Poseidon

Nathaniel Zeleke

Introduction
        On the cover of Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief, lays a visual that will strike the eye of almost anyone: Percy Jackson, a teenager of modern~ish times, stands at an angle on the head of a humongous statue of the ancient Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, ready to fight surrounded by floodings of water, lightning, alternatively somewhat gloomy skies, all while around the world renown New York City skyline. This image offers an extraordinary point of departure for examining the relationship between ancient myth and modern culture. From the visual elements of the cover to its immediate call onto the classics for a representation of Poseidon, it's recognizable just how mythology still shapes our understanding of the world. My curator comment will discuss how the cover of The Lightning Thief reimagines Poseidon for modern times while drawing upon the rich tapestry of his mythological legacy through a historical contextualization of it, comparative elements, scholarly interpretations, and personal perspectives within a dialogue with other cultural products.

Poseidon in Classical Mythology
        Then, Poseidon is a powerful god in classical mythology, the lord of seas, earthquakes, and horses. He is shown as a bearded and muscular man with a three-pointed lance, a trident, which marks him as powerful and unpredictable. According to Morford, Lenardon, and Sham, "By his very nature, Poseidon is ferocious. He is called the supporter of the earth but the earthshaker as well, and as a god of earthquakes he exhibits his violence by the rending of the land and the surge of the sea. By a mere stroke of his trident, he may destroy and kill" (168). It is this characterization of Poseidon as a creationist/destructionist god, per se, which permeates in so much of his mythology. Beyond this, the authors note that he was "a god of elemental forces" (Morford, Lenardon, and Sham 168), which further reiterates that there is something raw and primal about this deity.

Also, the lectures concerning Greek mythology elaborated more on the complex nature of Poseidon, where he is both benevolent and destructive. Linked with Poseidon's nature is the idea of hubris, connected with mortal overreach. According to the lecture, "Poseidon's actions were often driven by a need for acknowledgment and control, which often put him at odds with other gods and mortals" (La Fond).

Analysis of the Cover Art
        It places the image of Poseidon within a modern, urban cityscape. That which once symbolized the ancient power of the god has been surrounded and towered over with New York City skyscrapers. Thus, the juxtaposition may connote a change in dominion for this god—from the watery depths to the concrete jungle. Still, the position of Poseidon seems powerful and suggests that in this age ruled by technology, the forces of nature from earlier times are at work.

Percy Jackson stands centrally at the top of the statue. Being the son of Poseidon and a demigod places him as a bridge between the mythological and contemporary. With a certain sure attitude, like his father god, who is usually very authoritative in demeanor, he stands. Yet, his youthfulness humanizes Poseidon a bit for a modern audience. This representation caters well to the young target demographic readers in the book and thus places them in a position where they themselves can be heroes in a world intertwined with mythology.

Equally captivating is the composition of the cover art. These waves crashing on the statue's base, dynamic in their gesture, relate back to Poseidon's tumultuous nature, while the city skyline as a symbol of human achievement insinuates the continuously ongoing struggle between natural and man-made. The color palette, dominated by shades of blue and green, insists again on maritimism and provides depth and mystery thereto in general.  

Comparative Analysis

The image of Poseidon on the cover is far from that of the more traditional and oftentimes menacing depictions of the god. That is not to say that the statue does not carry the air of authority; it just comes off less with a view of overt aggression. His relation with the sea is subtly represented through the placement of the statue and wave imagery, but using an urban setting puts another dimension into his character. This modern take thus reveals how versatile mythology is in how ancient gods can be reimagined within a modern setting.

Personal Perspective
        It is admirable how the cover could bring about the sense of Poseidon into a new light, relevant image. It manages to successfully bring the ancient into the modern age to convey myth to a broader scale of reading. At the same time, there is a clear juxtaposition between a powerful mythological figure against a backdrop of a contemporary urban setting, creating visual tension that invites thoughtfulness regarding human beings and their connection with nature.

History and Legacy
        Although the inspiration of the cover artist himself and its reception of The Lightning Thief immediately after its release are interesting specific details that are outside the purview of this essay, one may still expect that the cover has significantly affected popular culture. This image is well-nigh synonymous with the series itself and, in some ways, a reenvisioning of Poseidon helping along a larger cultural discussion about mythology and its place in modern times. The success of the cover is just further proof of the timeless power of myth and its ability to adapt to the cultural situation at hand.

Scholarly Criticism

Michael Grant and John Hazel, in their book of Myths and Heroes of the Greeks, refer to myth as a living tradition, in which the myths are always changing and adapting themselves to the new cultural context. On the front cover of The Lightning Thief, Poseidon is depicted as relevant and part of modern times. Myths have the "capacity for infinite reinterpretation" as the authors argue. This is very obvious from the book cover.

In Dialogue
        The cover of The Lightning Thief can also be considered in dialogue with other contemporary representations of mythological figures. For example, the DC Comics superhero Aquaman shares a lot with Poseidon as a powerful ruler of the sea, and he is conceptualized as much more heroic and benign than the complex and ambivalent Poseidon. One can understand from this the different directions mythological characters can take in their modern media representations.

