Power Of The Gods In Homer's The Odyssey

The ancient Greeks thought the gods affected everything. They believed that Mount Olympus was where the gods lived, earthquakes were a message from the gods, and their first olive tree was a gift from Athena. Mount Olympus was assumed to be home to the gods because the mountain rises 9,570 feet in the air. The entrance to Olympus was a “...great gate of clouds, kept by the Seasons.” (Document 2) Another important geographic feature the Greeks made into a religious belief was the landscape and environment. Greece is “...smack-dab in the middle of a very active volcanic zone,” (Document 3) so the Greeks formed a religion called oracles, and the belief was “Oracles are the gods speaking to people, often in the form of minor earthquakes,” (Document

Both Athena and Poseidon are gods, and both are under the rule of Zeus, however they are very different in the way they have interactions with Odysseus. Athena, the gray-eyed goddess help Odysseus on his journey, and also helps Penelpoe and Telemachus with their personal struggles. Poseidon, on the other hand has a grudge against Odysseus for maiming his offspring, the Cyclops. When Odysseus revealed his real name to the Cyclops, the Cyclops called upon Poseidon to curse him and make his journey even harder. In a way, it is like Athena and Poseidon are battling against each others' will. Athena is trying to make sure Odysseus makes it home safe, while Poseidon is trying to make his homeward journey as difficult as possible.

Many authors have employed the religious beliefs of their cultures in literature. The deities contained in Homer’s Odyssey and in the Biblical book of Exodus reflect the nature of the gods in their respective societies. Upon examination of these two works, there are three major areas where the gods of the Greek epic seem to directly contrast the nature of the God of the Israelites: the way problems are solved, the prestige and status that separates the divine from the masses, and the extent of power among the immortal beings.

In one such story, Athena asks Zeus why he is so ”dead set against Odysseus” (1.76). Zeus makes it clear that he “wants to work out [Odysseus’s] journey home so Odysseus can return”(1.93) but states that Poseidon does have a feud with Odysseus due the blinding of the Cyclops. The important part about this quote is not that he wants to help Odysseus but that he is willing to listen to gods or goddesses who ask tasks of him. In Poseidon’s case, Zeus listens to him and also adds on extra punishment, which does make sense with Homer’s portrayal of Zeus because of Zeus’ fervent enthusiasm to help other gods. Much later in Book 9 Odysseus notes that after he kills the Cyclops he sacrifices to Zeus but notes that “Zeus was still obsessed with plans to destroy my entire oar swept fleet and loyal crew of comrades”(9.621) .It’s important to note that Zeus desire to destroy Odysseus occurred before he decided to help him. However, it is possible that this desire to destroy Odysseus overcame Zeus so much that he also decided to punish people who came in contact with Odysseus as well, thus providing evidence for why he may have placed the mountain around Phaeacia’s

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.

Not anything like this event can be found in the Odyssey. The role of the Gods in the affairs of humanity is much greater in the Iliad then in the Odyssey. In the Iliad, the Olympians are continually interfering in the conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans. At best, they view mortals as hilarious pets to be cared for, played with, and loved. At worst, humans are just trade in to be dragging your feet around, sacrificed, and set against each other in order to resolve inter-Olympian ego-clashes.

Despite all their similarities, The Greeks and Romans engaged in substantive culture differences. Their religions derived from a complex set of gods and goddesses, called deities, who were seen as regulating human life. Since the Romans embraced culture from the Greeks, many traditions were the same. However, the Greek and Roman culture, although similar, are very different and appealing. For instance, the Greeks did not acknowledge an all-powerful god; they believe that deities controlled everything that transpired on earth. In other words, the Greeks sought religious cults to explain the forces that shape the world (Bentley et al, 2008 p.143).

    Prehistoric man did not question his existence and reality - he just lived as one with nature. When prehistoric man awakened from this simple existence into the world of intelligence, he began to question his existence and reality. Homer’s The Odyssey demonstrated man’s attempt to cope with their own nature through the illusion of the gods, by using them to carry their burdens of hopelessness, helplessness, and fallibility.

When you look back on history there were many defining religions, beliefs and values among different cultures and societies. The beliefs varied from believing in one single God to multiple gods, from being patriarchal to matriarchal. When discussing difference you can see numerous among the Ancient Hebrew culture and the Archaic Greeks. Greeks believed in multiple gods, the Olympians and the Chthonian whereas Ancient Hebrew’s believed in one God whose name shouldn’t even be pronounced it was so sacred. These two cultures perceived the world and their surrounds in a completely different way.

In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in its citizens’ daily lives. During this time, they participated in animal sacrifices and offerings, created myths to explain the beginning of the human race and gave reverence to their gods by building temples which controlled the urban landscape. They also participated in local festivals and sporting and artistic competitions. Religion was never out of the presence of ancient Greece’s citizens. While they may have made up their own mind on the terms of their religious beliefs, some may have been completely confused if these gods actually existed. There were certain fundamental beliefs that must have been sufficiently widespread, in order for the Greek government to function. In ancient Greece, gods existed, they influenced human concerns, and they welcomed and responded to acts of godliness and worship.

The mortals in Greek world have learned about how awful it is to have a god as your enemy. In The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus makes a brutal mistake that got a god to be his enemy. In book 9 after, Odysseus blinds Poseidon's son Polyphemus and tricks him to think his name is nobody. But, after he escapes, he shows hubris and starts to taunt, he mockingly gloats, “Cyclops- if any man on earth ask you who blinded you,

Greek and Roman mythology is well know. The people of that time period were passionate about the gods and did everything in their power to please them. Like most religions the goal is be like one of the gods in order to achieve good fortune or to gain everlasting life. One of the most interesting characteristics about the Greek and Roman Gods is how the gods are not perfect in that they make the same mistakes that the average human would make. These characteristics were put into place to allow ancient Greeks and Romans to effectively relate to the gods making them more believable. This is unlike other religions where the god(s) are shown as the all perfect character making no mistakes. These characteristics relate back to the family and

In the ancient world, there were many different civilizations. In these civilizations, the peoples’ humanity, interaction with one another, and the belief in the supernatural were viewed differently. Ancient Greece was between 800 B.C. and 500 B.C. Ancient Egypt was between 3100 B.C. and 332 B.C. Both of these civilizations have many things in common, but were also very different when referring to the people. In Ancient Greece, the people had different roles in society depending primarily on their gender and class. On the other hand, in Ancient Egypt the people were given equality. Both civilizations believed in gods and goddesses, but their gods were different and had different purposes in their world. In many ways these parts of their civilization are different, but they are also similar.

The relationship between gods and mortals in mythology has long been a complicated topic. The gods can be generous and supportive, and also devastating and destructive to any group of humans. Mortals must respect the powers above them that cannot be controlled. The gods rule over destiny, nature, and justice, and need to be recognized and worshipped for the powerful beings as they are. Regardless of one's actions, intentions, and thoughts, the gods in Greek myth have ultimate power and the final decision of justice over nature, mortals, and even each other.

During ancient times the greeks believed in Gods and Goddesses. The ancient Gods were just like people but they also were super human and had powers. What made them like humans were that they did fall in love with other Gods and people, they played tricks on each other, and did different unique things that made them like humans.