In Homer’s epic poem The Iliad, Homer depicts the difference between the lives of the Gods and humans through the larger context of the ongoing war, featuring the Achaeans versus the Trojans. This difference can be defined in how glory and worship affect their lives, but most importantly their underlying desire to experience their opposite nature: mortality and immortality. For one, the Gods gain glory for aiding their favored side, while humans attain glory through victory in battle. Moreover, Gods are worshipped for their ability to act, while humans are worshipped for their achievements. Immortal as they are, Gods symbolically die through forgetfulness, while humans die through mortality. Ultimately, the conflicting nature of glory and worship …show more content…
For one, the Gods are worshipped for their ability to act because their power far exceeds the likes of mortals, but also for their achievements. For instance, Hector sends prayers to Zeus, hoping to rouse him into participating in the annihilation of Achaeans, as shown by the following passage:
My hopes are rising now— I pray to Zeus and the great array of deathless gods that we will whip the Achaeans howling out of Troy and drive them off to death, those dogs of war the deadly fates drove here in their back ships!
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Consequently, it motivates Achilles to return to battle and swear revenge upon the Trojans, especially Hector. Naturally, Zeus, who was worshipped for his ability to act and his achievements, is now going to be overshadowed by Achilles who will soon be entering the battle and ultimately win all the glory. Zeus wishes to experience human’s mortality and therefore sets up this whole ordeal for Achilles to overshadow him in glory, which will then destroy his relevancy. Accordingly, Zeus will experience human’s mortality, albeit metaphorically. In contrast, humans die through actual death, which the only way to bring them closer to their primitive desire of immortality. For instance, Achilles is informed of his fate by his mother, Thetis, as indicated by the following passage: “If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy, /my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies” (9.500.504). Achilles does in fact stay to decimate the Trojans in battle to win glory. However, death will be looming over his head for that time period, and when Achilles meets his fate, he will be eternally glorified. Although Achilles is physically dead, his achievements remains and will roar throughout the long future, making him immortal like the gods in a sense. In short, the difference of fate between the Gods and humans allows them to experience death, while achieving their underlying
The Trojan War veterans of The Odyssey succeeded in defeating their enemies on the battlefield. The end of combat did not mean relief from burdens for them. War is cruel, but in it these men see a glory they cannot find outside. Achilleus’ death in war is treated with ceremony and respect. Agamemnon, having survived that same war, dies a pitiful death and Klytaimestra “was so hard that her hands would not/ press shut [his] eyes and mouth though [he] was going to Hades” (XI, 425-426). Dying at home meant being denied even simple acts of dignity. Reflecting back on it Hades, Agamemnon characterizes the veteran’s struggles when he asks, “What pleasure was there for me when I had wound up the fighting?” (XXIV, 95).
The first way is that they act as an external strength in events involving humans, such as when Apollo sends a plague down on the Achaean army. Secondly, the gods also act as an internal force; for example Athena, the goddess in control of wisdom, holds Achilles back from attacking Agamemnon with a sword and convinces him to cut him with words and insults instead. Both of these obstructions were the gods’ direct influence on the mortal world. While the gods provide an important function in helping determine human matters of life, death peace and violence they also provide a sense of comic relief in the Iliad. Their squabbles, double dealings and inane arguments seem incredibly petty compared to the mass slaughter that is sweeping the mortal realm. I believe that Homer used the strife between Zeus and Hera as a divine [parallel to the enraged argument of Achilles and
Have you ever thought what would be like if the gods get involve in our life? What would be of us if they do? In the story of Homer 's Iliad, we see how the gods gets involve in people life quite often, and what effect it have on the person when they do. In this paper I will be arguing the differences and the similarities of books 3 and 22 from Homer 's Iliad. I will be talking about the issue of human free will vs. the role of gods in our life. In particular, in book 3 we see how our free will can have the gods get involve in our life’s, where in book 22 we see how free will can decide our destiny without any help from the gods.
The relationship between gods and mortals in mythology has long been a complicated topic. The gods can be generous and supportive, and also devastating and destructive to any group of humans. Mortals must respect the powers above them that cannot be controlled. The gods rule over destiny, nature, and justice, and need to be recognized and worshipped for the powerful beings as they are. Regardless of one's actions, intentions, and thoughts, the gods in Greek myth have ultimate power and the final decision of justice over nature, mortals, and even each other.
Throughout the Iliad, Homer portraits the extent to which honor plays a role in the lives of Greeks and the manner in which they are willing to sacrifice in order to reach their goals. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, a particularly long and bloody war, fought not over boundary disagreements, and not over political conflicts, and not to protect the nation. Rather, it was a war fought to defend the personal honor. The possession of women was important to a man’s standing and honor. Paris’ theft of Helen struck a huge blow to the honor of Menelaus and becomes the initial cause of the Trojan War. Consequently, Menelaus, the Spartan ruler, called upon his brother Agamemnon to gather the Greek forces to launch the war against Paris demanding the return of Helen and reinstating the honor for the king. The war lasted for ten years and cost innumerable Greeks’ lives and brought incurable pain upon their families. To Greek heroes, honor is more important than their life as much as that life would be meaningless without it, and they even willingly sacrifice their lives in order...
