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Greek Gods and Goddesses
Greek Gods and Goddesses
Gods of the ancient world
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I selected Atropos (Morta), one of the three fates known as the Moirae and daughters of Zeus and Ananke. Ananke name meant “necessity”, as it is necessary or fated to happen when dealing with her children. The Greek goddess wielded the scissors that decided how each mortal would meet their end. Clotho spun or created the life thread. Lachesis drew the thread to determine the length of life leaving Atopos to with the how and when a life ends.
The myth Atopos was simple she symbolized the end of life. All mortals had a date with death however no one but the fates could determine that time. The myth was their way of admitting that they had no control of when and how they died. There is some dispute as to if the fates controlled mortal
life, i.e. birth, harvest, etc. Accompanying the 6 major goddesses (Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Hestia, Demeter and Artemis) we have the lesser divinities such as the Muses, the Graces, the Fates, etc.
...s Oedipus' fate from when he was an infant. Chance determined the past, yet she could affect the present and the future.
Observation and Interpretation: Throughout the text, fate and the gods are blamed for the cause of the problems, however subsequent choices made later on by the characters appear to be free will, however are actually influenced by fate and the gods. So what? : This makes the audience blame the gods for the overall out come, but still blame the main character for her choices.
A sea nymph, Thetis, was getting married to Peleus, a mortal. All of the gods and goddesses were invited to this great wedding, except Eris, a rather unpopular goddess. When Eris discovered that there was a wedding going on that she had not been invited to she decided to get back at all who went. She decided to roll an apple into the reception of the wedding, but she put an inscription on the apple that intended it for the most beautiful goddess at the wedding. When the apple rolled in and the inscription was read Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all felt that she, respectively, was the most beautiful and should get the apple. All three goddesses begged of the gathered gods to choose, but all of the gods refused to make an enemy of the other two that he did not choose. So finally, someone made the suggestion that the three goddesses should let a mortal choose; Priam's son, Paris, was designated to choose. The goddesses went to him and each begged him to choose her. Hera offered Paris, if he chose her, the chance at infinite wisdom; Athena offered to let him defeat the Achaeans if they went to war; and finally, Aphrodite offered Paris the love of the most beautiful woman in Greece, Helen.
The Iliad, an ancient Greek epic by Homer, recounts the battles and conflicts between the Trojans and Achaians during the ten-year Trojan War. One of the most heroic characters of this epic poem, Hektor, displays so much valor and kloes throughout the war that during the last battle of his life with Achilleus, even Zeus relents and morns over his imminent death. The scene in which Zeus consults the golden scale for the outcome of the fight between Hektor and Achilleus indicates that the golden scale is used to justify the inevitability of divine determination of human fate and to further emphasize Hektor’s honorable characteristic.
In this class one key point kept coming up in the readings for me, and that was fate. Fate is an idea that nothing you do will change your final out come in life. Are we able to truly have free will in the way we live and die? Or is it fate and our life’s outcome is out of our control? Is the characters desire to go against fate what truly lead them to this path? In the readings I was never able to say either way but I lean in favor of fate. My three examples of this are the charters Loki, Odin and Oedipus. These three are said to have been fated on how they live, die and even kill in a way that is predestined.
Some people believe that all of their actions are predetermined; almost as if it is set and stone. On the other hand, others believe that you make your own actions and decisions. The story of Oedipus Rex is one of the best examples for this because Oedipus is faced with the impending truth of his foretold prophecy, but continues to try and avoid it through his own choices. No amount of running and hiding could free him from what he was always going to be condemned to; killing his father and sleeping with his mother. In the end, it was fate that led to his downfall, and fate that controls the lives of people.
Grant, Michael, and John Hazel. "Athena." Gods and Mortals in Classical Mythology. Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam, 1973. Print.
Fate is the belief that a person's life is being controlled by destiny while free will is the belief that a person's life is being controlled by themselves where they choose how to live their life and without an external force. Although this topic has divided people for many centuries, many famous poets and authors have used this to their advantage. One example of fate versus free will is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus Rex should be considered to be categorized as a free will drama because of several events that happen that shows Oedipus free will, such as the example of the messenger telling Jocasta the good news, 2“MESSENGER: The people of Isthmus will choose Oedipus to be their king. That is the rumor there.” (1061-1062) The Messenger
Matthaei, Louise E. “The Fates, the Gods, and the Freedom of Man's Will in the Aeneid.” The
Throughout Greek literature, fate is a predominant theme. Characters often feel that their actions have little meaning because their fate is already predetermined. In The Iliad and Oedipus the King, Achilles and Oedipus have received oracles that reveal their fate. However, Achilles and Oedipus react in drastically different ways to their fate. Ultimately, though, fate and their reactions lead to their downfall.
The Fates are also an important part of Greek culture. Usually they are depicted as three horrid old ladies who share one eye with which they see the future. They also are seen tending to so-called “threads of life.” Each time they cut a thread, another soul goes to the underworld. This portrayal of the Fates can also be related to the “Measurer” in “Caedmon’s Hymn.”
To view the links that are instilled between mortals, immortals, and fate in The Iliad, it is worthwhile to examine each on its own to observe how they connect. The characteristics of the three are inherently unique in relation to each other, though in some areas there is overlap. Man is defined as a mortal, someone who can die from old age and disease. Products from mortal and immortal procreation, such as the hero Achilles, fall into a sort of category all their own, but Achilles himself suggests that he would die from old age if he were to return home (9:502-505). In this weakness of the flesh they differ from the immortal gods, who cannot die from natural causes. Nevertheless, the gods share the imperfections of man: disloyalty, deceit, anger, and even lust. They see themselves as above man, and yet their actions are often as selfi...
This research essay will be about the myth Oedipus the King. Even Oedipus can possibly change his fate, but he still leads himself to the destruction due to his arrogant and stubbornness. There are so many things Oedipus can possibly do differently to avoid fulfilling the prophecy of the oracle. The story of Oedipus can apply to our everyday lives in many ways. Life is a long chess game and our opponent is the ruthless fate. Some of us think twice, maybe even three times more before we make our moves. Some of us make the moves without taking a look.
When faced with the possibility of dying in war, Polynices, son of Oedipus, stoically replies, “That must be as Fate decides,” (OC, page 115). But is the future entirely up to fate? Do individuals have freedom in their destinies? Such questions have puzzled humans for millennia, and the playwrights of Ancient Greece are no exception. Three tragedians in particular, Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides, use their works to answer this great question of the cosmos.