The Iliad
Central to any study of the humanities is the human condition – our nature, which has historically shown that it is equally capable of both good and evil deeds – and the problem that arises from it; specifically, why do humans suffer? Many philosophies and religions have their own account for this aspect of humanity, and we find that what the accounts have in common is each explains the human condition in terms that are similar to how that institution of thought explains the true nature of reality.
Homer’s The Iliad is an extravagant account of the Trojan War which describes many behavioral similarities between the gods and people. The name of Book 14: “Hera Outflanks Zeus” epitomizes the disparity between the gods; Hera first slyly convinces Aphrodite, Zeus’ daughter, to make her irresistible. “Quick with treachery noble Hera answered, ‘Give me Love, give me Longing now, the powers you use to overwhelm all gods and mortal men!’ / Aphrodite, smiling her everlasting smile, replied, ‘Impossible—worse, it’s wrong to deny your warm request…’” (Homer, 376) Next, Hera allies with Sleep to deceive Zeus so that Poseidon can help the Achaeans. With the power of Aphrodite, she plans to seduce Zeus and have him put to sleep as they make love. “’Sleep, master of all gods and all mortal men,… Put Zeus to sleep for me! Seal his shining eyes as soon as I’ve gone to bed with him, locked in love, and I will give you gifts…’” (Homer, 377) We observe here that Hera tempts Sleep with bribes as people often do when they know something they want is difficult to obtain. These envious, deceitful, and other humanistic qualities of the gods inevitably produce disagreement amongst them, which is in turn manifested in the lives of mortals.
In polytheistic Greek cultures such as that of the world of The Iliad, the gods affect the lives of mortals based primarily on the gods’ whims. Each people have their own contingent of gods who support them, but also other gods who dislike them and whom they do not worship. This conflict between the influences of one god’s favor and another’s menace on the Achaeans is portrayed in the death of Patroclus, Achilles’ brother-in-arms. Hera and Poseidon help enormously to keep the Trojans from burning the Achaeans’ ship. Patroclus, no longer able to sit by idly as his comrades die, ...
... middle of paper ...
... It would be unfair to assume that, however, because it is no more provable or disprovable than any of the other theories. The only conclusion we can draw from this discussion of the human condition, therefore, is that there is no solution to its problem for whole of humanity. If people are troubled by the problem, they must adopt a theory for their own belief from those independently suggested by the philosophies and religions of the world. Or, they could turn to another of their own construction. Under this system, each person is individually correct and, as a whole, we should be satisfied with our abilities to cope with the human condition.
Works Cited
1. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990.
2. The Book of Job. Trans. Stephen Mitchell. New York: HarperCollins Publishers,
1992.
3. Plato. The Republic. Trans. Richard W. Sterling and William C. Scott. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 1996.
4. Holy Bible (New International Version). International Bible Society, 1973, 1978,
1984.
5. The Meaning of the Glorious Koran. Trans. Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall.
Chicago: KAZI Publications.
Jesse James was considered a legend of the old west of the mid 1800’s. He made himself a legend from robbing banks, trains, stagecoaches, and more. He supposedly did all of this trying to seek vengeance for the treatment southerners received from Union Soldiers. [History Net]
The gods are always in the background, their presence is always felt. Patroclus is afraid of Thetis, not only because she is immortal but because she is Achilles mother and Patroclus is aware that Thetis does not approve of him in her sons life, “You will be dead soon enough” (pg.54). Patroclus knows he is nothing in the grand scheme of things he is no hero just in love with one that happens to be half god and that love which will eventually take him to the battle field where Apollo drops him from Troy’s walls and find his death at the end of
Acne, is a skin disorder that typically starts when oil and dead skin cells clog up your pores. These clogged pores can go by many names such as; blemishes, whiteheads, pimples, blackheads or zits. Acne is mainly common among teens worldwide. It usually tends to improve through the years. Acne can run in families, noting that if one of your parents had severe acne, you will be more likely to have it also. One of the main and effective ways to control acne, is to keep your skin clean. You should also consider the use of vitamin supplements. Vitamin A is an immensely effective supplement that will help increase blood circulation and increase the amount of collagen production in the skin. Vitamin B is helpful by improving skin cell turnover and...
