Untitled Essay, Research Paper

The gods and goddesses that the Greek people believe in make up the Greek

mythology studied today. These divine characters represent a family living

on Mount Olympus who intervene frequently in the lives of the human characters

in Greek plays. They are omnipresent, for they are always observing mans

actions and working through human nature. The gods are a higher power, and

provide explanations for otherwise unexplainable events. The gods help humans

in trouble and give them guidance about the future. The Olympians influence

men on earth both psychologically and physically. In Homer’s epic poem,

The Iliad, the intervention of such divine powers as Athena, Apollo, and

Zeus play significant roles in the lives of the characters and the events

of the Greek-Trojan War.

Athena plays a very influential role in the Greek-Trojan War. She is the

most constant divine supporter of the Greeks and divine enemy of the Trojans.

Athena’s function is to be a goddess of pro-Greek warfare. She came

to the aid of the Greeks many times throughout the war. For instance, Athena

came down from the sky to stop Achilleus from attacking Agamemnon (Willcock).

Andre Michalopoulous confirms this action by quoting what Athena says to

Achilles :

I came from heaven to stay thine anger, if perchance though wilt

hearken to me, being sent forth of the white-armed goddess Hera, that

loveth you twain alike and careth for you. Go to now, cense from strife,

and let not thine hand draw the sword.(65)

Achilles listens to Athena’s request, and therefore he returns his sword

to its sheath, and withdraws from battle. Athena also assists Achilles in

his battle with Hektor. Malcolm Willcock quotes, “After deceiving Hektor

into fighting Achilles,she comes to his aid by returning his sword to him”

(244). This intervention is the greatest assist of a divine power to a human

being in The Iliad.

Athena also plays an influential role in the battles of Diomedes. Martin

Mueller reveals, “Athena is closest to Diomedes. “ She is with

him at the beginning and end of his aristeia and she addresses him without

disguise” (136). Athena also urges Diomedes to fight Aphrodite. With

this command, she removes the cloud from his eyes which made him able to

see the gods. Furthermore, as Robert Graves states, “She put fresh strength

into his legs and arms,” which allowed him to sustain in battle with

Aphrodite (104). Athena instructs Diomedes not to attack any other gods;

but, Diomedes does not take her advice, and fights against Apollo and other

gods, which causes Diomedes to retreat until he is saved by being reunited

with Athena. This powerful goddess assistsd Diomedes greatly as she does

the other characters in The Iliad.

Another Greek warrior who is helped by Athena was Pandaros. Athena encourages

him to break the truce with Menelaos , but, as Willcock states, “ This

does not lessen his own responsibility for his treachery – He is a fool to

be persuaded” (46). Then, she switches to Menelaos’ side, to prevent

any serious harm from the arrow that was shot. Athena protects these warriors

as she protects the other Greeks. She usually protects the characters who

were natural winners. Athena supports those who have the potential to be

successful and therefore she assists many of the Greek heroes (Willcock).

In Addition to Athena, Apollo also plays an influental role in the Greek-Trojan

War. Apollo is the most important divine supporter of the Trojans. Willcock

tells us, “He is the archer god who strikes from afar, the god of disease

and healing” (4). Apollo’s first intervention occurs after Agamemnon

had taken Apollo’s priest daughter as a war prize. Apollo sends a nine

day pestilence upon the Greeks. “Pack animals were his first target,

and dogs, / but soldiers, too, soon felt transfixing pain from his hard shots

and pyres burned night and day” (Iliad I. 23-24). Apollo also intervenes

in the Greek-Trojan War to assist the human characters. One of the warriors

Apollo assists is Pandaros. In fact, Apollo is the one who gave Pandaros

his bow after he broke the truce with Menelaos by shooting an arrow at him.

But, this passage does not truly refer to the actual action of Apollo handing

Pandaros his bow, but rather that, as Seth Schein believes, “Pandaros

was a specifically good archer” (57). Because he is a good archer, it

is believed that Pandaros is blessed by the god of archery.

Agenor, Hektor’s half brother, is another Trojan warrior that Apollo

aids. Agenor is debating on whether or not to run into the city of Troy to

save the Trojan people, because if he does he probably will be caught and

killed by Achilles. Finally, he decides to run into the city and stand and

face Achilles. He hit Achilles with a spear cast, and Achilles begins to

fight back. But, before Achilles could do anything, Apollo intervenes by

taking the form of Agenor, and removing him from the battle. Then, runs away

to lure Achilles apart from the rest of the Trojans. Mark Edwards believes

“Because of Apollo’s intervention, both Agenor and the Trojans

are saved from Achilles’ wrath (290).

