Poseidon produces a spring of water but it was salty. Athena bested Poseidon by producing an olive tree on the Acropolis. Poseidon also raped Medusa—a mortal who had the reputation of being beautiful—in Athena's temple, desecrating it.
In his dispute with Athena for dominion over Athens, the two gods had a contest as to which one could give the Athenians the best gift. Poseidon shoved his trident into the Acropolis and produced a flowing stream or a horse. Undismayed, Athena gave the Athenians an olive tree. And Poseidon challenged Athena to combat.
Athena women should marry Poseidon men-but only heroic Poseidon men. \ One of Athena's gifts to humanity was the bridle, to control horses. He'll keep her emotions active, i.e., stop her from "living in her head." She'll keep him integrated into society, i.e., employed and out of jail.
Athena won the contest and became the patron goddess of Athens. From that time forward, Poseidon and Athena were rivals. This plays out in the story of the Odyssey where Poseidon tries to thwart Odysseus while Athena tries to help him on his journey.
When Medusa refused, Poseidon pinned her against Athena's altar and had his way with her anyway. Athena was enraged that a rape took place in her temple, but she couldn't punish Poseidon for it. In her fit of anger, she carried out her revenge on Medusa, cursing her.
The snake-haired Medusa does not become widespread until the first century B.C. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. Such a sacrilege attracted the goddess' wrath, and she punished Medusa by turning her hair to snakes.
According to the Roman poet Ovid's version of the myth, Medusa, as a mortal had taken an oath of chastity, however Poseidon, lusting after her, forced himself upon her and raped her inside the temple of Athena.
Poseidon was a god, and Athena was a goddess. She was not powerful enough to punish Poseidon. He is a elder god, which makes him second only to Zeus.
Athena was an armed warrior goddess. The Parthenon at Athens was her most famous shrine. She never had a true lover or someone to hug and hold her; all she had was her loving mother, caring father and most of all her brothers and sisters.
Enemies: Athena's most famous enemy was Medusa, a gorgon with snakes for hair who could turn people to stone with her gaze.
Hephaestus, the God of Fire, fell in love with Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, and wanted her to have his child. Athena was the eternal Virgin so that was not possible.
HEPHAISTOS was the Olympian god of fire, smiths, craftsmen, metalworking and stonemasonry. This page describes the god's liaisons. Some of these appear only in the ancient genealogies with no accompanying story. The two most famous of his "loves" were the goddesses Aphrodite and Athena.
Perhaps partly because of the strange circumstances of her birth, Athena is often cited as Zeus's favourite child. He also greatly admired her strength of character and fighting spirit. Some believe Athena was Zeus's first born child, which might, somewhat unfairly, suggest why he chose her as his favourite.
Poseidon was enamored by Medusa's beauty, and Medusa returned the same feelings. Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair.
As goddess of wisdom and war, and protector of Athens and heroes, Athena has little to fear. In mythology, she is immensely powerful and immortal, but in The Odyssey the story of her contest with Poseidon reveals her only fear. This is the fear of being defeated.
She was angered by the idea that someone would say that they were more talented than a god so Athena hatched a plan to confront Arachne. A few days later, disguised as an old woman, Athena knocked on Arachne's door. “I have come to warn you,” Athena rasped.
In fact, Athena was jealous of Medusa's beauty and lustrous hair. Poseidon ravaged her and took what she held dearly, her purity. Athena, outraged by this incident, cursed Medusa and turned her wonderful hair into venomous snakes, her beautiful face turned so ugly that any man who gazed upon would turn to stone.
According to the Bibliotheca, Athena visited the smith-god Hephaestus to request some weapons, but Hephaestus was so overcome by desire that he tried to seduce her in his workshop. Determined to maintain her virginity, Athena fled, pursued by Hephaestus. He caught Athena and tried to rape her, but she fought him off.
Zeus heard a prophecy that the child Metis bore after she gave birth to Athena would become the lord of heaven, so, to prevent this from happening, he swallowed Metis while she was still pregnant with Athena.
Athena's gift was superior beyond doubt. Without hesitation, Cecrops proclaimed Athena the winner of the competition and the goddess of wisdom gave her name to the city, which was hence called Athens. Instead of accepting his defeat with dignity, Poseidon proved to be a sore loser.
It was also said that Poseidon in his anger over his defeat sent one of his sons, Halirrhothius, to cut down Athena's tree gift.
Fact #3: Poseidon, Greek God of the Horses
Poseidon was attempting to win the love and affection of Demeter, Greek goddess of harvest, to no avail. Poseidon was repeatedly rejected by Demeter until she finally gave Poseidon a request.
Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair.
At the time of her death, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a golden sword-wielding giant, sprang from her body.
So, when Poseidon raped Medusa she became pregnant. When her head was chopped off by Perseus, her children came to be. Pegasus and Chrysaor sprung from the severed neck of Medusa. Pegasus is also one of the most famous characters in Greek mythology, the winged white horse.