What aspects of human nature is manifested by the gods and goddesses in intervening in the story of Troy?

Question

What aspects of human nature is manifested by the gods and goddesses in intervening in the story of Troy? How does it became their personall sterngths and weaknesses?

Answer 1

All the usual aspects... greed, jealousy, revenge, lust, you

name it. But to analyse mythology or ancient literature (i.e.

Homer's Illiad) you really have to understand the culture

and morality from which such stories originated.

For example, Greek mythology generally illustrates the

chaos and injustice of life, rather than providing some

more comforting world view such as modern fiction is

more disposed to do.

In other words, expect to read cruel, pointless tragedies

when you read ancient Greek stuff.

Blessings,

Jeanie

Answer 2

if we're going off the Iliad - gods both rescued and failed their 'favorites' many times - making them personally involved in what was going on.  Hera and Athena both refused to relent or take pity on the Trojans despite prayers, offerings and the goddess' own vows which reveals a petty, jealous, unforgiving nature.  Poseidon sides with the Greeks because he's pissed off from the fact a Trojan king didn't pay him money generations ago even though he'd already sent a sea monster all those years ago - revealing himself either a money grubber or just not able to let something go for pity's sake.  Zeus shows he's easily seduced from the action by his wife making him - well, male I suppose.  Ares shows that he can't handle pain, making his bravado a show.  Hera agrees to let Zeus sack any and all of her favorite cities past and present if he'll let Troy fall for her which shows her to be short sighted or careless.  Aphrodite proves that she's more interested in looking good by continuing the problem of Paris and Helen when she rescues Paris instead of letting Meneleus kill him and end the Trojan war honorably marking her as vain and thoughtless.  Apollo throws Aeneas in the way of Achilles even though he's supposed to be protecting the guy revealing either desperation or carelessness again.  And all three of the goddesses (outside of he Iliad) tried to bribe Paris with goodies to make him throw the beauty contest in their favor which showed they were willing to lie, cheat and steal over superficial motives.  Oh, and let's not forget that after the Iliad and the triumph of their team both Athena and Poseidon turn on the Greeks and either destroy them or send them into exile for five to ten years on average.  Athena's got a vague excuse though she should have seen it coming a mile away.  Poseidon just seems to wreck havoc because someone asked him to.

strenghts?  Not many.  Zeus seems to be vaguely aware of a future fate in motion and he feels pity.  Poseidon steps in to save Aeneas when Achilles threatens him even though he's on the other team because the man has a destiny, revealing a rare moment of fair play.  All of the gods except Hera agree that Achilles desecrating the body of Hector is vile and needs to be stopped even though it takes them over a week to get around to it.  Which reveals they at least vaguely get the notion of honoring someone that spent their entire life honoring them.  What is that, belated loyalty I guess?  Thetis has empathy for her son and does what she can to punish the entire population that's dissing him - maternal love?  As mentioned above the gods do from time to time rescue their favorites - though they just as often abandon them.  Zeus acknowledges that Troy is the city that is closest to his heart and all the gods agree that Hector always remembered them in his offerings and that they were never lacking - considering what they did about that though I don't know if that counts in their favor.  Mercury did guide Priam safely through the enemy lines so that he could pay a butt load of money to buy back his son's body.  And Zeus does acknowledge his debt to Thetis and give her what she asks for even though his granting of her request starts the entire tragic roll that makes up the Iliad.  Apollo does preserve Hector's body while Achilles is trying to shred it into oblivion which indicates a loyalty or perhaps compassion for either Hector or the people of Troy.  

I'd suggest the gods were pretty much responsive almost entirely to what could be marked down as human nature.  In fact, Zeus feels pity for Achilles' horses after Patroclus is killed and they weep - commenting that it was wrong for immortal creatures to be so bound to the interests and sorrows of the mortal world - perhaps a commentary on the fact that the gods were entangled in a very similar situation.  I've read the theory that the gods were so deeply involved in Troy and its battle because it was the last time that the gods ever got so involved in the mortal world - they needed Troy and the destruction of the last of the world's heroes from both sides of the Aegean in order to allow them to seperate themselves from their intimate ties to the mortal world.  

According to the Iliad at least, the gods were simply glorified humans, with many of the same failings and emotions without the limitation of mortals.

Answer 3

for when aphrodite gave helen to paris because he picked her as the most beautiful goddess, that's a weakness of being bribed, vanity, etc

athena setting things right by helping odysseus is strength: justice

that's all i can think of for now....