Good class today guys. Hope you are all starting to feel comfortable with the online tools for this class.
So let's put our feet in the water and talk about the first reading, Homer's Iliad Book I. Remember your answer to these questions will take time as I require some thoughtful, versus rash, responses to the reading. Also feel free to add anything you like just so long as it responds to the material.
Okay, your first reading question is:
Describe the religious worldview that the characters of the Iliad share and determine how it orders their communal ethics and personal morality?
Good Luck! Remember there are no wrong answers, just lazy ones.
Cheers, Danny
In this account, the mortals believe that the gods are involved in human affairs and can be angered or pleased by men's actions. As a community, the people believe that praying to the gods is effective in order to change their situations, such as when Chryses asks Apollo to execute revenge against Agamemnon (line 43). On a personal level, the mortals' actions are affected by the character of the gods. For example, Achilles refrains from fighting Agamemnon after Athena reveals the love that Hera has for them and her desire for peace (line 231).
ReplyDeleteIt seems like the characters in the Iliad believe that the Gods have the divine authority and power to do whatever they please with the human world. In terms of ethics all the characters moral principles appear to be based on whatever appeases the Gods. For example, after Odysseus accomplishes Agamemnon’s order of giving Chryses back to her father, Odysseus performs a sacrifice to further appease Apollo. In terms individual morality the chief warrior characters like Achilles and Agamemnon abide by their own set of morals unless the Gods interfere with their affairs. Such as when Athena and Hera tell Achilles to cease from attacking Agamemnon and he immediately calms his impulses to attacks.
ReplyDeleteThe religious worldview that the characters of the Illiad share is that the world is controlled by a pantheon of gods that have faults and prejudices like humans do, and these prejudices determine who is given favor and who isn't. The code of ethics in that world is that homage is paid to the gods for successes given by them, and prayer and sacrifice is done to have wishes granted (such as the Achaean army sacrificing to Apollo and returning Chryseis to get rid of the plague). Individual morality is always deferred to the wishes of the gods, and to go in spite of the gods is to court their wrath.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that the mortal characters in The Iliad are focused on living according to the Gods. The characters such as the Trojans believe that the Gods have complete power and control, and they have the authority to do whatever they want while commanding others to do so as well. The mortals in the story are afraid of the gods while at the same time being unconditionally loyal. When it comes to the morality and ethics of the characters of a higher status, such as Achilles and Agamemnon, it is focused on one’s self. These characters are interested in their personal growth and honor and believe that they deserve the highest prize, such as Chryseis or Briseis.
ReplyDeleteThe characters of the Iliad seem to have a strong respect for the gods of Olympus as they are willing to sacrifice a person to appease the gods if they are angered by their actions. The people believe they had to respect the gods or they would be threatened or attacked by them. The gods sometimes act like the people they watch over (such as having fits of anger if they are disrespected) except they have special powers humans don't have like control of the ocean. The people's morals are formed mainly through the influence of the gods, and if a person does something they don't like the gods will threaten to punish the person. So people had to be sure not to offend them and the fear of doing so causes some of their morals to be what they are.
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ReplyDeleteThe prominent Greek figures each had personal attachments and quarrels with the gods of Olympia. As a result, the gods intervene frequently during the most important parts of the story. Athena prevents Achilles from murdering Agamemnon on line 241, because Hera cared about both men. Agamemnon also angers Apollo by rejecting Chryses's ransom on line 248; the god's plague over the Achaeans and Agamemnon's treatment of Achilles creates tension among the ranks of the Greek army.
ReplyDeleteBecause the mortals place so much emphasis on what the gods will think and what the gods will do to them, they watch their actions and words and will find anyway to appease them, including human sacrifice. The mortals place a lot of trust in what the gods say, like when Achilles choose not to kill Agamemnon just because of Athena's words of a promise that he would eventually have "glittering gifts [lying] before him." For a man who has all that anger, he was sure quick to place down his sword over some words. The mortals are also quick to pray to a god whenever there is a problem, which further emphasizes on just how much their actions and thoughts depend on the gods.
ReplyDeleteThe characters of the Iliad are all aware of the same massive group of Gods, each to which they must honor and dedicate sacrifices to in order to stay in their good graces. The actions of these gods are hardly what we would usually consider "moral." They play favorites and seek vengeance and frequently fight amongst themselves. This leaves the human population constantly squabbling to appease who ever they need to in order to keep the world as they know it intact. When these gods are angered they also typically punish a whole community rather than the individual. That is why it is in the best interest for the Achaeans as a whole for King Agamemnon to accept the ransom for his prisoner rather than risk angering the gods. The moral choices in this world are to appease these gods in order for good things to happen and allow harmony to preside.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in the Iliad seem to revere the Gods of Olympus. Though Achilles and Agamemnon disagree on what actions to take to stop Apollo from killing the Achaeans, it is clear that they both greatly respect the Gods. From Chryse calling for Apollo to retrieve his daughter to Achilles calling to his mother, Thetis, to assist him with the loss of his own “prize,” Briseis, the conclusion can be made that all of these mortals share the same religious worldview and ask for aid from the Gods when there is little else that can be done. Achilles becomes furious with Agamemnon after he refuses to give Chryseis back to Chryse, so much so that he takes his sword out. Almost immediately, Athena comes down to dissuade Achilles from attacking the king. Achilles put away his sword, though the arguing continued. After eventually returning Chryseis, Odysseus and the oarsmen appeased Apollo with a sacrifice. To the characters of the Iliad, it is important to please the Gods and this, throughout the reading, often determined their actions.
