God, Fate, and Destiny in the Iliad and Sappho’s Poems

God, Fate, and Destiny in the Iliad and Sappho’s Poems
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October 22, 2019
Ancient Greek literature was characterized by its heavy dependence on its society’s mythological beliefs. Thus, almost every poem, song, and pieces of art are embedded with themes that portray gods, titans, and the mystic, making the genre popular even until these days. Accordingly, the fate and destiny of mortals have always been discussed in relation to the will of gods. Whether it be winning a war, losing a loved one, or having a child, ancient Greek poems have emphasized how the desires of heavenly beings have influenced the fate of their creation. 
In this article, the theme of gods, fate, and destiny would be discussed in conjunction with the works of two famous poets Homer and Sappho. All in all, the author of this article believes that despite the significant similarities of their works, each has a distinct appeal brought about by how they emphasize the agency of man in relation to his fate and destiny. 
 
God, Fate, and Destiny
           The presence and frequent interaction between the gods and humans was one of the main similarities between the works of Homer and Sappho. In the Iliad, for example, Apollo caused Agamemnon to lose the battle when the former sent a plague to attack his armies. Another example would be when Hera persuaded Zeus to break the truce between the Trojans and Greeks since she already knew that the Greeks are winning CITATION Puc95 \l 1033 (Pucci, 1995). In contrast to this, Sappho’s poems have highlighted the gods’ characters in such a way that they relate to mankind. One of her poems portrays her as praying before the Gods and Goddesses to protect her from pain and sorrows (Dubnoff, n.d.). Both of these works show how these poets revere and view their gods’ character, decisions, and wills as inextricably linked with their fate....