Why do we suffer? It’s a common question, often asked out of frustration at perceived injustice. Throughout the millennia, humanity has wrestled with this topic and devised possible explanations. The ancient Greeks generally believed that suffering was a consequence of divine disapproval or a result of human actions, and this view is expressed in numerous ancient Greek writings, including Homer’s Odyssey. At the very beginning of the book, the gods congregate on Mount Olympus. Zeus, troubled over a certain man named Aegisthus who flouted the warnings of the gods and thus brought about his own death, opens the meeting with these words: “Ah, how shameless – the way these mortals blame the gods. From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes, but they themselves, with their own reckless ways, compound their pains beyond their proper share. Look at Aegisthus now… above and beyond his share he stole Atrides’ wife, he murdered the warlord coming home from Troy though he knew it meant his total ruin. Far in advance we told him so ourselves, dispatching the guide, the giant-killer Hermes. ‘Don’t murder the man,’ he said, ‘don’t court his wife. Beware, revenge will come from Orestes, Agamemnon’s son, that day he comes of age and longs for his native land.’ So Hermes warned, with all the good will in the world, but would Aegisthus’ hardened heart give way? Now he pays the price – all at a single stroke.” (1.37-52) The passage quoted above underscores the relationship Zeus sees between the gods’ control and human affairs. While he acknowledges the role he, as a deity, plays in authoring suffering, Zeus alludes to another contributing factor to human plight: decisions made by an individual. As aforementioned, the Greeks believed that both these causes were legitimate influences on suffering, but Zeus appears to imply otherwise. At least in Homer’s fictional world, his assertion appears to be true. For example, in Book 24 of the Iliad, the renowned warrior Achilles says to Prince Hector’s father Priam, “There are two great jars that stand on the floor of Zeus’ halls and hold his gifts, our miseries one, the other blessings. When Zeus who loves the lightning mixes gifts for a man, now he meets with misfortune, now good times in turn.” (24.615-618) In Achilles’ theory, the life, destiny, joys, and sorrows of an individual are in the hands of the immortals. The gods are described as being responsible for human matters many times throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey. Assuming that Zeus is at least partly correct in his complaint that mortals incriminate the gods alone for all their troubles, we turn our attention to the important function choices play in misfortune. Zeus explains that “[humans] themselves, with their own reckless ways, compound their pains beyond their proper share.” It is paramount to note the context of this passage: Aegisthus, a sworn enemy of the Mycenaean king Agamemnon (who is also called Atrides), deliberately disregarded divine admonitions by stealing Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra and plotting the king’s murder. Aegisthus had been informed that if he took such a path, he would be heaping misery upon himself because Agamemnon’s son Orestes would retaliate. Aegisthus had the pleasure of reigning over Mycenae for a few years before Prince Orestes took his life. In the end, Aegisthus received what he deserved. The word reckless is defined as “without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action,” and so it is fitting that Zeus describes human ways as reckless in this context – for not only did Aegisthus understand the possibility that he could lose his life, but he was forewarned that Agamemnon would be avenged, which meant certain suffering for him. Zeus declares that “he knew it meant his total ruin.” And yet, he persisted. The gods had apportioned only a certain amount of sorrows out for Aegisthus, but his own foolhardiness compounded them beyond his proper share. In closing, the question of why there is suffering has puzzled humans for millennia. The ancient Greeks viewed suffering as a combination of heavenly displeasure and mortal actions, and this view is revealed in Zeus’ speech on Mount Olympus in the opening lines of the Odyssey. Zeus mentions a man named Aegisthus, who despite being aware of feasible ramifications of his conduct, ignored wise counsel and pursued a course destined for destruction. In the end, he “pay[ed] the price – all at a single stroke.” Zeus laments mortal tendencies to denounce the gods’ role in engendering hardship instead of recognizing the outcomes of their own actions, and in some way, I believe this is applicable even today in the 21st century. We may not blame Greek gods, but we inculpate some other immortal power, karma, or other people. Instead of doing so, may we humbly acknowledge how we sometimes bring suffering upon ourselves and admit the consequences of our own actions.

“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” – Brian Herbert I strongly believe that the capacity to know and learn is one of the greatest blessings ever bestowed upon mankind. And indeed, we have learned much in these past several millennia! In fact, we know so much in this Age of Information that we are practically swimming in data. Throughout the centuries, this data has been sorted into different compartments – that which pertains to the cosmos is categorized as astronomy, our understanding of the earth’s physical structure and substance as geology, and so on. This compartmentalization is very necessary when dealing with so much information, but I prefer to think of truth as a beautiful tapestry instead of a “soup” of subjects, where each and every thread is distinct and yet woven into the others. Astronomy and geology are both threads in this tapestry. I dislike the idea of being confined to one particular area of expertise for most of my life. I love philosophy; I love science; I love mathematics; I love writing. I love to learn, and my passion is the integration of these different threads of the tapestry. Which field of study I will specialize in depends greatly on finances and availability of majors at the university I attend, so I haven’t quite decided yet. I am considering pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English so that I may hone my skills as a writer. This would permit me to continue to learn and then write about what I love. Career-wise, I may also aim for a job in editing. Apart from the joy I derive from learning as much as I possibly can, I am motivated by an ambition to excel. Ultimately, however, I want my life to count for furthering that which is true, good, and beautiful. I desire to take the skills I have and use them to inspire others. If all I’ve done with my talents is entertain or impress, I have fallen short of my purposes. One way I am getting a head start in reaching my goals is in my writing. I am hoping to publish my first book within the next two years. Like most of what I write, I will be exploring different themes and posing thought-provoking questions I have had about them. It is my full intention to take advantage of my education and career by continuing to pursue knowledge and a better understanding of the tapestry of truth, and above all, by advancing what is true, good, and beautiful. I have been immensely blessed with the capacity to learn and will embrace it as long as I live. Thank you for taking the time to consider me for your scholarship.