David Wei
Analysis Exercise
Homer, Iliad
16 September 2016
Zeus foresees that his most beloved son, Sarpedon, is about to be killed by Patroclus. Zeus pities Sarpedon, and he considers saving his son’s life by removing him from battle. This incites Hera to give the following cautionary speech:
A mortal man, whose fate has long been fixed,
And you want to save him from rattling death?
Do it. But don’t expect all of us to approve.
Listen to me. If you send Sarpedon home alive,
You will have to expect other gods to do the same
And Save their own sons—and there are many of them
In this war around Priam’s great city.
Think of the resentment you will create. (16.478-85)
The war continues and Patroclus dies on the battlefield. Achilles is overcome with grief, and he decides to rejoin the battle to get revenge for his dear friend Patroclus. Poseidon sees that Aeneas is about to be killed by Achilles, and the sea god considers saving Aeneas.
Zeus will be angry if Achilles kills him,
For it is destined that Aeneas escape
And the line of Dardanus not be destroyed
And disappear without seed. (20.306-09)
The juxtaposition of the two passages shows that the Homeric gods feel the need to let fate fulfill itself, yet, paradoxically, sometimes they must use their own powers to fulfill fate. Hera claims that a mortal’s fate “has long been fixed”, and she thinks that Zeus saving his beloved son, Sarpedon, will give the other gods an excuse to “save their own sons”. Zeus’ compliance with fate after being chastised by Hera demonstrates that it has a constraining power over the gods. Even Zeus, the most powerful god, is unwilling to defy fate, so the other lesser gods would not do it either. Hera’s cautionary speech about not acting against destiny suggests that it will fulfill itself without the intervention of the gods. This, however, is inconsistent with Aeneas’ situation. Aeneas is “destined” to “escape” the battlefield so that he can continue his family line, yet before he is able to fulfill this prophecy he faces death. Poseidon claims that “Zeus will be angry” if Aeneas perishes without fulfilling his destiny, so he saves Aeneas. Poseidon’s concern with Zeus’ fury over an unfulfilled fate clearly suggests it is possible for a prophesized destiny to remain uncompleted. The need for Poseidon to save Aeneas contradicts the idea of fate as being self-fulfilling. This causes the exact role or properties of “fate” to remain obscure.
Though the exact power of fate is unclear, it is often presented as a reason for the gods’ actions. Zeus, by far the most powerful god on Olympus, is unwilling to save his most beloved son if it means going against destiny. This suggests that all the Gods in the Iliad must act according to what is destined. Achilles, a mere mortal, is able to defy fate, which necessitates the gods to intervene. This contradicts the idea that fate is a powerful force that even the gods must submit to. The ambiguous nature of fate calls into question the true cause of the events that transpire in the Iliad. It is unknown if fate is a force that controls the gods, or if the gods’ belief in fate causes them to make sure that the future aligns with what is prophesized. It is clear, however, that the gods will make sure that prophesized events will come to pass. The outcomes of battles in the Iliad are therefore out of human control. The Greeks were destined to win, and Troy was fated to fall.
