The Perrhaebi ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Περραιβοί ) were an ancient Greek people who lived on the western slopes of Olympus , on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia . They took part in the Trojan War under Guneus and also fought in the Battle of Thermopylae .
65-666: Still independent at the time of the Iliad , they were tributary períoikoi to the neighbouring Thessali in the 5th century BC, with a special dependence upon the city of Larisa . They could, however, enjoy some degree of autonomy whenever the Thessalian League was weaker, and they had retained from their independence two votes in the Delphic Amphictyonic League ( Amphiktyonía ), until Philip II of Macedon took one vote from them. They were part of
130-508: A Catholic church. Inside, the backstory is told in flashback as Murdock explains his situation to a priest. The technique has been used across genres, including dramas such as Through a Glass Darkly (1961), 8½ (1963), Raging Bull (1980), and City of God (2002); crime thrillers such as No Way Out (1987), Grievous Bodily Harm (1988), The Usual Suspects (1995), and Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004); horror films such as Firestarter (1984); action films such as many in
195-582: A brilliant radiance by Athena, Achilles stands next to the Achaean wall and roars in rage. The Trojans are terrified by his appearance, and the Achaeans manage to bear Patroclus's body away. Polydamas again urges Hector to withdraw into the city; again, Hector refuses, and the Trojans camp on the plain at nightfall. Achilles mourns Patroclus, brokenhearted. Meanwhile, at Thetis's request, Hephaestus fashions
260-484: A conclusion determines the validity of evidence. Some scholars believe that the gods may have intervened in the mortal world because of quarrels they may have had with each other. Homer interprets the world at this time by using the passion and emotion of the gods to be determining factors of what happens on the human level. An example of one of these relationships in the Iliad occurs between Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. In
325-469: A dream to Agamemnon, urging him to attack Troy. Agamemnon heeds the dream but first decides to test the Achaean army's morale by telling them to go home. But nine years into the war, the soldiers' morale has worn thin. The plan backfires, and only the intervention of Odysseus, inspired by Athena , stops a rout . Odysseus confronts and beats Thersites , a common soldier who voices discontent about fighting Agamemnon's war. The Achaeans deploy in companies upon
390-468: A new set of armor for Achilles, including a magnificently wrought shield . In the morning, Thetis brings Achilles his new set of armor, only to find him weeping over Patroclus's body. Achilles arms for battle and rallies the Achaean warriors. Agamemnon gives Achilles all the promised gifts, including Briseis , but Achilles is indifferent to them. The Achaeans take their meal; Achilles refuses to eat. His horse, Xanthos , prophesies Achilles's death; Achilles
455-549: A priest of Apollo , offers the Achaeans wealth for the return of his daughter Chryseis , held captive by Agamemnon. Although most of the Achaean kings are in favor of the offer, Agamemnon refuses. Chryses prays for Apollo's help, and Apollo sends a plague to afflict the Achaean army. After nine days of plague, Achilles , the leader of the Myrmidon forces and aristos achaion ("best of the Greeks"), calls an assembly to deal with
520-504: A result of this thinking, each god or goddess in polytheistic Greek religion is attributed to an aspect of the human world. For example, Poseidon is the god of the sea, Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, Ares is the god of war, and so on and so forth for many other gods. This is how Greek culture was defined as many Athenians felt the presence of their gods through divine intervention in significant events in their lives. Oftentimes, they found these events to be mysterious and inexplicable. In
585-524: A stern admonition to come back to him and not to pursue the Trojans. Achilles says that after all has been made right, he and Patroclus will take Troy together. Patroclus leads the Myrmidons into battle and arrives as the Trojans set fire to the first ships. The Trojans are routed by the sudden onslaught, and Patroclus begins his assault by killing Zeus's son Sarpedon , a leading ally of the Trojans. Patroclus, ignoring Achilles's command, pursues and reaches
650-520: Is beaten back by Hephaestus's firestorm. The gods fight amongst themselves. The great gates of the city are opened to receive the fleeing Trojans, and Apollo leads Achilles away from the city by pretending to be a Trojan. When Apollo reveals himself to Achilles, the Trojans have retreated into the city, all except for Hector. Despite the counsel of Polydamas and the pleas of his parents, Priam and Hecuba , Hector resolves to face Achilles. When Achilles approaches, however, Hector's will fails him. He flees and
