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THE CREATION AND DESTRUCTION OF GOD:

Man and Literature's Role in the Creation and Destruction of God and the Reconstruction of Man

Jin Chung

Look at the comments for this paper.

This past Easter Sunday celebrates over 2000 years of Christianity, but we know that other types of religions preceeded even Christianity. Hundreds of thousands of people have died throughout history in the name of religion, yet there is no conclusive evidence which supports or concretely proves the existence of religion. Ancient Greek Civilization is accredited with being "scientific" in their ability to differentiate between the natural and the supernatural and this is true to some extent.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Introduction
  2. The Homeric World and Homer's Literature - Illiad
  3. Hesiod - Theogony
  4. Aeschylus and Agamenon
  5. Socrates
  6. Aristophanes - The Clouds & The Birds
  7. Conclusion
  8. References

Introduction

If literature is indeed a looking glass which provides a reflective social and political commentary on society, then we can make at least two very specific assessments about Ancient Greek Civilization from the literature written during the ninth to fourth century. The first assessment states: as an emerging military force in the Mediterranean, the small city-state of Attica was greatly affected by their constant military entanglements with other opposing forces in the Mediterranean. Literature from authors representing all forms of genres cite events such as the Peloponnesian War and Persian War. For example, writers like the historian Thuycidides to the Comic playwright Aristophanes examines the closely linked worlds of literature and society. Literature was used as a vehicle to portray real day to day life.

The second indisputable assessment states: that literature of all genres from the ninth to fifth centuries B.C.E., all contained some element of "God" in the context of the literature. Classical authors wrote independently of their genre to include some "force" or essence which they referred to as the Gods. These Gods were for the most part represented as omniscent, powerful entities superior to man. As the oral tradition flourished in Greek society through Homer and Hesiod, the Gods were elevated to a supernatural level. In essence, the Gods were created through the literature which praised and represented them as irreverent figures. These myths were told from generation to generation in every Greek polis in every Greek city-state. In summary, while the literature of Homer, Hesiod and Aeschylus bolstered the creation of the Gods, the later "humanistic movement" proposed by Socrates, Aristophanes, and Xenophanes which indoctrinated wisdom, logic, and reasoning lead to the surmise of the Gods and the reconstructed view of man.

Homer's Literature

Homer the epic writer of eighth and ninth Century B.C.E. is probably the most influential writer of his time. Utilizing the forms of a long oral tradition at its climax, his literature is the catalyst and reference from which Greek's social structure, culture, education, and values are formed. He is the greatest contributor to the creation of the concept and ideology of "God" as an irreverent and supernatural entity. As our best perserved surviving documents, The Illiad and The Odyssey serve as the best guide into the Homeric World and epic tradition. Although it is hard to determine and define what events occurred in Ancient times, Homer was just as effective and influential in establishing the conception of the Gods as he was in establishing literature. The very premis of Homeric literature is dependent on the interaction between God and man, and specifically God's control over man and his destiny.

The Homeric World

The citizens of Attica identified themselves as Greeks because of their unity in language and culture which was shared throughout the city-states. This cultural unity evolved around a model which Homer created through his literature known as the "Homeric World." Homer's literature wasn't representative of a ninth century B.C.E. Greek society, but instead he created a world reminiscent of the Bronze Age. This "Homeric World" presented superhuman heroes who acted in accordance with the values of time, aerate, aristeia, and pietas (honor, excellence in battle, endurance, and religious piety). But although man acts under these value system, he is driven by the will of the Gods.

According to the myths, the Trojan War was incited by the abduction of Helen by Paris. The myths states that there was a contest of beauty between the Olympian Goddesses of Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera. As the appointed judge of the contest by Zeus, Paris chose Aphrodite over the other Goddesses because she promised him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. In short, the fates of thousands of men and two nations were dependent on the whims of the Gods. Although the Gods are associated with human and "anthropomorphic" qualities, there is a distinct division between God and man. Even the super heroes, who have divine blood and are delineated from the Gods, are separate from the Gods who are powerful. In this way, man is marginalized in that he is stripped of his characteristics of personal will and destiny which leaves him devoid of any responsibility for his actions. In the Illiadalone, there are numerous examples of men's brave feats and accomplishments which are attributed to the Gods. In the following three examples, the "human factor" is absent as man can't utilitize his ability to rationalize and reason, a characteristic which separates him from other animals, and therefore cannot transcend his fated destiny.

  • Illiad: Book 1

  • Illiad: Book 4

  • Illiad: Book 5

    Indeed the world of God and man is closely intertwined and it may seem obvious to link the two worlds, but in reality there is a distinction. In all of the three circumstances, the actions of the Gods result in the action of men presenting a cause and effect relationship. Homer's literature serves as a template for a society which endears Homeric values and more importantly espouses the ideal view of Gods as omniscent and powerful beings. Another example of Homer's creation of God is represented in his piece, The Homeric Hymns, in which he praises the Gods and establishes them even more so by providing a biography of sorts for the Gods by explaining their births and lineage. Through his literature, Homer has built up the concept of God as an irreverent figure who controls man's circumstances.

    Hesiod's Theogony

    Similar to Homer, the Boeitian poet Hesiod ca. 800-700 B.C.E. was an integral component of establishing the concept of God. In the progression of Greek Literature, Hesiod was a probable contemporary and student of the Illiad and the Odyssey and in his literature, he supported Homer's literature and sustained the reverence to the Gods through his piece Theogony. While Homer had constructed the foundation and framework for the ideology of "God," Hesiod successfully architects the completion of the ideology by defining the terms. In Theogony,ull circlefHesiod's piece is crucial in the progression of Hesiod introduces the origins of the Gods, the "literal" creation of the Gods which espouses the "social" creation of the Gods.

    In their analysis The Presocratic Philosophers, Kirk, Raven, and Schofield propose that Hesiod was unique in that he did not merely discuss the Gods through myths, but rather examined and analized concepts which are linked with more " direct, empirical, and non-symbolical way of thinking" (KRS. 7). Hesiod focused in defining the origins from the earliest history, starting from the actual birth or creation, and is successful because of his attempts "to systematize the manifold deities of legend by deriving them from a common ancestor or pair of ancestors at the beginning of the world" (KRS. 7). Although he presents a relationship between God and man, Hesiod separates the natural from the supernatural presenting the beginning traces of scientific thought.

  • Theogony 116: "Chaos" and the Gods

  • Theogony 154: The Mutilation-Myth

    In Theogony, Hesiod explains the references to the Gods which stems from Homer's literature, and specifically The Illiad and Odyssey. He provides a forum in which to examine the origins and succession of the Gods, to explain how they came into power and being. This biographical endorsement serves as a template of systematic thinking in reference to the Gods.

    Aeschylus: The Agamemnon

    Agamemnon

    The Succession of the Gods Man gains wisdom through suffering but only through the Gods

    Socrates: Wisdom and Knowledge

    Aristophanes: The Clouds and The Birds

    The Clouds

    The Birds

    Introduction of The Sophists Socrates and wisdom Challenging the Gods

    Xenophanes: The Denial of God

    KRS: The Presocratic Philosophers Fragments 166-172 and 186-189

    ***NOTE***

    So this is just a draft for now. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions. In summary, the oral tradition is alive and well. Homer and Hesiod create the notion of God. Aeschylus follows the progression but he is a transition figure in that he introduces widsom through suffering but maintains that this is only possible through the grace of the Gods. Socrates, Aristophanes, and Xenophanes challenge the Gods and introduce the "humane" philosophy as man transcends animal through his ability to logic and reason.