Homeric prayer facts for kids

Prayer is a big deal in the ancient stories written by Homer, like the Iliad and the Odyssey. In these tales, gods and goddesses live alongside humans. They often get involved in human lives. People in these stories talk to the gods through prayer. The gods usually listen, often react, and sometimes even grant these prayers.

The Power of Prayer in Ancient Greece

Homer's prayers often show up when characters are in big trouble. These prayers can actually change what happens in the story. Sometimes, the gods directly help a person who prays. For example, a god might send a sickness to an invading army. Or they might stop the wind to keep ships from sailing.

In the Iliad, a wise character named Phoinix talks about how powerful prayer is. He says that even the immortal gods can be convinced. He explains that people can change the gods' minds with sacrifices, gifts, and offerings. This happens even when someone has done something wrong.

How Ancient Greek Prayer Worked

Formal Greek prayer in Homer's epic poems followed a special set of steps. It was like a ritual. There were four main parts:

• Cleansing: First, the person would wash their hands. This made them feel pure.
• Posture: Then, they would stand in a certain way. They often lifted their arms to the sky.
• Addressing the Gods: Next, they would speak directly to the gods. They would praise the gods' great power. They would also remind the gods of their past connection. This was to show they were worthy of attention.
• Sacrifice and Libation: Finally, the person would clearly state their wish. Then, they would offer a gift to the god. This gift was usually a sacrifice or a drink offering called a libation. It showed their respect.

Prayer Examples in the Iliad

Many characters in the Iliad use prayer. Here are a few examples:

Chryses' Prayer to Apollo

In the Iliad, Chryses is a priest of the god Apollo. He washes his hands and lifts them up. He asks Apollo to grant his wish. He also shows that he knows he is less important than the god. He says Apollo rules over many places like Chryse and Killa.

Achilles' Prayer to Zeus

Achilles also performs a prayer ritual to Zeus. He cleans himself and pours wine for the god. He praises Zeus with special words. Achilles admits that Zeus, the father of gods, is much nobler. He compares Zeus to humans, who are "unwashed" and have "unwashed feet."

Glaukos' Battlefield Prayer

Glaukos, a leader of the Lycian army, prays on the battlefield. He asks for his wounds to heal so he can keep fighting. In this case, he doesn't do the usual physical parts of the ritual. He just speaks his prayer.

Trojan Women's Prayer to Athena

In the Iliad, Hecuba leads the Trojan women in a prayer to Athena. She seems to do the ritual steps without fully understanding their meaning. This makes her actions less spiritual. She plans to offer wine to Hector, but he hasn't been cleansed. They also offer a special robe as a gift to Athena. The priestess lifts her hands to the sky. She praises Athena as "shining among the goddesses."

Prayer Examples in the Odyssey

Prayer is also important in the Odyssey.

Polyphemus' Prayer to Poseidon

After Odysseus blinds the giant Polyphemus, Polyphemus prays to his father, Poseidon. He asks Poseidon to make sure Odysseus never gets home to Ithaca. Poseidon then causes many problems for Odysseus' journey. This sets up much of the rest of the story.

See also

• List of characters in the Iliad
• Epic poetry