715-412: Is chased by Achilles around the city. Finally, Athena tricks him into stopping, and he turns to face his opponent. After a brief duel, Achilles stabs Hector through the neck. Before dying, Hector reminds Achilles that he, too, is fated to die. Achilles strips Hector of his own armor, gloating over his death. Achilles then dishonors Hector's body by lashing it to the back of his chariot and dragging it around
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#1732772395299780-595: Is enraged by Poseidon's intervention. However, he reassures Hera that Troy is still fated to fall once Hector kills Patroclus. Poseidon is recalled from the battlefield, and Zeus sends Apollo to aid the Trojans. The Trojans once again breach the wall, and the battle reaches the ships. Patroclus cannot stand to watch any longer and goes to Achilles, weeping. He briefly admonishes him for his stubbornness and then asks him to allow him to fight in his place, wearing Achilles's armor so that he will be mistaken for him. Achilles relents and lends Patroclus his armor but sends him off with
845-519: Is held captive on Calypso's island. The reader then finds out, in Books IX through XII, that the greater part of Odysseus's journey precedes that moment in the narrative. In Homer's Iliad there are fewer flashbacks, although it opens in the thick of the Trojan War . The Roman lyric poet and satirist Horace (65–8 BC) first used the terms ab ōvō ("from the egg") and in mediās rēs ("into
910-465: Is indifferent. Achilles goes into battle, with Automedon driving his chariot. Zeus lifts the ban on the gods' interference, and the gods freely help both sides. Achilles, burning with rage and grief, slays many. Achilles cuts off half the Trojans' number in the river and slaughters them, clogging the river with bodies. The river god, Scamander , confronts Achilles and commands him to stop killing Trojans, but Achilles refuses. They fight until Scamander
975-405: Is lost in his grief and spends his days mourning Patroclus and dragging Hector's body behind his chariot. Dismayed by Achilles's continued abuse of Hector's body, Zeus decides that it must be returned to Priam. Led by Hermes , Priam takes a wagon filled with gifts out of Troy, across the plains, and into the Achaean camp unnoticed. He clasps Achilles by the knees and begs for his son's body. Achilles
1040-437: Is moved to tears and finally relents in his anger. The two lament their losses in the war. Achilles agrees to give Hector's body back and to give the Trojans twelve days to properly mourn and bury him. Achilles apologizes to Patroclus, fearing he has dishonored him by returning Hector's body. After a meal, Priam carries Hector's body back into Troy. Hector is buried, and the city mourns. Ancient Greek religion had no founder and
1105-420: Is written in medias res . It is typical for film noir to begin in medias res ; for example, a private detective will enter the plot already in progress. Crossfire (1947) opens with the murder of Joseph Samuels. As the police investigate the crime, the story behind the murder is told via flashbacks. Dead Reckoning (1947) opens with Humphrey Bogart as Rip Murdock on the run and attempting to hide in
1170-965: The One Thousand and One Nights (c. 9th century), the Italian Divine Comedy (1320) by Dante Alighieri , the German Nibelungenlied (12th century), the Spanish Cantar de Mio Cid (c. 14th century), the Portuguese The Lusiads (1572) by Luís de Camões , Jerusalem Delivered (1581) by Torquato Tasso , Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton , and generally in Modernist literature . Modern novelists using in medias res with flashbacks include William Faulkner and Toni Morrison . Edgar Allan Poe 's " The Tell-Tale Heart "
1235-494: The Iliad as a major piece of evidence for his theory of the Bicameral Mind , which posits that until about the time described in the Iliad , humans had a far different mentality from present-day humans. He says that humans during that time were lacking what is today called consciousness. He suggests that humans heard and obeyed commands from what they identified as gods until the change in human mentality that incorporated
1300-431: The Iliad , Paris challenges any of the Achaeans to a single combat and Menelaus steps forward. Menelaus is dominating the battle and is on the verge of killing Paris. "Now he'd have hauled him off and won undying glory but Aphrodite, Zeus's daughter, was quick to the mark, snapped the rawhide strap." Aphrodite intervenes out of her own self-interest to save Paris from the wrath of Menelaus because Paris had helped her to win
1365-492: The James Bond franchise; and comedies such as Dr. Strangelove (1964). Some have argued that Star Wars takes advantage of this technique because its first-released film, A New Hope , is the fourth episode of a nine-part epic. Superhero films with a satirical edge such as Deadpool (2016) and Birds of Prey (2020) have utilized in medias res to frame their stories. Animated films such as Grave of
