Zeus’s decision to not help save his sons life tells us a lot about the power and actions of the gods in the Iliad. Even though Zeus is presented as the all mighty god that everyone prays to, he is powerless in this situation to help his son Sarpedon. Hera informs Zeus that “if you send Sarpedon home, living still, beware! Then surely some other god will want to sweep his own son clear of the heavy fighting too….you will inspire lethal anger in them all.” Zeus’s primary duty is maintain as much peace and tranquility between the gods and the mortals as possible. Zeus cannot have preferential treatment for his son, at the risk of chaos, destruction and interference on the part of the other gods in the war. Zeus and Hera for that matter are presented as logical and reasonable gods who understand the impact of exercising their power in their actions.
This scene represents the somewhat humanistic aspect of the gods and the pain and suffering they feel just as mortals do. Zeus’s pain is described as, “He showered tears of blood that drenched the Earth, showers in praise of him, his own dear son, and the man Patroclus was just about to kill.” This sort of dramatic and emotional response of tears and sadness is more characteristic of human mourning, yet it is a description of Zeus’s feelings. Giving the gods human emotions allow mortals to better relate and understand the ideology and thinking of the gods. Religion is such a complex philosophy that sometimes is beyond human interpretation, but by depicting Zeus in mourning of his son and powerless to help him, the Iliad gives Zeus’s character meaning and purpose. Just as humans love and feel pain, Zeus has the same feelings and emotions. This scene also shows the idea of an honorable death while in battle. Zeus praises his son for his bravery and courage in battle as he waits for his death. The values of this society are very much based on the principles of gaining the gods approval and one method of doing this is to die honorably in battle fighting for one’s country and people.
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6 comments:
I do have one question that is more pertaining to The Iliad than your post. I understand Hera's logic to a sense in saying that Zeus cannot defend Sarpedon out of fear that the other gods will intervene but, aren't they already intervening? I mean, Apollo, Ares, Poseidon and several other gods are physically on the battlefield. How would saving Sarpedon cause more of a problem? The gods are already so split and competitive in regards to the war that they have already greatly affected its outcome. Sure, the other gods might defend their sons in reaction to what Zeus might have done but by defending their own children they will not be affecting the war any greater than they already are.
Like you say in your blog, I think it's important to understand that the gods still have humanistic responsibilities and feelings. Zeus is conflicted between being a father and being a leader. In my opinion, the most important trait a leader must have is the ability to lead by example. However, what happens when this example hurts you. That is the case in this scene. Zeus stands his ground as a leader but pays the price of letting Sarpedon die. His divine intervention to help Hector kill Patroclus is a way for him to justify this. While the death of his son is sad, sometimes it is something every leader has to go through. Personally, I would be a hypocrite in this situation and say that I have the authority. While this would lead to "lethal anger," I would do anything to save a son, and I would never put my leadership before one of my sons.
i'm not really sure what i think of the whole gods-involved-in-the-war thing in the Iliad. Zeus' actions are totally contradictory to all the meddling the gods DO all the time, but i guess i see your point about how they're actually being sort of logical (for once). And i think Zeus did the right thing in not saving Sarpedon; Hera was right, all the gods would have been even worse if he had done so.
I really like this interesting take on the Iliad. We have not read many blogs that discuss the role of the gods and i think this poses a valid point. Its very interesting how Zeus is able to think the situation out thoroughly so that he does not make selfish decisions. I think this is also what seperates the gods from humans. They are able to make those decisions, like Heros can eventually make, that are the right ones in a situation.
Great post Shanil. I really like how you incorporated the idea of gods with mortal emotion. It is also true that Zeus does understand the mindset of mortals and that it is heroic to die in battle. Also i think that Zeus did not step in when Sarpedon was dying to save him was because he understands the difference between mortals and immortals and that there is a boundary and if he were to save his son he would have crossed it.
I do really like how you pointed out the humanism in the gods. It is important for Homer to portray the Gods as having human qualities because they are so important in the poem. Likewise, personifying the Gods keeps the Trojan War as a primarily human war. There is a lot of interference by the gods, however I feel if Homer made the Gods more divine than he did, the war would have lost its humanistic touch.
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