Presence of Gods in "The Iliad"

Essay by mnkymn267High School, 10th grade April 2007

download word file, 3 pages 0.0 1 reviews

Downloaded 17 times

In the novel ÃÂThe IliadÃÂ as well as many other literatures of Greek mythology all include the presence of gods. It was once said that mythology and gods are the explanations and sciences of the historical times. The godsÃÂ presence enhances the story of the Iliad because they act as explanations for some things that occur as well as acting as imagery for the events that take place. There are many examples in this Homeric novel ÃÂThe Iliad,ÃÂ but to prove that the GodsÃÂ presence explains certain procedures that come to pass, that it allows the reader to envision the storyÃÂs actions, and that it improves the story, only three examples will be mentioned.

An example of how the gods explain a phenomenon occurs in Book Three when AlÃÂ©xandros is fighting Menelaus for the prize of Helen and her Spartan gold. When Menelaus was dragging AlÃÂ©xandros by his helmet, the novel states that ÃÂMenelaus now would in fact have pulled him all the way, had Aphrodite with her clear eye not perceived him ÃÂ and she snapped that band of oxhide.ÃÂ

Most likely to occur was that the helmetÃÂs band just snapped and AlÃÂ©xandros did not understand how it happened. So, when Homer wrote the story, he used the explanation that Aphrodite had come down from Mount Olympus to help him. Just imagine a godly, beautiful figure swooping down to rescue AlÃÂ©xandros.

A second example that shows how the godsÃÂ presence allows the audience to visualize the storyÃÂs events happens in Book Twelve where Poseidon, Apollo, and Zeus work together to destroy the wall that was built by the Akhaians to guard the ships. Because the Akhaians did not make a hecatomb to the gods when the moat was built, Homer depicts in this chapter how the gods destroyed it.