...The Gods of Hospitality in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey In Homer’s the Iliad and the Odyssey, much is made of hospitality as a recurring theme. In Ancient Greece the gods demand it. The nature and extent to which society today follows in that tradition has changed in form only, but not in substance. Food, shelter and protection of strangers from cultural norms of today, as the people of Ancient Greece were more inclined to take in strangers worn weary by travel. In the Iliad, the reader sees that in times of war, hospitality is provided to even the enemy. Housing strangers in one’s home was very common then, as many weary travelers trod by foot or sailed by boat to reach far-off destinations, making stops along the way. Moreover, since the Greeks believed the gods walked the earth amongst them, then turning down a travelers request, could mean rejecting a god masked from view. The Greeks took no chances in this regard; and with only a few exceptions, Homer’s literary characters comply with this religious doctrine and cultural norm. Hospitality in Ancient Greece, as portrayed by Homer, accounts, in part, for their longstanding world dominance and aligns itself in many ways with the Christianity enjoyed by many peace-loving nations of today. The guest-host relationship in both The Iliad and The Odyssey remain constant, the differences between the two dependent only on the differing circumstances posed by each tale (Biggs, Joseph, Schrodt & Dustan, n.d.) Today, America’s...
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...his foremost works, The Iliad, reflects this. Nearly all of the Greek gods are involved in the outcome of the Trojan War, which happens to be the background story of this epic poem. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. Evidently, the gods will be a powerful source of divine intervention and their actions certainly have significant outcomes on the Trojan War, and more importantly, the story of The Iliad. Zeus, very untypical of a Greek god in his lack of involvement in the Trojan War for selfish reasons, was portrayed as the father figure, being impartial and fair to both sides of the war. He remains this way to serve as a check for the other god's involvement in the war. Without the presence of fate controlling the inner circle of Olympus, it is likely that the activity of the Trojan War would have become chaotic, possibly even becoming a playground of war for the gods. The power of fate, above all of the other gods combined, is a power that not even divine intervention can prevent. This theme of fate and how it controls the god’s actions is quite befitting to the storyline of The Iliad. The Iliad, in essence, recounts the story of part of the tenth year of the Trojan War. It recounts of the anger of Achilles, the greatest warrior present at Troy, and of the background battle that is ensuing. The reoccurring theme in the Iliad is that no matter whom the character is, god or human, they are bound to their fate, and it is the gods who must be the...
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...of the Gods in the Iliad In the era of Homer, divine intervention was thought to be typical, and one of his foremost works, The Iliad, reflects this. Nearly all of the Greek gods are involved in the outcome of the Trojan War, which happens to be the background story of this epic poem. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. Evidently, the gods will be a powerful source of divine intervention and their actions certainly have significant outcomes on the Trojan War, and more importantly, the story of The Iliad. Zeus, very untypical of a Greek god in his lack of involvement in the Trojan War for selfish reasons, was portrayed as the father figure, being impartial and fair to both sides of the war. He remains this way to serve as a check for the other god's involvement in the war. Without the presence of fate controlling the inner circle of Olympus, it is likely that the activity of the Trojan War would have become chaotic, possibly even becoming a playground of war for the gods. The power of fate, above all of the other gods combined, is a power that not even divine intervention can prevent. This theme of fate and how it controls the god’s actions is quite befitting to the storyline of The Iliad. The Iliad, in essence, recounts the story of part of the tenth year of the Trojan War. It recounts of the anger of Achilles, the greatest warrior present at Troy, and of the background battle that is ensuing. The reoccurring theme in the Iliad is that...
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...introduced to the Iliad as no more then a friend of Achilles but dies as one of the great Achaean heroes of the Trojan war. Like many Greek Heroes it is because he dies that he achieves his heroism in the eyes of the ancient Greeks. His death leads to him being immortalized within the pages of the Iliad along side the likes of Achilles, Hector and Ajax. Patroclus death comes in the 16th book of the Illiad and with his final moments being an exchange of words between him and his killer Hector of Troy (Iliad,16.870-897). The exchange between Hector and Patroclus is one where heroes mock each other explaining why the other one is the fool. Before death takes Patroclus from the world he is given a gift, he is able to see into the future and gaze at the death of Hector. This is a privilege not granted to many heroes even Hector the greatest of all the Trojans is not granted this when Achilles forces him to Hades. Patroclus achieved what all heroes want a glorious death. Death on the battlefield is what a great shoulder need in order to instill his name into history. Even Achilles the greatest of the Greeks was told that he would be forgotten if he did not fight and die in the Trojan war. Through his death Patrolclus was able to achieve his heroism, as he went into battle knowing that he could die, wearing Achilles armour and was even fool people into thinking that he was Achilles. In the end a great death is the only sure way to become a hero in ancient Greece. The Iliad began with Achilles...