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#17327723952991430-656: The Macedonian Kingdom until the Roman conquest by Titus Quinctius Flamininus in 196 BC. They were listed in Xerxes' vast army by Herodotus. A coin of the Perrhaebi depicted a man restraining a bull on one side and a horse on the other. The inscription was "Περραιβών". Most of their country was mountainous and sparsely inhabited. Their principal towns were Phalanna, situated in fertile plains, and Oloosson ,
1495-635: The Odyssey (both 7th century BC), by Homer . Likewise, the Mahābhārata (c. 8th century BC – c. 4th century AD) opens in medias res . The classical-era poet Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, 70–19 BC) continued this literary narrative technique in the Aeneid , which is part of the Roman literary tradition of imitating Homer . Later works starting in medias res include the story " The Three Apples " from
1560-515: The Fireflies (1988), The Emperor's New Groove (2000), Hoodwinked! (2005), Happily N'Ever After (2006), Megamind (2010), and The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) have opening scenes in medias res , with a brief but significant scene that foreshadows the events that occurred earlier. This scene is then seen again afterwards (although in a different way than how it was shown at
1625-615: The Gods, allows it. This motif recurs when he considers sparing Hector, whom he loves and respects. This time, it is Athena who challenges him: Father of the shining bolt, dark misted, what is this you said? Do you wish to bring back a man who is mortal, one long since doomed by his destiny, from ill-sounding death and release him? Do it, then; but not all the rest of us gods shall approve you. Again, Zeus appears capable of altering fate, but does not, deciding instead to abide by set outcomes; similarly, fate spares Aeneas after Apollo convinces
1690-638: The Three Fates set the destiny of Man. Kleos ( κλέος , "glory, fame") is the concept of glory earned in heroic battle. Yet Achilles must choose only one of the two rewards, either nostos or kleos . In Book 9 (9.410–16), he poignantly tells Agamemnon's envoys—Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax—begging his reinstatement to battle about having to choose between two fates ( διχθαδίας κήρας , 9.411). The passage reads: In medias res A narrative work beginning in medias res ( Classical Latin : [ɪn ˈmɛdɪ.aːs ˈreːs] , lit. "into
1755-477: The Trojan Dolon , and wreak havoc in the camps of some Thracian allies of Troy. In the morning, the fighting is fierce, and Agamemnon, Diomedes, and Odysseus are all wounded. Achilles sends Patroclus from his camp to inquire about the Achaean casualties, and while there, Patroclus is moved to pity by a speech by Nestor . Nestor asks Patroclus to beg Achilles to rejoin the fighting, or if he will not, to lead
1820-583: The Trojan archer Pandarus to shoot Menelaus. Menelaus is wounded, and the truce is broken. Fighting breaks out, and many minor Trojans are killed. In the fighting, Diomedes kills many Trojans, including Pandarus, and defeats Aeneas . Aphrodite rescues him before he can be killed, but Diomedes attacks her and wounds the goddess's wrist. Apollo faces Diomedes and warns him against warring with gods, which Diomedes ignores. Apollo sends Ares to defeat Diomedes. Many heroes and commanders join in, including Hector, and
1885-411: The Trojan plain. When news of the Achaean deployment reaches King Priam , the Trojans respond in a sortie upon the plain. The armies approach each other, but before they meet, Paris offers to end the war by fighting a duel with Menelaus , urged by Hector , his brother and hero of Troy . Here, the initial cause of the entire war is explained: Helen , wife of Menelaus, and the most beautiful woman in
1950-433: The Trojans back. Poseidon's nephew Amphimachus is killed in the battle; Poseidon imbues Idomeneus with godly power. Many fall on both sides. The Trojan seer Polydamas urges Hector to fall back because of a bad omen but is ignored. Hera seduces Zeus and lulls him to sleep, allowing Poseidon to help the Greeks. The Trojans are driven back onto the plain. Ajax wounds Hector, who is then carried back to Troy. Zeus awakes and
2015-423: The army wearing Achilles's armor. The Trojans attack the Achaean wall on foot. Hector leads the terrible fighting, despite an omen that their charge will fail. The Achaeans are overwhelmed and routed, the wall's gate is broken, and Hector charges in. The Achaeans fall back to their ships. Poseidon pities the Achaeans and decides to disobey Zeus and help them. He rallies the Achaeans' spirits, and they begin to push
