Hesiod’s Works and Days and Homer’s Iliad, and the Differences They Portray
There are many differences between the relationships of Greeks and their gods portrayed in Hesiod’s Works and Days and Homer’s Iliad. This gives us an unsure representation of how Greeks actually depicted them. To see why there is any division at all, we start at the beginning. Ever since Prometheus stole fire from Olympus, it seems as if mortals and Gods have had a love, hate relationship. The respect that the Greeks had for their gods was formed generally from fear especially from Zeus. And for good reason Hesiod informs us in his letter Works and Days, that because Prometheus stole the fire. It made Zeus angry and he decided he was going to get revenge. Most when seeking out revenge just wants it upon the person that wronged him. However, Hesiod tells us that, “Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who (wrongs Zeus) and devises presumptuous deeds, and the son of Cronos lays great trouble upon the people, famine and plague together, so that the men perish away, and their women do not bear children, and their houses become few.”. So even from my standpoint this could have caused some bad blood between gods and mortals. I think one could call out Zeus on a little bit of an overreaction, but that is how Hesiod tells of how life became so hard. But because of that Hesiod got his chance to tell his brother how to stay afloat in that world. “I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction.”. Hesiod is quoting Zeus on how he is going to punish mortals on Earth. Zeus ordered every god to contribute in making this “gift”. Together they made a woman with appealing attributes to the recipient, but she also carried, “lies and crafty words and a deceitful nature”. Mortals accepted this gift with open arms later to realize the true meaning of Pandora. People that never before experienced sickness got sick, and men grew older much faster. How fast would you forgive someone for changing your entire life? Looking back to the first quote from Hesiod when he says that Zeus states the Greeks will accept my punishment with open arms, that must have hurt Hesiod and other Greeks. If he truly believes this story, then his life could have been much easier if Zeus and the other gods did not deceive them into taking their gift. However, Hesiod seems to have accepted it and did not give it much more thought, I feel as if other Greeks would not have. They might have kept that as a little chip on their shoulder and be a little less welcoming to gods in their lives. For example, in Homer’s Iliad, Achilles becomes angry with thep gods always watching and medaling with his affairs. When his mother the sea goddess Thetis, asks him what is troubling him. Achilles responds in a sarcastic, “Why tell you what you know." (Iliad I.423). Implying that the gods are already aware because they are so involved. Maybe Homer is just trying to show us how much of a hot head Achilles is. Whatever it is, I do not think every Greek …show more content…
If Zeus had just blown off the theft of the fire from Olympus then days would still be jolly in Greece and there would be no reason to resent or fear the gods. Similarly, in the Iliad the Trojan war would have sorted itself out once or twice if it were not rekindled. An example, while the Greeks were making their argument, saying Paris had lost the dual and Troy should hand over Helen, Zeus sent Athena to jumpstart the fighting again. Disguised as a Trojan soldier she convinced one of the archers to shoot Menelaus. Not to kill him just enough to anger the Greek side. The gods showing favoritism is nothing new and often adds an interesting twist to many Greek legends and myths. Because there is so much divide in Olympus, Greeks stand no chance to not be influenced every once and a
There are many differences between the relationships of Greeks and their gods portrayed in Hesiod’s Works and Days and Homer’s Iliad. This gives us an unsure representation of how Greeks actually depicted them. To see why there is any division at all, we start at the beginning. Ever since Prometheus stole fire from Olympus, it seems as if mortals and Gods have had a love, hate relationship. The respect that the Greeks had for their gods was formed generally from fear especially from Zeus. And for good reason Hesiod informs us in his letter Works and Days, that because Prometheus stole the fire. It made Zeus angry and he decided he was going to get revenge. Most when seeking out revenge just wants it upon the person that wronged him. However, Hesiod tells us that, “Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who (wrongs Zeus) and devises presumptuous deeds, and the son of Cronos lays great trouble upon the people, famine and plague together, so that the men perish away, and their women do not bear children, and their houses become few.”. So even from my standpoint this could have caused some bad blood between gods and mortals. I think one could call out Zeus on a little bit of an overreaction, but that is how Hesiod tells of how life became so hard. But because of that Hesiod got his chance to tell his brother how to stay afloat in that world. “I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction.”. Hesiod is quoting Zeus on how he is going to punish mortals on Earth. Zeus ordered every god to contribute in making this “gift”. Together they made a woman with appealing attributes to the recipient, but she also carried, “lies and crafty words and a deceitful nature”. Mortals accepted this gift with open arms later to realize the true meaning of Pandora. People that never before experienced sickness got sick, and men grew older much faster. How fast would you forgive someone for changing your entire life? Looking back to the first quote from Hesiod when he says that Zeus states the Greeks will accept my punishment with open arms, that must have hurt Hesiod and other Greeks. If he truly believes this story, then his life could have been much easier if Zeus and the other gods did not deceive them into taking their gift. However, Hesiod seems to have accepted it and did not give it much more thought, I feel as if other Greeks would not have. They might have kept that as a little chip on their shoulder and be a little less welcoming to gods in their lives. For example, in Homer’s Iliad, Achilles becomes angry with thep gods always watching and medaling with his affairs. When his mother the sea goddess Thetis, asks him what is troubling him. Achilles responds in a sarcastic, “Why tell you what you know." (Iliad I.423). Implying that the gods are already aware because they are so involved. Maybe Homer is just trying to show us how much of a hot head Achilles is. Whatever it is, I do not think every Greek …show more content…
If Zeus had just blown off the theft of the fire from Olympus then days would still be jolly in Greece and there would be no reason to resent or fear the gods. Similarly, in the Iliad the Trojan war would have sorted itself out once or twice if it were not rekindled. An example, while the Greeks were making their argument, saying Paris had lost the dual and Troy should hand over Helen, Zeus sent Athena to jumpstart the fighting again. Disguised as a Trojan soldier she convinced one of the archers to shoot Menelaus. Not to kill him just enough to anger the Greek side. The gods showing favoritism is nothing new and often adds an interesting twist to many Greek legends and myths. Because there is so much divide in Olympus, Greeks stand no chance to not be influenced every once and a