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Thursday, June 24, 2010
And so with gods and men...
Use the comment button to post summaries of articles dealing with the Ancient Greek gods and/or their relationship with mortals.
Bassett, Samuel E. “Athena and the Adventures of Odysseus.” The Classic Journal. Vol.13, No.7 (1918): 528-529
The Goddess Athena is the driving force behind the plot of the story The Odyssey. She is the one who gets Telemachus going about finding his father, Odysseus. Telemachus has doubts but in lines 233-242, Athena assures him that his father is still alive. She says,” Well, I will forecast for you, as the gods put the strong feeling in me—I see it all...” Because of Athena's convincing, Telemachus found a new courage that made him want to find his father. Telemachus knows that the suitors would not carry on the way they were if Odysseus was there. After Athena gets the ball rolling with convincing Telemachus to go on a journey to search for his father, Athena works on Odysseus. Athena helps Odysseus until he gets to the Phaeacian islands. After that, she disappears. Did she disappear because she felt he needed to be on his own for a bit? Or was there another reason behind it? Yes! There is another reason. Athena feared the wrath of Poseidon who happened to be Lord of the seas. Athena let Odysseus handled that one on his own! This is not the only time Athena looks after Odysseus. She intervenes by portraying a couple of immortal characters who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help Odysseus. She is viewed by the readers as a constant provider of protection of Odysseus and Telemachus as they find each other while enduring their own personal journeys.
Matthew Hartenstein The article entitled Gods and Men in the Iliad and Odyssey, by Wolfgang Kullmann, describes, compares, and contrasts the interactions between gods and men throughout the Iliad and Odyssey. The first interaction given in this article is whenever Athena appears to either Odysseus or Penelope. It describes how Athena tells them what the will of the gods is; and based on what form she takes conveys the type of message. She takes the form of Mentor to Telemachus because it is someone whom he trusts and believes in. Another interaction in the Iliad that shows how cruel the gods could be is when Athena takes the form of Deiphobus to get Hector to fight Achilles, which when Athena leaves Hector realizes he’s been deceived and knows he is about to die. The article then continues on this way and also explains how Odysseus received Poseidon’s anger by blinding Polyphemus, his son. The article finally discusses how the Iliad and Odyssey relate to each other. The article states that, “[t]he fact that the gods are more ethical in the Odyssey is taken to be a sign of a new age, and the view of religion in the Odyssey,…reflects a ‘more advanced’ state in the history of the human mind”(Kullmann 14).
Kullmann, Wolfgang. “Gods and Men in the Iliad and the Odyssey.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 89 (1985): pp. 1-23. Web. 23 June 2010. http://www.jstor.org/stable/311265
What makes men? Is it strength, loyalty, courage or could it be pride. In the article “Chapman’s Ironic Homer” courage and wisdom symbolizes the distinction between men and the gods. In this article the gods and goddess are examples of divine intervention. When we study ancient Greek or Roman literature, we realize that the perception during that time period is different. Morals and values are important aspects. The roman Greek mythology of gods and goddess, are mirror reflections of one another. The gods basically describe humans with strength and weakness although being immortal. The article also explores various motives behind the mortals and the gods. In the Odyssey loyalty is defined as faithfulness and hospitality. Most of the poetry that we read to day have only one theme, but in the Odyssey we see theme’s within themes. The gods and goddess constantly intervene in the “Odyssey.” Odysseus embodies the characteristics of a true hero. Odysseus was a husband and father, fuelled by his sense of responsibility. His sense of intelligence and morals allows him to trust the gods and goddess advice. The trials he faced were mainly resistance against the temptations. One of the most influential gods in the Odyssey is Poseidon. Upset because Odyssey blind his son. Poseidon caused Odysseus journey to be difficult.
Wolfe,Jessica. "Chapman's Ironic Homer." College Literature 35.4 (2008): 151-186.
Oresteia is the son of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra is Agamemnon wife, and the gods encouraged and discouraged each one in the actions that they took. Zeus first sends Agamemnon to avenge a wrong in blood, and then has him destroyed because he shed much blood. Trojans have deservedly suffered Zeus' blow; for Paris was quilty of great hybris when he offended against the Atreids' hospitality. It was Zeus' favor that brought victory to the commanders. “Agamemnon destroyed Troy as Zeus' commanded, but Zeus abhor his sacrifice of Iphigeneia” or “his needless loss of both Trojan and Achaean lives in combat”. Agamemnon wife, Clytemnestra had a lover (Aegisthus) an they acted as Zeus' agent when she murders Agamemnon. Clytemnestra reason for killing Agamemnon was his sacrifice of their daughter Iphigeneia. Zeus has Clytemnestra and Aegisthus to punish Agamemnon with death, though only after he carried out his task of destroying quilty Troy. Artemis, Zeus' daughter helped Agamemnon with the winds to get him home, but she is the one that had Agamemnon sacrifice his daughter. Clytemnestra nor Aegisthus mention no Olympian gods to justify themselves.
