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Flag!! Interference on the Offense!! - Caroline Tucker

 When I read about the gods interfering with the war again, I could not help but think of a football game. The game of the mortals vs. the gods. When the gods help their side, all I could think of is a referee throwing a yellow flag yelling, “Interference. Offense. Number one”. Which I translate to, interference on the gods with number one being Zeus. I felt like I was in the stands watching the game getting angry at the gods for interfering. I guess that means I am on the mortals team.

In book 21, I was very happy to read that someone finally acknowledged the fact that the gods are to blame for the terrible war and battle between the gods. Specifically, that Hera is the one to blame. Leto said, after Zeus asked who had hurt her, “Your own wife, Father! The white-armed Hera beat me! / This strife, this warfare plaguing all the immortals- / Hera’s to blame!” (Homer, 536). This passage could be inferring that the gods are to blame for the entire war. This statement is not said by Homer, however, we know this to be true. We know the gods are to blame for the entirety of the war because of the stories of the gods before the Iliad. 

What do you think? Do you think this passage infers that the gods are to blame? 


P.s. I commented on Abigale’s and Abbie’s posts.



Comments

  1. Haley RiddleAugust 31, 2020 at 12:53 PM

    I agree with this idea of the help of the gods being like football. It reminds me of when two siblings are fighting and a parent jumps in to try and mediate it at the wrong time. I've been told many times, "Just let them work it out on their own." Also I just realized I have related a lot of things to sibling fights... I promise my brothers and I don't fight much, ha.

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  2. ClaboAugust 31, 2020 at 2:57 PM

    I completely agree that she is saying that the war is the gods' fault. I also agree that the gods and their relationship to the war is like a football game, but I view it a little differently. I feel as if wars are one of the gods only forms of entertainment. Its as if they are watching a football game and whenever something they don't like happens or is about to happen, they intervene because they can. The same is probably true of us in the fact that if we could intervene on our sports teams' behalf, we would.

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  3. kaitlyn terryAugust 31, 2020 at 3:55 PM

    I agree! I find it utterly infuriating that the gods interfere with the happenings of the mortals with little to no consequences. They constantly manipulate circumstances to fit their agenda simply because they can. I love your comparison to a football game, it just seems like the "penalties" for the gods are significantly less than those for the mortals.

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  4. Ian BlairAugust 31, 2020 at 8:17 PM

    I wholeheartedly agree that the gods are to blame for this entire ordeal. If Aphrodite had not tempted a teenage boy (Paris) with a beautiful spouse the war would never have happened. No gods, no problem.

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