Justice is a very important ruling power for both gods and mortals. For instance, in Sophocles' tragedy, Antigone, justice prevails over king Creon's actions. He sentences his own niece to death for giving her deceased brother, a pronounced enemy of Thebes, a proper burial. In return for his rigid ruling he loses his wife and son to tragic deaths. Creon puts his own city's justice before the determined justice of the gods, and pays dearly for it. Antigone also receives justice for her actions even though she dies. She did go against the law of her mortal king, but did obey the law of the gods, and therefore died a hero and martyr. The laws of the g

Creon's regard for the laws of the city causes him to abandon all other beliefs. He feels that all should obey the laws set forth by him, even if other beliefs, moral, or religions, state otherwise. Antigone, on the other hand, holds the beliefs of the gods in high reverence. She feels that the laws of the gods should be obeyed above all others, especially when in respect to family. Her beliefs in "The sacred laws that Heaven holds in honor" are for more important than those set by the king (Antigone 78). The king cannot, and should not in the gods' eyes, override her belief in the God. Mortals that hold state law over devine law in Greek myths always come to a dreadful doom, usually by being punished by the gods.

The gods have power over the weather, which in turn rules over humans. Zeus, the king of all gods, rules over storms, thunder, and lightening. He and other gods can produce earthquakes, tornadoes, and other devastating natural disasters at any moment if they see fit. In Euripides' The Bacchae, Zeus' power creates a lightening bolt that burns down Semele's house and kills her. Zeus' mere presence in the form of a god is enough to kill Semele. Most every god or goddess has power over a vital aspect of human survival, therefore putting humans at their mercy.

Powell, B.B. Classical Myth. Prentice Hall: New Jersey. 459-462.

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Approximate Word count = 1372
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)