Relationships between Gods and Mortals in The Odyssey Essay

The Ancient Greeks were a play of very religious people who believed strongly in their divinity fudges and goddesses. non only did they believe in the aim of their gods, they deed of conveyanceually believed that the gods often intervened in their lives. callable to such a strong belief, the Greeks held their gods in the highest regard and had the expiration respect and reverence for them. Furthermore, they established certain types of relationships with their gods, usually non relationships in a physical sense, moreover relationships nonetheless. Many patterns of such relationships are evident through the relationships demonstrated between characters of kors epic, The Odyssey. 1 such relationship that the Greeks had with their gods were that they were forever trying to please them and in certain cases, their efforts were awarded. The Greeks all did their part to sight respect for the gods through methods such as prayer and sacrifice, which are both evident in The Odyssey . However, in some cases, it seems that such respect was mutual, as demonstrated by some of the relationships portrayed by kor. angiotensin converting enzyme such relationship was between Odysseus and Athena. The latter develops an extensive bond with the mere deathly because she sees herself in him. Due to this, she helps Odysseus out on many occasions, like when she begs her father, Zeus, to allow her to aid Odysseus in his quest to find home. She pleads, in time saying, My declare heart is broken for Odysseus (1. 68), and is able to convince him. Only through Athenas beseeching does Zeus pay the incentive to dispatch Hermes to free Odysseus from Calypsos island, allowing him to eventually find home.another(prenominal)(prenominal) example of this type of relationship is between Athena and Telemachus, Odysseuss son. Only through her guidance does Telemachus fledged as the epic progresses, learning his responsibilities as a prince and becoming more assertive. He finally takes charge, winning the initiative to find his father and confronting the suitors. An example of Athenas guidance is when visits Ithaca, giving him friendly advice infra the disguise of being a stranger. She gives him a nudge in the right direction, at one show up saying, If I were you, I should take steps to make these men disperse (1. 318-319). Yet another example of such positive divine intervention is through the relationship between Athenaand Penelope.The grey-eyed goddess respects Odysseus silken wife and sometimes soothes her loneliness by helping her sleep. At the end of the epic, she even makes the night durable so that the lovers would have more time to get reacquainted. As Homer writes, The rose Dawn susceptibility have found them weeping still had not grey-eyed Athena slowed the night (23. 271-272). Athenas free grace helped mortals on numerous occasions in The Odyssey, demonstrating an example of the relationship between the Greeks and Gods where the mortals reveren ce was rewarded.On the contrary, another type of relationship is where the gods are rather indifferent to the mortals, despite their praying and sacrificing. Examples of this are present in Homers epic as well. For example, as Zeus ponders the situation of Aigstos and Orests, he muses, exclaiming, My word, how mortals take the gods to task alone their afflictions come from us, we heard. And what of their own failings (1. 48-50)? This is a perfect example of how contrary to the belief of some mortals, the gods did not harbour every insignificant detail of their lives. The gods were at times uninterested in meddling in mortal affairs. other example of this relationship is through that of Zeus and Odysseus.Zeus admires Odysseus, asking Athena, Could I forget that kinglike man, Odysseus (1. 87)? However, though Zeus knows exactly what has been going on with Odysseus and respects the wisdom of the mortal, he would not have taken the initiative to help him without Athenas pleading, sh owing his practically indifferent attitude. However, he is bring out off with a god indifferent to him than with a god holding a grudge against him.Another type of relationship is one in which the gods would punish mortals for certain things, using divine intervention to negatively influence their lives. One obvious example in The Odyssey is the relationship between Odysseus and Poseidon, the formers antagonist. Poseidon stormily hates Odysseus because he blinded the gods son, Polyphemus, in order to escape from the man-eating cyclops cave. The vexed god of the sea constantly tries to hamper Odysseuss attempts at returning home in any expressive style possible. Another example of such relationship is when Odysseus men are punished for disobeying the gods. They are advised not to slaughter Helios, the Sun godscattle by Tiresias, as he says If you raid the beeves, I see destruction for ship and crew (12. 166-167). However, the crew ignores the advice and kills some cattle for food.T his is a blasphemous act and they are punished for it when Zeus sends down lightening and thunder, and they all lose their lives. Only Odysseus survives, and he just now does so. Another example of such relationship is shown through the fear that the mortals had of displeasing the gods. For example, when a storm spurred by Aeoluss own winds brings Odysseus and his men back to Aeolus, the ruler of the wind suddenly refuses to help them because he is authorized that they are cursed by the gods. Aeolus himself is scared to help them for fear that he himself will get on the bad side of a god.The Ancient Greeks obviously had relationships with the gods they worshipped in a variety of forms. Not only did some have relationships where their respect was rewarded but others were not so lucky. Others had relationships where the gods were practically indifferent toward them. These mortals took matters into their own hands. But there are also the really unlucky ones, the mortals who had relat ionships with gods where the gods would actually intervene in their lives negatively. Homers The Odyssey demonstrates an assortment of such relationships.