Relationship Between Greek Gods And Humans

Gods and Humans Relationships

Throughout Greek mythology it is known that some gods have priority over others. The twelve Olympians are among those. The relationship between humans and Greek gods is revealed through several myths. These gods are not only born with special skills and gifts but are also worshiped in several places such as Athens, where Athena is greatly worshiped . Not only do human beings look up to these gods but they respect and aspire to be like them. Even if the gods abuse their authority at times, they are able to show compassion and reasoning towards human beings by providing aid. They keep a reputable title for being a god but also protect their image. The myths that will be discussed in this essay are Danäe and the

Some cases were not in the best interest like the one of Danäe. What readers might have not noticed is that every time he does wrong with a human, he will put much effort and try to protect them to better their lives. At the beginning of the myth Danäe and the shower of gold, many would think that Zeus was at fault because he had sexual intercourse through means of transformation. Danäe is the daughter of Acrisius who was told by the oracle that his daughter will have a son that will take over his place . After hearing this, her dad trapped her into a tower in order to prevent any sort of intercourse between someone and his daughter . When Zeus impregnated her she gave birth to Perseus, the son that will overthrow her dad in the prophecy . After giving birth to Perseus, Danae’s father trapped her in a box that was washed away by sea . Contained, Danae recited: “O Father Zeus, send a blessed relief” . This quote illustrates that even thought Zeus impregnated her and caused conflicts between her and her father, he was able to help her. By listening to her distress, the fisherman Dictys was able to find them and bring them to safety . Zeus, a god, was able to respond and support those who call for him. He gave them more than they asked for since later on, Perseus, after his quest became a hero and fulfills the prophecy to kills Danäe’s father . Providing her with a

This displays that the gods keep humans best interest in mind. For example, the myth of The Wandering of Io, Zeus decided to be unfaithful to his wife Hera with a human named Io in order please himself . Zeus transformed Io into a cow in order to hide his affair from his wife, and protect Io from Hera’s dangerous behavior that will result from jealousy . As a human, Io is more subjective to be a victim and therefore left in harm’s way. Zeus might have done wrong by having an affair but acknowledged that Hera was his problem and not Io’s, so he turned her into a cow in order to avoid further complication for Io. It was in the best interest to keep her as a cow so that Hera is unable to recognize or find her. Nonetheless, it took Io a long time before she returned human form again . This depicts that even if the gods have conflicts between themselves, they are able to put it aside in order to help others. In these myths we are able to say that a god like Zeus is more likely to help a human being in comparison to Hera, since a lot of the time she is jealous and angry at Zeus. She will punish those who fall in love with Zeus. In many of the myths, Zeus is not actually physically himself; he is taking forms of other people, creature, object hence why many of the humans would fall for him without knowing the consequences. Hera simply chooses to ignore that and