Zeus and Agamemnon are both very authoritative figures, but what really separates the two and their styles of rule (ruling/ control/ choose another word.) is Zeus’ ability to consult and reason with others. Zeus rarely makes major decisions without consulting the other Olympian Gods and without the consideration of their feelings and opinions, while Agamemnon believes he has the right to do whatever he pleases and generally disregards the opinions of others, regardless of their status.( THIS IS A LIL TO LONG) Zeus’ respect (proper english/ The respect Zeus' displays) for his fellow Olympians is very much what separates him from Agamemnon, who acts is(weird phrasing) self interest a vast majority of the time. Agamemnon makes it clear to those around him that he is of higher status and therefore his words and actions should be honoured and valued greater to any inferior to him.
(YOU NEED TRANSITION WORDS LIKE, IN ADDITION, ALSO, MOREOVER, THUS, HOWEVER, ON THE OTHER HAND, FORTUNATLEY, I probually have to many in mine but you need some in yours just a lil)
As respective leaders of their societies, Zeus and Agamemnon are often put in positions of making critical decisions that affect more than the likes of themselves. Zeus who although may act in self-interest some of time, generally makes decisions of justice and fairness that overall satisfy his fellow Olympians. (Book 20. 22-32; pg. 426-427) Zeus respects his fellow Olympians and holds a fair level of value to their feelings and opinions. When Zeus had known the fate of (his) son Sarpadon he very much struggled with the decision whether or not he should intervene to save(d) his son’s life, (you could put a period an then say On the other hand, after consulting …. its a lil long)...
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...r of Olympians (Athena, Apollo, Ares, Aphrodite, etc.) intervened with the Trojan War, that was angered Zeus and called forth a council of Olympians, heeding that all gods and goddesses stop interfering with the Trojan War and those that disobey him shall be sent to the pits of Tartarus. (Book 8, pg. 200-201)
Agamemnon also uses bribery as a secondary incentive, when punishment cannot be effective in achieving his task. Evident in book 9, as he offers many gifts to Achilles in return that Achilles subside his anger and rejoin battle along side of the Achaeans. Zeus doesn’t try to bribe the other Olympians, but instead respects and consults with them and appeals to their sense of justice and reason. This ultimately is what sets Zeus and his style of rule apart from Agamemnon, who doesn’t look to others for council or help when making major decisions, unlike Zeus.
Hector, acting on Helenus’ advice, told the Trojan women to make offerings to Athena, hoping she’d pity them and thus stop Diomedes from massacring any more of his soldiers.
There is no doubt in mythology that the king of gods, Zeus, is the most supreme and powerful, ruling the sky. He controls the thunderbolt, a symbol of power feared by both gods and mortals. The Greeks and Romans honored Zeus above all other gods. He is without mistake, the god of all gods. Their stories of Zeus are plenty; his designs have molded mythology from his birth. Zeus' victory in outwitting his intelligent wife, Metis, by swallowing her pregnant, was the gateway used by the Greeks and Romans to show Zeus as the greatest god to come since his father and grandfather. However, as the stories of the gods and goddesses unfold, the Greeks and Roman's interpretation of Zeus' characteristics are different. Zeus is always upheld as the king of gods, but his other personal attributes to his godly rein are conflicting. Zeus' characteristics of fearfulness of female deities, cunningness and use of trickery, and lust in Ovid's Metamorphoses compared to the Theogony are opposed due to Hesiod's true respect of Zeus versus Ovid's lack of respect of Jupiter in Roman mythology.
Aeschylus' The Oresteia features two characters burdened by seemingly hopeless decisions. First is Agamemnon, king of Argos, whose army was thwarted by the goddess, Artemis. Agamemnon was faced with the decision to call off the army's sail to Troy, and thus admit defeat and embarrassment, or to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to satisfy Artemis whom had stopped the winds to delay Agamemnon's fleet. Second is Orestes, son of Agamemnon, who was given the choice by Apollo to avenge his father's murder, thus committing matricide, or face a series of torturous consequences. Although both Agamemnon and Orestes were faced with major dilemmas, their intentions and their characters are revealed through their actions to be markedly different.
This opinion is made fact among the mortals when Nestor reminds Diomedes that, “no man can beat back the purpose of Zeus, not even one very strong, since Zeus is by far the greater,” (8.143-44). With their tremendous power, a god may even find it baffling that they are also affected by the troubles of men. In The Iliad, the immortals can be viewed in two ways: 1) Immortals manipulate mortals on a whim. 2) The immortals are the embodiment of ideals. In the first view, the gods treat mortals as a sort of entertainment just to pass time in their immortal lives. With this mindset, the gods may be surprised when they too are affected by their actions. A manipulator is so used to changing the lives of others that they are often clueless on how to react to a direct change. In the second view, if the gods were just manifestations of human desires, then they would not react well with change, otherwise their identities would change as well. The gods are so accustomed to having power that they forget that they too are subject to the
Odysseus and Agamemnon are heroes who fought side by side to take down the city of Troy during the Trojan War. In Homer’s The Odyssey, why is Agamemnon slaughtered when he arrives home while Odysseus returns to find his loved ones still waiting for him? The reasons for the heroes’ differing fates are the nature of their homecoming and the loyalty of their wives.
As I said before, Zeus is the father of all gods and humans. He represents the idea of an independent moral code that all humans and immortals must obey. If any god or mortal did not follow this moral code, Zeus would enforce justice and watch over the punishment of the wrongdoers (Cunningham and Reich 33). Although Zeus is known for representing a moral code, Zeus’ behavior was far from moral. “Zeus was subject to pleasure, pain, grief, and anger, but he was most susceptible to the power of Eros – love, which often got the objects of his desire in a lot of trouble with his wife, Hera. Zeus wa...
