The Dual Role of Gods in The Iliad Essay - 1163 Words

The Dual Role of Gods in The Iliad With even a cursory exposure to ancient Greek texts, it is obvious that the gods and goddesses are very important in traditional Greek culture. As literary figures in mythos and specific poetry and drama, the gods dabble in the life of man, predict his fate, and routinely thwart any attempt for him to entirely forge his own future. But for those of us who are not extensively schooled in antiquities, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what the gods are to the ancient Greeks, and what they are to us as readers of literature who live outside the culture. Were the gods accepted as parable figures, meant to instruct? Were they used to explain acts of nature? Do they now belong to anything†¦show more content†¦The gods are conspicuous to the humans within the text, and moreover, the gods are conspicuous to the reader. As the epics battles loom and its literary armor clatters, the Olympian gods are present on almost every page of The Iliad. At odds with each other, vulnerab le to seductions and flattery, cursed with quick tempers, Homers gods cannot be depended upon to stay out of the earthly battles, even when ordered to do so by Zeus. For the lesser gods, the threat of eviction from Olympus is not enough to scare them. Zeus tells Iris the swift to deliver the message to Hera and Athene, ...turn them back again, let them not reach me, since we would close in fighting thus that would be unseemly (VII 399-400), forgetting or ignoring that the gods fight amongst themselves all the time within the text. Zeus is the supreme leader of the gods, but his will is not always respected, especially once he turns his back. He makes terrible threats against disobedience, but the other gods know he is easily persuaded, face to face, to act on behalf of whomever asks. Thetis sits by Zeuss knee and asks for his support for Troy, and because Zeus is endowed with many of the weaknesses of man, he cannot say no to a pretty face. To Thetiss request, Zeus answ ers, This is a disastrous matter when you set me in conflict with Hera (I 518-19) yet he gives in to her, anyway, and will deal with his wife later. Warriors on both sides, Trojans and AchaiansShow MoreRelatedIliad - Self image1193 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The Iliad Essay Prompt 1. Complete one take home essay. Provide textual evidence, specific lines and incidents from The Iliad that proves your thesis. You may also draw from The Odyssey. Use in text parenthetical documentation according to MLA standards. The style guide that many colleges use is DianaHacker.com. We will use this style guide for both MLA format and grammar and mechanics. If you have any questions about MLA format, refer to DianaHacker.com. This paper needs to read asRead MoreThe Eruption Of The Iliad1558 Words   |  7 PagesFay Blakley English 2030 – W4 Prof. Dr. Atkinson 24 September 2015 Humanization of The Iliad The eruption of the Trojan War might stand as one of the most relevant events in Greek mythology. A raging war between kings and gods alike shed blood bath, eventually bringing Troy to a crumble. Was the war intended to be a battle between the mortals? Throughout the epic of Homer’s The Iliad, the gods take on human characteristics, allowing their feelings guide them, intervening, through the war. Read MoreMythology : Tales Of Gods And Heroes1672 Words   |  7 PagesMythology: Tales of Gods and Heroes Glossary: Important Gods (1) Zeus, also known as Jupiter. Brother to Poseidon and Hades. He is the supreme leader of the Gods and he is the Lord of the Sky, the Rain-God, and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the incredible Thunderbolt. His power alone was greater than that of all the divinities combined. He once told his family â€Å"I am mightiest of all. Make trial that you may know. Fasten a rope of gold to heaven and lay hold, every God, and Goddess. You could notRead MoreWomen Of The Ancient Greek Work, The Iliad And The Mesopotamian Epic Of Gilgamesh2549 Words   |  11 PagesRoles of women in the ancient times have been generally been limited to household, childbearing, childrearing, performing domestic chores like cooking, weaving and providing comforts to their husbands and families. Many of the primitive societies were male dominated and women were considered inferior creature dependent on their male guardians throughout life. Historic accounts and epics of specific periods describe the role assig ned to genders in those societies. This paper talks about the role ofRead More Analysis of Epic Poems Essay example4364 Words   |  18 Pagestells a story about heroes. The Iliad is a great epic poem written by Homer in the 8th century BC, reflecting on events that occurred around 1200 BC during the time of the Olympian religion. â€Å"There were twelve chief gods who supposedly lived in Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. The twelve Olympian gods were common to all Greeks, who thus shared basic polytheistic religion (Spielvogel 84).† The first of the two excerpts I will discuss from the Iliad, is during the time of the GreekRead MoreOdyssey Literary Analysis2667 Words   |  11 PagesThe Author and his Times The author of the Odyssey, to this day, remains unknown. Early Greeks have accredited works such as the Homeric Hyms, The Iliad, and The Odyssey to an individual by the name of Homer. However, there are some scientists that insist these said works were product of a group of people and not one man. This particular group of scientists claims that the subject matter of the writings is too diverse for them to have been the product of just one person. Despite these differingRead MoreEssay on The Odyssey21353 Words   |  86 Pageson the side of Agamemnon. Of all the heroes who return from the war, his homeward voyage is the longest and most perilous. Although Odysseus is in many ways a typical Homeric hero, he is not perfect, and his very human flaws play an important role in the work. Penelope - the much-enduring wife of Odysseus and the patient mother of Telemachus. If travel is Odysseus test, staying home is Penelopes. She keeps home and family intact until Odysseus can return to claim his rights. TheRead More Importance of the Telemachy in Developing Major Themes of Odyssey3687 Words   |  15 Pagesmeeting of the Olympian Gods, one of the most important themes is brought in. This is the theme that transgressions, especially non-pious ones, lead to punishment. Examples given here are Odysseus men eating the Sun Gods (Hyperions) cattle, resulting in the destruction of their ship. Homer even comments on it - their own transgression that brought them to their doom. As we move in, some of Zeus first words are referring to his exasperation that mortals view the gods as the source of theirRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesentombment. On Thebes: Thebes was the most important city of Boeotia, on mainland Greece. It was one of the chief city-states of ancient Greece, after Athens and Sparta. Sophocles described it as â€Å"the only city where mortal women are the mothers of gods.† According to Greek legends, the city was founded by Cadmus and was destroyed by the Epigonoi in the time before the Trojan War. In the sixth century B.C., Thebes recovered its glory to some extent, and in Sophocles’ time it was still a powerful state