... in monotheist religions. 2. A being of supernatural powers, believed in and worshipped by a people."" The first definition reflects Modern America's connotation of the word god. The latter recalls the Ancient Greco-Sumerian ideal of a being greater than man. While both definitions are equally valid in literature, many perceive the word only in the first view. However, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Epic of Gilgamesh portray gods with limits and weaknesses ... stop the power of the humans. The very premise of the Epic of Gilgamesh involved a hero who nearly equaled the gods. In the begi...

• Word Count: 1397
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the Odyssey, the epic poem by Homer, Telemakhos is a troubled teenager. He is the son of Odysseus, who is lost at sea and has not returned home from the war, and Penelope who is constantly consumed by emotion and pursued by suitors. Teens today face many of the same emotions and conflicts, but it is the ... , frustration, anger, and desperation. They both struggle with maturity and not being treated like children. Telemakhos differs from teens today because of the way he responds to and expresses these emotions and conflicts. Telemakhos and teens today share feelings of insecurity about t...

• Word Count: 1253
• Approx Pages: 5

... from Mount Ida and sent his burning lightning against the Greeks," Homer writes in the lliad, "Pale fear seized them all." The Greeks managed to overcome their fear and, after a ten-year war, sacked Troy. The gods, however got the last laugh. As Homer describes in the Odyssey, several Greek fleets incurred the wrath of the gods on their triumphant return voyage. The Greek hero Ajax, a rather boastful fellow, offended ... the goddess Athena. In retribution, Athena borrowed some of Zeus" lightning and drove it through the Achaean offender's heart. The Greeks and other ancients learned the...

• Word Count: 1438
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School