manner in which Zeus executes his promises to Thetis, the goddess/mother of Achilleus. The relationship between human beings and gods as depicted by Homer can be best described as that between the members of a large and loosely defined family. In the Iliad, Homer endows gods with distinctively human qualities, and conversely, elevates human-beings to the status of god-like heroes. The implication is that humans and gods are very much alike, and in some ways equal - a statement that seemingly contradicts the common definition of gods as abstract beings - untouchable, ungraspable,

and generally beyond human comprehesion. In fact, this view is the direct reflection of the Greek religious mode: not the solemn, fearful worship of supernatural enities, but a celebration of a relationship that resembles

one's relationship with a parent, or perhaps an older brother.

In the Iliad, Homer adeptly exposes the many sides of the complex relatio

Another form of the relationship between the gods and the human beings in the Iliad is related to, but different from, the family ties discussed elsewhere. It is the feeling of friendship and sympathy that the gods feel toward their human subjects. This phenomenon can be described in terms of two distinct levels - the individual attachments between gods and certain heroes, and, on a greater scale, the relationship between the gods and the different peoples that worship them.

corresponds to the exceptional status enjoyed by the eminent Greek heroes as opposed to members of the "supporting cast' whose names are rarely

gods' omnipotent position in the eyes of the mortals, and the appalling (and often ludicrous) manner in which they interact with each other.

The close relationship between the gods and human beings in the Iliad emphasizes Homer's profound vision of the human race. Corruption and lowly motives are not deficiencies that plague mankind only - they are prevalent

Some topics in this essay:
Thetis Zeus, Menelaos Apollo, Whereas Homer's, Iliad Homer, Zeus Athena, Zeus Hera, Achaians Trojans, Zeus's Zeus, Hesiod's Days, Specifically Achilleus, gods human, relationship gods, human iliad, gods human iliad, gods heroes, interactions gods, human gods, gods humans, gods peoples worship, distinctively human, son's death, aflame fury, relationship gods human,