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...of the Gods in the Iliad In the era of Homer, divine intervention was thought to be typical, and one of his foremost works, The Iliad, reflects this. Nearly all of the Greek gods are involved in the outcome of the Trojan War, which happens to be the background story of this epic poem. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. Evidently, the gods will be a powerful source of divine intervention and their actions certainly have significant outcomes on the Trojan War, and more importantly, the story of The Iliad. Zeus, very untypical of a Greek god in his lack of involvement in the Trojan War for selfish reasons, was portrayed as the father figure, being impartial and fair to both sides of the war. He remains this way to serve as a check for the other god's involvement in the war. Without the presence of fate controlling the inner circle of Olympus, it is likely that the activity of the Trojan War would have become chaotic, possibly even becoming a playground of war for the gods. The power of fate, above all of the other gods combined, is a power that not even divine intervention can prevent. This theme of fate and how it controls the god’s actions is quite befitting to the storyline of The Iliad. The Iliad, in essence, recounts the story of part of the tenth year of the Trojan War. It recounts of the anger of Achilles, the greatest warrior present at Troy, and of the background battle that is ensuing. The reoccurring theme in the Iliad is that...
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...and courage are depicted in such text. The story of the Iliad by Homer describes fifty latter days at the Trojan War. The book is a classical epic poem that vividly describes brass armaments and mortal blows in combat. It also glorifies battle, violence, bloodshed, relates vicissitudes of fortune and the prominence of god intervention in human affairs. The book is a great war book in a sense that the story takes place in a war environment, it has leaders, heroes, who demonstrate courage throughout the book. A-Presence of a war For a Great War text to exist, it must be a war. There was definitely a war in the Iliad by Homer: the Trojan. This War began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta, spouse of King Menelaus, by the Trojan prince Paris. This was an insult to the king. Then all the Achaeans (Greeks) got together to fight the Trojans in order to take Helen back from the Trojans. Everything started because of a selfish act from Paris. Nine years of war, thousands of people dead from both sides, just because one person decides to please himself, regardless of the consequences. War is described in a complex way by Homer. On one hand he is condemning the war by painting a very morbid and perverse image of it. Indeed, Homer starts the Iliad by describing all the pain felt by the Achaeans and the deaths, of thousands of men in the war, as a result of Achilles’ anger who refuses to fight for the Greeks any further because insulted by Agamemnon who took his...
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...| The Evolution of Historiography in Greek Society | American Public University August 3, 2014 Rena Reynolds HIST501 Summer 2014 Although at first Greek historians had difficulties grasping the concepts of time and that ideas of the past could influence those of the present, through trial and error the development of Greek chronology help achieve the documentation of the Greek experience. Greek historians grew from works of fiction with some historical significance to the systematic study of people and culture as their society progressed through wars and cultural change. War is a universal experience which has occurred since the birth of the human race. It is also the muse of historians around the world. In early Greek society war provided a gateway to heroes, glory, and gods. The famous Trojan War described in Homer’s Iliad epic gave descriptions of Achilles, Hector, Paris and Helen of Troy which were intertwined with the gods Athena, Apollo and Hephaestus. Homer entertained the populace with the “actions of gods and the deed, passions, glories, and defeats of a few heroes,” but also cataloged a few historical significant items. Subsequent the Great Persian War (in 490 and 480/79 BC) inspired Herodotus in writing his Histories migrating from heroes and gods to a more common cultural history. His descriptions still held a dramatic flair which was pleasing to the populace but held a more chronological account of events. Following the Great Persian War was the Peloponnesian...
