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The Greek society was centered around the gods, their whims, quarrels, and inherent attributes. However, humans were not passive forces concerning their own destinies. Humans played just as much of a role in Fate as the gods did. This is evidenced in the idea of divine causality meaning that without the natural inclination of humans, gods cannot manipulate the future. An example of this can be found when Athene pulls the hair of Achelleus preventing a fight between him and Agamemnon. It is probable that Athene represents the modern view of a conscience or a voice of reason.
Therefore, deep inside, aside from his anger and hurt, Achelleus really did not wish to fight Agamemnon at that time. Perhaps he really felt that logically killing Agamemnon right there would be dishonorable and unprofitable. Another example of the gods intervention is Heras appeal to the armies of Achelleus and Agamemnon to find out the cause of Apollos anger. The text cites Heras love for both of the men as her motive for this action. It is possible that the company of men, especially Achelleus, were very concerned about the loss of life. Heras idea of consulting a seer may have been the natural course many of the soldiers had already considered.
They merely needed the prompting from an immortal. The final example of divine causality occurs when Zeus weighs Achelleus and Hektor in his scales, determining the winner of the conflict. It is possible that Achelleus would have won this specific battle with his own skill due to his being half god. However, Zeus decision and Athene's later intervention may have hastened an already inevitable fact. Hektor was no match for Achelleus; he was younger and more human that Achelleus.
Also, Hektor may have had more hesitation in killing Achelleus. Achelleus had motive driven by deep anger and resentment, the death of Patroklos; Hektor merely wanted to get home to his wife and son. In conclusion, divine causality was a major part of the ancient Greeks life; an intricate balance of divine will and human actions. It is interesting that this aspect of Greek religion points to its origin. Obviously, if man developed this belief system, he would be sure to give himself as much control as possible, and not make the gods very transcendent.
Free research essays on topics related to: agamemnon, motive, athene, hektor, causality
Research essay sample on Divine Causality Achelleus Gods