The Role of the Gods and Goddesses

The Role of the Gods and Goddesses

1. The Iliad

   • Hera
     • Book VIII: Iris
       • Encourages Achilles to stop wallowing in his own self pity and return to battle
     • Book VIII: Hates the Trojans
       • Judgement of Paris
       • Shows hate by making trouble for them
   • Athena
     • Book VI: Against the Trojans - rejecting the offering of the women
     • Book VIII: Brings Achilles back to the battlefield
     • XXII: Intervenes in the fight between Achilles and Hector
       • Tells Achilles that she will help him in the fight
         • Disguises herself as Hector's brother Deiphobus
           • Gives Achilles a spear
   • Thetis
     • Book XVIII: Comforts Achilles when he hears of Patroclus' death
       • Family
       • Compassion
         • Goes to Hephaestus to get Achilles new armour
     • Book XXIV: She persuades Achilles to give the body back
   • Hephaestus
     • Book VIII: Makes Achilles' armour
       • More for Thetis than for Achilles - has to repay her
         • Shows her xenia
         • Saved him as a baby
       • Shield - tells the story of life and death outside of war
   • Zeus
     • Book XXII: He is not above fate
       • Like Hector but will not save him
         • Could be to avoid a war with the Gods
     • XXIV: Zeus intervenes and orders the return of Hector's body
       • Iris is sent to get Thetis
         • Book XXIV: Sent to Priam to tell to collect his son's body
   • Apollo
     • XXII: Mocks Achilles - leading Achilles from battle
       • Shows Apollo's favour of Hector/Trojan
     • Book XXII: Apollo deserts Hector
       • Following the judgement of Zeus
     • XXIV: Protects Hector's body after death
       • Urges Hermes to steal his body
         • Not agreed to by Hera, Athena and Poseidon
         • Argues with Hera
   • Hermes
     • Book XXIV: Disguised as a Myrmidon to guide Priam through the Greek camp

2. The Aeneid

   • Juno
     • Juturna
       • Book XII: Sanctioned by Juno to interfere in the war to try and save Turnus
         • Goes to the battle lines disguised as Camers to rouse the Rutulians to war
       • Book XII: Sends the eagle into the sky so that the Rutulians misinterpret the sign
       • Book XII: She drives through the battlefield on Turnus' chariot and stops him from going to battle with Aeneas
         • This rouses Aeneas to anger and he kills anyone in sight
         • Turnus recognizes what Juturna's trying to do and asks her to stop - accepts his death
       • Book XII: Gives Turnus his sword
     • Book I: Her love for Carthage and hates the Trojans
       • Causes storm by Aeolus - brings Aeneas to Carthage
     • In general - spiteful, selfish, stubborn, manipulative, powerful
     • Book II: First to seize the Scaean gate.
     • Book IV: Sends Iris to put Dido out of her misery by taking a lock of her hair to give to Dis
     • Allecto
       • Book VII: Infects Amata with anger - personification
       • Book VII: Goes to Turnus as Calybe and tries to insight war but gets laughed off and goes sick
       • Book VII: Puts the sudden fit of madness into the hounds of Ascanius, making him kill the stag signaling the start of the war.
     • Book VII: Returns from Argos and realizes that Aeneas has reached his goal. She accepts fate but aims to upset it as much as she can
     • Book VII: Juno puts a stop to Allecto and will finish what Allecto started - opens the Iron Gates of war
   • Venus
     • Cupid
       • Book I: Sent by Venus disguised as Ascanius
     • Book I: Disguises herself as a Spartan woman
       • Angry when Aeneas questions her tactics
       • Convinces Aeneas to go to Carthage
         • Shrouds him a cloud of mist
     • Book I: Appeals to Jupiter about Juno's treatment of Aeneas
     • Book II: Appears to Aeneas to stop him killing Helen - reminds him of his fate.
     • Book IV: Juno and Venus agree to marry Dido and Aeneas
     • Book XII: Venus sends dittany to Aeneas to cure his arrow wound - identified as the work of the Gods
     • Book XII: Venus tells Aeneas to go to the city (Latium)
       • Gives Aeneas back his spear
   • Neptune
     • Book I: Calms the storm she has created
       • Simile - Page 7
     • Book II: Referred to loosening the foundations of Troy
     • Book VII: Prevents the Trojans from making harbour
   • Jupiter
     • Book I: Calms Venus and introduces the first prophecy.
     • Book II: Rouses the Gods against Troy
     • Book II: Puts himself into the hearts of the Greeks giving them strength
     • Book IV: Speaks to Mercury and tells him to go to Aeneas and remind him of his fate
     • Book XII: Jupiter tells Juno to stop intervening and Juno agrees on condition that the Latins keep their name - Jupiter judges them on the scale
     • Book XII: Sends the Dira to warn off Juturna
   • Mercury
     • Book I: Sent by Jupiter to make Carthage hospitable to the Trojans
   • Minerva/Athena
     • Book II: Referenced to as being the one that helps the Greeks build the Trojan Horse
     • Book II: Sends the serpents to kill Laocoon convincing the Trojans to take to take the horse in
   • Vulcan
     • Book VIII: Goes to Vulcan to get him to make Aeneas new armour - flatters him - uses Thetis as blackmail
     • Book XII: Creates the sword for Turnus' father that Turnus has