Trident of Poseidon

Tritóon / Tríhkos

also known as The Trident

Weapon · TridentGreekAtlas class — Divine (S)Status: UnknownSources: High confidence
Poseidon with Trident and Dolphin (ancient pinax)SCULPTURE
You are looking atNo trident survives as an object. This is an ancient terracotta pinax of Poseidon holding his trident — an ancient depiction of the emblem, not the object itself.Poseidon with Trident and Dolphin (ancient pinax) — Unknown (Greek) · Antikensammlung, Berlin · c. 5th century BCE · Public domain (ancient work) · Public domain (ancient work)

Overview

The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, the god of the sea. In Homer and Hesiod it is the emblem of his sovereignty over the waters and the earth; it stirs the sea, raises the waves, and strikes the land to raise mountains and cause earthquakes. [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗ It is a product of divine (Cyclopean) craft. It is the arbiter of the waters and the emblem of the sea's power.

Creation & Origin

Forged for Poseidon by the Cyclopes. [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗

A product of the highest divine craft, the emblem of the sea's order. [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗

Atlas Power Profile

Interpretive, 0–10. An Atlas editorial reading — not a historical or canonical ranking.

Destruction9

The trident strikes the sea and the land; it is the instrument of earthquakes and of the sea's power.

DIVINE AUTHORITY9

It is the emblem of Poseidon's sovereignty over the sea and the earth.

CONTROL8

It stirs the sea, raises mountains, and splits the rock; it is the arbiter of the waters.

RANGE7

A spear-like weapon of the sea, striking from a distance.

MAGIC7

A product of divine (Cyclopean) craft; it is an instrument of the sea's power.

Named Abilities

Each ability carries a certainty level — how firmly the sources support it.

SEA-STIR
Attested

It stirs the sea and raises the waves; the power of the waters made a weapon.

Source — Homer Iliad; Hesiod Theogony

EARTHQUAKE
Attested

It strikes the land and raises mountains; the instrument of earthquakes.

Source — Homer Iliad 13.16

SOVEREIGN OF THE SEA
Attested

It is the emblem of Poseidon's sovereignty over the sea and the earth.

Source — Hesiod Theogony

Limitations & Constraints

  • The weapon of the sea; not a common weapon, and bound to Poseidon's will.

Notable Facts

  • The trident is the Greek equivalent of the sovereign sea-weapon; it is the emblem of earthquakes.

Where the record is thin

Interpretation note
  • The "Cyclopean forging" is Hesiod's account; the trident's exact make is not specified elsewhere.

Woven into the Atlas

Every link here is a real graph relationship — the artifact is part of the same mythology, not a side table.