Gods In The Iliad Essay

While the divine world of the Ancient Greeks gives the impression of role models, Hesiod’s Theogony and Homer’s The Iliad, illustrate the gods otherwise. Just as strife within mortal families is familiar, it plays a significant role in the creation of the gods, their interaction with each other, and how they intervene on behalf of mortals in The Iliad for their own self-serving interests. The gods play a direct role in Greek life and the Ancient Greeks desire to understand their role. Hesiod, through the help of the muses, documents the creation of the gods from the macro-level, universe, to the micro-level, demigods. The main thread throughout this epic about the creation is the level of discord among the gods and vying for power and ultimate control. From the castration of Ouranos to Zeus banishing his father Cronus into the abyss of Tartarus, the strife or desire for control is woven
They either have vested interest in their human offspring or they have personal reasons of favor such as Aphrodite who sides with the Trojans because Paris believes she is more fair than Hera or Athena. Zeus remains neutral. However, his neutrality in this epic does not signify his ambivalence toward human beings or the other gods. Zeus remaining neutral ensures justice is served, fate is followed, and maintains control of the subservient gods through advice and admonishment. While they may play a key role for the humans and how the favorability changes sides in the war, they remain obedient to Zeus. When the fighting between mortals subsides, the gods further stoke the fighting by order of Zeus; disguising themselves as humans to rekindle the fighting. This gives the sense the gods are using humans as a means to the end; that end being the gods’ way of settling their infighting or