Greek Gods In The Odyssey

The relationship between the people of ancient Greece and their Gods is often a complicated one, man recurrently feeling at odds with their many fickle Gods, who can be struggling with dilemmas and agendas of their own. In literature we often look for conflicts to be Man vs Nature or Man vs Man, however much of Greek literature is influenced by the relationship between themselves and their Gods establishing a far more intricate conflict premise of God vs God vs Man. In H POEM we learn about some of the history of Greek Gods, as well as the history of conflict among them. In Greek Lyric Poetry we can see the attitude and feelings felt by man about this difficult relationship. Finally in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, we see not only conflict between the Gods but how this conflict influences and manipulates the lives of man. …show more content…
Disguised as a foreign prince and mortal friend to Odysseus, Athena tells Telemachus “come now, give ear, and harken to my words… speak out thy word to all, and let the Gods be they witness as for the wooers, (who ate and drank at his castle vying for his mother’s hand believing Odysseus dead) bid them scatter each to his own” and then assured the boy who longed for his father that Odysseus lives and is on course home.
In this great show of favor Odysseus and his family were able to restore their great home, however had this favor not been shown, as for years it had not been, the house would have fallen, the son lowly and the wife a victim to the lecherous greed of lesser men, and Odysseus a man so loved by Zeus and many other Gods, would have perished under the scorn of one God Poseidon, who made “him a wander from his native