Poschelians. See PSschel.
Poseidon, the god who was considered among the ancient Greeks as presiding over the sea. He was the son of Chronos and Rhea, and had his palace at the bottom of the sea, where the monsters of the deep play around his dwelling. This deity was believed to be the author of storms, and to shake the earth with his trident or three-pronged spear. His wife was Amphi- trite. When the universe was divided between the brothers, the sea was given to Poseidon. He was equal to Zeus in dignity, but not in power. He once con- spired with Hera 1. 1 m io i and Athena ( Minerva i to put Zeus in chains, hut usually he was submissive to the more powerful god. I le rides over the waves in a char- iot draw n by horses with brazen hoofs and golden manes, ami I lie -ea becomes smooth at his appearance, while the monsters Of the deep gambol and play around him.
Herodotus affirms that the Greeks derived the worship of Poseidon from Libya; but, from whatever quarter ii was received, it spread all over Greece ami Southern Italy. It prevailed more especially in the Peloponne- sus. The usual sacriiices offered to this god were black anil white hulls, and also wild hoars and rams. Al Corinth horse and chariot races were held in his honor.
The Panionia, or festival ol all the lonians, was cele- brated also in honor of Poseidon. The Romans identi- fied him with their own sea-god Neptune. Troy was called Neptuna Pergama, because Poseidon assisted
Apollo to surround it with walls for king Laomedon, who refused to give them their promised reward, and Poseidon sent a sea-monster to ravage the country, which was killed by Hercules. He always hated the Trojans, and assisted the Greeks against them. He prevented the return of Ulysses, in revenge for his hav- ing blinded Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. In an he is easily recognised by his attributes, which are the trident, horses, and dolphins. S( e Ni.i-rfNi:.
Poseidonia, a festival celebrated annually among the ancient Greeks in honor ol Poseidon. It was kept chiefly in the island of zEgina.
Poseidonius. See Posrooxiua
Posen, a Polish province, that portion of ancient Poland which fell to Prussia in the partition of the king- dom, has an area of 11,260 square miles, and a popula- tion (close of 1871) of 1,583,684 The territory is di- vided into two departments, that ol posen and Brom- lurg. and its principal cities ate besides the respective capitals named after the departments, Gnesen, Lissa, and Inowraclow. The principal river is the Wart ha. which is navigable, hut the commerce of the province is very light, for education little has been done a- yet The i'riissian government is determined to force German culture. There are six gymnasia, several normal ami training schools, a seminary for the training of priests, and about two hundred burgher or national schools. Nearly half the population belong to the Roman Cath- olic Church, which is under the spiritual jurisdiction of the archbishop ofGnesen and Posen, while 74,000 of the remainder arc Jews. The inhabitants may still he said to he Poles, more than KOO.IHIO persons , mplo_\ ing Polish as their mother-tongue.
Posen formed an integral part of Poland till 1772, when, at the first partition of the Polish territory, the districts north of the Net/e were given to Prussia. At the second and third partitions, which were made twenty years later, the remainder was incorporated in the Prus- sian kingdom under the name of South Prussia. In 1807 Posen was included in the duchy of Warsaw; hut by the act of the Congress of Vienna it was separated in L815 from Poland and reassigned to Prussia under the title of the Grand Duchy of Posen. In 1848 the Poles, who had never amalgamated with their new * •< r- man compatriots, took advantage of the general politi- cal excitement ol that period to organize an open rebell- ion, which gave the Prussian government considerable trouble, and was not put down till much blood had bet u spilled on hoth sides. On the cessation of disturbances, the German citizens of the province demanded the in- corporation of Posen with those Prussian states which were memhers of the German Confederation, and the Berlin Chambers gave their approval of the proposed measure in 1850; hut on the subsidence of revolution- ary sentiment in Germany the subject was dropped, and Posen returned to its former condition of an extra- German province of the Prussian monarchy. For the ecclesiastical history, see POLAND; see also Ptas- si \.
Poser is the term applied to the bishop's examining chaplain. Tin- annual examiner at Winchester and Eton still hears this name.
Posey, Alexander, a colon. 1 minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was horn about the year 1814. He came from thcJ/Wcin, Methodisl Episcopal
Church March 20, 1869, at which time the Washington
Conference was sitting in Winchester, Va. He was re- ceived into full connection, ami the same year (1869) was appointed to Jobnmann Street < lhapel, Winchesti r, Va. He was reappointed in 1870 to Winchester, Va.; in 1871 to Harrisonburgh, Va., and in 1872 7.". to Lex- ington. Va. In 1874 he was appointed to Abingdon,
Va.. hut did not reach his work, he being sick at the time he received his appointment He never recov- ered, hut died Aug. 1. L874, See Minutes of Annual Confl ran;,--, 1875, p. 1 L