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2080-432: The beauty pageant. The partisanship of Aphrodite towards Paris induces constant intervention by all of the gods, especially to give motivational speeches to their respective protégés, while often appearing in the shape of a human being they are familiar with. This connection of emotions to actions is just one example out of many that occur throughout the poem. Fate ( κήρ , kēr , 'fated death') propels most of
2145-428: The body. When Achilles hears of Patroclus's death, he screams so loudly in his grief that his mother, Thetis, hears him from the bottom of the ocean. Thetis grieves too, knowing that Achilles is fated to die young if he kills Hector. Though he knows it will seal his own fate, Achilles vows to kill Hector in order to avenge Patroclus. Achilles is urged to help retrieve Patroclus's body but has no armor to wear. Bathed in
2210-459: The city walls. He then rejoins the battle. Hector duels with Ajax , but nightfall interrupts the fight, and both sides retire. The Trojans quarrel about returning Helen. Paris offers to return the treasure he took and give further wealth as compensation, but not Helen, and the offer is refused. Both sides agree to a day's truce to burn the dead. The Achaeans also build a wall and trench to protect their camp and ships. The next morning, Zeus prohibits
2275-406: The city. The Trojans grieve. The ghost of Patroclus comes to Achilles in a dream, urging him to carry out the burial rites so that his spirit can move on to the underworld. Patroclus asks Achilles to arrange for their bones to be entombed together in a single urn; Achilles agrees, and Patroclus's body is cremated. The Achaeans hold a day of funeral games, and Achilles gives out the prizes. Achilles
2340-521: The double egg laid by Leda following her seduction by Zeus in the guise of a swan . Compare the Iliad , which begins nine years after the start of the Trojan War, rather than at its beginning. With likely origins in oral tradition , the narrative technique of beginning a story in medias res is a stylistic convention of epic poetry , the exemplars in Western literature being the Iliad and
2405-466: The events of the Iliad . Once set, gods and men abide it, neither truly able nor willing to contest it. How fate is set is unknown, but it is told by the Fates and by Zeus through sending omens to seers such as Calchas . Men and their gods continually speak of heroic acceptance and cowardly avoidance of one's slated fate. Fate does not determine every action, incident, and occurrence, but it does determine
2470-399: The fighting. Achilles and his companion Patroclus receive the embassy well. However, considering the slight to his honor too great, Achilles angrily refuses Agamemnon's offer and declares that he will only return to battle if the Trojans reach his ships and threaten them with fire. The embassy returns empty-handed. Later that night, Odysseus and Diomedes venture out to the Trojan lines, kill
2535-470: The final book of the poem, Homer writes, "He offended Athena and Hera—both goddesses." Athena and Hera are envious of Aphrodite because of a beauty pageant on Mount Olympus in which Paris chose Aphrodite to be the most beautiful goddess over both Hera and Athena. Wolfgang Kullmann further goes on to say, "Hera's and Athena's disappointment over the victory of Aphrodite in the Judgement of Paris determines
2600-408: The first writers to name and describe the gods' appearance and character. Mary Lefkowitz discusses the relevance of divine action in the Iliad , attempting to answer the question of whether divine intervention is a discrete occurrence (for its own sake) or if such godly behaviors are mere human character metaphors. The intellectual interest of Classic-era authors, such as Thucydides and Plato ,
2665-428: The gates of Troy, where Apollo himself stops him. Patroclus kills Hector's brother Cebriones , is set upon by Apollo and Euphorbos , and is finally killed by Hector. Hector takes Achilles's armor from the fallen Patroclus. The Achaeans fight to retrieve Patroclus's body from the Trojans, who attempt to carry it back to Troy at Hector's command. Antilochus is sent to tell Achilles the news and asks him to help retrieve
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2730-532: The gods from interfering, and fighting begins anew. The Trojans prevail and force the Achaeans back to their wall. Hera and Athena are forbidden to help. Night falls before the Trojans can assail the Achaean wall. They camp in the field to attack at first light, and their watchfires light the plain like stars. Meanwhile, the Achaeans are desperate. Agamemnon admits his error and sends an embassy composed of Odysseus, Ajax, Phoenix , and two heralds to offer Briseis and extensive gifts to Achilles, if only he will return to
2795-535: The gods supporting each side try to influence the battle. Emboldened by Athena, Diomedes wounds Ares and puts him out of action. Hector rallies the Trojans and prevents a rout. Diomedes and the Trojan Glaucus find common ground after a duel and exchange unequal gifts, while Glaucus tells Diomedes the story of Bellerophon . Hector enters the city, urges prayers and sacrifices, incites Paris to battle, and bids his wife Andromache and son Astyanax farewell on
