Iliad Blog Post B


One observation I made in the most recent reading that was particularly interesting was how influential fate was on the ancient Greeks' lives. If a person had a particular fate, there was no way for them to change it and it even influenced their mindsets. In most instances, fate was accurate too.

 For example, Thetis tells her son Achilles, "to a bad destiny I bore you in my chambers" (I. 418), while questioning his birth. This line was particularly shocking to me because it implies that even before Achilles was born, his life was planned out for him a way. In present day, I cannot imagine having a fate since birth, but because the gods had such a strong role in their everyday lives, it makes more sense. While I often believe everything happens for a reason, I believe people can often choose how to live their lives based on their own decisions and actions.

 In Book 22, when Hector is standing outside of the gates of Troy, this fate is shown, saying "his deadly fate held Hektor shackled" (XXII.5). Hector's fate had such a strong hold on him that it is being compared to chains, even though he should technically have the free will to do the logical thing in the situation. In the Odyssey and Iliad the characters never truly had free will. Soon after, Apollo tells Hektor, "I can never die! It's not my fate", mocking the fact that Hector was about to die just because that is what his fate determined.

 In 23, fate came up again when Achilles was told, "And you too, your fate awaits you too, godlike as you are, Achilles—to die in battle beneath the proud rich Trojans' walls!" Achilles was also destined for death. 

 The concept of fate in the Iliad was similar to the debate in the Odyssey of divine vs human will. Odysseus's life was greatly impacted by the actions of the Gods, which was the reason why it took him such a long time to get home. The power of the gods was an overarching theme in the Iliad as well, but was driven more by fate.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 19, 2018 at 10:55 PM

    I think it's really interesting how fate was such an instrumental part of Greek life. I like how you bridge this with the fact that Greek gods were constantly interfering with Greek life. For example, Athena plays such a large part in both the Iliad and the Odyssey by assisting both Achilles and Odysseus. I personally think that fate isn't predetermined and rather that people's everyday actions determine their future. It's odd to think that the Greeks had their lives set out before them and were fated to live a certain life.

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  2. Jordan SilversmithSeptember 23, 2018 at 11:04 AM

    This is a very interesting view on the role of fate in the Iliad, as well as in Greek culture as a whole. The idea that our lives are predetermined can be frightening, and the way that characters in The Iliad embrace the idea seems very different than how I would react in this situation. In terms of sporting events, this would imply that all games are predetermined, adding a sense of futility to the contest itself.

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