Relationship Between Athena And Odysseus To The Job And God - Essay Example

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATHENA AND ODYSSEUS (IN THE ODYSSEY) TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB AND GOD (IN THE BIBLE) Belief in the supernatural powers and metaphysical objects has been an essential part of religious beliefs, cultural values, social norms and prevailing cult of almost all societies and civilizations since ever. Sets of such beliefs gave birth to mythology that contains valuable place for the future generations to come and plays the vital role of a guiding star in respect of observing their religious practices and performing social activities. Humans have formed their own beliefs (called probability belief in mathematics and science) about the set of unknowable elements of the universe. They have branded their beliefs about the unknowable as religion. (Acharya, 2006) Different cultures have different characters and personalities in their mythology; same is the case with the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Egyptians, Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims and others. In Greek literature, the gods play an immense role in the lives and fates of the mortal dwellers of the earth. (Stephen, 1997) Athena is an important figure among the ancient Greeks, whom Homer views as an outstanding beauty, superb intellect and brilliant thoughtfulness. Though Athena is the goddess of war, according to the ancient Greek mythology, yet she won great popularity and respect because of her exceptional wisdom, foresight, vigilance and sacrifices rendered to various gods and goddesses particularly during the course of war. She was the confidant of her father Zeus, the king of the gods and goddesses, and assisted and advised her throughout his campaigns in both war and peace. As Zeus mocked them, they [Athena and Hera] huddled together to continue plotting Troys destruction" (Iliad, line 146). Homer states him as the grey-eyed goddess in his epic. Athena maintains deep feelings of kindness for Odysseus, the king of Ithaca and the protagonist of Homer’s great epic Iliad, and supported him time and again particularly during his campaigns in the battlefield. Athena had developed deep attachment for Odysseus and sought the permission of her father Zeus, according to the Iliad, to provide Odysseus with unconditional support and services. She undergoes hunger, thirst and pains in order to help her beloved King Odysseus accomplish his tasks of winning the battles and overcome his rivals and enemies. Not only this that she protected the great warrior, from calamities, disturbances and problems, during his war campaigns, but also, she guises herself many times in the form of a bird, a shepherd boy, a little lass and others to help him reach his destination safe and sound. Her valuable counsels turned the tables in favor of her beloved and the opponents had to lick the dust during bouts and fights. Her utter feelings of unabated, unwavering and unconditional love and affection have been described by Homer in his Iliad: “Two of a kind, we are, contrivers, both. Of all the men alive you are the best in plots and story telling. My own fame is for wisdom among the gods - deceptions too. Would even you have guessed that I am Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, I that am always with you in times of trial, a shield to you in battle” ((Odyssey line 240: quoted in richeast.org). The Hebrew Bible, Old and New Testaments and the Quran also contain some personalities, which had rendered their services to their beloved. In the mythology of Abrahamic religions, holy prophets, noble saints and pious men are the characters, who rendered their services out of their love for One and the Only i.e. Almighty God, the Supreme Being. Almighty Lord is the central figure as well as the addressor to the humankind in Abrahamic religions. He narrates the stories of His favorite personalities, which were inflicted with all sufferings, but their determined feet never shivered or trembled to tolerate every trouble only to please their God and communicate His message to the children of Adam and Eve. Job’s name is also included in the list of those great men described in the Scriptures of all the three Abrahamic religions. Job is one of the most pious and sacred personalities in the mythology of Abrahamic religions i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He enjoys the status of one of the most enduring, unwearied and uncomplaining persons, the Lord has ever created, who did never bring the word of complain on his lips even he was tried through the infliction of every type of misery, pains and sufferings. It is therefore, Almighty God rewarded and blessed Job with His countless bounties and favors as the reward of his love to God. Hence, Job maintains a very respectable place among the Biblical figures. The Holy Bible describes Job in the Book of Job, where his family, riches and belongings have been mentioned. According to the Biblical verses, Job had been blessed with a large family including seven sons and three daughters. (Book of Job I) In addition, the number of his pets including sheep, camel, oxen and she-asses were in thousands each. Hence, he was, according to the Bible, the most blessed person in the east. But lots of riches and abundance of substances did not turn him arrogant or proud; rather he