ReplyDeleteIn the first book of The Iliad, it is apparent that the characters are very much intertwined with the gods. Their worldview is based largely on the idea that the gods have human-like temperaments and can be angered or pleased by both the actions of mortals and of other gods. The gods appear to play favorites with certain mortals; sometimes this is due to a mortal's familial link or descent from a god or goddess. Additionally, the gods can intercede on behalf of the mortals and offer words of wisdom or even alter an unfortunate turn of events. All of these factors lead to the notion that the religious beliefs and strong ideas about family ties (both with gods/goddesses or with prestigious mortals) contribute to the worldview, and thus the actions of the characters in The Iliad.
ReplyDeleteThe mortals’ belief that the gods are responsible for everything happening around them leads them to pray rigorously to the gods and to watch their actions closely as they are terrified of upsetting the gods. The gods believe they are invincible and feel they do not have to abide to moral codes. For instance Zeus helped the Trojans because he owed Thetis a favor opposed to it being what he thought was morally correct. Despite Achilles’ superiority complex, it appears he does reason his actions and does consider acting morally. For example, Achilles wanted to kill Agamenon, but instead with help from Athena he reasoned to hurt Agamenon with harsh words.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in the Iliad, especially Achilles and Agamemnon, show high respect for the Gods. They believe that to be ethical, they must obey the will of the God's. Only Agamemnon believes a deserves a "prize" and his greed leads Achilles to turn against him and even draw his sword. At that point Athena tells him that Hera has sent her down to stop Achilles from killing Agamemnon. Achilles shows concern for the will of Hera showing at least a hint of personal morality. This is obviously different from the Achilles described in lines 1-5. However, it is only after being threatened with more violence, that Achilles and Agamemnon begin to comply to the will of the Gods.
ReplyDeleteThe characters of the Iliad seem to share the worldview that the gods rule the world and that humans are to do only what pleases the gods or they will endure pain and suffering until they make amends with the gods. Because some humans follow one or more gods more closely than others, there is conflict. To solve these conflicts, they follow the tradition of "eye for an eye." For example, when Agamemnon stole Priam's daughter, Priam prayed that the god Apollo would avenge him. Then Agamemnon refused to return Priam's daughter without taking another girl in her stead, particularly Achilles' girlfriend, Briseis. Achilles wanted to kill Agamemnon, but was told by the goddess Athena not to. If Achilles had killed Agamemnon, it would have sparked an on-going chain of killing and retaliation among the Greeks. Because of his loyalty to Athena, Achilles did not kill Agamemnon. If he had not listened to her, she could have exacted her rage on him and everyone around him.
ReplyDeleteReligious beliefs are the driving force between everybody's decisions. The idea of tempting or manipulating a God for one's own benefit is a seemingly superfluous notion because members from both sides of a particular argument will be fighting for the attention of the Gods. However, persuasion is heavily used by both mortals and the Gods, as evident in Athena's talk with Achilles. The worldview of the main characters consist of prioritizing honor and glory and pleasing the God's for of one's own interest. The course of events highly depend on the will of the Gods and therefore skews the worldview and mindset of the characters in the story in a way that has all these characters attempt to appease the Gods for their support.
ReplyDeleteIn the first book of the Illiad, the characters have very stern religous worldviews due to the different ways they interact with the Gods. Not only did characters pray intensely to the Gods for help, but they also gave praise to the Gods in the forms of songs once the Gods answered their prayers. Characters such as Achilles and the priest Chryses were extremely humble and appreciative of the Gods. Others were even willing to sacrifice a woman in order to please the Gods which showed their high respect and reverence for the Gods. From the Gods' perspective, they are big supporters and believers in justice and retribution. Apollo is a great example as he comes to the high priest's aid in punishing Agammemnon who unjustly took Chryses's daughter to be his mistress. Zeus also came to the aid of Achilles when he asked for protection against his horrible king. However, some people, specifically Agamemnon, have no respect or concern for what the Gods want or what is best for everyone. The great and powerful king is more concerned with his own will as he took the young girl for his own and spurned the high priest. Religious worldviews have a direct effect on communal ethics and personal morality in the first book because those who have a strong religious connection to the Gods, such as Chryses and Achilles, contain a balanced and clear perspective of what is right and wrong while others who do not have strong ties to the Gods such as King Agamemnon possess a warped sense of what is right and wrong and usually act immorally.
