Date of Award
6-2008
Document Type
Union College Only
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Classics
Language
English
Keywords
gods, hierarchy, iliad, masculinity, power
Abstract
This thesis explores the roles that the gods play in Homer’s Iliad. The role of the gods and goddesses in the Iliad is often overlooked, their importance to the story deemphasized. Zeus and the gods however, are an important allegory of Greek thought. They have their own societal and political structure; there are personal conflicts, and constant power struggles that may reflect the nature of life in that time period. Interestingly, the amount of influence one god or goddess exerts is roughly proportionate to their masculine expressions of power, either by word or deed. The hierarchy of the gods, then, becomes a hierarchy of masculinity, with those gods who correctly express balanced masculinity at the top.
Recommended Citation
Falcon, Kenneth J., "The gender-power hierarchy of the Gods in Homer’s Iliad" (2008). Honors Theses. 1462.
https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/1462