remained very humble, modest, charitable and obedient to his Creator as well as to the public as well. In addition, he had educated and trained his children in such a way that all of them were also very pious and obedient to the ways of their Lord. All the children offered charity and feasts and lived together with great love and care of one another. The servant of Job were also complying with the commandments of the Lord and their master i.e. Job. Thus, everything was in perfect order. But all his submissions and obedience to the Lord served as strictly niggling for Satan. He challenged God that all the gratefulness and compliance of Job had been just because of the countless favors of God upon him, and if these favors were withdrawn, Job would have been no more submitting anymore at all. (Book of Job I, verses 9-12) But Almighty Lord vehemently declared firmness and steadfastness preserved in Job’s noble character, which he would exercise even while undergoing the mountains of hardships. Hence, Almighty God got Job under His trial and captured all the riches and blessings he had been blessed with by the will of God. Consequently, all his sheep, camel, oxen and asses died one by one, and the same was the fate of his servants; not only this, but also all his children also gave up their ghosts, leaving their father in grief. In addition, God also took back the gifted sound health of Job, who fell very ill subsequently. There were boils in all parts of his body and worms and insects got their place in these boils and wounds. Then it was Satan who appeared at the occasion to seduce the grateful Job to become disobedient towards the ways of God, as he had seduced the first parents of the human beings. But Job remained as firm as rock while facing all the troubles and trials. He did never deliver a single word of displeasure even under such a miserable and pathetic physical and financial position. On the contrary, he accepted all the challenges without making frown at his forehead. His perseverance, out of the sheer feelings of love and compliance for his Creator, was matchless, outstanding, pure and exemplary indeed, which serves as a true illustration of unbound love, devotion, sacrifice and self-absorption till today, which he made just to please the Lord. Years passed in such condition, and Job only called the name of his Lord, rather crying or accusing Him of the sufferings had been inflicted upon him. And (remember) Job, when He cried to his Lord, "Truly distress (illness) has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful." (The Quran 21:83) Thence, the Lord removed all the distress, diseases, disturbances and anguish inflicted upon him by the devil and multiplied his possessions many times more than the previous ones. In the nutshell, it appears evident that though both the Greek and Hebrew mythologies are quite different in narration, character-sketching and depiction, yet the sacrifices of both Athena and Job maintain similarities in them. Both these characters offered their sacrifices without any greed of reward or incentive; both the persons had deepest the sincerest passion for their beloveds. Both Athena and Job sacrificed their comforts for the noble cause of pleasing their beloveds. But there are so many dissimilarities too in the narration of the two, as Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war, and had powers to rescue his beloved Kind Odysseus. In addition, she had ability to change herself into different forms and appearances. Moreover, she was under the influence of her father, without the permission of whom, it was impossible to offer any services to Odysseus. On the contrary, Job was a holy man and great personality, who was completely dependent of the blessings of Almighty God. All his possessions belonged to his Lord, which he had been given because of the Lord’s bounties upon him. But Job acknowledged all the favors and worshipped His Creator with the purest of his heart. In addition, he spent his money for the charitable purposes. The loss of his children, servants, cattle and possessions was the hardest time for this noble personality, but all such losses could never forbid him from prostrating before his Lord. Instead of complaining his Creator, his started remembering the countless bounties of God upon him. He said that he had neither clothes, nor food, nor shelter at all, at the eve of his birth; it was the Creator, the Sustainer Who blessed him with children, servants and possessions; so, according to him, how and why could one start negating all the mercies of the Lord on bearing the losses inflicted by the evil powers. Hence, he spent many years in utter grief, misery and turmoil waiting for the help of his beloved God, which came to him at last with the multiplication of family and possessions. REFERENCES: Acharya, Sankarsan. (2006) Religion, God and Science. (Quoted in prosperity.com/NewsFeed.html) March 17th, 2006 Epistle of James. The Book of Job. Holy Bible (Retrieved from http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Job+3&ver=kjv) Graves, Robert. The Greek Mythology Penguin Books Volume I 1960 133-182 Homer. The Iliad. (Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/19300/data/etexts.htm) The Holy Quran Chapter 21. Verse 83 (Retrieved from http://www.submission.info/servlet/qtbrowse?pickthall=true&yusufali=true&shakir=true&arabic=true&chapter=21&verseBegin=83) Read More