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Power Of The Gods In Iliad And The Odyssey

538 Words3 Pages

To control a multitude physically, mentally, and emotionally requires power. Power can make others fear an individual. Based on the oxford’s dictionary, power is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. During ancient times, mortals believed in multiple gods indicating they were polytheistic, which their basis of living was under the perception that mortals had to please and satisfy the gods desires. By comparing and contrasting the power of the gods in both novels being a weapon or downfall in both “Iliad” and “The Odyssey”. This essay will exemplify how similar the intervention of the gods can affect the mortals’ destiny and change the results of events. The difference in how the gods …show more content…

Athena the goddess of wisdom exemplifies how gods intervene in mortals battles and change their actions. Achilles reminds Agamemnon that he has all the prizes of the battle up to the present. Soon Agamemnon agrees to give Chrysies back, but demands another woman as compensation and chooses the girl of Achilles, and takes Briseis. Then Achilles calls him shameless and greedy but Agamemnon responds saying he doesn't need Achilles. This announcement makes Achilles even angrier and he is on the point of drawing his sword to kill Agamemnon and telling Athena "I tell you this, and so help me it's the truth--he'll soon pay for his arrogance with his life!"32 The goddess Hera sends Athena at this point to stop him because Athena as a symbol of reason always controls the anger of Achilles. Athena prevents him from losing his temper and promises him greater glory. Achilles stops killing Agamemnon but pulls his whole army out of the war. If Athena had not intervened at this point, the entire plot would have been changed; without Agamemnon there will be no war and without Achilles there will be no hero and rage, thus the intervention of the gods greatly affects the plot of the epic. In addition, he prays to his mother, the goddess Thetis, to beg Zeus to avenge his dishonor by supporting the Trojans against Achaean forces. Thetis convinces Zeus to take the side of the

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I define power as the means to be in total control over anything that can and will happen from anywhere. In the Odyssey, power arises through the relationships between gods, mortals, and creatures, depending on their adherence to the laws of Xenia. The three following relationships that reflect power in the Odyssey and how they arise through Xenia are the goddess's imprisoned soon-to-be husband, escape plan one eye, and father-son blood slaughter. The first of these relationships is what I nicknamed "Father-Son Blood Slaughter,", in which Odysseus and Telemchaus bring down the karma from Odysseus and Telemchaus to the insulting suitors.

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