Divine Intervention In The Iliad Research Paper

As the Trojan warriors refuse to fight Achilles in fear, Apollo is able to convince Aeneas that he is capable of fighting Achilles due to his superior family lineage. As a result, Poseidon and Athene feel that Apollo’s actions are unfair to Aeneas, who is destined to survive and has always given them sacrifices as well. Poseidon drifts a mist on the eyes of Achilles, allowing him to pick up Aeneas and take him to safety. After Poseidon removes the mist from Achilles’ eyes, Achilles sees that immortals must have intervened to save Aeneas. The most notable takeaway from this specific excerpt is the humanlike characteristics that the gods have. Like humans, the immortals have emotions that persuade them to take certain actions. The guilt and sorrow that overcomes Poseidon causes him to save the life of Aeneas.

Books 16-18 Summary Patroclus returned to Achilles and proposed Nestor’s plan to him. Achilles agreed to let Patroclus wear his armour and lead his troops, as long as he only drove the Trojans to the rampart. Patroclus and the Myrmidons terrified the Trojan troops and pushed them back behind the rampart and they fled back to Troy. Patroclus and the Myrmidons continued their rampage, following them onto the field and to Troy. However, Apollo stopped Patroclus from taking Troy by stripping him of his armour, which allowed a Trojan soldier to spear him, and Hector to finish him off.

In ancient Greek culture the gods were seen as taking a very active role in the development and course of human history.  The entire Olympian pantheon, as well as many other less important divinities, meddles in human affairs to no end.  The people of the many city-states that composed Greece firmly believed that every aberration from normalcy was due to an act of the gods.  Homer, the author of The Iliad, coined the prevalent religious beliefs of the time in his epic poems, showing the gods as temperamental and willful, meddlesome and dynamic.  Homer’s entire poem is replete with instances of divine intervention in mortal lives, and no single major occurrence comes to pass unless it is the will of one of the many Olympian gods.  Few major decisions are made without consulting the gods first, and the handful of instances in which one leader or another takes initiative almost always fails miserably.  Life, according to the Greeks, is almost entirely rooted in their religion, as there is a god or goddess governing every aspect of the universe, and also because the gods so actively involve themselves in the everyday lives of mortals.

Unlike Achilles, Hector bravely stays in the battle and calls upon Achilles. As Achilles rejoins the battle, Hector cowardly runs from Achilles thus also showing an un-hero like response from Hector. As the epic poem climax’s into the battle between Achilles and Hector, both characters are in angst to whom the God’s will side with.”I know you well- I see my fate before me./Never a chance that I could win you over.../Iron inside your chest, that heart of yours./But now beware, or my curse will draw God’s wrath/upon your head, that day when Paris and lord Apollo-/for all your fighting heart-destroy you at the Scaen Gates!” (Homer 22:420-424) In this quote Hector realizes that the Gods have sided with Achilles and death is near to Hector. As Achilles pursues to kill Hector, Hector pleads for a proper burial. This is because in Ancient Greek times, it was often believed if you did not have a proper burial, you were destined to suffer between worlds until your rites of passage into the underworld were completed. The Greeks saw immortality as areté, which means excellence and virtue. This is achieved through victory in battle which Hector was not able to obtain. “But this Achilles - first he slaughters Hector,/ He rips away the noble prince's life/ then lashes him to his chariot, drags him round/ his beloved comrade's tomb. But why, I ask you?/ What good will it do him?What honor will he gain?/Let that man

This was the rational motive why Zeus' acquired Thetis to marry a mortal, named Peleus. On the other hand, it doesn’t signify that Achilles cannot die; he is still fated to die as he is more mortal than an immortal. Furthermore, if you look at one of the god named, Apollo, he is supplementary, without any questions, inclined toward Trojans and is persistently engaged to help them. Apollo assisted Trojans on numerous occasions in war. For instance, he dispatched a pestilence to Achaean soldiers by responding to the priest’s pray, ‘[1:40-60]’. Apollo also aided Hector in book 15 where Zeus dispatched Apollo to help Hector and blow new air into his lungs so he can fight again, ‘[15:300-310]’. Also in Book 16, Apollo heard Glaucus’ pray and healed his wound to get him to fight again against Achaeans, ‘[16:600-640]’. Apollo’s twin sister, Artemis, also helped Trojans in the battle alongside Apollo. She helped Trojans just because Apollo is engaged against Achaeans. On the other hand, Athena and Hera are inclined towards Achaeans and assist them in the battle in every accomplishable manner. These deities, Hera and Athena, want the Achaeans to triumph the war and pulverize the Troy. Moreover, Thetis cannot see her mortal son Achilles suffering and resources him as much she can. And, Zeus the king of all gods, however, is not on any side and he attempts to stay impersonal during the conflict but somewhere in his intuitions he does not want

Fate bound the gods in Book 22 lines 190-209. As Achilles was face to face with Hector, Zeus showed pity for Hector. In this scene, Zeus knew that Hector was destined to die. Zeus wanted to save Hector, but was persuaded by Athena that it was Hector’s time. Athena argued with him that if he would step in and save Hector that many other gods would be upset with his actions. Not only would the gods be angry, but death was Hector’s fate, and the gods were bound to it. This is an example of how fate outweighed what the gods wanted to happen. Zeus was wrestling with the thought of saving Hector or allowing Hector to meet his fate.

