Fate and Destiny in the Ancient World
The ancient Greeks had a simple word for a belief that human beings could control their fate and destiny-hubris. True, according to G.S. Fiero, Classical Greek civilization provided the intellectual cradle of modern, Western civilization. It is easy to agree with this assertion, given how many Greek ideals seem to permeate our modern consciousness, even today. The ideal of democracy has its roots in the government structure of ancient Athens, while the law code of Hammurabi seems harsh to our sensibilities. Even our national capital's architecture mimics the symmetry and harmony of Greek temples, and they exhibit the Greek love of proportion and harmony. But we must be careful when assuming that the Greeks were 'just like us.' The Greeks, in contrast to the modern, individualistic emphasis on every man (and woman) remaining the captain of his or her fate, the master of his or her soul, believed that human beings were powerless in the face of their destiny and the will of the gods. Even the greatest and strongest warrior or king was a plaything in the hands of Zeus or the three Fates. Later, Hellenistic and Roman civilizations adopted these same philosophies, and were even less democratic than Greek civilization in allowing for a
But Socrates did not believe there was a perfect democracy of temperaments at birth, and he believed that people should do what they were temperamentally born to do. Oedipus and his parents are mainly guilty of hubris, the arrogant belief that they can change what the gods desire to meet their own needs. the will of Zeus was moving towards its end" (Fagels, 1990: 77). As Rome grew less democratic, and individual Romans had less and less control over how their empire was governed, ironically, or perhaps because people had less control over the fate of their supposedly god-lead imperial government, Romans sought more control over their emotions and inner, private, spiritual lives. Oedipus' murder and his behavior as a king have nothing to do with the fact he lives out his destiny, as does his cursed daughter Antigone. The ancient Greek tale of Oedipus, a man who falls into the jaws of fate, even after his father, mother, and his own force of will attempt to eradicate their collective destiny, also embody the Greek sense of the unavoidable will of the gods, which could be turned against the innocent and the guilty alike. Socrates famously assigned different persons to different classes, based upon intelligence, in The Republic, and suggested that governing and thinking are 'trades' like cobbling. And he is not the only warrior who must suffer at the cruel hands of fate. Only by finding a personal sense of inner peace and contentment could a person reach contentment. His rage is an instrument of fate, it is not an emotion that an individual can choose to control, as contemporary readers, reared on notions of autonomy and individualism might assume. Agamemnon is a selfish general, but his fate is foretold by his parentage as well as by his own capabilities. Homer also makes it clear that Achilles' personal fate is known by the gods, no matter what twists and turns the plot may take. As for Aristotle, the Golden Mean of temperaments was the ideal for Stoics. They are quickly weakened after a quarrel between the Greek general Agamemnon and the greatest Greek warrior Achilles results in Achilles withdrawing from the battle. This is why the reference to Achilles' father begins the poem.
Common topics in this essay:
Achillesthe Zeus,
Classical Greek,
Antigone Homer's,
Buddhist Stoic,
Stoicism Buddhism,
Rome Rome,
Agamemnon Greek,
Pre-Socratic Hippocrates,
War Fiero,
,
stoic philosophy,
homer makes,
fate destiny,
control fate,
human nature,
greek civilization,
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