Greek and Modern Fate in the Odyssey
The ancient Greeks believed that fate was a combination of the gods’ will, human motivation, and the force of the past. The modern definition is the opposite: a future already defined and unchangeable. Homer’s Odyssey shows the contrast between these two views of fate. Our version of fate does not exist in the saga, in which blind prophets, bird signs, and the gods themselves seem to spell out the fate of man. And yet these prophecies are falsehoods or just plain obvious. The humans ultimately determine their own fate in the Odyssey, so our view of fate does not exist in the story while Greek fate controls the plot.
The most important prophecy in the Odyssey is Teiresias’, which turns out to be just good advice. Kirke tells Odysseus to seek out the blind prophet in Hades. There, the dead man tells him that he will “find the grazing herds of Helios… Avoid those kine, hold fast to your intent, and hard seafaring brings you all to Ithaka. But if you raid the beeves, I see destruction for ship and crew” (188). He gives Odysseus fair warning not to upset the gods, or else Helios will get mad. Teiresias then tells him to appease Poseidon by making offerings to him once Odysseus gets home. Neither of these are examples of modern fate. They are advice not to upset the gods, since the gods have great power to seek retribution. Yet the Greeks believed that fate is just that, the actions of humans and the will of the gods.
The Phaiakians feel the wrath of the gods when they give Odysseus asylum and take him home. Alkinoos’ father had prophesied that continuing to ferry people about might incur divine wrath in the form of mountains springing up around their seaport. Poseidon indeed wishes to do just that, but for another reason: helping Odysseus. He doesn’t even mention Alkinoos’ prophecy. If the omnipotent gods don’t recognize a prophecy, it must not be fate. Indeed, the prophecy is not even fulfilled, as Poseidon instead turns the ship to stone. But Greek fate has still been fulfilled since the gods are responding to human behavior, and the force of the past influences all their actions. Odysseus, the hero himself, sees his own destiny in the hands of the gods, and yet it is his cunning that pulls off their plans. Athena disguises him as an old man in order to sneak into his own house unrecognized. However, it is Odysseus who must play the part. Although he says, “it’s light work for the gods who rule the skies to exalt a mortal man or bring him low” (296), he is not brought low by the disguise. He is still cunning, still “the noble and enduring man” (292). And it is not the gods who exalted him in the first place - his reputation for intelligence and perseverance was well earned, and even Athena admires those traits in him. This is the essence of Greek fate: human motivation.
The gods, although flaunted as all-powerful and all knowing, do not act in accordance to our modern view fate. Omens and prophecies only state the present or give advice. Even the most mystical beings show no concrete knowledge of the future. If the gods are not in charge of fate, then mankind must be in charge of its own destiny. Odysseus and his son Telemakhos must defeat the suitors using their own skill and the help of Athena. Yet this is exactly what the Greeks believed fate to be. The actions of humans and gods work together to forge the future. The Odyssey shows the disparity between our own definition of fate and that of the ancient Greeks.