# Question about "God" in Homer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-god-in-homer/370284 "2006-08-26T02:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-god-in-homer/370284/1 "2006-08-26T02:58:30Z")
I’m reading the Odyssey and most of the time the gods are mentioned by name as doing this or that, but there are a few passages where it’s just “God” who is mentioned, such as the following: > [@](#): > > “I doubt not that he too lifts his hands in prayer, for man cannot live without God in the world.” > > “God grants this, and withholds that, just as he thinks right, for he can do whatever he chooses.” > > “For God almighty gives men their daily minds day by day.” > > “Therefore let a man fear God in all things always, and take the good that heaven may see fit to send him without vain glory.” So who is “God”? Is it Zeus? ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-god-in-homer/370284/2 "2006-08-26T04:20:56Z")
I took a quick look at the [Greek text](http://www.perseus.org/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0135&query=card%3D%23215&layout=&loc=18.88) for the last two quote,s which appear in book XVIII, lines 137 (“For God almighty…”) and 141-2 (“Let a man fear…”). The translation you apparently are reading from is Samuel Butler’s. In line 137, Butler has rendered _pater theon_ - “father of the gods” as “God Almighty” (wish I could type Greek characters here; the ‘o’ in _theon_ is supposed to be circumflexed omega). In line 141, the translation is much freer; the Greek reads _toi me tis pote pampan aner athemistios eie_ - “Therefore let no man ever be lawless at any time”; the key word here is _athemistos_ - “lawless”, which as you can see is something akin to _a + theos_ - “without god”, and so the root meaning of the word is “godless”. I guess “not being lawless/godless” is equivalent to “fear(ing) God” in Butler’s translation. In line 142, the Greek translated as “the good that heaven…” is the more pedestrian _dora theon_ - “gifts of the gods”. I’m too tired to look up the other two, but I’m betting you’ll see something similar: You shouldn’t read too much into these kind of statements, as the translator’s hand brings a lot of interpretation never intended by Homer. If you’re hoping to prove Homer had a secret belief in monotheism based on passages like this, I don’t think you’ll be too successful. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-god-in-homer/370284/3 "2006-08-26T05:06:38Z")
Like CJJ said it’s because of the translator. Also just as _man_ can mean _mankind_ _god_ can mean _godkind_ or the gods. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-god-in-homer/370284/4 "2006-08-26T05:16:16Z")
This isn’t about the Simpsons, is it? :o ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-god-in-homer/370284/5 "2006-08-26T06:34:38Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Like CJJ said it’s because of the translator. And how the translator is trying to cram it into the meter. I like Butler’s translation (much better than his original stuff) but that’s one place it lacks. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-god-in-homer/370284/6 "2006-08-26T06:50:49Z")
You also see “God” used in some of the Plato dialogues. Marc