The Odyssey

The relationship between the gods and mortals of ancient Greece is one of the most interesting topics to analyze. These gods watch over their favorite mortals, meddle in their business, and have love affairs with them. At times selfish and conniving, the gods often appear to be as flawed as the humans who worship them are. There is, however, still a distinct separation between deity and mortal. From the evidence I have seen in The Iliad, I believe that this distinction is based on something I call a god-like trait.

Under Zeus’s rule, Prometheus stole fire and then gave this element to humans, thereby upsetting the existing paradigm Zeus ruled. Zeus is a “tyrant” who trusts not his “family or friends”. Prometheus insightfully recognizes that Zeus’s leadership is tyrannical. While Ocean agrees with Prometheus’s assessment of Zeus as he says “our king’s a harsh one, and his rule unchecked” but at the same time there are other characters who do not hold this same opinion. Hephaestus for one, is unable to support Prometheus’s lamentation about Zeus’s excessive power and so does Hermes, son of Zeus, owing to his family loyalty.

Socrates, although sentenced to death, can have no evil occur to him because he is a good man protected by the gods. Socrates' idea that a good ma... ... middle of paper ... ...ape, Socrates produces another excuse to be sentenced to death. Plato's The Apology serves as a way to examine ourselves and promotes us to question in the pursuit of enhancing our lives. To harm others is worse than to be harmed ourselves, damaging our souls verses damaging our physical beings. In order to live a good life, it is important that we reflect on our lives to avoid a life of ignorance.

They are lucky because they did not think of the consequences but somehow the ending ends in their favor. Also, lucky makes one think of the person not doing anything, but having good things happen to them, though they do not deserve it. Akhilleus is also portrayed as arrogant because Odysseus tells Akhilleus that they, “ranked…[him] with the immortals in… [his] lifetime” (201, 11.571). The Greek gods are the immortals, all the people respect and fear them, if one were to not obey them, one would be tortured and die. This makes the gods appear to be arrogant because they think their word is law.

Whether it be respect, fame, or power, they are our modern day gods. They do not answer to the same laws that we do. They can afford the best lawyers and can afford not to fear police. It is almost accepted that they are exempt from they law because of the services they provide or the roles they play in our lives. Ovid’s gods were no omniscient beings who could do no wrong, often their misgivings led to real human tragedy.

The agreement is made between those who were prosperous and unprosperous because of the effects of injustice and the people that encounter both. Glaucon describes that justice is the favorable midway between the two serious forms of injustice. He ends his first argument by saying that individuals support justice because they have to, and not voluntarily. Glaucon’s second part of his argument, he says that no one does the right thing by choice, we do the right... ... middle of paper ... ...ll not come back to haunt them. Glaucon’s three examples prefer injustice, and he gives examples of the acceptance of injustice over justice.

So while pleasure and happiness is natural for us so is fear and anxiety. But perhaps this was why Epicurus felt the gods were beings of unlimited happiness and not humans. So that we do work to be like the gods, we cannot truly be like them. People must learn that happiness is being able to deal with our anxieties rather than try and forget them. Acknowledging what makes you anxious and try and control it rather than think it can be fully rid of, because not all anxieties can be fully ridded of.

First, there direct contact between the mortal, Paris, and the goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. This would be an example of the human condition where humans are competitive and selfish. Although the human condition is amplified to an extreme when Paris’ pick sparked the Trojan War, which resulted in the fall of Troy (Lecture, Feb. 17). Secondly, Greeks specifically have influence when it comes to which Greek God they sacrifice to. Poseidon complains to Zeus and speaks of his embarrassment at the fact that mortals are no longer under his wrath or consequences since Odysseus was able to make it home safe.

If you were a favorite of a god, like Odysseus, you had the gods by your side, willing to help you whenever you have problems. Zeus and Hermes are gods that are more or less neutral when it comes to the humans, but, at the same time, lean to the side of the humans when the subject arises. Zeus is sympathetic to the mortals below him and, since he is the almighty leader of the gods, he makes it so the humans have the edge. He lets the other gods help the humans, such as letting Athena help Odysseus in his journey. Hermes also has a very neutral approach to the humans, but he helps them when he can.

Moreover, as pre... ... middle of paper ... ...h Oedipus was of noble and genuine character, evoked pity from the audience, and possessed a “tragic flaw,” this does not immediately suggest that Oedipus is a tragic hero. Oedipus’ downfall was not a result of his “tragic flaw,” but rather the sole authority of the gods. Upon closer examination, one discovers that even though fate seemed to determine Oedipus’ life, he did have free will. It was this free will, which allowed him to make certain choices in hopes of preventing the ultimate authority of the gods, that eventually led to his suffering and brought the prophecy of the oracle to life. Works Cited Sophocles.