Sarpedon's Prophecies In The Iliad

904 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Contrasting troy and the iliad

Prophecies are difficult to understand because most of the time in the Iliad, these prophecies become true. The Bronze Age Greece epic, the Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, is about the Trojan War. This epic deals with emotions such as loss, fear, love, power, honor, sacrifice, and last but not least, fate, which includes prophecies. Some might wonder, what gives these prophecies belief and power? If the characters know or believe the prophecy will happen, they all make a decision that leads them to their prophecy coming true. The mortals cannot change their fate, but the gods have the power to change the prophecy. The gods are powerful beings, and have the ability to change the characters prophecies. Zeus, the god of all gods, and lord of all men tells a prophecy about his own son, Sarpedon’s tragic death, including a chain of fatalities in the war after Sarpedon’s passing. It makes sense that Zeus, the father of men, can prophesize because he is also an immortal god who watches the war from …show more content…

Thetis, Achilles’ mom, tells her soldier son that he has a choice for his fate, which is to die in battle and receive honor, money, fame, and glory, or to go back home and live a long life without fighting in the battle. Thetis, advising Achilles after Patroclus’ death tells him that his life is already very short, but “For hard on the heels of Hector’s death your death / must come at once–” (XVIII. 111-113). Achilles chooses the honorable option, but Thetis reminds him that his honor and fame will come along with his death. Thetis knows her own sons prophecy, but she does not deny that anything will not happen to him, and she does not try to stop Achilles. Achilles’ own prophecy does eventually come true, but Thetis does not have the power to change Achilles’ fate. As a result of his hasty decisions, Achilles is leading himself towards his own path of

Show More
Related

  • The Historic Accuracy of Homer’s Iliad

    2935 Words  | 6 Pages

    Homer’s Iliad has been a European myth for many millennia , the long poetic narrative written in the 8th century B.C. recounts a fearsome war fought over a beautiful woman. The reliability of Homers Iliad as a true historical document has been challenged for hundreds of years and only through archaeological studies can the truth be deciphered. The Iliad was written five centuries after the war, where the stories had been passed down through the oral tradition, therefore the type of society reflected within the poems resemble much more the time of Homer . The fact and fiction of the Iliad has been uncovered through archaeology. Archaeologist found a site in which they thought to have been ‘Troy’ destroyed by the powerful country of Mycenae in the late Bronze Age. They found large amount of material culture from where they could reconstruct the society, this included pottery, engravings, murals and clay tablets. A reason for the Trojan War has always inspired great controversy. The Trojan War according to Homer was fought over the abduction of a beautiful women but this theory appears improbable. Other causes which could have sparked a war is Troy’s geographical positioning. This made it extremely opulent, where other countries of the Aegean would trade there goods and use its harbour. The Mycenaean’s being an extremely imperial, violent and militaristic country would have seen Troy as a great opportunity to gain territory and wealth, on this motive the war took place.

    Read More

  • The Pernicious Roles Of Achilles And Homer's Iliad

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phoenix’s paradigm narrative fails to persuade Achilles to rejoin the war because the specifics of that narrative fail to align with Achilles’ specific concerns. In particular, Phoenix neglects the pernicious effects of Agamemnon’s actions on Achilles’ notions of honor and pride. The old man discounts Achilles’ ability to act solely on the account of his dangerously inflated pride, which proves to be detrimental not only to the Greeks but also those whom Achilles cares about, most notably Patroclus. Additionally, Phoenix’s anecdote draws incorrectly upon the role and relationship of Achilles’ parental figures, lessening the efficacy of the speech as a whole. Phoenix’s terminal mistake was confusing the desires of Achilles with that of Meleager, assuming that the warrior values his fellow Greeks over himself (Homer’s Iliad 9.607-611).

