Classics Oral Tradition
The Division of Honors and Journeying Among the Gods
In this midterm essay I will discuss why Gods Journey. I
believe that Gods journey for two reasons. One reason is to seek
out honor for themselves. The other reason is to regain honors
they have lost. To demonstrate this I will first discuss the
journeys of Hades in the Homeric hymn "To Demeter" comparing it
to the journey of Hermes in "To Hermes". I fell that both of
these companion journeys were attempts by these Gods to win
honors they did not already have. Next I will look at the
companion journeys of Demeter and Apollo. I think that both of
these Gods journeyed to regain honors they'd previously had, but
lost. Lastly I will conclude by showing how all four Gods had to
compromise and divide up the honors amongst themselves. "Earth
with its wide roads gaped and then over the Nysian field the lord
and
All receiver, the many named son of Kronos, sprang out
upon her with his immortal horses...Not an unseemly bridegroom
among the immortals is Aidoneus, Lord on Many, your own brother
from the same seed; to his share fell honor when in the
beginning a triple division was made, and he dwells among those
over whom his lot made him lord" (To Demeter 16-18, 83-87). I
think that these two sets of lines show that Hades viewed
Persephone as a prize. Honor was one of the things Hades won
when he, Zeus, and Poseidon divided up the world. Thus Hades
felt justified in journeying up from the underworld to earth to
claim Persephone as his bride. I feel that he felt he
deserved to have her, according to his logic, because honor was
something he was entitled to as a God.
I feel that Hermes journey was similar to that of Hades in
that he traveled in order to win honor for himself and for his
Mother Maia. "A watcher by night and a gate keeper, soon
destined to show forth glorious deeds among the immortal gods.
Born at dawn, by midday he played his lyre, and at evening he
stole the cattle of far shooting Apollon...But I shall be master
of whatever skill is best to provide for you and me forever; we
shall not suffer, as you bid me, to stay right here and be the
only two immortals not plied with gifts and prayers. It is
better to be forever in the gods' intimate circle, rich,
affluent, and with an abundance of grain, than to sit in this
dark cave; and as for honor, I, too, shall claim the rite of
which Apollon is a master" (To Hermes 15-18, 166- 173). Hermes
much like Hades was destined to achieve glorious deeds and win
honor. He felt he was entitled to steal Apollo's cattle, just as
Hades felt entitled to steal Persephone, because neither he nor
Maia were receiving their just honors from the Gods. I think
that honor is one of the most important and significant things
among the Gods. It is truly the one area in which Gods are able
to distinguish themselves from other gods. I think that both of
these Gods risked earning the wrath of other Gods because honor
was so important to them, and they felt they were lacking of
such.
Both of these journeys represent one of the key reasons why
I feel that Gods travel. Both of these Gods were not receiving
the honors that they felt they deserved as Gods. Furthermore
both of them lived in isolated places, Hades in the underworld
and Hermes in an isolated cave, away from the other gods who
lived on MT. Olympus. Thus these Gods could easily be forgotten
and dismissed by the people, and the other Gods. I think that
Hermes wanted to own something so people would honor him and his
mother in the same fashion they honored the other Gods on Mt.
Olympus. I feel that Hades wanted someone whom he could claim
as a bride to keep him company in his rule of the underworld
isolated away from the other Gods.
