The Homeric Gods
Often when one thinks of a god, an almost immediate association with powers and miracles comes to mind. Gods, over time, have been portrayed as almighty beings who contribute to historical events ranging from uncontrollable Earthly forces to the outcome of a treacherous battle. We know much today of legends and myths because of oral tradition passed from friend to friend, family to family, and culture to culture. Writers and poets are highly responsible, as well, for the great knowledge we attain of gods from long ago. A certain poet, however, by the name of Homer contributed an enormous understanding of the will of the gods through his epic poem, The Iliad. Known today as one of the world's greatest literary achievements, The Iliad establishes an insight into the lives of the Olympian gods by simply exposing not only their right to exercise the impossible, but also revealing their inept human-like qualities. The Greeks regarded direct involvement by the gods as a daily, uncontrollable part of life. Needless to say, divine intervention was a major variable in the equation of Homer's Iliad. In Book 1, the god Apollo casts a plague on the Greek army at the request of Chryses, a priest of Apollo. Chryses prayed for such de
There are two reasons that prompt a god's actions, such as Athene's - favoritism and fate. A Homeric god does, in fact, enjoy having the greatest geras, or status/value, but this does not necessarily mean one is at favor with a god or goddess; deities seem to simply like whomever they please. Poseidon, for example, was a supporter of the ocean-faring Greeks. He held a long-standing grudge against the Trojans because they never paid him for helping to build their city. In Book 13, whenever Poseidon sees that Zeus has taken a break from the battlefield, he tries to help the Greeks in the fight. This relates to Hera, who also hides behind Zeus's back, in her rally against the Trojans. Favoritism is evident in The Iliad, but despite what seems to be an unlimited freedom to help mortals on earth, the gods eventually will have to come before Zeus. Homer gives the gods the power to change the characters' actions and thoughts in The Iliad again and again, but they cannot permanently alter their ability to make decisions. From the immortal perspective of the Greek god, the Trojan War, and everything related to it, served only a passing adventure in the great expanse of time. Consequently, even with the manipulation of the gods, The Iliad holds true to its focus as a story of the mortal people, not of the divine. As a result of only setting fate back on the right course, like entering the battlefield, the gods often feel no guilt for their doings. This applies to Apollo after he wounds Patroclus and leaves him for Hector to finish off. It was decided that Patroclus was not to take Troy, and he should not have disobeyed Achilles in the first place. Apollo's part in the matter was merely accepted as a natural disaster or illness would be today. This general acceptance of a god's will is a recurring trend throughout the poem. This trend occurred again in Book 24 when Achilles is dragging Hector's body around Patroclus's tomb. Thetis comes down and asks him to give the body to the Trojans, and surpris
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Trojan Greek, Zeus Hera, Achilles Hector, Zeus Zeus's, Homer's Achilles', Achilles Apollo's, Helen Menelaus, Trojans Zeus, Achilles Achilles, gods portrayed, supreme authority, gods play, olympian gods,
Approximate Word count = 1360
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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