UGFH1000-RJ-01: Odyssey by Kan Chun Him (1155076777)

Odyssey: Relationship between Ancient Greeks and Gods

On reading Odyssey, I would like to explore the relationship between Greeks and the Olympian Gods.
My thought about mythology and Greeks attitudes towards Gods will be shared using examples from Odyssey.
Greek mythology stemmed from individualized nature. With poor understanding of the hostile
environment, Greeks attributed aspects of the nature to supernatural characters. It explains why Zeus became god
of thunder while Poseidon became god of the sea. Take Poseidon as example, he is fearsome with great power
controlling storms and is unreasonable by going after Odysseus who blinded his son (Cyclopes) in self-defense. I
think it reflects Greeks deep-rooted fear toward the unpredictable sea which was their close companion for trade.
Before the emergence of philosophy or even science, failure in explaining natural phenomena induced
polytheism in many ancient civilizations. They treated the nature as omnipotent gods.
Ancient societies later enriched gods with human characters and culture. I found that the Gods are as
emotional as us. For instance, Poseidon was angry with Odysseus who harmed Cyclopes. Other Instances
include Athena getting frustrated with the selfish suitors of Penelope, or Calypso getting in love and indulged
with Odysseus, as well as other gods who felt empathetic for the suffering Odysseus endured. Hatred, anger, love
and empathy are human feelings given to gods. Meanwhile, gods were created or related to man-made elements.
Examples in Odyssey are Athena for war and Hades for death which is a special concept to human. It explains
why gods were interested in Greeks and actively involved in their lives. In my opinion, mythology was deep in
Greek culture such that gods were given feeling, human characters and realms to govern as found in Odyssey.
Human virtues are observed from gods which we can learn from. With proximity, conflicts were
common among city states. Therefore, strength and cunningness were praised and found in Athena who helped
Odysseus and his son Telemachus uprooting the greedy and arrogant suitors. Compared with the gods are the
scavengers like the suitors who refused to improve physically, mentally and morally. In between both extremes is
Odysseus who transformed himself into one with super-human strength and wisdom. He worth admiring by
being affirmative in marriage and pursue of honor as well. The gods and god-like Odysseus are role models for
people to pursue goodness. The belief of the god can also be educational and inspiring in civilizing Greeks or
even ourselves nowadays. Mythology seems to be mean to cultivate citizens.
The way ancient Greeks supplied Olympian Gods with qualities is inspiring as found in Odyssey.
Regardless of their existence, it is intriguing to witness the interaction between deities and human via Greek
Classics. It is believed that it helps explain the non-ubiquitous behavior of Gods.
Reflective Journal for UGFH 1000 instructed by Mr. R. Teng