Iliad Essay
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The goddesses have a major role in both epics as Helpers of men. They have varied reasons for this.
One is a maternal instinct. This is displayed in the literal mother-son relationships of Aphrodite and Aeneas, Thetis and Achilles, and the protective instinct that Athene displays in Book 3 of the Iliad when Pandarus arrow shot an arrow at Menelaus and she "took her stand in front and warded off the piercing dart, turning it just a little from the flesh, like a mother driving a fly away from her gently sleeping child" [p80]. Another motive of the goddesses is revenge. Athene and Hera are determined to destroy Troy to repay Paris for his Judgement when he "fell into the fatal error of humiliating the two goddesses by his preference for [Aphrodite], who offered him the pleasures and penalties of love" [p438]. In the Odyssey, Athene's major motive for helping Odysseus often seems to simply be pity - such as in the speech she gives to Zeus at the beginning of book 5, p88.
Some goddesses only help heroes because they have been ordered to do so by more powerful gods. Calypso agrees to let Odysseus go only when she is asked to by Hermes on behalf of Zeus.
Goddesses might also help humans out of love, or sexual desire for them, as with Calypso and Circe. In the Iliad, Aphrodite who personifies sexual desire helps Paris, her favourite, so he can get back to Helen's bed and Aphrodite can revel in their lovemaking, which is an honour to her.
Goddesses help men in the Iliad by making them more able to fight, such as the episode in Book 27 [p331] where Menelaus prays to Athene to help him, and in return she "strengthened his shoulders and his knees and planted in his breast the daring of a fly ", and Achilles' return to battle, where the goddess feeds him with divine food to sustain him in battle.
Goddesses may help less able heroes in battle by removing them from the field, or disguising them. Aphrodite rescues Paris [p74] and Aeneas [p100] from the field when they are having difficulties.
Goddesses physically influence the weapons being used in battle. In the case of Pandarus breaking the truce between the two sides, Athene stops the arrow fired at from being fatal by deflecting it.
Another means by which goddesses help humans is by making people appear more fearful or more beautiful. When Achilles ventures out to the Greek wall in Book 18 [p342] to raise a battle cry, he is joined by Athene, and together they terrify the Trojans.
The support of a goddess defines whether an action will be successful or not.
The outcome of the war is in part foretold by the goddesses who have chosen to support each side. Here and Athene support the Achaeans, both powerful goddesses with very close connections to Zeus (as his wife and closest daughter) who have already been shown as capable of influencing Zeus' decisions.
The Trojan side has as its patron goddesses Artemis and Aphrodite. This does not bode well for the Trojans, as Artemis is portayed as useless in battle - the most major fight she gets into is with Hera in Book 21 [p392], where she bursts into tears and runs away, compared to a "pigeon that flies before a hawk and has the luck to get away alive ". She is clearly no match for Here, and similarly Aphrodite is no match for Athene. Aphrodite is recognised as a "timid goddess" by Diomedes, she is "not one of those that play a dominating part in the battles of mankind, such as Athene, or Enyo, sacker of towns". When Aphrodite is attacked by Athene in Book 21 [p391], "Aphrodite, showing no fight at all, collapsed at once". The contrast between the goddesses on each side of the battle serves to underline the fate of Troy, by highlighting the difference in power between the two sides.
When an individual has the support of a goddess it gives them a greater chance of success in their endeavours. When Nestor notices Telemachus' companion turn into an eagle and fly away, he gains respect for Telemachus: "my friend, no fear that you will ever be a dastard or a knave, when, young as you are, you already have your guardian gods" [Book 3 p60]. Odysseus has Athene's support, and although he doesn't trust in it completely, it implies he will get home.
While goddesses may choose to support men, they are can not decide the ultimate details of their fate - this is left to Zeus and the male gods. Apollo starts the action of the Iliad - "Which of the gods was it that made them quarrel? It was Apollo, Son of Zeus and Leto, who started the feud" [Book 1 p23], and Zeus ends it. Zeus decides when to make people win and lose, and when the other gods have to leave the battle.
If the goddesses wish to decide the course of action, they must influence Zeus or a suitably powerful male god to make a favourable decision. Thetis does this by supplication. In Book 1 [p36] she touches Zeus' chin and appeals to the favours she has done him previously. In doing so, she influences Zeus to support the Trojans until Achilles returns to battle. Thetis employs the same technique when begging Hephaestus to make new armour for Achilles.
Hera's resources largely extend to preventing others from action. In Book 14, Hera seduces Zeus, preventing him from action and allowing Poseidon to rturn to the battlefield in support of the Achaeans. When she wants to change something, she is restricted to complaining to Zeus, and is humbled when he chooses not to listen to her.
Athene is capable of action, but not decisions. She most often descends to the battlefield when ordered to do so by Zeus or Here, and when she has an opinion on the battle, she has to ask Zeus before she can take action.
Goddesses may also choose to oppose particular heroes.
In the duel between Hector and Achilles in Book22 of the Iliad, Athene disguises herself as Deiphobus, giving Hector the impression that he is not fighting alone. Because of this deception, Hector turns to face Achilles and is killed.
The goddesses in the Iliad are overwhelmingly defined in terms of their relationships with men.
Thetis' only role in the Iliad is as the mother of Achilles - she has no place in the action where she is not acting for the benefit of her son. Hera is the consort of Zeus, and has significant relationships with noone else excent for Athene, Zeus' closest daughter.
Athene is commonly addressed as "the Unsleeping daughter of Aegis-bearing Zeus" (for example, p44). In the Iliad she has very little personality of her own, and carries out her actions most often because she has been asked to do so by Zeus or Here. In older myth, she sprang fully formed from Zeus' forehead, so she has no mother, and is an off-shoot of Zeus. Aphrodite is "Zeus' daughter" [p100], and also has relationships with Paris and Aeneas, her favourite and her son.
Even "chaste" Artemis, traditionally more free form male control, is here depicted as merely a spoilt child of Zeus
and sister of Apollo.
Pallas Athena also wields an influential power, through her intelligence and her supernatural power as a goddess. She directs the actions of men, such as Achilles, by making herself invisible to all others except Achilles, and then plucking his hair and warning him not to strike Agamemnon. Achilles does not strike Agamemnon, and a grand mistake is avoided. Athena also influences the actions of Achilles by handing him a spear during the final battle against Hector. By handing Achilles the spear, Achilles knows that he is to kill him. If Athena had not interfered, Achilles would not have delivered his fatal attack.
The competition for power and ultimate victory is continuous throughout the Iliad. Several characters including gods and men, attempt to assume authority and rule in order...
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