As the years go by, man has appeared to have forgotten where they have come from in a search to increase efficiency, productivity and decrease the work they need to harvest cattle and bear fruit from the earth. Man has begun to lose sight that what they have is what was provided to them by the Gods and continue to take more they need acting as Gods of their own. Man causes pain and suffering to the creatures that walk the earth through such industrialization of agriculture, and along with this tear out plant and vegetation from the earth at such a rate destroying the fertility of the soil. Artemis is furious upon hearing the cries of pain from the plants and animals of her dominion. Artemis seeks out her father such that he may help her to punish man and find a punishment such that man ceases to disturb her. Zeus agrees such a punishment has long been overdue with Poseidon also complaining that his dominion continues to be filled with waste. Together, the three Olympian Gods agree that man must be punished slowly such that the reparations to be made will take longer and man will not make such a mistake again. Zeus sends down heat from the sky, Poseidon brings about storm and destruction to land, and finally, Artemis strips the Earth of creatures from both land and sea. Such punishments are laid down such that man that they like the world are creations of the Gods and are to no longer mistreat the Earth.
Etiological Myth Analysis
This aetiological myth addresses the subject of global warming through the Greek Gods Artemis, Zeus, and Poseidon. Here we see that humans have outstepped their boundaries through the industrialization of agriculture. This aetiological myth eludes to the mistreatment of animals in agriculture and the vast industrialization of yielding crop which destroys the fertility of soil as a result. This mistreatment of the animals and plants in agriculture by humans appears to have infuriated Artemis, the Goddess of hunting, animals, vegetation who is clearly upset as this is directly affecting her dominion as a Goddess. We see Artemis as the Goddess of wild animals through multiple texts, particularly through the stories by which she transforms herself into a deer to fool Ottus and Ephialtes causing them to kill each other (Apollodorus 1.7.5.120-121), and many other stories by which she transforms others into dears. It is then seen through the myth that Artemis intends to punish mankind for their wrongdoings and tentatively suggests that this is not the first time she has had to punish humans for upsetting her when she says, “find a punishment such that man does not disturb her once more”. It can be seen in Apollodorus that Artemis has punished a human in the past for making his sacrifice of the first of all annual crop to all Gods but forgetting the God of vegetation herself, Artemis. As a punishment, Artemis sent a boar of extraordinary size to destroy the land and its cattle (Apollodorus 1.8.2.131). It is logical for Artemis to be the instigator of a movement of the Gods against how humans are treating the earth not only because of her relationship with plants and animals but also since she is represented as the God of hunting. As such, she would evidently be upset over the years where mankind has shifted from hunting and gathering in ancient Greece to the industrialization of agriculture. It would appear that Artemis has had enough with how humans are continuing to treat animals and vegetation of the Earth and is ready to punish them.
This leads Artemis to seek help in formulating a punishment from her father Zeus, who had her along with her twin Apollo (Hesiod Theogeny.923-925). With Zeus being the king of all Gods and Artemis’ father, she seeks help in finding a suitable punishment. This eludes to ancient text which shows many cases of Gods seeking favours from other Gods such as Thetis seeking favour from Zeus in the Iliad (Homer Iliad.1.413). It is then seen that Zeus brings Poseidon into the discussion informing Artemis that Poseidon had also been angry with humans. It is read that Poseidon’s dominion continues to be filled with waste, suggesting that the sea is being filled with waste. This can be concluded since Poseidon is known to be the God of the Sea (Homer Homeric Hymn 22.1). This ultimately reflects waste being disposed of into the seas and oceans all across the world in the modern-day, along with oil spills and other damaging products being released into the Earth’s waters. We then see that together the 3 Gods come to the conclusion to punish mankind slowly such that it will take a long time to make reparations to the Gods to seek forgiveness. This is reflective of the slow onset and progression of global warming, which makes it difficult to the dangers of such a problem. However, in the long term, such a problem will yield terrible outcomes for the planet.
Such a punishment appears to involve Zeus and Poseidon gradually inflicting more and more harm to humans until they are made aware of the grave mistakes that they have made. The aetiology describes that Zeus will send heat from the sky which eludes to the gradual increase of annual temperatures year after year. Such a punishment from Zeus comes from an ancient myth that describes Zeus as the god of the sky and weather (Apollodorus 1.2.1.16). It is then seen that alongside Zeus, Poseidon will inflict punishment by creating more natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes. This is also a common effect of global warming and thus makes sense in such an aetiology. It is also relevant that Poseidon inflicts such punishment due to his role as the God of weather and storms (Homer Homeric Hymn 22.1). Finally, we also see that Artemis inflicts punishment ultimately through the extinction of earthly animals. This seems counterintuitive as she is the Goddess of animals and vegetation on earth, however, this erratic behaviour of Artemis has been documented in myth before. In fact, it is quite common to see Artemis send punishment through plague and death among men and animals, thus extinction of animals as punishment does not seem out of the ordinary (Homer Odyssey 11.172).
In conclusion, this aetiology depicting global warming as a punishment from the Gods makes account that it is humans none the less who is at fault for the global warming. However, instead of what we know today to be the cause of global warming, the cause in this aetiology is the upsetting of Gods. The Gods who are upset are still relevant to the topic of global warming as each of their domains would be affected by it. Zeus and the sky, Poseidon and the Sea, and Artemis with her animals and plants are all effects by global warming. However, this aetiology spins such an idea around suggesting that they use their powers over such a dominion to punish humans for upsetting the Gods. Finally, this aetiology depicts the punishment as a long and gradual punishment just as global warming will be a long and continuous problem unless it is stopped.
Bibliography
Apollodorus. The Library. Translated by Sir James George Frazer. Loeb Classical Library Volumes 121 & 122. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921.
Hesiod, Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica. Translated by Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann, 1914.
Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Murray, A T. Loeb Classical Library Volumes1. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1924.
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Murray, A T. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1919.
Hesiod, Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica. Translated by Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb Classical Library Volume 57. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
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