Article Title

The Justice of the Gods in Homer and the Early Greek Plays

Authors

Nathanael Jones, Southern Adventist UniversityFollow

Abstract

This thesis examines the portrayal of the Greek gods in the writings of Homer and early Greek playwrights such as Aeschylus and Sophocles. Instead of contrasting the Greek gods with the moral and cultural standards of modern Western society, this paper marries the moral compass of the Greek gods with the different perspective of Ancient Greek culture in order to show a picture of godly justice that is appropriate and moderate for the society that created them. Furthermore, I posit that when we understand the justice of the Greek gods through the lens of ancient Greek society, we humanize the gods who then become tools to further understand both Homer and the human condition. Lastly, it is shown that by understanding how the Greek gods closely reflect ancient Greek society and human passions, one can use the incongruous nature of the Christian God as a method of apology. A God whose character and actions are often far removed from what we see in humanity, must be a product of supernatural revelation as opposed to human creation.

Recommended Citation

Jones, Nathanael (2017) "The Justice of the Gods in Homer and the Early Greek Plays," Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research: Vol. 9, Article 1.
Available at: https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/jiur/vol9/iss1/1