The Importance of Moderation in ancient Greece essay

The Importance of Moderation
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The Importance of Moderation
Ancient Greece regarded the idea of moderation. The Greeks believed that individuals should live moderate lives and avoid excesses in this life. Oedipus Rex, while he is a Greek, disregards this warning and indulges in excesses. He fails to appreciate that the gods emphasize the essence of moderation as the noblest gift of heaven. While Oedipus Rex knows the wishes of the gods regarding moderation, he allows excess power and pride to control him, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
Oedipus Rex seeks excess knowledge which makes him proud. As the King of Thebes, Rex desires to seek knowledge on matters concerning his people. In the Prologue of the play, Rex solves the Sphinx’s riddle. Furthermore, Rex requires Creon to go to Delphi and investigate on how to rid Thebes of its plagues. While there is nothing wrong with seeking knowledge, Rex becomes enslaved by the excessive desire to be knowledgeable. With time, Rex thinks that he has all the knowledge in the world. He becomes proud of the knowledge he has and the progress he has made. Rex does not believe that he can be wrong in any way. When Creon comes back from Delphi, Rex insists that he gives the report openly in front of everyone (Bloom, 2006). Additionally, Rex holds more power over the people than the gods allow a mortal. He elevates himself to the level of a god. He intends to maintain the same power as the gods over the subjects. He forgets that all the power belongs to the gods and they cannot allow a human being like him to control the people (Hamilton, 2017). At the start of the play, Rex tells the villagers to listen to him and the crisis will be over. Instead of enquiring from the gods, he instead tells the villagers to consider his opinion. The move indicates his attempt to have excessive control over the people.
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