ReplyDelete-chris joseph-
Although some of the characters in Book I of the Iliad seem hardheaded, stubborn and ultimately violent, they always comply to whatever the gods that they follow tell them to do because they mostly believe that to be ethical they most obey all that the gods tell them to do. Achilles, though very much wanting to run Agamemnon through is dissuaded by Pallas Athena who comes as a messenger from Hera. She promises him that Agamemnon will, in due time, pay for his treacheries against Achilles.
ReplyDeleteAgamemnon has to appease Apollo by giving back the daughters of one of his favorite priests. He knows that ultimately it would mean ruin for his own army if he does not comply. Achilles shows a bit of morality when he does not hurt the men coming to take away Briseis and says that they will not pay for a crime that Agamemnon. Agamemnon on the other hand shows very little ethics or morality as he takes Achille's 'prize'.
For humans in The Iliad, appeasing the gods requires multiple sacrifices, overseen by oracles. With the gods almost lierally watching over their every move, humans live in fear of the pantheon and try o win over their favor. For example, Achilles prays to his mother that despite his status as a mortal, he can at least live with Zeus's honor
ReplyDeleteThe gods seem to have ulterior motives in human endeavors (i.e. Apollo . When Thetis talks with Zeus about blessing Achilles and cursing Agamemnon, Hera gets irritated that her husband didn't bother to tell her about his plans. Because the gods getting involved in the Trojan War, their status almost shifts from deities to merceniries, providing assistance to whichever side offers them the best sacrifices.
In the first book of Illiad, it seems that the religious worldviews of the characters are heavily influenced my the powers of the gods. They tried desperately to please the gods. One things interesting is that when they prayed to their gods in time of need, they told the gods that if they had done anything to please them to hear their prayer. One example is that of the solider who worked to Chryses. He prayed to Apollo, "If I ever roofed a shrine to please your heart, ever burned the long rich bones of bulls and goats on your holy altar, now bring my prayer to pass......". Ethics and Morality seem to be very much a part of the characters thought would please the gods. Keeping the gods happy almost seems to be what they live their life by.
ReplyDeleteThe religious worldview that the mortals share in the Iliad is one of fear and awe of the gods and goddesses. Any of their thoughts and actions can be called into check by the various gods and goddesses and rarely do the mortals dare to disobey the wisdom of the divinities. But when they do, the divinities show their power. The communal ethics of the mortals seems to hold honor and custom in high regard. Within these communal ethics though their exists room for those who hold power to act by their own individual morals. Some of these morals are not so ethical as seen with Agamemnon and his vow to keep Achilles' desired girl away from him. When Achilles vows to take revenge on Agamemnon for his insult he is breaking his own moral of self-control seeing to it that most Greeks hold reason and logic in high regard as well. When Athena intervenes, Achilles yields to the demands of the goddess.
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ReplyDeleteBy examining the first Book of this poem, it is clear that the characters thoughts and behaviors are nearly dictated by their overwhelming respect and fear of the gods. While these gods have no evident morality to admire, their presence creates a moral code that centers around appeasing them. Homer chooses to primarily use the gods as the underlying scape goat to the nine years of violence and terror. The mortals time and again turn to the gods to solve their problems instead of working them out themselves. The people in this book spend more focus on earning a spot in the gods favor than they do for their peers. This is the similar to the thought process of someone who believes in an all-powerful god but not necessarily an all-loving god. While the gods have the power to dictate the tides of the war, they primarily make decisions on what is best for them.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of the characters actions were based from anger. When Agamemnon refuses to give Chryses his daughter back he calls upon Apollo for help. Apollo sends a plague to the Greek camp which then kills many soldiers. Then Achilles calls a meeting and Agamemnon finds out that Chryses and Apollo sent the plague. Agamemnon trys to take his anger out on Achilles but Athena shows up and calms them both down. Later that night Agamemnon sends Chryseis back to her father. I think it's interesting how one person's anger and bad choices can cause fights between others and how it takes only one person to calm everyone down.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that all of the characters in the Iliad share the common fear and intimidation by the Gods in general. They believe that whatever the Gods demand and order of them is the right thing to do because their destiny in life is to appease said Gods. They believe that if they do not obey what the Gods demand of them they will be sacrificed. This creates a society with ethics and morality solely based on what the Gods order of them, often creating chaos. Even if specific characters do not believe in their hearts what the Gods demand of them is right, they do it anyway due to their fear of the Gods’ wraths and belief that obeying the Gods’ is the morally right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteIt seems pretty obvious that they are polytheistic group of people because they believe in more than one god. They pray to the gods in hopes that the gods would hear their prayers and fulfill the prayers they prayed for. They are somewhat fearful of the gods, but that does not mean the humans would not defy the gods. They are fearful and grateful for the gods and they pray for the death of their enemies. It is not ethical, but to them it is the right thing to do. When the humans have arguments of their own it cause conflict because they pray to the gods. The gods would answer their prayers, but they do not really choose sides ... as in they answer the prayers of the humans, but they only do it because the humans pray for them. The conflict of the humans are personal where as the gods, unless something happens to the gods personally such as taking a prize or hurting their pride, are usually gratification for the humans only. Conflict among the humans can cause conflict among the gods.
