Poseidon competed with Athena for the patronage of Athens on the Parthenon's west pediment. The sculpture represented a famous foundation myth in which the two gods contested control of Athens and the surrounding region of Attica.
According to the story, each deity offered a gift to the city. Poseidon struck the Acropolis with his trident, producing a saltwater spring or pool. Athena caused the first olive tree to appear, a gift associated with food, trade, prosperity, and peace. The Athenians or their mythical judges preferred Athena's gift, and she became the city's patron goddess.
The west pediment faced the Propylaea and visitors approaching the Acropolis, while the east pediment showed Athena's birth. The sculptures were made in the late fifth century BC and have suffered severe loss from weathering, religious alterations, warfare, and the 1687 explosion that devastated the Parthenon. Identifications of some surrounding figures remain debated, but the central contest is securely associated with Athena and Poseidon.