Q 01/05

Poseidon is the Greek god of the sea and of which two other things?

A) Earthquakes and horses

B) Wine and theatre

C) Fire and metalwork

D) War and strategy

Answer · why

A) Earthquakes and horses

His title as god of earthquakes is older than his link to the sea, and appears on Bronze Age tablets.

Q 02/05

What is Poseidon's signature weapon?

A) A trident

B) A thunderbolt

C) A bow

D) A war-hammer

Answer · why

A) A trident

The Cyclopes forged it for him for the war against the Titans, just as they made Zeus's thunderbolt.

Q 03/05

What is Poseidon's Roman equivalent?

A) Neptune

B) Mercury

C) Vulcan

D) Janus

Answer · why

A) Neptune

The Roman god was probably a freshwater deity first; his festival fell on 23 July, when water was scarcest.

Q 04/05

Poseidon competed with which goddess for the patronage of Athens?

A) Athena

B) Hera

C) Demeter

D) Artemis

Answer · why

A) Athena

He struck the Acropolis and made a salt spring; she offered an olive tree and won.

Q 05/05

What gift did Poseidon offer the Athenians in the contest for the city?

A) A salt-water spring

B) A white bull

C) A golden ship

D) A herd of horses

Answer · why

A) A salt-water spring

It was not much use for drinking, but it stood for access to the sea and to trade.