Friday, June 29, 2007

Apollo and Poseidon

The relation between Apollo and Poseidon is worthy of, at least, an entire article (hack, I think some would even be able to do more than one book!), but right in the middle of my finals I cannot afort to do it, even though it is something that interests me a lot.

Anyway, so you won't complain I haven't been very productive, here is a small list of things I might include in the said article:

  • The very famous confrontation of the elder and stormy (literally) Poseidon and the younger and moderated Apollon in the Iliad, were the young God avoids confrontation with the elder saying the humans are like leaves and not worth of a fight between them (even though he kept fighting with Athena, Ares and even, indirectly, with Hera throughout the book!);
  • The fact that they are opposites in age and self-control (in general, of course) but still they are often associated in cult;
  • One account according to which Poseidon was lord of Delphi before Apollo;
  • The myth when Apollo and Poseidon both wanted Hestia who chose not marry any of them not to offend them;
  • The detail that in myth Zeus often makes decisions when Poseidon is not present (of which the God many times complains) while Apollo, on the other hand, is like a "book keeper" of Zeus' plans;
  • Poseidon is obviously Lord of the Sea, but Apollo is also the dolphin, guides sailors, saves them, is the God celebrated when the sea travelling season opens and is "of the cliff" and "of the shore"
  • They built together the Walls of Troy, but then were not paid: Poseidon turned against the Trojans, but Apollo stood by their side;
  • It is also interesting that the other Gods usually have no problems, most of the time, having mortals love them (or at least have an affair with them), while many myths show both Apollo and Poseidon having problems with love;
  • Poseidon is father of Evadne, who later had a son of Apollo, Iamos;
  • This has probably no meaning, but of the 4 pan-hellenic games, 2 were celebrated in honour of Zeus and the Isthmic Games in honour of Poseidon and the Pythian Games in honour of Apollo.

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