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Contrasting iliad and the odyssey themes
Contrasting iliad and the odyssey themes
Contrasting iliad and the odyssey themes
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What Started the Trojan War
Most information that the world has today that deals with the history of ancient Greece is in the literature from the time. Great epics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey, from the unknown poet Homer, make up most of the literature that has even been found from this era. The problem with getting our history from literary sources is that when Homer first recited his Iliad he was actually trying to entertain, so all of the information might not be accurate, although based on actual events. Also, in the Greek culture it was common to allow the credit for certain kinds of deeds to go to their gods or goddesses, which today's historians just suppose to be allegorical references. But, if the gods or goddesses do not exist, then how did the Trojan War start in the first place? The story that most people know as to what started the war is a myth involving the goddesses and what archeologists have so far found; no one is exactly sure what started the war.
First, the Greek myth that most people have given credit for the history of how the Trojan War started:
A sea nymph, Thetis, was getting married to Peleus, a mortal. All of the gods and goddesses were invited to this great wedding, except Eris, a rather unpopular goddess. When Eris discovered that there was a wedding going on that she had not been invited to she decided to get back at all who went. She decided to roll an apple into the reception of the wedding, but she put an inscription on the apple that intended it for the most beautiful goddess at the wedding. When the apple rolled in and the inscription was read Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all felt that she, respectively, was the most beautiful and should get the apple. All three goddesses begged of the gathered gods to choose, but all of the gods refused to make an enemy of the other two that he did not choose. So finally, someone made the suggestion that the three goddesses should let a mortal choose; Priam's son, Paris, was designated to choose. The goddesses went to him and each begged him to choose her. Hera offered Paris, if he chose her, the chance at infinite wisdom; Athena offered to let him defeat the Achaeans if they went to war; and finally, Aphrodite offered Paris the love of the most beautiful woman in Greece, Helen.
Long ago, stories of gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters in ancient Greece were essential to everyday life. Mythology is a culture’s collective rationalization of events, history, and super natural power. Myths are told to have originated in ancient Greece during but the concepts true source is unknown. Influences mythology has on Greeks and Romans include religion, history, art, and entertainment.
...iece together circumstantial evidence relating to the Iliad, such as the layers of Troy, the citadel of Mycenae and the shaft graves revealing numerous clues into what the Mycenaean civilisation was like. Mycenaean pottery found in Troy gives evidence to the importance of late Bronze Age trade and the wealth, inevitably leading to the Achaeans sacking Troy. The Hittite archives give outstanding evidence to this proving that the Mycenaean’s really did fight at Troy, although instead of it being a ten year time span, it was over hundreds. Therefore Homers legend seems to have been based on a real conflict between two super powers of the late Bronze Age. These conflicts were distilled into a tradition of a single war lasting around 10 years . It seemed the war occurred because Troy was a wealthy city with a strategic location and both super powers wanted to control it.
To those who already knew the stories of the Trojan War heroes (which all of the original Greek audience of the epic would),
...come of everything. They determine which warriors will succeed, and which will die and the fate of every single person. It is hugely important to praise and glorify the Gods, and if one does not do this or if one gives himself too much credit and glory, disaster will surely strike him. Achilles feels like his honor has been taken away from him, and wants the Greeks to learn their lesson and respect him. This war between the Trojans and the Greeks is not fought just over Paris taking Helen from her home but, the fact that the pride and honor that Menelaus feels has been taken away from him.
focus on the Trojan War and its aftermath. Throughout the poem, Homer represents the gods intervening in human affairs and by this changing the destiny of human life. Because of the intervention, the gods start the war between Trojans and Achaeans and the reason of the war leads them to take sides. Homer represents the gods in many aspects; as humanlike, having miraculous actions, super being, controlling, life savers, and disguisers.
“Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant literature of our own language cannot be understood and appreciated,” Thomas Bulfinch once proclaimed. Greek Mythology is often misunderstood as the main religion of Greece, but in all actuality Greek Mythology is simply a genre. A genre with the same equivalence to any other genre but this genre did something that no other could’ve accomplished. This genre has inspired religions, poets and artist all over the world and continues to influence somebody’s life every day. So why was Greek Mythology created, what is Greek Mythology, how does it compare to other mythologies, how does it exemplify the human race, and why has it affected so many people?
