The Gods In Hesiod's Odyssey

Is there a difference between the Christian God and the gods in the famous book known as the Odyssey? Should we really care if God or the gods of the odyssey are better or worse than the other or for that matter be thankful that we are ruled by God rather than the Odyssey gods? In many ways they are very different. Sending his only son to die on the cross God, loving and merciful, showed he cared about his mortals, while the gods of The Odyssey will try to kill you even if you slightly offend their children. No caring for mortals there. Surprisingly that’s just one of the many qualities that separates the Odyssey gods to the real almighty God. While that by itself is a pretty convincing fact that our God, who is prince of peace, is better than

The stories told in the Iliad and Odyssey are based on stories handed down over several generations, for they preserve (as we have seen) memories of an already quiet far distant past. The two pomes show clear connection in their language and style, in the manner in which their incidents presented, and in the combination of agreement with level, which distinguish their creation.

           Poseidon was the second son of Cronus and Rhea, his two brothers Zeus and Hades. Poseidon's father Cronus was prophesied to be overthrown by his sons, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, so in order to prevent that, he devoured all of his children when they were born. Cronus meant to eat his fifth son, Zeus but his mother wrapped a stone with a cloth and fed that to Cronus. Zeus, as a grown man, and cup bearer of Cronus, put poison in Cronus's drink which made him vomit up all of the other children(Graves,12-13), which lead to the upbringing of Poseidon.

    Prehistoric man did not question his existence and reality - he just lived as one with nature. When prehistoric man awakened from this simple existence into the world of intelligence, he began to question his existence and reality. Homer’s The Odyssey demonstrated man’s attempt to cope with their own nature through the illusion of the gods, by using them to carry their burdens of hopelessness, helplessness, and fallibility.

Everyone has heard of Zeus he was the mightiest of all the Greek gods, yet many do not know about the first gods. Many people know the story of Zeus and his life how he had many powerful children, and not only that but how they were each born and how they each had their own special power. Although, Zeus was a wise god the Greeks believed there were greater gods of whom had ruled before the mighty Zeus. There are four main Gods who were born first, and these gods had many conflicts that related to conflicts of humans, yet these gods were created by a god whom Greeks were not very clear how he popped up which had its own problems.

Together the Gods went to war against Cronus and the Titans for ten years, and Cronus was defeated. Having beaten the old gods, Zeus made himself supreme god of the Olympians and most powerful god. The brothers drew straws for domains of the Universe and therefore were divided into three parts. Poseidon became the god of the sea, Zeus became the king of gods, the sky, and heaven and earth and Hades became the god of the underworld.

Religion has always been an important part of culture, in present times and even dating back to the times of the Trojan War and before. No matter what religion a person practices or believes in the role of the certain gods believed in has always been important. In three separate pieces we have read we have seen the importance of the gods, or God, play a key role in the development of the literature. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the gods are key in Odysseus’ return to Ithaca after twenty years. Whether it is helping Odysseus or delaying him, they play a major role in the development of the story. In Psalm 139, the scripture passage taken from the Bible, God is a very obvious factor. Even in the poem by William Owen “Dulce et Decorum

First, let talk about the Iliad. “The Iliad" indicates how for example the war between Apollos and Achilles who were both gods begun, as well as the part that divine beings took in that war. Apollo descended from Olympus with his bow to assist. He sat himself down far from the boats with a face as dim as night, and his silver bow rang passing as he shot his bolt amidst them (128). All through the story, there were numerous divine beings or

As the suitors, Odysseus and anyone who has messed with the gods could tell you, stay on the god’s good side. Odysseus’ journey home in The Odyssey was a great example of how the gods can change everything in a moment.The gods intervening was a big part in the ups and downs of Odysseus’ journey home. The painting Fisherman by the Sea by J.W.M. Turner shows two ships in the ocean fighting strong waves, looking at a light far away. The painting is showing a hopeless ship fighting waves and trying to get home to the light. It connects to the main point because of the long journey caused by the gods.Also, Geoffrey Philp, in his poem “The Cattle of the Sun God” shows a similar point of the power and what can happen if you do not listen to the gods. In Philip’s writing, the poem shows how awful the punishments the gods give can be. “The cattle of The Sun god” is about Odysseus’ crew making a dumb decision and the gods acting as their own system of justice. In the poem, Philip uses the consequences of the mortals mistake to demonstrate the power of the gods.

