Rule of Gods: What Mythology Still Teaches Us About Power and Order Part: 2
- Basak Gizem Yasadur
- 41 minutes ago
- 11 min read
Our gods, our rulers since time immemorial. Their adventures, values, and codes have transformed into myths; those myths into traditions; and traditions into collective memory. Thus, managing to remain an integral part of our post-modern consciousness.
As an avid lover of mythology, reading the Iliad by Homer, my fellow İzmirite, led me to wonder whether human ideas of power, legitimacy, leadership, order, and authority have truly changed over the centuries, and what mythology might still teach us about the world today.
This idea served as the starting point for this interview.
We explored these themes, which lie at the heart of International Relations, by linking them to current events through the lens of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sema Sandalcı’s expertise in Roman and Greek mythology. Her scholarship also extends to Balkan languages, Greek language, culture, folklore, and literature.
As the scope of these discussions extended beyond a single conversation, the interview was divided into two parts. For those who have not yet explored the first part can access it here.
Humanotions: How is power portrayed in Greek and Roman myths through women and men? How do female deities establish authority differently from male gods?
Sema Sandalcı: In the Neolithic period, that is, when people settled into sedentary life with agriculture, humanity understood that there was an order in nature. In parallel, it began to form its own belief system and politics, that is, its way of life. In this way, it was understood that nature was formed through a conception of masculine and feminine power.
However, it appears that men came to prominence through their hunting skills, a practice that probably dates to an earlier time. Even in adolescence — in other words, during the transition into manhood — the hunt functioned as a kind of test. This test continued until recently. During the Neolithic period, we noticed that sacred places and religious structures were found in settlement areas. Moreover, it is no coincidence that the earliest settlements emerged in Mesopotamia, which was influenced by the sun. It is also no coincidence that the blessings of water and then of the earth were regarded as sacred.
Thus, the sky was regarded as masculine power and represented by the male. However, the creator of everything and the one who fed and nurtured was the earth, represented through a feminine power. Indeed, while the ornamental symbols carried by a man were images of power, the ornamental symbols carried by a woman were identical with nature and with the blessings of the earth.
The division of gods and goddesses, according to the function of the elements in nature, did not prevent this relationship from being understood as one of equality; rather, it represented a division of tasks. Agricultural culture had a share in determining all these distinctions. Indeed, in the imagery of gods and goddesses in ancient beliefs, it is certainly possible to see an equality of power. This idea has even been reflected in languages, where nouns would be classified as masculine, feminine, and neuter.
The lines in the social order mentioned in narratives would also be reflected in the lives of the gods and goddesses in mythology. For example, the goddess Hera was beaten by her husband Zeus, because she worked behind his back.
Thetis, the goddess and mother of Achilles, had been forced by Zeus to marry an elderly Thracian king.
A god could unite with a mortal woman, but a goddess uniting with a mortal man was not regarded favorably. In Rome, a nobleman could unite with a slave woman and also treat the child born as his own. But a noble Roman woman's relationship with a male slave would not be viewed favorably, and the woman could even be put to death.
However, in the world we live in, in desert cultures where there has always been a severe food scarcity, you cannot see this distinction. Moreover, in Asian steppe cultures, too, because life conditions are harsh, it is understood from the lives of their ancestors that women and men were in solidarity.
Humanotions: In mythology, do you think heroism is individual courage or social responsibility? How do Achilles, Hector, Aeneas, and Odysseus differ in this respect?
Sema Sandalcı: When the stories are read, through good and bad events, the connections of nobles, the strong, and the virtuous with the gods stand out. Primarily, the individual may have done it (a good, noble action) for himself, but the generations that came after him took him as an example. Thus, these stories found a place for themselves in mythological narrative. Yet, we see that those who demonstrated heroism on behalf of society were given separate, extra importance. In fact, epic storytelling emerged for this very reason, so that their deeds and sacrifices would not be forgotten.
The mother of Achilles was a sea goddess called Thetis, and his father was an elderly Thracian king. Thus, he had an obvious difference from an ordinary person. His mother had given him the power not to die from wounds received in battle, except for one, famous heel. Achilles knew that he would not receive fatal wounds in battles, so he could go to war without fear and liked being glorious. But in the end, he was wounded in the heel by the arrow shot by Paris and died.
