Greek Research Paper

For many greeks, Homer's novels were used as a spiritual and moral guide and to demonstrate the Greek religion. The Homeric gods were said to represent ethical values and promote virtuosity. When one thinks of a god, an association with powers and miracles comes to mind along with the singularity of only ONE god. Gods have been portrayed as almighty beings who contribute historical events ranging from uncontrollable Earthly forces to the outcome of a treacherous battle (I.e. Trojan War). Homer contributed an immense understanding of the will of the gods through his epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Allow me to discuss the god's relationship to culture as imagined in both readings.

Quotes in the epic poem, the Iliad, reveal much about the personality of both gods and mortals. In this case, Zeus’ speech and mentions of him by other characters emphasize what many readers already know about the god. The first quote describes Zeus lying awake at night, contemplating how he could assist Achilles. “The gods slept soundly that night,/ And the men, by their warhorses./

In ancient Greek Myths, the description of Zeus’ character can range from a heroic leader to that of a vile dictator, depending on the author’s intention. This contrast is especially noteworthy when comparing Hesiod’s Theogony with Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, as Zeus is presented as the world’s protector in the former, while he is portrayed as selfish and ruthless in Aeschylus’ tale.

“The supreme deity of Greek mythology has his lusty, tempestuous story recast in engaging fashion by Stone”(ProQuest). Zeus was thought of as the father of gods and men. While he did not make them, he protected them, and therefore was considered a father to them. He ruled over the sky and air, and controlled everything that happened in his domains from his throne on Mount Olympus. To gain his throne, he overthrew his father, Cronos, with the help of his siblings, and then dividing up the realms between him and his two elder brothers. Zeus became lord of the sky and rain, Poseidon took the title lord of the sea, and Hades became ruler of the underworld. He then banished his father to the shadowy Tartarus in the underworld. Zeus was the most

Zeus is the highest form of power among the gods, the ruler of both mortals and immortals. Through The Iliad, Zeus thinks he is in charge, but he is afraid of prophecies and fate. In the backstory of The Iliad, most know that Zeus wanted to have sex with Thetis, but he was afraid that the child they would bear together would be stronger than himself, as the prophecy stated ‘the first son of Thetis will be stronger than his father’. Dictated by his fate, Zeus refrained from having sex with her and married her off to another man so they would have a child together. Zeus is constantly expression that he is afraid of being undermined, but he is also to arrogant at points to admit that he’s not as powerful as he portrays himself. He’s fearful that someone will uncover his weaknesses and not respect him. By the start of The Iliad, Zeus is still afraid of people viewing him negatively, mortals and gods alike.

If there’s one thing one can count on when it comes to Greek gods, it’s that they’re critically flawed. Anyone reading Homer’s The Iliad can see the Greek gods act just like humans, constantly bickering, deceiving and throwing fits. The only people who can’t see through this facade of glorious immortality are the Greeks themselves. Throughout Homer’s entire epic, the gods continuously help the mortals based upon their own motives, and yet, the humans still worship them, ask them for help and forgiveness and blessings. Any reader would throw up their hands, disgusted that the humans glorify these beings that possess all the character flaws that mortals do. Homer is very successful in portraying humanity throughout his text, both through the perspective of the gods, and the perspective of the humans. While readers are allowed insight to both worlds, the characters themselves only see one dimension, resulting in the unequal nature of the humans constantly working to please the gods, sometimes to no avail. The Iliad exposes the fatal character flaws of the gods to readers, while also maintaining the mortal Greek perspective that gods are perfect beings, looking out for the greater good of mankind.

In The Iliad, Homer explores how external forces restrict mortals’ agencies. Even one of the most powerful characters, King Agamemnon, does not fully control his agency; he filters his actions due to the overbearing force of war, the fates gods create for humans, and the responsibilities that arise from his kingship.

