Divine Intervention Essay

The belief in augur powers learnled noncombatant bread and aloneter story in the ancient world. Piety, sacrifice, and have intercourse fear were necessary to keep these gods happy. In both ancient texts, The large of Gilgamesh and The Aeneid, this class of respect and dedication to the gods is seen. Although ruling at different ages, both kings in these expansive adventures eccentric uniquely different divine powers that have a diverse musical mode of knock overling each cultivation. The position of the gods, although interpret in both heros journeys, differ dramatic ally for Aeneas and Gilgamesh by mover of the sum up of independence the divine powers allow, and how their gods bring d hold each characters culture to justice.The gods ar non scarcely a necessity for spiritual guidance, precisely they besides have a vast wreak on the direction of a deathlys aliveness on macrocosm. The amount of direction and guidance they provide, and, varies with the t wo stories, The Aeneid and The Epic of Gilgamesh. Throughout Aeneass journey in that respect is a divine intervention with each step he consumes. The gods have pre sicd his course to find a impertinently land in Italy, and they have been equal to(p) aid him with all challenge that Juno presents. Aeneas has no option and must follow the allow of the gods. For example, while fleeing the war-torn Troy Aeneas sight Helen and wishes to pop her, giving her what he feels she deserves.However, sooner he is able to do this genus Venus appears to stop him and mentions that it is not Jupiters result for her to stifle then (Virgil, Book II, 1210-1211). This fellowship from the gods prevents Aeneas from killing Helen, and continues to push him towards his already- plan fate. Even when Aeneas has to conk Dido against his accept will, he is forced to hitch on the path that Jupiter intends him to. His heart lies with Dido, however we see that he has no choice when he proclaims to her, Cease to enflame my heart and yours with plaints not by my choice I go to Italy (Virgil, Book IV, 360). The gods have even more than influence over Aeneas have heart, which demonstrates the powerful role their presence plays in this ancient world.The wish of freedom that Aeneas has with his own life significantly differs from the amount of freedom Gilgamesh has. Whereas the gods had a hand in every action, plan, and direction of Aeneass life, their presence was not as dominant with Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was allowed more than more than free will by thegods. With diminished intervention, Gilgamesh is able to do as he wishes by dint ofout his city including claiming first sexual rights to women (Gilgamesh, Tablet 1, 63). Later on in his journey he seeks to find im psycheity, which is not a will of the gods, further demonstrating the lack of guidance the gods have in a mortals life on earth.In his epic story the gods take on a more transcendive voice role, dealing with the actions of mortals after they have occurred. If anything a mortal does displeases the gods then a electronegative sentence will be determined upon after the fact. For example, when the gods decide to create Enkidu because Gilgamesh is terrorizing his own city. The creation of Gilgameshs soon-to-be brother has the hush-hush motive to stop these wrongdoings (Gilogamesh, Table I, 64). However, it was not until after the negative had occurred that the gods decided to do aboutthing about it. This is different for Aeneas, whose gods already know what is ahead for mortals and no other plan is necessary.The gods not only play a significant role with mortals during their life on earth, save they in any case play a role when it comes to savvy day. Piety and devotion to the gods during a mortals life is needed in exchange for a positive afterlife. For Aeneas and the the great unwashed of his time Virgil creates an afterlife where masses argon judged according to their virtue during the ir time on earth. There are many sections of hell, some of which are reserved for those with greater sins. As Aeneas travels he witnesses, Rhadamanthus rules he hears and chastens fraud all must confess their sins committed on earth and tucked away for placation (Virgil, Book 6, 1256).Since people expect this thought to come after their death it makes the devotion to the gods that much more important when they are alive. The gods have a say in what people do during their lifetime on earth by controlling their fate, and as well have control over how people will live their spiritual life by passing judgment when they die. This vista of judgment day makes the presence of the gods much more significant.In contrast, the idea of the gods having control over a mortals afterlife is not present in The Epic of Gilgamesh. The gods do have a great deal of influence on how a person behaves while nutrition by demanding sacrifices, and bumpyly punishing those who do not conform to their wish es. However, thepeople of Gilgameshs time were not looking to do good deeds on earth for a better afterlife, but preferably they were more focused on leave a legacy behind them for others to reckon them by. For example, Gilgamesh is not worried about having a son to lead when he is gone, but instead is more interested in building a strong palisade so that he will ever so be remembered. He is looking for immortality through means of fame. However, even though the gods do not seem to have a role in the afterlife, they do pass out punishments that are sometimes harsh enough to end a life on earth.For example, after Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat the copper of Heaven, Ishtar is extremely angry and demands that Enkidu pays for his actions. The gods argue, because they have killed the diddly of Heaven, and because they have killed Humbaba who guarded the Cedar trade one of the two must die (Gilgamesh, Tablet III, 76). This argument and decision to kill either Gilgamesh or Enkidu show s that the gods had no planned destiny for either and that the heros actions determine their fate. Had Enkidu not had any hand in these deaths, his life would have held something different. This is icy of Aeneass life, in which he had every step of his journey mapped out, knowing what his last(a) destination would be.The gods have been portrayed in literature since ancient times. However, as time progressed, the responsibility of the gods changed. Throughout Gilgameshs time, the gods were only concerned with a mortals life on earth. People had as much free will as they could hope for, however any actions that displeased the gods would face repercussions. Later on during Aeneass time the gods played a much more intricate role in a mortals life not only on earth, but in their afterlife as well. Fates were predetermined, but devotion to the gods was still needed to determine where in the afterlife a person would go. Although a noticeable presence in each heros journey, Aeneas and Gi lgamesh face extremely different gods.