CLA 2323 Lecture 7: Olympians (May 26, 2015)
5 Oct 2015
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Document Summary
From zeus & hera (but not necessarily together), the rest of the olympians emerge: Important differences between humans and gods: 1) gods are immortal and eternally youthful, unlike humans, 2) gods don"t eat human food, they eat nectar (to overcome death) and ambrosia (immortality) words have indo-european roots. Nectar is a drink, but there are different descriptions of ambrosia (food, ointment, or rarely, a drink) Ambrosia sustains their youthfulness and restores youthful appearance. They never excrete anything: 3) instead of blood, gods have a divine fluid running through their veins called ichor. Homer suggests that ichor is a result of their eating habits leading to immortality, that they wouldn"t have their immortality if they ate human food. Iliad, book 5, aphrodite and ares get hurt, so olympian gods can be wounded and feel pain: 4) olympians gods have special abilities, strengths and powers beyond regular human capability. However, they"re not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient.