Appollo, speaking for Zeus, ordered Orestes to kill Agamemnons murderers, and threatened horrible penalties for disobedience. Appollo protected and defended him after he had done the deed (murdered his mother and her lover). Athena was his active helper, receiving Orestes when he came as a suppliant to her. Areopagus court tried him, and Athena voting as a member of the court for his acquittal.
P“Agamemnon must pay with his life for a life which he destroyed; and his murderess must pay with her life for taking his; and her son must be brought to justice for killing her”; and it was so.
Author: Fontenrose, Joseph “Gods and Men in the Oresteia” The Johns Hopkins University Press Vol. 102 (1971), pp. 71 - 109
In everyday society everyone wants some kind of revenge for an action that was done to them even if it was just a small one. The Odyssey contains a lot of revenge plots one is Poisedon wants revenge for Polyphemos and Odysseus wants revenge for his wife because of the actions of the suitors. Athena helps with Odysseus’s revenge by telling Telemachus not to give up on his father returning home. Telemachus will also call to the gods for vengeance against the suitors. The Odyssey has four main themes: Odysseus’s travels, when he returns to Ithaca, the crimes the suitors commit and his revenge upon them. When Athena tells Telemachus of her plan of the suitors running, screaming, and receiving their promise of vengeance, Telemachus threatens them of the plan. Athena isn’t the only helpful god in this story Zeus reveals an omen of the revenge to come.
Jones, F.W. "The Formulation of the Revenge Motif in the Odyssey." Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philogical Association, Vol. 72 (1941): 195-202. JSTOR. WEB. 26 Jun. 2010
Divine Justice in the Odyssey: Poseidon, Cyclops, and Helios Charles Segal The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 113, No. 4 (Winter, 1992), pp. 489-518 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/295536
Odysseus succeeds because he identifies his purposes with the gods’ way of justice and vengeance. He comes to grief because he cannot resist the temptation to gloat over his victory and make sure his enemy knows the identity of his vanquisher. Justice is served all throughout the odyssey. The scene that stands out the most is that of the Kyklops. The Kyklops mocks the gods, and his idea of hospitality is to eat Odysseus last. Odysseus in turn blinds the Kyklops. The Kyklops happens to be the son of Poseidon, so of course he is enraged to know that his son has been blinded. Since he is the god of sea, he shipwrecks Odysseus ships, killing everyone but Odysseus himself, who is saved by Athena. So, the Kyklops gets blinded for mocking the gods, and Odysseus gets shipwrecked for blinding Poseidon’s son. On another note, Odessues gets the benefit of planning his future moves with Athena in book 13. She tells him that she knew he would make it home, but she did not want to anger Poseidon. Odysseus had to deal with his justice for blinding the Kyklops. Her concern changes his understanding of the gods. He fights with more self control and prudence defending his home in Ithaca than he did when fighting for his life with the Kyklops. He also uses himself as an example of the gods to change his sons mind about the gods. Telemachus had complained to Athena when she was disguised as Mentes that the gods were “evil devising” of his father woes. He assures his son that they have the help of Athena and Zeus. So with Athena’s help, Odysseus fights for his home, and he wins his son over to the gods.
Brown, Calvin. “Odysseus and Polyphemus: The Name and the Curse.” Comparative Literature. Volume 18. (1966): 193-202.
In Odysseus and Polyphemus: The Name and the Curse, Brown points out that Odysseus cursed himself when he told Polyphemus his name. He states that when Odysseus was cursed his journey started and he started having to work through the curse that Poseidon, Polyphemus’ father, placed upon him. Brown also states that in the Solomon’s Islands “to say one’s name is to put one’s self in another person’s power.” I thought that this was interesting because he is pointing out that a name is sacred and not for everyone to know, kind of like a woman’s virginity. Brown says that once you lose your name you are not entirely yourself anymore and anyone is allowed to have the power over you. This is exactly what Odysseus did. He gave his name to Polyphemus and let him have the control. If Odysseus would have left Polyphemus silently then he probably wouldn’t have had to endure the trials and tribulations that he did on his journey back home to Ithaca.