ReplyDeleteThe religious worldview shared by the characters in the Iliad is determined by the gods and goddesses' actions and interference in human conflicts. These gods do not follow an ethical standard and instead act out of revenge and petty whims. Zeus helps the Trojans due to a favor he owes Thetis not due to any justice he wants to enact. Because the gods do not follow an ethical path, the humans communal ethics is only to please the gods. Chryseis is returned to her father after Apollo answers the priest's prayers by sending a plague. This plague affects all of the Greek army including many innocent soldiers. This affects communal ethics because one member of society who displeases a god can send harm to the entire society. It can also be hard for humans to achieve personal morality based on the gods and goddesses because they often fight within themselves over human conflicts such as the argument between Zeus and Hera.
ReplyDeleteThe characters of Iliad believe that the Gods hold all authority. The mortal’s religious views involve praying to different Gods and offering sacrifices to them. The mortals in turn expect the Gods to help them in a crisis. When Chryseis needed Apollo’s help to get his daughter back, he reminded Apollo of all the sacrifices and the praises he has given him. The community’s ethics depend on the Gods involvement in their lives. When Apollo sent the plague it affected the community’s lives. The Gods can control the mortal’s lives because of the power they hold over them and authority role they play in the mortals lives. When Athena was sent by Hera to solve the dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon she influenced their personal morals and acted as an authority figure.
ReplyDeleteIn the Iliad, the characters all consider the gods to be an integral part of their daily lives. Everything action they perform is done with consideration to how the gods will look upon their decision. They appeal to the gods in times of need or to give them strength, as well as give thanks and praise when achieving success. In this way, all human actions become a direct result of the gods' will. This religious worldview affects communal ethics and personal morality by linking the successes or failures of a community, as well as an individual, to the will of the gods. The successes and failures of the individual reflect their relationship with the gods, and any moral decisions they make are measured by their success according to the gods favor.
ReplyDeleteThe characters of the Iliad base their religious worldview on the gods of Olympia. For example, when Chryseis is not given back to Chryses (her father), he goes and prays to Apollo. Apollo then sends plagues upon the Achaians because Agamemnon has dishonored Chyrses. That shows the intimate relationship that the mortals have with the gods. It is also a point to note, that the gods seem to have special mortals that they care for, but only when those mortals acknowledge them for their omnipotent power. In a communal sense, everyone recognizes the power of the gods and when troubles arise (i.e. Apollo killing the Achaians), the prophet, king and warriors are quick to recognize that it is the doing of the gods. In a personal sense, the characters depend upon the gods to hear his/her prayers and to act accordingly. The gods also tamper with the fate and the emotional aspect of each mortal. For example, Athene restrains Achilleus from killing Agamemnon, and calms his anger by telling him to just fight with words. Overall, the mortals are dependent on the gods just as the gods are dependent upon the mortals. Both sides play active roles in the praise and fate of each other.
ReplyDeleteThe religious worldview that the characters of the Iliad share are that of respect and loyalty to the Gods. They live their lives according to what they believe will please the Gods and will stop at no costs to make sure they serve the Gods. It is out of fear and respect that the humans adhere to the Gods by performing sacrifices and rituals so that the Gods may help the humans when they are called upon.
ReplyDeleteIt orders their communal ethics and personal morality because together as a community they share the same outlook on life as well as the same viewpoints and ideas. They all want to show their piety to the Gods in order to achieve good fortune and peaceful living. Since everyone in the community shares the same mind frame,their morals and ethics are, generally speaking, very similar and shared as they try to do what they believe would satisfy the gods.
In ancient Greece and reflected in the Iliad, humans have positioned the unknown at the center of the universe. Because humans have understood that the universe is centered within these unseen forces, their personal centering is distorted as well. People have chosen to see, and therefore have seen things differently than our own. Inevitably, on a planet so volatile a theist has a lot to be disappointed about-- Greece was not paradise. This cosmology clearly reflects in the literature. The gods are less than ideal.
