The presence of women in the course of historical literature is so minor that their influence is undermined. They play very important roles to help develop and create the storyline. The women in the pieces of the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Iliad has the power to persuade and bend the dominant male character to their will. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, two women that have greatly influenced the lives of the both Gilgamesh and Enkidu are Shamhat and Ishtar. Shamhat played the role of civilizing Enkidu. Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, is powerful in the sense that she can destroy anything she wants if she doesn’t get what she wants. In The Iliad, Briseis and Achilles’ mother Thetis are not mentioned often, however they are the main catalysts for important key events. Briseis was the main cause of why Achilles refused to fight, while Thetis gave strength and support to Achilles during battles. Overall, these women exerted authority that greatly impacted the storyline.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, women played an important role in the lives of both Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Even though there were not many women in their lives, the few that they came across changed their lives drastically. Before Enkidu was civilized, he was raised by animals. His actions and looks were similar to the animals that raised him “But as for him, Enkidu, born in the uplands, who feeds on grass with gazelles…”(103). He didn’t wear any clothes nor did he ever had any human food. When Shamhat, the prostitute tried to engage and civilize Enkidu by seducing him with her body, and coincidentally, he gave in. They made love to each other for six days. After coming in physical contact with a human, the animals refused to let him back into their life; they all ran away from Enkidu. Devastated, Enkidu turned to Shamhat for advice. She tells him about all the pleasures, like food, music, and etc., that he will find in the city of Uruk “Enkidu ate the bread until he was sated, he drank seven juglets of beer…” (107). She opened his eyes and made him see life as a human. Most importantly, she civilized him.
Shamhat seducing Enkidu with her body.
In the epic poem, The Iliad, Homer writes about the events that occurred nine years after the start of the Trojan war. The Achaeans had conquered Chryse, a town allied with Troy and acquired prizes of two beautiful girls, Chryseis and Briseis. Agamemnon, the leading general of the Achaeans, took Chryseis and Achilles, the greatest warrior, took Briseis. However, Chryseis and Briseis’ father, Chryses, a priest of the sun god Apollo, begged to have his daughters return to him “But give me my daughter back and accept this ransom out of respect…” (230). Apollo sends a plague haunting Agamemnon’s camp, killing a vast number of Achaeans “He will not lift this foul plague from the Greeks until we return the dancing-eyed girl to her father…(232). Agamemnon investigated this phenomenon and discovered that he needed to give back the daughters to stop the plague. He sends back Chryseis and forcefully takes back Briseis from Achilles “Since Phoebus Apollo is taking away my Chryesis, I’m coming to your hut and taking Briseis” (234). Undoubtedly, Achilles feels bitter about the way Agamemnon’s treatment towards him. He feels insulted and downgraded from his status as the greatest warrior on the Archaeans’ side. Furiously, he leaves his position from the ships and returns to his tent, refusing to fight or defend from the Trojan’s attack. With the absence of Achilles, the Achaeans suffer great losses as their Trojan enemies had formable forces, Hector and Zeus.
Agamemnon taking Briseis from Achilles.
Although Achilles’ mother, Thetis is not mentioned much, she is forgotten and deemed to have little to do with Achilles’ success as the most invincible being when he is mad. However, Thetis raised and guided Achilles to be powerful and proved to be his support system in any situation. Upon her son’s request, she persuades Zeus to join and help the Trojans fight the Archaeans “Father Zeus, if I have ever helped you… Honor my son, doomed to die young…”(243) . Achilles, at the moment was still mad at Agamemnon taking away Briseis so he wished ill for the Archaeans during his absence from the battlefield. Later, when he needed armor to avenge Patroclus, Thetis makes sure her son receives the best. She goes all the way to Mount Olympus to convince Hephaestus to forge him a suit of impenetrable armor “Will give my son, doomed to die young, a shield and helmet, a fine set of greaves, and a corselet too…”(295). Thetis is a loving and dedicated mother to Achilles. Her actions enabled him to complete god-like strengths that made his name known throughout Greece and history.
Thetis asks Hephaestus to produce armor for her son Achilles
Many times throughout literature and even history, women’s presence is so minor that we often overlook how important their influence is. Women’s influence in persuading and bending men’s decision was proved many times in both the the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Iliad.
