Athena is the goddess of just war. In other words, she believes in fighting a war if there is a purpose
behind it. Ares, Zeus' and Hera's obnoxious son,
believes in war because he is a warrior and loves
conflict. Discuss these two approaches to the
concept of war. How is this distinction delineated
in the lliad? How is it delineated in wars that are
fought today? Is any war justified? In the lliad,
Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, sulks the
whole time because Agamemnon took his prize
girl away. What do you think of this behavior? Is it
ironic that such a strapping Greek man would give
up his warrior status based on the principle that
someone took his prize away? Achilles' choice is
pivotal in the Odyssey. He knows before he
leaves the war that he can choose to live a short
life and die a hero, or not go to war and live a long
and prosperous life. Discuss Achilles' choice. Do
you think that his decision not to fight for so long
was a part of his choice to live a long life? Why
does he feel so passionate about giving up that
choice to avenge his friend Patroclus' death?
What would you choose? A central theme in the
dynastic dramas is fate. Because one member in
a family angered the gods, the following
generations had to suffer the consequences.
Discuss the concept of fate. Do you believe in it?
Could those characters have done anything
proactive to change their fate?