Iliad and or Odyssey Term Paper

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Religion in the Odyssey of Homer

Homer has the reputation of having "given the Greeks their gods." In so doing Homer has created a type of religion that does not have one god, but one that has many. Each god governs over one or more aspect of the world. This type of religion is known as polytheism, more than one god, as opposed to monotheism, one supreme God. Because there are many gods, no one god is omnipotent, having power over everything, as is God in the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions. This paper will explore the roles of Homer's gods and how they fit into the religion that Homer has created. The paper also explores the idea that the sort of religion that Homer created does exist today.

The gods in The Odyssey do not create the men that they preside over. The gods are not overpowering, but work to bring out qualities that are already present in their subjects. For instance, in the first book, the goddess Athene states to Zeus 'the lordliest of the mighty' that she will go to Ithaka to "stir up the son [Telemachus] and put some confidence in him to summon into assembly" (i. 88-89). Later in book three, Homer attributes Telemachos newly found courage to Athene. "Then the thoughtful Telemachos said to him in answer, taking courage, for Athene herself had put that courage in his heart" (iii. 75-77).

The religion that Homer has created is one where free will has power over the gods. While the gods possess supreme power, the fact that there are many gods means that none of the gods are omnipotent.

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Even Zeus, the father of the gods does not have complete dominion over the gods or over the mortals of the earth. For instance, he change the conflicting feelings that Athene and Poseidon have for Odysseus. The religion where free will is major player in the lives of men is illustrated in a scene where Odysseus is fighting the sea and the god of the sea Poseidon, who hates Odysseus because he blinded his son Cyclops (i. 68). In this scene, Athene gives Odysseus and "inkling" to hold on to a rock. He does not have to do this, but he exercises free will to succumb to the Athene's inkling and the wave washes over him and begins a series of events that end up saving his life (v. 427). The idea of free will is established in the beginning of the book when Zeus in a meeting of the Olympian gods he says, "oh, for shame, how the mortals put the blame upon us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorry beyond what is given and now lately, beyond what was given (i. 32-35).

The struggle between Athene and Poseidon show two interesting aspects of Homer's religion. Not only do the gods lack….....

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