2860-491: The hands of Aiakos' great son, Achilleus. Here, Patroclus alludes to his fated death by Hector's hand and to Hector's fated death by Achilles's hand. Each accepts the outcome of his life, yet no one knows if the gods can alter fate. The first instance of this doubt occurs in Book 16. Seeing Patroclus about to kill Sarpedon, his mortal son, Zeus says: Ah me, that it is destined that the dearest of men, Sarpedon, must go down under
2925-399: The hands of Menoitios' son Patroclus. About his dilemma, Hera asks Zeus: Majesty, son of Kronos, what sort of thing have you spoken? Do you wish to bring back a man who is mortal, one long since doomed by his destiny, from ill-sounding death and release him? Do it, then; but not all the rest of us gods shall approve you. In deciding between losing a son or abiding fate, Zeus, King of
2990-508: The late 8th or early 7th century BC. Homer's authorship was infrequently questioned in antiquity , but contemporary scholarship predominantly assumes that the Iliad and the Odyssey were composed independently and that the stories formed as part of a long oral tradition . The poem was performed by professional reciters of Homer known as rhapsodes . Critical themes in the poem include kleos (glory), pride, fate and wrath. Despite being predominantly known for its tragic and serious themes,
3055-618: The literary Trojan War of the Iliad , the Olympian gods, goddesses, and minor deities fight among themselves and participate in human warfare, often by interfering with humans to counter other gods. Unlike their portrayals in Greek religion, Homer's portrayal of gods suits his narrative purpose. The gods in traditional thought of 4th-century Athenians were not spoken of in terms familiar to the works of Homer. The Classical-era historian Herodotus says that Homer and Hesiod , his contemporary, were
3120-410: The middle of things") in his Ars Poetica ("Poetic Arts", c. 13 BC), wherein lines 147–149 describe the ideal epic poet : Nor does he begin the Trojan War from the egg , but always he hurries to the action, and snatches the listener into the middle of things . . . . The word "egg" reference is to the mythological origin of the Trojan War in the birth of Helen and Clytemnestra from
3185-442: The middle of things") opens in the chronological middle of the plot, rather than at the beginning ( cf. ab ovo , ab initio ). Often, exposition is initially bypassed, instead filled in gradually through dialogue, flashbacks , or description of past events. For example, Hamlet begins after the death of Hamlet's father which is later discovered to have been a murder. Characters make reference to King Hamlet's death without
3250-412: The motivating force into the conscious self. He points out that almost every action in the Iliad is directed, caused, or influenced by a god and that earlier translations show an astonishing lack of words suggesting thought, planning, or introspection. Those that do appear, he argues, are misinterpretations made by translators imposing a modern mentality on the characters, a form of reverse logic by which
3315-719: The mysterious origin of fate is a power beyond the gods. Fate implies the primeval, tripartite division of the world that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades effected in deposing their father, Cronus , for its dominion. Zeus took the Air and the Sky, Poseidon the Waters, and Hades the Underworld , the land of the dead—yet they share dominion of the Earth. Despite the earthly powers of the Olympic gods, only
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#17327723952993380-454: The oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the Odyssey , the poem is divided into 24 books and was written in dactylic hexameter . It contains 15,693 lines in its most widely accepted version. Set towards the end of the Trojan War , a ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Mycenaean Greek states, the poem depicts significant events in
3445-474: The outcome of life—before killing him, Hector calls Patroclus a fool for cowardly avoidance of his fate, by attempting his defeat; Patroclus retorts: No, deadly destiny, with the son of Leto, has killed me, and of men it was Euphorbos; you are only my third slayer. And put away in your heart this other thing that I tell you. You yourself are not one who shall live long, but now already death and powerful destiny are standing beside you, to go down under
3510-496: The overmatched Trojan to fight Achilles. Poseidon cautiously speaks: But come, let us ourselves get him away from death, for fear the son of Kronos may be angered if now Achilleus kills this man. It is destined that he shall be the survivor, that the generation of Dardanos shall not die… Divinely aided, Aeneas escapes the wrath of Achilles and survives the Trojan War. Whether or not the gods can alter fate, they do abide by it, despite its countering their human allegiances; thus,
