Comparison Of The Greek Relgion In The Iliad To Christianity

Comparison Of The Greek Relgion In The Iliad To Christianity

1
16 March 1999
Comparison of the Greek religion in the Iliad to Christianity
Throughout the Iliad of Homer there can be seen many features of the Greek religion. The
features of religion that appear throughout this epic poem are those that existed during the time of
Homer. By taking a better look at theses main features it can be seen that they are similar to those
of Christianity today. Some of the existing main features of both are the following: the belief in
gods or God, prayer, sacrifice, and funeral rites. However, despite these similarities, each feature
is observed differently by the two religions.
The Greeks in the Iliad believe in many gods. Each god has a specific “power” or “gift” that is
known by people. Zeus is the supreme god in their religion and is also the King of Olympus (16.
233). He is known as the god of clouds and the sky. Other gods include Aphrodite the goddess of
love, Athena the goddess of wisdom, and Apollo the god of prophecy, light, poetry and music.
However, these are just a few of the gods seen in the Iliad. These gods are seen as
anthropomorphic, taking on human characteristics and behavior. This can be seen when Zeus
weeps tears of blood for his own son Sarpedon (16.459-61). He weeps because he wishes to save
his son from his destiny of death. Hera, sister and wife of Zeus, makes it clear that if he toys with
fate this will cause much disturbanc...

Comparison Of The Greek Relgion In The Iliad To Christianity

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