While both of these Gods were able to temporarily steal away
these honors for themselves, they had to take them from other
Gods. Once these other Gods found out about their thievery they
responded in kind with a journey of their own to reclaim honors
which had been there's before and which they felt should still
rightfully be theirs. "For nine days then all over the earth
mighty Deo roamed about with bright torches in her hands, and
in her sorrow never tasted ambrosia or nectar sweet to
drink,and never bathed her skin... Afterwards, angered with
Kronion, lord of black clouds, she withdrew from the assembly
of the gods and from lofty Olympos and went through the cities of
men and the wealth of their labors, tearing at her hair form for
a long time" (To Demeter 47-50, 91-94); Demeter was so
distraught over the rape of Persephone that she roamed the Earth
for nine days seeking out her daughter. While the loss of
Persephone was perhaps not a loss of honor to her in the same way
the stealing Persephone was an 'honor' to Hades, Demeter still
felt dishonored and offended that her daughter was taken away
from her. When she found out what had happened she walked among
the people from village to village until she finally came upon
the home of Keleos. There Demeter agreed to serve as the birth
mother of Demephoon. I feel that Demeter's journey that brought
her to Demephoon was her way of attempting to win back the honor
that was taken from her in the form of Persephone. Demeter used
Demephoon as a substitute and cared for him in place of
Persephone. Apollo goes on a similar journey once he finds out
that his cattle have been stolen. "And then he saw a long winged
bird and knew forthwith that the robber was the son of Zeus
Kronion. And Apollon, son of Zeus, speedily rushed to holy Pylos
in search of his shambling cows, his broad shoulders enveloped
in a purple cloud... Son of Leto, are not these harsh words you
have spoken?
And here you're in search of roving cattle? I have neither
seen, nor found out, nor heard another man's word; and I will
neither tell, nor get the reward for telling (To Hermes 213-
217, 261-264).
Apollo is initially thwarted in his efforts to recover what
has been taken from him just as Demeter was. He listens to and
old man and finally finds Hermes, yet Hermes lies to him and
refuses to tell him where his cattle are hidden because he knows
that he will receive no prize if he does so. In these situations
both Apollo and Demeter are thwarted in their initial efforts to
recover their lost honors. Demeter does find a temporary
replacement in Demephoon, but that ends when Meteneira catches
her placing Demephoon in the fire and Demeter's secret is
revealed. This leaves two Gods, Demeter and Apollo, unsatisfied
with their stolen honors and two Gods, Hades and Hermes,
thoroughly satisfied that they have been able to pull off their
great thievery. I feel that since Gods journey to earn or win
back honors and to divide them up amongst themselves clearly this
unequal situation cannot exist in perpetuity. In both cases Zeus
the Ruler of all is called upon to rectify the situation and help
work out some type of balance of power between the warring Gods.
"So then again the father sent forth all the blessed
immortal gods. They ran to her, and each in his turn summoned
her and gave her many beautiful gifts and whatever honors she
might want to choose among the immortals. But no one could
persuade the mind and thought of the angry goddess who stubbornly
spurned their offers. She said she would never set foot on
fragrant Olympos and never allow the grain in the earth to sprout
forth so when loud thundering,far seeing Zeus heard this he sent
Argeiphontes of the golden want to Erebos. His mission was to win
Hades over with gentle words, and bring Persephone out of the
misty darkness" (To Demeter 325-337). In this case Zeus was
forced to recall Persephone from Hades in order to placate
Demeter. However since Persephone had eaten a pomengrate seed
she was sentenced to live two thirds of the year with Demeter and
one third of the year with Hades. This division of the honor of
having Persephone between Hades and Demeter was a result of the
journeys that both of them took. The journeys of Apollo and
Hermes resulted in a similar arrangement and division of honors.
"For, noble and mighty as you are, O son of Zeus, your seat is
first among the immortals, and wise Zeus loves you, by every
sacred right, and has granted you splendid gifts. And they say,
O Far Shooter, that from Zeus and his divine voice you learn the
honors, the prophet's skills, and all god given relevations. I
myself have learned that you have all these in abundance. You
may choose to learn whatever you desire, but since you heart is
so eager to play the lyre, sing and play the lyre and minister
to gay festivities, receiving this skill from me and, friend,
grant me glory" (To Hermes 468-477).
Thus both Apollo and Hermes wind up with something to gain
from their journeys. Hermes gains the fame and glory that he
sought both among the Gods and among the men on Earth while
Apollo was given back his cattle and the ability to play the lyre
as well.
These hymns I feel both have the same truths within them.
Gods travel as a way to gain honor, either new or lost. Honor
however is a fungible thing, there can only be so much of it to
go around. Thus Gods ultimately journey as a way of dividing up
that honor so that every God has some, but no one God has it all.
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