Key points:
- For Homer, fate and the gods were the means through which a person could learn more about the meaning of life.
- For the Greeks, the Iliad served as a guide for moral instruction, much like the Bible is for some people.
- The gods were real, not mythology. The gods embodied powerful forces, capable of giving supernatural benefits to people.
- Fate is what the gods decree for us, but we give meaning to our lives by making conscious decisions about good and evil.
- Hubris is defined as outrageous arrogance by which power is used to inflict pain upon the innocent. [Interesting how many religions seem to focus on protecting the weak.] Hubris is a moral wrong, and the gods do not forget such wrongs.
- Mortals lack vision of what is good and evil until it is too late.
The
Iliad is ultimately a book about the meaning of life, and how to lead that life:
- One must pursue one's values (e.g., honor) in moderation. True wisdom is knowing how far is too far.
- Wisdom begins by fearing gods and heeding omens because they convey the gods' will.
- We only increase our wisdom, however, through suffering. Achilles realized that he pushed the concept of honor too far when doing so led to the death of his best friend, Patroclus.
