Poseidon, son of Kronus and Rhea and brother of Zeus, became the mighty and majestic god of the sea after the war with the Titans, ruling all waters around the earth. His power was considered second only to Zeus. He ruled his aquatic kingdom with earth-shaking might, capable of summoning great winds and stirring up or calming stormy oceans. Wielding his trident, he would fly across the waves in a chariot drawn by horses with bronze hooves and golden manes. Although he had a seat on Mount Olympus, he spent most of his time in his shining golden palace in the ocean's depths.
Poseidon was ambitious and aggressive. Dissatisfied with his allotted domain, he once plotted to overthrow Zeus. The plan failed, and he was sent to serve a mortal on Earth. With Apollo's help, he built the famous walls of Troy for King Laomedon. He also argued with Athena over the naming of Athens, ultimately yielding to the goddess of wisdom. In another dispute with Apollo over the kingdom of Corinth, Poseidon emerged victorious.
His romantic pursuits yielded strange offspring. His wife bore him children who were half-man, half-fish. When the goddess Demeter, disliking his advances, transformed into a horse, the undeterred Poseidon became a horse to continue his pursuit. From this union was born the wondrous talking horse Arion, destined to win all chariot races in Greece. He also abducted the beautiful maiden Theophane, took her to an island, transformed her into a ewe and himself into a ram, resulting in the birth of the golden-fleeced ram.