The Mortal Side of Gods

Greeks where polytheistic people that had different gods and divines explanations for every phenomenon. The main difference between gods and humans was not only their knowledge, but their immortal characteristics. Where Gods really immortal? Or where they simply terms that science had not yet defined, immortal in memories but not in feelings and decisions. The gods where rulers and wise figures in common definition. Can myths prove otherwise?

Greek gods lived along mortals, interacting with them, even fighting with them. A ruler lives along with his people, but doesn’t often get involved with problems or relationships with the people that serve him. A big brother lives and plays with his small brother, but it would be pointless if they got into a fight as equals, because they simply are not. Gods are the rulers and big brothers of humanity, but they act as if they where equals sometimes. We can see them getting mad at mortals, punishing them even if their actions where guided by ignorance and innocence. An example shown in the myth of Dryope, where her ignorance allows her innocence to go and pick up flowers, not know she was hurting Lotis. “Dryope, horror-struck when she perceived what she had done, would gladly have hastened from the spot, but found her feet rooted to the ground. She tried to pull them away, but moved nothing but her upper limbs. The woodiness crept upward, and by degrees invested her body. In anguish she attempted to tear her hair, but found her hands filled with leaves.” The gods in their cholera cursed her and made her into a tree, but does this reflect wisdom and superiority, or injustice and equality in mentality?

As mentioned before, Greek myths refer to gods as immortals but their actions and all of what happens suggests that they have a rather mortal mentality. This flaw in the explanations of Greeks through myths doesn’t get even close to diminishing them, but it does suggest the personality of those who invented this myths. Myths are part of the culture of everyone, they are responsible for many things, but they have become shadowed by science and factual events. Their place is no longer to explain, but to describe relationships and leave learning on people, which is why I reflected on the double personality of gods. We all have defects and troubles, but we must learn to accept our reality, never seeking perfection or giving our backs to others. We must learn to treat others for who they are, and not for who we are. Even gods had a hard time doing this, but we can do it because even if no one is perfect, everything is possible.