On Providence

[sdi]

ὃ δ’ ἀφήμενος οὐκ ἀλεγίζει οὐδ’ ὄθεται
but he sits apart neither heeding nor caring

(Hera speaking of Zeus. Homer, Iliad XV 106b–7a, as translated by yours truly.)

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We homeschool my daughter, and the curriculum we are working from is a Christian curriculum—not surprising, I suppose, as most homeschoolers in the USA are so for religious reasons, and so most of the materials on the market cater to that. In any case, the English textbook she is studying had her working with Christian hymns today, and she was complaining about these; so, as a counterpoint, I read her a few bits and pieces from the Homeric Hymns and Orphic Hymns and Porphyry's Hymn to the Intellect, and we discussed what the point of the hymns are, coming to the conclusion that the hymns in her book were about lowering god to the man, while the hymns I showed her were about raising man to the god. This led to a pretty interesting dialogue:

Daughter. But why should we raise ourselves to Zeus (for example)?

Me. Do you care about the cells in your body?

Daughter. What? ... No, not really. I don't even think about them.

Me. But you are like a "cell" in the "body" of Zeus.

Daughter. So Zeus doesn't care about us?

Me. I don't think so. (That's pretty different from what the hymns in your book say, isn't it?) But you still take care of the cells in your body, don't you?

Daughter. I don't try to, but yeah, I guess I kinda do. I mean, if I didn't, I'd get sick and die.

Me. I think that's how it is with Zeus, too. He doesn't care of us but that doesn't mean he doesn't take care of us. (That's what angels are for, after all!) So to raise yourself to Zeus is to harmonize with Zeus: it's like your cell trying to harmonize with your body. Wouldn't your body work better if all your cells tried to be as aware of the whole as possible?

She went away very contemplative...

Comments

[thinking_turtle]

So to raise yourself to Zeus is to harmonize with Zeus

Thanks for the interesting blog! I like the analogy of body parts with followers.

When I think of Zeus as the all-father, I think he gives freely, and to everyone his due. If I choose badly, or rightly, Zeus will see that justice is done. What does it mean to "harmonize" with Zeus? I do not aspire to be a mini version of the magnificent giver of justice.

[sdi]

Well, we are talking about different Zeuses! To harmonize with your conception of Zeus, yes, is to be just.

But that is not the Zeus Homer speaks of, who "sits apart neither heeding nor caring." He is not just; rather, he just is! So to harmonize with that Zeus is to simply be.

(I would note that this is a very difficult to achieve state, and I have not managed it! That's one of the things that the Zennists mean when they speak about enlightenment, and I am not yet enlightened.)

[thinking_turtle]

Thanks with your reply. What do you mean by Zennists? Zen buddhists?

[sdi]

Yes.

[thinking_turtle]

As far as I know Zen buddhist are introverted. They aim for stillness of mind and simplicity. Surprising as it, it does illustrate your statement that Homer's Zeus "sits apart neither heeding nor caring."

I seem to remember that Zeus intervened in both the Trojan war and Odysseus journey home? Wasn't it Zeus who killed the last of Odysseus' remaining companions as punishment for something?

[sdi]

I can't think of a single case in the Iliad where Zeus intervenes directly; unless I'm misremembering, he always acts through intermediaries (e.g. telling other gods what to do or not do, sending thunderbolts or eagles as omens, etc.).

In the Odyssey, though, you're right: he zaps Odusseus's last ship with a thunderbolt in order to punish Eurulokhos and the rest of his crew for eating the cattle of Helios on Thrinakia. I think that's the only case, though: in all other instances I can think of, Zeus enacts his will by sending Athene or Hermes to do things for him.

This is certainly an argument in favor of the two poems being written by different authors, but I regard the Odyssey as one of the few complete retellings we have of the Egyptian mysteries, and so I suspect its Homer wrote that in intentionally. I'll have to spend some time thinking about why, though, as it's an area I passed by when I previously explored the mysteries!