Conclusion
        Redesigning the Lightning Thief cover art, Poseidon becomes an ultra-modern entity, befitting of his mythological roots. Setting the god against a central location that is familiar and identifying him with an extremely relatable protagonist makes the cover an invitation to readers into an investigation of timeless mythological power against modernity. This reinterpretation of Poseidon really emblematizes how old stories can be retold or remade for relevance to new generations. Impact is not limited to the cover of the book, forcefully representing the sensitive evidence on the inevitable attraction of mythology.

Tatiana Gefter

        In order to discuss one song, or one God, it is important to have context for the project as a whole, for “Ruthlessness” is just a drop in the sea that is ‘EPIC’.

‘Epic: The Musical'' is an ongoing project created by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, based on Homer's ‘ The Odyssey’. In taking inspiration from the original poem, as well as Hamilton, various video games, and anime, Jorge has in effect created a wholly original adaptation. He began releasing clips of his progress throughout the creation of the musical onto his Tiktok page in 2021, and has since then amassed an excited and loyal audience. More people were slowly brought into the fold as Jorge announced auditions for several titular characters such as Calypso, Ares, Penelope, Zeus, Circe, and Poseidon.

Since the conception, 6 portions of the musical have been released onto streaming platforms, broken up thematically or by arc, and separated into the two acts of the show. Act one, which follows Odysseus' journey with his crew through their trip to the underworld has been fully released, and the first album of Act 2 has since launched on July 4th, 2024, entitled the Thunder Saga.

“In all my years of living / It isn't very often that I get pissed off / I try to chill with the waves / But damn, you crossed the line.” (Rivera-Herrans et al.)

As in the original story, Poseidon is one of many threats that Odysseus faces in his journey home. As one might expect, his presence is oppressive as they sail across the seas and this eventually comes to a head when they face him head on. When he was initially conceptualizing his version of Poseidon, Jorge specifically called out Sephiroth, a main antagonist from the Final Fantasy series. This is referenced in Poseidon’s ultimate attack, “Shatter the Ocean”, which he used to decimate the majority of Odysseus’ men after the blinding of his son, Polyphemus. (Wiki) His depiction remains congruent with how he is shown in the original poem, as a vengeful, unforgiving god, however even he references that he tries to be chill and is only acting now as a direct result of Odysseus’s actions.

 ‘You are the worst kind of good 'cause you're not even great / A Greek who reeks of false righteousness, that's what I hate / 'Cause you fight to save lives, but won't kill and don't get the job done / I mean, you totally could have avoided all this had you just killed my son / But no.” (Rivera-Herrans et al.)

His song, “Ruthlessness” serves as a warning and a punishment. If only Odysseus hadn’t shown Polypheus mercy, if only he had been ruthless, then Poseidon would never have known that it was Odysseus and his crew and his men would still be alive. This begins Odyssues’s path towards being more ruthless or monstrous himself, which eventually leads to him choosing to face Scylla and sacrificing his own men in order to get home. We can hear Poseidon’s influence throughout the musical, represented by a strong brass section and triplets. In ‘Ruthlessness’ in particular he is also heard to distort and become more electronic as he becomes more wrathful towards the King of Ithaca. (Wiki)

“The line between naïveté and hopefulness is almost invisible / So close your heart, the world is dark and /Ruthlessness is mercy” (Rivera-Herrans et al.)

This version of Poseidon acts as a pathway to the change in Odysseus’s perception by the audience in lieu of his affairs with Circe and Calypso in the original poem. Where the audience would have seen the change in him through his infidelity, that doesn’t take place in ‘EPIC’. Instead he is completely faithful to his wife. Something else needs to push him towards the ruthlessness and hubris that leads to the eventual mutiny of his crew. Poseidon is Odysseus’s “Darkest moment.” (Rivera-Herrans et al.) By massacuring his crew, he is the catalyst born from Odysseus’s own hubris.

As there are still sagas/albums yet to be released, Poseidon is likely to show up in future songs in which his character will continue to be fleshed out. Until then, we must wait to see how his depiction will change further.

“/Remember me./” (Rivera-Herrans et al.)

Works Cited

Cast of EPIC: The Musical. “Ruthlessness.” EPIC: The Musical, Jorge Rivera-Herrans.

Morford, Mark, Robert J. Lenardon, and Martin Sham. Classical Mythology. Oxford University Press, 2023.
Grant, Michael and Hazel John. Myths and Heroes of the Greeks Thames and Hudson, 1963

Wiki, Contributors to EpicTheMusical. “Epic: The Musical.” EpicTheMusical Wiki, Fandom, Inc., epicthemusical.fandom.com/wiki/EPIC:_The_Musical#cite_note-4. Accessed 29 July 2024.

Wiki, Contributors to EpicTheMusical. “Poseidon.” EpicTheMusical Wiki, Fandom, Inc., epicthemusical.fandom.com/wiki/Poseidon. Accessed 29 July 2024.