God Vs Athena Essay Research Paper God

God Vs Athena Essay, Research Paper

God and Athena s Relationships With Man

All across the world people have their own cultures, customs, and beliefs. A belief in a god or some superior deity is almost seen in every society in history. Of the most widely believed gods is the god mentioned in the Bible. Even though the God mentioned in the Bible is very impersonal, he still maintains a direct personal relationship with many of his followers, such as Abraham. Although many people still believe in God today, Greek gods are now simply viewed as myths and stories. However, the relationships the gods have with man kind shows a striking similarity between the evolving cultures of the Greeks and the Hebrews. In Homer s The Odyssey Odysseus, who is the main character, shares many adventures and even develops a very close relationship with the goddess Athena. The Hebrew God is a monotheistic god and seems to be more impersonal then the Greek gods; however, he still shows his love and kindness towards Abraham. Considering the different religion, beliefs and cultures, these two relationships on the surface seems very different. However, despite these differences Abraham’s relationship with God is similar to the relationship shared between Odysseus and the Greek goddess Athena, in that both relationships are very personal and that the gods are here to aid Abraham and Odysseus.

Even though both God and Athena help Abraham and Odysseus, one major difference between the two gods is how they present themselves. Athena appears as many different human forms in order to guide Odysseus. She appears as Mentor, Mentes, and several other characters as she sees fit. In the Bible, it is assumed that Gods voice directly speaks to Abraham. Abraham must obey God s commands without question. When God wants to test Abraham s loyalty to him he speaks down to him:

Abraham! And he said, Here am I. He said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Mori ah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you

(Genesis 22.2).

Gods condescending tone shows that Abraham s relationship is less personal then that of Odysseus and Athena. Unlike Athena, God never appears before Abraham in any human form. In this manner, Athena appears to have a more personal relationship with Odysseus because they are able to interact in a less threatening manner. While God and Abraham do have a close relationship, God remains well above Abraham in most cases. God does not literally walk with Abraham whereas Athena literally walks with Odysseus. The relationship between Odysseus and Athena is more personal, while the relationship between God and Abraham seems to be more distant. However, this is not entirely true in all cases, as we will later see. But despite these differences the relationship between Athena and Odysseus is similar to the relationship God has with Abraham in that both God and Athena are there to help.

God s and Athena s views and actions towards Abraham and Odysseus may seem similar, but many people argue the way Abraham and Odysseus treat their gods quite differently. It can be said that Abraham has more respect and loyalty to God then Odysseus has for Athena. Odysseus seems to have a more personal and equal relationship with Athena. In fact, Odysseus is often called God-like Odysseus, symbolizing his equality among the gods. When Odysseus sees Athena, he is delighted as he confronts the suitors:

Odysseus was happy when he saw her, and hailed her, saying: Mentor, help me from hurt, and remember me, your companion and friend, who have done you much good. We two grew up together (Book 22, 207-209)

When Odysseus refers to himself as a friend of Athena s he is showing his personal relationship he has with her. He also uses we to include himself with Athena, showing he sees himself as an equal to a god. Despite what people believe Abraham, much like Odysseus also has a very personal relationship with God. Abraham is one of the few characters that has the courage to talk back to God:

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah who is ninety years old bear a child? (Genesis 18.17)

Abraham laughs and even questions Gods authority and power. Abraham s comfort and ability to question God shows the true closeness and understanding of their relationship. Like Odysseus, in this passage, Abraham does not seem to see God as a higher being then him. When Abraham talks back to God and convinces him not to destroy Sodom, it further becomes evident that Abraham indeed has a more personal relationship with God then what most people think. It is evident that both Abraham and Odysseus have a very close and personal relationship to their respective gods, thus making the two relationships similar.

The protection both God and Athena provides through Abraham s and Odysseus many journeys shows how they both act as benefactors. Athena and God are always there to watch over Abraham and Odysseus and to ensure that no harm befalls upon them. God aids Abraham through wars and to conquer lands for his descendants. While Athena aids Odysseus through the Trojan War and eventually helps him defeat the suitors as he ends his long journey home. God and Athena are always looking out for their loy