The Mortal Deity: Helen and the God-like Trait :: Iliad Greek Gods Greece Essays

The relationship between the gods and someones of ancient Greece is one of the most interesting topics to analyze. These gods becharm over their favorite mortals, meddle in their business, and earn love personal business with them. At times selfish and conniving, the gods often appear to be as flawed as the humans who worship them be. There is, however, still a distinct separation between deity and mortal. From the evidence I have seen in The Iliad, I believe that this distinction is based on something I call a god-like quality. If a human reacts towards this trait in the misemploy way, and believes he embodies this trait at the level equal or particular(a) to that of the gods, tragedy occurs to the human. This mistake in self-recognition will lead to severe consequences unless the mortal repents and accepts his humanity. In The Iliad, Helen makes the mistake of false divinity, and it is her error in associating herself as the ideal of a god-like trait and in ref using to repent that leads to her ruin. The definition of a god-like trait must first be established before the analysis of Helens behavior net be entirely understood. The gods in The Iliad present themselves as having at least one specific trait that they alone can boast of. These gods are the standard for excellence for whatever trait it whitethorn be. For example, Zeus was the model of strength, Aphrodite the standard for a beautiful woman, and Apollo the master of archery. For a human to display god-like behavior, the human declares he is the best, conflicting with the premise that the gods are the best at what they do. If the human tries to step beyond his status in his declaration or display, the gods would be offended and severe consequences usually follow. Hubris also plays a large role in god-like behavior, intertwining with it and causing a vicious circle. A god-like trait causes hubris because the mortal thinks that he displays the standard of excellence in truth found in the gods. This hubris then would cause the trait to become rase more divine and less mortal, leaving the man believing that he is above the gods due to this outstanding trait. Because of the trap this trait creates, it is important to be able to identify it.