Board Thread:Antaeus' Arena: Audience Chamber/@comment-4531192-20140214172547/@comment-3146930-20140214195239

Lets give this a quick breakdown:

Symbols of Power

First off we have to assume that their Symbols of Power (Master Bolt and Trident) would cancel each other out. I say this because in The Sword of Hades, it is mentioned that the Big Three aren't allowed to make new symbols of power because that would tip the scales. Going by that, the Master Bolt for all its hype isn't stronger or weaker than Poseidon's Trident or Hades' Helm of Darkness. However there is a difference here. The Master Bolt is basically on one-and-done type attack. It is extremely powerful but it can only be used once in a fight. Poseidon's Trident may not be as strong, but Poseidon can use it continuously which would tire Zeus over time.

Realms

Another thing you have to look at is their realms. In a fight between gods, you have to assume that they will be calling up all the creatures in their control to fight. Going by space, Zeus has an edge as the sky covers the entire planet; but the oceans only cover 71% of the Earth (I think another 7% are freshwater lakes and rivers). On the other hand, think about the creatures that live here. The ocean is home to over 1 million different species, not counting the mythological ones. The sky isn't really a home to anything, as even birds will have to land at some point. Going by this, the oceans and by extension Poseidon, have a clear edge over Zeus.

We also have to look at their powers in general, going just by the books. Poseidon and Zeus are both able to make storms, Zeus with his thunderstorms and Poseidon with his hurricanes. As dangerous as Thunderstorms can be, Hurricanes in my opinion are much more dangerous; the winds alone can destroy cities. They also cause huge waves, flooding, lighting sometimes, and pretty much just level everything. Not to mention Poseidon could cause a few more major disasters, a tsunami and earthquake. Zeus could probably make a tornado or a string of tornadoes, but they would probably get sucked up into a hurricane.

Going by all this, I'd have to side with Poseidon as the clear winner. Even if Zeus is king of the gods, that doesn't mean he is the strongest. All it means is that Zeus has the ability to keep the gods from killing each other. The gods respect him to a certain level and he can command a room. These are good traits, traits that Poseidon somewhat lacks and one of the reasons he never really tried to take the throne in recent years. Zeus is just a better ruler, but I think Poseidon is more powerful.