Xenophanes:

the gods of the Iliad

If there is a God, how do you think she/he/it would look and act?

Discussion

What’s your reaction to the following images of God? (The first is from the Sistine Chapel):

Background

Xenophanes (c. 570 – c. 478 BC) was an Ionian philosopher who travelled around the Greek speaking world. Ionia was an ancient region of the western coast of what is now Turkey.

Xenophanes' view on the concept of God

Xenophanes did not like the concept of God that was expressed in the Iliad. He thought that the gods were evil and no better than humans. The only thing that made them godlike was that they were immortal. He wrote that:

‘Homer … has attributed to the gods all sorts of things that are matters of reproach and censure among men: theft, adultery, and mutual deception.’

If we take a look at the actions of the gods in the Iliad, we can see what he means:

Apollo caused the plague
Athena restrains Achilles
Aphrodite rescues Paris from duel with Menelaus
Arrival of Poseidon who secretly helps the Greeks
Hera seduces Zeus to distract him and help the Greeks
Zeus wakes from sleep to find Poseidon helping the Greeks.
Zeus laments fate of Hector
Achilles fights the river god with help of Hera and Poseidon.
The gods in hand to hand combat: Ares, Aphrodite--Athena; Apollo--Poseidon; Hera--Artemis; Hermes--Leto
Zeus, through Thetis, commands Achilles to release the body of Hector.

Xenophanes seemed to think that it was daft to model gods on human beings...

…

‘But if cattle and horses and lions had hands

or could paint with their hands and create works such as men do,

horses like horses and cattle like cattle

also would depict the gods' shapes and make their bodies

of such a sort as the form they themselves have.

...

Ethiopians say that their gods are short–nosed and black

Thracians that they are pale and red-haired.’

Xenophanes thought that there could only be one God, and that God must be nothing like humans.

One god, greatest among gods and humans,

like mortals neither in form nor in thought.

But mortals think that the gods are born

and have the mortals' own clothes and voice and form.

–Xenophanes, quoted in writings by Clement of Alexandria

Discussion

How are the gods of the Iliad similar and different to the God of the Ancient Israelites? Think of the actions of God in Genesis:

First he created everything and then spent six days ordering it. He needed a rest.
Makes a lovely garden. Makes two people to live in the garden. Makes a rule. They break it. He punishes them.
Warns Noah that a flood is coming and says that he has to save the animals, and then kills everyone else.
With Abraham Gods becomes God. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son.
God has a fight with Jacob and changes his name to Israel.

Tasks

What did Xenophanes think about the idea of gods in the Iliad?
How did Xenophones think we should think about God?
Why might someone disagree with what Xenophones says?
Do you agree with Xenophanes?

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