ReplyDeleteThe worldview that the Greeks shared was that of a common loyalty and faithfulness to their Gods. It seemed as though everyone had a sense of fear for the Gods. They were aware that if the Gods were not pleased then something horrible would come along their way. As for communal ethics and personal morality, it seems that everyone is acting on their own i.e. selfish. For example, Chryses prays to Apollo in order to have his daughter back and then Apollo sends a plague to the Greek camp, causing deaths of soldiers. Also, when Achilles prayed to his mother, Thetis, to harm the Achaeans army because Briseis was taken back. This was all done for their own benefit. Also, it seems that even people who were not even closely involved with the matter faced punishment from the Gods other than the people who actually committed the crime. In a way it seems immoral to ask God to do something bad to others even when they did something bad to you.
ReplyDeleteThe religious worldview that the humans of the Iliad share is that they are Polytheistic. This belief in many Gods and goddess dictates how they conduct there live. The Gods interfere in the humans live in two ways. The Gods interfere with the human on a big scale, as with Apollo sending the plague. The Gods also interfere with the humans on an individual basses, as with Athena stopping Achilles from killing Agamemnon. By the Gods having such an influence in the humans lives it determines the humans ethics and morals. How the Gods act directly influences how the humans act. If the Gods say it is ok to kill and murder each other then the human ethics and morals are that it is ok to kill.
ReplyDeleteIn Book I of the Illiad, the worldview of the Greeks during this period is that the Gods make all decisions in human affairs. If humans disobey or disgrace the Gods a punishment in some sort of form, whether plague or any other devastation, comes swiftly. The Greeks followed numerous Gods and they tried to become favorites in the eyes of particular Gods. They also attempted to use their favor of one God to smite an opponent. Greeks in the Iliad seem to share a similiar worldview on ethics but the practice of such code disintegrates when people feel a certain God is in their favor. The use of favor to legitmize one's unethical actions is the driving force of conflict in Book I of the Iliad.
ReplyDeleteThe religious worldview of the Achaeans was one of constant fear and appeasement of the gods. Chryses's daughter is taken as a prize by Agamemnon so he prays to his patron god Apollo for retribution. As punishment for just one man's greedy actions, Apollo storms down into the army's camp like a plague, causing death and destruction. Achilles and Agamemnon argue over whether Agamemnon should free the girl and not demand a ransom.
ReplyDeleteAgamemnon's greed peaks when he demands that Achilles hand over his wife. Achilles agrees, but with much sorrow. It doesn't make sense for a man of Achilles' strength and prestige to give into a king who seems a weaker man than he. He really only does it to keep the army from destroying itself from the inside out.
As many other students have said ahead of me, the religious world view of the characters in the Illiad is somewhat like a children's Bible School version of Christianity. Pre-schoolers think that if they make God happy good things will happen to them, and if they disappoint God, bad things will happen. The characters in the Illiad are quite similar; however, follwing the "Golden Rule" and treating your neighbor with kindness are not exactly what pleased the Greek Gods. They were delighted in pious people who followed their social order and filled their position in Greek society as they were supposed to do. The ethics of the community were to act piously and not displease the gods and the morals depended on what kind of person each individual character held.
ReplyDeleteJames W. Sire said that your world view is an orientation of the heart, this orientation does not know consciousness from unconsciousness, or truth or falsity. While there are elements of moral common ground of mortals and gods, the orientation of the heart in Achilles as well as Agamemnon seems to be the glory of war and the need of their individual rage instead of the interests of the people. Characters are either deemed worthy or unfit depending on their bravery in battle.This measurement of accomplishment seems to also hold for the gods. Athena is glorified while gods like Aphrodite is made fun of her timidity. Warfare no matter what you are fighting for seems to be Homers point in book I. Mortals lives are impermanent and the important thing is your honor and this seems to equate to glorified warfare. In matters of the heart for the greeks a glorified death in battle could mean more than I life with loved ones.
ReplyDeleteIn class we discussed that ethics is a guiding theory, whereas morality is the practice of that theory. Your question regarding how our worldviews affect our ethics and religious frameworks shape ethics, I think are one in the same. Religion is a crucial part of Socialization; in many societies it has provided the entire foundation for societal interaction. With that in mind, I would argue that Religion effects our understanding of nature and science and individuals and society and God.
ReplyDeleteNow, most interesting to me in Book 1 of the Iliad was the pattern of dominance/subservience that existed throughout. This is the formula I have devised to demonstrate these patterns: Human woman< Human Man< goddess< god. More basically Male>Female, but divinity>humanity. The treatment of human women by human men was atrocious (i.e. dividing the spoils of war, share for share), but it was particularly strange when compared to their reverence of goddesses. This only made sense once it became clear that gods trumped goddesses (i.e. Zues threatening Hera).
Now, you mentioned in class that all of the worldviews and perspectives that exist today existed in ancient Greece. But where was feminism? Additionally, Achilles wished the destruction of an entire army because of the actions of that army’s king. Where is the respect for individual life? But my criticism of their actions is ridiculous in itself. Who am I to assert that my vision, or modern vision, should be the rubric with which ancient Greeks are judged? To what extent was it wrong for individual ancient Greek man to treat an individual ancient Greek woman this way, if that is the way that society dictated that they be treated?