Taoism is the school of philosophy that stresses on the importance of living harmoniously with the essence of our human nature and the nature that surround us. Taoism follows the principle of Laozi, who is the author of the book called Dao De Jing. Similar to Confucius’s The Analect, Dao De Jing is a guideline to understand the concept of virtue and how path to archive it. The ideology of Taoism is considered the polar opposite of Confucianism. Taoism illustrates the meaning of life through the concept of Dao which translate as "the way". They believed that everything happens naturally in the world, from the changing of the seasons to our nature to grow and change based on our surrounding nature. So in order for an individual to grow and improve themselves over a certain period of time, an individual must not hurry and change based on all the changes happening around them, as it would violate their own nature and steer them down to a wrong path. What that person need to do is to act naturally upon their nature. If no action is required of the individual to change the law of nature, then any action they take will be forced and unnecessary. This is the concept of wei wu-wei, which can be translate as “Action with Non-Action”. An example of wu-wei when Laozi said: “Do not exalt the worthy, so that the people shall not compete. Do not value rare treasures, so that the people shall not steal. Do not display objects
Theories of human nature, as the term would ever so subtly suggest, are at best only individual assertions of the fundamental and intrinsic compositions of mankind, and should be taken as such. Indeed it can be said that these assertions are both many and widespread, and yet too it can be said that there are a select few assertions of the nature of man that rise above others when measured by historical persistence, renown, and overall applicability. These eclectic discourses on the true nature of man have often figured largely in theories of political science, typically functioning as foundational structures to broader claims and arguments. The diversification of these ideological assertions, then, would explain the existence of varying theories
Acne is a skin condition that may occur due to hormonal changes during puberty or even during pregnancy. Some attribute acne to external factors like greasy cosmetics and unhealthy diet. The claims of a person’s diet affecting their acne has not been verified yet. Another popular claim links stress to acne, however, stress does not cause acne but it can contribute to worsen the condition. It is characterized by visible blackheads, pustules, cysts and whiteheads. It can affect any part of the body, like the face, neck, chest, shoulders or back and can occur in people of all age groups. Although, not a dangerous affliction, the people suffering from acne usually are known to have low self-esteem that can sometimes even lead to depression. If not treated properly, it can leave permanent scars on the skin. In some cases, acne can even be painful because of the inflammation in cysts and pimples. It is often advised and recommended to people suffering from acne to avoid touching the affected area to avoid infections which can worsen the matter.
As you can tell, Jesse James was a very famous young man in his time, and he's still quite famous today. Some people said he did all this stuff for money. Others believe that he did this stuff so he would become well known, and obviously, it worked. Some people also say that he was not killed on April 3, 1882. They say he lived on, and there has been some pretty good evidence that he did live on, but we will never truly know. Jesse James gained fame through his criminal ways and remains as an american icon even today.
The gods in power, like Zeus, exhibit bias, dishonor, betrayal, deception, and many other humanly characteristics. One memorable scene is when Zeus and Poseidon are in conflict with each other over the Achaens versus the Trojans. Zeus controls the battle by “lifting the famous runner Achilles’ glory higher,” (Homer 13: 404). Zeus plays both sides in this scene, acting like a double agent which is dishonorable. Zeus’s bias is prevalent throughout the poem; specifically, he is “bent on wiping out the Argives, down to the last man,” (Homer 12: 81-82). Just like mortals such as Agamemnon and Achilles view each other with suspicion and intolerance, the gods experience identical emotions of wariness, anger, and irritation. This human-like behavior is not restricted to Zeus. Later in the text, Hera lies to Aphrodite to use her powers to manipulate her own husband Zeus. If one looks at Hera as a heavenly entity, her reaction may not make sense, but when it is viewed as a manifestation of human emotion, it become almost reasonable. Her scheming response to Zeus’s meddling with the war is spurred by her support for the Trojans. Hera’s manipulation and Aphrodite’s ego don’t stand alone as examples of this divine humanity. These instances suggest that the deities are being presented in this unique way to help explain behavior of the humans in The
Over the thousands of years that the epic story the Iliad has survived, there has no doubt been some form of alteration to Homer’s original. Last May, Wolfgang Petersen directed a movie based on the Iliad. This movie, Troy, has proven to be a very loose adaptation of Homer’s original, as are almost all stories that are made into movies, unfortunately. With its timeless storyline, amazing scenery, gorgeous actors/actresses and most of all, its reported two hundred million dollar budget, it is easy to see why Troy was hyped up to be a box office hit. However, the film critics were harsh on this movie, as they had every right to be, and it ended up being a total flop. Compared to Homer’s Iliad, Troy is rather disappointing. But, to be fair, one must keep in mind the limitations of a movie compared to those of a book, and the fact that the title is Troy, not the Iliad. It really is not as bad as expected. Troy is Homer’s Iliad gone to Hollywood. There probably are just as many similarities as differences from the original. The three major upsetting differences in Troy compared to the Iliad are the absence of the Gods, the weak character and plot development, and the addition, exclusion, and reversal of key points.