Thetis knew the future and had seen two paths before her son. Either he would be an ordinary man, but he would live a happy life, or he would join the Trojan War and die at a very young age. For this reason, the goddess Thetis tried very hard to keep her son from joining the Trojan War, but it still did not work. Because one could not stand against fate. His goddess mother obtained from Zeus the permission that her son, who would die young in the Trojan War, should be known by future generations because of his fame. Indeed, as we see, that is how it turned out; his name has been known for 3,200 years.
Let us also add that Odysseus digs a pit in the dark land of the Cimmerians in order to speak with the soul of the dead Teiresias. While digging, the souls of other dead people also come out. Amongst them, there was also the spirit of Achilles. He states that he regrets dying early; he says that instead of being a warrior devoted to glory, he would prefer to be someone else's slave and work in orchards and gardens, so long as he could see the sun to his heart's content.
On the other hand, Hector was a Trojan prince, the future king. His elderly king father Priam paid considerable attention to his opinion in meetings. The entire Trojan people trusted Hector's knowledge and courage. Hector was trying very hard not to betray this trust, and he was putting his life on the line for his homeland and his people. He did this despite the pleas of his wife, who was shedding tears with her newborn baby in her arms. That is why the respect for Hector was very great.
Aeneas was a Trojan nobleman born of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, and Anchises, a mortal but very handsome shepherd from Mount Ida (the Kaz Mountains as we Turks call it). When Troy was burned and destroyed, his goddess mother told him to take his family and leave. But Aeneas wants to stay, fight for the city and its people, and, if necessary, die for it. When his mother tells him that his divine duty is to found a second Troy in his ancestral lands, he takes his old father, his wife, and his little son with him one night and leaves the ruined city by ship along with his men. His wife cannot board the ship at the beginning of the journey because of the confusion. The family departs without her. Aeneas eventually reaches Italy. There, he fought and secured a place for himself.
In the very distant lineage of his son Ascanius, the twin Romulus and Remus founded Rome in 753 BC, which was regarded as the second Troy. Aeneas, meanwhile, was regarded not only as the spiritual founding ancestor of this city, but over time also of Italy.
Odysseus, being brave, a warrior, and a ruler of an island. These qualities were already enough to make him of divine descent. But his greatest trait was his intelligence; therefore, behind him was Athena, the goddess of war, wisdom, and intelligence. The goddess coming to his side in difficult moments and finding a solution was also a sign of how much she loved Odysseus compared with the others. Odysseus did not want to take part in the Trojan War, but although he resorted to tricks, his efforts did not work.
In short, while Achilles and Odysseus represent individuality, Hector and Aeneas represent responsibility towards society.
Humanotions: What do you think Hermes being remembered both as a messenger and as a trickster represents? Are there situations in myths where Hermes changes information to his own advantage?
Sema Sandalcı: This question can be explained by the functions of the god.
Hermes provides communication between Zeus and the Earth, the force in nature that symbolizes rain. He is also solely Zeus's messenger. He conveys all messages to those concerned. Hermes is a messenger, a guide god, one who knows all the roads. Who needs to know the roads the most? Merchants. Therefore, merchants began to see Hermes as a guide god for themselves.
Is there cunning in trade? Yes. Can someone with persuasive language sell cheap goods at a high price to the person in front of them? Absolutely yes. Is there fraud in trade? Yes, in fact, it is even a kind of theft. But since the success of selling here depends on negotiation and persuasive power, it is not considered outright theft. For this reason, Hermes is also a symbol of persuasion and eloquent speech.
Hermes, with his staff in hand, “puts to sleep” whoever wants it; this word is also valid in trade. For this reason, Hermes is also the god of sleep. That is why he has a staff in his hand. He obtained this staff through a bargain with Apollo in exchange for a flute. Also, Mercurius, mentioned in the story of Khorikos at the end of my answer to Question 1, is Hermes by his Greek name.
Humanotions: In Greek and Roman myths, even the gods sometimes split into different sides. Do you think this shows why even the strongest do not always think alike? Why might unity be so difficult to establish?
