Summarize the lines spoken by the Chorus, and explain what the passage reveals about the beliefs of the ancient Greek people. CH
ORUS: O Eros, the conqueror in every fight,
Eros, who squanders all men’s wealth,
who sleeps at night on girls’ soft cheeks,
and roams across the ocean seas
and through the shepherd’s hut—
no immortal god escapes from you,
nor any man, who lives but for a day.
And the one whom you possess goes mad.
Even in good men you twist their minds,
perveing them to their own ruin.
You provoke these men to family strife.
Eros was the Greek god of physical attraction—the son of
Aphrodite. What this passage is
basically is a description of Eros and his influence over man. What this says about the beliefs of Greek
people is that they probably believed there was not much that could overcome the
temptation of the flesh so much so that men would “squander” their wealth
because of it. They believed none (immortal
god nor man) could escape carnal desire because it exists everywhere—from the “open
seas” to the “shephard’s hut.” They
believed that even good people are prone to give in to the temptation of Eros
to the point where they could be driven crazy and to the point where families could
be ruined. In the Greek belief system,
none were immune to the temptations of Eros.
The lines spoken by the Chorus are depicting Eros and use figurative language to communicate his importance. This reveals the following about the beliefs of the ancient Greek people: they believed Eros, the god of physical attraction, had an ultimate influence on all of mankind. Eros tempted all, and none were spared.
I answered it on edge2020, and got it right. Hope it helps! :)