The gods were more involved in the Iliad than in the movie Troy. In the Iliad they manipulated people’s emotions, the weather, the outcomes of battle; they would disguise themselves to trick the characters into the move they wanted them to make, physically trip them up to give the opponent a better standing. In the movie the gods had no visible role they were more of a believe system and a thought process. The characters believed that there were signs from the gods letting them know how to proceed. An example of this is when determining wither to go into battles after a farmer saw a sparrow with a snake

Before the instigation of all the battles, Zeus “freed his uncles from their dreadful bonds,/ The sons of Heaven; his father, foolishly,/ Had bound them. They remembered gratitude/ And gave him thunder and the blazing bolt/ And lighting, which, before, vast Earth had hid” (Hesiod, 39). Military campaigns are hardly won without establishing alliances; similarly, Zeus knew that it is unwise and arguably impossible for him to fight the Titans, who are outnumbering him, using only his own hands. Therefore, freeing his uncles remains imperative for the victory of his war. It was as if he was obliged to do so, further emphasizing the fact that Zeus would not have been able to obtain his never-ending power alone.

The stories told in the Iliad and Odyssey are based on stories handed down over several generations, for they preserve (as we have seen) memories of an already quiet far distant past. The two pomes show clear connection in their language and style, in the manner in which their incidents presented, and in the combination of agreement with level, which distinguish their creation.

When looking at the book, The Odyssey you often come across Greek gods. The gods’ ultimately have total control over humans through their supernatural powers without the humans knowing about. The Greek god’s would interfere with fate and cause things to happen that might have not happened in the beginning. Zeus in particularly is the king of all kings when it comes down to the Greek gods, followed by his daughter Athena who is full of wisdom. The gods interfered with other people’s fate instead of letting them make their own choices.

The audience went silent. The crowd locked their eyes’ on only two things, the soccer player and the ball. This was their last chance. If they score this penalty, they have a chance to move on into the finals. The player kept his attention on the ball. He ran towards it and kicked it with a powerful force, aiming it towards the soccer net. The audience threw their hands’ up with tears in their eyes’. The stadium now filled with passionate cheers as everyone jumped up and down from their seats. Soccer is the greatest discovery because; no other sport has the power to unite countries. It helps with promotion, which increases the financial situation of an economy. In addition, soccer is one of the fewer sports that does not discriminate. Anyone can enjoy the wonderful benefits of this sport.

Zeus was a carefree god who loved to laugh. He was said to be wise, fair and just. He was also very unpredictable. He was also easily angered which could be very destructive. He has previously hurled lightning bolts and caused violent storms that wreaked chaos on earth.

The Olympic gods are the characters in both the Illiad and the Odyssey and their lines are inseparable from both narrations. Nevertheless, not only their roles are of a different nature, but also their influence on mortal characters differs. If the primary role of gods lies in a designation of human fate and their power is determined by the ability to control it, gods fulfill their function in the Illiad, while in the Odyssey their role is limited. As a result the unrestricted power of gods and the predetermination of fate in the Illiad contrasts their relative insignificance in the Odyssey. This in turn, serves as source of difference in the gods-human relationships in the texts. This essay will demonstrate the manifestations of the disparity in the roles of gods in the narratives and further reflect on its consequences.

He speaks respectfully of the gods, characterizing them as “givers of good things”, and for this, they deserve our reverence and gratitude [CITATION]. Yet this illusion of the almighty, supreme God splinters throughout the poem as Hesiod reveals the chaotic and morally questionable actions of the immortals. “Learning of a prophecy that he will be dethroned by one of his children, Kronos seizes the newborns and swallows them” (Melchert 3). Simultaneously, Homer speaks of the immoral actions of Zeus in his involvement in the Trojan War, as depicted when Zeus agrees to aid Achilles, allowing the Trojans to prevail only until Achilles’ honor was restored, which resulted in countless innocent deaths. Both poets blatantly write about the powerful might of the gods, yet they give the rulers of their world the same attributes disgraced among mortal men: adultery, vengeance, and excessive anger. The appearance of the Gods presented by Hesiod and Homer is anything but deserving of reverence, but both poets stand by their writing while also maintaining an untarnished respect for their