Power Structures/Power Relations in Greco-Roman Myth. The power of women in Greco-Roman traditions - Essay Example

Essay, World Literature Topic: Power Structures/Power Relations in Greco-Roman Myth Introduction Guile and power is the name of the game of women in Greco-Roman myth. Johann Jakob Bachofen in his book Myth, Religion, and Mother Right defines myth as “nothing other than a picture of the national experience in the light of religious faith” (213). From this viewpoint, the power of women in the Greco-Roman era is a myth. Women in position and those near to the power centers wield enormous influence. They make decisions and influence outcomes. They govern directly or help in the process of governance. Johann Jakob Bachofen highlights the interplay of divine forces and mortals to describe their relationships and the social, cultural and political status in the Greco-Roman society. The power of women in Greco-Roman traditions As for the man-woman relations and the mutual contention for superiority, it is the never ending story through the Ages. Woman is not equal to man, rather she is more equal. God has chosen her to give protection to the creative force of Nature, male or female, for the initial nine months. The author further states that the advancement of woman over man provokes our astonishment most especially by its inconsistency to the relation of physical strength. The law of nature confers the insignia of power on the one who is strong. If it is denied by weaker hands, other aspects of human nature must have been at work and profound powers must play their part. The fear of the unknown or reverence for that supreme power dominates the power relations in Greco-Roman myth. The author argues, “Now if one thing is certain about all human beings, it is that they communicate their inner life in symbolic terms. No one who admits that we have an inner life believes that is open to the scrutiny of anyone other than the person to whom it belongs” (xii). Of all the traits, love has been the dominating factor of human life in all periods of history and ancient history is no exception to this societal tradition. In Greece, this goddess of love is known as Aphrodite. She is hailed as the fertility goddess, and as such she gets the credit for growth of the society. Venus exercises the commanding influence in the power relations in Grecho-Roman myth. Among mortals, she loves Adonis and Anchises. With addition of Greek aspect of the love and prettiness goddess Aphrodite, for real-world point of view, Venus is identical with Aphrodite. Her importance can be measured with the fact that Romans respect Venus as the progenitor of the Roman people with her relationship with Anchises. The foundation of belief systems is so strong, that it becomes the genesis of strange ideologies. Venus is the goddess of purity in women, notwithstanding the fact that she has many relationships with both gods and human beings. Thus Venus has dominating influence on the mythical traditions and the secular life of human beings. She is believed to be the protector of the people against vice. Sophia (Rebecca Sargent) makes mention of another powerful goddess in her book “The Ultimate Guide to Goddess Empowerment.” Goddess of the moon, Apollo’s sister Artemis is one of the most beloved and persistent of Greek goddesses. She is best known as a perpetually youthful goddess, one who lives and moves totally independent of men. Her name means “strong-limbed, she who cuts up, or water from above.” She carries with her a sacred silver bow and quiver of arrows, and is in every way a wild warrior. (1) In Western Europe it is known for certain that the status of women in the Homeric myths is much higher that it is in ancient Athens if by “higher” one means more exalted, esteemed and commanding. The Homeric goddesses are not submissive to Zeus by any means, and the stories in the Odyssey introduce to us such figures as Nausicaa, Circe, Calypso, and Pinelope, who under all circumstances, favorable and unfavorable, exercise power in their designated areas. In Republic Rome and also in the later period, wives gained more and more importance in the domestic sphere. Christianity also spread faster partly because of the power of women. And by the time of valor women are raised to a position of prominence equaled only by that of the Virgin Mary. The Greek heavenly figures are closely connected with mortals on Planet Earth. The gods adopted the human form and existed in the society. They possessed human sentiments and intruded into the activities of men and women. In Ovid's Metamorphoses we find the communication between humans and divine personalities. The interface takes place in the forms of both intimacy and reprimand. That the women are forced to submit to the advances of God, or they avail the option as per their free will is a debatable issue. The main point is women do marry of their own volition as described in Greco-Roman myths which is the pointer to the level of woman-power in that period. In Odyssey Homer carefully scouts the area of influence of Greek women. The women are generally supposed to hold submissive positions in the social order. Their responsibilities are apparently limited to procreation and household responsibilities. On this issue, Homer’s pen does the job like a double-edged sword. His epic backs and also contests the prevailing opinionated statements about women of ancient Greece. They command proper respect and exercise powers overtly or covertly, by direct participation in actions or by indirectly influencing decision making power centers. The choices being adopted by them have been subtle, but they play their role well, to get the desired results. Among the outstanding women mentioned in the epic, Penelope, wife of Odysseus apart from Naussica, and Antecleia are the noticeable women characters. Naussica is a young, guiltless virgin and Antecleia is Odysseus’ grief-stricken mother who stays in the land of dead. The women gods too suffer from mortal weaknesses. On many occasions mutual fighting are common. For example, when Heracles is born, the consort of Zeus is immensely envious. She sends two snakes with blazing eyes to kill the baby. The act of revenge does not end there. As explained in the later part of the episode, the goddess employs all that is in her command and guile to annihilate the most powerful hero on Planet Earth. The personality of Athene elucidates the status of women in relation to divine forces as well as the humans. She is a significant divine being in Greek Pantheon and a powerful character in Homer’s work. She is the administering goddess of knowledge and the arts and also the goddess of warfare. She has a peculiar birth; she is fully grown and fully armed from the head of Zeus. Her father provides her with special gifts of his breast plate, thunderbolt and shield. This is one side of her character. As for the other side, she supports homemakers, agriculture and other feminine hobbies like weaving and spinning. She is a virgin, but she is extensively venerated as the goddess of productiveness. By and large, women have an uncertain status in Greek mythology. At times they are portrayed in heroic roles, and they are also depicted as weak and helpless individuals, and often they are the cause of human misery. Mention needs to be made about three goddesses called Fates, who are in charge of the destiny of each and every mortal. This is an important role being assigned to the feminine gender. Three Fates decide the length of human life. They are beyond the jurisdiction of gods though gods that live on Mount Olympus control the world and nature. There seems to be a perfect alignment of duties and responsibilities and they all work as per a good system of checks and balances. That the gods and goddesses freely mix with human beings, indicates the importance they attach to secular aspects beside their inborn tendency of divine concern. Conclusion An avalanche of women goddesses controls the power-structures in Greco-Roman Mythology and they perform a variety of activities. Greek and Roman societies are highly impacted by their unpredictable dispositions. The highlight of the goddesses is they mix freely with the mortals, develop relationships and yet maintain the essential dignity of the post of complex duties and responsibilities they command. Women goddesses show two radical sides of femininity, they are meek and submissive and they are also revengeful and exhibit monstrous tendencies. The example of Demeter who is willing to let the Planet Earth perish if her kidnapped daughter is not restored to her indicates the extent to which a woman can reach out. Their personality traits are the conglomeration of divine power and human failings. Thus, in the horizon of Greco-Roman myth, many women-stars shine at different levels. Works Cited Bachofen, Johann Jakob. Myth, Religion, and Mother Right. Trans. Ralph Manheim. New Jersey, USA: Princeton University Press, 1967. Print. Sophia (Rebecca Sargent). The Ultimate Guide to Goddess Empowerment. Missouri, USA: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2003. Print. Read More