Michael Guiden
ReplyDeleteIn the Iliad, Homer described a society in which men believed that the gods they worshipped were directly and intimately involved in the lives of mankind. The Achaeans (including Achilles and Agamemnon) felt that they were obligated by the demands of their honor to act as they did. Comunally, these men and their women felt that they were obligated to defend any attack on their honor and to do so in order to please the gods. Personal morality was shaped by the belief that the gods judged men and that men were therefore required to follow specific rules of conduct; not to do so would be a breach of honor and duty to the gods.
The religious world view shared by the characters in The Illiad, to me, is a relationship based on fear and hypocrisy. The people of Greece must act accordingly to the gods wishes, but the gods do not take to heart the wishes of their people. The gods are superbly fickle and easily disappointed, always keeping the people of Greece dedicated to pleasing them but also fearing them and their own actions. The gods do indeed enjoy dedicated and pious people, but their anger towards the impious and actions against their will is a lot greater. The gods expect the people to act both ethically and morally but do not keep this same code for themselves, creating a sort of crazy spirtual dictatorship for the people of Greece.
ReplyDeleteIn book 1 of the Iliad, the characters share a polytheistic religious view. The gods have human characteristics, they are not perfect and mortals know that. Yet, the humans worship and honor them above all. The mortals' ethics involve doing what is expected from the gods and it doesn’t matter if it is to the mortal personally moral or not. They do this to stay in the good graces of the gods because the gods provide everything.
ReplyDeleteThe Gods presented in the Iliad often meddle in mortal affairs. Not only can they control whether the mortals receive either fortune or destruction, but they are temperamental and seem to pick favorites among those whom they govern. For this reason, the characters live to appease the gods through prayer and sacrifice because any actions deemed wrong by the gods can cause misfortune not only for the individual, but the whole community as well. The mortals will even go as far as putting their own personal morals aside in order to keep good fortune in their lives, such as when Achilles, by the request of the goddess Athena, stops himself from killing Agamemnon. Their worship and fear of the gods seem to be the main component of their daily lives, especially during critical times such as war.
ReplyDeleteThe characters of the Iliad hold the religious worldview that gods must be pleased and appeased by humans. The mortals know that they are subject to the emotions of the gods therefore; they try to keep the gods happy so in turn their own lives will go smoothly. They do not hold a view or code on how other humans should be treated but rather how the gods want the humans treated. For example, it is considered ethical that Apollo sends a plague on the Achaian soldiers that is killing the soldiers but when Achilles wants to kill Agamemnon Hera and Athena interfere and stop Achilles. Basically the communal ethics of the mortals depends on how the gods want each mortal to be treated. Personal morality is dependent upon one's loyalty to the gods. As long as one is acting in accordance with the gods then they are acting morally.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in the Illiad all have fear of the gods in common. Everything they do in their daily lives are done based on what they feel the gods would consider good. This fear of the gods is shown in the first book of the Illiad when Atreus' troops sacrificed their full grown bulls and goats to the god Apollo. Another example would include Agamemnon giving Chryseis back to her father to appease Apollo's wishes.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear the characters of the Iliad have a strong faith in their gods. They believe their actions will either please or anger the gods. For example, Achilles stops himself from killing Agamemnon in order to please Hera and Athena. His morality is to defend his honor and protect his soldiers but his ethics is to make the gods happy by sacrificing and following their orders, like bringing Chrysies back to her father. In the end, the character's ethics are stronger than their personal morality.
ReplyDeleteIn Book one, the characters believe in many gods and goddesses. They live by a code of ethics based around remaining loyal and pleasing their gods/goddesses. It gives and example of how sometimes violent and interfering the gods can be without regard for the humans lives and how the humans are forced to live fearing the wrath of the gods, and an emphasis is place on being extremely loyal to the ones they worship in particular. The book focuses also on not only how the gods individual actions effect many involved in war, but also individuals, who they seem to direct and guide along very specific paths such as Achillies. For example, when Athena restrains Achillies from killing Agamemnon or when Chryses prays to Apolo to strike down the greeks causing massive amounts death and destruction. It gives the sense that the gods/goddesses amplify the conflict on different levels, while the humans are forced to live underneath them, bearing the brunt of the results.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in the Illiad live in a reality where gods are able help or hurt them. Throughout the first book the characters scramble for ways to appease the gods in order to produce a particular outcome beneficial to their situation. This is made more complex by the fact that the gods are not always in agreement and don't always ally themselves with the same people. In this way the characters accept the harshness and unpredictability of reality but at the same give meaning to everything that happens in their lives attributing natural disasters, such as the plague, to different deities. On line 73 Achilles mentions the malleability of the gods' favor stating amidst the plague and destruction of his army that "dreams as well can come our way from Zeus." Later on in the story Zeus helps Achilles by planting a dream in Agamemnon telling him to attack Troy. Although this eventually does not help Achilles, this shows how the gods help different people for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteThe religious worldviews of the characters in the Iliad, is polytheistic. They believe that with pleading and offerings the gods will help them. For instance, the priest who pleaded for his daughter to be released cried out to Apollo. Apollo came to his rescue and in the end his daughter was released.