Sema Sandalcı: Of course, this is a normal situation, because everyone may have a moment when they want divine support. Gods and goddesses also want to support different people whom they feel close to.
Competition and contradiction in life on both sides are strong measures to show that powers are divided. The power status of the sides, their intelligence, and their abilities were thus reflected more clearly in the stories. The one with a losing god would lose, and the one with a winning god would win.
Humanotions: What is the most valuable message you have drawn from mythology regarding human nature and social order for today?
Sema Sandalcı: Today, the opposite of what people and prevailing politics do should have been lived. In our time, politics negatively affects people's lives. Certainly, there are many people who do not approve of the current course of politics and society, but politics does not care.
People identified temperament and character with nature itself, and they identified lineage, blood ties, and the family tree with the sprout of plants. The place where one is born and lives is called the fatherland. Because a person is nourished by the blessings of the land on which they live, they see defending their land against malicious, plundering attacks as their primary duty.
Today, everyone should engage in pursuits that are in harmony with nature and do not harm it. But humanity's savage interest, its individual monopoly, remains an uncontrollable condition at the forefront. Space is a good example. Even before life was found in space, the heavens were beginning to be armed with weapons, and work to mine minerals in space is continuing at full speed. Space stories and films are being made, but all of them are especially focused on war and struggle. The focus is on seeking a lasting power that will subjugate other people.
For now, whatever we say is in vain. But I very much wish to have a country where knowledge is pursued in a way that harms our nature as little as possible, and where talents come to the fore. A country where every kind of event that would lead to destruction is prevented from the outset. To experience the continuation of the Crusades in these days would be humanity's greatest mistake. All religious ideologies being carried out, secret political narratives...
For this reason, people must educate themselves well. No matter what their pursuit or work is, if people educate and train themselves well and correctly, they become as effective as lasting laws. Of course, the opposite would be a complete disaster. When we look at what nature offers, it will be seen that there should be no room for human disasters.
Forty years ago, the places we passed by car through greenery, clean and rich in oxygen, are today full of businesses spewing poison and polluting the air and water. It is clear that these are not working for the nature of the country or for people's needs.
If Israel, because of its small geographical size and the desire to limit domestic environmental impacts, imports much of its cement from Türkiye, this suggests that environmental pollution may be displaced rather than reduced, highlighting potential shortcomings in current trade and environmental policies. If the fields where agriculture has been best practices for five thousand years are rapidly opened to development, then we should not seek good intentions here.
The municipality and contractors behave almost as if they were enemies of the land and of agriculture. Since ancient times in these lands, people have mostly settled on the foothills of mountains. This is both a precaution against earthquakes and provides protection from heat and cold. Agriculture was carried out on the plains with the water flowing from these mountains, and irrigation needs were met naturally. Most of these houses have stone foundations and are supported by stone, wood, and adobe bricks. In this way, problems of heat and cold were reduced. Stone is the most durable material.
But after the September 12 coup, ugly, wrong, unhealthy concrete houses were built, especially on the plains that are agricultural areas. These places are today open to all kinds of floods and inundations. How can we continue living with these mistakes? While covert migrations are also constantly taking place…
In my opinion, if every young person between the ages of 16 and 22 were to provide four hours a day of help and support to the farmer or livestock raiser where they live, these young people would lead more productive lives. These young people would learn how to work, how to eat and drink, and how to have fun. And if, while spending their time, they also learned the main lines and stories of the land they live on from antiquity to the present, they would learn, as if it were a duty, to live in the simplest way for this country and its people, but also to live a colorful life in many colors and motifs, and they would produce the tools needed to meet their needs.
Life continues; we must conform to its main order. We should think not about empty, destructive dreams, but about things that support our lives, and we should trace the lines of history, health, architecture, and literature.
Today, politics is in helplessness, the citizens are hopeless and in misery. Moreover, in our country and all over the world, it is not clear what politicians are carrying out. On what right and under what law can you thank a minister who has defrauded his ministry in our country? These things should also be thought about.
There are moments when societies fall, but one must know how to rise again. That is the natural structure of life.
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