After reading those two poems on Leda, Helen's mother, and we had distinguished that the gods seem indifferent to what is going to happen, I found similar cases in the actual Aeneid. Like we'd addressed in class for a bit, Venus' indifference to the Trojan war by promising a married Helen to Paris expresses the same sentiments of indifference as in the poems. And this indifference is what drives the event and outcome of the war.
Another thing we discussed, but didn't necessarily make a connection to, was what Mrs. Quinet said about the relationship between demigods and gods/goddesses. Indifference is obviously present here as well, seeing that these gods/goddesses would come to their children at the most random time, but had wholly ignored them for most of their life. They were indifferent as parents, so to speak. This probably had to do with a mixture of smelling the fact that these gods were having so many children and largely that they seemed to live life in vanity, immaturity, and selfishness.
Kind of sad that divine beings, beings which should have a degree of superiority over humans at every single facet, are less mature than their creations at times.
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I think that the gods were invested in what was happening on Earth, otherwise, why would they interfere in the first place? If the gods were indifferent to humans, then why did Mernerva, Juno and Venus compete against each other in a beauty contest judged by Paris? They valued his choice enough to bribe him and feel hurt by his decision. Juno antagonized Aeneas because of his connection to the Trojans. Sometimes they use humans just like little pawns not caring for the individual, but caring about the outcome, like when Juno tried to sabotage Aeneas by creating a storm, so he and Dido would marry. Zeuz even intervenes by sending Mercury to Aeneas to tell him to get a move on and follow his destiny. Therefore, I think that the gods are to some degree invested in earthly matter. Why? Maybe for their own amusement, protecting their honor, fulfilling their own goals…?
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