Throughout Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, gods are presented as remarkably human in almost every way. While it is assumed that gods are divine entities incapable of human transgression, they are portrayed with all the flaws of mortals in The Iliad. The gods are a manifestation of human emotions consequently helping to explain the behavior of the humans in The Iliad. The actions of the heroes are what determine their fate, not divine intervention. Ultimately, the humans in The Iliad have inherent characteristics that provide the driving force behind their actions: the gods simply act in concert with them, allowing the human beings to exercise free will of
The final battle a Greek hero must conquer is appeasing the Gods and returning home alive and victorious. Different from a modern hero who has to appease no one and becomes a sort of god him or herself, the Greek hero has many more consequences if he or she does not succeed. This distinction shows how the Greeks felt obliged to honor their gods in order to live a trouble free life and how modern people see their heroes as gods instead of humans.
The ethical values reflected in the Iliad should be taken seriously because they are not only plausible, but also congruent with the time and place. Homer is narrating tales of a society where men expect to fight and likely die in battle, where courage is demanded of all men, and where honor and glory are seen as steps toward achieving excellence. What makes the Iliad a masterpiece of Western civilization is not just the stirring story, but most of all Homer’s even-handed portrayal of the Homeric world, for the Trojans are never depicted as being less than the Greeks. The Greeks, even their greatest military heroes, are seen as flawed human beings. In conclusion, what Homer presents in the Iliad is a worldview rather than the local perspective of a distant war. In the end, Homer seems to be saying that all men may aspire to virtue.
Homer clearly and precisely depicts the religion and the ethics of the Achian and Trojan societies in The Iliad. During the time of the Trojan war, religion played an important role in the societies. Sacrifice, prayer, and rituals were all equally significant, and the superiority of the gods and the fates above humans was a standard of society. The gods were sacred deities to whom one had to bestow honor and respect. Within the society, honor, glory, and fame were desperately sought by warriors striving to achieve enduring notoriety. One's word represented a considerable commitment to be acted upon. Religion and ethics are prominently displayed in the characters throughout The Iliad due to their importance in Greek and Trojan society.
"The Iliad is a poem that celebrates the heroic values war imposes on its votaries (27)." Homer himself describes war as "bringing glory to man." War is a huge part of both the Achaeans and the Trojans' lives. Characters gain glory through their performances and bravery in battle. Furthermore, Homer persuades the reader that war is the glorious way to settle a dispute. For example, Hector and other Trojans scorn Paris for backing down from Menelaus. On the other hand, Achilles acquires glory by deferring the option of a long, peaceful life in order to fight and become an epic hero. The characters in The Iliad value honor and glory to such a degree that they are willing to give up life itself in order to possess it.
Homer progressively subjects his characters to a choice between loved ones, and war quest with heroic personalities is invariably choosing the latter. The gravity of decisions made in the text emphasizes more on knowing about fate ahead of time. Characters prize ancient Greek martial values such as honor, nobility, bravery, and glory with the will to sacrifice chances of long life for the loved ones. In portraying an ideal epic world, the text recognizes about the creation of mortals and the glory of man that does not live in constructions.
the Gods in the affairs of humanity is much greater in the Iliad then in the
The gods in the Iliad do a great job in messing and speaking with humans. They do it by granting them their wishes and giving them their support if it is very well needed. Apollo and Chryses are both the best example I can come up with because they show how they both look after eachother. Also Zeus with Achilles, even though he owed his mom a favor. Both of these examples are very important to the story because of how they add more to the war that is going on. It also gives you more information about the character's persona and how it affects the situations that are brought into the
To view the links that are instilled between mortals, immortals, and fate in The Iliad, it is worthwhile to examine each on its own to observe how they connect. The characteristics of the three are inherently unique in relation to each other, though in some areas there is overlap. Man is defined as a mortal, someone who can die from old age and disease. Products from mortal and immortal procreation, such as the hero Achilles, fall into a sort of category all their own, but Achilles himself suggests that he would die from old age if he were to return home (9:502-505). In this weakness of the flesh they differ from the immortal gods, who cannot die from natural causes. Nevertheless, the gods share the imperfections of man: disloyalty, deceit, anger, and even lust. They see themselves as above man, and yet their actions are often as selfi...
The Iliad is a classic epic poem written by Homer about the Trojan War and the rage of an Achaean warrior, Achilles. The book introduces the reader to the war and the personal battle between Achilles and King Agamemnon; because of this argument between these two major characters, Homer introduces the role of the gods when Achilles asks his mother, Thetis, to go to Zeus and beg for his interference on Achilles’ behalf. The major role the gods play in the Iliad is their interference in the Trojan War as immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal.