Thomas Homer-Dixon

However, some people believe in very different outcomes. One being that she was stolen by Paris away from her home with Menelaus her husband. And some say that she was in love with Paris and she willingly ran away with him. Nonetheless the way that Homer told it was that she was stolen…

One common expression which we hear very often is “to open a Pandora’s box.” Now, you might have dismissed it as just another proverb, but this saying actually has a story behind it. The Greek myth of Pandora’s box eventually lead to this common saying. The main character of this myth, Pandora, is culturally significant and shows how the Greek population viewed the world. Pandora is a Greek mythical character who illustrates Greek values and culture through her actions in the myth, Pandora’s box…

guided by his emotions and not but his brains. “You wine sack, with a dog's eyes, with a deer's heart. Never once have you taken courage in your heart to arm with your people for battle” (Homer, Book 1, 225-227). Even though he…

important themes about the presentation of the Afterlife in Greek mythology during Homeric times. In Book XI readers see another step and obstacle that Odysseus must overcome to return home. In this book Homer formally introduces The Underworld, the place where the souls of people who die end up. Homer suggests that…

by Homer depicts a destructive war between the Achaeans and the Trojans as a criticism to the collective social norms and tradition that war promotes. Throughout the epic, the idea of war is championed by the both the Achaeans and the Trojan as the most formidable form of solving their dispute. However, this form of problem solving involves a social-Darwinian scenario where the strongest survive, while those who survive the war receive honor and praise from their people. Nevertheless, Homer…

that the famous are the ones who experience the greatest misery because they are trapped by public opinion. In the Iliad, Homer subverts the ancient Greek trope that legacies are crucial to a fulfilling life. One of the most complex characters in the novel, Hector is at first a man of honor and nobility, but eventually gives way to his dark legacy. One of the first glimpses Homer gives of Hector is when he chastises Paris and declares him a “curse to your father, your city, and all your people”…

From this passage in the Iliad, Homer actively surveys the relevance of fate by using dialogue, imagery, and shifts of focus in the order of events. In context, Menelaus had just confirmed the duel between himself and Paris. Leading Iris the messenger goddess to spread the news to unsuspecting Helen in the form of Helen’s sister-in-law “the wife of Antenor’s / son, whom strong Heliakon wed, son of Antenor” (3.122, 123). Although Homer is describing a female, the repetition of the phrase “son of…

Beowulf's death is arguably the most important scene in this epic poem; however, his development up to that point is paramount. Each of his three battles was a crucial turning points in his life acting as rites of passage leading up to and foreshadowing his untimely demise. In the first battle he gained the people's admiration, in the second battle he gained their confidence, and in the final battle he passed from this world. The differences between these three battles are the effect they…

Joseph Campbell, was an American mythological researcher, who is most famous for this book, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” In this widely known book, he discovered that there are many common patterns that hero myths have. This hero story telling phenomenon was present in myths from all over the world and from different cultures. The heroes in these stories go through several steps to get victory in the end. Campbell called this the Hero’s Journey. From one of the most popular movie series,…

Athena appeared in the book Odyssey as a strong supporter of well-known Greek hero Odysseus. She was not only the first goddess who mentioned Odysseus suffering in Calypso’s island, but also the only one who took care of Odysseus all the time during his homecoming journey and revenge in his homeland. Odysseus found unusual favor with Athena. This favor was expressed by explicit actions that other mortals also know about it. For example, Nestor had said these words to Telemachus: “Ah, if only…