    Read More

  • Shamhat's Treatment Of Women In The Iliad

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    / Now you have to help me, if you can” (1.406-408). Thetis went to speak with Zeus and Achilles did not fight in the Trojan War for some time. While Shamhat, in Gilgamesh, influenced Enkidu to fight and be a better man, Chryseis’ influence affected Agamemnon to make a foolish decision, which influenced him to take Briseis, and Briseis being taken influenced Achilles to withdraw from

    Read More

  • How Did Achilles Change Throughout The Iliad

    626 Words  | 2 Pages

    At first Achilles had a set of clearly defined goals, he was to fight side by side with the Achaeans, sack Troy, and, by doing these things, gain honor and wealth. As the war progressed a series of events took place that forced Achilles to step out of the fight. While he was inactive and had time to contemplate, he came to the realization that he had been fighting for nine years for the sake of a man whose woman has been stolen; now that his woman had been stolen no one fights for his sake. He also realizes that there are other, less risky ways of obtaining wealth and honor, including sending Patroklus out in his armor. Another thing he ponders on, but doesn't seem to take seriously, is whether or not honor is really worth the struggle.

    Read More

  • Greek Fight For Honor In The Iliad

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    Achilles argued with Agamemnon and declared that he would no longer obey Agamemnon. After this, he went to his mother, Thetis, and asked her for “Zeus of the loud thunder on Olympos should grant me honor at least.” (Homer I.353-354). This demonstrates that Achilles does not have the courage to stand up to Agamemnon and fight for himself; rather he goes to his mother and asked her to talk to Zeus to be given honor. Though Zeus has agreed to give Achilles honor, it is not by is consent. Zeus owes Thetis a favor and is therefore forced to give Achilles honor. Receiving honor by god is glorious but acquiring it without the consent of god is unworthy. Achilles tells Patroklos that “I have said I would not give over my anger until that time came when the fighting...came up to my own ships.” (Homer XVI.61-63). Achilles is still angry at Agamemnon and will not

    Read More

  • Fate in "Oedipus the King"

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    If prophecy were to be real, one could expect what is bound to happen in the future. This is true; at least in “Oedipus the King” in which the protagonist, Oedipus calls forth his doom unwillingly. Fate is defined as something that unavoidably befalls a person. The author of “Oedipus the King,” Sophocles, writes a tragic fate that Oedipus was born to experience. Fate is what is meant to happen and cannot be avoided or unchanged. Furthermore, events that lead to other events could be the result for one to meet their fate. In “Oedipus the King,” Sophocles expresses the nature of fate to be determined upon choices made.

    Read More

  • Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Homer's Iliad

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    The opening statement of The Iliad contains the phrase "the will of Zeus," and this reflects the Greek's belief that man is in the grip of forces that he cannot control.  It is also another way of saying that all things are fated and out of the hands of man.  Book XXII shows that the gods control the fates of man:

    Read More

  • Pursuit Of Honor And Glory In The Iliad

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Iliad, which is an epic poem written about the Trojan War, was the first thing written in the European tradition. Astonishingly, its quality and appeal have yet to be surpassed. This is a result of Homer's use of idealistic themes, many of which show up in many modern novels. One of the most dominant themes present in The Iliad is the pursuit of honor and glory. Even though the Achaeans and Trojans are in a violent battle with one another, both display a similar attitude: the acquisition of glory is more important than life itself.

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King: The King Of Riddles

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Greek mythology the oracles or gods are rarely wrong in their predictions of the future. Yet the characters still try to fight the predictions. Do their personalities and traits decide their future, or does fate take its course no matter what?  Oedipus was a shrewd man furnished with wit and intellect, yet his lack of insight (the ability to see and understand clearly the inner nature of himself) and his arrogance led to his demise, not fate.

    Read More

  • Fate and Free Will in Greek Mythologies

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the stories/plays and poems of Gilgamesh, Oedipus the King and Achilles in the Iliad, there are three main heroes who have their fate decided for them by the Gods. Each hero has had fate placed on them according to the god’s, however as fate is understood there is also the idea of free will. Gilgamesh is two-thirds god and one-third man, who feels as though he has no equal, Gilgamesh feels superior to all men until he meets Enkidu, a creation sent to stop Gilgamesh from his reckless and wild ways. Oedipus is the king of Thebes and his fate was prophecies by the blind soothsayer Tiresias in which he was to kill his father and marry his mother. In the poem the Iliad, Achilles was the hero that would win the war with Troy, the prophet Calchas predicted that Achilles would die at an early age. In all of the epics, each character had a destiny to full filled, blessed with extra ordinary powers and abilities, each had the a...