When Zeus had grown into a strong healthy god, he fed his father a magic herb that made him vomit Zeus's brothers and sisters that Kronus had devoured. They were the gods, Hades and Poseidon and the goddesses Hestia, Demeter and Hera. When Kronus saw the six young gods rising he surrendered his powers and fled (D’aulaire 17). A battle erupted between these new gods and the Titans. After many years of battling, the young gods had won.

Cronus feared his children would want to overpower him and take his place at Mt.Olympus, therefore he swallowed all of Zeus's siblings, Zeus hadn't yet been born. When Zeus was born, Rhea hid Zeus on some close by islands before Cronus could swallow him then she wrapped a stone in baby's clothes and gave it to Cronus. Cronus swallowed it believing it was his son. When Zeus reached adulthood he disguised himself and returned and tricked Cronus into drinking a liquid that forced him to vomit up all of his children, who then all gathered together to fight in a war against their father Cronus and the rest of the Titans (the race that Cronus and Rhea belonged to). Cronus was overthrown in the war by Zeus, so Zeus then took his place on Mt. Olympus and became judge and chief ruler of the 12 major gods and goddesses called the Olympians who ruled Mt.Olympus. It was believed that he settled disputes fairly but when he became angry he would throw thunder bolts. On Mt. Olympus he was also in charge of changing the seasons and making the sun come and go, both of which were very important to the other gods, goddesses and

Zeus had many allies, and Cronus fled and gave up his powers when Zeus rose up against him, making Zeus the lord of the universe, but he shared his powers with his brothers and sisters. The Titans revolted against Zeus but lost and were put in a dark pit. The Cyclops built a palace on Mt. Olympus where only gods could

The Greek gods and goddesses “shaped the destinies of men.” And still hold imaginations today. They were very important figures in Greek religion. They, and their great impact, have pushed the Greek civilization to the point of a greater lifestyle. The Greeks believed with all of their hearts that the gods were real and helped them in their day to day lives. They supposedly helped immensely in the Trojan war. The Big Three, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, were all brothers that split territories three ways: Zeus, god of the skies, Poseidon, god of the seas, and Hades, god of the underworld.

The Titans had very important roles and contributions to Greek Mythology as it is known today. Many have heard of Greek Mythology, but with very little Information and understanding of these certain Greek Gods, who had a major factor in the rise of mysticism. Because of their certain powers and upbringing, Titans had major roles in the society. Without having a major part in the formation , Greek Mythology may have not been the same.The Titans originally consisted of twelve gods and goddesses: Six male and six females, who were inherited by Gaea (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Jupiter). The Titans were Kronos, Iapetus, Hyperion, Oceanus, Coeus, Creus, Theia, Rhea, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, and Themis. Kronus, the youngest among the Titans, overthrew his Father Uranus , which led him to become king and having his son Zeus betray him.

The Odyssey details Odysseus’ arduous return to his homeland. Ten years have passed since the end of the Trojan war and Odysseus, the “most cursed man alive”, has been missing and presumed dead by many. (10.79). Throughout the novel, gods play a significant role in the fate of Odysseus and other characters. The extent of the gods’ role though is not unqualified, contrary to Telemachus’ suggestion that, “Zeus is to blame./He deals to each and every/ laborer on this earth whatever doom he pleases” (1.401-403). While Zeus does have this power, his description of how humans meet their fate is more accurately depicted throughout the novel. As he aptly points out, “from us alone, the say, come all their miseries, yes,/ but they themselves, with their own reckless ways,/ compound their pain beyond their proper share” (1.38-52). While the gods do doom certain mortals, many of these mortals exacerbate their ill fate by making rash decisions and ignoring the gods’ warnings. The gods are also not always disrupting mortals lives; they often aid mortals in need. In fact, mortals who effectively court the favor of the gods often benefit greatly. While the gods’ powers are unquestionable, no one god’s power is insurmountable. Gods can be outsmarted and their wrath escaped. The Odyssey, in congruence with Zeus’ statement, ultimately, portrays human freedom as existent, but limited.