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...passage from the Iliad Chryses is pleading with Agamemnon to release his daughter. He blesses the Greeks by saying ‘may the gods on Olympus grant you wipe out Troy’s city, and then return home safe” (20). This lines shows that Chryses believes that through his prayer to the gods that it will give the Greeks the advantage against Troy. The people of this time believed that the gods held their fates in their hands and the way to ensure a good outcome was through prayer and offerings. They felt that through theirs prayers and offerings that they could appease the gods enough to get them to do what they needed. There was some reverence for the gods and also a great deal of fear. They understood that the gods could do good things for you as well as cause you hardship. After Agamemnon’s refusal to release Chryeis and his threat of harm, Chryses goes to the god Apollo first with compliments, “god with the silver bow, protector of Chryse… mighty lord of Tenedos” (39) and then with an ultimatum showing his devotion and faithful service, “if I have ever pleased you … or burned bones for you.. grant my prayer” (42). Apollo hears this prayer and was enraged and came down from Olympus and first destroyed the mules and dogs and then shot at the troops. One of the first lines of piece says “angry with Agamemnon , he (Apollo) cast plague down onto the troops” (11). This passage shows that they believed that the prayer of Chryses caused Apollo to cast a plague upon the Greek troops. This shows...
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...and cultures are often reflected in the literature of the time. Homers epic poem, The Iliad is no different, it is a source for us today to obtain an idea of how the people of Ancient Greece thought and lived. The Iliad is more than a poem about the Trojan War; it is a poem about life, death, struggle, and traditions. The Iliad today is knows as the greatest epic in western civilization. Historians know very little about this time in Greek history and even less about its people. The poem is used to explain, how dark-age Greece peoples understood and thought about the collapse of this great civilization before them that left ruins and artifacts all around Greece. I will argue that The Iliad demonstrated that the people in Greece during the dark ages rejected and Trojan system, politically, economically, and socially. I will also argue that the idea of Greek Unity was seen as an important aspect for dark-age Greece. Throughout the Iliad there is a common theme of us v. them, the Greeks v. Trojans, this mindset gives insight into how dark age Greeks see the war. It creates a comparison of differences between the two civilizations. Culturally they are the same believe in the same gods, have the same ideals but something keeps the Trojans from being Greek, from being accepted. Troy represents a prosperous state politically, economically, and socially they are unified as Trojans. While the Greeks are seen as warriors and loosely unified, independent yet strong as a whole. These differences...
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...to do very unwise things. The Iliad is another epic poem written by Homer entertaining us with a story about Achilles. Achilles was the greatest warrior in the Achaean army. The most significant flaw of Achilles is his excessive pride. He is willing to subvert the good of the whole army and to endanger the lives of those who are closest to him to achieve emotional blackmail. The plot of the Odyssey is Odysseus’ 10 year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mythical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus fight off suitors or fakers trying to steal Penelope's hand from Odysseus and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. The Odyssey ends with Odysseus winning a contest to prove his identity, killing the suitors, and retaking the throne of Ithaca for himself. The plot of the Iliad is about the final year of the Trojan War, a conflict in which Greek warriors sailed the Aegean (Turkey) and surrounded the fortress of Troy for ten years, three millennia ago. The plot also includes the greek hero...
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...two of the greatest epics in world literature, The Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as several hymns to the gods. The content, ideals, and style of his epics formed the basis of Greek education in the classical age of Socrates, Plato, Sophocles, and Aristotle and influenced the course of western literature for centuries to come. .......The Iliad and The Odyssey stand as two of the greatest works ever composed. They have influenced writers throughout the ages for the beauty and power of their imagery, for their character development, for the universality of their themes, and for their extraordinary stories. They take their place alongside the Bible, Sophocles’ Oedipus the Rex, Dante’s The Divine Comedy, Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Tolstoy’s War and Peace as among the most popular and most highly praised literary works in history. Remarkably, Homer had no authors to imitate, no prototypical literature to guide him, for literature—indeed, civilization itself—was still in its infancy when he composed his works. He was the world's first great writer, a model for others to imitate. .......Scholars conjecture from scraps of evidence that Homer was a blind poet who may have been born on the island of Chios (also spelled in English as Khios) in the Aegean Sea; in Smyrna, a seaport in western Turkey; in Colophon, near Ephesus, Turkey; on Rhodes, an Aegean island; in Salamis, Cyprus; or in Athens or Argos on the Greek mainland. Because of the dearth of information about...
