Considering divinity, destiny, and the existence of free will is not a concept exclusive to Greek literature; in fact, whenever there are predetermined and all-powerful entities that guide the actions of lesser beings, it is completely natural to question the action of those being guided. For example, those who adhere to a particular religion might ask themselves, "If my deities have a plan for me, does everything I do align with that plan?" Are the choices I make my own choices, or are they steps that were predetermined before my creation?' But given the rather distant nature of contemporary deities, a follower might find it relatively easy to believe in free will since there is often no concrete manifestation of their deities' leadership. However, in the Homeric epic poems of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the involvement of the gods in the lives of mortals is much more concrete, powerful and apparent as they often bluntly guide the course of events on earth. So, with their deities so actively imposing their will on mortal lives, how do the characters in both Homeric epics maintain the illusion of free will? By analyzing the complex relationships between the gods, destiny, and human action in the Iliad and the Odyssey, the reader will be able to better understand the characters in the two epics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Homer's two epic poems, the relationships between the gods and mortal men are often complicated. The characters in the Iliad and the Odyssey seem capable not only of accepting the existence of both fate and free will, but also of the power and influence of divine will. The main characters of the Iliad and the Odyssey recognize that the gods are guided by human emotions and are capable of both inflicting pain and offering assistance to mortals, which arouses strong feelings in them. emotions. Despite Apollo's assertion in Book V of the Iliad that "the race of gods, immortals and men who walk without land, is never the same" (Iliad V, 441-442), the similarities between gods and men in Homer's texts are almost comically obvious. The parallels begin when we consider Homer's anthropomorphic depiction of the gods: immortals are depicted as having mortal forms, mortal personas, and subscribing to mortal structures of family and hierarchy. Additionally, unlike the modern perception of deities as distant figures with minimal direct involvement in the lives of mortals, the Greek gods appear to be more like a middle school playground, using mortals as playthings and currency. exchange. For example, the constant discord of the gods regarding the nostos of Odysseus in the Odyssey and the outcome of the Trojan War in the Iliad led to random and contradictory divine intervention in both poems. Poseidon, angry at Odysseus for blinding his son Polyphemus, complicates Odysseus' return again and again. Hera, angered by Paris' insult to her beauty, actively supports the Achaeans throughout the Trojan War. Although conflicts between mortals have relatively minimal implications, the insignificant actions of the gods often lead to devastating conflicts as well as the deaths of many mortals. Herein lies the ultimate difference between gods and men: although mortal men, even heroes, will eventually die, human-like gods will never perish. Ulysses, filled withfear when Hermes picks an herb that would be “dangerous for mortal men to pick.” of the ground", justifies this act by saying that, for the gods, "everything is in their power" (Odyssey X, 339-341). And Ulysses is largely right; Although the gods are not entirely omnipotent, in both the Iliad and the Odyssey the gods often have absolute power over mortals. But because Homer's gods are described as neither fully divine nor fully human, they are sometimes bound by certain human boundaries. This phenomenon is illustrated in one of the battles of the Iliad. Aphrodite, in an attempt to protect her son Aeneas, is wounded on the battlefield by Diomedes, who also wounds Ares. In his complaint to Zeus upon his return to Olympus, Ares says: "We, who are gods, must forever endure the most horrible wounds, through hatred of one another, while we try to give favor to mortals. » (Iliad V, 873-874) Besides its whiny nature, this statement is extremely important because it highlights the relationship between gods and men in Homer's works. Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, and Apollo became involved in this human battle due to either emotional attachment to a mortal on the field or "hatred of each other", and were injured for physically engaging in the life and conflicts of mortals. It is important to note that the gods were only injured; however, for mortals, the involvement of the gods (identified as "favor" by Ares) often has the unfortunate side effect of inciting more conflict between men, leading to thousands more mortal deaths. The triviality with which Hera offers Argos, Sparta and Mykenai for Zeus to raze whenever they become "odious to [her] heart" (Iliad IV, 52-53) is yet another example of the god's casual attitude towards human and non-heroic lives. This dichotomy between the inconsistency of a quarrel between the gods and the