Essay on Annotated Bibliography: Robert Graves

INTRO: Despite difference of around 400 years between them Greek poet Homer and tragedian playwright Euripides explore many of the same themes in their works the Odyssey and Trojan Women (written by each respectively). Both works are inspired by the events of 12th Century BCE Trojan War that Homer previously explored in the Iliad. The two examine the worth of cunning over brute strength, the dangers of temptation and the role of women in their respective time periods. Despite having extremely similar central ideas, the techniques employed by each are markedly different. These differences arise as the result of changes in socio-historical contexts and format of each work’s presentation, for example the critical shift of the 5th century which saw the rise of sophistry and a certain scepticism in regard to Athenian leadership and the very existence of the gods.

In The Iliad, Homer plays with the ideas that Zeus, the god and leader of all, ultimately may not be in charge. Countless times during the text, Zeus bends to the wills of prophecies, mortals, and even other gods. As the story develops, Zeus becomes less in charge and more of a puppet for mortals and gods who have contrivances for and against him. Through prophecy, Achilles, and Hera, this essay will glimpse at the idea of Zeus simply being a puppet on strings in the hands of war.

Phyllis, L. M., & Minkel, W. (2000). Greek mythology. School Library Journal, 46(10), 75-76. Retrieved

In ancient Rome and ancient Greece, myths were an oral tradition of storytelling that served to answer two primary purposes. The first role was to create stories that responded to unanswerable questions such as “Why is there thunder?” and the second function of myths, about gods, goddesses, monsters, and heroes, was to give structure to their society and culture in psychological manifestations. In addition, the gods and prophecies served as a reminder to the characters that they don’t ultimately have any control over their lives. This epic poem by Homer is not just a simple story of an argument between Achilles and Agamemnon or the well-known story of the war but also has a psychological theme incorporating anger, especially Achilles’ as

The ancient Greeks are known for many things, and one of them is their stories. Whether they are told through epic poetry or drama, these tales have lasted throughout the times. However, as the times change, so did the Greek ideals about heroism and society. In this essay I will be using Homer’s Iliad and Aeschylus’ Persians to illustrate the differences in society and how they affect the heroism in the literature of later periods. The Persian people are depicted in ways that makes them appear weaker than the Greeks, but time changed how this was achieved. Due to a change in the values of Greek society, the Persians were portrayed as weak with the same traits that made Achilles appear to be so strong.

Myths had a impertinent role in Greek civilization. For the sake of this rhetorical analysis a myth is a story featuring an epic hero typically a demigod who endures a journey with interpersonal and external conflicts further amplified by supernatural adversaries with powers intent on destroying or weakening them. Often these epic heroes reflect or touch on the struggles of humanity, and explain natural phenomena in quest. Evidently implied, Greek Heroes are the unrivaled embodiment of pathos,ethos,and logos the greek ideals of impulsivity (pathos), image (ethos), and rationality (logos) or the three modes of argument. Greek leaders supposedly were balanced in all three modes of human argument discerning howbeit necessary to use one's emotions, logic, or credibility to resolve issues and convey messages. Upon close inspection of Homer's Iliad, I choose to believe it was the power of myth and the ideal of the Epic Hero that created the criteria for Greek Leadership.

Agocs, C. (1997). Institutionalized resistance to organizational change: Denial, inaction and repression. Journal of Business Ethics, 16(9), 917-931.

Dettmers, J. M., Goddard, C. I., & Smith, K. D. (November 01, 2012). Management of Alewife Using Pacific Salmon in the Great Lakes: Whether to Manage for Economics or the Ecosystem?. Fisheries, 37, 11, 495-501.

The myths of Achilles are well known, and are mentioned in modern society. But, they have been morphed to society’s desires. This is demonstrated in the movie Troy, where the stories have been changed for modern audience. The director condensed the story, and changed the story to show some romanticism and love. This is shown from the absence of the greek gods, significance of certain characters, inaccurate information, the morphed traits of certain characters, and the falsehood of romantic presence. In greek society the gods played a great role in the Trojan war, which was not mentioned in the movie.

Regardless of the time frame, Virgil’s Aeneid and Homer’s epic the Iliad share both a copious amount of similarities and differences. For example, many common themes such as heroism, fate, and destiny are apparent in both works. Within the Aeneid and the Iliad, it is seen that the wars going on during that time were glorious that is why the role of gods were significant in leading both Aeneas and Achilles and influencing fate. In both texts, it is clear from the beginning that the role of the gods is to make Aeneas and Achilles fulfill their journey The Iliad focuses on the end of the Trojan War and the damaging power, while the Aeneid is focused during the aftermath of the war and underlies the foundation for the new civilization. This paper will address and argue the comparison of the role of gods and how each of the authors representation of the gods have influence on the lives of mortals.

Odysseus is a quintessential hero of greek culture, embodying many of the traits and ideals that the greeks valued in a hero. His qualities and behavior stand in stark contrast to many of the antagonists of the story, who spurn the traditions and customs of the greeks and threaten the safety of Odysseus and his crew. By analyzing the nature of these antagonists, and the interactions between them and Odysseus, greek values and ideals become apparent. Furthermore, while it is obvious that greek culture played a major role in shaping the events and outcomes of the story, these values reflect how the greeks saw themselves and how they saw other peoples. By closely examining the elements of the epic, such as the actions and portrayals of the characters,

There has long been a fashion among critics and historians, including Sir James Frazier and Graham Hancock, to insist upon taking the account of Odysseus' voyage to Hades in Book XI of the Odyssey at near face-value as a description of people and places familiar to a Greek audience of Homer's day. Both linguistics and comparative history have been employed to discover exactly how accurately this originally oral epic conveys this gritty realism. Something, however, is not right with this purely empiric approach. What is missing is an examination through the lens of ancient religious practices. Surely a literary work so teeming with deities-wise Athena, spiteful Poseidon, impish

The vividly bold characters of fiction, themes and legends of Greek mythology have molded art and literature for many centuries. They appear in metaphorical paintings, like Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, or epics like the Illiad and the Odessey, by Homer. They are also revealed in the tragedies of Sophocles and classics such as Antigone and Oedipus. Romantic poetry and slews of novels, plays, and films continue to enrich our culture even today. One area of Greek influence that stands out is their religious practices and myths surrounding their polytheistic beliefs.

Greek mythology is not something that the average person thinks to be of importance or practical in any way. However, they fail to realize that Greek myths have a great influence on modern society, and many life lessons are buried within these legendary stories, hidden from the common eye. Many of these stories have themes that have real-world, modern connections that have proven themselves time and time again. Examples of these themes are from Kronos and Zeus, Theseus. and Perseus.

The Trojan War was more than a series of battles between opposing forces, it was the climax of an age of heroes. The retrieval of Helen brought together many of the mythological characters of that time onto a single stage. Of the thousands of brave men who fought at Ilion, two men stood above the masses, sharing the title of hero. They were born in the line of those on Mt. Olympus, favored by the gods. Excelling in courage and skill, adored by those who followed them into battle, the actions of Achilles and Odysseus achieved a high place in Greek mythology. Through analysis we see that Odysseus and Achilles were close variations upon the same theme.