Poseidon was the god of oceans, rivers, flowing water, earthquakes and horses.

Brother of Zeus and Hades, he was married to the Nereid Amphitrite, with whom he had three children, including the sea creature Triton. He had a reputation for being rather violent and bad-tempered.

He had numerous affairs, all fruitful, but the offspring were rather unusual, such as Polyphemos the one-eyed Cyclops and Pegasus the winged horse.

With his trident, this god, known as 'the earthshaker' would strike the ocean floor to summon violent tempests and earthquakes. He could also bring an end to a storm or an earthquake with one strike of his trident.

He is also thought to have struck a rock with his trident, to create the very first horse, Skyphios. His subsequent association with horses is reflected in his epithet 'tamer of horses'.

He entered a contest with his niece Athena to decide which of them would become the protector deity of a hitherto unnamed city in Attica. He struck the rock of the Akropolis with his trident to produce a spring of salt water, Athena created an olive tree next to it. The city's inhabitants chose the olive, for its versatility, and name their city Athens in honour of the goddess. The splendid split-level Erechtheion with its Karyatid Porch is dedicated to both uncle and niece, a nice touch on the Akropolis which is dominated by the Parthenon, Athena's temple.

He fared rather better with Corinth, however!

This time his dispute was with Helios, god of the sun, whose task it was to drive the chariot across the sky each day. The contest was judged by the hundred-handed giant Briareus, who came up with a wise compromise. Poseidon would become the protector of the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow neck of land connecting mainland Greece with the Peloponnese, while Helios was given the citadel of Akrokorinth, overlooking the city.

The Isthmian Games, one of the four Panhellenic Games of antiquity, were established in honour of Poseidon. Horseracing and chariot racing were highlights, celebrating Poseidon's role as the god of horses. Winners were crowned with a wreath of pine or wild celery.

It was in the city of Corinth - specifically at the Peirene Spring on Akrokorinth - that Corinth-born Bellerophon managed to tame Pegasus, using a golden bridle given to him by Athena. Pegasus became so significant in the city's identity that his image appeared on Corinthian coins, which were called 'Pegasi'.

The traveller writer Pausanias writes that inside the temple of Poseidon at Isthmia, near Corinth, was a vast gold and ivory (chryselephantine) statue group of Poseidon and Amphitrite. When travelling about on the sea, the couple used this shared chariot, encrusted with pearl shells, drawn by golden-maned hippokampoi - seahorses - and escorted by Triton and dolphins. Although he was entitled to take his seat on Mount Olympus, moody, temperamental Poseidon preferred to offline in the magnificent golden palace at the bottom of the ocean, crafted from coral, pearls, and precious gems which he shared with Amphitrite.

The sea was such an integral part of ancient Greek life that there are countless temples poised in stunning locations overlooking the sea, such as the temple of Poseidon at Sounion, on Poros and on Tinos. Coinage minted in Greek colonies such as Syracuse in South Italy reflected a connection with Poseidon, depicting tridents and dolphins.