An additional god that intervenes in the Greek-Trojan

War is Zeus. Zeus is not only the most powerful god in The Iliad, but he

also plays the most influential role of any of the other gods. As Willcock

states, “Zeus is the supreme god without whose will nothing important

happens in the world below” (14). This will, or plan, of Zeus is central

to the plot of The Iliad and plays a decisive role in the main events of

the play. Perhaps the reason Zeus is such an influential god is because he

intervenes in both the affairs of the Greeks and the Trojans. He is a neutral

god, who is a “tandom dispenser of good and evil” throughout the

play (Mueller 147). Zeus’ neutrality is expressed by Willcock , as he

states “Zeus, king of the gods, is impartial but knows that Troy is

in doom” (283). Zeus remains neutral throughout the play by coming to

the aid of both the Greeks and the Trojans whenever he deems it necessary.

Zeus assists the Greeks during the war in many ways. One of the ways in which

he comes to the aid of the Greeks is by sending an omen. Agamemnon prays

to Zeus that his army might not perish. In response to his prayer, Zeus sends

an eagle as a sign that he had granted his wish. This prayer is demonstrated

as John Scott says :

Just at the moment when the Trojans

seemed on the point of victory an

eagle appeared on the left with a live snake in its talons. The snake kept

striking at the neck and breast of its captor until the eagle was forced

to

drop it and fly away, while the snake fell and squirmed within the ranks

of

the Trojans.(215)

Because of this affirmation, the Greeks rejoice and rally. The Trojans decide

that this is the a sign from Zeus to end the battle, even though it seemed

it was going to be a success for the Trojans. In addition to Agamemnons prayer,

Zeus receives a prayer from Thetis. Thetis, the mother of Achilles prays

to Zeus :

Father Zeus, if ever before in word or action I did you favor among immortals,

now grant what I ask for. Now give honor to my son short -

lived beyond all other mortals.

So long put strength in the Trojans, until

the Achaians give my son his rights

and his honor is increased among

them. (Iliad 256-64)

Zeus decides to grant Thetis’ wish and help the Trojan army. This action

is an answer to Thetis’ prayer because she wanted the Trojans to start

winning battles to bet back at the Acheans and Agamemnon for dishonoring

Achilles by taking his war prize. Therefore, Thetis is granted the wish that

she wanted through the mighty power of Zeus. Answering the prayers of the

Greeks such as Achilles and Thetis is just one of the ways in which Zeus

helps the Greeks. Although Zeus is essentially a neutral god sometimes he

shows favortism to one side or the other. In many instances, he aides and

intervenes in the Greek-Trojan war in favor of the Greeks.

Not only did Zeus assist the Greeks in the Greek-Trojan

War, but he also aides the Trojans. For instance, Zeus is tempted by Hera

before the battle that destroys the city of Troy. In return for this destruction,

Hera would give Zeus the cities that she loved the most – Argos, Sparta,

and Mycena. Edwards confirms this temptation as he states :

Before the battle really begins

there is a prelude in which Zeus speaks

of his love for Troy and Hera

offers to sacrifice her own favorite cities in

return for Troy’s destruction; the traditional reasons for her hatred

- the

judgement of Paris and Zues’ love for the Trojan boy Ganymede are left

unmentioned, perhaps to make her anger more irrational. (128)

Zeus’ decision to avoid destructing the city of Troy immensly aggrivates

Hera. His decision also shows that he was protecting the city of Troy, thus

helping the Trojans in the Greek-Trojan War.

Zeus assists the Trojans in another instance by directly

intervening in a battle. Mueller says, “After a general account of

indecisive fighting, the turning point in the second day’s battle comes

when Zeus intervened on the side of the Trojans (103).

Zeus aids the Trojans by sending down a lightening bolt to make Diomedes,

the Greek warrior, retreat. Because of Diomedes’ retreat, Hektor is

able to push the Acheans back on their ships that are now threatened with

fire. Zeus gives the Trojans another victory later in the war when the Greeks

and the Trojans begin fighting over Patroklos’ body, a battle arises

between the two enemies. At this time, Zeus intervenes in the battle and

once again comes to the Trojans aid. Mueller states, “ At length Zeus

gives victory to the Trojans, and in a passage richly studded with similies

the poet describes the retreat of the Acheans, with Meriones and Menelaos

carrying the body while the two Aiantes provide cover” (107). Zeus plays

an important part in the victories of the Trojans. He “inspires terror

into the Greeks” (Willcock 98) and enables the Trojans to overcome the

Greeks many times throughout the Greek-Trojan War.

The Greek-Trojan War in The Iliad is not only a War between

human characters, but it is also a battle between divine characters. While

the Olympians’ immortality separates them from man and leaves them free

from death and suffering, there power brings them closer to humans because

it is constantly being used to either aid or hamper mans progress. These

gods are central to the poem because they are actually responsible for the

war’s beginnings, and every event that occurs has been affected by a

god in some way. The gods have the power to control the outcome of the events

on earth because man can be persuaded so easily. Therefore, the divine

intervention in the war is frequent and significant to the war’s outcome.

The power of the gods such as Athena, Apollo and Zeus is crucial to the events

in The Iliad, for the Greek-Trojan War is a battle between not only the heroic

human warriors, but also the mighty dine gods.