Homeric Hymns: Strength and Trickery Term Paper

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For Peter Mazur, the two creation myths of the origins of the individual gods Apollo and Hermes represented two polar forces in the universe of man, two necessary ways the gods were a presence in the fate of human creation, as a tricking and deceitful force but also as a force of indomitable strength.

For example, night may be either a kindly protection for a hero under attack, or a dangerous cloud leading one astray from a path to glory states Mazur, although Apollo sees Hermes as having the potential to embody both. Apollo also recognizes Hermes as his brother, for Apollo too understands and uses trickery, as well as strums upon his lyre. By showing Hermes through the eyes of Apollo, the author of the hymn has a greater perspicacity, that trickery and the light of the mind are both godly forces and trickery itself, when practiced by the gods has a positive and a negative component. Hesiod himself explains that there are two kinds of potentially untrustworthy but necessary forces in the world, both a good kind and a bad kind, the power of nightly cunning and the fear of nightly trickery by one's enemy. "Geras, described as oulomenon" of destructive in Hesiod but is called liparon of "sleek" in Homer when used to describe Odysseus, according to Mazur's analysis, of Odysseus's behavior during conflicts that repeat in his life -- the hero of Homer is not praised for purity and goodness, but of his warrior's prowess and his ability to use his mind as well as his body under duress, even while he is rebuked for occasionally resisting, in a negative fashion, the greater will, power, and intellect of the gods of Olympus.

Both Homeric Hymns to Hermes and Apollo thus introduce new components to Hesiod's "Theogony" as well as render the contrast between trickery and strength in more subtle ways through the character of the gods. In contrast to the Hesiod text that clearly establishes a heroic paradigm of a dragon combat of military victory achieved mainly through strength, the significance of cleverness in the reign of Zeus also becomes apparent as elements of the divine are added to -- the cleverness embodied in the trickery of Hermes and the cerebral, golden and divine authority of Apollo are paired against one another, as Hermes parodies the myth of origin of Apollo, while Apollo expands upon the themes manifest in Zeus' coming to power.

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For Peter Mazur, the notion of Apat and Hermes share in the duality of the potential for trickery. The term apat, like English "deception," can refer both to the act of deceiving and the state of being deceived, and has a positive and negative component -- one does not wish to be tricked, but being the tricking person can provide both pleasure, in the case of Hermes, and confer additional strength when one is incapacitated physically against one's opponent. The "Odyssey" excerpt from Harris and Platzner's Classical Mythology addresses some of the same themes and thus is also useful to consider in light of Hermes' and Odysseus both being positive and negative tricksters in the world, and these components adding to their heroic status in a contrasting complementary nature of strength and cunning. Thus Greek myth does not place a high value on trickery and deception, alone, rather it allows for trickery's ability to exist in consort with physical attributes to greatness, and when necessary, add to the heroic attributes of strength.

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