A. Thesis Statement: Through the lives of the various female characters, including the goddesses and other mortal women, it portrayed how women are viewed and treated in the Greek society during the ancient times. As compared to this generation’s perspective on women, the women then are viewed as creatures whose stature is lower than man. Whether a mortal woman or a goddess by nature there is no disparity in the perspective as well as in the treatment that illumined from this point of view, they are all subordinate to men. However, the goddesses are in constant struggle to prove that they are of more worth than mortal women, who are mere prices and trophies in the eyes of men, especially given that they are immortals who live in Olympus. They have the title to show their supremacy and the immortality to prove their divinity. This showed that the story was somehow able to balance itself and keep it from being a rather discriminatory narrative.
Abstract
The Iliad by Homer is one of the most outstanding narratives in history. It did not only speak of the events that took place in the long war between Troy and Greece. It also spoke of the different aspects of Greek life including the perception and treatment of women. It was able to tell that women in those times were treated as creatures of lesser stature than men. However, through the inclusion of female divinities and portraying them as characters who struggled to prove their worth, the story was able to make a balance between discriminatory and praise. Through the lives of mortal women and the immortality of the female goddesses, the Iliad vindicated itself.
The Treatment of the Women and Goddesses of the Iliad
The Iliad may be considered as one of the greatest pieces of literature that fell in the hands of contemporary men. Through its narrative, it explored the vast history of the Greek community and presented the different aspects of their life. One of the important aspects it showed is the treatment of women in Greek society.
Through the lives of the various female characters, including the goddesses and other mortal women, it portrayed how women are viewed and treated in the Greek society during the ancient times. As compared to this generation’s perspective on women, the women then are viewed as creatures whose stature is lower than man. Whether a mortal woman or a goddess by nature there is no disparity in the perspective as well as in the treatment that illumined from this point of view, they are all subordinate to men. However, the goddesses are in constant struggle to prove that they are of more worth than mortal women, who are mere prices and trophies in the eyes of men, especially given that they are immortals who live in Olympus. They have the title to show their supremacy and the immortality to prove their divinity. This showed that the story was somehow able to balance itself and keep it from being a rather discriminatory narrative.
Mortal Women as Trophies
During the time of the ancient Greeks it was believed, especially by the Athenians, that women are dumb and may only cause trouble if allowed on their own. They are given guardians who are to manage everything about their life, even petty personal decisions (Duby et. al. 470). Women are viewed this low that giving them away as prices and trophies for an act of honor is as easy as giving away an object.
In the Iliad by Homer, the perspective and treatment portrayed the lives of two mortal women. These women are Briseis, a woman who was captured by the Greeks and was given to Achilles as his slave. The other one is Chryseis, who was the daughter of one of Apollo’s priest and was given to Agamemnon as his slave. The events in the lives of these two women served as excellent examples on how women are perceived as objects and treated like prizes.
In the case of Briseis, the golden-haired wife of King Mynes, she was the prize received by Achilles after he killed her entire family. Together with the Greek army, Achilles raided the Lyrnessus, which was then an ally of Troy. They destroyed the entire city and as a reward for defeating a parcel of the enemy, he was allowed to keep Briseis as his slave and concubine (Homer n.p).
Further proof of unjust treatment to women in the life of Briseis was when Chryseis was returned to her father in accordance to the request of the god, Apollo. She was suddenly taken from Achilles and given to Agamemnon as replacement for Chryseis. More than a slave, she was treated like a toy which is given to whoever is crying; from Achilles, to Agamemnon, and back to Achilles after he swore not to fight for the disrespect that was done against him (Homer n.p).
While Briseis was the prize acquired by Achilles for destroying an entire city of the enemies, Chryseis was the prize handed over to Agamemnon when the Greek troops ransacked the temple of Apollo where she lived. Despite the fact that she was the daughter of Apollo’s priest, she remained valueless. As such, after being able to destroy a number of enemies, Agamemnon became worthy of a slave and concubine like Achilles (Homer n.p).
In these given parts of the Iliad which told the different lives of the women who portrayed the perception and treatment of women in those days, a pattern may be found. Since women are considered as dumb and troublesome, whenever a man does something right he is given a woman as a gift. Furthermore, whenever a woman is disliked she is given over to other men of lower worth. There is no respect to the humanity of the mortal women. They were merely objects that may be given and taken back anytime men pleased.
Divinities Struggle for Power
As mortal women are perceived of no worth, dumb and troublesome, it may be said that female divinities are perceived and treated otherwise as they are immortal and divine. If observed through the narration in the Iliad there is in actuality, no difference in the perception and treatment despite the fact that they are goddesses. Even the queen of Olympus, Hera, is treated unfairly by her own husband. The same may be said about the enchanting goddess of wisdom and warfare, and the silver-footed nymph, Thetis. However, there is a continued struggle to prove themselves to be of better worth than any mortal woman. Descriptions in the story point that unlike mortals who accept their fate, the goddesses fight the existing inequality.
