# Why Were The Greek Gods So Nasty? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065 "2010-09-08T16:32:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/1 "2010-09-08T16:32:26Z")
I mean, they were always punishing humans for hubris…poor Daedalus was just trying to have some fun-the god Apollo made sure he’d fall to his death. Or Agamemnon-his sin was wearing purple-the gods got pissed at him, and made sure he met a horrible end. It even extended to innocents…like Adonis…he had the misfortune to be born physically beautiful…the gods fixed HIM! This theme seems ever present in the Greek mythology-when the gods were not punishing prideful humans, they were laying elaborate traps for us. Why did they hate humans so much? You had to be very careful (as a Greek human hero)…you never knew when some god/goddess would either take a liking to you (and incur the emnity of OTHER gods), or get jealous of your good looks/courage, etc., and fuck you up! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/2 "2010-09-08T16:46:31Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I mean, they were always punishing humans for hubris…poor Daedalus was just trying to have some fun-the god Apollo made sure he’d fall to his death. It was not Daedalus who fell to his death; it was his son, Icarus. And Icarus fell to his dead because he ignored his father’s counsel not to fly too high–which is to say, he did not pay proper heed to the laws of nature and the limits of human power. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/3 "2010-09-08T16:55:48Z")
Short answer: because the Greek gods were modeled after human beings. Some of the best, but definitely all the worst. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/4 "2010-09-08T16:57:02Z")
How dare you talk ill of Apollo? Do you _want_ the sun to rise tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/5 "2010-09-08T16:58:54Z")
Because the Greek Gods were basically people. The Greeks were looking for explanations of why people are so nasty to each other, and they figured it was because the gods made us be nasty to each other, therefore the gods must be nasty to each other too. Bad shit happens to good people? It’s because some god decided to fuck with you. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/6 "2010-09-08T16:59:18Z")
It’s pretty much the SOP for all Gods. Just ask Job. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/7 "2010-09-08T17:01:31Z")
The Greek gods were created in man’s image. That means that although they had superhuman power, they had human emotions and motivations. They acted towards hubristic humans the way a human king would act towards a disrespectful subject. That is, the Greeks saw the way powerful humans acted towards their social inferiors, and decided that the gods would act the same way. Since kings and noblemen used their position to fuck as many women as possible, Zeus would probably act the same way. The queen wouldn’t like this, so neither would Hera. People who performed well in their place would be rewarded, those who didn’t know their place would be punished. The gods would reward and punish mortals for their own reasons, just as a king might hand out arbitrary rewards and punishments for his own reasons that might be fair or unfair, but whether they were fair or unfair was irrelevant, because it didn’t matter whether you liked it or not or agreed or not, you had no choice. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/8 "2010-09-08T17:04:27Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > How dare you talk ill of Apollo? > > Do you _want_ the sun to rise tomorrow? We have nothing to fear from on that front. For one thing, the one true sun god is Helios, not Apollo; more importantly, both of them will do whatever Athena says, and LIKE it. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/9 "2010-09-08T17:05:44Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Why did they hate humans so much? I can think of two reasons. One, it more accurately reflects reality. If the gods are powerful enough to stop bad things happening to you, you’d have to ask youself why bad things are happening to you. “Because Zeus is a dick” works quite well. Two, it makes it easier for a priest to collect bribes on their god’s behalf. An evil god might be persuaded to make your life better by such demonstrations of your devotion, while a good god would be doing his best anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/10 "2010-09-08T17:11:28Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > It’s pretty much the SOP for all Gods. Just ask Job. Or the families of those kids that were eaten by a bear after they made fun of a bald-headed guy. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/11 "2010-09-08T17:23:12Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s pretty much the SOP for all Gods. Just ask Job. **Tapioca** beat me to it. You can find Gods and the Powers That Be doing awful things to human beings all over the world. Mother Nature and Random Chance can be a real bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/12 "2010-09-08T17:44:30Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > Because the Greek Gods were basically people. The Greeks were looking for explanations of why people are so nasty to each other, and they figured it was because the gods made us be nasty to each other, therefore the gods must be nasty to each other too. Bad shit happens to good people? It’s because some god decided to fuck with you. And excuses for kink, don’t forget excuses for kink. Those legends are damned well pornographic. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/13 "2010-09-08T17:47:47Z")