ReplyDeleteAs a community, the respect for the gods is evident. As one can see when Achilles explains why Apollo is angry with Agamenmon. Achilles advises them to return the girl, in order to stop Apollo from killing them all. What the gods say or do is very important they don't have to agree with it but they have to respect it.
Similar to other ancient epic poems, The Iliad has specific regard to the rage of Achilles, through its entire duration, how it begins, how it cripples the Achaean army, and how it eventually changes its focus toward the Trojans. Once Achilles and Agamemnon entered their quarrel, the Trojan War had already persisted for nearly ten years. Whereas Achilles’ absence from battle only extended over a period of days, flowing in to the conclusion of the epic, which ends soon after his return. The story does not depict the beginning or end of the war that provoked Achilles’ rage. But rather it dissects the commencement and the outcome of this wrath, thus limiting the range of the matter covered from a larger conflict between two large parties of angry warriors to a smaller altercation between individuals
ReplyDeleteHowever, while the poem directs most of its focus on the rage of a mortal, it also engages itself with the motivations and activities of the gods. Even before the commotion between Achilles and Agamemnon, the poem discloses that Apollo was to be held accountable for the conflict. Overall, the gods in the poem concur in mortal obligations in two ways: serving as outside authorities through the sequence of circumstances, such as the plague that Apollo invoked upon the Achaean army, in addition to designating internal forces conducting and directing the behavior of individuals, such as when Athena (goddess of wisdom)forbids Achilles from relinquishing all logic and prompts him to impair Agamemnon with insults instead of his sword. Even though the gods provide a crucial foundation for handling matters of peace and violence as well as life and death, they also have an unexpected duty of comic relief. Their curiosities, betrayals, and bizarre controversies often appear ironically petty in comparison with the slaughter episodes that dominate the mortal realm. For instance the disputes between Zeus and Hera, are a breeze of fresh air when compared to the heated exchange between Agamemnon and Achilles.
Nevertheless the gods of The Iliad frequently seem more inclined to human rubbish than the human characters themselves. Zeus commits to assist the Trojans not out of any sincere moral regard but rather because he is in debt to Thetis. In the same instance, his resistance in making this promise roots from fear of annoying his wife, not from some worthy appetite to let fate take its course. However, when Hera does become irritated, Zeus puts a silence to her complaints by threatening to strangle her. Such illustrations of disposition, continuous offenses, and domestic discord, characteristic among the gods of The Iliad, describe the gods and goddesses as less invincible and complacent than we might have predicted. These sorts of excessively dramatic and dysfunctional relationships are to be expected of the human race, but seem rather ironic to be common in the divine realm.
The feud between Achilles and Agamemnon accentuates one of the most chief elements of the ancient Greek value system: the fundamental significance of personal honor. Both Agamemnon and Achilles give precedence to their corresponding individual greatness over the welfare of the Achaean forces. Agamemnon claims that, as chief of the Achaean forces, he is entitled to the most extravagant available prize—Briseis—and is thus prepared to agitate Achilles, the most crucial Achaean warrior, to secure what he believes is he is deserving of.. Achilles would prefer to protect his claim to Briseis, his personal spoil of conquest and thus what he assures is owed to him, than subdue the situation. Each man considers submitting to the other a shame rather than an act of honor or duty; therefore each puts his own interest forth most, implicating the war endeavor.
Similar to other ancient epic poems, The Iliad has specific regard to the rage of Achilles, through its entire duration, how it begins, how it cripples the Achaean army, and how it eventually focusing on the Trojans. Once Achilles and Agamemnon entered their quarrel, the Trojan War had already persisted for nearly ten years. Whereas Achilles’ absence from battle only extended over a period of days, flowing in to the conclusion of the epic ends soon after his return. The story does not depict the beginning or end of the war that provoked Achilles’ rage. But rather it dissects the commencement and the outcome of this wrath, thus limiting the range of the matter covered from a larger conflict between two large parties of angry warriors to a smaller altercation between individuals.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while the poem directs most of its focus on the rage of a mortal, it also engages itself with the motivations and activities of the gods. Even before the commotion between Achilles and Agamemnon, the poem discloses that Apollo was accountable for the conflict. Overall, the gods in the poem complying to mortal obligations in two ways: serving as outside authorities through the sequence of circumstances, such as the plague that Apollo invoked upon the Achaean army, in addition to designating internal forces conducting and directing the behavior of individuals, such as when Athena (goddess of wisdom)forbids Achilles from relinquishing all logic and prompts him to impair Agamemnon with insults instead of his sword. Even though the gods provide a crucial foundation for handling matters of peace and violence as well as life and death, they also have an unexpected duty of comic relief. Their curiosities, betrayals, and bizarre controversies often appear ironically petty in comparison with the slaughter episodes that dominate the mortal realm. For instance the disputes between Zeus and Hera, are a breeze of fresh air when compared to the heated exchange between Agamemnon and Achilles.
