The ancient Greeks built temples and shrines to Poseidon around their coasts, to placate the wrathful sea god. Homer's renowned mariner Odysseus was constantly having to escape the results of the trident-wielder's temper tantrums. The most famous temple of Poseidon is at Sounion, on the tip of the Attica penincula, south of Athens.

In the Christian era, sailors and fishermen also sought supernatural protection from the perils of the wine-dark sea. The Judeo-Christian God seemed no better disposed to seafarers than his predecessors: think of Noah's flood, Jonah or the storm on the Sea of Galilee. So they chose Saint Nicholas of Myra (Άγιος Νικόλαος, Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people", 270 - 6 December 346) to intercede for them at the very highest level in marine matters.