deadly consequences of these quarrels on mortals is accurately described by Odysseus when he says: "Of all that breathes and crawls on the earth, our mother earth n begets nothing weaker than a man. As long as the gods grant him power, he kneels, he believes he will never suffer affliction as the years pass by. But then, when the happy gods bring about long and difficult times, he must endure them, against his will, and harden his heart. Our lives, our mood and our spirit as we pass through the earth change with the passing of the days... as the father of men causes each day to dawn. (Odyssey XVIII, 150-158) In this quote, Odysseus describes the precariousness of human life: always dependent on the whims of fickle gods. By describing humans as “weak” creatures who “breathe” and “creep” on the earth, Odysseus highlights the miserable nature of mortal life. Its wording also serves to emphasize the absolute power that the gods have over humans. Odysseus' statement could also be interpreted as a warning against overconfidence, especially considering his difficult nostos; he warns that a man to whom the gods have "granted...power", should not think that his good fortune will last, for when the "happy gods" make his life difficult, he will also have to endure it. . By describing the gods as "happy" deities although they inflict pain, Odysseus hints at the mercurial nature of the gods. Their whims have the power to transform a mortal's earthly reality from heaven to hell in an instant. Despite the nature of the gods, Odysseus urges mortals to "endure [hard times]... against his will and to harden his heart." Maybe he encouragesendurance because Odysseus sees this resignation to the whims of the gods as the burden of mortality. Mortals must submit simply because they are mortal; their ephemeral lives “turn with the passing of the days,” and so if the gods “make each day dawn,” mortals have no choice but to submit. However, the whims of the gods do not come without certain checks and balances; the nuanced bureaucracy of Olympus constrains the actions of the gods in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. In the Iliad, the circumstances of Sarpedon's death suggest this divine policy. Just as Patroklos is about to kill Sarpedon, son of Zeus, Zeus laments aloud, saying, "It is destined that the dearest of men, Sarpedon, should fall... The heart in my breast is poised between two ways as I consider: whether I should snatch him from this painful battle and let him die alive...or beat him at the hands of the son of Menoitios. (Iliad XVI, 433-438). Although Sarpedon is already "destined" to fall into the hands of Patroklos, Zeusen still plans to defy fate and save Sarpedon. The inevitability implied by the word “destiny” is belied by the lamentations of Zeus; it seems that the gods can actually defy fate. It is in fact Hera's threat of contempt and retaliation from the other gods that stays Zeus's hand. Similarly, in the Odyssey, Zeus orders Poseidon to let go of his grudge against Odysseus, wondering how Poseidon could "stand up to the will of all the gods at once – just one god?" » (Odyssey I, 93-95) This implies a "majority rules" mentality, suggesting that a god's will, if not consistent with that of most other gods, cannot stand. A similar situation occurs at the end of the Iliad: despite Achilles' best efforts to desecrate Hektor's body, the body is preserved by the gods after long debates in Olympus. Although most gods agree that the body of the pious Hektor should be preserved, Hera disagrees, saying, "Hektor is mortal and suckled from a woman's womb, while Achilleus is the child of a woman." 'a goddess. » (Iliad XXIV, 56-59). Here, Hera is in the minority and so Hektor is sent back to Priam. At a basic level, this system of majority rules might be reminiscent of the United States Senate or House of Representatives, with two important fundamental differences: the gods were not elected and therefore cannot be trusted to have has the best interests of mortals at heart. They also do not serve for a specific period of time, since they are immortal. Thus, this divine system of decision-making raises two important questions: Are all events that occur on earth solely the work of gods? Are the other gods the only thing that controls the gods? Although this divine government may appear one-sided, the gods are not omnipotent; when questioning the role of the gods in the Iliad and the Odyssey, we must also take into account fate and destiny. For example, when Zeus reluctantly chooses to let fate play out regarding the death of Sarpedon, a question regarding divine power is introduced: are fate and fate truly inevitable, or do the gods simply choose to follow their decrees ? In the Odyssey, Athena tells Telemachus that “even the gods will not be able to defend a man, not even the one they love, the day when destiny takes hold of him and finally makes him available” ( Odyssey III, 269 -271), which would explain Zeus. ' conformity regarding the death of Sarpedon. And, as Achilleus rages against Troy following the death of Patroklos, Zeus appeals to the gods saying: "If we leave Achilleus alone to fight with the Trojans, they will not even stand a.