Gods Acting for Their Individual Benifits

"Father Zeus! the rest of you blissful gods who never die- punish them all, that crew of Laertes' son Odysseus- what an outrage! They, killed my cattle, the great joy of my heat . . . day in, day out, when I climbed the starry skies and when I wheeled back down from the heights to touch the earth once more. Unless they pay me back in blood for the butchery of my herds, down I go to the House of Death and blaze among the dead!" (12.406-412)

"But now they've swept him across the sea in their swift ship, they've set him down in Ithaca, sounds asleep, and loaded the man with boundless gifts- bronze and hoards of gold and robes- aye, more plunder than he could ever have won from Troy if Odysseus had returned intact with his fair share!" (13.153-157)

Poseidon and Helios through books 12 and 13 are examples of such gods who do as they wish in order to satisfy their wants. Helios is angry at the fact that Odysseus' crew killed his cattle. Poseidon simply doesn't seem to like Odysseus. They both get what they want but a key factor relating the two is that they both speak to Zeus perhaps for guidance or permission to let off their anger.

Poseidon has no real quarrel with Odysseus but he just doesn't seem satisfied that he travels home as easily as he had. This simply isn't fair at all for Odysseus unless you consider the fact that the cyclops was a child of Poseidon but before their encounter, it was apparent that he had things against Odysseus.

Helios had a legitimate reason to be angry with Odysseus' crew since they had eaten his heart's joy. It was because he was so quick to react to their actions proves that their own selves (gods) are more significant than those of mortals and possibly other gods. Therefore this is evidence that gods act for themselves much more willingly than for others.

Examining this, it seems as though this is evidence to the fact that gods were a force to be feared in Homer's time, at least from Homer's perspective. Therefore it must have been an apparent consideration that would've affected the decisions of the people in that age. Also this can be interpreted as a possible flaw in the gods. Homer depicts them, with this evidence, as self loving supreme immortal beings (excluding Athena) and thus makes them poor role models for being an overall good being. Maybe it was Homer's interpretation that gods weren't meant to be imitated but simply to be feared and respected as they are a higher force that is impossible to parallel.