Nevertheless, the gods of The Iliad frequently seem more inclined to human rubbish than the human characters themselves. Zeus commits to assist the Trojans not out of any sincere moral regard but rather because he is in debt to Thetis. In the same instance, his resistance in making this promise roots from fear of annoying his wife, not from some worthy appetite to let fate take its course. However when Hera does become irritated, Zeus puts a silence to her complaints but threatening to strangle her. Such illustrations of disposition, continuous offenses, and domestic discord, characteristic among the gods of The Iliad, describe the gods and goddesses as less invincible and complacent than we might have predicted. These sorts of excessively dramatic and dysfunctional relationships are to be expected of the human race, but seem rather ironic to be common in the divine realm.
The feud between Achilles and Agamemnon accentuates one of the most chief elements of the ancient Greek value system: the fundamental significance of personal honor. Both Agamemnon and Achilles give precedence to their corresponding individual greatness over the welfare of the Achaean forces. Agamemnon claims that, as chief of the Achaean forces, he is entitled to the most extravagant available prize—Briseis—and is thus prepared to agitate Achilles, the most crucial Achaean warrior, to secure what he believes is he is deserving of.. Achilles would prefer to protect his claim to Briseis, his personal spoil of conquest and thus what he assures is owed to him, than subdue the situation. Each man considers submitting to the other a shame rather than an act of honor or duty; therefore each puts his own interest forth most, implicating the war endeavor.
Similar to other ancient epic poems, The Iliad has specific regard to the rage of Achilles, through its entire duration, how it begins, how it cripples the Achaean army, and how it eventually focusing on the Trojans. Once Achilles and Agamemnon entered their quarrel, the Trojan War had already persisted for nearly ten years. Whereas Achilles’ absence from battle only extended over a period of days, flowing in to the conclusion of the epic ends soon after his return. The story does not depict the beginning or end of the war that provoked Achilles’ rage. But rather it dissects the commencement and the outcome of this wrath, thus limiting the range of the matter covered from a larger conflict between two large parties of angry warriors to a smaller altercation between individuals.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while the poem directs most of its focus on the rage of a mortal, it also engages itself with the motivations and activities of the gods. Even before the commotion between Achilles and Agamemnon, the poem discloses that Apollo was accountable for the conflict. Overall, the gods in the poem complying to mortal obligations in two ways: serving as outside authorities through the sequence of circumstances, such as the plague that Apollo invoked upon the Achaean army, in addition to designating internal forces conducting and directing the behavior of individuals, such as when Athena (goddess of wisdom)forbids Achilles from relinquishing all logic and prompts him to impair Agamemnon with insults instead of his sword. Even though the gods provide a crucial foundation for handling matters of peace and violence as well as life and death, they also have an unexpected duty of comic relief. Their curiosities, betrayals, and bizarre controversies often appear ironically petty in comparison with the slaughter episodes that dominate the mortal realm. For instance the disputes between Zeus and Hera, are a breeze of fresh air when compared to the heated exchange between Agamemnon and Achilles.
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Nevertheless, the gods of The Iliad frequently seem more inclined to human rubbish than the human characters themselves. Zeus commits to assist the Trojans not out of any sincere moral regard but rather because he is in debt to Thetis. In the same instance, his resistance in making this promise roots from fear of annoying his wife, not from some worthy appetite to let fate take its course. However when Hera does become irritated, Zeus puts a silence to her complaints but threatening to strangle her. Such illustrations of disposition, continuous offenses, and domestic discord, characteristic among the gods of The Iliad, describe the gods and goddesses as less invincible and complacent than we might have predicted. These sorts of excessively dramatic and dysfunctional relationships are to be expected of the human race, but seem rather ironic to be common in the divine realm.
ReplyDeleteThe feud between Achilles and Agamemnon accentuates one of the most chief elements of the ancient Greek value system: the fundamental significance of personal honor. Both Agamemnon and Achilles give precedence to their corresponding individual greatness over the welfare of the Achaean forces. Agamemnon claims that, as chief of the Achaean forces, he is entitled to the most extravagant available prize—Briseis—and is thus prepared to agitate Achilles, the most crucial Achaean warrior, to secure what he believes is he is deserving of.. Achilles would prefer to protect his claim to Briseis, his personal spoil of conquest and thus what he assures is owed to him, than subdue the situation. Each man considers submitting to the other a shame rather than an act of honor or duty; therefore each puts his own interest forth most, implicating the war endeavor.