The Gods according to Dione: Divine Insecurity and the Power of Zeus in Iliad 5
Abstract
Abstract: In Iliad 5, Dione attempts to comfort Aphrodite after the goddess of love has been wounded by the mortal warrior Diomedes. Dione insists that a sharp human-divine dichotomy remains, but, I argue, her outdated exempla and inaccurate predictions blur the line between mortal and immortal and hint at the reality of Zeus's newfound preeminence over humans and gods alike. Dione's failure to distinguish between epic "past" and epic "present" exposes the tension on Olympus as gods struggle to accept changes in the human-divine relationship and the increasingly stratified divine hierarchy under Zeus.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Classical Antiquity Studies
Classical Studies and Philology
Classical Philosophy and Thought
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Classical Journal
- Volume
- 121
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 263–297
- Publication date
- 1 February 2026
- Language
- EN