Chapter Zero - War of the Gods (Chapter 15 Remake)

When Zeus woke up he cleared the clouds to have a clear view of the battle. He saw Poseidon helping the Danaans and he saw Hector away from battle barely alive.

He was angered by the scheme done by Hera and with Poseidon helping the Danaans so he called out to his wife. “Why have you done this to me? Do you want to be hanged with golden chains and left dangling on the sky again? Do you want to taste my wrath? Do you want to be hit by my Thunderbolt?”

“Of course I don’t! I’m not a madman seeking his death!”

“Then why have you done this?”

“I’m just angry because you favor the Trojans to much. I’m angry because you won’t let me help my people!”

“I’ll deal with you later. For now go back to Mount Olympus and seek my son Phoibos Apollo tell him to come to Hector and heal his wounds.” Zeus ordered.

Hera immediately came to Mount Olympus to do her errand and Zeus rashed to go to the battle not knowing that his Thunderbolt was missing.

The battle was progressing badly for the Trojans. With Poseidon by the side of the Danaans victory was certain. But it all changed when Zeus came back.

“Dear brother why have you disobeyed me? Do you want to oppose my authority? Do you challenge my judgment? Go back to your sea if you want me to forgive you!”

But despite the direct order of Zeus, Poseidon didn’t go back to his domain instead he raised his Trident and it glowed with power. The ocean suddenly became silent and unmoving. There is no breeze you could feel and no waves you could hear then, Mermans and Cyclopes started to come out.

“You do want to oppose me! Then, I will let you taste my wrath!” Zeus summoned his thunderbolt to hit Poseidon but no lighting was seen. “What is happening? Who have stolen my Thunderbolt?”

“You are a fool if you think that I will fight you unprepared my brother.” Poseidon said. Poseidon pointed the Trident at him and it let loosed a bolt of tremendous energy.

Zeus tried to fight Poseidon unfortunately he was powerless without his Thunderbolt. Poseidon attacked Zeus nonstop, Ichor the golden blood of the Gods started to flow out of Zeus skin. Zeus is facing an unending torment until two arrows flew to Poseidon. It was from Apollo and Artemis. Soon Ares came to help Zeus as well but Athena and Hera helped Poseidon. This has started the war between the Gods.

Meanwhile, at the war between Danaans and Trojans. Both sides were equal in power now that the Gods are not interfering. But when Hector, after being healed by Apollo, has come to join in the battle the tides changed ones again.

Poseidon saw this so he sent Athena to convince Achilles to join in as well and after the Myrmidons came the tides was changed once more.

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With the war between the Gods the progress of the Trojan war was sluggish. Sluggish it may be but the victory was obviously on the Danaans for Achilles has joined them once again. In the end the Achilles still slays Hector and only one thing has changed. Achilles didn’t join the battle because of Patroclos’ death instead he was convinced by Athena to join in the battle.

Hector (Bonus Blog)

Bravery in the face of danger, willingness to sacrifice ones self for the good of others, and readiness to die for ones loved ones - this are the traits of a hero, this is what being heroic means.

Have you seen how Spiderman risks his life in saving his beloved Mary Jane. Have you watched the film Deep Impact, and how the Messiah sacrificed themselves in order to save the whole humanity from extinction. Lastly, have you watched how Gru selflessly rescued Margo, Edith and Agnes in the film Despicable Me. These three are some examples heroes, selflessly sacrificing themselves in order to save their loved ones or the world. But have you read about the deeds of the heroes of the greatest war novel, the Iliad.

When I was watching Troy, a film adaptation of the Iliad, with my family I asked my uncle who is the hero in the film. His answer is Achilles. But when I read the book, the story is indeed focused on how Achilles got his glory, but I was not convince that he is really a hero.

Firstly, heroes usually save people or rescue their loved ones but what Achilles did was avenge his friend and Vengeance is not something that a hero seeks. Secondly, Achilles didn't move until the moment that his people was about to die. Lastly, heroes wants to save lives and not to claim their glory.

If Achilles is not the hero of the Iliad, then who is the hero?