Based on the description of the mighty Olympian gods and goddesses in the articles by Royal Mint Publishing Zeus ruled over all the Olympic gods, and he is also the god of thunder, heavens and lightning. Poseidon is the God of earthquakes and the sea. Hades is considered King of the Underworld and God of the Dead. Hera Goddess of marriage, women, and goddesses, she was also the wife of Zeus. Hestia is the Greek goddess of the home and fertility. Ares, he is the God that causes chaos in wars. Athena Goddess of wisdom, poetry, art, and the strategic side of war. Apollo is considered the God of the sun, music, healing, and herding. Aphrodite is the Goddess of love and beauty. Artemis is the Goddess of the moon, hunting, a...
It seems appropriate to start with the head of the Greek army, Agamemnon. Agamemnon displays great arrogance (hubris, if you will) by forcefully taking Breseis from Achilleus. This action leads to Achilleus refusing to fight and almost costing the Greeks the war. Eventually, Agamemnon apologizes and Achilleus rejoins the fighting. Yet, even when apologizing Agamemnon refuses to accept any blame for his actions. Instead, Agamemnon claims that it was not his fault because Zeus made him crazy. Since Achilleus does rejoin the fighting and Agamemnon does not take blame for his actions, Achilleus’ brief lapse from the fighting is insufficient justice for Agamemnon’s arrogance. The justice for Agamemnon’s arrogance will be discussed a below.
Since he is the king of all gods, it is only right he calls the shots. He has the power to call anyone to his will. One of example of this is when he decides to help Odysseus return home. He tells Hermes “Announce to the nymph with lovely braids our fixed decree: Odysseus journeys home, the exile must return home” (Lines 34-35). Zeus’s word is final. When told it is from the king god himself, the nymph does as she is told. This shows how powerful Zeus and his word is. Also it displays that if Zeus wants it done, it shall be done. Zeus helps Odysseus gets a jump-start to returning home by helping him get released off Calypso’s island. Another scene where Zeus holds the fate of more characters is when Poseidon wants to attack Odysseus. Zeus says to him “Here’s what seems best to me. As the people all lean down from the city’s heights to watch her speeding home, strike her into a rock that looks like a racing vessel, just offshore, amaze all of your men with a marvel for the ages. Then pile your huge mountains round about their port” (Lines 175-180 Book 13). He gives a Poseidon a detailed plan on how to punish his own people. This determines the fate amongst the men on the boat, sending is his second act saving the main character of the story. It might be safe to say that Zeus has a soft spot the
The suspected start of the war- over the abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta- was caused entirely by a godly conflict over who was the most beautiful- Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, was selected to judge. He chose Aphro...
Having Agamemnon away at war for so long left Clytemnestra lonely and longing for his return as did many others who thought order had been lost since his departure. And naturally, as she is second in command when he is present, she is head honcho while he is absent. “That woman—she maneuvers like a man” (Aeschylus 13). When comparing Agamemnon and Clytemnestra together they can be on two separate scales. When seen from the outside it is obvious the Agamemnon wears the pants in the house, yet in the dialogues between the two, Agamemnon easily bows to the words of Clytemnestra which tosses up the question of who is really governing Argos. She takes things upon herself to make Agamemnon appear more of a king than he would be without her “aid.” For examp...
In Aeschylus’ The Agamemnon, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra have to make tough decisions throughout the play, decisions they believe are justified. The actions of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra are not justified because they are caused by their blinding hubris and desire for power. Agamemnon makes the choice to kill his daughter just so he could lead his troops to Troy. Clytemnestra kills her husband, not just for revenge, but for his position and power as king of Mycenae. They make selfish choices and do not believe they will be punished for them. By exposing their true motives, Aeschylus makes it clear they are not justified in their actions.
In the conflict with Agamemnon over Briseïs, Achilles argued for individual rights and for reward by merit while Agamemnon clung to his higher rank. Achilles appears to be in the right but there are other considerations. Church teachings provide a perspective:
Clatter then tells him that Apollo is mad at Agamemnon and that he will only stop when the daughter of Chryses with sparkling eyes is returned. Agamemnon is enraged by the news saying that he holds the daughter to a very high standard, even higher than his wife, and that the seer is always negative towards him and that his prize is being snatched away. Achilles offered to return the girl and the army would repay him 3 to 4 times over and that maybe one day Zeus would reward him again. Agamemnon decides to gather a ship and oarsmen with the girl in tow. Achilles then goes on a rant about how Agamemnon is greedy and selfish and how he always takes the majority of whatever they receive. Agamemnon said that he didn’t need them if they didn’t want to be there. Achilles then drew his sword to kill Agamemnon, but Athena stopped him and said that Hera said she cared for both men and that if Achilles didn’t hurt nor threat Agamemnon that he would one day be rewarded three fold. Achilles responds by becoming very angry. Pylons begged for there to be no fighting and told Agamemnon to give
The two leader’s characteristics unfold where it seems as though Agamemnon cares more about power and wants something that was supposed to be given to him whereas Achilles is way more likely to choose honour over anything because at the end of the Iliad Achilles did not take the death of his dear friend Patroclus and he was not happy when his friend passed away and found out who did it. Agamemnon views his honour is greater than any army, but Achilles states “wrapped in shamelessness, with your mind forever on profit” (Homer, Iliad 1.149) proving how Agamemnon seems to always think about himself before others . The only aspect that these two leaders agree on is that honour can be received through women. They believe honour can be received through women because it is a sign of power and status. Agamemnon goes out of his way to ask for Brisesis because the lady that he received in war Chryseis was taken away. Honour was a very important factor for both of these men as they made sure that their one source of honour through a maiden was not