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The Importance of Religion and Ethics in The Iliad Homer clearly and precisely depicts the religion and the ethics of the Achian and Trojan societies in The Iliad. During the time of the Trojan war, religion played an important role in the societies. Sacrifice, prayer, and rituals were all equally significant, and the superiority of the gods and the fates above humans was a standard of society. The gods were sacred deities to whom one had to bestow honor and respect. Within the society, honor, glory, and fame were desperately sought by warriors striving to achieve enduring notoriety. One's word represented a considerable commitment to be acted upon. Religion and ethics are prominently displayed in the characters throughout The Iliad due to their importance in Greek and Trojan society. The characters' religious dedication is evident through their sacrifice, prayer, and rituals: "King Agamemnon sacrificed. . . a fat bull of five years" and prayed to Zeus for success in battle against the Trojans. Meanwhile, the Achian soldiers "pray[ed] to be spared [from] death in the maul of war." Later, when Patroclos', an Achian soldier, body is recovered, twelve noble sons of Troy are sacrificed in his funeral pyre. Sacrifices are performed to honor the gods or obtain their favor. The Greek and Trojan societies believe that a soul remains restless and can not enter Hades until proper funeral rites are conferred. Funeral rites were paramount for those who had been killed in battle. An example of their determination to ensure a proper funeral can be found after the duel between the powerful Greek Aias and the Trojan commander Hector in Book VII. After Aias and Hector reach a stalemate in their battle, they agree to "make no battle" the next day so they can respectively "bring in our dead." Their cooperative neutrality to honor the dead demonstrated their respect for one another's fallen comrades. Another instance of the conferral of funeral rites can be found with the death of the brave Greek combatant Patroclos. In Book XVII when Patroclos lies dead, Menelaus, the Greek king, chivalrously defends the body, "like a cow standing over her calf." When Euphorbus Panthoidês, a Trojan soldier, attempts to desecrate the body of Patroclos, Menelaus "with a prayer to Father Zeus lunge[s]" and kills Panthoidês. However, Menelaus wisely retreats when confronted by a massive Trojan Army. The Achian army commences to retrieve the body of Patroclos when Hippothoös, a Trojan soldier, starts to drag the corpse away, but the powerful Aias kills him.
The brutal killing of Priam, king of Troy, is both at the beginning of the story of the Aeneid and an end to the story of the Trojan war contained in the Iliad. In war, some of the most damaging things that can be accomplished are the demoralizing of the other soldiers and the desecration of their gods. The Trojans held their gods in great esteem and are portrayed as a very reverent people. This can be seen by Aeneas refusal to touch the statues of his household gods until he can clean himself of the battle from which he has just come.
of price versus service in the airline industry as a whole, as well as, the
The war between the Athenians and the Spartans as written by Thucydides was a great one that no other that had ever occurred could be compared to, so says Thucydides. Thucydides views the preparations on both sides to have been perfect and that the Hellenic race was joining the war as well. He considers it the greatest faction yet recognized in history, of the barbaric world rather than to the Hellenes alone. From the second chapter of his book, it is clear that the war between these two groups was not to the advantage of the Athenians. They lost in the war and most of their people were killed. An ancestral funeral ceremony is performed to bury those who had died in the war.
It is widely known that the Athenians highly valued their warrior class, and they saw the warriors as a ring of the higher circle of the society. The Athenians were very proud of Athena and its traditions, as well. Athenian’s thought that Athena was the best, none could be better. The funeral oration was aimed to respect the fallen as well as to keep up the national pride and its passion to protect their nation. The speech was a eulogy which focused on the eminence of Athens and its predecessors. Usually a son was chosen to give the eulogy. The law required the speech to have several essential components. The speech had to concerning the lives of the deceased. At his eulogy’s end, Pericles spoke in regard to the soldiers. The speech talked about the life that the departed lived and the achievements which they gained. Pericles wanted the citizens to recall the soldiers but to forget about the tragedy that had occurred. He wanted the departed’s lives to be remembered, but not their demise. The speech helped the Athenians appreciate what their ancestors had died for and how they shou...
When most people consider the Iliad and Odyssey, religion does not come to mind but; In fact, without bronze age religion these stories would not exist as we know them. The validity of homers exists as a person, group of people or fictional character. Would these stories carry the same positive morals as they would without a religious influence. If not would they be as important to Greek culture as today.
