Beyond mythology and religion, the sea was the centre of daily life in towns and cities along the Mediterranean Coast. It provided food and other resources, and allowed for easy travel and trade. Poseidon appears frequently on vases made in ancient Athens, where the sea god and his son, Theseus, had aided in the historic defeat of invading Persian forces, thus saving the city.

Featuring over 110 works from major public and private collections in the United States and Europe, the exhibition also includes a monumental bronze trident over a dozen feet long that is believed to have accompanied a colossal statue of the god, which is now lost.