    Read More

  • The Relationships of Fate, the Gods, and Man in "The Iliad"

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most compelling topics The Iliad raises is that of the intricate affiliations between fate, man and the gods. Many events related by Homer in his epic poem exhibit how these three connections interweave and eventually determine the very lives of the men and women involved in the war. Homer leaves these complex relationships slightly unclear throughout the epic, never spelling out the exact bonds connecting men's fate to the gods and what can be considered the power of fate. The motivation for the ambiguousness present in The Iliad is not easily understood, but it is a question that enriches and helps weave an even greater significance of the results into Homer's masterpiece. I feel that the interaction between man, god, and fate can be shown to be one great fluidity that ultimately leaves life mysterious, giving much more depth and complexity to the bonds between the three.

    Read More

  • Achilles Rage In The Iliad

    1377 Words  | 3 Pages

    The loss of his prize humiliates and dishonor’s Achilles, and starts his rage towards Agamemnon. In this rage, Achilles turns his back from his fellow warriors and he isolates himself from the war. Hurt over his loss, Achilles cries out for his mother, Thetis, a sea-goddess. Using his rage, he asks her to call in a favor with Zeus, to guarantee that the Greek armies suffer defeat from the Trojan soldiers. Achilles hopes that this will cause dishonor for Agamemnon to make up for the dishonor that was brought upon

    Read More

  • Morality In The Iliad

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    Achilles shows his moral inferiority in book one of The Iliad when Agamemnon supposedly deprives Achilles of his honor by taking his “prize.” Achilles responds to Agamemnon’s action by deciding to not fight in the war and he also prays against the Greeks by asking his mother, Thetis, to go to Zeus. When Thetis goes to Zeus she says “Zeus, out father, if ever I have helped you among the immortals either in word or in something I did, fulfill me this desire. Give honor to my son who, more than others, is born to a quick death. But as it is, now the king of men Agamemnon has not given him honor. He has taken away his prize. He holds it! But give him honor, O Olympian, counselor Zeus. Give power to the Trojans until the Achaeans honor my son and increase his honor” (I. Lines 491-99). When Achilles does this he is showing that he is selfish and only caring about himself. He is showing he does not care for his troops by praying having his mother ask Zeus to give the Trojans power until Achilles gets the honor he believes he deserves. Another reason in which demonstrates that Achilles is a selfish man is later in book seven-teen. Throughout most of the epic poem Achilles chooses not to fight just because Agamemnon didn’t give him the honor he thought he deserved. But finally, in book seven-teen, Achilles decides to join the battle again. But he doesn’t choose to fight because he knows it is the best things to do for his people or country. He fights because he wants his name to be remembered. But that isn’t the main reason. The real reason that Achilles made his decision to fight is because Hector killed his friend, Patroklos. This is proven to be the main reason Achilles decides to fight in book twenty-two when Achilles is telling Hector what he is going to do to him because Hector killed Patroklos. Achilles says “Don’t beg me, you dog, by my knees

    Read More

  • Theme Of Fate In The Iliad

    1461 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Homer’s The Iliad, talk of fate is frequent and influential. While only some characters know what is fated for them, all acknowledge that their destiny has already been laid out for them. Despite the psychological and emotional effects the accepted idea of fate had on the characters, they continue to engage in the bloody ten-year battle. Homer evokes this motivation in the characters to keep supporting the war despite little incentive, through the significance of glory and its relation to fate as an ultimate end rather than a governing force. This leads to the Iliad’s own message on fate being based on a warrior’s form of death and legacy rather than a fixed way of life. The Iliad further poses the question of whether the actions of the mortals seen throughout the text was free-will or pre-determined. While fate is treated by the gods as an unchangeable power, it is referred to ambiguously and gives the reader an open view on fate, leaving the reader to decide whether the often referred to, “will of Zeus,” is the absolute truth for the humans. These gods and goddesses seen in The Iliad are said to act upon in fate when evidence shows their intervention causing actual altering of the characters own free will. Thus, the gods become the direct cause for the demise of many warriors with a serious significance being placed on an honorable and glorified death. Leaving fate as something rather engineered by the gods themselves.

    Read More

  • A Review of the Movie Troy

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Possibly the only reason Thetis was in the movie was because she was the main reason Achilles decided to fight in the war against the Trojans. In both the book and the movie, it was Thetis who told Achilles that if he fought in the war, he would die young, but his name would live on for thousands of years. This seemed to be the theme throughout the movie and the book.

    Read More

More about Sarpedon's Prophecies In The Iliad

Open Document