Flawed, jealous, fucked up gods also make more interesting characters when you’re telling a story. There are positive aspects to the idea of a just and loving god, of course, but it doesn’t make for a very interesting character. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/14 "2010-09-08T17:56:41Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Lakai](#): > > > > How dare you talk ill of Apollo? > > > > Do you _want_ the sun to rise tomorrow? > > We have nothing to fear from on that front. For one thing, the one true sun god is Helios, not Apollo; more importantly, both of them will do whatever Athena says, and LIKE it. True. I never understood why Paris called it for Aphrodite, frankly - Athena was certainly more dangerous, and probably the better choice even in a free and fair competition. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/15 "2010-09-08T18:00:26Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > > We have nothing to fear from on that front. For one thing, the one true sun god is Helios, not Apollo; more importantly, both of them will do whatever Athena says, and LIKE it. > > True. I never understood why Paris called it for Aphrodite, frankly - Athena was certainly more dangerous, and probably the better choice even in a free and fair competition. Well, Athena’s never going to have sex with you. But the only rational course in this instance is to choose Hera. Athena might be mildly annoyed, but she’s not going to spark a war to destroy your entire nation just 'cause of that. Neither is Aphrodite, and she can be distracted by pretty things anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/16 "2010-09-08T19:25:16Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > It’s pretty much the SOP for all Gods. Just ask Job. > > **Tapioca** beat me to it. You can find Gods and the Powers That Be doing awful things to human beings all over the world. Mother Nature and Random Chance can be a real bitch. Yes, but most mythologies give a reason, don’t they? Even if it’s something like “to test people” or “they deserved it.” As far as I can tell, they didn’t do that for the Greco-Roman gods. Zeus acted like a henpecked rapist jerk because he was a henpecked rapist jerk, not because he had some ineffable plan for the world that involved having sex in animal costume. Admittedly, some days you look at the world and think that rapist yiffy petty-minded gods running the universe seems as good an explanation as any. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/17 "2010-09-08T20:38:48Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > One, it more accurately reflects reality. If the gods are powerful enough to stop bad things happening to you, you’d have to ask youself why bad things are happening to you. “Because Zeus is a dick” works quite well. This is what I wanted to post. Bad shit happens all the time. IF you’re going to posit gods, then they’d better reflect that. See also: the role Satan in many christian religions, and the non-monotheistic character of the old testament (which also IIRC doesn’t make real claims of “goodness” or omnipotence for God). > [@](#): > > Two, it makes it easier for a priest to collect bribes on their god’s behalf. An evil god might be persuaded to make your life better by such demonstrations of your devotion, while a good god would be doing his best anyway. I hadn’t thought of it like that, but I guess that would work. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/18 "2010-09-08T20:47:20Z")
Forgot to add: I’m reading Russel’s “History of Western Philosophy” at the moment (very good read too), and he claims that the classical Greeks had some concepts that even the gods were bound to. Vaguely defined things like Fate, Destiny etc that aren’t gods at all. He also makes the observation that the Greek gods were essentially superhuman humans with no moral authority. Destiny, Fate, Necessity etc [again, these are not gods, but more like “natural laws”] were the basis for morality and human law. ETA: Note how nicely Destiny and Fate imply the punishment of hubris. The Greeks had a pretty strong sense of “everything should be in its place”. The gods are partly just instruments of those principles. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/19 "2010-09-08T21:31:38Z")
“Men rarely (if ever) manage to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child.” -Lazarus Long, Time Enough for Love ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065/20 "2010-09-08T22:39:05Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > And excuses for kink, don’t forget excuses for kink. Those legends are damned well pornographic. Read the Roman tale _Cupido et Pschye_ some time. Psyche is married to Cupid/Eros, the God of Sexual Love, and yet only meets him in darkness. Her jealous sister want to break up the happy couple, and decide to persuade her he is some kind of monster. Bear in mind she has touched him many times but never seen him clearly. They tell her he is a giant snake. And she falls for it completely. “Well, that matches what _I’ve_ been feeling in the dark…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-greek-gods-so-nasty/553065.md?page=2)