1.2 Flashcards
Give four ways in which the gods are like humans
They are limited, their physical attributes, their behaviour, their psychology
Give three ways in which gods differ from humans
Power, beauty, psychology
Evidence that gods are like humans in physical appearance
Panathenaic amphora, Parthenon sculptures, Homeric epics & Hesiod poems
Evidence gods are like humans in psychology
Homeric and Hesiod examples - Hera’s anger, Zeus’ pity or anger, thetis’ sympathy etc
Evidence gods are like humans in behaviour
Panathenaic amphora (Athena striding), Homeric and hesiodic examples like divine parentage (hinting at human means of reproduction)
Evidence gods are like humans in limitations
They’re powerful but still show weakness - hers tricks Zeus in Iliad 14, putting him to sleep while the other gods fight for their favourites
Evidence the gods differ from humans in terms of power
Zeus and Hera’s casual decision to destroy Troy, Iliad 4
Evidence gods are not like humans in terms of beauty
Iliad 18 - “the [army] set out led by Ares and Athene, all made of gold. Tall and beautiful in their golden clothes and armour as gods should be.” - they also rise above the smaller warriors
Evidence the gods are not like humans in terms of immortality and happiness
Iliad 24 - Achilles: “ we men are wretched creatures and the gods have woven grief into our lives: but they themselves are free from care”
Scholarly debate:
Who argues gods are literally human in form? + Year
Who argues against? + Year
What do they argue?
Garland 1994
Zaidman and Pantel 1989
Not literally like us, only shown that way to help our understanding of them
Evidence for the view that gods are literally human inform
Xenophanes 6th cent - rejected human-like gods which implies that people traditionally believed the gods were human like
Evidence for the view that the gods are not literally human in form?
Year?
How?
Oltos cup
510 BC
Depicted gods holding identifying symbols unrealistically showing that the depictions are symbolic not literal
