Somewhere in Homer there should be a mention (I’m sorry I don’t know the reference) of a god being wounded. This is quite a singular thing to happen and got me to thinking, how common an occurrence is this in Ancient Greek literature? Can you remember any other passages from any ancient Greek authors? Or is it possibly even be unique to that Homeric passage or unique to Homer in general?
This is a question methinks that cannot be easily solved otherwise than reading through the Ancient Greek literature. Which is something I should actually do but it might take 15 years.
In Aristophanes’ Wealth the god of wealth has been blinded by Zeus.
Ouranous is mutilated by Kronos in Hesiod.
Hephaistos is hurt when Zeus (or Hera) throws him down on Lemnos. There are different accounts. In some he gets his limp from the fall, although in Homer he is born with it.
Gods are like mortals, except for their not being mortal. So they can be attacked and even wounded, and then they can quasi-bleed. But all instances of their being wounded or otherwise damaged are very special cases. It only happens in extraordinary circumstances; which is the significance of it.
Thank you for your answers, Seneca, Polemistes and mwh. It’s interesting to see in how many ways the gods could be treated of by the Greeks. Maiming them seems to be an extreme case.
I think it is instructive that when both Diomedes and Herakles wound gods it is on the express instruction of another god, Athena in both cases. Although the argument from silence is weak, we have to consider why there are no examples (we can think of) where mortals wound gods on their own initiative. There are plenty of examples (from material culture at least) of mortals wounding centaurs, amazons and giants who were obviously configured as “the other”. I wonder whether the gods were ever conceived as “other” in quite the same way? It is fascinating that Herakles who is that problematic figure part beast with his lion skin and part god with his semi-divine birth acts in this transgressive way. Its a pity we cant read too much into the epithet “ὑπέρθυμος” to make Diomedes a comparably transgressive actor.
Yes, in normal circs no mortal would be so foolish as to mess with a god. ουδ’ αρ’ ετι δην ην. Cross a god and you’re dead meat. Gods are indeed different from centaurs, amazons, you name it; a non-god can be killed (unless you’re the unfortunate Tithonus, deathless but not ageless). And yes, Herakles is special. In the consolatory mini-catalogue of gods-hurt-by-mortals that Dione feeds her whiny wimp of a daughter over the scratch inflicted on her (and the sleeve of her Oscars dress!), 2 of the 3 have Herakles as shooter. (Il.5.385ff.) And as she goes on to point out, Diomedes doesn’t understand the consequences of fighting gods (406f., μαλ’ ου δηναιος)—only since he has to survive, he’s let off the hook: Aphrodite had no business entering a war zone in the first place, as Zeus unsympathetically tells her. The incident marks the climax of his aristeia; it takes Apollo’s personal intervention to stop him going still further.
But surely it goes too far to say that Diom wounds Aphrod “on the express instruction” of Athena; similarly with Herakles and Ares in the Shield. As a pro-Greek partisan Athena gave Diom strength and is presented as instigating his thumos-driven rampage against the Trojans, but it’s inconceivable that she would have told him to attack Aphrodite. As for Diom, it’s Aeneas he’s after, not Aen’s feeble divine mom who put herself in harm’s way.
Maiming of Hephaestus is interesting—well, they’re all interesting in their various ways—because the myths are clearly aetiological, and work kind of back to front, the way aetiological tales do. The injury itself, the fixed datum of H’s physical deformity, his being αμφιγυηεις (Il. and Od. both, whatever it means), that’s not the end-point but the starting-point. (That’s why he’s a smith, of course—just about the only occupation open to a man so disabled; but Homer’s not concerned with that.) The question invited is: how did he get to be lame (or whatever)? By a fall to earth from the Olympus-nest provides an answer. Hence he was tossed out—by Zeus, by Hera, take your pick; or make up your own story as Homer did.
I read this as a prohibition on Diomedes attacking the Gods and a strong indication that he can strike Aphrodite. So what I had in mind by saying “express instruction” was not that it was an order by Athena to wound Aphrodite but that Athena makes it clear what she will allow and what she wont. Given that she previously has lifted the mist which allows him to actually see the Gods participating he doesn’t seem to be acting autonomously here. The whole episode is only made possible by Athena’s action. Payback for the judgement of Paris?
Similarly with Herakles, Athena tells him precisely where he can strike Ares.
You’re quite right, it was my “inconceivable” that went too far. Athena does at least sanction the action, and given the infinitive you could even say she commands it should the condition be fulfilled, as of course it will be. I read this as (1) an indication of the intensity of Athena’s anti-Trojan stance—more that than anti-Aphrod, I’d say, since the Judgment is not referred to (in fact it was altogether unknown to Homer, acc. to Aristarchus), and the characterization is consistent, e.g. 4.20-23; and more significantly (2) as an instance of Homeric foreshadowing. He doesn’t go in for suspense or surprise, but lays out future events beforehand (the further beforehand, the more important the event), and in this case uses Athena as his instrument for doing so.
As to autonomous actions, we have to bear in mind “double motivation.” What mortals do at the behest of gods is only what they would do anyway.
I wonder if it’s relevant that the gods humans may attack in impunity are those that represent just human passions – sex and violence – not cosmic powers, natural phenomena, justice etc. If I remember correctly, there’s a passage in the Iliad that explicitly says that you can’t attack the really powerful gods such as Apollo, Athene etc. Too bad I don’t remember where.
There’s also the Theomachy in the 21st book of the Iliad, where gods fight each other – a pretty lame piece in my opinion, a case of Homer nodding imho.