Bassett, Samuel E. “Athena and the Adventures of Odysseus.” The Classic Journal. Vol.13, No.7 (1918): 528-529
ReplyDeleteThe Goddess Athena is the driving force behind the plot of the story The Odyssey. She is the one who gets Telemachus going about finding his father, Odysseus. Telemachus has doubts but in lines 233-242, Athena assures him that his father is still alive. She says,” Well, I will forecast for you, as the gods put the strong feeling in me—I see it all...” Because of Athena's convincing, Telemachus found a new courage that made him want to find his father. Telemachus knows that the suitors would not carry on the way they were if Odysseus was there. After Athena gets the ball rolling with convincing Telemachus to go on a journey to search for his father, Athena works on Odysseus. Athena helps Odysseus until he gets to the Phaeacian islands. After that, she disappears. Did she disappear because she felt he needed to be on his own for a bit? Or was there another reason behind it? Yes! There is another reason. Athena feared the wrath of Poseidon who happened to be Lord of the seas. Athena let Odysseus handled that one on his own! This is not the only time Athena looks after Odysseus. She intervenes by portraying a couple of immortal characters who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help Odysseus. She is viewed by the readers as a constant provider of protection of Odysseus and Telemachus as they find each other while enduring their own personal journeys.
Matthew Hartenstein
ReplyDeleteThe article entitled Gods and Men in the Iliad and Odyssey, by Wolfgang Kullmann, describes, compares, and contrasts the interactions between gods and men throughout the Iliad and Odyssey. The first interaction given in this article is whenever Athena appears to either Odysseus or Penelope. It describes how Athena tells them what the will of the gods is; and based on what form she takes conveys the type of message. She takes the form of Mentor to Telemachus because it is someone whom he trusts and believes in. Another interaction in the Iliad that shows how cruel the gods could be is when Athena takes the form of Deiphobus to get Hector to fight Achilles, which when Athena leaves Hector realizes he’s been deceived and knows he is about to die. The article then continues on this way and also explains how Odysseus received Poseidon’s anger by blinding Polyphemus, his son. The article finally discusses how the Iliad and Odyssey relate to each other. The article states that, “[t]he fact that the gods are more ethical in the Odyssey is taken to be a sign of a new age, and the view of religion in the Odyssey,…reflects a ‘more advanced’ state in the history of the human mind”(Kullmann 14).
Kullmann, Wolfgang. “Gods and Men in the Iliad and the Odyssey.” Harvard Studies in Classical
Philology, 89 (1985): pp. 1-23. Web. 23 June 2010. http://www.jstor.org/stable/311265
What makes men? Is it strength, loyalty, courage or could it be pride. In the article “Chapman’s Ironic Homer” courage and wisdom symbolizes the distinction between men and the gods. In this article the gods and goddess are examples of divine intervention. When we study ancient Greek or Roman literature, we realize that the perception during that time period is different. Morals and values are important aspects. The roman Greek mythology of gods and goddess, are mirror reflections of one another. The gods basically describe humans with strength and weakness although being immortal. The article also explores various motives behind the mortals and the gods. In the Odyssey loyalty is defined as faithfulness and hospitality. Most of the poetry that we read to day have only one theme, but in the Odyssey we see theme’s within themes. The gods and goddess constantly intervene in the “Odyssey.” Odysseus embodies the characteristics of a true hero. Odysseus was a husband and father, fuelled by his sense of responsibility. His sense of intelligence and morals allows him to trust the gods and goddess advice. The trials he faced were mainly resistance against the temptations. One of the most influential gods in the Odyssey is Poseidon. Upset because Odyssey blind his son. Poseidon caused Odysseus journey to be difficult.
ReplyDeleteWolfe,Jessica. "Chapman's Ironic Homer." College Literature 35.4 (2008): 151-186.
Oresteia is the son of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra is Agamemnon wife, and the gods encouraged and discouraged each one in the actions that they took.
ReplyDeleteZeus first sends Agamemnon to avenge a wrong in blood, and then has him destroyed because he shed much blood. Trojans have deservedly suffered Zeus' blow; for Paris was quilty of great hybris when he offended against the Atreids' hospitality. It was Zeus' favor that brought victory to the commanders. “Agamemnon destroyed Troy as Zeus' commanded, but Zeus abhor his sacrifice of Iphigeneia” or “his needless loss of both Trojan and Achaean lives in combat”. Agamemnon wife, Clytemnestra had a lover (Aegisthus) an they acted as Zeus' agent when she murders Agamemnon. Clytemnestra reason for killing Agamemnon was his sacrifice of their daughter Iphigeneia. Zeus has Clytemnestra and Aegisthus to punish Agamemnon with death, though only after he carried out his task of destroying quilty Troy. Artemis, Zeus' daughter helped Agamemnon with the winds to get him home, but she is the one that had Agamemnon sacrifice his daughter. Clytemnestra nor Aegisthus mention no Olympian gods to justify themselves.
