They are allowed to interfere with humans in certain ways to certain extents, they have rules, and by punishing/rewarding humans, they create an order of morals/hierarchy so they serve a purpose as well. This presentation of the gods reveals that the Greeks see them as powerful, smarter, and "magically" significant beings. I think that the story shows that they see the Gods to be like us, but with power and authority.
The Greeks could have been punished by a natural disaster or an unleashed evil from the underworld. Zeus’s power was so influential as described by Hesiod, “for easily he makes them strong and easily he brings them low” (Works and Days lines 3-7). The fear of Zeus’s strong authority and ability to induce these terrors on the Greeks must have played a strong role in how they responded to Zeus’s sexual escapades. In addition, aside from their religion the Greeks, as humans, recognize the realistic quality of their lives and are aware of the uncertainty they endure. Despite their optimism they are cautious of, “ the horrible disasters that a vindictive god or fate may dispense at any moment” (MLS p. 141), which are quite possible concerns for the mortals.
There were many Gods and Goddesses that appeared in stories told to. children. One story would be how Zeus lived as the only sibling to have not been swallowed by his father and the war between the Gods and the Titans. As a child “Zeus was tended by gentle nymphs and was nursed by the fairy goat Amaltheia” As Zeus got older, he saved his siblings and defeated his father making him the ruler of the Universe and the Titans didn't like that. They revolted leading to a war between Gods and Titans.
Characterized as capricious, selfish, and often comical, the Greek gods and goddesses hardly served as moral precedents, as can be seen through Zeus’ various exploits and Ares’ violent and cruel tendencies (Whitmarsh 31-32). To this end, the Greek gods and goddesses served as symbolic manifestations of all aspects of humanity, embodying the urges, ingenuity, hardships, and faults of all people (31). Consequently, the Greek people tended to criticize divine elements in Homer’s and Hesiod’s works, undermining, questioning, and even parodying the adventures of the heroes (36). A significant instance of this can be found within the writings of Palaephatus, a skeptical Athenian. Regarding the mythological creatures known as centaurs, Palaephatus writes, “... it is impossible.
Mythology Assessment Tales of Greek mythology often bear lessons to be learned within their stories. Much wisdom is shared from taking the fantastical mythologies and analyzing the true meanings behind them. A modern audience can find great moral guides through these myths. A notable myth, and a favorite of mine, is the tale of Athena and her confrontation with Arachne. The gods do not settle well at the thought of another being, especially a mortal, doing well at their own skills.
For centuries, mortals have scoffed at the actions of the gods, often comparing them to little children arguing over toys. As Honer states, “We men are wretched things.” (Homer) However, what humans fail to realize, is exactly how similar the actions of the immortals are to that of man. The concept that allows readers and audiences to relate to the gods so fully is the fact that they are so similar to humans.
Mythology is the collection of myths that denotes commonly cultural and religious beliefs of ancient human beings. The elements of it were usually the involvement of god, goddess and heroes. In addition, it was based on a man’s desire, beliefs and ideas. It also told the natural occurrence and its main purpose was to teach people moral lessons. One of the example of Greek mythology is the divine hero of ancient Greece his name was Heracles, but people knew him as Hercules.
The relationships between the Greek gods and mortals have always been complicated. The gods can be generous and supportive, but also harsh and destructive towards the humans. They claim to be all powerful beings with unlimited power and influence, but in truth, they are far more human than they are perceived. They meddle with human lives, not because they are wise, but because of their own selfish reasons. In Homer’s
In the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Odyssey” by Homer, all the gods are portrayed as being very near, and having a very close relationship with the mortals. The authors showed this through their interactions, even though each epic portrayed a unique mode of interaction between the gods and the mortals. For instance, in the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” this interactions are mostly indirect, whereas in Homer’s Odyssey, they are direct. Another thing the authors tried to show is that the gods are limited in their powers, at least some of them. The authors portrayed this through the gods favoring or disfavoring certain mortals.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh interrelationships between the humans and gods are not what we are used to in most modern monotheistic societies. Perhaps the greatest difference between the power of humans and gods is when Gilgamesh is referred to as “Two-thirds of him was divine, one-third of him was human!” (39) as this reveals Gilgamesh to be the son of Lugalbanda the former king and the goddess Ninsun. This would indicate that the line between human and god is an extremely thin one and thus gods cannot and are not that vastly different from their human counterparts. Indeed, throughout the journey of Gilgamesh we are confronted by gods and goddesses who are similar to humans in their desires and means of achieving them.
Despite this, he was unable to appease Zeus' wrath and was ultimately punished with heavy shackles. The power relationships between gods and humans are highlighted in this story, as is the notion that not even the most cunning man can defy the gods. They are said to be the origin of terrible races and tribes that greatly trouble mortal men, particularly in terms of their financial burden and the woes that marriage brings. According to mythology, Zeus created women as evil to counteract the advantages that Prometheus had bestowed upon humans through the gift of fire. Men are presented as having to choose between getting married and experiencing never-ending grief or being single and living a lonely old age.
These almighty figures are the world’s greatest thing because they never harm humans, they don’t desire sexual needs from mortals, and they don’t expect endless gifts and sacrifices. According to the Christian bible, one of the most despicable acts a person can indulge in is adultery and lust, but when analyzing the poem, we can see that many Greek gods and goddesses partake in this shameful behavior. The eagerness of lust that Greek gods and goddesses experience humanizes them, making them closer to
The Resemblance of Gods and Humans Throughout all religions, gods have always been seen as superior in every way possible. The division between humans and gods has always been prevalent and prominent. However, when the actions and motives of these gods are truly analyzed, it will become evident that the gods of Greek Mythology merely behave as humans with supernatural powers.
Like in other myths we have studied, the Greek creation story indicates it originated from chaos, a yawning void. Additionally, floods are also a similarity, as they were mentioned in previous myths, like in the Chinese and Middle Eastern myths. I also think that in many of the myths, there are also indications of gods making sacrifices for humanity, such as Prometheus giving humans fire and having to pay the consequence of being tortured for thousands of years by having his liver pecked at and regrown constantly. The biggest difference is that many of these myths discussed in this section had more human involvement than in previous sections. There seemed to be more focus about how the gods interacted and treated the humans.
The Iliad, written by Homer, is an ancient Greek epic about the Trojan War, which the divine certainly influences. Unlike how most gods might act or behave in books nowadays, the gods in the Iliad share some uncommon traits. For example helping their favorite morals, the idea of justice and harmony is surely excluded in the portrayal of Greek gods. The divine in the Iliad are characterized as very emotional and somewhat manipulative. Regardless of what occurs, it 's all the doing of the gods.