He only helped Thetis with the favor not out of divine duty or because it could affect the mortal beings. Gods, although considered as higher beings with a lot more power are depicted as being manipulative as those mortal beings are their puppets. The feuds between the gods are almost dysfunctional. In Book 6, this idea is further instilled by way the gods loyalties and motivations lie. Homer presents the gods as being superficial with no thought for mortal beings. As Pomeroy states in page 84, “The Greeks worshipped the gods out of awefor their power to do good or harm to people, [while] the gods demanded tat their power be acknowledged through gift giving and other marks of respect”. Such as the sacrifice that was made when delivering Chryses back to her father. It is further highlighted that the gods’ “concern with morality is limited”. The actions of the gods are through vested interest. It is evident even in Books 16 and 18 that the gods base their actions and who to “help” based upon who they favor. Although it is through Thetis that Zeus agrees to help the Trojans but it was due to the loss of Patroclus that leads to Achilles eventually joining the Army

Here is one of the greatest if not the greatest of the gods, Zeus, complying with Thetis' plea to help the Trojans, and his biggest concern is upsetting his wife. This scene contrasts how the humans lives are in the hands of feeble gods who are sometimes unable to make uninfluenced decisions without the influence of others or worrying about what another will think or say to them simply because she will be ‘scolding all day long'. Another favor which helped turn the tide of war in favor of the Achaeans again involves Achilles and Thetis, however this time she seeks the aid of Hephaestus. Thetis goes to Hephaestus because Achilles armor is in the hands of Hector who killed Achilles dear friend Patroclus.

The Greek gods are highly partisan beings in the Iliad. The Greek gods side with different armies there is no side that is more 'moral' or favored by the gods than the other. The Trojan War itself was largely begun because of a rivalry between Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera. The gods also favor certain mortals Athena prefers Odysseus, for example, while Aphrodite adores Paris. This favoring is not based upon the moral behavior of these particular humans but is instead based in the gods' own prejudices. The gods do not act as moral guides in a Judeo-Christian sense. They are anthropomorphically rendered, jealous, unpredictable, and at times vengeful. They have more power than humans and demand humans' respect, but that respect is commanded by their greater power, not their greater morality. The gods also deliberately insert themselves into human affairs, egging on the Trojan War when it seems to be flagging, or favoring one side over another. "Make all haste, and invent/Some mean by which the men of Troy, against the truce agreed, /May stir the glorious Greeks to arms, with some inglorious deed" (59). However, even the gods have limits Achilles mother Thetis, although a goddess, cannot prevent her son's death, which she knows is inevitable. Q2.In Book 1, with whom is Achilles angry? Why? What does Achilles vow to do in response?

This does not lessen his own responsibility for his treachery - He is a fool to

Portions of modern society believe fate to be concrete and unchanging. However, in ancient times, it was believed to be influenced and guided by the actions of the gods. Similarly, in The Iliad by Homer, the actions of the gods influence the life, death, and fate of each and every individual. Gods such as Zeus, Athena and Apollo take great influence in human affairs in The Iliad. These actions cause life, death, sorrow, and triumph to befall various individuals of the story. Achilles’ fate results, solely, from these actions the gods undertake. In particular, the gods influence on Achilles’ fate shows when the gods keep Achilles from killing Agamemnon, staying out of the war, and holding onto his rage.

The concept of fate and the influence of gods on mortals’ lives are prominent aspects of Greek mythology. While the gods of Olympus are commonly presented as the primary manipulators of human lives, the Fates are the true creators of destiny. Gods may be able to affect human lives in monumental ways, but predetermined destiny and the Fates’ intentions ultimately reign. The gods have respect for this authority, as well, as they’re aware that a limit on their ability to intervene is necessary to maintain the order of the universe. This leaves one to question the amount of knowledge that the gods themselves have of fate, and whether they have their own free will to refrain from intervening or if they truly must submit to the authority of the Fates and their plans. The gods do have some knowledge of the Fates’ plan, but they are also wise enough to avoid too much interference and therefore don’t necessarily need to be commanded; they sometimes help guide mortals by sending them messages and symbols—and sometimes even influencing them for their own advantage—but ultimate fate cannot be avoided.

In almost all instances of war the cause has been related to greed, or the gaining of land and possessions. Greed is presented in the very first book of Homer’s “The Iliad.” It isn’t displayed by the cowards, but the “heroes” of the war such as Agamemnon, Achilles, and Pandarus. The entire cause of the Trojan War is the result of the greedy and cowardly behavior of Paris. There are many factors that had sparked the war, including the interference of the gods; however, the main factor to be blamed for the war is greed.

In the center of ancient Greek history are the big heroes, Gods and Goddesses but one of the heroes described with mastery is Achilles the Greek hero who is not described with disdain like other Greek heroes but with more love. The wrath of Achilles and the death of Hector, the biggest hero amongst Trojans, are described with rare mastery and love for Achilles despite the fact that he commits a cruel deed by killing Hector, the beloved Trojan hero and rapes his dead body. Although Agamenon, Achilles, and Hector were great heroes, they were quite different in their personalities, characteristics and values.

Earlier within The Iliad Thetis, the mother of Achilles provided Achilles with his potential fates regarding him going or not going to Troy. The most important part of this prophecy at the time was that if Achilles chose to go to Troy he would die and have Kleos, but if he chose