Editing Ate (mythology) (section)

====Allegory of the Prayers====
During the embassy to Achilles in Book 9, Achilles' old tutor [[Phoenix (son of Amyntor)|Phoenix]], trying to persuade [[Achilles]] to accept Agamemnon's offer of reparations, and return to battle, tells the following parable in which the  "fleet of foot" Ate ("Blindness") outruns "halting" [[Litae|Prayers]]:<ref>Padel, [https://archive.org/details/whomgodsdestroye0000ruth/page/180/mode/2up p. 181]; Rose and Dietrich, [https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.897 s.v. Ate]; Dräger, [https://referenceworks-brill-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/display/entries/NPOE/e205210.xml s.v. Ate]. For a discussion of the so-called "Parable of the Prayers", see: Held 1987, Yamagata 2005.</ref>

{{blockquote|For Prayers there are as well, the daughters of great Zeus, halting and wrinkled and of eyes askance, and they are ever mindful to follow in the steps of Blindness. But Blindness is strong and fleet of foot, so she far outruns them all, and goes before them over all the earth making men to fall, and Prayers follow after, seeking to heal the hurt. Now him who will respect the daughters of Zeus, when they draw near, him they greatly benefit, and hear him when he prays; but if a man denies them and stubbornly refuses, then they go and beg Zeus, son of Cronos, that Blindness may follow that man so that he may fall and pay full recompense.|[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/homer-iliad/1924/pb_LCL170.431.xml 9.502&ndash;512]; translation by A.T. Murray, revised by William F. Wyatt}}

In this allegory, Ate appears twice. First Ate causes damage to human beings. Then Prayers follow after Ate to repair her damage. But if the repair offered by Prayers is rejected (in this case if Achilles rejects Agamemnon's appeal) then Ate appears again as the punishment for such rejections. Ate both runs in front of Prayers, and when Prayers are refused, Ate also follows close behind.<ref>Padel, pp. [https://archive.org/details/whomgodsdestroye0000ruth/page/174/mode/2up 174], [https://archive.org/details/whomgodsdestroye0000ruth/page/181/mode/2up 181], which sees Ate here as part what Padel calls "Homers damage-chain": mental damage, causing a bad act, causing damage in the world, with Ate occupying both the front and back of this causal chain.</ref> These two appearances can also be seen as examples of the Homeric Ate's dual role, as both cause and effect. Here Ate is both the cause of the original offense (Agamemnon's insult to Achilles), and the disastrous consequences which would (and will) follow from Achilles' refusal of Agamemnon's attempt to make amends.<ref>Cairns, pp. 14&ndash;15; 25&ndash;27; 46&ndash;56.</ref>