Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.

Question

Now Zeus the lord of cloud roused in the north
a storm against the ships, and driving veils
of squall moved down like night on land and sea.
The bows went plunging at the gust; sails
cracked and lashed out strips in the big wind.
We saw death in that fury, dropped the yards,
unshipped the oars, and pulled for the nearest lee:
then two long days and nights we lay offshore
worn out and sick at heart, tasting our grief,
until a third Dawn came with ringlets shining.

What does this excerpt most suggest about the beliefs of the ancient Greeks?

They believed that nature’s strength was wholly uncontrollable.
They believed that nature’s wrath could never be overcome.
They believed that the gods were frequently unfair in their actions.
They believed that the gods often punished people for acting badly.

Answer 1

Based on the excerpt from The Odyssey, it can be inferred that the ancient Greeks believed that nature's strength was wholly uncontrollable. The mention of Zeus, the lord of cloud, rousing a storm against the ships suggests that the Greeks believed natural phenomena were controlled by powerful gods and were beyond the control of humans. The description of the storm as a "big wind" and the acknowledgement of the sailors' vulnerability and inability to resist it further supports the idea that the ancient Greeks believed in the uncontrollable power of nature.