![]() When Achilles attacks the river god and Hera, via Hephaestus, saves him, the Gods engage in an argument over which humans are worthy enough for them to aid. Rather than be insulted however, other Greeks would begin to respect Odysseus if they heard he had enough of Athena’s favor for her to come to his aid.Ī similar situation occurs in the Iliad, though not with the main hero. She desires for him to be successful and live a fulfilled life compared to the humans she does not see talent within. Because Athena associates Odysseus with such admirable traits–traits he shares with her nonetheless– she ‘cares’ enough to intervene in his life. When learning of Odysseus and his all too long voyage away from home, Athena, the Goddess of wisdom claims her “‘heart is broken for Odysseus, / the mastermind of war’” (Odyssey 1.67-8). The Gods only bother with the type of humans that have an almost godly talent that other mortals do not possess. ![]() The Gods carefully choose the mortals they interfere with, thus elevating the status of those special few. The dominance of the deities is shown when even the most powerful human can be beat by the weakest god. The hero is thus shown his place underneath the gods no matter his grand reputation among the humans. Xanthus, though easily defeated by the other deities, overpowered the great Achilles within moments. He could not overcome the river god as “the pressure of swift water tired him” only too easily (Iliad 21.318). Achilles, known for his impressive strength among the humans, is still no match for even one of the lesser gods. Xanthus drags Achilles downstream and very nearly kills him until the other gods reason with him. In fact, he throws so many bodies into the river Xanthus (or Scamander) that the river god rises up to stop Achilles and the soldier attacks him. Towards the end of The Iliad, Achilles goes on a vengeful tirade after Patroclus’s death and kills everyone in his path. The Iliad also shows the God’s interactions with the humans. The too fragile mortals cannot escape divine resentment and intervention even if the other god’s have it in their mind to protect them. Zeus, the king of all Gods, even attempts to assist Odysseus, but his brother defies him still and in doing so, establishes how even another powerful god can do nothing against their rage. A small infraction when it came to the Greeks made the god seek such revenge against the mortal. So, Poseidon calls upon the sea to rage against Odysseus which results in the crew being stranded at sea for years. However, Poseidon does not wish to see the hero home safely because he “bears the fighter an old grudge” for poking Polyphemus, his son’s, eye out (Odyssey 1.91). Odysseus has served his time as a soldier in the war, and heads on home via the sea. Take for example, the beginning of the Odyssey. Characterized as vengeful and unforgiving, throughout the two pieces of literature, they demonstrate how at their mercy mortals truly are. The Gods often sought to remind the humans of their power over them through divine intervention, which not only reinforced their status but also their superiority. Homer reflects that belief in both of his poems. In Greek culture, Gods were revered by the people and were often thanked for every good deed that happened to an individual or to a city. The instances of divine intervention in The Iliad and The Odyssey serve to characterize the status differences between mere mortals and omniscient gods. One commonality in both pieces of literature are the gods who often intervene on behalf of the two heroes and as a result alter the course of their lives. The Odyssey follows the King Odysseus, who only wishes to return home after fighting in that same war. The Iliad showcases Achilles– the strongest soldier fighting for the Achaean army in the Trojan War. Both were written by Homer and both detail the lives of Greek heroes. ![]() Perhaps the two most prominent Greek Epics of all time are The Iliad and The Odyssey.
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