FREE ESSAY ON ZEUS AS KEEPER OF ORDER

ZEUS AS KEEPER OF ORDER

Throughout The Iliad, Zeus presides as the supreme god of all gods, consistently
maintaining the divine order of things and making known the absolute power he possesses
so that his will may be done. This is clearly shown in the epic through the confrontation
with his wife, Hera, when she accuses him of plotting secret plans. Zeus strongly reveals
to her the superior power that he possesses over everyone, and that this position of
power must never be questioned or disturbed. As a result, the people of Olympus never
cease to worship and esteem this great god. Order is therefore kept, and men and gods
remain undisturbed.
In Book One of The Iliad, Hera becomes angry with Zeus for having a secret meeting with
Thetis the sea nymph and for agreeing to aid the Trojans in the war as a favor to her son
Achilles. Zeus quickly reprimands her, saying "Hera, do not go on hoping that you will
hear all my thoughts, since these will be too hard for you, though you are my wife. Any
thought that it is right for you to listen to, no one neither man nor any immortal shall
hear it before you. But anything that apart from the rest of the gods I wish to plan, do
not always question each detail nor probe me" (Iliad 1. 545-550). This is a prime example
of Zeus making it known clearly where he stands in the order of things both as keeper of
order and as a husband to Hera.
Though Hera makes it known that she wishes to be involved in the matters of Zeus and the
other gods, Zeus tells her that even though she is his wife, these matters are far too
hard for her to understand completely. Hera and the other gods all posses a high
understanding of life, even higher than that of men, but the knowledge of life and the
important role that fate plays in it that Zeus has is far more complex than that of any
god or man. Zeus reassures Hera that when matters that are comprehensible to her arise,
she will be the first to know, before any other god or man. This undoubtedly comforts
her, knowing that Zeus is thoughtful of her wishes, and Zeus is therefore successful in
resolving the conflicts that being both husband and keeper of order require. However,
order again is established when Zeus once more reminds Hera that he is the almighty and
final authority by commanding her not to question him of things that pertain to his
decisions alone and apart from the other gods. Zeus knows that he has the responsibility
to carry out the will of Destiny, and that in some cases, doing so requires the supreme
knowledge and wisdom that he alone possesses.
Destiny and order play the most important roles in the Homeric world, contributing to the
laws and behavior of both man and god alike. Zeus, being more powerful than any other god
combined, has been established as the final and supreme authority by these components. If
these things are disturbed, the results are always chaotic. Therefore, it is forever
settled that the supremacy that Zeus possesses, no matter how inconceivable to others,
will always stand as the final word and the final power over all.
Bibliography
The Iliad