Homer's 'The Iliad' and Hesiod's Term Paper

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In Theogony, Aphrodite's mother is the water of the sea, in which the goddess is "floating." This word choice further illustrates the destructive elements of Homer's tale in contrast to the nurturing of Hesiod. Finally, Aphrodite is called "Philommedes," or genital-loving, in Theogony, but referred to as "Philommeides," or laughter-loving, in the Iliad. In the selection of Homer's work, however, she is called by this name only to highlight the significance of the tears she sheds when telling her mother she had been stabbed.

The goddess Aphrodite is one element of Greek mythology that can be observed as a part of the overall shift in Greek philosophy and society. In this selection of Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite is presented as innocent, beautiful, and powerful. However, many years later Homer presents her sexuality as tainted, maimed, and weak. Additionally, Aphrodite's place in the lineage of gods was reduced from being older than Zeus himself and the mate of Eros, the very light which put order into the universe.

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Homer presents her as the child of Zeus, rather than his elder. This is not only a shift away from the female-oriented cults of early Greek culture to the patriarchal, male-dominated society which can be seen in later antiquity, but also a shift from the primal, instinctual, and physical (as represented by Aphrodite and Eros) into a way of thinking which idealized the intellect (represented by Zeus and Apollo) over all else. These passages illustrate these elements of change through the description of Aphrodite's birth and lineage, her physical ability, and the function of her sexuality......

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