280 SEE— TEMPERATURE, SECULAR COOLING [April ao, 



were formed, and repeatedly disturbed by earthshaking Poseidon, 

 the following passages in Homer will not be without interest. The 

 partition of the world among the principal deities is thus explained 

 iDy Poseidon himself: 



" For we are three brothers (descended) from Kronos, whom Rhea 

 brought forth, Zeus and I and Pluto, governing the infernal regions, the 

 third; all things were divided into three parts, and each was alloted his 

 dignity; I in the first place when the lots were shaken was assigned to in- 

 habit forever the hoary sea, and Pluto next obtained the pitchy darkness; 

 and finally Zeus received the wide heavens in the air and the clouds; but 

 the earth is still the common property of all, and lofty Olympus." (Iliad, 

 XV., 187-194.) 



The account describing Poseidon's mansions beneath the ^gean sea 

 is as follows : 



" Nor did king Poseidon keep a vain watch ; for he sat aloft upon the 

 highest summit of the woody Thracian Samos, admiring the war and the 

 battle. For from thence all Ida was visible, and the city of Priam was 

 visible, and the ships of the Greeks. Then coming out of the sea, he sat 

 down, and he pitied the Greeks, subdued by the Trojans, and was very in- 

 dignant with Jove. But presently he descended down from the rugged 

 mountains, rapidly advancing on foot, and the high hills and woods trembled 

 beneath the immortal feet of Poseidon, advancing. Thrice indeed he strode, 

 advancing, and with the fourth step he reached ^gae, his destined goal. 

 There distinguished mansions, golden, glittering, ever incorruptible, were 

 •erected to him in the depths of the sea. Coming thither, he yoked beneath 

 his chariot the brazen footed steeds, swiftly flying, crested with golden manes. 

 But he himself placed gold about his person, took his golden lash, well 

 wrought, and ascended his chariot. He proceeded to drive over the billows 

 and the monsters of the deep sported beneath him on all sides from their 

 recesses, nor were ignorant of their king. For joy the sea separated; and 

 they flew very rapidly, nor was the brazen axle moist beneath. And his 

 well-bounding steeds bore him to the ships of the Greeks. 



" Now there is an ample cave in the recesses of the deep sea, between 

 Tenedos and rugged Imbrus. There earthshaking Poseidon stopped his 

 horses, loosing them from the chariot and cast beside (them) ambrosial 

 fodder to eat." (Iliad, XIII., ia-35 ; Buckley's Translation.) 



The ^gean Sea was the part of the Mediterranean with which 

 Homer was best acquainted, yet he possessed fairly accurate knowl- 

 edge of many seas and many lands ; and the fact that out of all this 

 ■domain of ocean he placed Poseidon's chief abode beneath the 

 7Egt3.n indicates that if he did not possess divine wisdom, with re- 

 gard to earthquake forces, he at least chose for the earthshaker's 

 dominions the very spot which would be selected to-day, in the light 

 >of the history of thirty centuries since the composition of the Iliad. 