In the immortal life of the queen of the gods, the struggle against the maltreatment of her husband happened many times. Zeus was a cheat and it turned Hera into a jealous woman. In the Iliad, this jealousy led to a proof that even goddesses are treated as objects by men. It also showed Hera’s struggle to prove her worth (Homer n.p).
Thetis, whom Zeus once loved, tried to persuade Zeus to allow the victory of the Greeks as in this side, her son belongs in. Hera, knowing that she was merely a nymph, a goddess of lower form, became harsh on Zeus and exercised her right as the wife as well as her power as a goddess. However, this did not keep Zeus from overpowering her. He threatened her that she will feel his wrath if she will not refrain from troubling him (Homer n.p). As such, the efforts of the queen went in vain. The struggle for power and worth was disregarded and the fact that she is a woman despite the immortality subjects her to the inequality in treatment.
The same thing may be said about the beautiful, silver-footed, Thetis. She is one of the primordial goddesses, a sea nymph with whom the great god Zeus fell in love with (Guerber 305). She may have been exempted from this conclusion, yet like what happened to Hera, her story in the Iliad showed that there is no difference in perspective and treatment between mortal women and divinities.
It may be remembered that in the narrative, Thetis was already the wife of Peleus, king of Myrmidons, and the mother of the great warrior, Achilles. There may not seem any trace of her being treated like a mortal woman, but taking a few steps back it may be found that once in her life as a goddess, she was treated like a prize that may be handed over to whomever is found deserving. This occurred before she became the wife of Peleus.
Peleus was not the first man, who fell in love with the silver-footed, Thetis, it was the god of thunder Zeus. Yet, due to the prophecy which stated that Thetis is to give birth to a son who is going to be greater than his father, Zeus backed out and decided to hand over Thetis to a mortal instead. Like an object, which had no capacity to decide on her own, Thetis became engaged to a mortal (Guerber 305).
However, it must not be forgotten that Thetis was a goddess on her own right. She struggled against the decree of Zeus and said no to the engagement. Unfortunately, her struggle went futile. She was eventually caught by Peleus and soon she was wedded to him (Guerber 305).
In Athena’s case, there may be slight difference in the situation as Athena, unlike the two earlier mentioned divinities; Athena has in a way, a bond with men being the goddess of warfare. However, she was not spared from the perception of woman being of lower stature than men. She was also treated like any mortal woman, and as any female divinity.
This occurred when Zeus ordered her to stop meddling with the continuous battle between the Troy and the Greeks. It was known that Athena hated the Trojans, so she always favors the Greeks and helps them win. But Zeus was not in agreement about the intervention of the Gods in the affairs of the mortals. Despite this, Athena showed her strength of will and tried to defy the authority of her own father. She constantly came down to help the Greeks. Unfortunately, as any other efforts by goddesses to prove their power and bring dignity to their title, it was all in vain. Zeus was soon able to subdue his daughter, Athena (Homer n.p).
Discussion and Conclusion
According to the above examples it may be found that mortal women are treated like objects during the time of the ancient Greeks, as illustrated in the story of the Iliad by Homer. They are treated as nothing but prizes or trophies that may be handed over to victors and deserving men of honor. They may even be exchanged for another woman or a favor.
However, it may also be found that the despite this, the Iliad tried to balance this perception by creating goddesses who exuded power and authority. The story provided some parts of the narrative to tell how women in the form of the female divinities may fight for equal rights. They may struggle against the men and try to show their worth.
The divinities in the story showed that they are as powerful their god counterparts and their titles are well deserved by struggling against men. Hera tried to subdue her husband by exercising her rights as a wife. She tried to order him around. On the other hand, Athena tested his father’s patience by disobeying him over and over. Furthermore, the efforts of Thetis to say no to her engagement may not be taken indifferently.
Although these efforts went in vain, it proves that despite the seeming lack of respect in perception and treatment of women through the lives of the mortal characters in the Iliad, the narrative made a justification by inserting divine characters who were apt in defending their right as immortal goddesses. The story was balanced out and from this, it may be concluded that the Iliad treated the women and goddesses, somehow with respect despite the fact that it was created during a time when women are viewed as lower creatures as compared to men, a time when women were considered dumb and troublesome.
Works Cited
Duby, Georges, Goldhammer, Arthur, Pantel, Pauline Schmitt, Perrot, Michelle. A History of
Women in the West: from Ancient Goddesses to Christian Saints. Massachusetts:
Harvard University Press, 1994
Guerber, H.A. Myths of Greece and Rome. Montana: Kessinger Publishing, 2003
Homer. “Iliad Summary”. 1966. Oxford University. 21 April 2009
< http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ball2738/summary.html >
