Homeric Vision Of Fate

No one can disrupt the work of destiny, the forces that influence our lives occur for reasons beyond our understanding. The death of Sarpedon exemplifies that not even divine deliberation from the god of all gods; Zeus can save his own son from a fatal destiny. This occurrence reveals an imperative aspect of the Homeric vision of fate. No one is safe, not even the gods can play favorites.
In chapter 16 of the Iliad Patrodus annihilates every Trojan to meet him in combat, Zeus’s mortal son Sarpedon is perhaps the most significant figure to crosses paths with the vicious and great Patrodus. As Zeus watched the Trojan War from the peaks of mount Ida, he is overcome with the urge to deliver his son from death, and return him to his home land of …show more content…
The death of Sarpedon exemplifies how the gods struggle with the causes and consequences of their actions. Zeus rules as king of all gods on Mount Olympus, as the Alfa father, he is chief, and all other gods look up to him with admiration and respect. As Walter Burkert proclaims in his novel, Greek Religion, “Even the gods who are not his natural children addressed him as father, and all the gods rise in his presence.” This exemplifies the kind of influence and authority he had over the Greeks. Every move he makes is watched, and as a role model he must adhere to certain codes of conduct out of respect for his …show more content…
Hera intervenes between Zeus and his emotional urges “…But none of the deathless gods will ever praise you” (16. 527). “I urge you- 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” (16. 528-531). Hera’s words emphasize the fact that destiny must be inline with ones actions before interference to occur, or chaos should arise, igniting “lethal anger” within the other gods. Although Zeus has the ability to save Sarpedon, his choices are limited, the respect of the other gods comes first as it is his utmost duty to his