Appollo, speaking for Zeus, ordered Orestes to kill Agamemnons murderers, and threatened horrible penalties for disobedience. Appollo protected and defended him after he had done the deed (murdered his mother and her lover). Athena was his active helper, receiving Orestes when he came as a suppliant to her. Areopagus court tried him, and Athena voting as a member of the court for his acquittal.
P“Agamemnon must pay with his life for a life which he destroyed; and his murderess must pay with her life for taking his; and her son must be brought to justice for killing her”; and it was so.
Author: Fontenrose, Joseph
“Gods and Men in the Oresteia”
The Johns Hopkins University Press
Vol. 102 (1971), pp. 71 - 109
In everyday society everyone wants some kind of revenge for an action that was done to them even if it was just a small one. The Odyssey contains a lot of revenge plots one is Poisedon wants revenge for Polyphemos and Odysseus wants revenge for his wife because of the actions of the suitors. Athena helps with Odysseus’s revenge by telling Telemachus not to give up on his father returning home. Telemachus will also call to the gods for vengeance against the suitors. The Odyssey has four main themes: Odysseus’s travels, when he returns to Ithaca, the crimes the suitors commit and his revenge upon them. When Athena tells Telemachus of her plan of the suitors running, screaming, and receiving their promise of vengeance, Telemachus threatens them of the plan. Athena isn’t the only helpful god in this story Zeus reveals an omen of the revenge to come.
ReplyDeleteJones, F.W. "The Formulation of the Revenge Motif in the Odyssey." Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philogical Association, Vol. 72 (1941): 195-202. JSTOR. WEB. 26 Jun. 2010
Divine Justice in the Odyssey: Poseidon, Cyclops, and Helios
ReplyDeleteCharles Segal
The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 113, No. 4 (Winter, 1992), pp. 489-518
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/295536
Odysseus succeeds because he identifies his purposes with the gods’ way of justice and vengeance. He comes to grief because he cannot resist the temptation to gloat over his victory and make sure his enemy knows the identity of his vanquisher. Justice is served all throughout the odyssey. The scene that stands out the most is that of the Kyklops. The Kyklops mocks the gods, and his idea of hospitality is to eat Odysseus last. Odysseus in turn blinds the Kyklops. The Kyklops happens to be the son of Poseidon, so of course he is enraged to know that his son has been blinded. Since he is the god of sea, he shipwrecks Odysseus ships, killing everyone but Odysseus himself, who is saved by Athena. So, the Kyklops gets blinded for mocking the gods, and Odysseus gets shipwrecked for blinding Poseidon’s son.
On another note, Odessues gets the benefit of planning his future moves with Athena in book 13. She tells him that she knew he would make it home, but she did not want to anger Poseidon. Odysseus had to deal with his justice for blinding the Kyklops. Her concern changes his understanding of the gods. He fights with more self control and prudence defending his home in Ithaca than he did when fighting for his life with the Kyklops. He also uses himself as an example of the gods to change his sons mind about the gods. Telemachus had complained to Athena when she was disguised as Mentes that the gods were “evil devising” of his father woes. He assures his son that they have the help of Athena and Zeus. So with Athena’s help, Odysseus fights for his home, and he wins his son over to the gods.
Brown, Calvin. “Odysseus and Polyphemus: The Name and the Curse.” Comparative Literature. Volume 18. (1966): 193-202.
ReplyDeleteIn Odysseus and Polyphemus: The Name and the Curse, Brown points out that Odysseus cursed himself when he told Polyphemus his name. He states that when Odysseus was cursed his journey started and he started having to work through the curse that Poseidon, Polyphemus’ father, placed upon him. Brown also states that in the Solomon’s Islands “to say one’s name is to put one’s self in another person’s power.” I thought that this was interesting because he is pointing out that a name is sacred and not for everyone to know, kind of like a woman’s virginity. Brown says that once you lose your name you are not entirely yourself anymore and anyone is allowed to have the power over you. This is exactly what Odysseus did. He gave his name to Polyphemus and let him have the control. If Odysseus would have left Polyphemus silently then he probably wouldn’t have had to endure the trials and tribulations that he did on his journey back home to Ithaca.