Lust. I find it amazing that a single, small word can carry so much depth and meaning for a society. This word drives many who may not understand this depth, and yet they allow it to be the driving force in much of their lives. Such behavior is often attributed to a man in pursuit of a woman; such is the case with Zeus in the Iliad in Chapter 14. The literal god of the sky and thunder, the ruler of Olympus, is so easily overtaken and deceived by Lust, an unseen yet immensely powerful force that takes his focus off of the battlefield and onto Hera.
I found it interesting how quickly Zeus fell into Hera's trap. To aid Poseidon on the battlefield, Hera takes advantage of the one charm she knows will be impossible to resist; you guessed it, Lust. And does Zeus pause to think about the possibility that Hera has ulterior motives? Nope. Not only does he do exactly what Hera wanted, he goes on to say that "Never has such a lust for goddess or mortal woman flooded my pounding heart and overwhelmed me so. Not even then, when I made love to Ixion's wife . . . not when I loved Acrisius' daughter Danae-marvelous ankles-" (Homer, 380). The guy is literally consumed by Lust! To list off all the affairs he has had, and then to say none compare to the love that "floods his pounding heart" at that moment... wow.
What I'm getting at is this: sometimes the greatest weapon in a battle isn't a literal weapon. Hera knew that Lust was a huge weak spot for Zeus, and she exploited that weakness for her benefit in battle. Because Zeus was no longer watching over the war, Poseidon and the Achaeans are able to push back the Trojans and gain some ground. Often times wisdom out-weighs the weapon.
Edit: I commented on Hailey Morgan's post and Micah Powers' post.
Hera didn't actually know about Poseidon's interference so she wasn't really helping him. She also uses one of Aphrodite's charm, not just her own... so is Zeus really falling to his "lusty emotions" or is he mind controlled? If I spike a rat's drinking water with cocaine, is he "impulsive" and a "drug-addict"? But i do agree that "wisdom CAN out-weigh the weapon" but Achilles would disagree with you as he kills everyone without any strategy other than "I'm better than all of you".
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to think that lust has been such a driving force for centuries -- it's nothing new. Often, I'll find it silly for someone to do something out of lust, yet the same actions are repeated over and over by completely different people. I mean, how many men, and women as well, in powerful positions have lost everything because they have fallen into the same trap that is lust?
ReplyDeleteLust isn't a bad thing in itself. Like everything it is bad in over usage and over doses. like eating sugar is good, but too much kills you and ruins your life. Lust at its core is the bodys' way of making sure we reproduce and don't roll over and commit suicide, lust can get you moving and chasing things like the guy or girl we have a crush on, that A+ class grade, i mean if you really want an A, a healthy relationship, and growing career it's usually from lust (desire for things). It's when we have too much of it and don't control it that it becomes an issue like anything else. Buddhism and The Tao (Dao) have some great koans (philosophical puzzles) about it but it's a bit much, so simply put: I like to remember that there are many sides to everything. That we as humans should see the beauty in things before we cast them off and search for the evil. Because even too much love is a dark, dark thing.... Anyone who had a clingy partner can tell ya that. (**insert laughter**)
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