Of the Sea / Marine	Ruler of the open sea
Pontomedon	Lord of the Sea / Sea King	Master of the ocean
Phytalmios	Plant-nourishing	Associated with freshwater and fertility
Kymothales	Wave-ruler	Controller of waves
Soter	Savior / Deliverer	Protector of sailors

Poseidon’s interventions

Intervention	Description
Creation of Horses	Poseidon created the first horse, either to impress Demeter or as a symbol of his power.
Dispute Over Athens	Poseidon struck the Acropolis with his trident to create a saltwater spring, but Athena won the contest with her olive tree.
Destruction of the Walls of Troy	Poseidon, cheated by King Laomedon, sent a sea monster to destroy Troy’s walls and flood the land.
Punishment of Odysseus	Poseidon punished Odysseus for blinding his son, Polyphemus, causing storms and delays in his journey home.
Creation of Earthquakes	Poseidon caused earthquakes as a sign of his anger or displeasure.
Helping the Greeks in the Trojan War	Poseidon supported the Greeks, especially at sea, and sent sea creatures to attack the Trojan fleet.
Turning of the Phaeacians’ Ship to Stone	After the Phaeacians helped Odysseus, Poseidon turned their returning ship into stone and surrounded their island with a mountain.
Rescuing Amymone	Poseidon saved Amymone from a satyr and created the springs of Lerna for her.
Creating the Isthmus of Corinth	Poseidon separated the Peloponnese from the mainland by striking the land with his trident.
Flooding the Land of Erymanthos	Poseidon flooded Erymanthos as punishment for not being properly worshiped.
Saving Theseus	Poseidon intervened to save his son, Theseus, including helping him in the Labyrinth and across the sea.

10 Sons of Poseidon

1. Atlas
2. Eumelus (Gadeirus in some translations)
3. Ampheres
4. Evaemon
5. Mneseus
6. Autochthon
7. Elasippus
8. Mestor
9. Azaes
10. Diaprepes
11. Triton?

Plato’s Account of Poseidon in “Critias” and “Timaeus”

• Poseidon is the god who establishes the island of Atlantis.
• Poseidon marries a mortal woman named Cleito. Together, they have ten sons, who become the rulers of different parts of Atlantis.
• Poseidon divides Atlantis into ten portions, each ruled by one of his sons, with the eldest son, Atlas, ruling the central and most important part.
• Poseidon shapes the landscape of Atlantis, making it a magnificent and fortified island. He creates concentric rings of water and land to protect the central part of the island where Cleito lives.
• As the god of the sea, Poseidon’s dominion over Atlantis is fitting, given its island nature.
• Poseidon establishes laws and governance systems for his descendants to follow, ensuring a structured and prosperous civilization.
• The natural fortifications and the fertility of the land are attributed to Poseidon’s divine intervention, making Atlantis a powerful and prosperous nation.

Ignatius Donnelly’s “Atlantis: The Antediluvian World”

• Similar to Plato, Donnelly emphasizes Poseidon as the divine founder of Atlantis.
• Donnelly reiterates the story of Poseidon and Cleito, mentioning their ten sons who ruled Atlantis.
• Donnelly suggests that Poseidon’s rule and the civilization he established influenced other cultures around the world. He attributes many ancient civilizations’ advancements and mythologies to the Atlanteans under Poseidon’s rule.
• Donnelly expands on Plato’s descriptions by suggesting that the advancements and technologies of Atlantis were a result of Poseidon’s divine influence and the structured governance he established.
• He argues that the myths and stories of Poseidon found in various cultures (Greek, Roman, etc.) have their origins in the historical reality of Atlantis.

Bridgman-Metchum’s “1903 Bridgman-Metchum Atlantis”

• Bridgman-Metchum adheres to the notion of Poseidon as the founder and divine protector of Atlantis.
• Like Plato and Donnelly, Bridgman-Metchum recounts the marriage of Poseidon to Cleito and their progeny, who become the rulers of Atlantis.
• He emphasizes Poseidon’s role in shaping the island and its defenses, similar to Plato’s concentric rings of water and land.
• Poseidon’s identity as the sea god is central, with his control over the waters symbolizing the power and isolation of Atlantis.
• Bridgman-Metchum highlights the peak of Atlantean civilization under Poseidon’s influence, depicting it as a time of unparalleled prosperity and technological advancement.
• Echoing Plato’s themes, Bridgman-Metchum also attributes the eventual decline of Atlantis to a moral and spiritual decay that even Poseidon’s laws could not prevent.

Gods simular to Poseidon

Deity	Culture	Attributes and Similarities
Thalan	Atlanteans
Neptune	Roman	God of the sea, equivalent to Poseidon, associated with horses, earthquakes, and storms
Njord	Norse	God of the sea, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility
Varuna	Hindu	God of the oceans, associated with law, cosmic order, and the celestial ocean
Enki (Ea)	Sumerian/Akkadian	God of water, knowledge, mischief, crafts, and creation, associated with the sea
Yam	Canaanite/Phoenician	God of the sea and rivers, represents primordial chaos and is often depicted as a dragon
Manannán mac Lir	Celtic	God of the sea and ruler of the Otherworld, associated with weather and fertility
Perkwunos	Slavic	God of waters, related to storms and springs, similar to Perun but associated with water
Tangaroa	Polynesian	God of the sea, fish, and aquatic life, associated with creation
Agwe	Haitian Vodou	Loa of the sea, fish, and aquatic plants, protector of sailors and fishermen
Mazu	Chinese	Goddess of the sea, protector of sailors and fishermen
Suijin	Japanese	Shinto god of water, associated with rivers, lakes, and the sea
Sedna	Inuit	Goddess of the sea and marine animals, ruler of the underworld
Olokun	Yoruba (West Africa)	Orisha of the sea, associated with wealth, health, and deep knowledge
Pele	Hawaiian	Goddess of volcanoes and fire, also has connections to the sea and creation of new land through lava

See: Channeling Poseidon