The true hero of the Iliad is Hector. Why? First, he fought to save his people, the Trojans. Second, he didn't really aim for glory instead he achieved it by saving his people, unlike Achilles who didn't really care for his people for he fled the battle because his pride was hurt. Lastly, even though he knew that he is no match to Achilles, he still fought the tyrant for he is the only hope.

To sum it all up, Hector is a hero because he fought the war to save his people and not to achieve his glory. He led his people with bravery. Lastly, he fought Achilles even though he knew that he will surely die.

Hero's Glory

The will of the Gods are absolute. The Older Gods or the Titans are the only ones that could oppose the Gods. However, they have been defeated and exiled in the deepest parts of Tartarus. With their exile the Gods have reigned supreme above all, they are now the masters of the world with their wills challenged by no one.

Even in the Trojan War, there are manifestations of how absolute the will of the Gods is. Every triumphs and falls, every defeats and victories, every lives slain and spared is done according to their will.

It is shown that when the Gods will not intervene in battle the Achaians and the Trojans will be equal in everything and neither will win nor lose. The Trojans only win because it is the will of Zeus Almighty. In the same manner, the victory of the Achaians was caused by the help of Poseidon plus the scheme done by Hera when he seduced Zeus.

But does this make the efforts of the hero's useless? Does it make their valor mean nothing? No it does not. They may be like puppets dancing while the gods pull the string, like chess pieces moving according to the Gods' plans but they can still achieve something that will make all their efforts have a meaning... they can still achieve the greatest treasure for most of the heroes, Glory. The Gods may be the reason why a hero kills another but the glory will still be given to the hero and not to the God. In fact glory is what almost all heroes are fighting for. In every story of war there will always be someone that will say "If we will die, then, we would rather die fighting!" and in the Iliad it was Aias who said it.

What is it that makes glory so great? What makes glory something you will die for? Actually in the Greek belief the underworld is divided into four parts the palace of Hades, the Fields of Ashpodel, the Fields of Elysium and Tartarus. The Fields of Ashpodel serves as their purgatory where the dead waits for them to be sentenced on where they will spend the rest of their life. Tartarus is their hell where the evil ones stay with the Furies punishing them, but those who are pure evil are sent to the palace of Hades, with the God himself punishing them for eternity. And lastly Elysium where the good guys including the glorious heroes go spending their lives in the eternal paradise.

The Greek Justice

The Justice that we all know is giving a certain punishment for the wrong that one has committed and the Greek Gods' Justice is pretty much the same. The only difference is the 'wrong on has committed'. Why? Each Greek Gods has their own knowledge of wrong or evil. Every single God has their own sets of what they want to believe in.


One example is when Paris stole Helen from Menelaus, the king of Sparta. For Aphrodite this is not wrong for she is the reason behind it. For Ares it is not evil for it would lead to the Trojan War that would please him greatly. For these two Gods they are not wrong but for Hera the Goddess of Marriage it is a great sin and Paris must be punished for such an act.


There may be things that the Gods disagree about but there is also something that every single one of them agree to. They all dislike those who doesn't give them offerings. The first of your harvest and the fattest or the healthiest of your lambs should be offered to them and if this is not fulfilled it means to the Gods blasphemy and that is reason enough for them to unleash their wrath. When Oeneus didn't sacrifice the first fruits of his harvest to Artemis, the goddess sent a boar to destroy his orchard. Another form of blasphemy is when you set sail and go to a voyage without giving Poseidon an offering and prayer, this act is enough for him to will the currents to sink you boat.

The Greek Gods punish men with such punishment not reasonable or not suitable for men's crimes. They punish even those who are innocent that are used by the other gods to tease another.

The Gods as divine beings of infinite wisdom yet their sense of justice is false. Pallas Athena the wisest of them all decided not to help the Danaans in battle for she would face Zeus' wrath but when Poseidon raped Medusa in her temple she turned her into a monster even though Poseidon is the one at fault and Medusa is only a victim.


sources:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Gods-and-Goddesses-of-Roman-Mythology
http://www.nevskagallery.com/08-fokk-Paris-and-Helen-of-Troy.jpg