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...Shanera Hankins Professor Ramsey HIST 1110-006 28 October 2014 The Iliad The epic poem The Iliad by Homer is centered around the time of the Trojan War. The poem retells the battles and fights of the Troy and Greek states amid the assault of Troy. The poem concentrates on the fights in the middle of Achilles and Agamemnon and Hera and Zeus. Achilles anger from the Iliad uses arguments from the immortals and the divine beings. In the squabble, Achilles through his outrage, went about as a delegate from the divine beings to disprove King Agamemnon's insatiable credit that helped the annihilation of Achaeans by taking hostage of the little girl of Chryses, Agamemnon had goaded the divine beings through rebellion (Tvedtnes 147). The point of this paper is to dissect and examine the exercises of the immortals and divine beings in the Iliad. The record of Greek divine beings by Homer in the Iliad focuses to the way that divine beings cooperated with Greeks from alternate points of view that reveals the conduct, state and statute of aged divine beings in overseeing group of men and lords of the old world. Hector executes Patroclus who is a quick warrior much the same as Achilles after god Apollo knocked Patroclus shield to the ground, Hector confused Patroclus for being Achilles since he was wearing Achilles' protective layer and kills him immediately. The occasion uncovers that divine beings intercede in choosing human movement. In the meantime, the war of words in the middle...
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...I. Troy is the name of the legend in Homers epic poem the Iliad. It was a city that fought in the Trojan War for ten years. The city was conquered and destroyed by a Greek army that was led by a king named Agamemnon. According to Homers the Iliad, the Trojan War started because of the abduction of Helen, who was a queen from Sparta. The king of Troy Priam, his son Paris who was also prince of Troy was behind the abduction. The Trojan War was thought to have taken place during the Bronze Age, which was around 1200B.C. What we knew it as was Myceanaean that spread through Greece. This civilization had also developed a system of writing (LIVESCIENCE: The Legend of Troy). In Homer’s the Iliad it takes place in the tenth year of the Trojan War....
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...speculate about the life of the man who composed the Iliad and the Odyssey. The details are few. We do not even know the century in which he lived, and it is difficult to say with absolute certainty that the same poet composed both works. The Greeks attributed both of the epics to the same man, and we have little hard evidence that would make us doubt the ancient authorities, but uncertainty is a constant feature of scholarly work dealing with Homer's era of Greek history. The Greeks hailed him as their greatest poet, as well as their first. Although the Greeks recognized other poets who composed in Greek before Homer, no texts from these earlier poets survived. Perhaps they were lost, or perhaps they were never written down‹Homer himself was probably on the cusp between the tradition of oral poetry and the new invention of written language. Texts of the Iliad and the Odyssey existed from at least the sixth century BC, and probably for a considerable span of time before that. These two great epic poems also had a life in performance: through the centuries, professional artists made their living by reciting Homer, performing the great epics for audiences that often know great parts of the poem by heart. It is impossible to pin down with any certainty when Homer lived. Eratosthenes gives the traditional date of 1184 BC for the end of the Trojan War, the semi-mythical event which forms the basis for the Iliad. The great Greek historian Herodotus put the date at 1250 BC. These...
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...To compare the theme of exiles into nature in Gilgamesh, the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the Mahabharata is to compare how these exiles were brought upon the heroes and the consequences when the hero returns to society. The difference between the Mahabharata and the other three epics, is that the exile of the Kuravas was imposed on them by others. Though Yudhisthira is technically the only one in the family who brought it upon himself by playing the crooked dice game. For the most part, the exile of the Kuravas is not self-imposed. This is very different to the exiles seen in the western epics. In the Iliad, Achilles exiles himself for feeling shamed by Agamemnon, he chooses not to fight and instead have hundreds of his countrymen die. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh chooses to abandon his kingdom for an unplanned amount of time on a search for immortality somewhere in nature because of Enkidu’s death. Both Achilles and Gilgamesh exile themselves because of strong feelings they get. The exile of Odysseus is about brought on by himself, by making Poseidon extra mad, not leaving Calypso’s Island, among other transgressions against the gods....
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