3575-444: The plague. In the meantime, Agamemnon's messengers take Briseis away. Achilles becomes very upset and prays to his mother, Thetis , a minor goddess and sea nymph. Achilles asks his mother to ask Zeus to allow the Achaeans to be beaten back by the Trojans until their ships are at risk of burning. Only then will Agamemnon realize how much the Achaeans need Achilles and restore his honor. Thetis does so, and Zeus agrees. Zeus then sends
3640-405: The plot's first establishment of this fact. Since the play is about Hamlet and the revenge more so than the motivation, Shakespeare uses in medias res to bypass superfluous exposition. Works that employ in medias res often later use flashback and nonlinear narrative for exposition to fill in the backstory . In Homer's Odyssey , the reader first learns about Odysseus's journey when he
3705-441: The poem also contains instances of comedy and laughter. The poem is frequently described as a masculine or heroic epic, especially compared with the Odyssey . It contains detailed descriptions of ancient war instruments and battle tactics, and fewer female characters. The Olympian gods also play a major role in the poem, aiding their favoured warriors on the battlefield and intervening in personal disputes. Their characterisation in
3770-665: The poem humanised them for Ancient Greek audiences, giving a concrete sense of their cultural and religious tradition. In terms of formal style, the poem's repetitions and use of similes and epithets are often explored by scholars. The story begins with an invocation to the Muse . The events begin in medias res towards the end of the Trojan War, fought between the Trojans and the besieging Achaeans . The Achaean forces consist of armies from many different Greek kingdoms, led by their respective kings or princes. Agamemnon , king of Mycenae , acts as commander for these united armies. Chryses ,
3835-422: The problem. Under pressure, Agamemnon agrees to return Chryseis to her father but decides to take Achilles's slave, Briseis , as compensation. Because war prizes were correlated with honor, Agamemnon's decision dishonors Achilles in front of the assembled Achaean forces. Achilles furiously declares that he and his men will no longer fight for Agamemnon. Odysseus returns Chryseis to her father, causing Apollo to end
3900-528: The siege's final weeks. In particular, it depicts a fierce quarrel between King Agamemnon and a celebrated warrior, Achilles . It is a central part of the Epic Cycle . The Iliad is often regarded as the first substantial piece of European literature . The Iliad and the Odyssey were likely written down in Homeric Greek , a literary mixture of Ionic Greek and other dialects, probably around
3965-402: The tribal capital. Perrhaebus :Eponymous founder Iliad On the Greek side: On the Trojan side: The Iliad ( / ˈ ɪ l i ə d / ; Ancient Greek : Ἰλιάς , romanized : Iliás , [iː.li.ás] ; lit. ' [a poem] about Ilion (Troy) ' ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer . It is one of
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#17327723952994030-517: The whole conduct of both goddesses in The Iliad and is the cause of their hatred for Paris, the Judge, and his town Troy." Hera and Athena then continue to support the Achaean forces throughout the poem because Paris is part of the Trojans, while Aphrodite aids Paris and the Trojans. The emotions between the goddesses often translate to actions they take in the mortal world. For example, in Book 3 of
4095-476: The world, is either through seduction or by force, taken by Paris from Menelaus's home in Sparta . Menelaus and Paris agree to duel; Helen will marry the victor. However, when Paris is beaten, Aphrodite rescues him and leads him to bed with Helen before Menelaus can kill him. The gods deliberate over whether the war should end here, but Hera convinces Zeus to wait for the utter destruction of Troy. Athena prompts
4160-436: Was limited to their utility as "a way of talking about human life rather than a description or a truth", because, if the gods remain religious figures, rather than human metaphors, their "existence"—without the foundation of either dogma or a bible of faiths—then allowed Greek culture the intellectual breadth and freedom to conjure gods fitting any religious function they required as a people. Psychologist Julian Jaynes uses
4225-536: Was not the creation of an inspired teacher. Rather, the religion arose out of the diverse beliefs of the Greek people. These beliefs coincide to the thoughts about the gods in polytheistic Greek religion. Adkins and Pollard agree with this by saying, "The early Greeks personalized every aspect of their world, natural and cultural, and their experiences in it. The earth, the sea, the mountains, the rivers, custom-law (themis), and one's share in society and its goods were all seen in personal as well as naturalistic terms." As
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