The first conflict begins when the daughter of a Priest of Apollo is taken and the Priest prays to Apollo who answers by punishing the Greeks with a plague that kills a significant number of them for 10 days. Here Homer teaches the readers to respect the gods for their power. Instead of simply stating that a plague struck the Greeks and affected them for 10 days, Homer uses the gods to explain the plague and give reasons as to why these nonsensical events were occurring. Rather than having a mysterious disease that takes the lives of several men, it comforts the people to believe that the gods are angry and have cursed them. By giving the gods a role in the story, the people can give a reason to honor the gods more in their daily lives and avoid admitting that they do not understand what is killing them. The tide of the war shifts back and forth between the Greeks and the Trojans as the gods quarrel with one another. One example would be when Hera puts Zeus to sleep and allows Poseidon to aid the Greeks. It is possible that the details of the Trojan War were unknown, so the people who wrote these religious stories incorporated the gods to make the battle seem more eventful and reliant on the gods. They were taught to take comfort in the gods and pray to
Upon first glance, the Trojan War may not appear relevant to the world today, but with further thought, the epic starts connecting to the present. One of the epic’s elements, the gods as an abiding feature in the lives of humans, can be studied providing education about historical and current societies. Music, literature, and art allow people to study what individuals and societies believe or once believed about the existence of gods or a god, and people can determine if certain societies or civilizations believe or have believed that gods or a god have the capability to influence or control events that occur in the world. Today and historically, differing beliefs are present about whether divine figures exist and their influence on events in the world.
Just before the beginning of the Trojan War, Zeus arranged to have Thetis, a goddess, marry Peleus, a mortal. All the gods and goddesses were invited except for Eris, the goddess of discord. At the wedding while all the gods and goddesses were enjoying themselves, Eris threw a golden apple into their midst wit...
Mythology is an essential part of all cultures. Through myth, ancient cultures attempted to explain the world and make sense of their daily lives. Myth helps us to live in the minds and time period of people who lived many centuries ago with no technology, no running water, and a basic education. Greek myth is possibly the most commonly recognized myth simply because it is likely the most developed and best recorded. Modern Greek myth originated around 1000 B.C. in the writings of the famous Greek poet Homer in the Odyssey and the Illiad. Although early Greek myths are often vague and contain many primitive elements regarding their understanding of death, sacrifice, and fate, later myths show Greek culture developed and changed over time.
Hera despises the Trojans, and in order to bring suffering and pain upon the Trojans she offers Zeus the destruction of her most beloved cities. Hera states, “the three cities that I love best of all are Argos and Sparta, Mycenae with streets as broad as Troy’s. Raze them, whenever they stir the hatred in your heart” (4.60-62). This goddess offers the destruction of these cities along with their people in order to obtain Zeus’ permission to bring misery to the city of Troy, saying that “I will never rise in their defense” (4.63). Such an action demonstrates the cruelty of the gods, not caring about the harm they are bringing to the mortals as long as they are satisfying their desires. Hera’s hatred for the Trojans leads her to bring more suffering not only to the Trojans, but also to her beloved Greeks forcing the Trojans to break their oath results in the continuation of the Trojan War. Therefore, the interference of the gods is an important aspect of The Iliad, demonstrating to the reader the personality of the gods as well as showing that the meddling of the gods conducts the course of the Trojan
Frequent discoveries are leading people to hypothesize that there was possibly a Trojan War. Just because Homer’s Iliad is thought to be legend, does this mean that it never happened? If there is a Loch Ness Monster, why couldn’t there have been a Trojan War?
The suspected start of the war- over the abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta- was caused entirely by a godly conflict over who was the most beautiful- Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, was selected to judge. He chose Aphro...
The term, the Trojan Horse, comes from Greek mythology, in which the Greeks battled the Trojans during the Trojan War. After a 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse and hid a select force of men inside. They used it to enter the city of Troy and win the war. A giant wooden horse was given to their foes, the Trojans, as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside their city walls, Greek soldiers snuck out of the horse's hollow belly and opened the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture Troy.
Lust is one of the major themes in the interference of the Trojan War; Aphrodite goddess of beauty and lust is to blame for the beginning of the Trojan War. The goddess promised Paris the prince of Troy the most beautiful woman in the world if he chose her as the fairest of them all. At the beginning it was Zeus who was suppose to pick between the goddesses but Zeus passed up the chance and used Paris as the puppet to choose between the goddesses. The choices Paris was to choose from were Hera, Athena and Aphrodite; all three goddesses had to bribe the young prince with favors. Hera queen of the gods promised him power over all of Europe, Athena bribed him with the victory of the Trojans leaving Sparta in ruins and Aphrodite assured him the most beautiful woman on earth. Paris blinded with lust chose Aphrodite as the “fairest of them all” leading to the downfall of Troy. The “most beautiful woman on earth” happened to be Helen of Sparta, having a god promise him his priz...