Fated or not fated? That’s the burning question that’s been around for centuries. Originating in ancient Greece, everyone had a general consensus that they were not in control of their own life. The Iliad by Homer and Oedipus the King by Sophocles both involve this debated question. These two works of literature appear very similar regarding their protagonists and their standard beliefs of Greek mythology; however, they actually are very different regarding the important topic of fate. The Iliad suggests fate has power over everything, including the gods, whereas Oedipus the King indicates that the gods control fate, showing how ancient Greeks carried different beliefs about their gods. In The Iliad, the gods give the impression that the …show more content…
Athena refusing their prayers and sacrifices shows how she has chosen to fight on the Archean side, a prime example of the game-like mindset the gods had. The perspective that the war was nothing but a game to the gods suggest that they didn’t care what happened, because in the end, it wouldn’t affect them. They carried this careless attitude because of their immortality. Immortality meant no death for them, therefore the gods fate didn’t include the most feared part of fate, according to the humans. Lacking the fear of fate, the gods could instead, accept it. The gods acceptance of fate implies that they do not control it, but rather they could affect it and cause it to take different paths. This is seen when Achilles comes close to his death in a fight with the river god, Xanthus. However, once Zeus realizes the situation and its possible outcome, he steps in and says, “It’s not ordained that you’re to die here, killed by some river, which will soon recede, as you will see. We have advice for you, if you’ll listen” (book 21, line 360). Zeus intervened because he cared for Achilles and didn’t want to see him die. Like every human, Achilles fate includes