Greeks Gods And Goddesses In The Iliad

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October 23, 2006

The Image of Females Goddesses and Mortals

The role of the Gods is a constant theme reoccurring over and over again throughout Homer's Iliad but it's the Female Goddesses and the image of femininity that displays contradiction. The Goddesses posses large amounts of power over mortals and at Mt Olympus mostly through manipulation and intertwining relationships that affect the war and the different individuals. The mortal women on the other hand display weaknesses and subservience to men. The war over Troy was sparked over Helen or was used as an excuse or motivation for the Achaeans to invade for Menelaus's property. Helen was Menelaus's wife a beautiful woman whose beauty was legendary. The image and place of women in Homeric Society is different for goddesses and mere mortals. The contradiction between behavior of mortal women and Goddesses is evident throughout the Iliad which over the entire poem interaction between gods and men change. The female roles in Homeric society in the Iliad display women as property, stubborn qualities, and manipulative. These roles differ from mortal and goddesses but some consistency by Homer is evident in all the books of the Iliad in reference or description of women.

The war as a whole began on the failure of a wife to be loyal to her husband. The withdrawal of Achilles from the war until the death of Patroclus was in essence about Briseis the captive of Achilles taken by Agamemnon. The poem throughout discusses ideals of ownership, honor, and status which can be measured by the amount of slaves, mistresses, and armor acquired in battle. Achilles takes Briseis as his captor from a previous battle and likewise so does Agamemnon which his result just happened to cause destruction on behalf of Apollo. The mortal ideal of primitive ownerships of women does not apply to marriages. Women are independent but subordinate to their husband's ideals and influence. There is a social structure among the women of Troy that is evident in Book 3 page142 quoted by Helen in conversation with the god Aphrodite "I'll never go back again. It would be wrong, disgraceful to share that cowards' bed once more. The women of Troy would scorn me down the years". The idea of Helen already feeling a large amount of guilt and remorse for causing all of this destruction is evident in Book 3, but this quote symbolizes a social structure of judgment and hierarchy concerns in the mind of Helen. Aphrodite's message was clear go to your new husband to your lover thought disgraced he may be, but you have too and will support him till the end. This interaction with Aphrodite and Helen is two of the very few women in the Iliad one a goddess the other a mortal but they both represent this submissive perception of women. Aphrodite a subservient goddess very manipulative with many gods above her, and Helen the most beautiful woman in the world even she must remain faithful and loyal to a disgraced Paris.

In Homer's Iliad there are very few mortal women that play substantial roles in the poem. Helen of course probably the most important or definitely most impacting, Homer provides a small insight into the social roles of women. Women in the Iliad are surrounded by strong male influences such as Hector and Achilles. The poem glorifies war and these male heroes and gods excessively allowing for the mortal women to play minor roles. For example Helen points out the disgrace of Paris after the embarrassment by Menelaus and Andromache helps influence Hector both negatively and positively. Helen once again provides a quote to the self loathing of her actions in leaving Menelaus causing mayhem, "He used to be my kinsman, whore that I am!" (Book 3, 134) Helen exclaims to Priam King of the Trojans expressing guilt. This quote is huge to exemplify her guilt and to provide more blame on the female role in the poem. Andromache wife of Hector pleas for her husbands withdrawal from the war these actions only inspiring and influencing Hector in a noble, honored light a symbol of ultimate warrior. The three major mortal representations of women is Andromache as the wife influence a possible symbol of weakness to normal men but not for the great warriors. The second major mortal representation is of ownership or bounty in the case of Briseis and Chryseis. The Third mortal representation of women is the overall personification of submissive, manipulative, and stubborn qualities expressed and shared by goddesses and women.

The other representation of women is far more influential and important to the overall war and heroes of the Iliad. The influence of the