As the reader goes through the many books in the Iliad, he or she may notice the battle of immortal versus immortal on Mount Olympus. The gods are introduced in this book as major characters that have taken a side on either Team Trojans or Team Achaeans. Aphrodite, Apollo, and Ares are the main gods on Team Trojans, while Hera and Athena fight for Team Achaeans. Zeus is supposedly neutral, but in book one Thetis approaches Zeus saying, “honor my son Achilles!-doomed to live the shortest life of any man on earth […] grant the Trojans victory […] till the Achaean armies pay my dea...
First off, Achilles talks about how sad he is about the death of Patroclus. Achilles groaned and answered, 'Mother, Olympian Zeus has indeed vouchsafed me the fulfillment of my prayer, but what pleasure is it to me, seeing that my dear comrade Patroclus has fallen—he whom I valued more than all others, and loved as dearly as my own life?
Homer's Iliad is commonly understood as an epic about the Trojan War, but its meaning goes deeper than that. The Iliad is not only a story of the evolution of Achilleus' persona, but at times it is an anti-war epic as well. The final book proposes many questions to the reader. Why not end with the killing of Hektor? Most stories of war conclude with the triumphant victory of good over evil, but in the Iliad, the final thoughts are inclined to the mourning of the defeated Hektor, which accentuates the fact that good has not triumphed over evil, but simply Achilleus triumphed over Hektor. Ending with the mourning of Hektor also brings to center stage for the first time the human side of war and the harsh aftermath of it. We see that war not only brings great glory, but also much suffering and anguish. Homer puts his anti-war views on display.
the Gods in the affairs of humanity is much greater in the Iliad then in the
Homer’s The Iliad: Book XX features a battle between the Trojans and Achaians, shortly after Patroklus’ death (Lattimore Book XVI), where the gods must intervene in order to restrain Achilleus’ destructive nature that becomes amplified due to the grief and wrath as a result of the loss of his cousin/lover. The divine foresaw an early fall of Troy caused by the intensified destructive nature of Achilleus, therefore they interfered in the battle to protect a bigger ideal of fate, a fate of a nation, by manipulating smaller ideals of fate, the fates of people’s lives(Lattimore 405). At the beginning of the battle, after the gods descended from Olympus, they decide to sit and just watch how their mortal teams will fend for themselves until Apollo takes form as Lykoan and coerce Aeneias to challenge Achilleus, thus establishing the first act of divine intervention (Lattimore 406-407). When Achilleus is inches away from killing Aeneias, Poseidon takes sympathy upon him and whisks him off to safety (Lattimore 407-411). The last interference occurs during the confrontation between Hektor and Achilleus, where Achilleus is about to murder him and Apollo saves Hektor (Lattimore 416). Hektor’s rescue in this battle is an important event in the Iliad because Achilleus’ and Hektor’s fates are interrelated, further meaning that if Hektor die...
As more people began to access the Internet through smart phones and tablets rather than laptops and computers, it is not a surprise that they would also want to transform the American education system by bringing tablets into classrooms. In fact, a few schools around the country have already replaced textbooks with tablets and have seen improvements in students’ standardized test scores. Using tablets instead of textbooks is not only convenient and helpful, but it can also reduce the amount of paper wastes in school. However, it is not a good idea to completely transform textbooks with tablets with the current technology, for it can not only be damaging to the environment and costly to set up, but also might not be effective in improving K-12 education in the long run.