Comparison of the Greek Religion in the Iliad to Christianity

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 â€Å"power† or â€Å"gift† that is known by people. Zeus is the†¦show more content†¦Christians, unlike the Greeks of Homer’s time, believe in one God Almighty (Genesis 17: 1-4). He is seen as divine entity, who knows all and sees all. In this aspect he is definitely not seen by Christians as having any human characteristics, like the gods of the Iliad are seen by the Greeks. Like the Greek gods, the Christian God too had a mortal son. To Christians he is known as Jesus, and was sent to earth by God (John 3: 1-2). Like a mortal he was able to die. However, unlike a regular mortal, Christians see his death as a symbol of salvation. They believe that he has died for their sins, therefore saving the Christian people. Although the Christians worship only one God, they see him as three people. This includes God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the Iliad of Homer mortals make requests to the gods through verbal prayer. The gods often answer and speak back to the mortals. This can be seen when Chryses prays to Apollo (1.35-42). He is praying to request assistance from the god. He needs help getting his daughter Chryseis back. The god verbally speaks back to Chryses. He then answers his prayer by physically sending a deadly plague throughout the Achaian camp, killing hundreds of the troops. As can be seen through this example, the Greeks in the Iliad had actual one on one conversations with a god during time of prayer.Show MoreRelatedThe Song Of Roland And The Iliad933 Words   |  4 Pages The Song of Roland and The Iliad are both epics that represent the cultural viewpoints of medieval France, and Ancient Greece, respectively. The Song of Roland, based on historical fact, details the heroism of one of Charlemagne’s knights, Roland, when fighting against an overwhelming force of foreigners to defend the rear of Charlemagne’s army. In comparison, The Iliad accounts the triumphs of Achilles during the mythical Trojan Wars to win possession over the beauty of Helen. Despite similaritiesRead More Essay on Christianity vs. Greek Mythology1309 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout many ages religion has been a very important part of history. It shaped many cultures and allowed us to better understand many civilizations. Two of these cultures are those of the Christians and Greeks. Both have similarities and differences in their religious beliefs that have been compared often and I have chosen to discuss the similarities and differences of Christianity and ancient Greek mythology. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, or belief in only one God, and spiritualRead MoreSacred Places1504 Words   |  7 Pagesthat to the faithful and those who take the myth on faith , see as true, sacred and unquestioned. For those who do not see myths as religion and the lore and stories in it mere stories , events and elements in it are curiously close to the beliefs and persuasive elements of the philosophies or religion the person follows. Take for example current world religions - elements of god, evil, goodness, light, dark, motherhood, piety, divine appointment, determinism - they are all part of the PantheonRead MoreDeath Of The Ancient World2949 Words   |  12 Pages Yet we all must come face to face with death in some way or another. The whole process of losing a loved one and taking care of the remains made me wonder why we honor the dead the way we do. Why do we bury them or burn them? What dictates that religion, environment, culture? What is the point of doing anything at all for the dead? To honor their memory or ease the pain for those left behind? Death in the ancient world held a deeper meaning than it does today, in the ancient world they look outRead MoreThe Concept of God in The Iliad by Homer Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesThe Concept of God in The Iliad by Homer The American Heritage Dictionary defines a god as 1. A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient ruler and originator of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheist religions. 2. A being of supernatural powers, believed in and worshiped by a people.(360) I believe the first definition reflects Modern Americas connotation of the word god. The latter definition recalls the Ancient Greco-Sumerian ideal of a beingRead MoreAlexander the Great Essay13163 Words   |  53 PagesALEXANDER THE GREAT BY: JOHN J. POPOVIC CATEGORY: HISTORY – GREEK HISTORY ALEXANDER THE GREAT ΑÎ »ÃŽ µÃŽ ¾ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ´Ã ÃŽ ¿ÃÆ' ÃŽ  ÃŽ ·ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¹Ãâ‚¬Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦ ÃŽÅ"ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ºÃŽ µÃŽ ´ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ½, Alexander the Invincible, later renamed by the Romans, Alexandros Philippou Makedonon, Alexander III the Great of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) PROJECT by John J. Popovic Alexander accomplished greater deeds than any other ruler before or after him. This project is dedicated to the most charismatic and heroic king of all times. Edition 9.2 SYNOPSIS Introduction AlexandersRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pages1. Introduction 3 2. Early History 6 The Greek and Roman Eras: 50 B.C.-A.D. 500 6 The Middle Ages: 500-1500 6 The Renaissance: 1500-1650 7 The Rise of Puritanism and John Locke: Late 1600s 8 3. Beginning of Children’s Literature: Late 1700s 10 4. Fairy and Folk Tales 12 The Golden Age of Children’s Literature: Late 1800s 12 5. Victorian Childrens Literature 16 6. Contemporary Childrens Literature 18 6. Analysis of Harry Potters’ series 21 7. Conclusion 30 8. Summary 31 Children’s Literature Definitions