The Relationship Between The Gods And The Iliad

Upon initial examination, the relationship between human beings and the divine in the Bible and the Iliad is one that is complex and consequential. However, while the importance of the relationship between a human being and the divine is demonstrated in both the Iliad and the Bible, the relationship between God and human is viewed very differently. On the surface, the Hebrew God and the Greek gods have the same purpose, to reign above the mortal realm. Yet, the way in which these Gods communicate and interact with mortals is not alike at all. Further, while both the Hebrew God and Greek gods are represented as powerful and influential in their relationships with humans, the Hebrew God is seen as righteous, moral and ethical, whereas the

Both the Bible and the Iliad tell us that the divine expects human beings to make sacrifices in their name. Whether it is a young lamb for the Hebrew God, or expensive wine for Zeus, both are sacrifices and a demonstration of the divine’s power. However, the reason behind each sacrifice is very different. In the Bible, the Lord expects his followers to make sacrifices to Him out of respect. It is their way to prove their love and devotion to Him. Perhaps the greatest example of this is when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. God came to Abraham and said: "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about" (Genesis 22:2). By asking Abraham to do this, the Lord is testing whether or not Abraham fully trusts Him and is ready to put Him before all others--even his only son. Juxtaposing this intensely personal request from God in the Bible with the pettiness surrounding sacrifices in the Iliad highlights the stark contrast between the two. Throughout the poem men from both sides make numerous sacrifices to various gods in hopes of bribing them. They want to win themselves an ally by making a pleasing sacrifice; the basis of the sacrifice is not at all showing

The Lord simply asserts His power and makes it known that He deserves only the utmost respect. Even when Moses is unsure whether he will be able to fully carry out the Lord’s plan of convincing Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go free due to his fear of public speaking, God is able to work with him and compromise. Although the relationship between Moses and His God is unbalanced, respect exists on both sides. In contrast, the way that the Greek gods and mortals interact often is done so in a childish way. Because the gods are constantly in competition, they will at times help the humans sabotage their godly companions. One example of this occurs when Diomedes is taunting Aphrodite after he injures her in battle. Not only does he physically harm the goddess, but then he yells: “Get out of the war, daughter of Zeus!/ Don’t you have enough to do distracting/ Weak women? Keep meddling in war and/ You’ll learn to shiver when it’s even mentioned” (Illiad, V, 348-351). It is obvious that he does not look up to Aphrodite at all, rather he sees himself to be the superior in their