Throughout the Iliad, Homer portraits the extent to which honor plays a role in the lives of Greeks and the manner in which they are willing to sacrifice in order to reach their goals. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, a particularly long and bloody war, fought not over boundary disagreements, and not over political conflicts, and not to protect the nation. Rather, it was a war fought to defend the personal honor. The possession of women was important to a man’s standing and honor. Paris’ theft of Helen struck a huge blow to the honor of Menelaus and becomes the initial cause of the Trojan War. Consequently, Menelaus, the Spartan ruler, called upon his brother Agamemnon to gather the Greek forces to launch the war against Paris demanding the return of Helen and reinstating the honor for the king. The war lasted for ten years and cost innumerable Greeks’ lives and brought incurable pain upon their families. To Greek heroes, honor is more important than their life as much as that life would be meaningless without it, and they even willingly sacrifice their lives in order...
Depression is an equal opportunity disorder, it can affect any group of people with any background, race, gender, or age. Depression is a sneak thief that slips quietly and gradually into people’s lives - robbing them of their time, and their focus. At first, depression may be undetectable, but in the long run a person could become so weighed down that their life may feel empty and meaningless. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who commits suicide is depressed, but majority of people who commits suicide do so during a severe depressive episode. There are over 300 million people in the world today who suffer from depression. Depression has affected people for a long as records have been kept. It was first called out by the famous Greek philosopher Hippocrates over 2,400 years ago. Hippocrates called it “melancholia”. Many times we think of depression as one disorder alone, when in fact there are many different types of depression. The different types of depression are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, atypical disorder, adjustment disorder, and depressive personality disorder. All types of depression share at least one common symptom. It is commons from the person who suffers from any form of depression to feel an unshakable sadness, anxious, or empty mood. Major depressive disorder also known as unipolar depression or recurrent depressive disorder is the most severe depressive disorder out of all of the depressive in my estimation. Major depressive disorder is a condition in which affects a person’s family, work or school life, sleeping, eating and general health. It is important to emphasize that we can understand the mechanics of this disorder and how it affects people with major depressive disorder.
Depression and Mental Illness: Crime or Violence/ Treatment or Punishment ABSTRACT Statement of the Problem According to Michael D. Yapko, PhD,(1997) "in every way, depression is a growing problem. Rates of depression have steadily climbed over the last 50 years and are significantly higher in those born after 1954 than in those born before. In addition, the average age of on-set depressive episode is steadily decreasing it is now mid-20s whereas it once was mid-30s. Cross-cultural data show that the United States has a higher rate of depression and mental illness than almost any other country, and that as Asian countries Westernize their rates of depression increase correspondingly."(p.37) And according to the Illinois State Police, (1999), "one of seven depressed people will commit an act of violence against themselves or others." (p.1) The purpose of this paper is to view and discuss depression and mental illness risk factors associated with violence.
Katon, W., and Sullivan, M. D., (1990) Depression and Chronic Mental Illness. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, v.51. pgs. 8-19
Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...
Depression is a disabling condition that should be taken seriously. Ever one in ten people worldwide are affected by depression for an estimated 676 million people. People living with a depression have greater than forty-percent chance of dying from premature death that the rest of the population. In many cases suicide is a result of depression due to the lack of attention to the physical problems. In 2012 depression became one of the leading causes of death, 804,000 young adults age fifth teen to twenty-nine committed suicide worldwide. Mental illness like depression rank as the second worldwide as the cause of years loss off one’s life. Depression is the main reason for years lost in cases of disabilities (Al Qahtani & Al
Researchers say that this dissatisfaction can affect counselors’ satisfaction with their work, which can potentially interfere their effectiveness with their clients. It is inevitable that I will experience unfavorable situations in my life, but if I allow them to hinder my performance as a professional, I will be doing a disservice to my clients, students and coworkers. The authors point out many signs of insufficient self-care. As I begin a career in counseling, knowing exactly what to look for in terms of my behavior is
Quinn Ph.D., Brain P. The Depression Source Book 2nd Edition. Los Angeles: Lowell House, 2000.
One of the most compelling topics The Iliad raises is that of the intricate affiliations between fate, man and the gods. Many events related by Homer in his epic poem exhibit how these three connections interweave and eventually determine the very lives of the men and women involved in the war. Homer leaves these complex relationships slightly unclear throughout the epic, never spelling out the exact bonds connecting men's fate to the gods and what can be considered the power of fate. The motivation for the ambiguousness present in The Iliad is not easily understood, but it is a question that enriches and helps weave an even greater significance of the results into Homer's masterpiece. I feel that the interaction between man, god, and fate can be shown to be one great fluidity that ultimately leaves life mysterious, giving much more depth and complexity to the bonds between the three.
“Suicide and Depression”. All About Depression: Overview. All About Self Help, LLC. 5 June 2010. Web. 30 July 2010.